[I. CALL TO ORDER]
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GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE MAY WORK SESSION MEETING OF THE RICHARDSON ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
I AM CHRIS PETIT, THE BOARD PRESIDENT. WE'RE MISSING MS. RENTERIA, WHICH SHE'LL PROBABLY BE HERE PRESENTLY, AND THEN MS. MCGOWAN,WHO HAS A CONFLICT AS WELL.
BUT WE DO HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT, AND THIS MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER AT 628 P.M.
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL PROCEED WITH OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS SECTION.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS TONIGHT.
SO WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY, AND WE WILL LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY AT THE NEXT MEETING.
[III.A. Instructional Technology Update]
OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS AN INFORMATION ITEM TO RECEIVE A PRESENTATION REGARDING AN INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY UPDATE.THANK YOU, PRESIDENT POTEET, AND THANK YOU, BOARD.
OUR FIRST PRESENTATION TONIGHT, AND I'M GOING TO INVITE OUR AMAZING TEAM TO COME FORWARD.
WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY OVER THE LAST, I WOULD SAY, REALLY SCHOOL YEAR TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK AND INPUT FROM A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PARENT GROUPS RELATED TO HOW WE'RE USING TECHNOLOGY.
AND I WOULD SPECIFICALLY SAY, HOW IS TECHNOLOGY AND SCREEN TIME IMPACTING REALLY OUR STUDENTS AT THAT MOST FORMATIVE LEVEL WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN PRE-K AND KINDER, FIRST GRADE, SECOND GRADE.
AND WE HAVE ACTUALLY HAD A TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK WITH SOME GUARDRAILS THAT HAS BEEN IN EFFECT, I WOULD SAY FOR SEVERAL YEARS, BUT WE'VE REALLY NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IT FORWARD AND SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY WHAT EXPECTATIONS LOOK LIKE WHEN WE'RE USING TECHNOLOGY, WHY WE USE TECHNOLOGY.
AND THEN HOW DO WE HOLD OUR STAFF ACCOUNTABLE FOR ENSURING THAT WE'RE USING TECHNOLOGY IN A WAY THAT WE BELIEVE IS MOST MEANINGFUL FOR OUR STUDENTS? THIS IS REALLY, I WANT TO CELEBRATE OUR AMAZING INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY TEAM, ALSO OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING TEAM, WHERE WE HAVE REALLY COLLABORATED IN THE LAST PROBABLY TWO TO THREE MONTHS TO REALLY DIG IN, MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THOSE TECHNOLOGY, TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS THAT WE MUST TEACH.
WHAT DO WE BELIEVE ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND THE ROLE THAT IT SHOULD PLAY IN THE CLASSROOM? WHAT ARE THOSE GUARDRAILS THAT WE BELIEVE THAT NEED TO BE IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR STUDENTS, BUT ALSO A PLACE WHERE OUR STUDENTS CAN LEARN TECHNOLOGY IN A WAY THAT WILL HELP THEM AS THEY MOVE FORWARD AND PREPARE FOR THEIR FUTURE? WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HELP KIDS SHIFT FROM THINKING ABOUT TECHNOLOGY JUST AS AN ENTERTAINMENT TOOL, BUT UNDERSTAND HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN AND SHOULD BE USED FOR EFFICIENCY, PRODUCTIVITY, CREATIVITY, ETC.
SO WE WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
WE WANT TO BE EXPLICIT WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
WE WANT OUR EDUCATORS IN OUR CLASSROOMS AND OUR LEADERS IN OUR BUILDINGS TO UNDERSTAND AND HAVE CLARITY, CLEAR AS KIND.
SO WE WANT THEM TO HAVE CLARITY ON THIS IS WHAT WE BELIEVE TECHNOLOGY SHOULD LOOK LIKE SO THAT WE CAN ALWAYS PARTNER WITH OUR PARENTS, PARTNER WITH OUR COMMUNITY, AND PARTNER WITH OUR EDUCATORS TO ENSURE A POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL.
SO I BELIEVE OUR I-TEAM AND OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING TEAM ARE GOING TO BE KIND OF CO-SHARING SOME OF THIS PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
I WILL BE PROVIDING A LOT OF COMMENTARY AS WELL BECAUSE I'M PARTICULARLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION, BUT I JUST GENUINELY THANK ALL OF THEM FOR THEIR INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK.
A LOT OF LISTENING, A LOT OF GETTING FEEDBACK, BOTH FROM TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS, AS WELL AS FOR OUR PARENTS.
AND I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
THANK YOU, BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT BRANHAM, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THIS EVENING TO YOU ABOUT TECHNOLOGY WITH PURPOSE.
I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE THOSE OF US THAT ARE IN THE ROOM TO PRESENT.
I AM ROBIN GUNNER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY.
I'M MORGAN CAVE, DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY.
LISA STEWART, DIRECTOR OF ELEMENTARY READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS, AND WE HAVE TWO OF OUR I-TEAM MEMBERS BACK HERE, ASHLEY GIDEON AND KELSEY ORD.
BUT JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW, WE'RE GOING TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THE FOUNDATION OF OUR TECHNOLOGY BELIEFS AND GIVING YOU A LOT OF CONTEXT AROUND THAT.
WE HAVE AN ACTIVITY, AS MANY OF YOU NOTICED WHEN YOU CAME IN, TO ILLUSTRATE SOME OF THAT.
AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO SCREEN TIME AND THE SUPPORT STRUCTURES WE HAVE IN PLACE, AS WELL AS OUR NEXT...
OF COURSE, WE ALWAYS START WITH THE NORTH STAR GOAL.
THIS GROUNDS EVERYTHING THAT WE DO AND IS THE LENS THAT WE LOOK THROUGH WHEN WE ARE COMPLETING ALL OF OUR WORK.
I WANTED TO JUST BRING THIS FORWARD AND FOR ALL OF OUR TEACHERS THAT ARE IN THE ROOM AND I THINK EVEN
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FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT BE EDUCATORS AS STUDENTS, YOU CAN KIND OF FOLLOW THE TIMELINE OF WHAT CLASSROOMS AND HOW THEY HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME.YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER AS A STUDENT, OUR TEACHERS ALWAYS USE VISUALS TO HELP MATCH, YOU KNOW, THAT DIDACTIC INSTRUCTION WHEN I'M GIVING THAT LECTURE, WHEN I'M GIVING THAT.
THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND A CONCEPT OR TO PRACTICE A CONCEPT, OUR TEACHERS WOULD ILLUSTRATE IT ON A CHALKBOARD, RIGHT? AND THEN WHEN I BECAME A TEACHER, OUR CHALKBOARDS, THEY BEGAN TO PUT HOME DEPOT SHOWER BOARDS OVER OUR CHALKBOARDS BECAUSE WE LOVED THE FACT THAT YOU COULD USE COLOR WHITEBOARD MARKERS AND YOU COULD BETTER ILLUSTRATE, YOU COULD UNDERLINE, YOU COULD USE COLORS TO REALLY BRING HOME A POINT.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE ALSO HAD OVERHEAD PROJECTORS.
I LOVED MY OVERHEAD PROJECTOR AS A HISTORY TEACHER.
I WOULD HAVE VIS-A-VIS MARKERS.
I WOULD HAVE ALL THE COLORS RUNNING DOWN MY WRIST BECAUSE YOU'D WIPE IT OFF AND YOU'D COME IN FOR THE NEXT CLASSROOM.
AND THEN SLOWLY OVER TIME, NOW WE HAVE OUR INTERACTIVE PANELS IN WHICH WE REALLY ARE USING THAT TECHNOLOGY IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE DID OUR CHALKBOARD, WHITEBOARD, AND OVERHEAD.
OUR INTERACTIVE PANELS REALLY ARE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE.
THAT HIGH QUALITY TIER ONE INSTRUCTION.
IF AS A TEACHER I AM TRYING TO ILLUSTRATE THE MODEL OF A CELL, YES, I'M GOING TO HAVE THAT IN A TEXTBOOK.
AND I'M GOING TO USE AN ILLUSTRATION IN A TEXTBOOK OR ON A HARD COPY WHERE MY STUDENTS ARE TAKING NOTES.
THEY MIGHT BE HIGHLIGHTING AND WRITING DOWN THE FUNCTION OF WHAT THOSE PARTS OF A CELL ARE.
BUT I'M ALSO GOING TO BE USING MY BENQ BOARD.
TO ILLUSTRATE, HERE ARE THE PARTS OF THE ATOM, HERE'S WHERE THE NUCLEUS IS, AND I MIGHT EVEN BE ABLE TO SHOW A 3D MODEL.
THERE ARE INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE WITH OUR INTERACTIVE PANELS WHERE IT REALLY BRINGS THAT 2D TO ALMOST A 4D EXPERIENCE FOR OUR STUDENTS.
BUT REALLY, IN ESSENCE, THAT TEACHING TOOL, IT'S JUST THE NEXT GENERATION OF THE SAME THING THAT WE DID WHEN THE CHALKBOARD.
ANY OF YOU WATCH LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE? LOVED IT.
LOVED LAURA, AND I HAD A CRUSH ON MANLY ALMANZO WHEN I WATCHED THAT.
BUT IN THAT ONE-ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE, THEY HAD A CHALKBOARD.
MS. WILDER WOULD ALWAYS GO TO THE BACK OF THE ROOM, AND SHE WOULD WRITE A CHALKBOARD TO ILLUSTRATE AND TO HELP STUDENTS MAKE MEANING OF THAT INSTRUCTION.
AND REALLY, THAT IS HOW OUR INTERACTIVE PANELS ARE BEING USED TODAY.
SO TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT, WE REALLY WANTED TO START WITH THIS QUOTE.
THE GOAL IS TO LEARN WITH TECHNOLOGY, NOT FROM IT.
AND SUPERINTENDENT BRANHAM SPOKE ABOUT OUR HANDBOOK, OUR FACILITATING LEARNING WITH TECHNOLOGY, WHICH YOU HAVE A COPY IN THE FOLDER IN FRONT OF YOU.
BUT THIS HAS REALLY BEEN THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE THAT WE HAVE USED AROUND THAT SINCE 2023.
AND REALLY, WE'RE LOOKING AT BEST PRACTICES.
IT IS NEVER THE INTENTION TO REPLACE THE TEACHER.
IT IS MORE ABOUT ENHANCING THAT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND PROVIDING CREATIVITY.
PURPOSEFUL AND BALANCED AND YOU KNOW AT THIS POINT WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE FEW PROFESSIONS THAT ARE UNTOUCHED BY TECHNOLOGY SO WE REALLY WANT OUR OUR STUDENTS WHEN THEY GRADUATE FROM RISD TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH USING TECHNOLOGY AND BE ABLE TO TRANSFER THAT KNOWLEDGE INTO WHAT THEY DO NEXT AND SO TAKING A STEP BACK FROM THE INSTRUCTIONAL SIDE OF IT WE DO JUST WANT TO TAKE A SECOND TO TALK ABOUT SAFETY SO TECHNOLOGY LIKE EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT IN THIS DISTRICT CONSIDERS IT THE HIGHEST PRIORITY OF PROVIDING A SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE HAVE IN PLACE FOR THAT IS ACTIVE MONITORING TOOLS.
EVERY TEACHER IN THE DISTRICT HAS ACCESS TO A MONITORING TOOL, NO MATTER THE STUDENT DEVICE THAT IS BEING USED IN THEIR CLASSROOM.
AND YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT TONIGHT.
BUT TEACHERS HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING ON STUDENT SCREENS IN REAL TIME.
THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO LAUNCH APPLICATIONS OR WEBSITES.
THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO LOCK IN STUDENTS INTO THAT APPLICATION OR WEBSITE.
SO THEY CAN REALLY START TO FOCUS ON THE LEARNING THAT'S HAPPENING IN FRONT OF THEM.
IN ADDITION, ANY DISTRICT RESOURCE THAT WE ADOPT, IT GOES THROUGH A RIGOROUS PROCESS.
YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS UP THERE.
BUT I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE ALWAYS WORK WITH TEACHING AND LEARNING.
WHEN WE APPROVE ANY DISTRICT RESOURCE, IT IS ALWAYS ALIGNED TO TEKS.
AND IF IT IS A RESOURCE, WE ARE SHARING STUDENT DATA.
IT GOES THROUGH OUR DATA PRIVACY POLICY, WHICH IS SPECIFIC TO RICHARDSON ISD, AND HAS BEEN APPROVED BY RISD LEGAL BEFORE WE SHARE ANY DATA WITH THAT VENDOR.
AND THEN FINALLY, NETWORK SECURITY.
WHEN YOU THINK NETWORK SECURITY, YOU AUTOMATICALLY GO TO FILTERING.
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TO BLOCK WEBSITES REGULARLY, CHECK CATEGORIES REGULARLY.WE ALSO HAVE A TEAM WHO MONITORS OUR NETWORK 24-7 SO THAT EVERYTHING IS ENSURED TO BE SAFE.
AND THAT TEAM NOT ONLY LOOKS AT THE NETWORK AND THE FILTERING ASPECT OF IT, BUT IT GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE DEVICE AND SAFETY ON THE DEVICE.
I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT OUR TECHNOLOGY TEAM HAS DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB IN RECOGNIZING THAT THERE IS A DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT SHOULD BE HAPPENING AND WHAT OUR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO VERSUS WHAT HAPPENS AT A HIGH SCHOOL.
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR TEACHERS HAVE WHAT THEY NEED AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN ORDER TO PRESENT CONTENT AND TO HAVE STUDENTS BE ABLE TO CREATE? IT IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IT NEEDS TO LOOK LIKE FOR PRE-K AND KINDER.
AND SO EVEN DIFFERENTIATING THESE TOOLS.
IN A WAY THAT PROVIDES EVEN THAT FURTHER PROTECTION AT OUR YOUNGEST LEVELS VERSUS WHAT MAY HAPPEN AT OUR SECONDARY.
AGAIN, THAT DIFFERENTIATION, I THINK, IS SUPER IMPORTANT.
SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MORGAN RIGHT NOW TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY.
SO TECHNOLOGY IN RISD IS A TOOL FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL LEARNING WHERE OUR STUDENTS ARE USING THEIR RESOURCES TO BECOME CREATORS, COLLABORATORS, AND CRITICAL...
THINKERS RATHER THAN JUST CONSUMERS OF CONTENT.
PART OF WHAT SHAPED MY OWN BELIEFS ABOUT INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY WAS MY OWN CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE.
IPADS IN MY FIRST GRADE CLASSROOM CREATED PATHWAYS FOR MY STUDENTS, BOTH LIKE PHOTO, DRAWING, VIDEO, AUDIO, ALLOWED THEM TO COMMUNICATE THAT HELPED THEM FOSTER INDEPENDENCE AND DEVELOP SKILLS ALONGSIDE THEIR CONTENT.
IN FIFTH GRADE MATH, IT REIGNITED THEIR CURIOSITY AND THEIR INTEREST IN LEARNING WHEN THEY WERE ABLE TO USE CREATIVITY AND ALSO USE ACCESSIBILITY TOOLS TO, AGAIN, FOSTER THAT INDEPENDENCE AND BUILD THEIR CONFIDENCE.
EVERY STUDENT CAN HAVE A VOICE THROUGH THE TOOLS THAT WE PROVIDE IN TECHNOLOGY, AND THESE ARE THE TYPES OF EXPERIENCES THAT WE ARE DESIGNING AND SUPPORTING WITH INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY NOW.
TECHNOLOGY IN RISD IS NOT JUST ABOUT ACCESS TO DEVICES.
IT IS ABOUT THAT TRANSFORMATION.
I THINK A KEY WORD THAT YOU MENTIONED IN THERE IS THE ABILITY TO DIFFERENTIATE THE TOOL.
OUR STUDENTS THAT MAY NEED SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES, THERE ARE MANY ACCOMMODATIONS THAT BECAUSE OF THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE PROVIDE, THAT WE CAN MAKE THAT SEAMLESS.
AND IN FACT, SOME OF THOSE GREAT TOOLS THAT WE KNOW WORK FOR STUDENTS THAT MAY HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S VISUAL IMPAIRMENT OR HEARING IMPAIRMENT.
ALSO ARE SOME REALLY GREAT TOOLS FOR ALL STUDENTS.
AND IT PROVIDES A SEAMLESS WAY TO DO THAT THAT DOES NOT PUT MORE WORK ON OUR TEACHERS AND ALLOWS OUR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS LEARNING IN A REALLY CRITICAL WAY.
THAT INDEPENDENCE IS SO VALUABLE FOR US.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE STATE ALSO GIVES US TECHNOLOGY THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO TEACH.
THE TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION TEKS ARE FOR GRADES KINDERGARTEN THROUGH EIGHTH.
THESE WERE REVISED IN 2022 AND THEN IMPLEMENTED IN 2024.
THAT MEANS THAT WE DO HAVE STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL WHO DID NOT HAVE THESE STANDARDS IN PLACE.
AND SO WE'RE STILL DEVELOPING SOME OF THESE THINGS IN GRADES BEYOND EIGHTH GRADE STILL.
SO THE FIRST ONE, COMPUTATIONAL THINKING, WHERE STUDENTS ARE BREAKING DOWN PROBLEMS IN ORDER TO SOLVE THEM.
WE HAVE CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION.
STUDENTS ARE DESIGNING PROCESSES.
THEY ARE DEVELOPING AND TESTING OUT THEIR SOLUTIONS AND THEN IMPROVING UPON THEM.
DATA LITERACY, MANAGEMENT, AND REPRESENTATION.
DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP, VERY IMPORTANT.
SO MAKING SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE DEVELOPING THE SKILLS TO BE SAFE, PRODUCTIVE, AND RESPECTFUL DIGITAL CITIZENS.
AND THEN THE FINAL ONE IS THE ONLY ONE THAT IS TRULY ABOUT TECHNOLOGY, AND THAT IS PRACTICAL TECHNOLOGY CONCEPTS.
THIS IS WHERE OUR KIDS ARE FOCUSING ON KEYBOARDING, LEARNING HOW TO USE SOFTWARE, CHOOSING THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE TASK, FILE MANAGEMENT, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE? AND YOU DO HAVE A COPY OF ALL OF THE TECHNOLOGY TEAKS IN YOUR FOLDER AS WELL.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, OUR INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY TEAM DEVELOPED SOME ICANN STATEMENTS TO BREAK THESE DOWN INTO.
TERMS AND PHRASES THAT OUR STUDENTS COULD UNDERSTAND ABOUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THEM TO DEMONSTRATE THESE THINGS.
SOMETHING REALLY EXCITING ABOUT THAT IS THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE ALL OVER THE STATE USING THOSE ICANN STATEMENTS THAT OUR TEAM DEVELOPED.
SO SOME EXAMPLES, THIS IS ONE OF THE CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION STANDARDS.
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OUT AN EARLY, A MIDDLE, AND A LATE.SO IN KINDERGARTEN, THEY ARE PRACTICING PERSONAL SKILLS, INCLUDING FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS NEEDED TO SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT A DESIGN PROCESS.
BY THE TIME THEY GET TO THIRD GRADE, THAT EVOLVES TO EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF AND DEMONSTRATE PERSONAL SKILLS AND BEHAVIORS, INCLUDING METACOGNITION.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION, FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS, AND MENTAL AGILITY NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT A DESIGN PROCESS SUCCESSFULLY.
EIGHTH GRADE, THIS HAS EVOLVED AND BECOME MUCH MORE COMPLEX INTO DEMONSTRATE INNOVATION IN A DESIGN PROCESS USING GOAL SETTING AND PERSONAL CHARACTER TRAITS, INCLUDING DEMONSTRATING CALCULATED RISK-TAKING AND TOLERANCE.
YOU KNOW THAT'S WHY I PICKED THAT ONE YES YES SO I MEAN DIVING INTO THIS THIS IS A LOT AND WE HAVE TO GIVE OUR KIDS THE EXPERIENCES TO DEVELOP THESE SKILLS TECHNOLOGY A TO DO THAT AND HOPEFULLY YOU ALSO HEARD SOME ALIGNMENT THERE WITH OUR GRADUATE PROFILE SO THERE IS A LOT OF OVERLAP BETWEEN THE GRADUATE PROFILE SKILLS AND OUR TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION SPEAKS THESE ARE SOME OF THOSE HIGHLIGHTS SO AGAIN, THOSE THINGS LIKE THE PROBLEM SOLVING AND UNDERTAKING RISK, THE CURIOSITY AND RESOURCEFULNESS AND INNOVATION, ANALYZING PROBLEMS TO FIND SOLUTIONS, EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION, AND THEN COLLABORATING, ADVOCATING, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO OUR APPROACH TO TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION IS DESIGNED TO BUILD THE SKILLS OUTLINED IN OUR RISD GRADUATE PROFILE.
THIS IS THE LENS THAT WE USE TO SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS WHEN THEY ARE PLANNING FOR HOW THEY WILL USE TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO THIS IS THE TRIPLE E FRAMEWORK.
AND THIS HELPS ENSURE THAT TECHNOLOGY IS USED TO ENGAGE, ENHANCE, AND EXTEND THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
AND IT PRIORITIZES THE INSTRUCTIONAL GOAL OVER THE DIGITAL TOOL, WHAT WE ALWAYS WANT.
DOES THE TECHNOLOGY ENGAGE THE STUDENTS IN THE LEARNING TASK? ARE THEY MORE ENGAGED IN THE CONTENT? ARE THEY ENGAGED WITH THEIR PEERS? ARE THEY ACTIVELY COLLABORATING WITH OTHER STUDENTS? ENHANCE, SO IS IT OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES? GOING BACK TO SOMETHING WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, DOES THE TECHNOLOGY OFFER ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES THAT PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE IN TRADITIONAL TASKS OR METHODS? DOES IT OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE LEARNING TAX TO BE MORE COMPLEX.
SO PROVIDING THOSE SCAFFOLDS OR THAT COMPLEXITY CAN HELP OUR TEACHERS DIFFERENTIATE LEARNING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY.
AND THEN THE FINAL ONE, EXTEND, DOES THIS GIVE OUR STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT TO THE REAL WORLD? SO TRAVELING BEYOND THE FOUR WALLS OF THEIR CLASSROOM, CAN WE BRING IN REAL-WORLD EXAMPLES? CAN WE CONNECT TO CAREERS, FIND WAYS TO MAKE THE LEARNING MORE CONCRETE AND CONNECT IT WITH THEIR EVERYDAY LIFE EXPERIENCE.
AND THAT IS GOING TO LEAD US INTO OUR ACTIVITY.
SO I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO KELSEY ORD, ONE OF OUR INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY SPECIALISTS.
AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN ACTIVITY THAT YOU MIGHT SEE IN A SECOND GRADE CLASSROOM.
YOU MIGHT SEE OUR IT SPECIALIST WORKING WITH A TEACHER TO DESIGN SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
IN THIS ACTIVITY, STUDENTS ARE USING THEIR CONTENT KNOWLEDGE.
THEY ARE REPRESENTING NUMBERS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THEIR TEKS.
AND ALSO, THE TECHNOLOGY IS SUPPORTING THEM IN HOW THEY COMMUNICATE, HOW THEY USE DIGITAL TOOLS, HOW THEY CREATE, HOW THEY REPRESENT INFORMATION.
AND TODAY, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE UNIQUE PLEASURE OF BEING SECOND GRADERS.
SO, GO AHEAD AND TAKE ON YOUR PERSONA OF BEING A SECOND GRADER.
CLOSE PROXIMITY, I TEAM, CLOSE PROXIMITY.
SO, TONIGHT WE ARE GOING TO BE UTILIZING THE MANIPULATIVES AND DICE THAT ARE IN FRONT OF YOU FOR OUR ACTIVITY.
AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO PREFACE BY SAYING, OF COURSE IF I WERE IN THE CLASSROOM, I WOULD BE UP AND I WOULD BE TEACHING FROM MY IPAD.
UP AND MOVING SO THAT I COULD SUPPORT MY STUDENTS WHO MIGHT NEED SOME EXTRA HELP.
AND SO I DO HAVE SOME GREAT ASSISTANTS THAT CAN HELP SUPPORT YOU IF YOU NEED IT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE UTILIZING AN APP THAT'S NATIVE TO OUR IPAD CALLED KEYNOTE.
SO I ACTUALLY JUST OPENED UP KEYNOTE FOR YOU LIKE MAGIC
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ON YOUR DEVICE.THAT IS THROUGH APPLE CLASSROOM, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR MANAGEMENT TOOLS THAT WE USE THAT ROBIN HAD STATED EARLIER.
AND SO ON YOUR DEVICE, YOU SHOULD NOW SEE EXEMPLAR SLIDE.
SO THIS EXEMPLAR SLIDE IS GOING TO SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING TONIGHT, WHICH IS UTILIZING DICE TO ROLL A THREE-DIGIT NUMBER, CAPTURE THAT WITH CAMERA, WRITE THE NUMBER, BUILD THE NUMBER, AND READ THE NUMBER, AND THEN SHARE IT BACK WITH YOUR TEACHER.
SO IF YOU GUYS CAN GO AHEAD AND TAP ON THE SECOND SLIDE, WHICH IS ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF KEYNOTE, YOU SHOULD SEE THE NUMBER TWO.
GO AHEAD AND TAP OVER TO SLIDE TWO SO THAT YOU CAN MANIPULATE THIS SLIDE.
IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPENED UP YOUR BAG OF MANIPULATIVES, WHICH I THINK WE ALL HAVE, GO AHEAD AND FIND YOUR THREE DICE.
YOU'RE GOING TO ROLL YOUR DICE.
SIT ALL THREE DICE TO CREATE YOUR THREE-DIGIT NUMBER.
GO AHEAD AND PLACE THOSE DICE NEXT TO EACH OTHER IN WHATEVER ORDER YOU WOULD LIKE TO CREATE YOUR THREE-DIGIT NUMBER.
AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO USE OUR DEVICE TO CAPTURE THAT THROUGH CAMERA.
ON YOUR KEYNOTE SLIDE, YOU SHOULD SEE A BOX CALLED ROLL YOUR NUMBER WITH A CAMERA AND A PLUS SIGN.
GO AHEAD AND TAP ON THAT PLUS SIGN AND TAP TAKE PHOTO OR VIDEO.
AND THEN I WANT YOU TO HAVE YOUR DICE IN THE FRAME AND GO AHEAD AND TAP ON THE SHUTTER, WHICH IS THAT WHITE CIRCLE, TO CAPTURE YOUR IMAGE.
GO AHEAD AND TELL YOUR NEIGHBOR NEXT TO YOU WHAT NUMBER YOU ROLLED.
AND ONCE YOU'VE DONE THAT, YOU'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TAP ON USE PHOTO.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT IT PLACES IT DIRECTLY IN THAT BOX.
SO NOW I HAVE THAT PHOTO OF MY DICE CAPTURED SO THAT MY TEACHER CAN SEE LATER ON WHAT NUMBER I HAD ROLLED.
NOW THAT WE HAVE ROLLED OUR NUMBER, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OUR LOVELY LOGITECH CRAYON, WHICH IS AT THE TOP OF YOUR IPAD CASE, GO AHEAD AND TAKE IT OUT OF ITS SLEEVE.
AND I WANT YOU TO GO AHEAD AND JUST TAP ON YOUR KEYNOTE SLIDE IN THE WHITE SPACE, AND YOU'LL NOTICE THE MARKUP TOOL APPEARS.
I WANT YOU TO GO AHEAD AND WRITE YOUR NUMBER IN STANDARD FORM.
THAT MEANS THAT YOU'RE USING NUMBERS OR DIGITS TO EXPLAIN YOUR NUMBER.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND WRITE MY NUMBER AND THEN TAP THE BLUE.
CIRCLE WITH THE WHITE CHECK MARK TO SAVE MY DRAWING.
SO ONCE AGAIN, YOU'RE JUST USING YOUR LOGITECH CRAYON.
GO AHEAD AND TAP ON YOUR KEYNOTE SLIDE AND WRITE YOUR NUMBER IN THE WRITE IT BOX.
ONCE YOU HAVE WRITTEN YOUR NUMBER, GO AHEAD AND TAP ON THE CHECK MARK THAT'S IN THE BLUE CIRCLE TO SAVE YOUR DRAWING.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PART.
ALL RIGHT, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE REALLY USING THAT SECOND GRADE KNOWLEDGE TO BUILD OUR NUMBER USING MANIPULATIVES.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MODELING AND USING HANDS-ON LEARNING WITH OUR DEVICES.
SO IN YOUR BAGGIE, YOU HAVE MANIPULATIVES.
FOR THOSE OF US THAT MIGHT NEED SOME EXTRA SUPPORT, JUST A REMINDER BACK TO SECOND GRADE, THIS IS YOUR HUNDREDS.
YOU HAVE YOUR TENS, AND YOU HAVE YOUR ONES.
YOU'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND USE YOUR MANIPULATIVES TO BUILD YOUR NUMBER, AND THEN I WANT YOU TO CAPTURE IT IN THE BUILD IT.
SQUARE JUST LIKE YOU DID WHEN YOU ROLLED YOUR NUMBER.
SO I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A MOMENT.
MY ASSISTANTS CAN HELP SUPPORT AS NEEDED.
ONCE YOU HAVE BUILT YOUR NUMBER, YOU CAN TAP THAT PLUS SIGN, TAKE YOUR PHOTO, SO THAT WE CAN CAPTURE IT TO SHOW OUR LEARNING.
AND THEN GO AHEAD AND TAP USE PHOTO AGAIN.
I'LL GIVE YOU ALL ABOUT 30 MORE SECONDS TO BUILD AND CAPTURE YOUR NUMBER.
NOW THAT WE HAVE ROLLED OUR NUMBER, WE WROTE OUR NUMBER, WE BUILT OUR NUMBER, SOMETHING THAT THE TECHNOLOGY IS GOING TO HELP US ENHANCE THIS LESSON IS BY READING OUR NUMBER AND CAPTURING THAT AUDIO SO THAT MY TEACHER CAN THEN HEAR IT LATER AND REALLY ASSESS DO I UNDERSTAND HOW TO READ A NUMBER ALOUD.
SO WE'RE GOING TO RECORD USING KEYNOTE.
AND TO DO THAT, IF YOU ARE LIKE, KELSEY, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND LOOK UP AT MY SCREEN BECAUSE I HAVE THIS HANDY-DANDY POINTER THAT WILL SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHAT I'M TAPPING ON.
YOU'RE GOING TO TAP THE PAPER CLIP THAT'S AT THE TOP OF YOUR KEYNOTE SLIDE.
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THAT PAPER CLIP WILL THEN GIVE YOU A MENU, AND YOU CAN TAP RECORD AUDIO.WHEN YOU TAP ON RECORD AUDIO, YOU'LL SEE THAT BLUE MICROPHONE.
WHEN I TAP RECORD, 364, I NOW HAVE CAPTURED MY...
SELF-READING THAT NUMBER AND I CAN TAP ON INSERT AND DRAG THAT SPEAKER INTO THE READ IT BOX.
ONCE AGAIN WE'RE RECORDING OUR AUDIO DRAGGING IT INTO THAT BOX.
IF YOU ARE A FAST FINISHER, YOU CAN LOOK AND SEE HOW I'M UTILIZING APPLE CLASSROOM TO VIEW SCREENS IN REAL TIME.
I LOVE HOW ITEAM NUMBER THREE HAS BUILT THEIR NUMBER.
