[00:00:01]
>> GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY AND WELCOME TO THE BOARD WORKSHOP FOR JUNE 13, 2022.
[1. BOARD WORKSHOP - 4:30 PM]
WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT AGENDA ITEMS TODAY, ONE BEING THE BUDGET, THE CONTINUED CONVERSATION, NO DECISIONS BEING MADE TODAY, BUT A CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS FOR THE 22-23 BUDGET, AND JASON WILL BE PRESENTING THAT.THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME SPECIAL GUESTS TALKING ABOUT THE SENIOR PROJECTS THAT WE JUST COMPLETED.
FIND OUT WHAT WHAT IS WORKING WELL WITH THAT, WHAT MIGHT NEED TO BE ADJUSTED, AND DO WE CONTINUE THAT AS A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT IN CAMAS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AGAIN, NO DECISIONS, NO VOTING, NOTHING, JUST CONVERSATIONS TODAY.
>> OKAY. I GOT TO GET THAT CLOSER OR IS THAT OKAY. ARE WE PICKING UP? GOOD.
THIS WILL BE A CONTINUATION OF OUR DISCUSSION ON THE LAST BOARD WORKSHOP, WHICH WAS WHERE WE DISCUSSED THE BUDGET WHICH WAS IN APRIL I BELIEVE.
WE'VE BEEN BUSY WORKING ON THE BUDGET SINCE THEN, REFINING IT.
I PROMISE IT WILL NOT BE THE TWO-AND-A-HALF HOURS THAT WE DID LAST TIME IN RESPECT TO EVERYONE HERE AND IS PARTICULARLY BEAVER FANS APPARENTLY.
BUT REALLY, THIS WILL BE SHORT IN PART BECAUSE REALLY NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED IN OUR BUDGET OVERALL SINCE THEN.
THAT MAKES THIS DISCUSSION PROBABLY EXPEDITE QUITE A BIT.
RIGHT NOW IN THE BUDGET PROCESS WHERE WE STILL ARE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, I FEEL LIKE FROM PREVIOUS YEARS.
THIS IS STILL A PRELIMINARY BUDGET AS DOUG MENTIONED, THERE'S NO VOTE.
WE'RE NOT OBLIGATING THE DISTRICT ANYTHING FOR NEXT YEAR.
WE HAVE TO PUBLISH OUR BUDGET BY JULY 10TH.
A PRELIMINARY ON OUR WEBSITE WILL EASILY MEET THAT DEADLINE THIS YEAR.
REALLY THE PURPOSE IS TO GET BOTH FEEDBACK ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND BE BUILDING AGAIN SOME MORE BLOCKS LEADING UP TO AUGUST WHEN ULTIMATELY THE FINAL BUDGET WILL BE PROPOSED FOR YOUR APPROVAL.
THIS YEAR IN TOTAL ACROSS ALL THE FIVE FUNDS THAT ARE BUDGETED, IT'S ALMOST $138 MILLION ACROSS THOSE FUNDS.
IT'S AMAZING. THAT SEEMS LIKE A LOT, AND THE GENERAL FUND OBVIOUSLY IS THE LION'S SHARE OF THAT.
THAT'S WHERE OUR OPERATIONS COME OUT OF.
WE'VE PRETTY WELL WRAPPED UP THOSE BOND PROJECTS.
MOST OF THAT IS LIKE OUR TECH LEVY AND CAPITAL LEVY ACTIVITY, THEIR DEBT SERVICE.
THAT'S THE FUND IN WHICH OBVIOUSLY WE PAY OUR BONDS OFF THAT WE TAKE OUT FOR BUILDINGS.
IT'S ACTUALLY THE STUDENTS' MONEY, THEY MANAGE IT.
BUT THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS AN OBLIGATION TO SET AN OVERALL BUDGET FOR IT EVERY YEAR.
THEN FINALLY IS THE TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE FUND, WHICH IS THE FUND THAT WE USE TO PURCHASE ALL OF OUR BUSES OUT OF.
WE'LL START OFF WITH THE GENERAL FUND.
AS WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST, WE WERE LOOKING AT THE LAST BOARD WORKSHOP, WE WERE PLANNING ON USING FUND BALANCE GOING INTO NEXT YEAR.
ON THE REVENUE SIDE, WE'VE GOT THOSE ONE-TIME COVID RELIEF MONIES STARTING TO DWINDLE DOWN NOT QUITE AT THE SAME LEVEL AS WHAT WE'D SEEN IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
BUT IT DOES INCLUDE ABOUT 717,000 OF THAT.
WE'RE PUTTING CAPACITY INTO THE BUDGET ON THE REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE SIDE OF 2.5 MILLION.
THE REASON FOR THAT IS IF WE GET GRANTS DURING THE YEAR, IF WE PUT CAPACITY IN THERE, WE DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU FOR ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY.
IF WE'RE OFF ON OUR INITIAL BUDGET PROJECTION BY ONE OR TWO PERCENT, THIS GIVES US THAT ABILITY TO FLEX THE BUDGET A LITTLE BIT DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.
PRETTY STANDARD, 2.5 MILLION IS A LITTLE OVER TWO PERCENT.
I FEEL LIKE THAT'S ABOUT AS THIN AS WE CAN CUT IT I THINK GIVEN THIS YEAR.
[00:05:04]
ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE, LET'S SEE HERE.LIKE I MENTIONED, THE PLANNED USE OF FUND BALANCE OF 5.2 MILLION, AND INCLUDES TRANSFERS TO THE DEBT SERVICE AND CAPITAL PROJECTS FUNDS OF 1.2 MILLION ROUGHLY.
DEBT SERVICES FOR THE LGO BOND THAT WE TOOK OUT A FEW YEARS AGO TO PURCHASE PROPERTY, CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THAT FUND IF YOU RECALL, WE'VE REALLY DRAWN DOWN QUITE A BIT WITH OUR BOND PROJECTS, AND SO WE'VE GOT TO HAVE A LITTLE CAUTION IN THERE.
TO GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE, WE ENSURE ABOUT 320 MILLION DOLLARS IN ASSETS ACROSS ALL OUR BUILDINGS, AND SO WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME LEVEL OF RESERVE TO KEEP UP WITH UNEXPECTED ITEMS THAT OCCUR THERE.
ANY QUESTIONS? THAT'S REALLY THE OVERALL PICTURE FOR 22-23.
OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE TALKED QUITE A BIT ABOUT ENROLLMENT.