OKAY, SO ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW APPLE CLASSROOM CAN BE USED IN THE CLASSROOM.
NOT ONLY DID I LOCK YOUR DEVICES, BUT IT'S ALSO A WAY FOR ME TO JUST GET YOUR ATTENTION BACK TO ME.
BECAUSE YOU COULD TELL THAT THE CLASS KIND OF GOT REALLY BOISTEROUS WHEN YOU GUYS WERE WORKING.
AND SO THIS IS MY WAY OF BEING LIKE, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO ALL LOOK BACK TOGETHER.
MAYBE NOT EVERYONE HAS FINISHED.
WHAT I WOULD NOW DO AS A TEACHER IS I WOULD ASK MY STUDENTS TO EXPORT THIS KEYNOTE SO THAT I CAN HEAR THE AUDIO.
I CAN SEE THE PROCESS OF THEIR LEARNING.
THEY WOULD THEN UPLOAD IT INTO SEESAW, WHICH IS OUR LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
AND NOW I CAN LOOK AT EACH STUDENT.
I CAN ASSESS THEIR KNOWLEDGE IN THIS SPECIFIC SKILL.
BUT THEN ALSO OUR GROWNUPS HAVE ACCESS TO THE SEESAW AT HOME.
AND SO THEY CAN ACTUALLY HEAR THEIR STUDENTS' VOICE READING THIS AND SEEING THEIR KNOWLEDGE, WHICH IS REALLY COOL.
SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR PARTICIPATING IN OUR ACTIVITY.
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN OUR LESSON.
SO THAT ACTIVITY WAS AN EXAMPLE OF PRODUCTIVE SCREEN TIME.
SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT...
STUDENTS ARE DOING WITH TECHNOLOGY, WE REALLY HAVE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF SCREEN TIME.
SO THAT WAS AN EXAMPLE OF PRODUCTIVE SCREEN TIME.
SO PASSIVE WOULD BE THINGS LIKE ANYTHING WHERE YOU'RE CONSUMING CONTENT.
THIS COULD BE WATCHING VIDEOS.
THIS COULD ALSO BE SOME SKILL REHEARSAL, ANYTHING WHERE THERE'S LIMITED ENGAGEMENT.
AND THAT KIND OF SCREEN TIME SHOULD BE USED VERY INTENTIONALLY WITH A VERY SPECIFIC PURPOSE IN MIND.
WHEREAS PRODUCTIVE USE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CREATIVE, WE'RE DESIGNING, WE'RE COLLABORATING, WE'RE TALKING, WE'RE DOING THINGS.
OUR STUDENTS ARE THINKERS AND MAKERS AND THEY'RE USING THE DIGITAL TOOLS TO ENHANCE THAT.
STUDENTS MIGHT BE WORKING INDEPENDENTLY, THEY MIGHT BE WORKING IN GROUPS.
SO MS. K, CAN YOU HELP ILLUSTRATE, SO THAT ACTIVITY THAT WE JUST DID, WHY IS THAT AN EXAMPLE OF PRODUCTIVE USE VERSUS WHAT WE MIGHT THINK OF WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT PASSIVE? SO IN THAT ACTIVITY, WE WERE USING HANDS-ON MANIPULATIVES.
WE WERE REALLY USING THE TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE AND ADD ON TO WHAT THE STUDENTS WERE DOING.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, BY TURNING AND TALKING TO A PARTNER, WE WERE DOING THAT ENGAGE PIECE OF THAT TRIPLE E.
SO ENGAGING WITH PEERS AND THEN BEING ABLE TO TAKE THE PHOTO AND WRITE THE NUMBER AND THEN RECORD THEIR VOICE IS DOING THAT ENHANCING PIECE WHERE WE'RE CAPTURING THE KIDS READING IT.
KIDS BEING ABLE TO PRONOUNCE THE NUMBER CORRECTLY IS PART OF THE STANDARD, AND THAT'S REALLY HARD TO CAPTURE.
AND SO THE TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS US TO DO THAT.
AND SO HERE YOU SEE WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT STUDENTS BECOMING THINKERS AND MAKERS THROUGH DIGITAL TOOLS, YOU HAD TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF THAT THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
IT ALSO SUPPORTED OUR TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION PIECE.
YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
YOU HAD TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS AND WORK THROUGH THAT, SOLVE SOME PROBLEMS ALONG THE WAY.
SO ALL OF THAT WAS BUILT INTO THAT.
[00:30:01]
ABOUT SCREEN TIME? WE ARE HEARING A LOT ABOUT THIS RIGHT NOW AND REALLY THE CURRENT RESEARCH ON THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF SCREEN TIME ALL FOCUS ON ENTERTAINMENT RECREATIONAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA USES OF TECHNOLOGY.THESE ARE NOT THE WAYS THAT WE ARE USING TECHNOLOGY IN INSTRUCTION.
RESEARCH AND GUIDANCE ON EDUCATIONAL USE OF TECHNOLOGY IS FOCUSED ON THE PURPOSE AND THE CONTENT.
SO EVERYTHING RESEARCH SPACE ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION TALKS ABOUT THE THAT THE PURPOSE AND THE CONTEXT AND THE INTENTION AND THE REASON WHY IT'S BEING USED IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MEASURING THE TIME.
STUDENT TECHNOLOGY USE SHOULD BE ACTIVE, ENGAGING, AND STUDENT-CENTERED.
THAT MEANS THAT THE STUDENTS ARE LEADING THE WORK.
SO IN WHAT YOU JUST DID, KELSEY WAS GUIDING YOU AND GIVING YOU YOUR NEXT STEP, BUT YOU WERE LEADING EACH PIECE WITH YOUR OWN THINKING AND DOING ALONG THE WAY.
RESEARCH ALSO DOES SUPPORT THAT ADAPTIVE PLATFORMS. HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR REINFORCING INSTRUCTION BECAUSE OF THE PERSONALIZATION, THE DIFFERENTIATION, AND IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK.
ADDITIONALLY, TECHNOLOGY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE AN ACCELERATOR OR AN AMPLIFIER OF GOOD TEACHING.
SO TECHNOLOGY BY ITSELF IS NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING.
SO I HERE AM GOING TO REFERENCE JOHN HATTIE.
HE HAS A LOT OF RESEARCH ON TEACHING PRACTICES AND WHAT THE EFFECT OF THOSE PRACTICES ARE ON STUDENT GROWTH.
THAT'S WHAT HE'S KNOWN FOR AND TECHNOLOGY CAN MOVE INTO THE HIGH IMPACT ZONE OF STUDENT GROWTH AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN A YEAR WHEN IT IS PAIRED WITH POWERFUL TEACHING STRATEGIES.
SO FOR EXAMPLE PROBLEM SOLVING AND CONCEPT MAPPING BRINGING IN TECHNOLOGY.
TECHNOLOGY CAN ACT AS AN EFFICACY MULTIPLIER.
SO BY PROVIDING THOSE MULTIMODAL PATHWAYS FOR OUR STUDENTS, THE ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES, WE CAN TRANSITION STUDENTS FROM BEING PASSIVE RECIPIENTS OF CONTENT TO INDEPENDENT LEARNERS.
STUDENTS CAN FOCUS ON THE COGNITIVE CHALLENGES WHEN WE CAN REMOVE SOME OF THE BARRIERS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY FEATURES AND WE CAN BUILD CONFIDENCE AND INDEPENDENCE THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR LONG-TERM.
SO YOU'LL SEE DOWN THERE AT THE VERY BOTTOM SO THE EFFECT SPOT, ANYTHING OVER 0.4 IS A HIGH IMPACT STRATEGY ON STUDENT GROWTH.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT LAST ONE, STUDENT SELF-EFFICACY.
THAT IS A STUDENT'S BELIEF IN THEIR OWN ABILITY AND THEIR BELIEF IN THEIR OWN ABILITY TO SUCCEED.
SO WHEN WE ARE PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH MULTIPLE PATHWAYS, WHEN WE ARE REMOVING BARRIERS THROUGH ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES, WHEN WE ARE ALLOWING THEM TO EXPERIENCE SUCCESS AND FOSTER INDEPENDENCE, WE ARE INCREASING THEIR OWN BELIEFS IN THEMSELVES, AND THAT HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON THEIR GROWTH AND THEIR LEARNING.
SO MORGAN HAS SPENT SOME TIME TALKING ABOUT PRODUCTIVE SCREEN TIME, WHICH IS WHERE WE WANT THE MAJORITY OF OUR SCREEN TIME TO BE USED, AND WHEN STUDENTS ARE USING DEVICES.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A TIME THAT PASSIVE WILL BE NEEDED.
WHEN YOU'RE GATHERING THAT INFORMATION, YOU'RE DOING RESEARCH.
SO WE HAVE ESTABLISHED GUIDELINES THAT WE REVIEW EVERY YEAR.
YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE DISTRIBUTED IT AMONG GRADE BANDS, AND I ALSO WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT IT SHOULD BE IN CHUNKS.
THAT SHOULD NOT BE AT ONE SITTING, BECAUSE WE WANT TO START TO BUILD THOSE GOOD DIGITAL HABITS FOR STUDENTS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BEING MINDFUL OF EYE STRAIN, WE'RE BEING MINDFUL OF POSTURE, WE'RE GETTING UP AND MOVING, THAT WE'RE NOT JUST SITTING IN FRONT OF THAT SCREEN.
SO WE HAVE BEEN VERY INTENTIONAL IN TRAINING AND SHARING THIS INFORMATION.
WE ALSO WANTED TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO WIND TIME.
SO THIS IS WHAT I NEED TIME, AND IT HAS BEEN AN INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY FOR MANY YEARS.
IT HAS ALSO BEEN CALLED MANY THINGS, AND THERE HAS POSSIBLY BEEN SOME MISCONCEPTIONS AROUND THAT BECAUSE MOST RECENTLY IT WAS CALLED I-TIME, AND THERE WAS MAYBE SOME BELIEF THAT THAT MEANT IPAD TIME.
AND REALLY THIS IS ABOUT THAT INDIVIDUALIZED.
INSTRUCTIONAL REINFORCEMENT OF A CONCEPT THAT A STUDENT MAY NEED.
AND MORGAN TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT USING ADAPTIVE SOFTWARE FOR THAT BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT THAT CAN BE USED TO ACCELERATE LEARNING.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT DURING WIND TIME, THOUGH, TECHNOLOGY SHOULD NOT BE ALWAYS THE PRIMARY MODE THAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING, THAT WHAT I NEED TIME.
SO THE FOCUS OF THAT SHOULD BE STUDENTS INTERACTING
[00:35:01]
WITH MANIPULATIVES, TEACHERS INTERACTING WITH SMALL GROUPS OF STUDENTS.WE HAVE, THANKFULLY, WE HAVE LOTS OF ACCESS TO GREAT RESOURCES THAT EASILY ALLOW TEACHERS, BASED UPON THE NEEDS OF THEIR STUDENTS, TO STILL GIVE THEM HANDS-ON LEARNING EXPERIENCES THAT DON'T INVOLVE TECHNOLOGY.
THERE MAY BE TIMES IN A WIN GROUP WHERE...
WHERE A STUDENT, AND I WILL JUST USE MY SON, YOU KNOW, HE'S IN FIFTH GRADE, HE'S FOR EXAMPLE, ACCESSING MATH THAT MIGHT BE AT A SEVENTH GRADE LEVEL, THERE IS SOME DIFFERENTIATION THAT A TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES THAT ALLOWS HIM TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND DOESN'T LIMIT ACCESS TO WHAT HE NEEDS FOR HIM TO GROW.
SAME THING FOR A STUDENT WHO MAY NEED ACCESS TO CURRICULUM THAT IS MAYBE A YEAR OR TWO YEARS BELOW WHAT THEY NEED.
SOMETIMES TECHNOLOGY CAN PROVIDE THAT AND ACCELERATE THAT GAP FASTER IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS THAT STUDENTS TO HAVE MORE AT-BATS WITH THAT.
SO, AGAIN, IT SHOULD NOT BE, THE PRIMARY USE SHOULD NOT BE USING TECHNOLOGY AS A DRIVER.
AND THAT'S A GREAT SETUP BECAUSE I WANTED TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND LOOK AT THE LEARNER GROWTH FRAMEWORK BECAUSE WHEN WE SAY, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY CAN BE USED IN ANY OF THESE AREAS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE KNOW THAT TECHNOLOGY DOESN'T HAVE TO BE USED.
SO WE WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE TO.
TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE WAYS AND THOSE PRACTICES WHERE A MORE TRADITIONAL METHOD WOULD BE ENCOURAGED.
SO IN TEACHING AND LEARNING, WE BELIEVE...
LISA, WILL YOU TELL WHAT YOU DO? OH, YES.
I AM THE DIRECTOR OF ELEMENTARY RLA.
SO EXCITED TO BE WITH YOU TONIGHT.
SO IN TEACHING AND LEARNING, WE BELIEVE THAT STRONG INSTRUCTION DOESN'T HAPPEN BY CHANCE.
IT STARTS WITH THE INTERNALIZATION OF THOSE DAILY LESSONS.
WHICH IS ONE OF OUR DISTRICT INSTRUCTIONAL PRIORITIES.
OUR TEACHERS MUST DEEPLY UNDERSTAND THE CONTENT THAT THEY'RE TEACHING IN ORDER TO DELIVER THAT STRONG INSTRUCTION TO OUR STUDENTS.
SO WITH OUR NEW K-5 RLA ADOPTION, HMH INTO READING AND ARRIBA LA LECTURA, STUDENTS WILL ENGAGE DAILY WITH TEACHER READ-ALOUDS, DECODABLE TEXTS, AS WELL AS AUTHENTIC LITERATURE STUDENT CONSUMABLES, AND WE HAVE SOME EXAMPLES HERE TODAY TO SHARE WITH YOU.
THAT INCLUDE ENGAGING STORIES AND INFORMATIONAL TEXT THAT SUPPORT KNOWLEDGE BUILDING AS WELL AS LANGUAGE AND VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT.
SO IF I CAN JUST PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT WHY THESE BIG BOOKS, AND I KNOW, MS. TIMMY, THESE LOOK VERY FAMILIAR TO YOU.
THESE HAVE BEEN A FOUNDATIONAL READING TOOL IN OUR PRE-K, KINDER, FIRST-GRADE CLASSROOMS FOR A LONG TIME.
HOWEVER, I WOULD SAY THERE WAS PROBABLY ABOUT 10 YEARS OF...
CURRICULUM RESOURCE ADOPTIONS IN WHICH THEY WERE SHIFTING AWAY FROM THESE BIG BOOKS.
BUT WE STILL RECOGNIZE THE POWER OF HAVING THE BIG BOOKS.
SO KIDS, IF YOU HAVE THREE ROWS OF STUDENTS THAT ARE AT YOUR CARPET, YOU WANT THAT THIRD ROW TO SEE THE DETAILS AND THE ARTWORK, TO SEE THE LETTERS, TO SEE THE WORD FORMATION, SO YOU CAN POINT OUT ANY OF YOUR RLATS THAT ARE IN THERE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE RECOGNIZED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS IS THAT.
TEACHERS, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THESE BIG BOOKS, HAVE BEEN USING YOUTUBE EXAMPLES TO DO READ-ALOUDS.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE REALLY HAVE MET, AND WITH THIS ADOPTION, WE'LL MAKE CLEAR, WE'RE NOT DOING READ-ALOUDS THROUGH YOUTUBE.
WE NOW ARE GOING TO BE PROVIDING TEACHERS WITH THE TOOLS, THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED TO PROVIDE THAT TEACHER HOLDING THAT BOOK, HAVING THE TANGIBLE PROCESS OF TURNING THE PAGES OF THAT BOOK AS THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, AS THEY'RE POINTING OUT DIFFERENT THINGS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, COLORS THAT ARE BEING USED, SHAPES THAT ARE BEING USED, HOW MAYBE LETTERS ARE COMING TOGETHER FOR, YOU KNOW, A PHENOME SO THAT THEY CAN LEARN HOW TO PRONOUNCE A CERTAIN WORD.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK OUR PARENTS ARE GOING TO BE VERY EXCITED ABOUT, OUR TEACHERS ARE GOING TO BE EXCITED ABOUT, BECAUSE IT IS VERY KIND OF A FOUNDATIONAL PIECE AND A BEST PRACTICE THAT WE BELIEVE WHEN WE ARE TEACHING THOSE BASIC FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS OF LITERACY.
ALSO, IN OUR KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SECOND GRADE CLASSROOMS, STUDENTS ARE GOING TO RECEIVE EXPLICIT AND SYSTEMATIC PHONICS INSTRUCTION EVERY SINGLE DAY THROUGH A MULTI-SENSORY APPROACH.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT STUDENTS WILL BE SEEING, THEY'LL BE SAYING, THEY'LL BE HEARING, AND THEY'LL BE WRITING THE SOUNDS AND WORDS AS THEY LEARN THEM.
AND THEN THEY WILL APPLY THOSE NEWLY ACQUIRED SKILLS IN THEIR READING AND WRITING IN ORDER TO MAKE THE LEARNING STICKY.
OUR STUDENTS ARE ALSO GOING TO RECEIVE EXPLICIT HANDWRITING INSTRUCTION.
WHERE TEACHERS ARE EXPLICITLY MODELING THE CORRECT WRITING POSTURE, AS WELL AS THAT HAND AND PAPER PLACEMENT, PENCIL GRIP, THE DIRECTIONAL STROKES WITH THAT EXPLICIT TEACHER MODEL IN THAT DAILY PENCIL TO PAPER PRACTICE.
[00:40:01]
SO WE ALSO KNOW THAT STRONG STUDENT OUTCOMES REQUIRE STRONG TEACHER SUPPORT.SO OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WILL MODEL THE SAME INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES THAT WE EXPECT TO SEE IN THE CLASSROOMS. THAT INCLUDES THE INTENTIONAL USE OF TECHNOLOGY SO THAT IT SUPPORTS THE LEARNING RATHER THAN REPLACES IT.
ONE THING THAT I REALLY THINK IS SUPER IMPORTANT, BECAUSE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT HANDWRITING, LIKE, HEAR ME LOUD AND CLEAR.
AS A DISTRICT, WE VERY MUCH BELIEVE THAT STUDENTS NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PICK UP A PENCIL, HOW TO FORMULATE A LETTER, HOW LETTERS, HOW SOUNDS COME TOGETHER TO FORM LETTERS, HOW LETTERS COME TOGETHER TO FORM WORDS, HOW WORDS COME TOGETHER TO FORM SENTENCES.
WE HAVE THEM PRACTICE AND WRITE EACH OF THOSE LETTERS.
BECAUSE BY THE TIME THEY START TO FORMULATE THEIR OWN SENTENCES, WE WANT THEM TO PICK UP A PENCIL, BE ABLE TO WRITE WITH A FOCUS ON THE CONTENT OF WHAT THEY'RE WRITING, NOT HAVING TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO PICK UP THEIR PENCIL AND WRITE.
NOW, I WANT TO TRANSLATE THAT FOR A SECOND BECAUSE I THINK WE ALL AGREE ON THAT, RIGHT? LIKE THAT'S A FUNDAMENTAL.
MR. EAGER, WHEN YOU PICK UP A PEN NOW, YOU ARE NO LONGER THINKING ABOUT HOW TO PICK UP A PEN AND WRITE A LETTER.
YOU ARE JUST THINKING ABOUT YOUR VOICE AND WHAT YOU WANT TO COMMUNICATE, WHAT MESSAGE.
YOU'RE TRYING TO SEND TO THE RECEIVER.
I WOULD SAY THE SAME THING IS TRUE OF HOW WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO DEVELOP A MASTERY OF TECHNOLOGY.
BECAUSE BY THIRD GRADE, THE STATE REQUIRES THAT WE USE TECHNOLOGY FOR OUR STUDENTS TO DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF LEARNING WITH THE STAR TEST.
WHEN THEY ARE WRITING THAT EXTENDED CONSTRUCTIVE RESPONSE, AND THEY ARE HAVING TO READ MULTIPLE ARTICLES, THEY'RE HAVING TO MAYBE WRITE AN EXTENDED CONSTRUCTIVE RESPONSE THAT COMPARES AND CONTRASTS TWO CONCEPTS.
WHEN THEY GO TO WRITE THEIR ESSAY OR TYPE OR KEYBOARD THEIR ESSAY, WE WANT THEM TO KNOW HOW TO USE THEIR IPAD WITHOUT HAVING TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO USE THEIR IPAD AND TO FOCUS THEIR ENERGY ON THE ACTUAL CONTENT AND ANSWERING THE QUESTION AND DELIVERING THE VOICE AND THE MESSAGE THAT IS REQUIRED.
WE ARE DEMONSTRATING THROUGH THE COURSE OF TONIGHT IS THAT WE WANT TO LIMIT SCREEN TIME.
AGAIN, WE WERE A DISTRICT, THIS BOARD SUPPORTED A LIMIT ON SCREEN TIME WITH PERSONAL CELL PHONES LONG BEFORE IT WAS A STATE THING.
WE WANT TO LIMIT SCREEN TIME FOR OUR STUDENTS.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO GIVE STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN THE SKILL OF USING TECHNOLOGY SO THAT THEY CAN USE IT TO DEMONSTRATE LEARNING.
JUST LIKE WE WANT THEM TO USE A PEN AND A PENCIL AS A TOOL TO BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR LEARNING.
WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT OUR BELIEFS AND BEST PRACTICES.
HOW DO WE SUPPORT TEACHERS IN DOING THAT? TEACHERS HAVE A LOT ON OUR PLATE.
WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE AN INCREDIBLE INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST TEAM.
THEY WERE ALL INCREDIBLE TEACHERS BEFORE THEY JOINED THAT TEAM.
AND THIS IS A LOOK AT SOME OF THE WORK THAT THEY DID THIS YEAR IN THIS AREA.
SO I WANT TO SPECIFICALLY CALL OUT, SO THIS WAS THROUGH ABOUT THE BEGINNING TO MID-APRIL.
I DO KEEP TRACK OF EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HAVING AN IMPACT.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAD 907 ONE-ON-ONE TEACHER SESSIONS.
SO WE ARE REALLY PARTNERING WITH OUR TEACHERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COACHING THEM WHERE THEY ARE.
THEIR CONTENT WITH THE NEEDS OF THEIR SPECIFIC STUDENTS AT THEIR CAMPUS.
I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE THE 532 PLC ENGAGEMENT.
THAT'S WHERE WE ARE IN WITH THE WHOLE PLC WHETHER THAT IS A CONTENT AREA OR A GRADE LEVEL WE ARE WORKING WITH THE WHOLE GROUP TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WAY THAT THEY USE TECHNOLOGY IS ALIGNED WITH DISTRICT TOOLS, DISTRICT PRACTICES, AND BEST PRACTICES IN THIS FIELD AND THEN FINALLY 431 PD SESSIONS SO THAT MEANS WHEN WE HAVE A FORMAL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SESSION, FREQUENTLY THOSE MEAN PAIRED WITH OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING DEPARTMENT DURING OUR DISTRICT-WIDE DAYS.
WE ALSO WORK WITH ALL LEVELS OF STAFF.
SO WE ARE SUPPORTING OUR PARAPROFESSIONALS.
WE ARE SUPPORTING OUR TEACHERS.
WE WORK EVERY MONTH WITH OUR INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES.
AND THEN OUR TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP TEAM WORKS EVERY SINGLE MONTH WITH OUR BUILDING LEADERS AS WELL.
SO WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT AT EVERY LEVEL OUR STAFF HAS SUPPORT IN UNDERSTANDING THE CAPABILITIES OF OUR TECHNOLOGY AND THEN ALSO TRANSLATING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR OUR STUDENTS.
[00:45:01]
WE, OF COURSE, ARE ALWAYS SEEKING FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AND WE WANT TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS AND THINGS THAT WE ARE HEARING.PARENT OF TWO ELEMENTARY KIDS IN RISD AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT I ALSO YOU KNOW I WANT MY KIDS TO HAVE THESE EXPERIENCES OF TECHNOLOGY THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING TEACHERS WITH SO YOU KNOW FIRST ONE CONCERNS AROUND TOO MUCH TIME SPENT WATCHING VIDEOS OR NON INTERACTIVE CONTENT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING SPECIFIC CONCERNS.
WE'RE GOING TO BE REVIEWING AND CLARIFYING THOSE SCREEN TIME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE JUST LOOKED AT, REALLY BEING CLEAR ON THOSE DEFINITIONS OF WHAT PASSIVE USE MEANS AND WHAT PRODUCTIVE USE MEANS AND CLEAR EXAMPLES AROUND THOSE AS WELL.
WE ARE ALSO GOING TO BE EXTENDING SOME OF OUR YOUTUBE RESTRICTIONS BEYOND ELEMENTARY AND INTO SECONDARY AND THEN THERE WILL BE NO REQUIRED MINUTES FOR ANY OF THE ADAPTIVE INSTRUCTIONAL PLATFORMS. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FROM WHAT WE WERE DOING THIS YEAR.
THIS YEAR WE HAD A TOOL CALLED IREADY AND AS PART OF THAT IREADY IMPLEMENTATION THERE WERE REQUIRED MINUTES FOR STUDENTS TO INTERACT WITH IREADY IN A WEEK AND AS WE HAVE THE HMH ADOPTION AND WITH OUR NEW MATH ADOPTION THERE ARE NO LONGER INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES REQUIRED AT ANY GRADE LEVEL FOR USE OF THOSE ANY OF ANY OF THOSE ADAPTIVE TOOLS SO AGAIN THERE IS JUST WANT TO REITERATE THERE IS NO INSTRUCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
ANOTHER CONCERN, TECHNOLOGY BEING USED AS AN INCENTIVE, AS A REWARD, OR JUST USED WITHOUT PURPOSE AND INTENTION.
SO USED AS AN EXTRA BUSY WORK, EXTRA TIME.
SO NEXT STEPS, TECHNOLOGY WILL NOT BE USED AS A BEHAVIOR INCENTIVE.
IPADS WILL NOT BE USED AS AN INDOOR RECESS ACTIVITY.
SO THAT UNSTRUCTURED TIME IS NOT THE TIME TO BE ON TECHNOLOGY.
AND WHEN TECHNOLOGY IS BEING USED DURING VERY INTENTIONAL, INDEPENDENT LEARNING, TEACHERS WILL USE OUR DISTRICT TOOLS TO MONITOR STUDENTS AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE KEEPING THEM FOCUSED IN THE LEARNING AND THAT STUDENTS ARE SAFE AND ENGAGING IN THE LEARNING TASKS THE ENTIRE TIME.
SO JUST A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES TO FRAME THIS.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE, AND AGAIN, I BELIEVE EVERY ONE OF OUR TEACHERS AND EVERY ONE OF OUR CAMPUSES, THEY DO EVERYTHING THEY DO WITH THE BEST OF INTENTIONS.
THEY ARE WORKING WITHIN TOOLS AND WITHIN EXPERIENCES THAT THEY HAVE, AND IT'S INCUMBENT UPON OUR DISTRICT TEAM AND OUR CAMPUS LEADERS TO HELP DEVELOP EVERY ONE OF OUR TEACHERS TO BE USING IT IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.
SO IT MIGHT BE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT IF STUDENTS MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, THEY HAVE SUBMITTED THEIR READING LOGS AND THEY ARE READING THE NUMBER OF MINUTES, THAT A TEACHER MAY HAVE GIVEN A, OKAY, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE 30 MINUTES OF FREE TIME ON YOUR IPAD.
AGAIN, IT'S AN INCENTIVE, AND WE MIGHT BELIEVE THAT IT'S A GOOD INCENTIVE TO GET KIDS READING AND THAT KIDS MIGHT GET EXCITED TO READ IF THEY KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE 30 MINUTES OF FREE TIME.
HOWEVER, AGAIN, WE KNOW THAT THAT FREE TIME IS PASSIVE USE.
AND THAT IS NOT QUALITY INTERACTION.
THAT DOES NOT FIT WHAT WE WOULD IDENTIFY AS QUALITY INSTRUCTION USING THE TECHNOLOGY.
SO USING THAT IN ANY WAY AS AN INCENTIVE, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD ALLOW FOR AS WE MOVE INTO 26-27.
GOING BACK TO THOSE TYPES OF SCREEN TIME AND THAT TRIPLE E, SO CONCERNS ABOUT AN OVER-RELIANCE ON TOOLS FOR TASKS.
THAT ARE NOT ENHANCING THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
TASKS WHERE MAYBE IT'S A REPLACEMENT FOR PEER COLLABORATION OR SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DONE ON PENCIL AND PAPER.
SO REVIEWING AND CLARIFYING THOSE TYPES OF SCREEN TIME, GIVING VERY CLEAR EXAMPLES, AND REVIEWING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE I-TEAM WILL CONTINUE TO DO TARGETED WORK WITH TEACHERS BASED ON CAMPUS NEED, ON FEEDBACK, AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THAT TRIPLE E LENS AND THE TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION PEEKS AND THEN FINALLY, THE TEAM OF INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY SPECIALISTS AND MYSELF ARE VERY HARD AT WORK RIGHT NOW CREATING A NEW RESOURCE FOR NEXT YEAR THAT WILL GIVE TEACHERS VERY SPECIFIC EXAMPLES BY GRADE LEVEL WITH CONTENT CONNECTIONS TO FURTHER SUPPORT BRIDGING THEIR CONTENT WITH THE TRAINING THAT WE'RE PROVIDING.
SO THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PASSIVE TIME OR WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRODUCTIVE TIME, THEY HAVE A RESOURCE THAT THEY CAN GO LOOK AT AND FIND THOSE EXAMPLES.
AND WE ARE REALLY HOPEFUL THAT IN BETWEEN ALL OF THOSE INTERACTIONS THAT YOU SAW A FEW SLIDES AGO, THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEM IN BUILDING THEIR SKILLS AND ENSURING THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE INTERACTING WITH TECHNOLOGY IN HIGH QUALITY WAYS.
AND MS. KAVEN, IT'S OKAY IF YOU'RE NOT PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT THIS IS A
[00:50:01]
CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING WITH SPECIAL TEACHERS.BECAUSE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT TECHNOLOGY INSIDE THE KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOM OR THE FIFTH GRADE CLASSROOM, WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT OUR SPECIAL TEACHERS MAY BE ENGAGING IN TECHNOLOGY.
SO MAYBE COULD YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT ON HOW WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR DIRECTORS OF ELEMENTARY MUSIC, PE, AND VISUAL ARTS TO ADDRESS TECHNOLOGY AS WELL? ABSOLUTELY, YES.
SO ALL THREE OF THE LEADERS IN THOSE AREAS ARE DEVELOPING CLEAR GUIDANCE TO SHARE WITH THEIR TEACHERS SO THAT EVERYONE HAS THE SAME MESSAGING AND EXPECTATIONS COMMUNICATED.
ADDITIONALLY, REALLY BEING MINDFUL AGAIN OF WHY IS IT BEING USED AND IS IT THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS? IS IT NECESSARY? THINKING ABOUT IS IT REPLACEMENT OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE COULDN'T OTHERWISE DO WITHOUT THIS REAL WORLD EXAMPLE? AND THEN INCREASING THE COMMUNICATION FROM THOSE AREAS.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS A PARENT, YOU GET COMMUNICATION FROM YOUR CLASSROOM TEACHER AND YOU KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING, MAYBE IN CONTENT AREAS, BUT NOT NECESSARILY WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE.
AND SO INCREASING THE COMMUNICATION ABOUT WHAT STUDENTS ARE LEARNING IN THOSE AREAS AND HOW TECHNOLOGY OR OTHER TOOLS ARE BEING USED.
I'M GOING TO TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT PE, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO I HAPPEN TO BE A MOM OF A PE TEACHER.
AND I TALKED TO HIM AT LENGTH ABOUT THIS AND ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND HOW DOES HE USE TECHNOLOGY IN THE PE ROOM.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE SHARED WITH ME IS, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, HE STARTS OUT EVERY DAY WITH USUALLY A THREE-MINUTE WARM-UP.
AND THERE IS USUALLY SOME KIND OF VISUAL THAT IS TEACHING.
IT MIGHT BE CERTAIN CALISTHENICS TO GET THE BLOOD WORK.
WORKING AND THE STUDENTS ARE FOLLOWING THAT FOR THE FIRST THREE MINUTES OF THEIR PE BLOCK.
WHILE THEY ARE DOING THAT, HE'S WALKING AROUND, FIRST AND FOREMOST, MAKING SURE THAT SHOES ARE TIED BECAUSE WE CAN'T PARTICIPATE.
AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, NOT EVERY KINDERGARTEN STUDENT KNOWS HOW TO TIE THEIR SHOE.
AND SO HE'S WALKING AROUND MAKING SURE SHOES ARE TIED.
WHILE THEY'RE STRETCHING, HE'S ACTUALLY MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE USING GOOD FORM, THAT THEY UNDERSTAND HOW THEY COULD HURT THEMSELVES, THAT THEY'RE BEGINNING TO HAVE KIND OF THOSE GOOD PRACTICES WHEN THEY'RE DOING THOSE WARM-UPS.
AND THEN WHEN THAT THREE- TO FIVE-MINUTE WARM-UP TIME IS OVER, THAT TECHNOLOGY IS TURNED OFF, AND NOW HE IS TEACHING THEM THE GAME, THE ACTIVITY, WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY NEED TO LEARN FOR THEIR PETS FOR THAT DAY.
NEVER SHOULD TECHNOLOGY REPLACE WHAT THAT PE TEACHER IS DOING, BUT IT IS A TOOL TO USE SO THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE THAT INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK, SOMETIMES FOR OUR STUDENTS AS WELL AS TIME ISSUES, JUST LIKE THAT CLASSROOM TEACHER MAY SOMETIMES BE USING IT AS WELL.
FEELING THAT THERE'S A GAP BETWEEN EXPECTATIONS OR THE GUIDELINES THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SAYING AND AND WHAT STUDENTS MIGHT BE ACTUALLY DOING AND SO CAMPUSES ARE GOING TO REINFORCE THAT FACILITATING LEARNING WITH TECHNOLOGY THOSE GUIDELINES THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY AND THEN ANY TIME THERE IS A CONCERN THE BEST PLACE TO GO FIRST IS TO THE TEACHER AND TO THE CAMPUS PRINCIPAL BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE MOST COMPLETE PICTURE OF WHY THAT TOOL WAS USED, WHAT WERE THE LEARNING GOALS, HOW WAS IT SELECTED, AND THEY CAN REALLY ADDRESS MAYBE ANY MISSING PIECES.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES A STUDENT COMES HOME AND TELLS YOU ABOUT AN EXPERIENCE AND THERE'S A PIECE OF THE STORY MISSING AND THOSE ARE THE FIRST PEOPLE THAT CAN FILL IN THOSE GAPS.
I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT WE ARE ASKING OUR EDUCATORS, AND MOST OF THEM DO A PHENOMENAL JOB OF THIS BUT WE ARE ASKING THEM TO ELEVATE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
WHEN THEY ARE AT OPEN HOUSE, WHEN THEY ARE DOING MEET THE TEACHER, WHEN THEY ARE SENDING HOME THEIR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER, TO BE EXPLICIT ABOUT HOW THEY ARE USING TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM.
THAT THERE IS TRANSPARENCY FROM THE TEACHER TO THE PARENT AROUND HOW THEY ARE USING TECHNOLOGY IN THAT CLASSROOM.
THAT THEY ARE USING, WE HAVE SPECIFIC TOOLS LIKE SEESAW, WHICH CAN BE AN ARTIFACT THAT ALLOWS A PARENT TO KNOW THIS IS HOW MY CHILD ACCESSED TECHNOLOGY TODAY.
MY STUDENT WAS ABLE TO LEARN AND DO AS A RESULT OF USING THAT TECHNOLOGY.
AND SO WHETHER THAT'S US PROVIDING THIS CLARITY TO TEACHERS ABOUT THIS IS WHAT WE EXPECT IN A KINDERGARTEN ROOM VERSUS WHAT MAY HAPPEN IN A, YOU KNOW, IN A FRESHMAN CLASSROOM, AS WELL AS WHAT SHOULD A PARENT EXPECT FROM A TEACHER RECEIVING THAT SAME COMMUNICATION FROM THEIR TEACHER.
ALL RIGHT SO WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT IS
[00:55:01]
ON THIS SLIDE BUT WE REALLY JUST WANTED TO RE-EMPHASIZE SOME OF THOSE THINGS IN OUR KEY TAKEAWAYS SO WHAT A STUDENT IS DOING ON THE TECHNOLOGY MATTERS SO YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT PRODUCTIVE SCREEN TECHNOLOGY IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR GOOD TEACHING THAT IS NOT THE INTENTION LIKE UM SUPERINTENDENT BRANDON JUST SAID WE HAVE MOST OF THE MAJORITY OF OUR TEACHERS ARE DOING UM GREAT THINGS WITH TECHNOLOGY SO NOW WE'RE JUST GOING TO LEVEL UP AND WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE THAT COMMUNICATION AROUND WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THOSE INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES.AND THEN FINALLY, THAT INCREASING TRANSPARENCY, REALLY GAINING THE TRUST OF OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH THAT TRANSPARENCY, SO PUBLISHING FACILITATING LEARNING WITH TECHNOLOGY FOR THE COMMUNITY AND FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.
SO WE WILL REVIEW IT LIKE WE DO EVERY SUMMER, AND THEN WE WILL PUBLISH IT BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS ON THE WEBSITE.
AND THEN WE JUST FINISHED TALKING ABOUT THAT COMMUNICATION PIECE AND REALLY PROMOTING THOSE INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES.
WITH TECHNOLOGY AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN THOSE PRODUCTS THAT OUR KIDS ARE COMING WITH.
SO WITH THAT, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND WE ARE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND I THINK WE'VE PROBABLY GOT SOME QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AROUND THE TABLE FROM THE BOARD.
MR. EAGER, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO LET YOU REDO THE EXPERIMENT WITH THE BLOCKS, OKAY.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND I GUESS A COUPLE OF THINGS I LIKED IS THAT, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATIONS WITH COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT'S A PARTNERSHIP.
WE ARE ENTRUSTED WITH THE MOST PRECIOUS THING.
BUT, AND I LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT PRODUCTIVE USE VERSUS PASSIVE USE.
BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS, AND WE RUN INTO PROBLEMS, IS THAT I WAS GROWING UP, YOU KNOW, MY MOM AND DAD SAID, YOU'RE WATCHING TOO MUCH TV.
YOU'RE JUST GOING TO ROT YOUR BRAIN, GET OUTSIDE, AND PLAY.
YOU KNOW, I DID OKAY, BUT I STILL WATCHED TOO MUCH TV.
NETFLIX, YOU KNOW, QUIT BINGE-WATCHING TV.
BUT THE THINGS I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT IS THAT WITH THE THINGS THAT WE'RE BEING ASKED OUR TEACHERS, TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP THEM BE, WHEN YOU'RE TEACHING THEM TECHNOLOGY.
PROPER USE OF TECHNOLOGY, LET ME STRESS THAT, IS GIVING THEM BACK TIME.
THINGS THAT, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO ASK OUR TEACHERS TO DO MORE AND MORE.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS THIS WORLD.
AND SO WHAT THINGS CAN WE DO, OR YOU'RE TALKING OR TEACHING THEM, TO RELIEVE MAYBE JUST SOME OF THE OPERATIONAL TASKS SO THAT WE CAN GIVE BACK TIME? BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, GUESS WHAT, WE GIVE BACK THEIR TIME, IT'S MORE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME, IT'S MORE ONE-ON-ONE TIME, IT'S MORE PERSONAL GUIDANCE TIME.
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE AND HOW SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP THEM AND GET THEM UP TO SPEED WITH SOME OF THE NEWER WAYS, NOT IN TEACHING, BUT JUST USE TO MAKE THEIR LIVES EASIER.
YEAH, SO I THINK ONE THING, AND REALLY THIS ISN'T SPECIFIC TO TECHNOLOGY, BUT IT IS PART OF GOOD PRACTICE IN TEACHING IS.
SUPPORTING OUR TEACHERS AND RELEASING SOME OF THE OWNERSHIP OF THE LEARNING AND MAKING SURE THAT THE STUDENTS ARE TAKING THAT SO THAT RELIEVES SOME FROM OUR TEACHERS BECAUSE WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THESE TASKS WHERE STUDENTS ARE BEING INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS CREATORS THINKERS COLLABORATORS THAT IS LESS PREP THAT THE TEACHER IS DOING CREATING MATERIALS CREATING THINGS FOR THEM BECAUSE THE STUDENT IS GOING TO DO THOSE THINGS TEACHERS GOING TO CREATE THE CONDITIONS AND MAKE SURE THE STUDENTS HAVE THE APPROPRIATE CONTEXT AND THE LEARNING AND THE INFORMATION, AND THE STUDENTS ARE GOING TO DO SOMETHING WITH THAT.
AND SO I THINK THAT PLANNING PIECE CAN BE LESSENED.
WE ARE ALSO SUPPORTING OUR TEACHERS WITH TOOLS THAT THEY CAN USE TO GET TIME BACK IN TERMS OF RESOURCES WE HAVE ACCESS TO, LIKE AI.
SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BEING ABLE TO DIFFERENTIATE CONTENT FOR STUDENTS, TEACHERS BEING ABLE TO USE AI TO DIFFERENTIATE, YOU KNOW, FOR A CLASSROOM OF 28 STUDENTS CAN SAVE THEM A LOT OF TIME.
AND SO MOST OF THIS PRESENTATION WAS ABOUT WHAT OUR KIDS ARE DOING WITH TECHNOLOGY, BUT CERTAINLY WE ARE DOING BOTH OF THOSE THINGS WHEN WE'RE TRAINING TEACHERS.
SO WHEN YOU SEE THAT NUMBER UP THERE, A LOT OF THAT TIME IS SPENT ON SUPPORTING STUDENT USE, BUT A LOT OF IT IS ALSO SPENT ON THE TEACHER PRODUCTIVITY SIDE, WHICH IS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.
YEAH, SO WE'RE SUPPORTING THEM WITH TOOLS THAT CAN HELP THEM PLAN BETTER, BE MORE EFFICIENT.
SPEND THEIR TIME WHERE THEY NEED IT IN WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THEIR STUDENTS AND HAVE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE THE RIGHT FIT FOR THEIR STUDENTS, BUT ALSO IN HELPING THEM DESIGN LEARNING THAT LETS THEM LISTEN TO WHAT STUDENTS ARE SAYING TO EACH OTHER, GIVE STUDENTS REAL-TIME FEEDBACK BECAUSE THEY'VE PUT THE LEARNING BACK
[01:00:02]
ON THE STUDENT AS AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT.THE CHALLENGE WE HAVE IS WHEN CHILDREN ARE GIFTED IN PARTICULAR AREAS, AND WE'VE ALWAYS HAD THAT KIND OF CAP THAT THEY CAN'T KEEP ACCELERATING.
YOU MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT OF NOW HOW WE CAN BEGIN TO USE SOME THINGS TO ENHANCE AND CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE.
SO IF I'M READING AT A PARTICULAR GRADE LEVEL AND I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE, TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT HOW SOME OF IT CAN HELP THE TEACHER AND THAT STUDENT.
AND OR ALSO THE STUDENTS THAT MAYBE NEED A LITTLE EXTRA HELP, WHICH ALL OF THAT IS, AGAIN, HELPING OUR STUDENTS, HELP THEM IN THEIR GIFTS, BUT ALSO IN THE THINGS THEY NEED, AND IT'S GIVING THE TEACHER BACK A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO HELP.
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S THAT PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTION THAT HELPS CHILDREN GET GREAT OUTCOMES.
I WANT TO CHIME IN FIRST REAL QUICK TO SAY I WANT TO CELEBRATE OUR ADVANCED ACADEMICS TEAM BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS BUILT INTO OUR CURRICULUM HIM.
IS WHEN A TEACHER GOES, FOR EXAMPLE, TO ANY OF OUR KIND OF, THIS IS WHAT TEACHING AND LEARNING IS SAYING I SHOULD BE DOING TODAY, THERE IS A BUILT-IN, ALREADY DESIGNED ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY.
SO IF I KNOW GOING IN, BECAUSE WE'VE DONE INTERNALIZATION, AND I KNOW THESE FOUR STUDENTS PROBABLY HAVE ALREADY MASTERED IT, BECAUSE I'M ANSWERING PLC QUESTION NUMBER FOUR, WHAT DO I DO FOR THE KIDS WHO ALREADY KNOW IT, THAT ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY IS ALREADY BUILT AND DESIGNED FOR TEACHERS.
AND THAT ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY MAY BE NOTHING TO DO WITH TECHNOLOGY, BUT IT MAY ALSO BE SOMETHING THAT ALLOWS STUDENTS TO GO DEEPER, TO HAVE MORE ACCESS TO MORE COMPLEX TEXT, OR SOMETHING IN WHICH TECHNOLOGY DOES PROVIDE ACCESSIBILITY TO THAT STUDENT TO HAVE THAT MORE COMPLEX, THAT MORE IN-DEPTH LESSON OR EXPERIENCE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE YOU WOULD WANT TO ADD TO THAT.
YEAH, SO TECHNOLOGY IS, OF COURSE, NOT THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU CAN DO THESE THINGS, BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENTIATION, YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING AT DIFFERENTIATING THE CONTENT, THE PROCESS, OR THE PRODUCT, AND SO TECHNOLOGY CAN BE A FACTOR IN ANY OF THOSE WAYS.
SO THE TECHNOLOGY MIGHT BE USED TO PROVIDE THOSE ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES, BUT IT ALSO MIGHT BE USED TO BE ABLE TO DIFFERENTIATE THE CONTENT AND INFORMATION AND THE LEVEL OF THE TASK THE STUDENTS GET, WHICH...
MIGHT MAKE THE TASK MORE COMPLEX OR HAVE MORE SCAFFOLDS AND SUPPORT BUILT IN.
BY HAVING AN OPEN-ENDED PRODUCT, YOU MIGHT HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE PERFORMING AT A DEMONSTRATING LEARNING OF MORE COMPLEX UNDERSTANDING AND OTHER STUDENTS YOU KNOW AT THAT GRADE LEVEL OR STUDENTS SHOWING THAT THEY NEED MORE SUPPORT AND SO THE TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP PROVIDE THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR HOW STUDENTS SHOW WHAT THEY KNOW SO THAT WHEN THAT IS MORE OPEN-ENDED IT CAN BE AT THEIR LEVEL AND MEET THEIR NEEDS.
JUST AN EXAMPLE THAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, FOR EXAMPLE, AT OUR HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL FOR OUR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE AN AMAZING TEACHER AT ONE OF OUR CAMPUSES WHO, EVEN THOUGH HER STUDENTS MAY HAVE NEEDS IN WHICH THEIR READING LEVELS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW THEIR AGE LEVEL PEERS.
SHE ALSO KNOWS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WHEN THEY'RE SITTING AT LUNCH AND THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE READING, THAT BYE.
THEY CAN ENGAGE IN THAT SAME CONVERSATION THAT THEIR FRIENDS ARE.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, SHE USED SOME TEXT FEATURES WHERE SHE TOOK MACBETH, AND SHE BASICALLY SAID, HERE ARE ALL OF THE STUDENTS THAT I HAVE IN DIFFERENT INCLUSION SETTINGS.
THE REGULAR ENGLISH 12 STUDENTS ARE ALL READING MACBETH.
I'M GOING TO TAKE THAT, AND I'M GOING TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE TO ALL MY STUDENTS ON THE GRADE LEVEL THAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE RECEIVING INSTRUCTION.
SO EVERY ONE OF HER STUDENTS ALSO READ MACBETH.
BUT IT WAS AT THE GRADE LEVEL IN WHICH THEY NEEDED IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT, THE CONTEXT.
AND THEN THEY WERE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH THEIR PEERS AND HAVE THAT SAME DISCUSSIONS AND THAT SAME, WHETHER IT WAS A SOCRATIC, WHATEVER IT WAS, THEY WERE ABLE TO ENGAGE JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
AND SO, AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO SOMETIMES USING THAT TECHNOLOGY FOR THE TEACHER.
THE STUDENTS STILL READ IT AS A TEXT LIKE EVERY OTHER STUDENT DID.
IT WAS STILL IN PRINT, BUT IT MADE IT FOR THE FIRST TIME AVAILABLE TO THEM.
AT THAT LEXILE LEVEL THAT WAS APPROPRIATE FOR WHAT THEY NEEDED IN ORDER TO, YOU KNOW, DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF LEARNING AS WELL.
IT'S AUGMENTING, NOT REPLACING.
APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS AND APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? MS. PACHECO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I WAS CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DID THE EXERCISE AND WE SPEAK INTO OUR MICROPHONE AND
[01:05:02]
LET'S SAY I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO READ NUMBERS YET, RIGHT, BECAUSE I CAN'T.HOW DOES IT, I MEAN, YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW THE TEACHER CHECKS IT AND ALL THOSE THINGS, SO IS THERE LIKE, WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT FOR THOSE STUDENTS? I GUESS IS MY QUESTION.
BENCHMARKS, HOW DOES THAT WORK FOR LIKE LET'S SAY 50% OF YOUR KIDS SAY THEIR NUMBERS WRONG? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND THAT WOULD BE TRUE OF ANY WHETHER YOU'RE USING TECHNOLOGY OR NOT WHEN YOU'RE REVIEWING THIS STUDENT WORK IF YOU SEE ESPECIALLY IF YOU SEE THAT MANY ERRORS, YOU KNOW THAT YOU NEED TO RETEACH IT AND SO JUST LIKE IF I WERE GETTING THAT BACK ON PAPER OR YOU KNOW PULLING THEM ONE-ON-ONE AND HAVING THEM DO THAT WITH ME AND I WOULD HAVE THAT DATA AND I WOULD KNOW WHICH FOLLOW UP WHETHER THAT'S IF IT'S HALF OF THEM I PROBABLY NEED TO REVIEW IT WITH EVERYBODY OR IF I NEED TO SEE THOSE KIDS IN A SMALL GROUP BUT IT'S ANOTHER WAY TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT OUR KIDS AND TO ASSESS WHERE THEY ARE IN THIS SKILL I REALLY LIKED IT I THINK IT'S GREAT BECAUSE TEACHERS ARE BUSY RIGHT YOU'VE GOT ALL YOUR KIDS YOU'RE LISTENING TO THEM AND YOU PAY ATTENTION BUT TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND RE-HEAR THINGS AND ALSO THE FACT THAT IT'S SHARED TO PARENTS AND THEY HEAR THEIR STUDENT, THEN THEY CAN ALSO HELP THEIR STUDENT AT HOME, YOU KNOW, AND PROVIDE THE SCHOOL AND TEACHER SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, SO THAT THEIR STUDENT IMPROVES.
SO I REALLY THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY GREAT.
I LOVE WHAT YOU, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU SAID THERE, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT.
IF, AGAIN, HEAR ME, WE STILL BELIEVE IN HANDS-ON, TOUCHING THINGS, WRITING THINGS, TEACHER-TO-STUDENT INTERACTION.
ONE OF THE POWERFUL THINGS ABOUT THE ACTIVITY THAT THEY TOOK US THROUGH IS WHEN STUDENTS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECORD THEM SAYING THE NUMBER, OFTENTIMES WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THAT SPECIFIC ACTIVITY IS THEY'RE GOING TO GO AND THEY'RE GOING TO SHARE IT WITH A FRIEND.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE FEEDBACK.
THEY'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO THEMSELVES.
THEY'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO A FRIEND.
THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE FEEDBACK TO ONE ANOTHER.
IF YOU REMEMBER, ONE OF THOSE TECHNOLOGY TEAKS WAS ABOUT COLLABORATION.
IT WAS ABOUT GIVING FEEDBACK AND LISTENING TO ONE ANOTHER.
SO NOW WE'VE CAPTURED THAT IN A WAY.
THAT ALLOWS ME TO HEAR, DID I SAY THAT NUMBER CORRECTLY? A LOT OF TIMES OUR TEACHERS WILL HAVE NUMBERS THAT THEY HAVE PRERECORDED THEIR VOICES SAYING THOSE NUMBERS.
SO THEN AS A STUDENT, I CAN GO BACK AND I CAN LISTEN TO MY TEACHER SAYING THAT NUMBER, LISTEN TO HOW I SAID IT, DO I SOUND THE SAME WAY? I CAN PRACTICE.
I MIGHT PRACTICE MULTIPLE TIMES UNTIL I'M SAYING THAT NUMBER IN A WAY THAT WAS MODELED FOR THE TEACHER.
IT KIND OF BRINGS BACK A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF STUDENTS EVEN, YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE AVID READERS AND THEY MAY READ IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE VERSUS ENGLISH OR THEY READ IN ENGLISH, BUT THEY'VE NEVER ACTUALLY HEARD WORDS.
BUT THEY KNOW HOW TO READ THEM AND THEY KNOW THE MEANING.
SO DOING THESE TYPES OF EXPERIENCES REALLY HELPS THEM.
KNOW HOW THE WORD ACTUALLY SOUNDS, NOT THE WAY WE THINK IT SOUNDS IN OUR HEADS, RIGHT? SO I THINK THAT'S ALSO REALLY GREAT.
THE OTHER COMMENT I HAD WAS THE PASSIVE TIME AND THE BLOCKS AND THE BENCHMARKS THAT YOU GUYS ARE RECOMMENDING FOR YOUR STUDENTS.
DO THESE PROGRAMS HAVE LIKE A TIME LIMIT? HOW ARE TEACHERS GOING TO KNOW THAT THIS HAS ALREADY PASSED FOR THEIR CLASSROOM? I BELIEVE THAT'S...
UP TO THE TEACHER WHEN THEY'RE PLANNING, PLANNING FOR, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WHEN YOU'RE PLANNING YOUR LESSON, YOU'VE GOT THAT TIMED OUT, AND YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, AT THIS TIME, I NEED TO MOVE ON TO THIS, AND AFTER THIS MANY MINUTES, SO IT'S REALLY ON THE PLANNING PIECE OF THAT, BECAUSE TECHNOLOGY SHOULD ALWAYS BE USED FOR THE PURPOSE, AND SO WHEN WE'RE DOING THAT, PLANNING FOR THIS IS HOW IT'S GOING TO BE USED, AND THIS IS THE AMOUNT OF TIME THEY'RE GOING TO USE IT FOR THAT TASK.
SO I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE TOOLS THAT ARE BUILT IN THAT WOULD ALLOW A TEACHER TO ESTIMATE THIS IS HOW MUCH TIME.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF I AM, I'M JUST GOING TO GO BACK TO THE, LIKE, I'M TEACHING THE BASIC FUNCTIONS OF A CELL.
AND ACTUALLY WE INTRODUCE THAT AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.
WE KNOW STUDENTS NEED TO SEE VISUALS IF THEY'RE GOING TO UNDERSTAND THE BASIC FUNCTIONS AND STRUCTURES OF A CELL.
IT MIGHT BE THAT A TEACHER IS GOING TO USE A MULTIMEDIA CLIP THAT IS GOING TO KIND OF BRING THAT CELL FROM, YOU KNOW, A FLAT.
DIAGRAM IN THEIR TEXTBOOK OR IN THEIR CONSUMABLE TO SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE AN IMAGE ON A SCREEN.
SO IF THEY'RE SHOWING THAT THREE TO FIVE MINUTE VIDEO, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S OUR STUDENTS ARE CONSUMING THAT IN A PASSIVE WAY.
AND SO THAT TEACHER IS GOING TO KNOW, OKAY, THAT WAS THREE MINUTES.
IF THEY'RE PUSHING THAT OUT THROUGH THEIR IPADS AND TEACH STUDENTS ARE, ARE, ARE GOING TO CONSUME THAT, THAT IS PASSIVE.
THAT WAS FIVE MINUTES OF MY TIME.
SO AS I'M INTERNALIZING MY LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR THE DAY I KNOW IF I'M A KINDER TEACHER, HEY, I USE THREE MINUTES IN THAT STRUCTURE OF A CELL VIDEO.
I'M NOT GOING TO USE, YOU KNOW, I NEED TO BE CAREFUL ON HOW ELSE I WOULD USE OR PROVIDE
[01:10:01]
ACCESS TO ANY KIND OF PASSIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE REST OF THE DAY.SO BELIEVE IT OR NOT, MOST OF THE TOOLS THAT OUR TEACHERS USE, THERE IS A WAY FOR THEM TO QUANTIFY WHAT THAT TIME IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR STUDENTS.
AND BECAUSE WE CAN LOCK DOWN THEIR SCREENS, WHEN IT'S TIME TO BE DONE, WE CAN LOCK DOWN THOSE SCREENS AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE STUDENTS DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT VIDEO OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE WERE PUSHING OUT TO THE STUDENTS.
YEAH, I LOOKED UP REALLY FAST WHEN MY SCREEN GOT LOCKED DOWN.
SO I CAN JUST IMAGINE WHAT HAPPENS IN CLASSROOMS. BUT I LOVE THAT BECAUSE, AS YOU ALL MENTIONED, IT'S INTENTIONAL.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE GOT TO DECIDE ALL THESE THINGS.
SO KNOWING INTENTIONALLY HOW MUCH TIME IS HAPPENING AND THE TEACHERS.
YOU KNOW HAVING THE SUPPORT AND ALSO YOU KNOW I REALLY LIKE TO FOCUS ON THE COMMUNICATION UM WITH OUR COMMUNITY WITH OUR PARENTS AND TO YOU KNOW MAKE SURE THEY YOU KNOW THEY GO TO OUR CLASSROOMS AND OUR IN OUR PRINCIPALS AND THEIR LEADERS IN THEIR LOCATIONS TO GET CLARITY I THOUGHT THAT WAS AWESOME SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION MISS TIMMY YEAH THAT WAS GREAT THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH UM I I DO WANT TO ASK A COUPLE POINTY QUESTIONS YOU KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME COMMUNITY UM PIECES IN THAT, AND SO I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE HIT ON SOME THINGS THAT I WOULD HAVE TALKED ABOUT, BUT ALSO JUST WANT TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE CLEAR.
SO I KNOW THAT IN SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THERE'S BEEN SOME CONCERNS, SPECIFICALLY AT THE YOUNGER GRADE LEVELS.
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, AND REALLY I GUESS IN GENERAL, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT'S BEEN LIKE MAYBE HAPPENING THIS YEAR, AND I'VE HEARD YOU GUYS REFERENCE A COUPLE OF TIMES ABOUT WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING NEXT YEAR.
CAN YOU TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WE MIGHT SEE? YEAH, SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, ELIMINATING THINGS LIKE THERE ARE NO REQUIRED MINUTES FOR, THAT ADAPTIVE SOFTWARE TOOL.
THAT IS SOMETHING WHEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WERE ACQUIRING 30 MINUTES A WEEK, THAT MEANT ON TOP OF ANY OTHER WAYS THAT A TEACHER WOULD USE IT, A STUDENT WAS ACCESSING THAT FOR, YOU KNOW, SOME ADDITIONAL MINUTES THAT WE DON'T FEEL LIKE IS MEANINGFUL AND REALLY IS A PASSIVE USE VERSUS AN ENGAGEMENT USE.
IT CANNOT BE, THERE IS NO MORE FREE IPAD TIME.
AND I CANNOT SAY WITH CERTAINTY THIS YEAR, I THINK WE HAD SOME EVIDENCE.
IN DIFFERENT PLACES WHERE IPADS WERE BEING USED AND IPAD TIME AND FREE IPAD TIME.
BUT WHERE IT WAS BEING USED AS AN INCENTIVE.
AND WE HAVE LOTS OF OTHER TOOLS TO INCENTIVIZE STUDENTS TO DEVELOP A LOVE OF READING OR TO ADDRESS BEHAVIOR OR DISCIPLINE IN A WAY THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE INCENTIVIZING THEM WITH IPADS.
THINGS LIKE SHOWING FREE VIDEOS.
THAT IS A PASSIVE USE AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE VIDEOS UP IN THE LUNCHROOM.
YOU KNOW, JUST VIDEO TIME IN THE CLASSROOM WHERE WE'RE SHOWING A MOVIE.
YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE SOME CLEAR-CUT EXAMPLES.
I, WHILE WE HAVE PRODUCED THIS HANDBOOK AND WE HAVE COMMUNICATED IT, I WILL BE PERFECTLY HONEST.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE'VE BEEN EXPLICIT WITH EXPECTATIONS FOR TEACHERS.
AND I THINK ON THE HEELS OF COVID THAT TEACHERS BECAME, FOR...
WONDERFUL REASONS, BECAME VERY RELIANT ON TECHNOLOGY.
AND I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO DO A HARD RESET TO MAKE IT CLEAR THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO USE TECHNOLOGY AND THIS IS HOW WE ARE NOT GOING TO USE TECHNOLOGY.
THIS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR USING TECHNOLOGY.
THIS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR COMMUNICATING TO YOUR PARENTS HOW YOU'RE GOING TO USE TECHNOLOGY.
AND THIS HAS BEEN, AND I THINK HEARING FROM OUR PARENTS, HAS BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SAY, HEY, WE'VE NOT DONE A GOOD JOB.
WE'VE NOT DONE A GOOD JOB OF MAKING SURE OUR PRINCIPALS ARE CLEAR ON WHAT THE GUARDRAILS ARE.
AND THAT MEANS THEN WE ALSO HAVEN'T DONE A GREAT JOB OF LETTING OUR TEACHERS KNOW.
SO COVERING THIS, YOU KNOW, WE STARTED AT REAL ON TUESDAY WITH OUR PRINCIPALS.
WHEN WE HAVE BACK-TO-SCHOOL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, OUR PRINCIPALS WILL HAVE EXPLICIT GUARDRAILS, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY THEIR SUPERINTENDENTS AND BY ME.
THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE SEEING IN THE CLASSROOM.
OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING TEAM, OUR I-TEAM, WILL PROVIDE THAT PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR DISTRICT-WIDE DAY.
IF WE SEE TEACHERS ARE STRUGGLING WITH THAT, OUR PRINCIPALS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS HAVE TO BE IN THE CLASSROOM.
AND IF WE SEE EVIDENCE THAT OUR HANDBOOK IS NOT BEING FOLLOWED, IT'S NOT THAT THAT TEACHER IS IN TROUBLE OR THAT THEY'VE DONE ANYTHING WRONG, BUT IT'S LIKE, HOW DO WE COME AROUND AND HELP? MODEL FOR THEM HOW IT SHOULD BE USED VERSUS HOW IT SHOULD NOT BE USED.