IT'S OUR BIGGEST FUNDING DRIVER OBVIOUSLY.
THIS GRAPH WE'VE HAD UP FOR QUITE A WHILE.
BUT WHAT YOU CAN SEE IS WE'RE ANTICIPATING A PRETTY MODERATE GROWTH IF YOU WILL, NOMINAL GROWTH REALLY IN THESE COMING FOUR YEARS.
NOT QUITE BACKUP TO OUR PRE-PANDEMIC LEVEL UP HERE, BUT WE'RE EXPECTED TO MAKE SOME PROGRESS IN THAT DIRECTION.
OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T KNOW UNTIL THE FALL WHAT OUR ACTUAL ENROLLMENT IS.
WE PASS A BUDGET AND ANXIOUSLY WAIT AND HOPE THAT WE ARE ACCURATE OBVIOUSLY.
ON THE REVENUE FORECASTS AS I MENTIONED, STUDENT ENROLLMENT DRIVEN.
A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT I WILL HIGHLIGHT.
WE'RE EXPECTING REGIONALIZATION, NOT ONLY A REGIONALIZATION AT NINE PERCENT NOT ONLY IN THE 22-23, BUT WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT THAT FOUR-YEAR BUDGET, WE'VE PROJECTED OUT REGIONALIZATION AT NINE PERCENT IN THOSE FUTURE YEARS.
KEEP IN MIND, WE REALLY DON'T KNOW THAT YET THE LEGISLATURE STATE OF WASHINGTON IS REASSESSING REGIONALIZATION RIGHT NOW, AND THAT METRIC COULD CHANGE.
NOW THAT IS A DIRECT PERCENTAGE THAT GOES RIGHT INTO OUR FUNDING FORMULA.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IF WE'RE ROUGHLY A 100 MILLION DOLLARS ORGANIZATION EVERY ONE PERCENT IS A MILLION DOLLARS.
WHAT THE STATE DECIDES TO DO WITH REGIONALIZATION WILL HAVE A LARGE IMPACT ON US AS WELL AS OUR NEIGHBORS POTENTIALLY.
IPD, 5.5 PERCENT THAT'S HAD INFLATION FACTOR THAT'S ALSO IN THE FUNDING FORMULA.
IT'S ONE THAT WE KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON AS WELL.
LOTS OF REPORTS RECENTLY OF EIGHT PERCENT CPI, KEEP IN MIND THOSE NUMBERS REFLECT THE COST OF A GALLON OF MILK 12 MONTHS AGO.
THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN FUNDING SCHOOLS USES AN ANNUAL AVERAGE.
IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SUSTAINED FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR AT EIGHT PERCENT FOR US TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
RIGHT NOW, ASSUMING AND HOPEFULLY, WE START TO SEE INFLATION FLATTEN OUT.
I WOULD EXPECT THAT NEXT YEAR WOULD BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FIVE AND EIGHT PERCENT, PROBABLY NOT TAPPED OUT AT THAT NINE.
I WOULDN'T EXPECT THAT. LOOKING AHEAD ON THE EXPENDITURE FORECAST, OBVIOUSLY IT'S STAFFING DRIVEN.
WE'VE TALKED QUITE A BIT ABOUT THAT WHERE ABOUT 88 PERCENT OF OUR COSTS ARE IN SALARIES AND BENEFITS.
WE PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO OUR FTE AND THE CERTIFICATED STAFFING LEVEL'S ABOUT 482.
TO GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE, WE REPORTED TO THE STATE IN THE FALL, 481, SO PRETTY CLOSE TO CURRENT LEVELS.
CLASSIFIED STAFF, 284, THAT'S GOING TO SHOW SOME GROWTH THIS COMING YEAR.
OTHER THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, USE OF FUND BALANCE TO COVER SOME OF THE COSTS.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE THREE DIFFERENT LEVERS; USING FUND BALANCE, COST CONTAINMENT, BUDGET CUTS.
THERE WAS DIRECTION PROVIDED AT THAT TIME TO USE ALL THREE OF THOSE LEVERS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE FUND BALANCE TO AVOID OR TO MINIMIZE FUTURE CUTS,
[00:10:05]
BUT ALSO DO COST-CONTAINMENT MEASURES IN THOSE FUTURE YEARS AS WELL.I THINK WE'RE ABLE TO ACHIEVE MOST OF THOSE.
I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT FOUR-YEAR OUTLOOK, BUT BEFORE WE GET THERE, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE COMPARE IN THE REGION.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WONDERFUL PROGRAMS. THIS DISTRICT HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN, I THINK, WELL REGARDED IN THE EDUCATION THAT IT'S PROVIDED.
BUT WE DON'T DO IT ACTUALLY WITH THE MOST MONEY IN THE REGION.
IF YOU LOOK AT 2021, WE'RE IN THAT BOTTOM QUARTILE AND THAT'S PRETTY TYPICAL FOR US.
NOW, KEEP IN MIND SOME OF THESE, LIKE WASHOUGAL'S DRIVING UP THERE, PROBABLY I WOULD EXPECT BECAUSE OF THE EXTRA MONIES.
SOME OF THESE DISTRICTS, SOME OF THOSE RATIOS ARE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN MAYBE EVEN WHAT THEY WOULD EXPECT.
WE DON'T RECEIVE THE MOST PER STUDENT IN THE REGION.
ABOUT 77 PERCENT OF THAT, ROUGHLY 80 PERCENT COMES FROM THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.
A SMALL PORTION COMES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THEN OBVIOUSLY OUR LOCAL LEVY IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE TO OUR REVENUE PUZZLE.
IT'S ALSO GOOD TO LOOK AT HISTORICALLY GOING BACK TO PRE MCCLEARY DAYS, IF YOU WILL, HOW MUCH WE WERE RECEIVING PER STUDENT AND IT'S GONE UP OVER THAT SIX, SEVEN YEAR PERIOD OF ABOUT 47 PERCENT.
MOST OF THAT HAS BEEN IN THE STATE APPORTIONMENT OBVIOUSLY.
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, FEDERAL SHOWS AS HAVING GONE UP BY 29 PERCENT, BUT IF YOU REALLY TOOK OUT THE COVID RELIEF DOLLARS, THAT REALLY WOULD DROP DOWN TO FIVE PERCENT, SO THE FEDERAL COMPONENT HAS NOT GROWN OVER TIME WHICH CREATES SOME CHALLENGES THAT I'LL TALK ABOUT HERE IN A FEW MOMENTS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT EXPENDITURES PER STUDENT, WE INVEST IN THE STUDENTS AND THAT MEANS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, OUR TEACHERS AND OUR TEACHING SUPPORT POSITIONS.
WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT, THAT'S GOING TO BE YOUR CLASSROOM TEACHERS, YOUR PARENTS, TEACHER SUPPORT'S GOING TO BE THE LIBRARIANS, COUNSELORS, HEALTH SERVICES.
THAT IS THE BUSINESS WE'RE IN, THAT'S WHERE WE INVEST.
IT IS NOT IN A CENTRAL OFFICE, AS YOU CAN SEE OR CENTRAL ADMIN.
WE INVEST THE LEAST AMOUNT AND HISTORICALLY HAVE, THIS GOES BACK SIX, SEVEN YEARS, WE'VE CLEARLY INVESTED IN OUR CLASSROOMS. THIS BUDGET REFLECTS A CONTINUATION OF THAT.
>> AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, WOULD I ASSUME, PE TEACHER, MUSIC TEACHER, WOULD THEY BE IN THE 56 PERCENT OF THE CLASSROOM TEACHER OR THEY GOING TO BE IN THE OTHER ONE, THAT'S 58?
>> I WOULD EXPECT THEM TO BE IN THE TEACHING ACTIVITIES OR THE BLUE BAR, IF YOU WILL.
IT'S THE LIBRARIANS AND THE COUNSELORS.
ALTHOUGH THEY'RE CERTIFICATED, THEIR ROLE IN OUR SYSTEM IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAT THE CLASSROOM SETTINGS.
INTERESTINGLY, I WILL MENTION, IN THE GREEN BAR, I WAS ACTUALLY A LITTLE SHOCKED THAT THIS EXCEEDED THE CLASSROOM TEACHERS.
BUT THIS SPEAKS TO THE IMPACT THAT SWITCHING OVER TO SEBB HAS HAD ON OUR SYSTEM, IT'S BECOME INCREDIBLY MORE EXPENSIVE FOR US TO PROVIDE BENEFITS TO ALL OF OUR ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES.
THAT REALLY HIT OUR CLASSIFIED STAFF, SO IF YOU THINK OF IT, OUR TEACHERS FOR THE MOST PART, ALL OF THOSE WERE ALREADY RECEIVING BENEFITS.
OUR PRINCIPLES, OUR CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF, THE FOLKS THAT WERE MAYBE HAVING PRO-RATED BENEFITS OR ARE ON MORE PART-TIME SCHEDULES ARE GOING TO BE OUR BUS DRIVERS, FOOD SERVICE CUSTODIANS, MORE OF THOSE FOLKS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS.
WHAT'S INTERESTING WHEN I MENTIONED THAT THE FEDERAL PIECE NOT INCREASING OVER THAT TIME, WE HAVE A LOT OF CLASSIFIED STAFF THAT ARE FUNDED WITH FEDERAL GRANTS.
THOSE DOLLARS DON'T STRETCH AS FAR, LARGE IN PART TO THE BENEFIT COST.
WE HAVE TO PICK THAT UP LOCALLY.
IT'S A DIFFERENT FINANCIAL WORLD THAN WHAT WE WERE IN PRE-MCCLEARY FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
[00:15:04]
NOT JUST MCCLEARY, BUT OBVIOUSLY COVID TOO.LOCALLY FUNDED, THIS IS HUGE AND I WON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THIS.
THIS REALLY HAS NOT CHANGED THIS PIE, IF YOU WILL.
BUT LOCALLY, WE RELY UPON THAT SUPPORT TO PROVIDE SO MANY PROGRAMS ACROSS OUR ENTIRE SYSTEM.
THAT'S ALMOST AT HISTORICAL LOW, IT'S GOING BACK 24 YEARS.
I EXPECT THAT NUMBER TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE DOWN IN 2023, JUST JUDGING BY SOME EARLY ASSESSED VALUE FIGURES.
I EXPECT WE MIGHT BE BELOW THIS HISTORICAL MARK POTENTIALLY.
ASSESSED VALUES ARE DEFINITELY INCREASING.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT A COMPARISON OF TAX RATES ACROSS THE REGION, WE ARE AT THE HIGHEST TAX RATE.
APOLOGIES, I HAD THIS BACKWARDS, IT REALLY SHOULD BE UP TOP.
BUT CLOSE BEHIND IS WASHOUGAL AND LA CENTER.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IS THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE LEVELIZING OF RATES IN THE REGION, THAT DISPARITY BETWEEN ALL OF US HAS CERTAINLY COME A LITTLE CLOSER.
WHAT'S INTERESTING AND IF I TALK GOING BACK TO THIS GRAPH HERE OF REVENUES PER STUDENT AND WHERE WE RANK, THIS SCALE STARTS AT 12,500, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE LOCAL LEVY, WE WOULD BE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS LIST.
BASICALLY, THAT ENTIRE RED BAR WOULD GO AWAY AND SO WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT LOCAL LEVY COMPONENT AND THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT OVER THE YEARS.
WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO BE FOCUSING ON IN THE FOUR-YEAR IS REALIGNMENT OF EXPENDITURES TO REVENUES.
WE'RE USING DIFFERENT LEVERS TO HELP GET US THERE AND TRANSITION SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS. PRE-MCCLEARY AS YOU CAN SEE, EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES WERE PRETTY CLOSE WITHIN ONE, MAYBE TWO PERCENT.
THEN WE STARTED TO HIT THAT, THE MCCLEARY IN COVID YEARS, WE STARTED TO GET SOME MORE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE TWO.
FRANKLY, THAT JUST BOILS DOWN TO THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF THOSE TIMES.
THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT WE BENEFITED FROM, SOME THINGS WE DIDN'T.
WE SAW OUR REVENUE PATTERNS START TO REALLY FLUCTUATE AS WELL AS OUR EXPENDITURE.
LOOKING AT THE FOUR-YEAR, BACK IN APRIL WHEN WE CHATTED, WE TALKED ABOUT THE ISSUE.
THE ISSUE WAS WE'RE LOOKING AT A DEFICIT HERE FOR NEXT YEAR.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO DEAL WITH THAT AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO CORRECT THIS IN THE FUTURE? REALLY, YOUR DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD WAS LET'S LEVERAGE SOME COST REDUCTIONS HERE, LET'S DO SOME COST CONTAINMENT MEASURES IN THOSE OUT YEARS AND LET'S LEVERAGE OUR FUND BALANCE HERE.