SO I THINK THOSE ARE THAT CLARITY THAT I TRUTHFULLY, I DON'T THINK WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB.
I THINK WE'VE PUT A LOT OF THINGS, WE'VE MADE A LOT OF TOOLS AVAILABLE.
WE PUT A LOT OF THINGS IN THE HANDS
[01:15:01]
OF OUR TEACHERS AND WE'VE KIND OF SAID, GO.AND WHEN TEACHERS, AGAIN, TO NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, WHEN WE DON'T PROVIDE THE STRUCTURE AND SAY, HEY Y'ALL, THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE AT THIS GRADE LEVEL.
THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE AT THIS GRADE LEVEL.
SO IF WE CAN CREATE BOUNDARIES AND STRUCTURES, THEY'RE GOING TO FOLLOW THEM.
AND WE JUST NEED TO BE CLEAR WITH THAT.
SO THEN I HEARD YOU SAY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION, BUT I JUST WANT TO BE SURE I'M CLEAR BECAUSE I THINK I JUST HEARD YOU SAY IT THERE.
SO, LIKE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO RESET THOSE, THEN ABSOLUTELY.
I SOMEWHAT HEARD YOU SAY THAT THEN THERE'S AN EXPECTATION THAT PRINCIPALS ARE IN THE CLASSROOM, AND THIS IS PART OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AND SUPPORTING TEACHERS IN THE WAY THAT THEY'RE USING TECHNOLOGY TO ENSURE IT'S FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT INTERNALIZATION, WHEN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M REALLY PROUD OF OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING TEAM WHERE AND I DO APPRECIATE THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY BECAUSE I KNOW I CAN BE HARD SOMETIMES ON THEM.
BUT I'M I DO APPRECIATE THIS FOCUS OF WE'RE GOING TO CREATE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS WHERE THE TEACHERS DON'T HAVE TO PUT THINGS TOGETHER.
THERE'S SOME STRUCTURE TO TODAY'S LESSON.
IF I'M GOING TO TEACH THIS CONCEPT, THE MATERIALS ARE READY FOR ME.
I DON'T HAVE TO SPEND MY TIME DOING THAT.
WHERE I'M SPENDING MY TIME IS INTERNALIZING IT.
SO IF I HAVE THESE 22 KINDERGARTNERS, I SEE THEIR MAP DATA.
I SEE WHERE THEY ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN UNDERSTANDING A NUMBER OF CONCEPTS.
THEN WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE BEST WAY THAT I'M GOING TO TEACH THEM? WHAT MISCONCEPTIONS MIGHT THEY HAVE? WHO ARE MY STUDENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY MASTERED IT? WHO ARE MY STUDENTS THAT I NEED TO RETEACH A FOUNDATIONAL SKILL? AND MY FOCUS IS ON DESIGNING THAT.
TECHNOLOGY SHOULD BE ONE OF THE QUESTIONS OF, IT MAY BE THAT WE'RE NOT EVEN TOUCHING IT WITH THIS MATH LESSON TODAY.
I DON'T NEED TECHNOLOGY EVEN AS AN ENHANCEMENT BECAUSE THE LESSON THAT I'M DOING DOESN'T REQUIRE IT, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AN ENHANCEMENT.
OR IT MIGHT BE LIKE WHAT WE SAW TODAY, THAT IT'S GOING TO ALLOW ME TO CAPTURE LEARNING SO I CAN GIVE INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK IN A WAY THAT I COULDN'T DO IF WE JUST DID IT ON PAPER, BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE NO WAY TO CAPTURE AND HEAR HOW STUDENTS ARE THINKING ABOUT THEIR LEARNING.
SO THOSE PRINCIPLES SHOULD BE GUIDING THAT INTERNALIZATION PROCESS, GIVING FEEDBACK TO TEACHERS IN THAT INTERNALIZATION PROCESS.
THEN WHEN THEY ACTUALLY LAUNCH INTO THAT STUDENT ACTIVITY.
SO WATCHING, OBSERVING, LOOKING AT THIS IS WHERE YOU WERE, THIS IS WHERE YOU NEED TO BE.
HOW AM I GOING TO SUPPORT YOU IN GETTING THERE? EXCELLENT.
ALSO, TOO, IS ONE THING I DID HEAR, OBVIOUSLY, THE PASSIVE FOR SURE.
IS THERE, ESPECIALLY THINKING OF OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS GOING UP TO OUR OLDER ONES, RIGHT, WHERE THE EXPECTATIONS AND COMPLEXITY OF TASKS AND THINGS THEY MAY NEED TO DO, RIGHT, WOULD REQUIRE DIFFERENT MINUTES AND USING THEM.
IS THERE ANY, CAN YOU GIVE ME A LITTLE BIT OF LIKE THE THOUGHT PROCESS AROUND LIKE EXPECTATIONS OF, YOUNGER USERS USING ACTIVE TIME LIKE INTENTIONAL VERSUS LIKE THE OLDER STUDENTS IS THERE ANY PHILOSOPHY GUIDING THAT FROM LIKE SAY KINDERGARTEN AND 12TH GRADE AS FAR AS TIME SO YEAH WE'VE HAD LOTS OF CONVERSATION ON THE ACTIVE USE AND SHOULD WE PUT GUARDRAILS AROUND I'M NOT ASKING SPECIFICS I'M ASKING LIKE THEORETICALLY ARE WE LIKE EXPECTING OUR KINDERGARTNERS TO BE MORE ENGAGED SOCIALLY THANK YOU.
VERSUS LIKE WHERE OUR 12TH GRADERS MIGHT, OUR SENIORS MIGHT BE IN.
ENGAGE SOCIALLY AROUND AN ACTIVITY FOR PRODUCTION? YES.
SO 90% TO 95% OF WHAT HAPPENS IN A KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOM SHOULD ALL BE KINESTHETIC, MANIPULATIVE, HANDS-ON, EXPERIENTIAL.
THAT'S THE FOUNDATIONAL TIME FOR OUR STUDENTS, AND THEY NEED DIRECT CONCEPTUAL TEACHING.
OF THOSE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS, WHICH COMES BEST FROM TEACHER TO STUDENT.
STUDENT INTERACTING WITH MATERIALS.
TECHNOLOGY SHOULD BE USED AT A VERY MINIMAL LEVEL WHEN IT TRULY IS ONLY SOMETHING LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS GOING TO CAPTURE A STUDENT DEMONSTRATING LEARNING IN A WAY THAT'S GOING TO ALLOW ME TO INDIVIDUALIZE INSTRUCTION.
IT SHOULD NOT BE THE MAJORITY OF ANY SINGLE DAY.
OF INSTRUCTION IN A KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOM.
IT SHOULD NOT BE THE MAJORITY OF INSTRUCTION IN READING LANGUAGE ARTS OR MATH ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
AND AGAIN, WE HAVE THREE SPECIALS DIRECTORS THAT ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT SAME THING, THAT THAT IS A TIME FOR OUR STUDENTS TO HAVE EXPERIENCES AND NOT SOMETHING THAT IS DRIVEN BY TECHNOLOGY.
YES, AND I WOULD SAY OUR, AND I DON'T KNOW, LISA, IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT, LIKE, WHEN YOU TALK TO YOUR KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS ABOUT RLA, HOW DO YOU TALK TO
[01:20:02]
THEM DIFFERENTLY THAN MAYBE YOU DO YOUR SIXTH GRADE RLA TEACHERS? AS A FORMER KINDERGARTEN TEACHER, I BARELY USE TECHNOLOGY, AND REALLY WITH OUR NEW CURRICULUM AND WHAT WE ARE TELLING TEACHERS IS YOU'RE USING THAT TO ENHANCE THE INSTRUCTION SPECIFICALLY WITH ARTICULATION OF THOSE PHONEMES.AND SO WE HAVE BUILT IN ARTICULATION VIDEOS TO SHOW AT A LARGER SCALE WHAT THOSE MOUTH PLACEMENTS LOOK LIKE.
YES, THE TEACHER IS ALSO MODELING THAT, BUT FOR TEACHERS OR FOR STUDENTS TO SEE THAT BIGGER VISUAL.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE SOME OF THE MAIN TECHNOLOGY THAT WE WOULD SEE IN OUR KINDERGARTEN CLASSES.
BUT YOU WOULD SEE THE TEACHER ON THE FLOOR WITH THE STUDENTS, THE STUDENTS ENGAGING WITH EACH OTHER, THEM MANIPULATING THINGS, THEM DOING PENCIL PAPER ACTIVITIES.
AND THEN WHEN WE GET TO OUR UPPER GRADE LEVELS, YES, THEY HAVE MORE INDEPENDENCE, SO THEY WOULD BE DOING MORE OF THAT CREATING AS THE EXAMPLE THAT MORGAN HAD YOU DO, MORE OF THAT CREATION OR THAT RECORDING OF THEIR READING TO PRACTICE THEIR FLUENCY, BUT STILL WITH THAT INTENTIONALITY AND WITH MORE OF THAT TEACHER-LED TO SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS WHEN THEY DO WORK ON THAT DEMONSTRATION OF LEARNING.
I KNOW YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT AI TOOLS FOR TEACHERS.
CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT AI FOR STUDENTS? I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME CONVERSATIONS AROUND SOME OF THAT, LIKE ROLLING OUT.
AND CAN YOU TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? I ALSO REALIZE IT'S AN EVER-GROWING AND EVER-CHANGING, SO I'M NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING HARD AND FAST PER SE, BUT JUST A LITTLE BIT OF PHILOSOPHY BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S LIKE POPPING UP ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE USING.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WOULD SAY WE WANT TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS.
ANYTIME THAT WE ARE PUTTING A TOOL OR WE'RE GIVING ACCESS TO STUDENTS TO ANY KIND OF SOFTWARE OR TECHNOLOGY.
AND SO WE HAVE WE HAVE DONE THIS VERY SLOWLY.
WE'VE DONE THIS VERY METHODICALLY.
AND SO, MORGAN, DO YOU WANT TO SHARE SOME OF THE SPECIFICS? AND REALLY, OUR FOCUS RIGHT NOW HAS BEEN ON ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS.
TO MR. EAGER'S POINT, IT'S BEEN FOR TEACHERS.
HOW DO WE TAKE SOME OF THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS? AND ALLOW AI TO MAKE THOSE MORE EFFICIENT SO THAT THEY CAN FOCUS ON INSTRUCTION.
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THAT.
SO WE FIRST STARTED FOCUSING WITH TEACHERS AND SUPPORTING OUR TEACHERS AND HOW THEY COULD GET SOME TIME BACK.
BE MORE EFFICIENT IN AREAS WHERE THAT WAS NOT THE BEST USE OF THEIR FOCUS AND THEIR EXPERTISE.
WE HAVE ALSO REALLY SPENT A LOT OF TIME SUPPORTING OUR LEADERS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THEY BOTH SERVE AS A MANAGER OF PEOPLE AND AN INSTRUCTIONAL LEADER.
SO HOW CAN AI HELP THEM DO BOTH OF THOSE THINGS? WE DO HAVE A STUDENT TOOL FOR AI.
THIS IS OUR SECOND YEAR WITH ACCESS TO THAT.
AND THAT IS A TOOL THAT OUR TEACHERS HAVE THE OPTION TO USE WITH STUDENTS WHEN THEY FEEL THAT IS APPROPRIATE.
AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SECONDARY WHO ARE ENTERING A WORLD, WHETHER THAT'S THE WORKFORCE OR COLLEGE OR TRAINING WHERE AI IS PRESENT.
AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING THEM IN DEVELOPING SOME LITERACY AND FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS IN AI.
THROUGH THAT TOOL, STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE ONLY WHEN THE TEACHER SETS IT UP AND GIVES THEM ACCESS TO IT WITH A VERY CLEAR PURPOSE ALIGNED TO STANDARDS WITH THE TEACHERS INSTRUCTIONS WITH THE TEACHERS RESOURCES AND MATERIALS WITH THEIR LESSON LOADED INTO IT SO THE TEACHERS AND COMPLETE OWNERSHIP OF THAT SPACE AND THAT ACCESS IT'S NOT SOMETHING STUDENTS CAN GO TO ANY OTHER TIME AND THE TEACHER HAS A FULL DASHBOARD OF THE OF EVERY TRANSCRIPT.
OF WHAT HOW THE STUDENTS ARE INTERACTING WITH THE TOOLS.
THAT'S VERY HELPFUL I THINK THERE IS I THINK WHAT AND I KNOW THIS IS NOT NEWS TO YOU I THINK THERE'S I'M HEARING CONCERNS FROM SOME OF THE YOUNGER PARENTS WHICH I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE AS WELL ABOUT LIKE THOSE THE TIME THAT YOU USED AND THEN LIKE OUTS MONITORED I THINK THEY'RE JUST CONCERNS WITH SOME OF THE THINGS COMING UP SO I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB CLEARING THAT UP AND I THINK LIKE YOU SAID CLARITY IS KINDNESS, RIGHT? LIKE AND SO YOU WANT TO BE SURE THAT THAT I APPRECIATE THE INTENTIONALITY BEHIND THAT AND ALLOWING AND I HONESTLY I APPRECIATE THE CANDIDNESS ABOUT LIKE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN VERSUS THE INTENTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS OF WHERE WE'RE GOING I THINK THE COMMUNITY SHOULD KNOW THAT THEY'RE BEING HEARD THAT PEOPLE ARE LISTENING AND THAT THAT YOU GUYS ARE MAKING THOUGHTFUL DECISIONS THAT ALLOW OUR STUDENTS TO AUGMENT WHAT THEY'RE DOING SO THAT THEY'RE READY FOR A WORLD WHEN THEY EXIT HERE BUT ALSO NOT TAKING AWAY FROM THOSE EXPERIENCES, SOCIALIZATION, AND OTHER THINGS WHEN THEY'RE YOUNGER, WHEN THEIR BRAINS ARE DEVELOPING JUST A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
AND NOT LETTING THAT BE DOMINATED BY SCREEN TIME IN A WAY THAT'S NOT PRODUCTIVE TO THEIR LEARNING.
WELL, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ARE WORKING REALLY HARD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE'RE IN A TIME IN WHICH THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE COMPETING
[01:25:03]
PHILOSOPHIES ABOUT THIS WORK.AND WE HAVE SOME PARENTS WHO ARE IN A PLACE VERY MUCH OF NO TECHNOLOGY, AND WE ARE LIMITING SCREEN TIME.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE SOME PARENTS WHO RECOGNIZE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE POWER OF THINGS LIKE AI AND HOW I CAN HAVE A PERSONALIZED LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
MY CHILD CAN BE MET WHERE THEY ARE SO THAT THEY CAN ADVANCE, AND THEN THAT ALSO FREES UP TIME FOR THEM TO HAVE MORE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE EXPLORING, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO BRING BACK TO THE BOARD THIS FALL, WOULD BE HOW DO WE CREATE MAYBE SOME LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND SOME CHOICES FOR PARENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, HEY, IF THIS IS WHAT I WANT AND THIS IS THE APPROACH, THEN THIS MIGHT BE A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH REALLY ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE A FULL IMMERSION IN THAT.
AND IF YOU WANT SOMETHING THAT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE DRIVEN AND A LITTLE BIT MORE PERSONALIZED, THEN HOW COULD WE PROVIDE KIND OF A CHOICE ENVIRONMENT FOR THAT, RECOGNIZING THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR PARENTS, THEY JUST WANT US TO HAVE A BALANCE.
MANY OF OUR PARENTS, LIKE THEY, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE TEAKS THAT WE HAVE TO TEACH.
BUT IT SHOULD NOT BE THE PERVASIVE METHOD OF INSTRUCTION THAT HAPPENS ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND I THINK WHAT WE ARE STRIVING HERE RIGHT NOW IS TO WORK TOWARDS A BETTER BALANCE AND THAT OUR PARENTS CAN, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO WORK HARD TO EARN THE TRUST OF OUR PARENTS THAT THAT INSTRUCTION THAT IS HAPPENING IN EACH AND EVERY CLASSROOM IS FINDING THAT BALANCE.
SO I DON'T HAVE TOO MUCH MORE TO ADD.
MY COLLEAGUES HAVE BASICALLY JUST KIND OF SAID EVERYTHING.
I MEAN, I LOVE THIS CONVERSATION.
BECAUSE I, TOO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE ANY KIDS IN SCHOOL ANYMORE.
BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'S A HUGE CONCERN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SCREEN TIME.
I GET CONCERNED ABOUT MYSELF SOMETIMES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST THING I DO WHEN I WAKE UP IN THE MORNING IS GRAB MY CELL PHONE.
AND SO I'M REALLY TRYING TO PRACTICE THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT.
SO I REALLY LOVE THE CONVERSATION.
I'M VERY DELIGHTED AND HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KINDER USE AND HIGH SCHOOL USE.
AND I WAS VERY EXCITED TO SEE THESE BIG BOOKS COME OUT AND KNOW THAT WE ARE JUST USING HANDS-ON AND, YOU KNOW, BEING VERY INTENTIONAL LIKE THIS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, AND I HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT AI, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
SO ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THIS CULTURE SHIFT THAT WE'RE TAKING WHEN THEY COME IN, WHETHER IT'S A SHORT ASSIGNMENT OR A LONG ASSIGNMENT? BECAUSE I KNOW SOMETIMES, I KNOW WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL WITH MR. EAGER OVER THERE, WHEN A SUBSTITUTE WAS THERE, WHAT WOULD THEY DO? PULL OUT THE...
OR, YOU KNOW, THE LITTLE SO I'LL CHIME IN, AND THEN, I DON'T KNOW, DR.
GOODSON, YOU MAY WANT TO, IN TERMS OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH ESS, FIRST AND FOREMOST WE REALLY WORK WITH OUR TEACHERS THAT WHEN THEY'RE DESIGNING THAT SUBSTITUTE LESSON PLAN, THAT THEY'RE THOUGHTFUL THAT THAT SUBSTITUTE THAT COMES IN, DESPITE EVEN WHAT TRAINING ESS MAY BE PROVIDING, THAT THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME SKILL SET AND THE SAME COMFORT.
TO NAVIGATE TECHNOLOGY AND TO USE ALL THE SAFETY TOOLS THAT WE WOULD WANT.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN MS. K WAS TALKING ABOUT BEING ABLE TO LOCK OUT THE SCREENS LIKE YOU ALL EXPERIENCED, A SUB MAY NOT HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO BE ABLE TO USE THAT TOOL IN THE SAME WAY.
SO WE VERY MUCH RECOMMEND THAT OUR SUBSTITUTES ARE USING, YOU KNOW, PAPER-PENCIL ACTIVITIES, USING THE TEXTURE MATERIALS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE CLASSROOM.
AS THEIR MAIN SOURCE OF DELIVERING INSTRUCTION IN THAT DAY.
AND THEN WE DO WORK WITH ESS ON SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGY TOOLS.
GOODSON, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO CHIME IN ON THAT.
SO FOR THE DAY-TO-DAY SUB SITUATION, IT'S VERY MUCH LIKE SUPERINTENDENT BRANHAM DISCUSSED, BUT WE ALSO, WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP, THEY ARE VERY WILLING AND HAVE INCORPORATED ANY TRAINING MATERIALS THAT WE EXPECT FOR ANY OF OUR TEACHERS TO HAVE.
THEY INCORPORATE THAT IN THEIR ORIENTATION, THEIR ONBOARDING WHEN IT COMES TO BECOMING AN ESS SUB SO THAT THEY MIGHT...
WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THEY MAINTAIN THOSE STANDARDS.
WHEN WE HAVE LONG-TERM SUBS WHO ARE IN THE DISTRICT, THEY ATTEND THE STAFF DEVELOPMENT TRAINING THAT OUR TEACHERS ATTEND, WHETHER IT IS TEACHING AND LEARNING OR TECHNOLOGY, SO THAT THEY CAN BE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THAT PROFICIENCY WITH THE TOOLS.
I MEAN, I HEARD A LOT OF GREAT NEW THINGS.
AND, AGAIN, ONE OF MY THINGS WAS MORE AI. BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A JOURNEY.
YOU THIS ALSO KIND OF REMINDS ME OF THE CULTURAL SHIFT THAT WE TOOK WHEN WE ADOPTED THE YONDER POUCHES, RIGHT? AND SO JUST GETTING EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS.
[01:30:01]
A COUPLE OF YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, THIS IS ALL JUST GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, JUST A COMMON SENSE WHEN YOU COME INTO RICHARDSON ISD.SO I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO LEARN ALONG THE WAY, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD.
GREAT PRESENTATION FROM ALL OF YOU.
I LIKE WHAT YOU SAID THERE, MS. HARRIS, WITH THE JOURNEY.
I WAS KIND OF SENSING THAT AS WELL.
AND THE YONDER POUCH IS A PRETTY GOOD ANALOGY.
I THINK TO YOUR POINT, THOUGH, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SOCIETY WITH TECHNOLOGY, IT'S A FAST-MOVING TRAIN.
AND WE'RE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC ED SEEMS TO KIND OF BE ON THE LAG SIDE OF IT.
BUT YOU TRY TO KEEP UP, AND IT'S JUST, IT'S A HARD.
IT'S HARD, AND THEN YOU REALIZE THAT MAYBE WE STARTED THAT JOURNEY WITHOUT KIND OF LAYING OUT, YOU KNOW, REALLY DISTINCT GUARDRAILS AND EXPECTATIONS AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
SO IT'S GOOD, I THINK, TO HAVE THIS, AND I'LL CREDIT COMMUNITY INPUT, KIND OF DRIVE SOME OF THIS, AND PARENTS DRIVE THIS TOO, FOR US TO KIND OF RELOOK, DO THAT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, AND LOOK AT, OKAY, CAN WE IMPROVE NOW THAT WE'RE ALREADY RUNNING THE RACE, GO BACK.
I LOVE THAT THIS STARTED WITH...
YOU KNOW, THE NORTH STAR GOAL.
AND I THINK WE'VE GOT TO HAVE THAT AS OUR ANCHOR, LIKE WE DO IN ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WE ENGAGE IN.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LENS, THAT'S A HUGE LENS IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S GREAT TO KEEP THAT AT THE FOREFRONT WHEN ALL THESE DISCUSSIONS, DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE.
ANOTHER TERM THAT WAS USED WAS BALANCE, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED TWO SETS OF PARENTS AND TRYING TO DEFINE THAT BALANCE, BECAUSE IT IS A BALANCE.
IT'S NOT ALL TECHNOLOGY OR ZERO TECHNOLOGY.
BUT YOUR DEFINITION OF BALANCE IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT THAN MINE, IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT THAN SOMEBODY ELSE'S DOWN THE TABLE.
SO TRYING TO STRIKE THAT PERFECT BALANCE IS, I'M NOT SURE WE'LL EVER GET THERE, BUT THE FACT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET THERE IS THE VALUABLE POINT.
AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO SOLVE THAT.
THAT'S GOING TO BE AN ONGOING CHALLENGE THAT WE'LL HAVE TO BE GOOD WITH THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS.
WELL, AND WHAT I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND WHAT I HOPE OUR PARENTS WILL HEAR IS THAT THERE'S ALSO NOW A STARTING OFF PLACE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOUR TEACHER.
SO WHEN YOU'RE AT THAT BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE, LIKE, HEY, I'M AWARE THAT THESE GUIDELINES EXIST.
THIS IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, MY FAMILY REALLY HOPES THAT, YOU KNOW, TEACHING AND LEARNING LOOKS LIKE IN THIS CLASSROOM.
CAN YOU TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW YOU USE TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM? WHAT IS IT GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN YOUR CLASSROOM FOR MY KINDERGARTNER OR MY FIRST GRADER OR MY FIFTH GRADER? I HOPE THAT IT REALLY BECOMES A TOOL THAT SPARKS A CONVERSATION, THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY JUST AN I GOTCHA THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO TIME, YOU KNOW, OKAY, THEY DID.
12 MINUTES TODAY AND 17 MINUTES TOMORROW.
BUT REALLY, IT'S ABOUT UNDERSTANDING THIS IS OUR OBJECTIVE.
THIS IS WHAT WE WANT OUT OF THIS EXPERIENCE.
HOW DO WE PARTNER TOGETHER, YOU TEACHER, ME PARENT, SO THAT THIS IS A POSITIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR OUR CHILD, BUT ALSO FOR EACH OF US? YEP.
AND I THINK OF, AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL LAYING OUT KIND OF THE, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF YOU IN MY MIND, SEPARATED THIS INTO THE TECHNOLOGY PLAN, THE TECHNOLOGY TOOLS, BUT THEN THE THIRD RAIL OF THAT IS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IMPLEMENTING IT, RIGHT? AND SO I LIKE THAT WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE, WE ALWAYS WANT TO GIVE FLEXIBILITY TO OUR CLASSROOM TEACHER, TO OUR LEADERSHIP IN THE CAMPUSES AND STUFF, BUT SOMETIMES WE'VE GOT TO GO THROUGH AND WE'VE GOT TO COMMUNICATE WHAT THOSE EXPECTATIONS ARE, HAVE SOME LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THAT'S ALL PART OF HOW WE'RE GROWING AND LEARNING AS TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
BUT, BUT I LIKE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE, THE HUMAN PIECE OF THAT CYCLE THERE, BECAUSE THAT'S A CRITICAL ONE THAT, THAT WE, THAT'S PART OF OUR CULTURE, RIGHT? THAT TOUCHES IT.
AND IT'S, I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT NOW, EVEN THOUGH WE MAY BE, YOU KNOW, A LAP INTO THE RACE, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO NOW LOOK BACK AND IDENTIFY HOW CAN WE DO BETTER WITH COMMUNICATION, SETTING EXPECTATIONS, AND THEN ACCOUNTABILITY AS WELL.
THE PERSON IN THAT PROCESS IS CRITICAL.
SO WITH THAT, IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, I'M GOING TO GO.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE JUST ONE REALLY QUICK COMMENT.
SO THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK ABOUT QUITE OFTEN IS THE FACT THAT THE REALITY IS THE TECHNOLOGY IS OUT THERE.
BUT ONCE OUR KIDS WALK ACROSS THAT STAGE, WHAT, NEXT WEEK? NEXT WEDNESDAY.
THEY ARE GOING TO BE FACED WITH ALL THIS TECHNOLOGY STUFF.
AND SO THE CHALLENGE FOR US IS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE NOT OVERDO IT, BUT HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE PREPARED? SO I KNOW THAT'S A CHALLENGE FOR YOU ALL EVERY DAY, ALL DAY, BECAUSE IT'S THERE.
[01:35:01]
POINT, IT'S MOVING REALLY FAST.SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT.
AND I WAS GOING TO WRAP IT UP, BUT NOW YOU SPURRED ONE MORE COMMENT.
SO I'M HOLDING YOU ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS ONE.
BUT IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE I LOOK AT MY KIDS AND I HAVE THE SAME CONVERSATION.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS LIKE BEFORE TECHNOLOGY.
SO WE ARE KIND OF THAT TRANSITIONAL GENERATION WHERE WE HAD CHALKBOARDS, NOW WE GOT IPHONES.
SO WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN IDENTIFY THE BENEFITS AND THE COSTS BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN BOTH SIDES OF IT.
THEY'VE ONLY LIVED IN A WORLD OF THAT TECHNOLOGY THEIR WHOLE LIVES.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE CHALLENGE IS HOW DO WE...
HOW DO WE TAKE WHAT WE'VE KNOWN FROM THEN AND BRING IT INTO AND MAKE IT APPLICABLE TO THEM WHEN THEY'VE SEEN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD? WELL, NOW YOU'VE SPURRED ME TO SAY ONE MORE THING.
BUT I WANT TO GO BACK TO HOW I OPENED BECAUSE I REALLY THINK FOR ME THIS IS FUNDAMENTALLY WHAT I HOPE EVERYONE HEARS AROUND OUR PURPOSE WITH TECHNOLOGY.
WE RECOGNIZE FOR A LOT OF OUR KIDS, AND AGAIN, MY OLDER KIDS, SAME, LIKE THEY GREW UP WITH, THEY DON'T KNOW A WORLD WITHOUT THE IPHONE.
HOWEVER, WHEN THEY LOOK AT AN IPAD, THEY STRICTLY LOOK AT IT STILL AS A TOOL FOR ENTERTAINMENT.
THEY'RE GOING TO WATCH SOMETHING.
THEY'RE GOING TO ACCESS, YOU KNOW, YOUTUBE.
THEY'RE GOING TO SCROLL TIKTOK, SNAPCHAT, ALL LIKE THAT.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE WANT TO GIVE DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPERIENCES THAT.
WHEN THIS GENERATION OF STUDENTS ARE WALKING ACROSS THE STAGE, THEY SEE THAT THIS TOOL WAS A TOOL THAT HELPED THEM BE MORE EFFICIENT, THAT HELPED THEM BE MORE CREATIVE, THAT HELPED THEM CREATE AND INNOVATE SOMETHING THAT THEY COULDN'T DO, THAT HELPED THEM ACCESS LEARNING IN A WAY THAT THEY COULDN'T HAVE DONE IN ANY OTHER WAY.
AND THAT ENTERTAINMENT MAY BE NUMBER LIKE 20TH ON THAT LIST.
THAT FOR ME, IF WE CAN HELP BE A PART OF WHAT I THINK A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM OUR YOUNGER PARENTS ARE WANTING.
IF WE CAN BE A PART OF PARTNERING WITH THEM SO THAT THAT SHIFT HAPPENS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT OUTCOME IN OUR NORTH STAR GOAL.
THAT'S THE JOURNEY WE'RE TRYING TO BE ON.
WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A BREAK.
[III.B. ParentSquare - New Mass Communications Tool Implementation]
START BACK UP.WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED AGAIN.
OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS AN INFORMATION ITEM TO RECEIVE A PRESENTATION REGARDING PARENTSQUARE, THE NEW MASS COMMUNICATIONS TOOL IMPLEMENTATION.
IN AN EFFORT AS PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN TO ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE EASIEST TOOLS THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE TO OUR PARENTS, AS WELL AS REALLY HELP SUPPORT THE VARIED NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF LANGUAGE, ET CETERA, DR.
HELLER AND HER TEAM HAS BEEN ON A JOURNEY FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO TRY TO FIND ONE TOOL THAT WILL KIND OF BE A ONE-STOP SHOP.
SO THAT OUR TEACHERS, OUR PARENTS, OUR STUDENTS, OUR PRINCIPALS, OUR CENTRAL OFFICE TEAM, REALLY WE CAN STREAMLINE THOSE PROCESSES IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE QUICK, IMMEDIATE INFORMATION THAT GOES OUT TO OUR PARENTS.
HELLER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR MOVE WITH PARENTSQUARE? ABSOLUTELY.
THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BRANNON, BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
MINUTES OF YOUR TIME THIS EVENING TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON ALL THINGS PARENT SQUARE, WHAT IT IS, AND WHAT OUR IMPLEMENTATION EFFORTS LOOK LIKE, AND WHAT THEY WILL BE, AND WHAT WE WILL BE GROWING INTO AS WE GET READY TO LAUNCH THIS AS OUR OFFICIAL NEW MASS COMMUNICATIONS TOOL FOR THE 26-27 SCHOOL YEAR.
JUST AS WE LEVEL SET WITH OUR TECHNOLOGY WITH PURPOSE PRESENTATION, YOU KNOW, WE, OUR TEAM REALLY LOOKS AT THIS NORTH STAR GOAL IN, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GROUNDING AND...
ENSURING THAT WE ARE PROVIDING COMMUNICATION AND TOOLS AND RESOURCES SO THAT WE CAN CELEBRATE AND COMMUNICATE ABOUT OUR NORTH STAR GOAL AND HOW OUR STUDENTS TEACHERS AND LEADERS ARE MEETING OR EXCEEDING THOSE AND WE FEEL PARENT SQUARE IS GOING TO BE REALLY INSTRUMENTAL AND PERHAPS EVEN A GAME CHANGER IN HELPING US TO REALLY LEVEL SET BOTH OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS THERE IS ALSO VERY STRONG CORRELATION TO OUR CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN GOAL NUMBER FOUR AROUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND YOU KNOW WHEN WE THINK ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES TO ENSURE ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE DISTRICT THIS INCLUDES THE TOOLS WHETHER THAT'S APPLICATIONS WEBSITES SOFTWARE,
[01:40:05]
YOU KNOW WHAT ARE THE TOOLS THAT WE ARE ADOPTING AND TRAINING AND LIFTING UP AND STANDARDIZING ON THAT WILL HELP US? MEET OUR GOAL FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.SO WHAT IS A MASS COMMUNICATIONS TOOL? IT IS A PLATFORM THAT IS USED TO SEND MESSAGES TO LARGE DIVERSE AUDIENCES SIMULTANEOUSLY SUCH AS LIKE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA YOU MIGHT ALSO GET AN EMAIL A PHONE CALL A TEXT.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE BEEN USING MULTIPLE TOOLS TO MEET THAT GOAL.
WE HAVE BEEN WHAT IS CONSIDERED A FINAL SITE.
IT WAS ALSO FORMERLY KNOWN AS BLACKBOARD FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS IN THIS DISTRICT.
SO MOVING OFF OF THAT MASS COMMUNICATIONS TOOL INTO THIS NEW PLATFORM IS KIND OF A BIG DEAL BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN USING A VERY SIMILAR, THE SAME TOOL FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
WE ALSO ADOPTED S'MORE DISTRICT-WIDE A FEW YEARS AGO, PAID A SEPARATE LICENSE FOR THAT.
AND STANDARDIZED ON OUR NEWSLETTER PLATFORMS. THEN WE'RE USING VARIOUS TWO-WAY TEXTING APPLICATIONS STANDARDIZED TWO YEARS AGO ON TALKINGPOINT.
SO THAT'S A TOOL FOR THAT TWO-WAY TEXTING.
AGAIN, BUT IT'S A SEPARATE TOOL.
SO RIGHT NOW I'VE ALREADY INTRODUCED YOU TO WE'RE ON OUR THIRD TOOL.
AND THEN THIS DOESN'T EVEN ACCOUNT FOR A LOT OF THE VARIOUS EXTRACURRICULAR APPLICATIONS AND TOOLS.
THAT A LOT OF OUR TEACHERS HAVE JUST LEANED IN ON SOME OF IT POST PANDEMIC SOME OF IT UM YOU KNOW TOOLS THAT THEY STARTED USING WHETHER IT'S CLASS DOJO OR THE COMMUNICATION TOOLS WITHIN SEESAW AND SCHOOLOGY OR FOCUS UM SO WE REALLY FELT LIKE UM IF WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPLEMENT A NEW TOOL HOW COULD WE UM STANDARDIZE AND GET EVERYTHING UNDER ONE SINGLE PLATFORM.
AND WE HEARD A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM PARENTS ABOUT THIS NEED, ESPECIALLY POST-PANDEMIC.
I CAN ALSO TELL YOU AS A RECOVERING CLASS OF 2025 PARENT, I JUST HAD ONE CHILD IN THE SYSTEM.
I HAD A LOT OF TIME, A HARD TIME, IF YOU WILL, JUST KEEPING UP WITH THE MULTIPLE TOOLS THAT I WAS TRYING TO TRACK, MICHAEL, WHETHER IT WAS ATHLETICS, DESPERADOS, FINE ARTS.
AND IT WAS CREATING A LOT OF APP FATIGUE.
AND WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF THAT FROM OUR PARENTS AND COMMUNITY.
LIKE, HEY, WE COULD DO BETTER HERE.
NOW, WITH ALL OF THAT SAID, I DO HAVE A CELEBRATION.
AND THAT IS THIS 96% CURRENT CONTACTABILITY RATE.
THAT IS A PIECE OF DATA THAT WE TRACK IN OUR COMMS WORLD IN TERMS OF...
OUT OF 100% OF ALL PARENTS, WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE THAT WE'RE REACHING WHEN WE DO SEND OUT A MESSAGE, WHETHER IT'S AN EMAIL, A SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH, AN EMAIL, A TEXT, WE HAVE GROWN TO A 96% CONTACTABILITY RATE.
AND THAT'S UP ABOUT A PERCENTAGE AND A HALF OVER LAST YEAR.
AND UNTIL WE ARE, WE'RE IN CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
BUT WE CONTINUE TO GROW ON THAT CONTACTABILITY RATE.
SO THAT DOES GIVE US SOME ASSURANCES THAT WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK IN TERMS THAT WE ARE REACHING.
OUR MESSAGE IS GETTING OUT TO PARENTS WITH THAT CONTACTABILITY RATE.
AND I DO WANT TO GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO THE WORK BRIAN HAS DONE IN WORKING WITH OUR CAMPUS SDSS WHO WORK WITH FAMILIES.
WE GET MESSAGING BACK ANY TIME WE SEND A MESSAGE OUT THROUGH FINAL SIGHT.
WE KNOW IF IT HASN'T BEEN DELIVERABLE, IT GOES TO A BAD EMAIL ADDRESS.
WELL THEN BRIAN IS WORKING WITH THOSE CAMPUS TEAMS TO REACH OUT TO PARENTS.
OH, YES, YOU FORGOT TO UPDATE YOUR EMAIL.
WE NEED THAT UPDATED EMAIL ADDRESS.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY A TEAM EFFORT, BUT OUR GOAL CLEARLY WOULD BE 100%.
BUT I DID WANT TO SHARE THAT CELEBRATION THAT WE HAVE INCREASED TO 96% WITH OUR CURRENT CONTACTABILITY.
SO I HAVE SHARED WITH YOU THIS CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE IN THIS NEW, LIKE, ON-DEMAND, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE INFORMATION.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT OUR TEAM.
HAS REALLY EMBRACED IT ALSO AS AN OPPORTUNITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED WE WERE GETTING, WE HAVE RECEIVED LOTS OF FEEDBACK FROM PARENTS.
THERE'S JUST TOO MANY TOOLS, TOO MANY PLATFORMS. I DON'T KNOW WHICH TOOL, WHICH APP TO USE FOR WHICH MESSAGE.
WHERE DO I GO? AND WE REALLY FELT LIKE IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE A SWITCH, WHAT COULD PROVIDE US A TOOL THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO MEET PARENTS WHERE THEY'RE
[01:45:01]
AT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF APP FATIGUE THAT WE KNOW ARE OUT THERE? AND INTERESTING ENOUGH, AS I CONTINUE TO LEARN ABOUT THIS TOOL AND THIS PROGRAM, AND AS WE ARE GETTING OUR TRAINING TO THEN IMPLEMENT WITH OUR STAFF THIS MONTH, ACTUALLY, THE FOUNDER OF PARENTSQUARE ACTUALLY IS A FORMER PARENT IN A DISTRICT WHO WAS STRUGGLING WITH THE SAME THINGS I JUST SHARED WITH YOU.NO, NO, NO, NOT IN THIS DISTRICT, BUT IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SORRY, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT, ACTUALLY IN ANOTHER STATE, BUT SHE WAS ON THE RECEIVING END OF MULTIPLE PLATFORMS, MULTIPLE APPS, AND FINALLY AS A PARENT, SHE'S LIKE, THERE'S GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY.
AND THAT IS ACTUALLY THE FOUNDER OF PARENTSQUARE.
SO WHAT WE ARE EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU IS THAT WE ARE TRANSITIONING TO ONE UNIFIED PLATFORM.
SO WE ARE ROLLING OUT PARENTSQUARE.
THIS WILL BE EFFECTIVE FOR THE 26-27 SCHOOL YEAR.
SO STARTING WHEN WE COME BACK FROM MATH BREAK, SO IN JULY, IT WILL NOW BECOME OUR SINGLE TOOL FOR MATH NOTIFICATION.
SO IT'S GOING TO REPLACE FINAL CITE.
IT WAS ALSO FORMERLY KNOWN AS BLACKBOARD, DEPENDING ON HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN IN THE DISTRICT.
SO THINK ABOUT WHEN WE SEND OUT MATH EMAILS AROUND ENROLLMENT.
CRISIS COMMUNICATION, SAFETY AND SECURITY, INCLEMENT WEATHER, WHEN EVERY PARENT NEEDS TO GET THE SAME MESSAGE, PARENTSQUARE IS NOW GOING TO BE THE TOOL WITH WHICH WE DO THAT.
IT'S ALSO GOING TO REPLACE TALKINGPOINTS BECAUSE PARENTSQUARE HAS A TWO-WAY MESSAGING TOOL WITHIN THEIR SINGLE UNIFIED PLATFORM.
IT'S ACTUALLY, IF YOU REMEMBER, REMIND 101.
A COUPLE YEARS AGO, PARENTSQUARE PURCHASED REMIND, AND THEY HAVE INCORPORATED IT INTO THEIR UNIFIED PLATFORM.
IT DOES TRANSLATE IN, I THINK IT'S ALMOST 150 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, SO IT STILL HAS ALL OF THE SAME FEATURES AND BENEFITS THAT OUR PARENTS HAVE COME TO REALLY APPRECIATE, AS WELL AS OUR CAMPUS STAFF WHO ARE USING TALKINGPOINT.
BUT NOW IT'S ALL GOING TO BE UNDER ONE SINGLE PLATFORM.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ANOTHER APP OR ANOTHER TOOL THAT THEY HAVE TO LOG INTO.
IT'S ALSO GOING TO GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE OUR DISTRICT AND CAMPUS WEBSITES TO ANOTHER LEVEL WITH SOME REBRANDING.
SO WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY, THEY HAVE A WEBSITE PLATFORM.
SO WE ARE GOING TO BE UPGRADING OUR CAMPUS WEBSITES LATER NEXT SCHOOL YEAR TO ENHANCE OUR BRAND AS WELL AS ENSURE ACCESSIBILITY, WHICH IS TOP OF MIND FOR ALL SCHOOLS.
SCHOOL, PUBLIC RELATIONS, COMMS PEOPLE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF NEW FEDERAL GUIDELINES THAT ARE COMING OUT THIS NEXT YEAR AROUND ACCESSIBILITY.
ALSO INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO LET GO OF S'MORE BECAUSE PARENTS SQUARE HAS THEIR OWN NEWSLETTER TEMPLATE IN THERE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO LET GO OF THESE MULTIPLE LICENSES AND THESE MULTIPLE TOOLS, AND IT'S ALL UNDER ONE SINGLE PLATFORM.
SHARE A QUICK LITTLE OVERVIEW.
THERE'S THIS THREE-MINUTE VIDEO THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SHOW YOU TO KIND OF PREP YOU FOR WHAT THIS WOULD LOOK LIKE AS AN EXPERIENCE AS AN END USER IN PARENTSQUARE.
BRIAN? THANKS FOR VISITING PARENTSQUARE.
OUR GOAL IS TO HELP YOU STREAMLINE YOUR COMMUNICATION AND PARENT ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS ACROSS YOUR SCHOOLS.
PARENTSQUARE UNIFIES COMMUNICATION FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS AND IS 100% PARENT-CENTRIC.
THAT MEANS THAT EVERYONE IS USING THE SAME PLATFORM, INCLUDING TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS, STAFF, ADMIN, EVEN THE SUPERINTENDENT.
HERE, WE'RE LOGGED IN AS A PRINCIPAL AT LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AS AN ADMIN IN PARENTSQUARE, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON AT MY SCHOOL AND HAVE FULL ACCESS AND INSIGHT INTO ALL SCHOOL-TO-HOME COMMUNICATION.
I CAN ALSO SEND OUT MESSAGES TO THE ENTIRE SCHOOL, OR I CAN SEND TO SPECIFIC GRADE LEVELS, CLASSROOMS, OR GROUPS.
WE INTEGRATE AND SYNC ON A NIGHTLY BASIS WITH YOUR STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM TO ENSURE ACCURATE REACH AT ALL TIMES AND MINIMAL EFFORT FOR ALL USERS TO GET STARTED.
THERE ARE THREE MAIN WAYS TO COMMUNICATE IN PARENTSQUARE.
ALERTS AND NOTIFICATIONS, POSTS, AND PRIVATE CHATS.
LET'S START BY SENDING OUT AN EMERGENCY ALERT FROM THE APP.
TRADITIONAL ONE-WAY ALERTS AND EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS DELIVER AS PHONE CALLS, EMAILS, TEXT, OR APP NOTIFICATIONS.
YOU CAN ALSO SEND ALERTS FROM THE WEB PORTAL.
THE SECOND WAY TO COMMUNICATE IN PARENTSQUARE IS VIA A POST.
SENDING POSTS ARE FOR DAY-TO-DAY COMMUNICATION USED BY TEACHERS FOR THEIR CLASSROOM COMMUNICATION AND ADMINISTRATORS FOR SCHOOL OR DISTRICT-WIDE COMMUNICATION.
A TEACHER HAS ACCESS TO SEND MESSAGES TO THEIR CLASSROOM, GRADE LEVEL, AND SELECT GROUPS ONLY.
AND ROLES CAN BE RESTRICTED EVEN FURTHER.
POSTS INCLUDE PLENTY OF DIFFERENT FEATURES SUCH AS PHOTOS AND FILES, LINKS, AND ITEM REQUESTS.
IF YOU'RE SHARING AN EVENT, YOU CAN QUICKLY ADD IT
[01:50:02]
TO YOUR EVENT CALENDAR, WHICH SYNCS WITH YOUR EXISTING CALENDARS.YOU CAN ALSO REQUEST RSVPS, ASK FOR A FEW VOLUNTEERS, OR EVEN SET UP ONLINE PAYMENTS.
YOU CAN ALSO SEND FORMS ELECTRONICALLY THROUGH PARENTSQUARE.
PAPER PERMISSION SLIPS OFTEN END UP LOST AT THE BOTTOM OF STUDENTS' BACKPACKS.
ENSURE YOUR IMPORTANT FORMS ARE DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO PARENTS BY ADDING A DIGITAL FORM WITH OPTIONAL ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE TO YOUR POST.
YOU CAN ALSO SEND OUT NEWSLETTERS WITH OUR NEWSLETTER TEMPLATE OPTION.
SO THE LOOK AND FEEL WILL REMAIN THE SAME, WHETHER YOU USE ONE OR ALL OF OUR ADD-ONS.
A POST WILL REACH PARENTS VIA EMAIL, TEXT, OR APP NOTIFICATION, DEPENDING ON THEIR PREFERENCE.
THE THIRD MAIN WAY TO COMMUNICATE IN PARENTSQUARE IS VIA PRIVATE CHATS, ONE-TO-ONE OR ONE-TO-MANY.
PARENTS CAN ALSO INITIATE THESE PRIVATE CHATS IF THEY WANT TO REACH THEIR CHILD'S TEACHER.
AND ALL COMMUNICATION IS DONE VIA THE PRIVATE PORTAL OR APP.
NOW THAT EVERYONE AT YOUR SCHOOL OR DISTRICT IS USING THE SAME COMMUNICATION PLATFORM, WE CAN GATHER STATISTICS FOR YOU AND HELP MEASURE NOT ONLY REACH AND DELIVERY, BUT ALSO PARENT ENGAGEMENT AND USAGE.
ALSO, ADMINS CAN ASSIGN DIFFERENT ROLES WITH RESTRICTED ACCESS, SO YOU KNOW WITH CONFIDENCE THAT YOUR STAFF ARE COMMUNICATING WITH THE RIGHT GROUP, CLASS, AND GRADE LEVEL AT ALL TIMES.
A DISTRICT ACCOUNT WILL HAVE SUPER USER ACCESS AVAILABLE TO COMMUNICATE DISTRICT-WIDE ALERTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.
AS WELL AS INSIGHT AND ACCESS TO ALL SITE COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING PRIVATE CHATS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S NO NEED TO GO OUTSIDE OF PARENTSQUARE FOR ANY OF YOUR COMMUNICATION AND PARENT ENGAGEMENT NEEDS.
ALL FEATURES ARE AVAILABLE AT LINCOLN ELEMENTARY, BUT YOU CAN START WITH AS FEW OR AS MANY OF OUR FEATURES AS YOU'D LIKE, SINCE WE OFFER THREE DIFFERENT PACKAGES.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED LEARNING MORE ABOUT PARENTSQUARE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO DISCUSSING HOW WE CAN HELP ENGAGE YOUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
WELL, WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED LEARNING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT PARENTSQUARE.
WE'VE STARTED SHARING INFORMATION THIS SPRING WITH OUR CAMPUS LEADERSHIP, WITH OUR ISD INSIDERS, WHICH ARE SELECT TEACHER LEADERS AND STAFF FROM EACH CAMPUS THAT ARE SERVING AS KEY COMMUNICATORS.
AGAIN, I THINK SOME OF THE BENEFITS IN TERMS OF A SINGLE PLATFORM, WE'RE STILL GOING TO BENEFIT FROM THE FEATURES OF LIKE A TALKING POINTS.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S ALL GOING TO BE UNDER ONE SINGLE PLATFORM.
WE GET TO MEET PARENTS WHERE THEY ARE.
WE ARE PLANNING FOR A PHASED IMPLEMENTATION THAT HAS ALREADY STARTED.
WE ARE ACTUALLY TRAINING ALL OF OUR CAMPUS PRINCIPALS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS LATER THIS MONTH.
SUMMER SCHOOL IS GOING TO SERVE AS A PILOT, SO THOSE PARENTS AND STAFF, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED WORKING WITH THEM AND ROLLING THAT OUT.
BRIAN HAS BEEN WORKING BACK OF THE HOUSE WITH HENRY AND THE TECHNOLOGY TEAM, MAKING SURE ALL OF THE DATA FROM OUR STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE SYNCING UP SO THAT WE ARE IMPORTING CORRECT DATA AND SO THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE ALL OF THESE FEATURES.
SO ALL OF THAT WORK HAS ALREADY STARTED.
AGAIN, TRAINING KICKS OFF THE END OF THIS MONTH.
AND THEN WHEN WE COME BACK FROM MASS BREAK, WE WILL BE.
TRAINING TEACHERS AT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TOUCH POINTS THAT WE HAVE WITH THEM, THE TOGETHER WE GROW CONFERENCE.
THERE'S GOING TO BE VIRTUAL JUST-IN-TIME TRAININGS FOR THEM, BACK-TO-SCHOOL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, ALSO WORKING WITH OUR NEW HIRES AS THEY COME TO JOIN RICHARDSON ISD AND JOIN OUR FAMILY HERE IN AUGUST.
BUT THIS WILL BECOME THEN THE TOOL THAT WE WILL USE MOVING INTO NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
AND THEN OUR PLAN IS BY EARLY SPRING, ONCE WE HAVE THE MASS COMMUNICATION TOOL FEATURES ROLLED OUT AND EVERYONE'S COMFORTABLE USING THOSE, IN THE FALL, OUR TEAMS WILL THEN START WORKING ON THE WEBSITES AND ROLLING THE WEBSITES OFF OF THE CURRENT WORDPRESS TOOL THAT WE USE, PLATFORM, AND THEN TRANSITIONING INTO THE PARENTSQUARE PLATFORM TO ROLL THOSE NEW DISTRICT AND CAMPUS WEBSITES OUT EARLY NEXT SPRING.
ALSO IMPORTANT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE RIGHT HERE, HOW ARE WE PAYING FOR THIS? THIS IS CONSIDERED UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE, A DISTRICT ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE.
SO IT HAS BEEN FUNDED THROUGH BOND.
SO THIS IS A BOND-FUNDED PURCHASE.
AND WE'VE FIGURED THAT BETWEEN WHAT WE'VE BEEN PAYING FOR THOSE MULTIPLE OTHER TOOLS AND NOT HAVING TO PAY FOR THOSE DIFFERENT LICENSES AS WELL AS THE TIME AND EFFORT OF MANAGING ALL THAT, AND ALL OF THE DIFFERENT FILES AND THE STAFF TIME TO MANAGE ALL OF THAT, WE'RE AT A BREAK-EVEN.
SO IT'S NOT COSTING US MORE TO TRANSITION TO PARENTSQUARE.
AND THEN CERTAINLY WE FEEL LIKE THE BENEFITS OF HAVING THE ONE PLATFORM ARE GOING TO REALLY,
[01:55:02]
REALLY BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS TO THE NEXT LEVEL.AND THEN I'LL JUST GO ON RECORD HERE.
WITH YOU AS A BOARD AND LEADERSHIP AND THE COMMUNITY, THE EXPECTATION FOR THIS IS THIS WILL BE THE BEST IMPLEMENTATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
AND THAT IS WHERE MY BAR IS, PARENTS' SQUARE.
EVERY TIME WE'RE ON A WEEKLY CALL WITH THEM, THEY HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLE.
THEY ARE JUST AS INVESTED BECAUSE THEY HEARD ME SAY THIS HAS TO BE THE BEST IMPLEMENTATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
HELLER, WE KNOW IT IS GOING TO BE THE BEST IMPLEMENTATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
BUT, I MEAN, BUT ALL SERIOUSNESS, I WANT TO BE THE EXEMPLAR.
I MEAN, WE ARE A LARGE DISTRICT IMPLEMENTATION.
WE HAVE LOTS AND LOTS OF PEER DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE AREA, THE STATE.
IT'S A VERY POPULAR COMMUNICATION TOOL THAT IS BEING USED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
BUT WE WANT TO BE THE EXEMPLAR IN HOW TO DO IT RIGHT.
AND WE THINK BY BEING VERY INTENTIONAL WITH THIS PHASED IMPLEMENTATION IS GOING TO BENEFIT US.
AND SO THEN SOME OF THE KEY TAKEAWAYS THAT WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GOING TO BE OUR NEW DISTRICT COMMUNICATIONS TOOL FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
THIS IS A BOND-FUNDED PURCHASE.
SO IT COMES OUT OF OUR, ON THAT BOND-FUNDED ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE.
AND WE REALLY FEEL THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE OUR GOALS FOR MEANINGFUL TWO-WAY ENGAGEMENT.
IT'S JUST NOT ABOUT PUSHING THE MESSAGES OUT, BUT IT'S ALSO HOW ARE WE USING THE TOOL TO CREATE TWO-WAY ENGAGEMENT.
SO LIKE MANY OF THE THINGS THAT WE BENEFIT FROM, FROM LIKE TALKING POINTS AND MEETING PARENTS WHERE THEY ARE IN THEIR HOME LANGUAGE, WE REALLY FEEL LIKE THIS IS GOING TO HELP US MOVE OUR CONTACTABILITY RATE UP.
AND I HAVE EVERY INTENTION TO BE ABLE TO REPORT BACK TO YOU LATER NEXT WEEK.
SCHOOL YEAR THAT WE'VE GONE FROM A 96 TO HOPEFULLY A 97 OR A 98 PERCENT WITH THE END GOAL BEING A HUNDRED PERCENT AND THEN OF COURSE BRIAN HAS BEEN THE LEAD ON THE STRATEGY AND ENGAGEMENT SIDE IN ADDITION TO THE RESOURCES THAT PARENTS SQUARE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A REALLY SOLID TRAINING PLAN FOR OUR TEAMS AS WELL AS OUR PARENTS AND THAT'S ALL STARTING THIS WEEK GOING INTO NEXT WEEK AND AS WE LEAD UP TO THE START OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR SO THAT WE MAKE THIS...
THE BEST IMPLEMENTATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
WE KNOW THAT MANY OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THEY MAY NOT BE PARENTS, BUT THEY MAY BE REGULAR VOLUNTEERS, OR THEY MAY WANT TO STAY JUST ENGAGED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING EITHER WITH THE DISTRICT, OR MAYBE THEY WANT TO STAY ENGAGED WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING ON A PARTICULAR CAMPUS, JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE LOYALTY TO THAT CAMPUS.
SO ARE THEY ABLE TO ALSO SOMEHOW JOIN SOME KIND OF LIST AND ALSO RECEIVE INFORMATION.
SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE WITH OUR RICHARDSON ISD COMMUNITY NEWS, OUR NEWSLETTER, YOU CAN SIGN UP ONLINE.
AND THAT'S ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE PUT IN OUR PARTNERS, OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS, OUR AMBASSADORS, OUR FAITH-BASED PARTNERS.
YES, THERE WILL BE A GROUP THAT CAN BE OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE.
TO RECEIVE COMMUNITY DISTRICT-WIDE NEWS AND INFORMATION.
NOW, PARENT-SPECIFIC COMMUNICATIONS, LIKE FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY, CRISIS, INCLEMENT WEATHER, THAT WOULD BE SPECIFIC TO PARENTS.
BUT NO, THERE IS STILL THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE THE TOOL WITH OUR BROADER COMMUNITY.
BOARD, QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS? YES, MS. PACHECO.
I ALWAYS LIKE SOFTWARE THAT COMBINES SYSTEMS AND USES AND JUST MAKES THINGS MORE EFFICIENT FOR EVERYBODY, THE USER AND THE RECEIVER.
YOU MENTIONED THAT THE TWO-WAY, IS IT JUST THE TWO-WAY PART THAT TRANSLATES OR ARE THERE GOING TO BE TEMPLATES THAT ALSO GET TRANSLATED AND IMPLEMENTED? LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE NEWSLETTER AND INFORMATION THAT ARE BEING SENT OUT? ABSOLUTELY.
SO WE'RE NOT LOSING ANY CURRENT FUNCTIONALITY THAT WE HAVE.
SO IN S'MORE, YOU CAN PICK YOUR HOME LANGUAGE.
SO THOSE NEWSLETTERS DELIVER IN THAT HOME LANGUAGE.
THAT FUNCTIONALITY IS IN PARENTSQUARE.
SAME WITH THE LANGUAGE YOU WOULD CHOOSE TO RECEIVE YOUR COMMUNICATIONS.
IF YOU IDENTIFY SPANISH OR FARSI OR WHICHEVER THAT IS, THEN ALL OF YOUR COMMUNICATIONS WOULD COME, WHETHER THAT'S A TEXT, WHETHER IT'S ON THE APP OR AN EMAIL OR A PHONE CALL.
AND THE SOURCE OF THIS TRANSLATION, WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE'S AN ERROR AND FAMILIES LET YOU KNOW? ARE WE ABLE TO FIX THAT OR DO WE COMMUNICATE THIS WITH THE APPLICATION? WE WOULD START WITH COMMUNICATING WITH THE APPLICATION.
I BELIEVE AS MOST OF THESE TOOLS THAT ARE POPULAR ON THE MARKETPLACE RIGHT NOW,
[02:00:01]
THEY USE GOOGLE TRANSLATE.SO I KNOW A LOT OF THESE COMPANIES WORK CLOSELY WITH...
GOOGLE TO ENSURE ACCURACY, BUT IT WOULD BE A PARTNERSHIP AND GOING BACK, JUST AS WE CURRENTLY HAVE NOW, PARENTS LET US KNOW.
WE ALSO FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD PROCESS WITH OUR INTERNAL TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES.
YOU KNOW, EVEN WHEN WE'RE SENDING OUT IMPORTANT PARENT MESSAGES NOW, THAT GOES THROUGH OUR INTERNAL TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES.
TERESA ORDONEZ DOES AN INCREDIBLE JOB WITH THAT.
AND SO FOR THOSE REALLY IMPORTANT MESSAGES, WE'RE DOING THAT INTERNALLY AS WELL, WHETHER IT'S CRISIS, ENROLLMENT, INCLEMENT WEATHER, ET CETERA.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THAT GREATEST IMPLEMENTATION IN THE WORLD.
AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A GAME CHANGER BEING THAT YOU UTILIZE ONE THING FOR MANY.
I REMEMBER AS A PARENT, YES, I THINK IT WAS BLACKBOARD.
AND THAT WAS A LITTLE HARD, AND I ALSO HAD LIKE THREE OR FOUR OTHER THINGS I NEEDED TO LOG INTO, AND I COULDN'T REMEMBER MY LOGINS.
SO I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE REALLY USEFUL ON THE PARENT SIDE.
SO WILL WE BE COLLABORATING WITH THE PTA TO USE THIS TOOL, OR THEY'RE STILL GOING TO BE KIND OF SEPARATE? THEY'RE CONSIDERED SEPARATE IN TERMS OF AN ORGANIZATION AND USING DISTRICT PURCHASE TOOLS, BUT WE COLLABORATE WITH THEM SO MUCH AND WE SHARE SO MANY OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS.
I MEAN, WE'RE SHARING IMPORTANT COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH OUR DISTRICT CHANNELS ON THEIR BEHALF, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO SHARING WITH THEM IMPORTANT NEWS AND INFORMATION, WHETHER IT'S ENROLLMENT, ET CETERA.
SO I FEEL LIKE WE'LL JUST CONTINUE TO LEVERAGE THAT PARTNERSHIP, BUT THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY...
THE COMMUNICATION TOOL THAT THEY WOULD USE FOR IT TO SEND OUT THEIR NEWSLETTER THEY WILL STILL USE THEIR PTA IDENTIFIED PURCHASE TOOL BUT WE SHARE CONTENT ENSURE THAT WE'RE TOUCHING AS MANY PARENTS AND COMMUNITY AS POSSIBLE OTHER COMMENTS YES MISS TIMMY UM I HEARD YOU MENTION ALTHOUGH I THINK I HEARD TWO DIFFERENT THINGS UM ABOUT COMMUNITY MEMBERS OR WHATEVER WHO WANT TO STAY INVOLVED IN JUST KNOWING THINGS.
I DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE TIMES THAT WE'LL HEAR COMMENTS LIKE, YOU CAN COMMUNICATE WITH ME FOR THE BOND, BUT I DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DISTRICT.
I HEARD YOU SAY, I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY DISTRICT LEVEL AND SOMEBODY ELSE SAY SCHOOL LEVEL.
LIKE, NOT TALKING ABOUT, LIKE, EMERGENCY THINGS OR WHATEVER, BUT IF THEY WANTED TO STAY IN TOUCH ON, LIKE, CERTAIN SCHOOL THINGS, EVENTS, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW.
OH, I FORGOT WHAT IT'S CALLED.
THAT PACE THAT ARE BIZARRE YOU KNOW WHAT LIKE IF THEY YOU KNOW SPECIFIC COMMUNITY EVENTS LIKE THAT UM CAN YOU CLARIFY IF THAT'S DISTRICT OR SCHOOL SPECIFIC IT CAN BE BOTH IT CAN'T BE SO RIGHT NOW LIKE I EVEN SAID WELL RIGHT NOW I SUBSCRIBE TO ALL OF THEM BUT IF I WANTED TO GET THE NEWSLETTERS FOR A SPECIFIC MY NEIGHBORHOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND IN MY FEEDER PATTERN HIGH SCHOOL I CAN SIGN UP FOR THE DISTRICT, LIKE PIERCE HIGH SCHOOL AND MOHAWK.