AS A NARRATIVE, WE TALKED ABOUT USING EIGHT MILLION OF FUND BALANCE, LIMITING OUR EXPENDITURE GROWTH IN FUTURE YEARS TO TWO PERCENT, ONE PERCENT AND ONE PERCENT AND DOING ABOUT THREE MILLION IN BUDGET CUTS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
BASED UPON OUR WORK OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE'VE HAD TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THIS FOUR-YEAR.
WHAT WE FOUND IS THIS IS REALLY THE NET EFFECT TO SEVERAL MINOR CHANGES.
YOU GET SOME FLUCTUATION AND FUND BALANCE, REVENUES, AND EXPENDITURES, BUT ALL THOSE FLUCTUATIONS WERE LESS THAN ONE PERCENT.
THAT'S GOOD. SOME OF IT, THAT'S JUST THE WAY THINGS SHAKE OUT, IT'S MUCH CLOSER THAN WHAT I WOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED OR IN ANY OTHER PREVIOUS YEAR.
IT JUST WAS HOW THINGS SHOOK OUT.
I SEE CHANGING IS WE'LL STILL USE EIGHT MILLION IN FUND BALANCE OVER THREE YEARS.
[00:20:06]
IT'LL PROBABLY BE A LITTLE DISTRIBUTED SLIGHTLY DIFFERENTLY.WE'RE STILL TARGETING TWO PERCENT, ONE PERCENT, AND ONE PERCENT.
BUDGET CUTS WENT UP ABOUT 900,000 OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT A $115 MILLION BUDGET, THAT'S NOT A TERRIBLE VARIANCE TO DEAL WITH. BASICALLY UPDATING THIS FOR YOUR MODEL, YOU CAN SEE THE TWO THINGS THAT I MENTIONED.
THERE ARE CUTS HERE INCREASING SLIGHTLY, MAINTAINING THE 2, 1, AND 1, AND THEN DISTRIBUTING THAT EIGHT MILLION, BUT INSTEAD OF FIVE IT'S 5.2 MILLION IN YEAR 1 AND THEN A LITTLE LESS IN YEAR 2.
AGAIN, ACHIEVING OR ONE OF THE GOALS WAS ALSO NOT TO HAVE CUTS IN THIS YEAR 3, AND WE'RE REALLY GOING TO KEEP THE EYE ON THE BALL THERE FOR THAT, AND DO WHAT WE CAN THESE NEXT TWO YEARS TO AVOID HAVING THAT OCCUR IN THAT LEVY YEAR.
FUND BALANCE GRAPH AS WE HAD MENTIONED BEFORE, BRINGS IT DOWN TO ABOUT 8, 9 PERCENT, WHICH IS A REASONABLE LEVEL TO MAINTAIN.
IT GETS US BACK TO PRE MCCLEARY LEVELS.
WE WERE RIGHT THERE BACK IN 1718, I THINK, AT 10 PERCENT.
THIS IS WHERE I PAUSE, ASK FOR QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ON THESE THREE LEVERS? WE LOOK AT THEM AS GUARDRAILS.
WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO, STAY WITHIN THESE BOUNDS.
NOT ONLY JUST IN THE OVERALL EXPENDITURE LEVEL, BUT WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTATION FOR MAINTAINING A REASONABLE FUND BALANCE, COST CONTAINMENT, AND APPETITE FOR BUDGET CUTS. I'LL PAUSE THERE.
HEARING NONE, I'M GOING TO MOVE ON.
ALL RIGHT, SO TAKEAWAYS AND NEXT STEPS.
REALLY WHAT IS IMPORTANT FOR US AS MANAGEMENT IS REALLY TO TRY AND FIND THAT WHAT I CALL AN OPERATIONAL GLIDE SLOPE.
THAT YEAH, YOU HAVE TO WEATHER SOME FINANCIAL CHANGES OVER TIME, BUT YOU REALLY WANT TO MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE TO OUR STUDENTS.
YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO FEEL OR IMPACT EVERY BUMP IN THE ROAD.
THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE THAT RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENT PROGRAMS ARE PROTECTED TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.
MAINTAINING A MINIMUM FUND BALANCE OF EIGHT PERCENT, AS I MENTIONED, I THINK, OVER THE COURSE OF FOUR YEARS, THAT'S OKAY.
I THINK THAT'S ABOUT AS LOW AS I'D RECOMMEND THAT WE GO.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN BE A LITTLE BETTER THAN THAT.
BUDGETING TO TWO PERCENT CONTINGENCY FOR UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES.
WE'VE BUILT THAT IN TO OUR OFFICIAL BUDGET AND THAT CAN CHANGE IN THE COMING YEARS.
BUT AT LEAST FOR THE 22/23, WE FEEL PRETTY COMFORTABLE THAT THAT'S REASONABLE GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE HAVE, I THINK USING FUND BALANCE.
BUT IN A MANNER THAT'S STRATEGIC AND REALLY BENEFIT STUDENTS, THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO, AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAINTAINING STUDENT PROGRAMS AND FINDING THAT RIGHT GLIDE SLOPE.
IN THOSE FUTURE YEARS, IT'S REALLY ALL ABOUT ALIGNING OUR STAFFING MODEL WITH THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE WHERE THAT'S HOW WE'RE STRUCTURED.
THE UNIT 88 PERCENT SALARIES AND BENNY'S, OUR BUDGET EBBS AND FLOWS WITH THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES AND THE SALARY IN WHICH WE PAY.
THEN ULTIMATELY A BALANCED BUDGET IS A SUSTAINABLE PATHWAY, AND WE HAVE TO GET THERE, AND WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF BEING GIVEN THAT OPPORTUNITY TO LEVERAGE FUND BALANCE IN THIS NEXT YEAR.
THAT GIVES US SOME TIME TO PLAN, RALLY THE TROOPS AROUND A DIRECTION THAT GETS US TO A SUSTAINABLE PATH AND WE DON'T TAKE IT LIGHTLY OR FOR GRANTED.
IT'S A DIFFICULT ASK OF ANY SCHOOL BOARD.
BUT WE INTEND TO USE THAT TIME THAT YOU'RE BUYING US WISELY
[00:25:04]
SO WE CAN ALL COLLECTIVELY GET ON THAT PATH THAT'S SUSTAINABLE, SO WE APPRECIATE IT.THEN LASTLY, I TALKED ABOUT REGIONALIZATION AND EXPERIENCE FACTOR.