AND THEN I WOULD GET ALL THREE OF THOSE.
SO ANY OF THE COMMUNICATIONS THAT ARE COMING OUT, WHETHER AT THE CAMPUS LEVEL OR THE DISTRICT LEVEL, I WOULD RECEIVE THOSE.
LISTEN, I'M NOT ASKING FOR THIS OUT THE GATE, BUT JUST A SUGGESTION THAT I THINK MIGHT BE GREAT DOWN THE ROAD WHENEVER IT'S APPLICABLE.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE ARE RETIREES, OTHERS WHO ARE LOOKING TO STAY INVOLVED OR FINDING NEW PURPOSES IF THEY'RE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES SPECIFICALLY, BUT ALSO TO...
SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN, I KNOW YOU SAID THEY CAN GO TO THE WEBSITE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN PUSH THAT OUT THROUGH HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU INVOLVED OR WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU JUST KNOW.
AND THEN MAYBE FIGURE OUT THE COMMUNICATIONS.
I THINK THERE'D HAVE TO BE A CADENCE AND SOMEBODY ON THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE JUST AT LEAST ENOUGH TO KEEP THEM INVOLVED IN A STRATEGIC PLAN AROUND THAT.
AND I THINK WE HAVE MORE COMMUNITY THAT WANTS TO BE INVOLVED.
TO FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU CAN BEST SPEND YOUR TIME.
BUT I THINK THIS COULD BE A GREAT WAY TO KIND OF HOW WE WHAT WAS THE SILVER WHAT'S IT CALLED, THE SILVER THE SENIORS? PLATINUM CLUB.
I'M THINKING OF MY HAIR, AND IT WAS DEFINITELY NOT PLATINUM.
BUT ANYWAY, BUT I MEAN, EVEN IF THERE ARE THINGS SPECIFIC TO THAT OR EVEN LIKE RETIREES OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE CAN ENGAGE, I JUST THINK THE MORE THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS ACCESS TO COMMUNICATION OUTSIDE WHEN WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR BOND FUNDS, I THINK WOULD BE GREAT.
AND WE HAVE BEEN VERY INTENTIONAL JUST EVERY MONTH WE HAVE BEEN SENDING
[02:05:02]
OUT MESSAGING TO ALL OF THE HOA AND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT WE HAVE.CURRENT CONTACT INFORMATION WITH.
AND ACTUALLY, IT'S A BOARD MEETING RECAP.
THEN WE LINK THEM TO THE FULL STORY ON THE WEBSITE.
AND WE ASK THEM TO PLEASE CUT AND PASTE AND PUT THIS INTO YOUR HOA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTERS.
AND WE ARE BEING VERY INTENTIONAL WITH THAT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE MIDDLE SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION HAPPENING, THAT WE ARE BRINGING THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS ALONG IN THOSE SIX CAMPUS COMMUNITIES.
THAT WOULD BE AN AMAZING USE OF COMMUNICATING SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GET THE INFORMATION THAT THEY WANT, THAT THEY NEED, BUT THE MORE WAYS THAT PEOPLE CAN ENGAGE, GET INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN, ALSO BE A PART OF SOMETHING THAT'S SO IMPACTFUL TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
I JUST KNOW THAT I HAVE SAT THROUGH TWO STRATEGIC PLANNING.
COMMITTEE SESSIONS AND YOU KNOW COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN BOTH THOSE CASES SO THIS YOU KNOW IN BOTH THOSE PLANS SO YOU KNOW CONGRATULATIONS BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A STRONG STEP FORWARD TOWARDS THAT BECAUSE WE DO SO MANY GOOD THINGS THERE'S SO MANY GREAT THINGS HAPPEN IN OUR SCHOOL PEOPLE DON'T HEAR AND PART OF IT HAS BEEN YOU KNOW, JUST TRYING TO COMMUNICATE, THE MORE PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT WHAT THE GOOD THINGS ARE GOING, HOW THEY CAN HELP, BECAUSE IT'S STILL GOING TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A VILLAGE.
AND THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WANT TO CONTRIBUTE AND HELP, AND THEY JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO HELP.
I MEAN, I AM SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
YOU KNOW, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BEST IMPLEMENTATION EVER.
AND THEN ONCE YOU'RE DONE WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TASK YOU WITH FINDING THE PERFECT SCHOOL CALENDAR.
BECAUSE IF THIS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED, THAT CAN BE AS WELL.
SO I'M JUST GOING TO LEAVE IT AT THAT.
I'M GOING TO NEED YOU TO HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.
I DO SEE THIS AS LIKE A STRATEGIC MOVE, YOU KNOW, AND.
SOMETIMES WE'RE WARY OF USING BOND DOLLARS FOR SOME OF THESE KIND OF TECHNOLOGY COMMUNICATION PLATFORMS. BUT IF WE'RE GETTING VALUE OUT OF THIS, THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE HITTING 96%, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER STUFF.
THAT'S NOT THE ONLY METRIC WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO IF WE'RE GETTING VALUE FOR THIS INVESTMENT, I THINK THIS ONE SEEMS VERY STRATEGIC BECAUSE TO MR. EAGER'S POINT, WE'VE BEEN.
TACKLING THIS OVER AND OVER THROUGH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS AND THIS ALWAYS KEEPS COMING TO THE TOP.
CAN YOU REAL QUICK JUST KIND OF TALK THROUGH THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS OF HOW WE, ONE, IDENTIFY THESE OPTIONS OUT THERE AND THEN OUR STANDARD PROCESS AS A DISTRICT AS TO HOW WE GO THROUGH AND DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, WHICH ONE WE'RE GOING TO CHOOSE AND SUCH, JUST SO WE ALL UNDERSTAND.
WELL, THIS STARTED KNOWING THAT WE POTENTIALLY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY WITH BOND 2025 AND KNOWING THAT WE WERE ON THIS FIVE-YEAR PURCHASING CYCLE WITH BLACKBOARD AND FINAL SIGHT.
THIS STARTED, WHAT, BRIAN, ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, TWO YEARS AGO? WE BROUGHT TOGETHER A DISTRICT-WIDE COMMITTEE, AND WE BROUGHT EVERYONE TO THE TABLE IN TERMS OF FINE ARTS, ATHLETICS.
CLASSROOM TEACHERS, CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS, KNOWING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TOOLS.
HENRY'S TEAM WAS IN THERE WITH INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY.
LIKE, WHAT ARE ALL OF THE TOOLS THAT EVERYONE'S USING? LIKE, WE HAD TO, LIKE, JUST START THERE AND FIGURE OUT, OKAY, THIS IS EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE USING AND WHY.
WHY ARE YOU USING THIS TOOL VERSUS ANOTHER TOOL VERSUS ANOTHER TOOL AND WHY HAVEN'T WE, YOU KNOW? AND, UM...
AND OUT OF THAT PROCESS, THEN WE IDENTIFIED, WE DID SOME MARKET RESEARCH, IF YOU WILL, TALKING TO PEER DISTRICTS, SEEING WHAT OTHER TOOLS HAD COME ONTO THE MARKET, BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, FIVE YEARS AGO, PARENTSQUARE WASN'T NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, AS HIGH ON THE RADAR.
WE WERE ALSO STARTING TO EXPERIENCE SOME CHALLENGES WITH FINAL SITE, WITH MESSAGE DELIVERY.
WE HAD, AND IT GOT TO A POINT WHERE IT WAS CREATING A LITTLE...
YOU KNOW FOR A COMMS PERSON A LOT OF STRESS LIKE IF WE HAD A CRISIS COMMUNICATION WE HAD TO GET SOMETHING OUT I'M STRUGGLING THAT YOUR SERVER IS NOT ABLE TO GET THIS MESSAGE OUT SO THAT WAS NOT WORKING IN THEIR FAVOR UM SO THERE WAS AN INTERNAL UM DISTRICT-WIDE COMMITTEE THAT VETTED AND WENT THROUGH AND IDENTIFIED AND PARENT SQUARE JUST KEPT COMING TO THE TOP WE UM WE DID SOME CUSTOMER CHECKS AND GOT RECOMMENDATIONS.
[02:10:03]
BRIAN, HOW MANY DISTRICTS DID YOU SEE THAT WERE TO GET POSITIVE AND NEGATIVES FROM THEIR EXPERIENCE, ABOUT A DOZEN OR SO? YEAH, HE CALLED SEVERAL DISTRICTS TO JUST FIND OUT, HEY, TELL US NOW, YOU KNOW, THE VENDOR'S TELLING US THIS, TELL US YOUR STORY WITH USING THEIR PRODUCT.ALSO GETTING A LOT OF ANECDOTAL FROM PARENTS, EMPLOYEES WHO ARE PARENTS THAT ARE USING PARENT BECAUSE THEIR KIDS ARE IN OTHER DISTRICTS, RIGHT? VERY POSITIVE FEEDBACK.
SO THAT'S WHERE THEN WE VETTED AND THEN STARTED WORKING WITH DAVID AND PURCHASING IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE WE WERE FOLLOWING ALL THE PURCHASING LAWS AND CONTRACTS AND WHERE IT COULD BE PURCHASED FROM.
SO THAT'S KIND OF, ONCE WE IDENTIFIED THE TOOL, THEN WE WORK WITH MELODY IN THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT TO FIGURE OUT THAT WHOLE PROCESS AND THE VENDOR BIDDING PROCESS AND ALL OF THAT.
I THINK THAT'S ALL IMPORTANT AND I THINK IT'S GOOD THAT PEOPLE HEAR THE PROCESS THAT WENT INTO THIS BECAUSE IN THIS DAY AND AGE, THESE THINGS COME KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR, YOUR EMAIL EVERY DAY.
SOMEBODY'S GOT SOMETHING TO SELL A DISTRICT OR TO GIVE TO A TRUSTEE TO TAKE TO THE STAFF OR WHATEVER.
AND SO IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THAT THIS HAS BEEN A METHODICAL, ITERATIVE TWO-YEAR PROCESS, WHICH IN MY OPINION, THE MORE ROBUST THAT PROCESS IS AND MORE STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED, LOWERS THE RISK TO THE DISTRICT.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MY YOU KNOW FINITE DOLLARS BUT BIG DOLLARS YOU KNOW THAT'S IMPORTANT VERY IMPORTANT SO I APPRECIATE YOU WALKING US THROUGH THAT I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS UM GREAT PRESENTATION THANK YOU
[III.C. 2026 - 2027 Budget Discussion]
EXCITED TO TO SEE HOW THE SUMMER PHASE ONE KIND OF FERRETS OUT OUR FINAL ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS AN INFORMATION ITEM TO RECEIVE A PRESENTATION REGARDING THE 2026-2027 BUDGET, MS. BRANHAM.BELIEVE IT OR NOT, PRESIDENT POTEET, WE ARE ONE MEETING AWAY FROM ADOPTING OUR BUDGET FOR 26-27.
I FEEL LIKE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR A WHILE NOW.
WE'RE NOW ON SIX MONTHS OF BRINGING OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR BOARD ALONG WITH OUR BUDGET.
SO TONIGHT, REALLY, WE'RE BRINGING ALL OF THE PIECES TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE BEFORE WE BRING FORWARD A FINAL RECOMMENDATION FOR OUR 2026-2027 BUDGET, THE BOARD HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE ALL THE PIECES, HOW DOES IT COME TOGETHER, WHAT DO WE FORECAST.
AS WE LOOK AHEAD FOR OUR MULTI-YEAR, RECEIVE ANY LAST-MINUTE FEEDBACK, ADJUSTMENTS THAT THE BOARD WOULD LIKE FOR US TO MAKE BEFORE WE BRING YOU A FINAL RECOMMENDATION.
SO, MR. PATE, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM TO BRING THIS INFORMATION FORWARD.
OOPS, LET ME MAKE SURE I'M PRESSED.
YES, SO AS YOU SAID, THIS IS THE LAST LOOK AT THE BUDGET BEFORE THE JUNE 4TH MEETING WHERE THE BOARD WILL BE ADOPTING.
THE BUDGETS FOR THE GENERAL FUND, DEBT SERVICE, AND CHILD NUTRITION.
TONIGHT WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE FIRST LOOK AT THE CHILD NUTRITION FUND AND THE DEBT SERVICE FUND AND AGAIN TAKE FINAL LOOK AT THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, DISCUSS SOME NEXT STEPS, AND OF COURSE I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
LOOKING AT THE CHILD NUTRITION FUND, JUST GO OVER SOME HIGHLIGHTS THERE.
2% RAISE FOR THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF, 3% FOR THE PARAPROFESSIONAL AUXILIARY STAFF.
IT'S CONSISTENT WITH OPTION A THAT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD AT THE PREVIOUS MEETING.
WE STILL HAVE 23 COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION CAMPUSES AND THOSE ARE THE CAMPUSES WHERE THE STUDENTS EAT FOR FREE.
THE SAME 23 THAT WE HAD IN 25-26 WE'LL HAVE FOR 26-27.
AND JUST LIKE THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR, OUR FAMILIES AT OUR CEP CAMPUSES WILL STILL NEED TO COMPLETE THE LOCAL INCOME FORM.
AND THEN OUR NON-CEP CAMPUSES, OUR FAMILIES WILL COMPLETE THE REGULAR FREE REDUCED PRICE LUNCH FORM APPLICATION AND NO CHANGE TO THE PROCESS.
HOPEFULLY, AGAIN, ALL GOES SMOOTHLY.
OUR STUDENT PAID MEAL PRICE IS UNCHANGED FROM $25.26, SO KEEPING THAT AT $2.10 FOR BREAKFAST AND EITHER $3.05 AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL OR $3.20 AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL.
JUST TAKING A LOOK AT THE ADOPTED FISCAL YEAR 25-26 COMPARED TO THE PROPOSED 26-27 BUDGET FOR THE CHILD NUTRITION FUND, I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS THERE.
[02:15:01]
NUTRITION EXPENSES THERE, KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE AND THERE AT THE BOTTOM.SO FOR 25-26, WE HAD SOME LARGE PURCHASES OF EQUIPMENT.
THAT WILL NOT BE OCCURRING THIS YEAR, BUT WE DO HAVE, OF COURSE, INCREASES DUE TO RAISES AND THEN EXPECTED INCREASE, JUST NORMAL INCREASE IN OTHER EXPENSES.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE.
ON THE REVENUE SIDE, THAT $2 MILLION INCREASE IN THE FEDERAL REVENUE IS RELATED TO A $0.09 INCREASE IN THE FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENT RATE FOR BREAKFAST.
A 17 CENTS PER MEAL INCREASE IN THE FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENT RATE FOR LUNCHES SO THAT IS REALLY THE BULK OF THE INCREASE THERE, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE A LITTLE CLOSER TO BREAK-EVEN FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE CHILD NUTRITION FUND FOR 26 27 I GET USED TO THE CLICKER MOVING ON TO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE PREVIOUSLY PRESENTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF BOND 2025, THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE IN THE INTEREST IN SINKING FUND OR INS PORTION OF THE TAX RATE FROM 35 CENTS TO 39 CENTS.
YESTERDAY, WE MADE THE FIRST SALE OF BONDS FROM BOND 2025.
WE SOLD $200 MILLION WORTH OF BONDS.
I'M PLEASED WITH THE RESPONSE.
THAT SALE, YOU KNOW, OUR TAXABLE PROPERTY VALUE GROWTH, YOU CAN SEE THERE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, HAD A DECLINE OR EXPECTING TO DECLINE THIS YEAR.
WE'LL KNOW AT THE END OF JUNE, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE RUNNING ABOUT A 1.22% DECLINE.
WE'RE FORECASTING JUST FLAT PROPERTY VALUES GOING INTO 26-27, 1% GROWTH FOR 27-28 AND 28-29, AND THEN A 2% GROWTH IN 29-30.
THE 89TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION CREATED SOME NEW CHALLENGES FOR US IN DEALING WITH THE DEBT SERVICE FUND AND THE STATE FUNDING THERE.
SO STATE HOLD HARMLESS FUNDING IS NOW REDUCED DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR IF TAX COLLECTIONS AND STATE FUNDING COMBINED EXCEED OUR SCHEDULED DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS.
WE CERTAINLY ALWAYS WANT TO MAXIMIZE STATE FUNDING, BUT NOW IT'S GOTTEN EVEN MORE COMPLICATED.
BECAUSE, OF COURSE, IN THIS TIME OF YEAR, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR PROPERTY VALUES ARE GOING TO BE.
WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED, WHILE WE'RE BUILDING THE BUDGET, THE CERTIFIED VALUES.
AND THOSE CERTIFIED VALUES WE RECEIVE EACH JULY CHANGE EVERY MONTH FOR THE FULL YEAR.
AND SO THE TAX COLLECTIONS CONTINUE TO CHANGE.
AND SO WE WILL HAVE TO ADJUST TO THAT.
SO WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE FROM US IS MORE FREQUENT BOND SALES.
POSSIBLY A LITTLE SMALLER IN SOME CASES BUT WE WILL BE ADJUSTING AND IT'LL BE AND WE'RE IN A FORTUNATE POSITION RIGHT NOW BOTH WE HAVE THE NOW 1.2 BILLION DOLLARS LEFT OF BOND 2025 TO ISSUE SO THAT WE CAN HELP MANAGE THAT SCHEDULED DEBT SERVICE AND ALSO WE DO HAVE CALLABLE BONDS AND SO WE WILL BE ABLE TO ISSUE REFUNDING BONDS TO RESTRUCTURE THAT.
WE HAVE LOST THE ABILITY YOU HAVE GIVEN US AND THE ABILITY IN THE PAST TO PAY OFF BONDS OUT OF OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND BALANCE.
WE WILL BE PENALIZED IF WE DO THAT ANYMORE.
SO IF WE WERE TO PAY, LIKE IN THE PAST, WE'VE PAID OFF AS MUCH AS $20 MILLION IN BONDS USING DEBT SERVICE FUND BALANCE.
NOW IF WE DID THAT, WE WOULD LOSE UP TO $20 MILLION OF STATE FUNDING ON THE DEBT SERVICE FUND SIDE.
WE'RE PENALIZED FOR PAYING OUR CREDIT CARD BILL OR OUR MORTGAGE PAYMENT EARLY.
YES, IT IS QUITE A UNIQUE CHALLENGE TO DEAL WITH.
I'M VERY HAPPY TO SAY THAT WHEN WE, IN PREPARING FOR THE BOND SALE YESTERDAY, WE WENT BACK TO MOODY'S AND S&P TO...
WE ARE STILL AAA MOODY'S AND WE ARE STILL AA PLUS WITH S&P.
CERTAINLY AS WE CONTINUE TO SELL MORE OF THE DEBT AND OUR, YOU KNOW, INCREASED DEBT BURDEN THAT OUR COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND THEN THE DEFICITS
[02:20:01]
ON THE GENERAL FUND SIDE, BOTH OF THOSE COULD NEGATIVELY IMPACT OUR BOND RATINGS.BUT REMEMBER WHEN WE GO TO MARKET, THE STATE COSIGNS OUR LOAN.
SO WE GET THE STATE'S AAA WHEN WE GO TO THE MARKET, BUT HAVING THE NATURAL AAA ON OUR OWN CERTAINLY HELPS US IN THE MARKET.
SO IT'S TOO EARLY TO PREDICT EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT I WILL CERTAINLY KEEP YOU UP TO DATE.
I CAN ALSO SAY THAT PART OF THIS NEW CHALLENGE WITH THE STATE FUNDING, BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, WE'LL BE GOING INTO THE MARKET A LITTLE MORE OFTEN, AND THEN JUST WHAT THE CASH FLOW NEEDS FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PROJECTS, BECAUSE WE HAD $750 MILLION IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THE BOND.
WE WILL BE SELLING CLOSE TO ANOTHER $300 MILLION IN BONDS IN AUGUST.
SO LOOKING AT THE DEBT SERVICE FUND MULTI-YEAR, HERE, OF COURSE, 2526.
HAS THE 35 CENT TAX RATE EVERYTHING THEREAFTER HAS THE 39 CENT TAX RATE AND YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING GEE DAVID THAT'S NOT GROWING REALLY FAST WITH UM IN THOSE OUT YEARS IT YOU KNOW TAKES THE BIG JUMP WITH THE FOUR CENTS GOING FROM 25 26 TO 26 27.
WELL PART OF THE ISSUE THAT WE HAVE UM IS 29 OF OUR POPULATION OUR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES HAVE AN OVER 65 LEVY FREEZE WITH THE INCREASE IN THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION AND THE INCREASE IN THE EXEMPTION FOR OUR OVER 65 PROPERTY TAXPAYERS AS PROPERTY AS THEIR PROPERTY VALUES GROW WE DON'T GET ANY BENEFIT AND SO THAT IS SLOWING THE GROWTH IT IS THERE ARE A LOT OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING CHALLENGES ASSOCIATING WITH THIS AND HAVING TO ACTUALLY SLOW DOWN THEIR BOND ISSUANCE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO SERVICE THE DEBT BECAUSE OF THESE CHANGES.
SO WE'RE NOT SEEING ANY CHALLENGES YET, BUT WE ARE CERTAINLY CONTINUING TO MONITOR THAT.
THE DEBT PAYMENT LINE THAT YOU SEE THERE, THAT DOES INCLUDE ESTIMATED PAYMENTS ON FUTURE BOND SALES OF THE BOND 2025.
I JUST DIDN'T BREAK IT OUT ON A SEPARATE LINE LIKE I HAVE IN SOME CASES.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE IN ALL YEARS TRYING TO MAXIMIZE THE, BOTH MAXIMIZE THE STATE REVENUE AND MINIMIZE AT THE SAME TIME THE LOSS OF STATE REVENUE.
THE OTHER CHALLENGE WITH THAT IS FROM A DEBT SERVICE FUND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED MANY TIMES ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND AND THE STATE FUNDING PROCESS AND ALL THE DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT GO INTO GENERATING STATE FUNDING.
YOU KNOW THE ATTRIBUTE ATTRIBUTES OF OUR STUDENTS AND ALL WELL WITH ON THE DEBT SERVICE SIDE THERE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT GROUPS OF BONDS THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT FOR FOUR DIFFERENT TRANCHES OF STATE FUNDING.
SO BONDS ISSUED DURING AND PRIOR TO THIS BIENNIUM, YOU KNOW, A BIENNIUM ARE IN THIS STATE FUNDING PIECE, AND IT MOVES UP ANOTHER BIENNIUM, AND YOU ADD IN A FEW MORE BONDS, AND IT MOVES ANOTHER BIENNIUM, AND YOU ADD IN A FEW MORE, AND IT'S ALL DEPENDENT ON NOT ONLY WHEN YOU SELL THE BONDS, BUT THE BIENNIUM IN WHICH YOU MAKE THE FIRST PAYMENT.
SO WE'RE HAVING TO TRY TO BE STRATEGIC ABOUT WHEN WE MAKE PAYMENTS SO THAT WE GET BONDS QUALIFIED FOR HOLD HARMLESS ALSO.
MOVING ON TO THE GENERAL FUND, WE'VE CERTAINLY SEEN THIS SLIDE BEFORE.
JUST A REMINDER, BACK IN 2014, OUR ENROLLMENT WAS 38,283 STUDENTS.
WE HIT OUR PEAK IN 2020 WITH 39,619 STUDENTS.
THEY'RE IN 2026, THE LAST OF THE BLUE COLUMNS TOWARDS THE RIGHT.
CURRENT YEAR, OUR OFFICIAL ENROLLMENT ON THE SNAPSHOT DATE WAS 36,228.
AND THEN OUR DEMOGRAPHER PROJECTIONS ARE THE RED COLUMNS AND 2027 IS 35,704.
DECLINING DOWN TO 34207 AND THAT'S AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 400 KIDS A YEAR OVER THOSE NEXT FIVE YEARS SO THIS SLIDE I'VE UPDATED FROM WHEN YOU SAW IT IN THE APRIL MEETING THE ENROLLMENT AS OF MAY WHICH IS THE 26TH MONDAY
[02:25:03]
OF THE SCHOOL YEAR WAS 35,520 STUDENTS AND JUST A REMINDER, OUR DEMOGRAPHER PROJECTION, AGAIN, 35,704.SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE BELOW OUR DEMOGRAPHER PROJECTION FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND, OF COURSE, THE IMPACT OF VOUCHERS IS NOT INCLUDED IN OUR DEMOGRAPHER PROJECTION.
AND THE BUDGET ESTIMATE, THE INFORMATION COMING OUT OF AUSTIN ON THE NUMBER OF OUR STUDENTS ACTUALLY RECEIVING A VOUCHER, STUDENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLED, IS VERY CONFUSING AND VERY INCONSISTENT.
WE LEARNED SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT PROCESS EARLIER THIS WEEK AND IT'S CLEAR AS MUD AS TO HOW MANY OF OUR STUDENTS RECEIVE A VOUCHER.
SO THIS IS OUR EXPENDITURE INCREASES AGAIN THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT IN THE PAST.
REALLY ON THIS SLIDE, I WOULD REALLY JUST WANT TO USE THIS AS A LITTLE DIPSTICK WITH THE BOARD.
RELATED TO ADVERTISING AND MARKETING.
THIS IS A PRESENTATION THAT MELISSA BROUGHT FORWARD, I BELIEVE, ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO.
WE WENT INTO DEPTH AROUND THE NEED OR POTENTIAL NEED FOR ADVERTISING AND MARKETING.
ALSO RECOGNIZING RIGHT NOW WHEN EVERY DOLLAR MATTERS, IS THIS RIGHT NOW AN INVESTMENT WE CAN MAKE? WE KNOW SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO SPEND MONEY IF YOU'RE GOING TO TRY TO GENERATE REVENUE AT THIS TIME.
WE ALSO DON'T KNOW HOW, LIKE, ARE THERE STUDENTS REALLY OUT THERE TO GET.
SO I JUST WANT, WE KNOW THIS IS A BIG ASK.
SO BEFORE WE MOVE THIS INTO A FINAL RECOMMENDATION FOR THE BUDGET, I WANTED TO RECEIVE YOUR FEEDBACK.
IF YOU REMEMBER, THERE WERE PIECES AND PARTS OF THAT PRESENTATION WHERE IF YOU WANT US TO FOCUS MAYBE ON SOME, YOU KNOW, LIKE MORE LOCALIZED MARKETING MATERIALS VERSUS, YOU KNOW, LARGER, BROADER MARKETING AND BRANDING MATERIALS, WE COULD.
DEFINITELY SCALE DOWN THIS IMPLEMENTATION.
YOU COULD SAY, HEY, WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE A PLAN THAT IS NO MORE THAN X DOLLAR, OR YOU ALL MIGHT SAY WE LOVE THIS IDEA AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE COULD BE VALUE, BUT RIGHT NOW JUST WHERE WE ARE WITH BUDGET, WE CAN'T DO THIS.
SO IF YOU ALL COULD JUST GIVE US SOME DIRECTIONAL FEEDBACK, THAT WOULD BE SO HELPFUL FOR US.
AND I WOULD JUST ADD REAL QUICKLY ON THAT.
WE HAVE NOT AWARDED THE BID THAT WE DID FOR THIS YET.
I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE TOO THAT, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON YOUR FEEDBACK, WE'LL THEN FINALIZE THAT PROCESS WITH THE BIDDERS.
BUT IT IS NOT AN ALL OR NOTHING.
IT'S MORE OF A MENU OF ITEMS. IT'S NOT LIKE YOU HAVE TO DECIDE ON $500,000.
YOU WANT THAT FEEDBACK NOW? IF POSSIBLE.
I JUST HAVE A QUESTION BEFORE I GIVE FEEDBACK.
I REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOU DID THAT PRESENTATION, THERE WAS A CERTAIN NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT IF WE WERE TO ADD, IT WOULD CAUSE A BREAK EVEN, AND THEN ALSO ANY INCREASE OF STUDENTS ENROLLING OVER THAT WOULD THEN START GENERATING A PROFIT.
CAN ANYONE REMIND ME OF THAT NUMBER? ABSOLUTELY, DR.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S AROUND 75, 70 TO 75 STUDENTS.
IT'S A BREAK EVEN OKAY, SO 75 STUDENTS.
YES, I'M RIGHT EVEN SO MANY STUDENTS THAT WE GET OVER THAT RIGHT THAT WOULD BE A THING PART OF THE PLAN WAS ALSO WHO I FORGOT WHAT IT'S CALLED LIKE GEOFENCING YES, AND THINGS LIKE THAT, SO IT WOULD BE TARGETING NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST POTENTIALLY IN SENDING MARKETING MATERIALS AROUND THAT CORRECT CORRECT TARGETED IS THE KEY WORD THERE BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T WANT TO SEND A MATH MAILER OUT TO EVERYBODY WE WANT TO BE STRATEGIC WITH DIFFERENT TOOLS AND ACCESS TO DATA THAT WE COULD LEAN IN ON IF WE WERE TO PARTNER WITH AN ADVERTISING MARKETING FIRM.
AND THEN THIS WOULD ALSO BE AS WE BRING IN AND Y'ALL START DISCUSSING SOME OF THE CHOICE SCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT MIGHT BE DIFFERENT THAN OTHER DISTRICTS MIGHT DO.
IT MIGHT ALLOW US THEN TO SPREAD THE WORD OF THAT AND TARGET THAT THE STUDENTS MIGHT BE INTERESTED.
AND AGAIN, TALKING ABOUT IF WE BRING IN 75, WHEN WE FIRST OPENED AND DID KIND OF THAT SOFT LAUNCH OF YOU OF STUDENTS BEING ABLE TO COME IN WITHOUT ADVERTISING, HOW MANY DID WE GAIN? 210.
SO WITH ADVERTISING, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, WHO KNOWS? BUT, LIKE, IT DOESN'T, IF YOU BRING 210 WITHOUT EVEN HAVING TO ADVERTISE, IF YOU DO SOME TARGETED ADVERTISING, THEN THAT POTENTIALLY, A, BRINGS IN ADDITIONAL STUDENTS, BUT 75, CONSIDERING WHAT WE'VE ALREADY, MAY NOT BE SUCH A LARGE NUMBER.
I MEAN, I THINK WOULD BE A CONSERVATIVE, I MEAN.
OUR GOAL WOULD AT LEAST BE TO MATCH THAT 210 THAT WE RECEIVED WITHOUT.
SO IF WE COULD AT LEAST GET ANOTHER 210 WITH THIS, LIKE THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, A GOAL.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A, I MEAN, JUST IN THE CONSIDERATION OF THAT, IT'S A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF INVESTMENT WITH A POTENTIAL AND PROBABLY REALISTIC POTENTIAL OF BRINGING IN A NUMBER OF STUDENTS THROUGH ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE.
[02:30:01]
YES, MA'AM.CAN WE GO BACK TO THE SLIDE WITH THE DEMOGRAPHER.
NUMBER OF STUDENTS WE WERE UNDER.
YOU SAID WE WERE OUR CURRENT ENROLLMENT AS OF TODAY.
WE HAVE A LARGE GROUP OF SENIORS THAT WENT FORWARD.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE YOU KNOW, THERE ARE STUDENTS THAT GRADUATE AT SEMESTER.
THEY'RE STUDENTS THAT GRADUATE EARLY.
SO THIS IS NOT JUST A NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE LOST OUT OF THE SYSTEM.
A LOT OF THIS IS EARLY GRADUATES AS WELL.
SO WITH THE 77 STUDENTS TO BREAK EVEN, 70, YES, 75, 75 TO BREAK EVEN WITH THAT, WE WOULD WANT TO MEET THE DEMOGRAPHER PROJECTION FOR 26, 27 FIRST, RIGHT? WE WANT TO EXCEED THAT.
ARE WE? THAT'S ALREADY BEING SUNSET.
WE HAVE INVENTORY FOR ONE MORE YEAR, BUT AS PART OF THE BUDGET REDUCTIONS FOR THE BUDGET, WE ALREADY SUNSET THAT.
AND THERE'S ALSO, AREN'T THERE STATE GRANTS NOW? ARE THEY OFFERING GRANTS FOR? THAT'S HOW WE WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO PURCHASE THE EXTRA INVENTORY IS THROUGH THE CELL PHONE GRANT THAT TEA ADMINISTERED.
AND WE HAVE EXPENDED ALL OF OUR FUNDS.
WE APPLIED FOR THE NEXT ROUND, BUT WE WERE NOT ELIGIBLE SINCE WE ARE WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR IMPLEMENTATION.
BUT THIS WOULD KIND OF BE IF WE WERE SUNSETTING THE UNDERPOUCH AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THE MARKETING INSTEAD, IT'S KIND OF A WASH OR NO? I WOULD SAY NO, ONLY BECAUSE IN THE END WE BROUGHT FORWARD $25.7 MILLION OF REDUCTIONS.
AND SO I WOULD CONSIDER IF WE WERE DOING MARKETING AND BRANDING.
THIS IS IN ADDITION TO OUR BUDGET.
THIS WILL INCREASE OUR EXPENDITURE LINE.
AND SO I DO LOOK AT THIS AS KIND OF ITS OWN.
THIS WOULD BE A STATEMENT BY THE BOARD.
WE BELIEVE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN MARKETING AND BRANDING, TARGET, YOU KNOW, TARGETED MARKETING TO INDIVIDUALS WHO WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO RECOVER, YOU KNOW, RETAIN OR RECRUIT TO RICHARDSON ISD.
I WOULD REALLY LOOK AT IT AS...
THE BOARD WOULD HAVE AN EXPECTED ROI OF AT LEAST 75 STUDENTS SO THAT IT PAYS FOR THE INVESTMENT.
AND ANYTHING ABOVE THAT, YOU WOULD CONSIDER AN INCREDIBLE SUCCESS BECAUSE IT'S BRINGING IN REVENUE TO OFFSET OTHER EXPENDITURES IN THE BUDGET.
YEAH, WE NEED IT TO BE, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE 75 ABOVE THE 35,704.
ON THE BREAKDOWN ON THOSE COSTS FOR THE MARKETING STUFF, I MEAN, FROM MY POSITION, WE'LL HAVE EVERYBODY GIVE THEIR INPUT ON THIS OR SOME GUIDANCE, BUT I...
YOU KNOW, I GUESS WE'VE GOT A LOT OF MOVING PARTS HERE ON NUMBERS AND COSTS AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. SO WE CAN COVER WHAT WE CAN HOPEFULLY GAIN ON WHAT WE LOSE OR INVEST OVER HERE.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I MEAN, OUR OUR GOAL IS TO SPEND LESS IN THE DISTRICTS.
AND SO SO OFFSETTING, IT'S FINE.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO NET OUT A NEGATIVE EXPENSE ON THESE.
AND I KNOW THIS IS PROBABLY PREACHING TO THE CHOIR FOR THE ADMINISTRATION, BUT SINCE IT IS KIND OF AN A LA CARTE MENU THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, JUST BEING VERY DELIBERATE ON HOW WE PRIORITIZE THOSE A LA CARTE ITEMS, WHERE YOU THINK YOU GET BIGGER BANG FOR THE BUCK, AND THEN YOU MAY FIND A NATURAL KIND OF SEPARATION WHERE, YEAH, THESE ONES WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A REALLY GOOD CHANCE AT GETTING SOME BANG FOR OUR BUCK, AND THESE MAYBE NOT SO MUCH.
TABLE THOSE FOR A YEAR OR TWO AND SEE WHAT WE GET BACK ON THE OTHERS.
BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, $500,000, THE GRAND SCHEMA THING, YES, WE CAN COVER THAT IN OTHER WAYS.
BUT IF WE TIPTOE INTO THIS AT $200,000 AND WE GET 60 KIDS OR 70, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OTHER WAYS.
AND I'M JUST, I'M A LITTLE BIT RELUCTANT TO JUMP IN HEADFIRST EVEN AT $500,000.
I'M SUPPORTIVE, BUT LET'S JUST BE VERY DELIBERATE ON HOW WE DO IT.
THAT'S MY KIND OF PERSPECTIVE.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE? YES, MS. PACHECO.
FOR THE ADVERTISING AND MARKETING, THANK YOU, MS. TIMMY, FOR GOING OVER THE NUMBERS OF THE PAST PRESENTATION.
I ACTUALLY WROTE THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND SO, YEAH, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, STANDS OUT TO ME IS WE ORGANICALLY DID SOMETHING, RIGHT? WE DIDN'T SPEND MONEY, AND WE GOT 210 STUDENTS.
[02:35:01]
SO I WOULD WANT TO HAVE VERY INTENTIONAL SELECTION.WITHIN THIS MARKETING BID TO SEE WHAT WILL BRING IN EITHER THIS NUMBER OR MORE, RIGHT? I MEAN, WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT GRAPH RIGHT HERE, I MEAN, WE NEED 1,500 STUDENTS TO GET TO LAST YEAR, AT LEAST, RIGHT? SO I DON'T KNOW IF EVEN DOING 500,000 WOULD DO THAT.
AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ALSO IMPORTANT AND ALSO VERY BUT TREMENDOUSLY BENEFICIAL AND NEEDED FOR STUDENT OUTCOMES.
AS MUCH AS I WANT MORE KIDS IN OUR SCHOOL, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO BE A LITTLE MORE INTENTIONAL, CAREFUL, AND, YOU KNOW, BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE PICK.
SO THAT NUMBER IS A LITTLE LESS, I THINK.
SO I'M HEARING POTENTIALLY AN APPETITE FOR A LITTLE BIT OF A, MAYBE A REDUCED SCOPE.
IN BRINGING THAT NUMBER DOWN? MAYBE A PHASED APPROACH.
SO INITIALLY IT'S MAYBE A LITTLE MORE REDUCED.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE THIS? SERVES.
SO I DEFINITELY WANT TO PIGGYBACK ON PRESIDENT POTEET.
I DO LIKE THE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I REMEMBER SOME OF THE STUFF THAT MEGAN WAS TALKING ABOUT, BUT I'D ALSO KIND OF LIKE TO SEE THAT LIST AGAIN BECAUSE MAYBE THAT'S THE WAY WE JUST KIND OF PICK AND CHOOSE WHAT WE WANT TO.
BECAUSE MY BIG CONCERN IS WHAT YOU JUST STATED.
ARE THERE KIDS OUT THERE TO GET? I MEAN, RICHARDSON ISD IS NOT THE ONLY DISTRICT THAT'S HAVING THIS ISSUE.
SO MY CONCERN WOULD BE, ARE THERE KIDS OUT THERE TO GET? AND THE FACT THAT THAT LAST BULLET, WE DON'T KNOW THE IMPACT OF VOUCHERS.
OR HOW MANY OF OUR KIDS HAVE TAKEN THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GET A VOUCHER? WHO'S GOING TO GET A VOUCHER? ALL OF THOSE NUMBERS AS WELL.
I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT PRESENTATION.
AND THEN ALSO KIND OF LOOK AT THOSE OPTIONS AS WELL.
WOULD YOU ALL BE AMENABLE? BECAUSE I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THAT PROBABLY...
IN TERMS OF THAT STRATEGY, I WOULD LEAN ON OUR STRATEGY AND ENGAGEMENT TO EVALUATE HERE ARE ALL OF THE, HERE WERE THOSE MENUS AND HERE ARE, YOU KNOW, THE TOP TWO OR THREE THAT WE BELIEVE WOULD BE THE BEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK.
AND MOVING THAT FORWARD, BECAUSE I REALLY THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LEANING IN ON THEIR EXPERTISE OF WHAT THOSE STRATEGIES WOULD BE AND HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PHASE THAT IN OVER TIME AND MEASURE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSERVATIVELY.
CAN I, I THINK ANOTHER, JUST SORRY TO BE ADDING OR SAYING THINGS THAT MIGHT ADD WORK.
BUT LIKE, I THINK THERE ARE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT ARE ADVERTISING AND ARE ADVERTISING FOR OUR CHILDREN AND ARE TRYING TO TAKE THEM.
SO IN LIEU OF DOING, IF WE DON'T DO SOME PRETTY TARGETED PIECES, LIKE WE WOULD BE LOOKING POTENTIALLY AT A MUCH SMALLER NUMBER AND IT MIGHT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH VOUCHERS.
SO LIKE THAT INFORMATION OF WHAT OTHER DISTRICTS ARE DOING TO RECRUIT OUR KIDS MIGHT BE HELPFUL AS WELL SO THAT WE CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT IF WE, YOU KNOW.
DEPENDING ON HOW MEASURED WE ARE, THERE'S AN ROI FOR US TO GET STUDENTS, BUT THERE'S PROBABLY A PRETTY BIG RISK OF LOSING STUDENTS, WHICH THEN GOES INTO UGLY CUTS INTO PROGRAMS AND OTHER THINGS.
I THINK THERE'S A RISK EITHER WAY.
IT MIGHT BE GREAT TO KNOW BOTH SIDES OF THAT COIN.
WE'LL GO MR. EAGER, THEN MS. MCGOWAN.
HERE'S THE WORLD WE LIVE IN NOW EVERY DISTRICT IS COMPETING FOR KIDS OKAY AND TO MISS TIMMY'S ASPECT YOU KNOW COMMENTS ON THIS IF IF WE UM MY EXPERIENCES AND FIRST OF ALL WE SAY MARK IT'S REALLY AWARENESS I KEEP BRINGING THIS UP IT'S AWARENESS OF THE OPPORTUNITIES SARAH RICHARDSON AND YOU KNOW AND IF WE UM IF WE GET REALLY CONSERVATIVE IN THIS, MY FEAR IS THAT, GUESS WHAT? I GET FLYERS AND NEWSLETTERS ALL THE TIME FROM DIA STATE, ALL THE TIME, OKAY? WHAT EFFECT IT'S HAVING ON KIDS MOVING THERE, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT GUESS WHAT? I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THIS, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO PICK UP 75 KIDS.
WE MIGHT WANT TO KEEP THE ONES WE GOT, YOU KNOW? AND MAKING SURE THE AWARENESS OF THE PROGRAMS WE HAVE HERE AND THE AWARENESS WE HAVE.
AND IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A BREAK-IN OF 75 KIDS, BECAUSE ANY TIME YOU'RE DOING AWARENESS PROGRAMS, YOU'RE INHERITING A RISK.
IF THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT'S GOING TO GIVE YOU AND GIVE YOU AN EXACT ROI, THEY PROBABLY SHOULD CHARGE MORE.
AND SO I GUESS I'M ADVOCATING.
IS THAT IF YOU LOOK IN THE GRAND SCHEMES OF OUR OVERALL BUDGET, WE CAN
[02:40:01]
EITHER DO NOTHING AND WORK WITH AN EXPENSE MANAGEMENT MINDSET, WHICH I GUESS WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF EXPENSES, BUT THERE'S A DEFINITION OF OPERATIONAL EXPENSES AND AWARENESS THAT CAN GENERATE ADDITIONAL.BECAUSE GUESS WHAT? HERE'S THE THING TODAY.
YOU POINT THIS OUT A LOT OF TIMES FOR PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WHEN WE HAVE X NUMBER OF KIDS, WE STILL HAVE THOSE.
TEACHERS IN THOSE CLASSROOMS. WE STILL HAVE THAT.
IF WE INVEST THIS AND IT PULLS BACK, IT'S GOING TO BE HARD TO MEASURE THE RETENTION NUMBER, BUT IF WE AT LEAST MAINTAIN AND KEEP THE NUMBER FLAT SO WE DON'T HAVE A DECLINE, THEN WE CAN MANAGE THAT.
I HATE TO SAY BUSINESS, BUT WE'RE IN THAT NOW.
IF YOU CAN JUST KEEP IT WHERE IT'S 36,000 KIDS, RETAIN WHAT WE GOT, ATTRACT, AND DO THAT, THEN IT ALLOWS US TO MAXIMIZE A LOT OF THINGS.
BUT IF WE DO NOTHING, I CAN TELL YOU, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY.
THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO DECLINE FASTER BECAUSE THEY'RE BOMBARDING OUR KIDS.
I THINK PLANO AND GARLAND AND DSD, THEY'RE ALL HITTING UP.
AND IT JUST NEEDS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY EFFECTIVELY IN THE AWARENESS OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE HERE BECAUSE HALF THE TIME PEOPLE DON'T KNOW.
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU TALKED TO PARENTS WHO GO, I DIDN'T KNOW RICHARDSON DID THAT? I DIDN'T KNOW AFTER THE FACT.
I'M ADVOCATING FOR THE INVESTMENT.
I THINK THE RETURN AND THE RISK ARE WORTH IT.
AND YOU JUST HAVE TO PUT IT IN A DIFFERENT BUCKET IN MIND.
IT IS NOT AN EXPENSE THAT WE'VE BEEN CARRYING.
IT'S AN INVESTMENT THAT WE SHOULD SAY WE WILL SPEND A DOLLAR, BUT WE'LL GET $2 OR $3 OR $4 BACK.
AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE GOT AND BE EFFICIENT WITH THE TEACHERS AND THE CAPACITY AND THE GREAT THINGS WE'RE DOING HERE.
I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD, I LIKE THE PHASE-IN IDEA AS WELL BECAUSE WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING NEW HERE, RIGHT? DISD IS NOT DOING ANYTHING NEW THAT, I MEAN, THEY'VE ALWAYS ADVERTISED.
WE'VE ALWAYS GOTTEN THEIR FLYERS IN THE MAIL.
OUR KIDS ARE NOT GETTING RECRUITED TO PLANO AND GARLAND IN THE MAIL, RIGHT? LIKE, I'M NOT GETTING THOSE FLYERS.
I WON'T NAME THE DISTRICT, BUT I WILL SAY DISTRICT AROUND US DID AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST FOR EVERY ONE OF OUR ADDRESSES AND IS SENDING DIRECT MAILERS.
SO THAT CHANGES THE GAME A LITTLE BIT.
WELL, I JUST WANT US TO STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT WE DO GREAT HERE AND REALLY FOCUS ON THE PROGRAMMING THAT WE HAVE HERE.
THAT'S WHY KIDS STAY IN RICHARDSON.
OR DO WE KNOW EXACTLY, RIGHT? THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY KIDS ARE LEAVING OUR DISTRICT.
AND LIKE THIS YEAR, OUR ENROLLMENT LOSS WAS AN ANOMALY IN TERMS OF THERE WERE LARGER CULTURAL THINGS GOING ON IN TERMS OF THE MAJORITY OF OUR STUDENT LOSSES WERE FROM OUR HISPANIC COMMUNITY.
NO AMOUNT OF MONEY IS GOING TO BRING THOSE KIDS BACK.
SO I LIKE THE PHASING APPROACH SO THAT WE CAN MAYBE MONITOR MORE CLOSELY WHAT THE PAYOFF.
OF THAT IS, ARE WE GETTING MORE KIDS? AND LIKE MS. PACHECO SAID, THE ORGANIC RECRUITMENT THAT YOU DID WAS AMAZING AND IT BROUGHT IN KIDS.
SO I KIND OF AGREE WITH THE PHASE-IN PROCESS AND JUST KIND OF SEEING WHAT THAT BRINGS IN AND THEN LET'S TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER FROM THERE.
MS. RANGIRIA? I HAVE TO AGREE AS WELL WITH MS. MCGOWAN.
I THINK WHEN YOU SAID MR. POTEET AND MS. PACHECO, I THINK ABSOLUTELY, I MEAN, THE INVESTMENT IS SUPER IMPORTANT.
BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAD OUR LAST MEETING WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT ALL THE BUDGET AND FOR OUR TEACHER, YOU KNOW, PAY AND ALL.
AND I THINK WITH AT LEAST GOING IN IN PHASES, IT JUST MAKES ME FEEL BETTER KNOWING THAT IT'S NOT A JUMP IN ONLY BECAUSE OF ALL THE PREDICTABILITY, THE NON-PREDICTABILITY OF WHAT CAN IT BE, WILL IT REALLY BRING IN, AND WILL IT REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? BUT I THINK IF WE CAN PHASE IT IN.
KIND OF SEE HOW IT'S WORKING, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LEAN TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THAT SIDE AND JUST SAY, HEY, LET'S JUST DO LITTLE BY LITTLE.
SO HEARING THIS FEEDBACK, WHICH, AGAIN, I THINK IS VERY HELPFUL.
MELISSA, I THINK WHAT OUR STRATEGY AND ENGAGEMENT TEAM, WHAT I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO DO IS LOOK AT THAT MENU AND POTENTIALLY BRING FORWARD.
[02:45:02]
THAT WE BELIEVE WILL HAVE THAT GREATEST ROI.AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE THE BOARD TO BE OPEN TO IS, AGAIN, YOU HEARD ME FORECAST IN OUR TECHNOLOGY PRESENTATION THAT WE HAVE SOME PRETTY INNOVATIVE OPTIONS THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY DESIGNING.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT SOME OPTIONS, AND THE BOARD SAID, LIKE, PUSH OUR THINKING.
IF WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING, LET'S DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THOSE OPTIONS THAT WE WILL BE PRESENTING TO YOU AS A BOARD IN EARLY FALL.
AND AT THAT TIME, ONCE WE PRESENT THOSE OPTIONS, THEN WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT, MAYBE THAT'S WHEN WE PRESENT THE OTHER TWO OR THREE MARKETING IDEAS THAT WOULD COMPLEMENT THAT.
AND IT MAY BE THAT WE ASK YOU TO AMEND THE 26-27 BUDGET AT THAT TIME.
IF YOU FEEL LIKE, HEY, WE HAVE THESE OPTIONS FORWARD, YEP.
LET'S USE THESE ADDITIONAL MARKETING TOOLS THAT WE WOULD HAVE AVAILABLE TO HELP AMPLIFY AND REALLY RECRUIT STUDENTS TO THOSE NEW CHOICE OPTIONS.
DOES THAT SOUND? LET'S PUT A COUPLE STRONG THINGS IN PLACE TO YOUR POINT, MR. EAGER.
BRAND AWARENESS, WHAT WE ARE DOING TO BE LIKE ME, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH BRINGING BIZTOWN ENTERPRISE CITY 2.0 BACK, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THOSE INVESTMENTS, AMPLIFYING THOSE, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR EXTRACURRICULARS.
LET'S CREATE THAT BRAND AWARENESS, DO SOME INVESTMENT IN THAT SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO BRING IN OPEN ENROLLMENT.
LET'S ANNOUNCE SOME OF OUR NEW CHOICE OPTIONS AND THEN SEE HOW WE COULD DOUBLE DOWN ON SOME MARKETING WHEN WE BRING THAT FORWARD IF THE BOARD SUPPORTS THAT CHOICE EXPANSION.
DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A I THINK SO.
AND I DO, AND MAYBE THERE'S DIFFERING OPINIONS, BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A BUDGET LINE ITEM, AND I KNOW YOU HAVE BROUGHT IT TO US FOR FEEDBACK ON, BUT THIS IS LIKE APPARENTLY A PRETTY SPECIAL ONE BECAUSE WE DON'T USUALLY GET FEEDBACK ON.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GUIDANCE OR KIND OF FEEDBACK HERE.
YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF EXPERTS ON THE STAFF THAT ARE DEALING WITH THIS DAY IN, DAY OUT.
SO LET US KNOW IF YOU NEED MORE, BUT I THINK WE'VE, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT IT, I THINK.
REAL QUICK QUESTION BEFORE WE, AND I'M SORRY, MR. PATE, YOU'RE DOWN THERE WAITING FOR THE NEXT SLIDE I'M SURE ON THAT THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE SO I KNOW PRETTY CONSISTENTLY FOR MOST OF THIS YEAR, WE WERE 01,200 PEOPLE, 1,200 STUDENTS LOWER THAN THE DEMOGRAPHER'S PROJECTION.
SO THEN WHEN WE PICK UP THE DEMOGRAPHER'S PROJECTION AND OUTLINE YEARS, DO WE ACCOUNT FOR THAT 1,200 THAT SHOULD BE COMPOUNDED FORWARD, OR DO WE NOT AND WE JUST STICK WITH WHAT THEY PRESENTED TO US IN FEBRUARY IN THEIR REPORT? OR DID THEY ADJUST THEIR PROJECTIONS KNOWING THAT WE HAD AN ANOMALY OF 1,200 THAT WE LOST AND DIDN'T ANTICIPATE LOSING? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I THINK SO, BUT LET ME I WILL DO MY BEST TO ANSWER IT.
BECAUSE THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE IF THERE'S 1,200 THAT WEREN'T BROUGHT FORWARD IN THOSE OUTLYING YEARS.
SO LET ME ANSWER ONE QUESTION, AND THEN, DAVID, YOU THE DEMOGRAPHER, REMEMBER, THEY DID NOT DO THIS ANALYSIS UNTIL JANUARY.
SO THEY KNEW IN JANUARY WHERE WE WERE WITH ENROLLMENT AND ABSOLUTELY FACTORED WHERE WE WERE WITH ENROLLMENT AS THEY WERE ANALYZING AND MAKING THEIR PROJECTIONS FOR 26-27.
IF YOU REMEMBER THE TWO PIECES THAT THEY SAID THEY CANNOT PREDICT, ONE IS VOUCHER AND ONE THE CURRENT IMMIGRATION POLICY AND KNOWING THAT WE HAVE SUCH A LARGE PORTION OF OUR DEMOGRAPHIC.
THAT MIGHT BE IMPACTED BY THAT, AND AS WELL AS WITH OUR MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.
THOSE WERE THE TWO AREAS THAT, IN THE END, THEY COULD NOT PREDICT HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT THE DEMOGRAPHER'S PROJECTION.
BUT THEY DID KNOW WHERE OUR STARTING ENROLLMENT WAS.
WELL, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ACCOUNTING FOR THAT LOOKING FORWARD, BECAUSE THAT'S A BIG, BIG DIFFERENCE.
IF NOT, AND THE VOUCHER, I KNOW WE BRING THAT UP, BUT THAT SHOULD BECOME MORE CLEAR WITH EACH YEAR THAT WE.
SO NOW THAT THEY'VE ACTUALLY HAD THEIR FIRST REQUEST OR WHATEVER THEY CALL IT.
IN ORDER FOR IT SO TIER ONE ANY AND ANY FAMILY WHO RECEIVED A TIER ONE VOUCHER THEY HAVE TO BASICALLY ACCEPT THAT VOUCHER AND UNENROLL FROM THEIR CURRENT DISTRICT BY JULY 22ND. SO BY JULY 22ND WE WOULD HAVE SOME IDEA OF HOW MANY FAMILIES UNENROLLED AND WE WOULD KNOW THE THE REASON FOR WHY THEY UNENROLLED.
[02:50:02]
WE DON'T KNOW.AND THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD TO THE DEMOGRAPHER DISCUSSION IS THIS IS ALSO THE REASON THAT YOU AS THE BOARD HAVE HISTORICALLY, AND I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT AS THE ONE TRYING TO PUT ALL THIS TOGETHER, YOU ALL HAVE A DEMOGRAPHY STUDY DONE EVERY YEAR.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU DO.
ONCE EVERY THREE, FOUR, FIVE YEARS.
AND SO THOSE NUMBERS ARE VERY STALE.
AFTER THAT, WE DO ONE EVERY YEAR.
WE GET IT REFRESHED EVERY YEAR, ABSOLUTELY.
AND SO THIS IS JUST NO CHANGES TO THIS.
BUDGET EFFICIENCY ITEMS OUR CUTS FOR 26 27 JUST IN CASE SOMEBODY'S YOU KNOW TUNING IN FOR THE FIRST TIME AND HELPING THEM PUT ALL OF THIS TOGETHER OUR MULTI-YEAR FORECAST ASSUMPTIONS SAME ONES AS LAST TIME, THE TAXABLE VALUE OF PROPERTY IN THE DISTRICT, SAME AS WE JUST WENT OVER.
THAT ENROLLMENT MATCHES THE DEMOGRAPHER PROJECTIONS ON THE OTHER SLIDE.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, 5% INFLATION FACTOR.
IT'S JUST A LITTLE HIGHER, BUT THE AVERAGE ANNUAL INFLATION FROM 21 THROUGH 2025 IS ABOUT 4.5%.
SO THE GENERAL FUND MULTI-YEAR, SO JUST GO THROUGH, THIS HAS BEEN UPDATED, SO JUST GO THROUGH A FEW THINGS ON HERE.
YOU CAN SEE THE SECOND LINE FROM THE TOP.
WELL, BEFORE WE GET THERE, SO ON TOTAL REVENUE, JUST A REMINDER THAT THE PART OF THE LARGE, WHAT APPEARS TO BE A DROP GOING FROM 2526 TO 2627 IN THAT TOTAL REVENUE LINE, IS THE $6.8 MILLION THAT WE RECEIVED.
FROM TEA FOR THE ONE-TIME REVENUE ASSOCIATED WITH A PRIOR YEAR'S PROPERTY VALUE AUDIT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE AUDIT, PURDUE BRANDON GOES AND DOES A PROPERTY VALUE AUDIT WITH THE COMPTROLLER, SAY THIS YEAR FOR TWO YEARS AGO, AND IN ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO, WE MIGHT RECEIVE SOME MONEY.
SO IT IS NEVER A QUICK AND SHORT-TERM THING.
PURDUE BRANDON IS CONSTANTLY REVIEWING OUR PROPERTIES.
WE GET TWO OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE OUR COMPTROLLER VALUES REVIEWED AND SO THEY STUDY ON THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GOING AT THE HOPEFULLY BEST TIME TO MAXIMIZE ANY ADDITIONAL REVENUE TO THE DISTRICT.
THAT'S THE SIGNIFICANT DROP FROM 25, 26, 27 IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THAT 6.8 THAT'S NOT NORMALLY IN ANY OF THOSE NUMBERS.
THE REST OF IT IS JUST THE NORMAL FUNCTIONING OF THE STATE FUNDING FORMULAS WITH THE DECLINING ENROLLMENT AND THE SLOW PROPERTY VALUE GROWTH AND THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, 29% OF OUR SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCES, WE DON'T GET ANY THEY ARE FROZEN.
THEIR LEVIES ARE FROZEN AND ALL THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION INCREASES.
AND THEN ALSO STARTING IN 26, 27, WE HAVE THE, BLESS YOU, WE HAVE THE...
EFFECTIVELY, A HOMESTEAD-TYPE EXEMPTION, BUT RELATED TO BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY, IS FACTORED IN WITH 2627 AND FORWARD.
SO THEN THERE ON THE SECOND LINE, WE HAVE THE TRANSFER IN FROM THE LOCAL PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND.
SO IF YOU DIRECT, I'LL LEAVE IT IN OR WE'LL TAKE IT BACK OUT.
THAT IS $9 MILLION OF THE $27 MILLION, SO THERE'S STILL $18 MILLION.
LEFT IN THE LOCAL PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND WE CAPTURE ALL THAT IS STILL THE SAME AND THEN THE OTHER ADDITIONAL LINE ITEM IS THE RAISE OPTION A AND I HAVE THE DETAILS OF RAISE OPTION A ON THE NEXT SLIDE FOR YOU AND THEN A REMINDER THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE OF THE ATR E AT THIS POINT AND IN 27-28, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE DO DIP BELOW OUR FUND BALANCE TARGET.
THE TARGET IS THREE MONTHS OF EXPENDITURES OR 25% OF OUR EXPENDITURE NUMBER.
AND IT WILL TAKE, WE WILL NEED $26 MILLION IN REDUCTIONS IN 27-28 JUST TO GET US TO WHERE OUR ENDING FUND BALANCE IS THE TARGET.
IT WOULD TAKE 37 MILLION, ALMOST $38 MILLION IN REDUCTIONS IN 27-28 AT THIS POINT TO GET BACK TO BREAK EVEN.
NONE OF THIS IS WHAT OUR FUTURE
[02:55:02]
HAS TO BE BECAUSE THE BOARD CAN CERTAINLY TAKE ACTION TO DIRECT US TO REDUCE EXPENDITURES.BUT IF OUR HISTORIC SPENDING PATTERNS GO CONTINUE, THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
I HAVE ALSO NOT ADDED A RAISE IN IN ANY FUTURE YEARS.
YOU JUST HAVE RAISE OPTION A, AND OF COURSE THAT BECOMES A COST IN ALL FUTURE YEARS, BUT THERE IS NO RAISE FOR 27, 28 OR FORWARD.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE LEGISLATURE WILL MEET TWICE IN THIS MULTI-YEAR FORECAST, SPRING OF 27, SO SECOND SEMESTER OF 26, 27, AND THEN AGAIN.
IN THE SECOND SEMESTER OF THE 28-29 SCHOOL YEAR.
PAY RAISE OPTION A THAT WAS INCLUDED THIS HAS BEEN SLIGHTLY ADJUSTED FROM WHAT WAS PRESENTED AT THE LAST MEETING YEAH AND I'LL TAKE THAT PART MR PATE SO UM IF YOU LOOK AT THE RAISE I DID WANT TO BRING FORWARD ONE ADJUSTMENT IF YOU REMEMBER IN THE LAST PRESENTATION WE DIFFERENTIATED BY ONE YEARS OF SERVICE ONE TO NINE AND THEN TEN PLUS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE RECOGNIZE WITH THE TEACHER RETENTION ALLOTMENT.
THE STATE STRUCTURED IT WITH ONE TO THREE YEARS OF SERVICE AND THEN FOUR PLUS, AND THAT WE NEED TO KEEP THAT SAME DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN THAT FOUR PLUS AND THAT FIVE YEARS.
SO WE SIMPLY MADE AN ADJUSTMENT WHERE WE BROUGHT THE 1,000 IS FOR TEACHERS THAT COME BACK NEXT YEAR AND HAVE A ONE TO THREE YEARS OF SERVICE, AND THEN TEACHERS THAT ARE FOUR PLUS.
AND THIS ALSO INCLUDES TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS, COUNSELORS, AND NURSES.
ALLOWS US TO ENSURE THAT EVEN OUR TEACHERS THAT HAVE THAT FOUR PLUS ARE RECEIVING AT LEAST A TWO PERCENT RAISE THAT MIRRORS AGAIN WE KNOW THAT YOU ALL WANT T-TYPES TO MAKE SURE TO HAVE AT LEAST MORE THAN WHAT FOR EXAMPLE OUR CENTRAL UM RAISE WAS SO MODELED OUT THAT IS THE SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT WHICH IS A SLIGHT INCREASE TO WHAT YOU SAW LAST MONTH LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED, IF THERE'S, IT REALLY IS JUST TO ALIGN WITH THE TRA THAT THE STATE BROUGHT IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
YES, WE HAD A CLARIFYING QUESTION.
JUST AS A REMINDER, JUST CAN YOU REMIND US OF THE TEACHER RETENTION PIECE OF THAT AND WHY THOSE NUMBERS MATCH? YES.