WE REALLY GOT TO REMAIN ACTIVE AND REALLY SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING UP IN OLYMPIA, AND HOPEFULLY WE START TO SEE SOME POSITIVE CHANGE AROUND THESE TWO THINGS THAT HELP US. YES, DOUG.
>> ON THAT TOPIC OF REGIONALIZATION AND EXPERIENCE FACTOR, ARE YOU EXPECTING THAT IN ORDER FOR CAMAS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES WE'RE FACING, THAT WE HAVE TO FIX THIS.
IT'S A STATEWIDE SOLUTION THAT ALL PARTIES BENEFIT FROM OR HAVE YOU SEEN OR IS ANYBODY THAT'S CLOSER TO THE LEGISLATURE SEEN A CARVE-OUT THAT SAYS CAMAS, THIS DIDN'T WORK FOR THEM, THE FORMULA MISSED, AND THEN HAVE OUR DELEGATION BASICALLY ADVOCATE, I WOULD HOPE MAYBE FOR A SOLUTION.
BECAUSE IT CHANGES THE NATURE OF THE SOLUTION.
>> YES, IT DOES. I THINK OF THE TWO, I GUESS I FAVOR THE EXPERIENCE FACTOR BECAUSE IT'S BASED UPON TANGIBLE DATA OF WHERE OUR EMPLOYEES LAND ON THE SALARY SCHEDULE.
IT USED TO BE CALLED STAFF MIX AND BASICALLY IT GAVE THAT FUNDING DIFFERENTIAL FOR THOSE DISTRICTS WITH REALLY EXPERIENCED STAFF, AND WE ARE ONE OF THOSE DISTRICTS.
THAT'S WHY THAT PIECE WOULD BE VERY NICE.
IF WE JUST MISSED IT LAST TIME, THEY ARE RE-EVALUATING THAT AS WELL.
I THINK THAT HOLDS SOME PROMISE.
REGIONALIZATION IS AN INTERESTING THING BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STATUTE, THERE'S REALLY DEFINED QUADRANTS THAT JUMP IN SIX PERCENT INTERVALS, 6, 12 AND ON UP, I THINK TO 24.
WE'RE AT NINE, SO THAT GIVES ME A PAUSE BECAUSE WE WERE AT 12, THEY BROUGHT US TO NINE AND THEY SAID WE'LL TELL YOU THEREAFTER, AND SO THIS MAKES IT CHALLENGING WHEN YOU START LOOKING IN THOSE FUTURE YEARS, ARE WE GOING DOWN TO SIX? ARE WE GOING BACK TO 12? ARE WE STAYING AT NINE? YEAH, IT WAS ONE PERCENT.
I JUST MADE THE ASSUMPTION IN OUR MODEL THAT WE WOULD BE AT NINE PERCENT IN THOSE FUTURE YEARS, BUT I REALLY DON'T EXPECT THAT TO OCCUR.
I THINK WE'VE GOT TO GET INTO ONE OF THESE QUADRANTS THAT THEY'VE ESTABLISHED UNLESS THEY TOTALLY SHAKE EVERYTHING UP WHICH I DON T KNOW.
>> TO JASON'S POINT, I THINK THAT AS WE ADVOCATE WITH OUR LOCAL LEGISLATORS, IT'S THE STAFF EXPERIENCE FACTOR THAT I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT CAN REALLY RESONATE ACROSS THE STATE VERSUS THE REGIONALIZATION TO JASON'S POINT.
I'VE HEARD THINGS THAT THEY'LL MAKE EVERYBODY NINE.
BECAUSE WHAT THAT DOES IS IT RAISES OTHERS AROUND US WHO WERE SIX AND KEEPS US AT NINE.
THAT'S A LOSING PROPOSITION FOR US WHEN YOU BASE THINGS ON A 12 PERCENT AND THEN YOU LOSE ONE PERCENT EVERY YEAR, AND WE KNOW WHAT ONE PERCENT IS HERE.
>> MY QUESTION ON THAT THEN IS, WHERE SHOULD WE BE DOING OUR ADVOCATING? I MEAN, IS THIS HAPPENING IN THE EDUCATION? I'M ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT, WHO ARE WE CONTACTING? BECAUSE IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING ON IN ONE OF THE HOUSE OR SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEES, OR IS IT GOING ON RIGHT NOW?
>> THE WASDA, WASA, THOSE GROUPS ARE ABSOLUTELY ADVOCATING THIS.
PROBABLY MORE ON THE EXPERIENTIAL FACTOR OF STAFFING VERSUS THE REGIONALS.
I THINK THE REGIONALIZATION IS SO COMPLEX THAT THE PATHWAY FORWARD COULD VERY WELL BE THE STAFF MIX.
SO FROM THAT AND THEY'RE ADVOCATING ABSOLUTELY, BUT AGAIN, IT'S GOING TO BE OUR LOCAL FOLKS.
>> THAT'S WHAT I'M WONDERING IS, IS THIS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE BECAUSE THE MAJORITY PARTIES IN OLYMPIA ARE UNDER ONE PARTY AND MOST OF ARE, ACTUALLY ALL OF OUR DELEGATION RIGHT NOW IS ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN.
DOES IT HELP TO GO THROUGH OUR DELEGATION OR DO WE NEED TO GO TO A FRIENDLY NEIGHBOR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
THIS IS COMPLEX BECAUSE WHEN YOU START TO TRY AND FIX SOMETHING THAT'S INEQUITABLE,
[00:30:03]
YOU HAVE INEQUITABLE SOLUTIONS.SO YOUR PARTNERS COULD REALLY VARY ON EACH OF THESE FRONTS.
I WANT TO SAY THERE IS LIKE 25-30 DISTRICTS WHO'S REGIONALIZATION WAS PHASED OUT IN THE PAST THREE YEARS AT ONE PERCENT.
THERE'S SOME COMMON INTERESTS OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE BEEN IDENTIFIED.
THOSE ARE DISTRICTS WE COULD CERTAINLY REACH OUT TO, THEY ARE ALL ACROSS THE STATE.
BUT WHAT I HAVE HEARD IS THE STATE WOULD LIKE TO AVOID A SCENARIO THAT PLAYED OUT IN CLARK COUNTY WHERE WE RECEIVED THE HIGHEST REGIONALIZATION AND EVERYONE WAS A STEP-DOWN.
IT CREATED A ONE DISTRICT OUTLIER, AND I THINK THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT BROADER LOOK.
REGIONALIZATION. I'VE HEARD THAT INTEREST.
NOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE IF IT'S STILL BASED ON HOUSING COSTS, THE DATA CLEARLY SHOWS THAT WE'RE WAY AHEAD OF OUR NEIGHBORS IN OUR ASSESSED VALUES AND AVERAGE COST OF HOMES.
AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO WHAT METHODOLOGY ARE THEY GOING TO USE? HOW WILL WE FARE IN SOME OF THOSE METHODOLOGIES THEY'RE CONSIDERING? I THINK IT IS LOCAL DELEGATES.
I THINK STAYING IN TUNE WITH OUR ASSOCIATIONS, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE REALLY PIPED INTO WHAT'S HAPPENING AND WHICH WAY THINGS ARE LEANING.
>> IS IT SOMETHING THAT ESD IS ON TOP OF AS WELL?
>> IT IS YEAH. IT'S INTERESTING, BUT LIKE I SAID OUR INTERESTS ARE DIFFERENT THAN OUR NEIGHBORS.
THEY MIGHT BE HAPPY TO COME TO NINE PERCENT.
>> WHEREAS THE EXPERIENCE FACTOR IMPACTS EVERY DISTRICT?
>> WELL, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY.
>> IT'S A DISCRETE CALCULATION THAT IS BASED ON [INAUDIBLE].
IT HAS A FOUNDATION THAT CAN BE ARTICULATED.
IT'S NOT A SPECULATIVE, MARKET-BASED MULTI-FACTOR HOUSING, COST OF FOOD. WHAT IS IT? THAT IS A STRAIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD ISSUE THAT SEEMS LIKE IT COULD BE PERSUASIVE IF WE PRESENTED IT.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO UNDERSTAND IT.
OUR PICTURE IN CLARK COUNTY A LITTLE BIT MORE CLEARLY BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE FALL RELATIVE TO LIKE AN EVERGREEN OR A VANCOUVER.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT PICTURE.
IF THERE'S A WAY TO CREATE THAT.
>> TYPICALLY TOPS IN THE REGION.
IT'S EITHER US OR LOUISIANA THAT RANK THE HIGHEST IN THIS PARTICULAR METRIC EXPERIENCE FACTOR.
I ALSO THINK THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS THE STAFF MIX FACTOR PREVIOUSLY AND IT WORKED, THAT IT'S A TANGIBLE THING THAT I THINK THE STATE CAN GRAB ONTO.
WHEREAS REGIONALIZATION, IT'S BRAND NEW. THERE IS NO HISTORY.
I THINK THAT EXPERIENCE FACTOR HOLDS I THINK THE GREATEST PROMISE AND I DO HAVE HEARD PRETTY CONSISTENTLY.
THAT WAS AN OVERSIGHT TO NOT INCLUDE OR NOT ADDRESS THIS MORE SOUNDLY DURING MCCLEARY.
I THINK COLLECTIVELY THERE'S AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
>> DO WE KNOW WHAT TIMELINE ON THIS COMMISSION? IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT GOING TO WRAP UP UNTIL THE LEGISLATURE CONVENES AGAIN OR IS THIS A SUMMER THING?
>> WELL, EVERYTHING THAT I'VE HEARD TO THIS POINT IT'S ONLY ADVISORY.
THEY DON'T HAVE ANY AUTHORITY.
I THINK THE LEGISLATURE STILL HOLDS THAT AUTHORITY.
>> EXACTLY JASON. THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE ANYTHING THAT'S THIS SUMMER HAPPENING, BUT I THINK THE ADVOCACY IS ONGOING.
BASICALLY, THERE'S GOING TO BE AN OPINION THAT COMES OUT OR A RECOMMENDATION THAT COMES FROM THIS COMMISSION AND THAT'S GOING TO BE FACTORED INTO BECAUSE THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION IS A FULL SESSION.
I GUESS WHAT I WOULD APPRECIATE THEN IS IF I COULD GET SOME TALKING POINTS OR A COUPLE OF FACTS THAT CAN HELP TELL OUR STORY A LITTLE BIT MORE SO THAT I PERSONALLY CAN BE REACHING OUT TO SOME OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
I THINK WE COULD ALL SIT DOWN AND DO THAT.
YOU LOOK LIKE YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING BUT YOU [INAUDIBLE]
>> LET'S ADD TO THAT SOME DATA AROUND NUMBERS OF STAFF THAT HAVE LEFT,
[00:35:07]
MAYBE THE LAST TWO YEARS WITH SOME LINKS TO ARTICLES THAT HAVE BEEN CIRCULATING THIS YEAR ABOUT OUR RECENT HAPPENINGS, PANDEMIC, SCHOOL SHOOTINGS, SUPERINTENDENTS, HOW ALL OF THAT HAS AFFECTED THE PROFESSION.THAT WILL HELP US AS WELL AROUND THAT BECAUSE IT'S AN ONGOING THING I THINK. PRETTY FAIR.
>> JASON, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE ENROLLMENT SLIDE FOR A SECOND? I'M CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC.
SORRY. [OVERLAPPING] IT WAS LIKE [INAUDIBLE].
THERE YOU GO. I'M CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC.
I'M STARTING TO DELVE INTO ELEMENTARY A LITTLE BIT MORE NOW.
FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TILL NOW OUR JUNE NUMBERS WE INCREASED ELEMENTARY BY ABOUT 110 STUDENTS.
THANK YOU. I PULL BACK CCA STUDENTS THAT LEFT CCA AND WENT BACK TO OUR BRICK-AND-MORTAR.
WE INCREASED ELEMENTARY, ABOUT 85 STUDENTS FROM SEPTEMBER TO JUNE.
I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT SECONDARY AS MUCH.
THAT COULD THEN TAKE THOSE 85 DOWN AND IT'S A WASH WITH SECONDARY BECAUSE WE LOST 85 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THAT HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I DON'T THINK WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SAY THAT IN A LITTLE WHILE, SO THAT'S A GOOD THING.
>> WHILE WE'RE ON THAT ON THAT GRAPH, I DO SEE FROM OCTOBER TO MAY WE ACTUALLY HAD A SLIGHT DIP.
WE HAVE A DIP. WAIT THAT'S 21-22.
[OVERLAPPING] IS THAT AN ANTICIPATED DIP LIKE THAT OR DO YOU KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM? I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S NOT HUGE.
>> IT REALLY WASN'T BIG ENOUGH TO DIVE TOO TERRIBLY INTO.