AND HOW THAT IMPACTS REVENUE VERSUS EXPENDITURE.
GOODSON, WILL YOU CHIME IN ON THE TEACHER RETENTION ALLOTMENT IN THAT YEARS OF SERVICE BREAK? DIFFERENTIATING FOR MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS NOT COMPRESSION BETWEEN THOSE WHICH WAS THE INTENT BY THE STATE IN THE LAST SESSION YEAH I REMEMBER THAT TEACHER RETENTION ALLOTMENT PROVIDED THE PAY RAISE OF 02,500 OR $5,000 FOR TEACHERS COMPLETING AS MISS BRANDON SAID IT STARTED WITH I THINK TWO AND THREE YEARS OF SERVICE AND THEN FROM FOUR YEARS UP THEY GOT THE LARGER AMOUNT AFTER YOU APPROVE THE PAY RAISE STRUCTURE CHANGE THE YEAR BEFORE THAT, WE HAD ALREADY STRETCHED OUT THOSE STEPS TO BE $500 AND $1,000 APART AS YOU WENT DOWN YEARS OF SERVICE.
WHEN WE IMPLEMENTED THE TRA, IT STRETCHED IT OUT EVEN MORE JUST BECAUSE OF THE SPACE THAT WAS REQUIRED BY THE STATE.
AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WE USE THAT SAME GROUPING OF YEARS OF SERVICE, IT PREVENTS US FROM SQUEEZING THOSE BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.
THE $500 AND $1,000 BETWEEN THE STEPS.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT ONCE YOU HIT FOUR YEARS OF SERVICE OR FIVE OR MORE, YOU ARE, AGAIN, EVEN FARTHER AWAY FROM A TEACHER WHO HAS LESS EXPERIENCE THAN YOU BY AT LEAST THAT $2,500 OR $5,000.
CAN I JUST HAVE A MORE CLARIFYING STATEMENT? BUT ALSO, TOO, WE'RE STILL RECEIVING MONEY FROM THE STATE EVERY YEAR BASED ON OUR RETENTION NUMBERS BASED ON THAT BLOCK.
SO IT ALLOWS US NOT TO HAVE TO.
LIKE, GUESS, IF YOU HAVE SO MANY COMING IN WHO ARE, LIKE, UP TO 10, IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT MANY AND NOW WE HAVE MORE, THEN THE MONEY THE STATE WOULD GIVE US WOULDN'T WASH OUT THE SAME WAY.
SO THIS ALLOWS IT TO WASH OUT IN A WAY THAT WOULDN'T CAUSE A DEFICIT? CORRECT.
AND IT ALSO MAKES SURE THAT WHEN WE ARE REPORTING, THERE'S ALIGNMENT WITH HOW THE STATE IS WE'RE ASKED TO REPORT THAT TO THE STATE AS WELL.
JUST CIRCLING BACK THEN TO THE IMPACT OF THE VATRE, THIS SLIDE IS UNCHANGED FROM THAT PRESENTED AT THE APRIL 23RD MEETING.
AND THE $5 MILLION GOES FROM A 2930.
[03:00:01]
BENEFIT IN THOSE YEARS, DROPPING TO ABOUT A $5.5 MILLION BENEFIT IN 2930.CLARIFY THAT I'VE PUT THIS TOGETHER TO KIND OF HELP EXPLAIN THE COMPLEXITIES OF THAT DECLINE THERE.
IT'S NOT A CALCULATION ERROR OR THE VATRE ITSELF.
IT IS THE COMPLEXITIES OF SCHOOL FINANCE AND HOW, IN OUR CASE, PROPERTY VALUE IS GROWING FASTER.
PROPERTY VALUES ARE GROWING FASTER THAN THE TAXABLE REVENUE BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF OVER 65 RESIDENTS WE HAVE AND THE LIMITATIONS ON REVENUE THAT WE HAVE BASED ON OUR DECLINING ENROLLMENT.
THERE'S ALSO A LARGER REQUIRED REDUCTION IN THE MAXIMUM COMPRESSED RATE IN THIS MODEL AT 1.7 CENTS, A DECLINE BY 1.7 CENTS IN 2930.
THAT, AGAIN, REDUCES OUR ALLOWABLE M&O REVENUE EVEN AFTER THE VATRE PASSAGE.
BECAUSE IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, THE STATE SETS OUR MAXIMUM COMPRESSED RATE.
WE PROVIDE PROPERTY VALUE INFORMATION EVERY YEAR.
AND AFTER WE GET THE CERTIFIED VALUES IN JULY, I SUBMIT INFORMATION.
THEY THEN TELL US WHAT OUR MAXIMUM COMPRESSED RATE CAN BE.
THEN WE ADD THE ADDITIONAL PENNIES THAT YOU AS THE BOARD ARE ALLOWED TO ADD, PLUS THE PENNIES THAT THE VOTERS GAVE US WHEN WE HAD THE TRE BACK IN 2018.
THAT'S THE 3.17 CENTS WE HAVE LEFT.
CONVOLUTED AND COMPLEX WITH THE WAY ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT FACTORS PLAY AGAINST EACH OTHER BASICALLY WE'RE WE'RE GETTING POORER OR WE'RE GETTING WEALTHIER PER STUDENT AND WE'RE GETTING PUNISHED FOR THAT AND SO IT IS REDUCING THE REVENUE AVAILABLE TO US AND EVEN THOUGH PROPERTY VALUE IS GROWING BECAUSE OF THAT OVER 65 PORTION OUR OUR TAXABLE VALUE GROWS, BUT BECAUSE OF THE LEVY LOSS DUE TO THE FROZEN LEVY, OUR TAX REVENUE IS NOT GROWING AS FAST AS THE PROPERTY VALUES ARE GROWING.
AND WE HIT THE TIPPING POINT IN 2930.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT I DID SEND MY TEMPLATE IN TO SOME FOLKS AT TASBO.
I HAD TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE THERE LOOK AT IT FOR ME.
THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY ERRORS IN THE CALCULATIONS.
WE'RE JUST ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY LOOKS AT THE OUT YEARS.
ALSO, THE FOLKS THAT LOOKED AT IT ARE A LADY NAMED AMANDA BROWNSON AND ANOTHER LADY, JANAE SPURGEON.
THEY'RE TWO OF THE FOUR PEOPLE THAT I KNOW IN THE STATE THAT TRULY UNDERSTAND ALL OF THIS.
AND I AM NOT ON THAT LIST OF PEOPLE THAT I BELIEVE TRULY UNDERSTAND THIS AT THEIR LEVEL.
SO THE VATRE CONSIDERATIONS, AGAIN, WE HAVE 3.17 CENTS AVAILABLE.
WE DO HAVE TO HIRE AN AUDITOR TO CONDUCT AN EFFICIENCY AUDIT.
OUR LAST CHANCE TO HIRE THAT IN THE TIMELINE, AND WE'LL LOOK AT THE TIMELINE IN A MINUTE, BUT OUR LAST OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT IS JUNE 4TH.
WE CAN USE OUR CURRENT AUDIT FIRM.
ALLISON, MS. DAVENPORT DID REQUEST AN ENGAGEMENT LETTER FROM THEM JUST SO THAT WE'LL HAVE IT IF WE NEED IT.
AND WE ARE WORKING ON THE AGENDA ITEM AT THIS POINT TO PUT THAT ON THE JUNE 4TH BOARD MEETING.
THE COST OF THE EFFICIENCY AUDIT IS $15,000.
WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE A BOARD MEETING TO DISCUSS THE RESULTS OF THE EFFICIENCY AUDIT.
WE'LL LOOK AT THOSE DATES IN A MINUTE.
AND THEN I'VE JUST PUT A TAX RATE COMPARISON.
BREAKING OUT ALL THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS FOR OUR TAX RATE WITH AND WITHOUT A VATRE.
SO JUST A REMINDER OF THE BUDGET CALENDAR.
AGAIN, JUNE 4TH, I JUST WANT TO STRESS THAT.
THAT IS REALLY THE LAST PRACTICAL DAY TO SELECT AN AUDITOR FOR THE EFFICIENCY AUDIT.
STATE LAW SAYS THAT WE HAVE TO SELECT THE AUDITOR NO LATER THAN, I BELIEVE IT'S FOUR MONTHS PRIOR TO.
THE ELECTION, IS THAT RIGHT? I KNOW THE DATE'S JULY 3RD.
I'VE LOOKED AT THE CALENDAR SEVERAL TIMES TO DOUBLE-CHECK THAT.
WE HAVE UNTIL JULY 3RD TO DO IT, BUT OUR LAST BOARD MEETING BEFORE JULY 3RD IS JUNE 4TH.
THEN, OF COURSE, AS I MENTIONED, WE GET OUR CERTIFIED VALUES FROM DCAD NORMALLY ON JULY 25TH.
[03:05:01]
THEN ON THE 1ST, I HAVE TO PROVIDE THOSE.THAT'S MY LAST DAY TO PROVIDE THOSE CERTIFIED VALUES TO TEA.
POSSIBLE TO SEND ME OUR MAXIMUM COMPRESSED RATE IS AUGUST 5TH.
IF WE WERE TO HAVE A VATRE, WE WOULD HAVE TO PUBLISH THE NOTICE IN THE NEWSPAPER, AND WE WILL HAVE TO PUBLISH A NEW NOTICE.
IT WILL LOOK LIKE THE ONE THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO PUBLISH FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET FOR JUNE 4TH, BUT WE WILL HAVE TO PUBLISH A NEW ONE IF WE PROCEED WITH THE VATRE, AND THE LAST DAY WE COULD DO THAT IS AUGUST 7TH.
THE LAST DAY AND PROBABLY THE ONLY DAY THAT WILL WORK FOR US TO CALL THE MEETING WOULD BE TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING ON AUGUST 17TH TO CALL A VATRE.
WE NEED TO PUBLISH BY OCTOBER 1ST THE RESULTS OF THE EFFICIENCY AUDIT ON OUR WEBSITE AND HOLD BASICALLY A PUBLIC HEARING TO DISCUSS THE RESULTS OF THE EFFICIENCY AUDIT.
AND, OF COURSE, NOVEMBER 3RD IS THE GENERAL ELECTION DATE.
AND THE LAST DATE OF CANVAS WOULD BE NOVEMBER 17TH. AND THEN WHETHER IT'S SUCCESSFUL OR NOT, IF YOU DECIDE TO CALL A VATRE, WE WILL BE MAILING TAX BILLS THEN ON NOVEMBER 18TH.
WITH THAT, I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I KNOW WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK A LOT DURING THE PRESENTATION, SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE REMAINDER OF IT? YOU DO? MR. EAGER.
EVERY TIME I GO TO THESE PRESENTATIONS, IT IS BECOMING ALMOST COMICAL FROM THE STATE THAT WE GET PENALIZED FOR PAYING DOWN OUR BILLS EARLY, THAT WE'RE WE'RE BEING EFFICIENT THAT ANY OTHER FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEMBER THAT DID THEIR JOB, SAVED THEIR MONEY, AND PAID THEIR DEBTS EARLY, YOU GET PUNISHED.
AND IT'S JUST ANOTHER SITUATION OF IT IS INCREDIBLY HARD FOR US TO PROVIDE A GOOD EDUCATION FOR KIDS.
AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS.
I'LL JUST HATE TO KEEP BRINGING THAT UP, BUT IT'S BETTER TO BE AWARE OF IT NOW.
THERE IS ONE PIECE OF FEEDBACK.
AS YOU KNOW, WE BROUGHT FORWARD THE VADER INFORMATION AS A RESULT OF THE COMMUNITY BUDGET STEERING COMMITTEE.
THAT IS ONE OF THEIR NINE CONSIDERATIONS.
WE WOULD JUST LOVE SOME FEEDBACK.
WE RECOGNIZE, AND I THINK PRESIDENT POTEET, WHEN WE FIRST BROUGHT THIS FORWARD, I THINK YOU STATED ON THE HEELS OF JUST ASKING OUR COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT A BOND, THAT IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO ASK THEM 12 MONTHS LATER TO ALSO STOMACH ANOTHER TAX INCREASE AND THAT THERE MAY BE MORE APPETITE FOR THE BOARD.
LET'S GET THROUGH THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
LET'S SEE IF THERE'S ANY RELIEF THAT WAY.
THAT WOULD ALSO PUT US TWO YEARS FROM THE LAST BOND AND SEE IF A VADER IS SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE MORE AMENABLE TO THE COMMUNITY.
BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT IN THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THEY COULD ALSO REMOVE ANY OPTION THAT WE HAVE FROM POTENTIALLY PURSUING A VADER.
SO WE JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT FORWARD AS AN OPTION SINCE IT DID COME FROM THE COMMUNITY BUDGET STEERING COMMITTEE.
SO JUST WOULD LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK ON WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE US BRING FORWARD AN ITEM RELATED TO CALLING FOR AN EFFICIENCY AUDIT? OR DO YOU REALLY RATHER WATCH THE LANDSCAPE FOR THE NEXT YEAR AND EVALUATE THAT AS A POTENTIAL OPTION FOR? NOVEMBER OF 27.
WHO WANTS TO PROVIDE SOME FEEDBACK? YES, MS. PACHECO.
SO DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS GOING TO COST US MONEY TOO, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM.
AND WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THINGS THAT COST US MONEY AND ADDITIONAL EXPENSES, AND WE WANT TO BE CAREFUL WITH EVEN OUR MARKETING AND CREATING MORE AWARENESS AND TAKING CARE OF ALL THE STUDENTS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
I KNOW THAT DOING A VADR WOULD INCREASE SOME, BUT I ALSO BELIEVE IN YOU AND OUR TEAM THAT WE CAN FIND MORE EFFICIENCIES, THAT WE CAN CONSOLIDATE SOMETHING, REDUNDANCIES, THINGS THAT SUPPORT THE BUDGET WITHOUT AFFECTING THE COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE HARD RIGHT NOW FOR OUR COMMUNITY, OF COURSE FOR OUR SCHOOLS TOO.
I JUST THINK, YOU KNOW, ECONOMICALLY, OUR FAMILIES ARE GOING THROUGH IT, RIGHT? THEY'RE ALREADY DEPENDING ON A LOT OF OUR FREE LUNCHES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND WE DO SO MUCH, RIGHT? I JUST DON'T WANT TO ADD MORE, AT LEAST NOT NOW, PERSONALLY,
[03:10:03]
JUST BECAUSE WE SHOULD SEE.AND I THINK, I DO BELIEVE THAT OUR DISTRICT CAN DO BETTER AND MORE AND GET CREATIVE AND JUST FIND MORE SAVINGS JUST BECAUSE.
MEAN THAT IT IS ANOTHER EXPENSE I KNOW IT BRINGS IN MONEY I RECOGNIZE IT BUT IT DOES ALSO BRING HARDSHIP TO OUR COMMUNITY AND I MEAN I JUST DON'T KNOW I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD WAIT AND SEE AND WORK A LITTLE HARDER WITH OUR WHAT WE HAVE YES MR. ANDREA I FEEL THE SAME WAY I THINK I THINK RIGHT NOW THINGS ARE JUST REALLY TOO HARD.
I FEEL THE SAME WAY IN THE SENSE OF WHAT MR. POTEET SAID EARLIER ABOUT IT'S TOO SOON.
I KIND OF FEEL LIKE IT'S TOO SOON.
I THINK WE'RE STILL TRYING TO.
FIGURE THINGS OUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH EVERYTHING.
BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT THE COMMUNITY HELPED US PASS THE BOND AND ALL.
BUT I THINK IT'S A BIG ASK RIGHT NOW.
I THINK BEING ABLE TO KIND OF WAIT THINGS OUT A LITTLE BIT AND SEE HOW THINGS SETTLE.
AND, YES, ALL THE OPTIONS THAT YOU MENTIONED ABOUT OUR LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND ALL COMING UP.
I KNOW THOSE ARE ALL HOPES, RIGHT? THEY'RE ALL JUST KIND OF HOPES AND CROSS OUR FINGERS AND SEE IF IT'LL, YOU KNOW, THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS, RIGHT? BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I FEEL THE SAME WAY THAT MS. PACHECO FEELS IN THE SENSE THAT HOW THIS AFFECTS THE COMMUNITY, HOW IT MIGHT BE AN EXTRA BLOW THAT'S KIND OF HARD TO CARRY.
I MEAN, I WOULD SAY THAT I WOULD.
AND I DO JUST WANT TO FOLLOW UP, AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW OUR TEAM IS COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO FIND THOSE EFFICIENCIES.
I WILL TELL YOU, WE GOT CREATIVE THIS YEAR.
AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I JUST WANT TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT.
AND MR. POTEET AND I TALK ABOUT THIS ANALOGY ALL THE TIME.
LIKE, WE CUT THROUGH THE FAT, YOU KNOW, THE LAST TWO YEARS BEFORE THIS.
PRETTY SOON, WE'RE GOING TO BE CLOSE TO THE BONE BECAUSE THERE ARE LESS AND LESS OPTIONS THAT DON'T DIRECTLY IMPACT THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE.
LIKE, THE SCHEDULE IMPACTS, DON'T GET ME WRONG.
I KNOW THAT THE SCHEDULE IMPACTS.
THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE, BUT THEY'RE STILL GETTING THE SAME COURSES, THE SAME EXTRACURRICULARS.
WE ARE GETTING CLOSE TO WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE NOT BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE A RAISE, PROGRAM CUTS.
AND AGAIN, IT IS WHAT IT IS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO WHEN WE'RE IN THIS BUDGET CHALLENGES.
I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT, YES, WE'RE GOING TO BE AS CREATIVE AS WE CAN, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR BEST TO KEEP AS MANY CUTS AWAY FROM OUR KIDS, BUT WE'RE IN THE PLACE WHERE THERE'S NOT MANY LEFT.
TO DO THAT DON'T DIRECTLY IMPACT THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE.
AND I WANT TO ADD THAT I APPRECIATE THAT ALSO.
I KNOW THAT YOUR TEAM HAS DONE SO MUCH.
AND, YOU KNOW, TO MR. EAGER'S POINT, I JUST THINK IT'S FRUSTRATING, BUT IT'S INFURIATING TOO, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S JUST INFURIATING THAT WE CANNOT, WE WERE ALL TRYING OUR VERY BEST, RIGHT? WE'RE ALL TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
AND IT'S JUST SO DISAPPOINTING, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE ARE WHERE WE ARE.
AND I FEEL SOMETIMES LIKE THERE IS NO GOOD OPTION, RIGHT? NO GOOD OPTION.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK, LIKE I SAID, AND EVEN FOR MYSELF, I THINK IN THIS MOMENT, I'M GOING TO SAY, YEAH, LET'S BE MORE CONSERVATIVE.
BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, I MIGHT CHANGE MY MIND AGAIN AND BE LIKE, BECAUSE IT'S SO HARD, RIGHT? YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO PICK, LIKE, YOU KNOW, YEAH, IT'S JUST VERY DIFFICULT.
MS. TIMMY? I'M GLAD YOU SAID THAT.
I WAS GOING TO SAY, WELL, I DON'T, I WAS GOING TO JUST PUSH A LITTLE BIT BACK ON WHAT MS. PACHECO SAID, JUST ONLY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF I DON'T THINK THAT THERE ARE REDUNDANCIES LEFT ANYMORE.
AND I HATE THAT, RIGHT? LIKE, I HATE THAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT REALLY DEEP CUTS THAT ARE REALLY GOING TO PROVIDE, THAT ARE GOING TO CUT SERVICES AND THINGS THAT POTENTIALLY EVEN MAKE OUR DISTRICT DIFFERENT, SPECIAL, WHATEVER, BECAUSE OF THAT.
IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THE GOVERNOR'S NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS TO PUT AN END TO PROPERTY TAXES, RIGHT? SO DOES THAT NOT IMPACT? AND IF WE GO TO THE COMMUNITY AND ASK THEM TO INCREASE THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, AND WE ASK FOR THIS MONEY AND WE HAVE THIS UP THERE, WE'VE ASKED FOR THEM, WE'VE DONE THIS BIG CAMPAIGN, AND THEN IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THEY TAKE AWAY THE ABILITY FOR SCHOOLS TO BE FUNDED THROUGH PROPERTY TAXES.
HAVE WE NOT WASTED THEN SOME OF AND EXHAUSTED OUR COMMUNITY ON SOMETHING THAT REALLY MAKES NO DIFFERENCE IN THE END IF THAT SHOULD GO THROUGH? AM I CORRECT? YES, 100%.
SO I SAY THAT TO SAY, WHILE I KNOW WE NEED THOSE EXTRA FUNDS, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, I'M NOT SURE THAT I WOULD BE WILLING TO RISK AND ASK THE COMMUNITY AND PUT THE EFFORT IN TO DO SOMETHING UNDER WHICH MAY NOT EVEN GO
[03:15:02]
FORWARD BECAUSE IT MAY NOT EVEN BE AN OPTION OF A LEVER TO PULL.AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED SOME CLARITY FROM THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO PULL THAT, TO SEE IF THAT IS A LEVER THAT WE CAN PULL AT ALL.
I MEAN, SURELY THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE SOMETHING ADDRESSED.
THERE'S NO DISTRICT IN THE STATE OR VERY FEW DISTRICTS IN THE STATE THAT AREN'T IN THE SAME BOAT OR WORSE.
THAN WHERE WE ARE, RIGHT? AND NOT EVERY DISTRICT CAN GO BANKRUPT.
WELL, I MEAN, THEY COULD, BUT ALL AT THE SAME TIME WITHOUT ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM COMING FORWARD.
SO I SAY ALL OF THAT TO SAY, WHILE I ALSO AGREE THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE TAXING.
QUESTION ABOUT CONTINUING TO FUND SCHOOLS IN A DIFFERENT WAY THROUGH A COMMUNITY IN A TIME WHEN IT'S ECONOMICALLY TOUGH FOR EVERYBODY BUT I THINK FOR ME THAT IS A CONCERN BUT THE OVERRIDING CONCERN OF THAT IS I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT AND THEN IT'S NOT EVEN AN OPTION AND WE'VE WE'VE EXHAUSTED THEM WITH WHAT WE'VE ASKED THEM TO DO AND SO MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO WAIT FOR THAT LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND THEN POTENTIALLY PULL THAT LEVER AFTER ELLEN YEP I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT TIMMY SAID AND THIS PACHECO AND MISS RENTRIA UM BUT I WANT TO ALSO ADD THAT AND WHAT YOU SAID WE YOU KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IT'S GOING TO GET DOWN TO THE BONE RIGHT AND AND JUST AS TIMMY SAID WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES RIGHT THERE THERE ARE PEOPLE IN WORSE SITUATIONS WE'RE GOING TO ALL BE GOING THROUGH THIS TOGETHER SO I FEEL THE SAME WAY.
I THINK WE SHOULD BE CONSERVATIVE.
I THINK WE SHOULD HOLD OUR LEGISLATORS RESPONSIBLE.
WE'LL FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO, RIGHT? AND THAT WILL THEN GIVE US THE MOMENTUM, I GUESS, TO PUSH HARDER AGAINST THEM.
AND HOPEFULLY, ONCE WE GET TO THE BONE AND WE HAVE TO CUT THROUGH BONE, THEN MAYBE PEOPLE WILL BE MORE MOTIVATED AS WELL TO PUSH UP ON THOSE LEVERS AS WELL.
BECAUSE I MEAN WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER AND AT SOME POINT IF WE'RE CUTTING SPECIAL PROGRAMS, IF WE'RE CUTTING EXTRACURRICULAR, UNFORTUNATELY, OTHERS WILL BE DOING IT TOO.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR FEEDBACK? MS. HARRIS, I SEE YOU REACHING FOR THE BUTTON.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF DITTO TO EVERYTHING EVERYONE HAS SAID HERE.
I DON'T HAVE TO REITERATE EVERYTHING.
MY CONCERN ALSO IS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND EVERYONE IS HAVING A TOUGH TIME RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU HAVE KIDS IN THE DISTRICT OR NOT.
SO, YEAH, I ABSOLUTELY AGREE ON WAITING.
I THINK THAT GIVES A LITTLE BIT OF CONSENSUS MAYBE AROUND LOOKING FORWARD.
I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, AS WE TALK AROUND THE TABLE AND EVERYBODY WAS SAYING CUTTING, WHICH IS ENTIRELY CORRECT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALSO ABOUT WHAT WE'RE PROTECTING, YOU KNOW.
AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE NORTH STAR GOAL, I THINK OF.
LOOKING AT THIS, IF WE CAN KIND OF PIVOT AND LOOK AT WHAT ARE WE GOING TO PROTECT, THAT'S JUST ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT SIMILAR TYPE ACTIONS.
BUT ANYWAY, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO, AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT COMING UP WITH THE CUTS.
SO I DON'T ENVY YOU, BUT KNOW YOU ALL HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO PROVIDE US SOME GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS.
THANKS FOR ALL THE COMMENTS, FOR THE PRESENTATIONS.
I'D LIKE TO THANK THE PUBLIC, THOSE HERE AND WATCHING, COLLEAGUES AND STAFF FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.
IT IS NOW 10 P.M., AND THE BOARD WILL NOW CONVENE TO A CLOSED SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
I'M TIED TO THIS AGENDA LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS.
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MINUTE, AND I KNOW YOU MAY HAVE A FEW WORDS THAT YOU MENTIONED, BUT I WANT TO JUST CELEBRATE MS. RENTERIA'S SERVICE.
AND WE HAD A BIG CELEBRATION BEFOREHAND, FAMILY, FRIENDS, FORMER TRUSTEES, A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT SHE HAS SERVED WITH AND SERVED FOR OVER THE YEARS. SO WE WANT TO THANK HER SERVICE, SIX YEARS OF IT. AND YOU'VE SEEN A LOT IN SIX YEARS.
YOU'VE DONE A LOT IN SIX YEARS. SO IT'S BEEN, I THINK, A PLEASURE TO SERVE AS A TEAM WITH YOU OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS. AND I KNOW THAT EVERYBODY IS, YOU KNOW, THE ONLY CONSTANT IS CHANGE.
SO FROM THE BOARD'S PERSPECTIVE, WE'LL HAVE A NEW TRUSTEE IN YOUR SEAT. I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THAT, BUT SAD TO SEE YOU GO. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY WORDS YOU'D LIKE TO SAY TO THE BOARD, BEFORE WE GO TO CLOSED SESSION.
BUT IF NOT, I KNOW YOU HAD A LOT OF WORDS TO SAY THERE AS WELL. THANK
[03:20:01]
YOU, MR. POTEET. NO, YOU'RE RIGHT. I THINK I'VE ALREADY KIND OF EXPRESSED MY GRATITUDE TO EVERYBODY, TO THE COMMUNITY, I MEAN, FOR JUST ENTRUSTING ME WITH THIS POSITION. AND I'M SO GRATEFUL. AGAIN, I JUST KEEP SAYING THAT, BUT I REALLY AM. I'M JUST SO, SO GRATEFUL TO YOU GUYS, TO MY COLLEAGUES. THE TABITHA, I MEAN, WHO'S THE HARDEST WORKING, MOST COMMITTED SUPERINTENDENT I THINK I'VE EVER MET.TO HER EXECUTIVE STAFF, EVERYBODY. I MEAN, I'VE LEARNED. I DON'T WANT TO GET EMOTIONAL, BUT I'VE LEARNED A LOT. AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M GOING TO MISS ARE ALL THE FRIENDSHIPS THAT I'VE MADE. YOU COME TOGETHER WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND WE WORK TOGETHER. THE FRIENDSHIPS THAT I HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS HAVE BEEN TREMENDOUS. I ADMIRE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU HERE, THE REST OF THE STAFF, THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, EVERYBODY THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE. THAT IS THERE TO DO THIS WORK, RIGHT? AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT, AND YOU GUYS KNOW THIS, THIS WORK, WHILE IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL, THIS WORK IS HARD. I MEAN, EVEN LIKE IN TODAY'S CONVERSATION, RIGHT? I MEAN, MR. EAGER AND I CAME ON IN 2020. WE FILED IN FEBRUARY, AND THEN THE WORLD SHUT DOWN IN MARCH. AND FROM THERE ON, IT'S BEEN LIKE HIGH SPEED, GO, TRYING TO FIGURE STUFF OUT.
BUT I'M SO GRATEFUL TO BE AMONG PEOPLE WHO ARE WITH YOU, RIGHT, AS YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE THESE THINGS OUT. I THINK HALF THE TIME WE WERE ALL JUST TRYING TO KEEP ALL THE BALLS IN THE AIR AND NOT KNOWING WHICH BALL WAS WHICH, YOU KNOW. BUT I'M JUST GRATEFUL THAT I HAD THIS OPPORTUNITY. IT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE GREATEST HONORS AND PRIVILEGES THAT I'VE HAD TO SERVE. AS MR. POTEET SAID, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CHANGE THAT'S COMING AND TO HAVING A NEW TRUSTEE WHO I KNOW WILL CONTINUE THAT. BUT I THINK IF ANYTHING THAT WE CAN TAKE AWAY OR I WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY IS JUST TO KNOW THAT, AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, SO I DON'T MEAN TO BE REDUNDANT, BUT I REALLY, TRULY LOVE THIS DISTRICT. I'VE LOVED THIS WORK.
AND I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE FACT THAT I REALLY DID TRY MY BEST. I TRIED REALLY HARD.
TO UM JUST DO THE WORK RIGHT AND TO TO REPRESENT UH I'M SO HAPPY THAT I AM LEAVING A BOARD THAT IS MORE REFLECTIVE OF THE STUDENTS WE SERVE THAN EVER BEFORE UM AND SO I WILL BE HERE RIGHT AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE TOO I WILL BE HERE TO CONTINUE ADVOCATING TO CONTINUE FIGHTING AND I'LL JUST BE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HORSESHOE BUT THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYBODY WHO'S JUST AGAIN, HAS POURED INTO ME, HAS HELPED ME. I MEAN, MR. PATE, EVEN IN, I MEAN, I JUST, I WAS TELLING HIM EARLIER AT THE RECEPTION, JUST, I MEAN, SCHOOL FINANCE, RIGHT? IT'S JUST LIKE, IT'S A LOT. YEAH, NO, I KNOW. BUT EVERYWHERE, EVERYBODY THAT I'VE MET, ALL OF YOU GUYS THAT ARE JUST SUCH EXPERTS IN WHAT YOU DO, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I APPRECIATE YOU.
SO, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS TIME. THANK YOU FOR BEING MY FRIEND, MY COLLEAGUE. I LOVE ALL OF YOU. I WILL MISS BEING HERE, BUT I'LL BE AROUND. SO THANK YOU GUYS. ALL RIGHT. I WOULD
[IV. CLOSED MEETING]
LIKE TO THANK THE PUBLIC, COLLEAGUES. AND STAFF FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. IT IS NOW 10.04 P.M. AND THE BOARD WILL NOW CONVENE TO CLOSE SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION 551.071, CONSULTATION[V. RECONVENE]
WITH ATTORNEY, SECTION 551.074, PERSONNEL MATTERS AND DUTIES OF PUBLIC OFFICER.OKAY, THE BOARD IS RETURNING TO OPEN SESSION AT 11.34 P.M. I HAVEN'T TAKEN NO ACTION WHILE IN CLOSED SESSION. THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 11:34 P.M. ON MAY 14TH,2026.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.