THERE WASN'T AT ANY PARTICULAR SCHOOL WE KEEP AN EYE ON THAT TYPE OF TREND.
WE REALLY SETTLED INTO WHAT I CALL THE TRADITIONAL CAMPUS ENROLLMENT, WHICH IS OCTOBER BEING PRETTY CLOSE TO WHERE WE END THE YEAR IN JUNE.
I JUST LOOKED AT JUNE AND IT WAS PRETTY CLOSE TO THAT 6871.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE HELD ONTO EVERY SINGLE STUDENT THERE IS ALWAYS FAMILY MOVEMENT. KEEP THAT IN MIND.
BUT I DO THINK GIVEN THE FED'S INCREASE IN INTEREST RATES, THAT'S GOING TO START TO SLOW THE MOVEMENT OF FAMILIES.
WHO'S MOVING? THEY'RE NOT LIKELY TO BE LEAVING A TWO PERCENT MORTGAGE TO GO CHASE DOWN TO FIVE PERCENT OR SIX PERCENT.
I THINK THAT'LL START TO SLOW DOWN A BIT.
I DO WANT TO MENTION THE OTHER FUNDS IF I MAY.
REAL BRIEFLY, AT LEAST A COUPLE.
CAPITAL PROJECTS, THIS IS THE VAST MAJORITY OF THIS AS THE TECHNOLOGY OBVIOUSLY, AS WELL AS THE CAPITAL LEVY.
THIS INCLUDES THOSE ROOF REPAIRS REPLACEMENTS AND FIRE SYSTEM REPLACEMENTS THAT WE HAD PROMISED THE VOTERS.
THIS SUMMER ACTUALLY WE'LL BE DOING, I THINK I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY THAT WE'RE DOING PROVEN HILLS ROOF FIRST, AND THEN I'M ANTICIPATING WE WERE THINKING CAMAS HIGH.
I STILL THINK THAT THAT'S PROBABLY THE ROOF THAT'S GOING TO BE NEXT ON THE LIST FOR MAJOR REPAIR.
WE HAVE HAD SOME ISSUES POP UP LIKE LIBERTY, BUT WE'RE WE'RE ADDRESSING THAT ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.
STAY TUNED FOR THAT BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHAT YOU THINK IS THE PRIORITY THREE YEARS AGO CHANGES OVER TIME. YES, DOUG.
>> SPEAKING OF, I'M LOOKING AT THE CAPITAL LEVY MORE SO THAN THE TECHNOLOGY, BUT THE ISSUE OF SCHOOL ACCESS, ARMORING, SAFETY, I'M ASSUMING.
MAYBE AT SOME POINT, NOT TONIGHT, BUT AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, IT'D BE GOOD TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT STEPS THE DISTRICTS IF I KNOW THE SRO, WE'RE DOUBLING UP THERE, ACCESS CONTROL.
[00:40:03]
WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS THERE.I GUESS I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE I'M UP TO SPEED ON THAT AND KNOW HOW THAT'S PLAYING OUT IN OUR BUDGET DECISIONS.
>> ABSOLUTELY. I'M GLAD THAT YOU BRING THAT UP BECAUSE THERE WAS A POINTED INVESTMENT IN OUR IN OUR SECURITY SYSTEM PREVIOUS TO THE MOST RECENT EVENTS.
WE REALLY DO TRY TO KEEP UP TO MORE MODERN TECHNOLOGY WITH OUR SYSTEMS, SO THANK YOU.
BUT WE WILL DEFINITELY PROVIDE A SUMMARY REPORT TO FOCUS ON THAT.
>> I THINK WITH THAT, THAT CAN EASILY BE PART OF RETREAT IN JULY OR EVEN AUGUST.
WE'RE WORKING WITH CPD ON SOME THINGS AND SO THAT WOULD BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE ALL THAT.
>> I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE FUN BRIEFLY.
THIS IS AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS WHERE WE PURCHASED OUR BUSES OUT INTO THIS.
OUR REVENUES ARE DERIVED FROM THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.
THEY GIVE US SO MUCH PER BUS ON BASICALLY A USEFUL LIFE OR DEPRECIATION SCHEDULES.
THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE US SO MUCH PER BUS AND THAT'S WHAT WE GET FOR REVENUES.
WHEN WE PURCHASE A BUS, WE GO THROUGH THE STATE CONTRACT, THEY'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE THE BEST PRICING, SO WHEN I SAY THE STATE CONTRACT, MEANING IT'S MORE, THE ENTIRE STATE OF WASHINGTON IS BEHIND THIS BID.
THEY HAVE MUCH MORE PURCHASING POWER THAN LITTLE CAMAS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IT ALWAYS MAKES SENSE TO GO THROUGH THAT.
HOWEVER, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS LIKE A 45 PERCENT COST INCREASE ON BUSES.
TYPICALLY WE WOULD BE PUSHING TO MAKE A PLACE IN OUR ORDER RIGHT NOW FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
BUT WE'RE LACKING A BETTER TERM PUMPING THE BRAKES ON THIS BECAUSE THAT'S A TOUGH PILL TO SWALLOW. LIKE THAT? THAT'S GOOD. SO WHERE WE'VE PUT IN THE CAPACITY TO PURCHASE THESE BUSES, BUT I'M NOT REAL SURE.
I WANT TO SEE WHAT THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IS GOING TO DO.
ARE THEY GOING TO ADJUST THAT FUNDING THAT THEY GIVE TO US? IF NOT, THEN WE MAY HAVE TO REVISIT THE MANNER IN WHICH WE'RE REPLACING OUR BUSES BECAUSE 500,000 ISN'T GOING TO KEEP UP WITH THE CURRENT COSTS.
ALSO, IN THIS, THEY'VE EXPERIENCED SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, SO WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED OUR LAST ORDER OF BUSES, SO WE'VE CARRIED FORWARD 875,000 OF THIS YEAR'S EXPENDITURES INTO NEXT YEAR.
IN THE EVENT THAT WE DON'T RECEIVE THOSE BUSES THAT WE DID ORDER MOST RECENTLY BY AUGUST, WE'VE GOT THE CAPACITY TO RECEIVE THEM AND PAY FOR THEM WITHOUT DOING A BUDGET AMENDMENT.
>> PROBABLY 12 MONTHS AGO, I WOULD GUESS.
>> CAN YOU REMIND ME HOW MUCH ARE WE PAYING FOR A BUS THAT LOOKS LIKE AN AN ORDER OF SEVERAL OR AT LEAST A COUPLE?
>> I THINK WE WERE A FULL-SIZE BUS.
OUR LAST ORDER WAS AROUND 140 GRAND A PIECE.
WE DO GET SOME TRADE-IN VALUE AND THERE FOR A WHILE WE'RE REALLY LUCKY GETTING SOME ECOLOGY GRANT MONEY THAT HELPED OUT.
BUT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LAST QUOTE WAS LIKE 200 205 AND I WAS LIKE, WOW, THAT'S A LOT.
YEAH. SO JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW WE HAVE THE BUT I PUT IT IN THE BUDGET JUST IN CASE BECAUSE WE DON'T THE OTHER THING IS YOU DON'T WANT TO GET TOO FAR BEHIND ON ORDERING YOUR BUSES.
BUT WE'RE JUST GOING TO PAUSE AND NOT IN PLACE AN ORDER UNTIL WE GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WHAT, IF ANYTHING, THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IS GONNA DO TO HELP DISTRICTS PAY FOR THESE BUSES BECAUSE ITS REVENUES CERTAINLY DIDN'T GO UP 45 PERCENT.
DEBT SERVICE REALLY NOT MUCH TO REPORT.
THIS IS PRETTY TYPICAL WHAT WE'VE HIT OUR NEW NORM, IF YOU WILL, ON OUR DEBT SERVICE.
IT'S COME DOWN, AND SO OUR TAX RATES COME DOWN AND THAT CONTINUES INTO THE EXPECTED NEAR FUTURE.
[00:45:05]
ASB, PRETTY STANDARD AS WELL.THEN AT THE END, WE DO MSOC REPORTING.
THIS WILL BE INCLUDED IN MY FINAL PRESENTATION AS WELL WITH FINAL NUMBERS HERE.
>> THANK YOU, JASON. I APPRECIATE IT.
I THINK WE'VE GOT SOME GUESTS, DR. DEB, THAT ARE OUT IN THE WAITING AREA.
IF YOU WANT TO BRING, THEY CAN JOIN US ANYTIME.
I BELIEVE CHRISTIE, YOU ARE GOING TO COME JOIN US? YOU WANT TO COME JOIN US UP HERE? THAT'D BE GREAT. I'LL INTRODUCE YOU ALL WHEN YOU GET HERE.
YEAH. YES. ABSOLUTELY. OPEN MIKE.
I WANT TO I THANK CHRISTIE BRIDGES FOR COMING.
CHS REPRESENTING CHS AND MARK GARDINER REPRESENTING HAYES FREEDOM HIGH SCHOOL.
I'LL JUST SET THE TONE A LITTLE BIT, AND THIS IS JUST A CONVERSATION REALLY AROUND OUR SENIOR PROJECTS.
YOU OBVIOUSLY FACILITATE AND RUN THOSE IN YOUR RESPECTIVE BUILDINGS.
WE WANT THE EXPERTS HERE AND YOUR ADMINISTRATORS ARE HERE TOO, AND THEY ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME IN AND JOIN THE CONVERSATION, BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT PROGRESS MONITORING.
WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THAT IN EDUCATION.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE YOU FEELING IS WORKING REALLY WELL.
WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE ADJUSTED? AND THEN REALLY, I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A REQUIREMENT FOR US FOR YEARS, THAT IT'S A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT.
IS THAT STILL WHERE WE WANT BE WITH THIS? WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE ANY DECISION SCIENCE, NOT A DECISION TO BE MADE TONIGHT.
THERE'S A LOT OF PLAYERS THAT NEEDED TO BE A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.
IT'S REALLY GETTING YOUR TAKE ON THINGS AND FROM YOUR BOTH YOUR BUILDINGS AND YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
I BELIEVE, CORRECT ME IF THIS IS NOT RIGHT, THAT THE SENIOR PROJECTS WAS IT WAS A STATE STATEWIDE REQUIREMENT, I BELIEVE 27 YEARS AGO THAT WAS ACROSS THE STATE OF WASHINGTON AND IT'S NOT ANYMORE, BUT THERE ARE DISTRICTS LIKE OURS THAT CONTINUE TO DO THIS, SO WELCOME YOU TOO.
HONESTLY, IT'S JUST AN OPEN CONVERSATION AND I KNOW THAT CAN GO MULTIPLE WAYS AND WE'RE EXCITED WHEREVER IT GOES.
>> I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS SENIOR PROJECT FOR 22 YEARS, SO MY BODY OF KNOWLEDGE DOESN'T GO AS FAR BACK, BUT I AM FRIENDS WITH THE TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT STARTED IT.
I WAS TRYING TO GET THEM TO TELL ME WHEN DID WE START THIS AND HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN? THEY WERE ABLE TO NAIL IT DOWN TO 1986 AS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE STARTED REQUIRING IT AS A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENT FROM CAMAS SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THEN WHEN THE STATE STARTED LOOKING AT WHAT KIND OF STANDARDS DO WE WANT TO HAVE FOR GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS.
THEY LOOKED AT WHAT DIFFERENT DISTRICTS WERE DOING AND THEY USED CAMAS'S SENIOR PROJECT AS ONE OF THE POSSIBILITIES AND SO THEN WE DID GO TO STATEWIDE SENIOR PROJECT AND THEN WE'VE SINCE GONE BACK AND NOW WE'RE IN WHATEVER MODE WE'RE IN.
BUT WE DID IT LONG BEFORE IT WAS THE REQUIREMENT AND WE'VE BEEN DOING IT SINCE AFTERWARDS.
IT TAKES A WHOLE DEDICATED COMMUNITY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, AND MY GUESS IS WHEN THEY LOOKED AT HOW CAMAS DID IT, IT LOOKS AMAZING, BUT IT DOESN'T ALWAYS TRANSLATE TO OTHER PLACES REALLY WELL, YOU HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT REALLY CARE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
THIS IS A SPECIAL, UNIQUE THING WE PULL OFF HERE EVERY YEAR.
I CAN ARGUE AGAINST IT OR I CAN ARGUE FOR IT. YOU TELL ME WHAT YO WOULD LIKE TO HEAR.
>> HONESTLY, THERE WAS NO AGAIN, IT'S REALLY IS IT MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR KIDS? IS IT PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM? THEN REALLY IT'S, ARE THERE BARRIERS THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT REMOVING OR SAYING,
[00:50:04]
HEY, THESE ARE SOME THINGS THAT SOME KIDS ARE GETTING TRIPPED UP ON, DO WE REALLY NEED TO DO THAT? AGAIN, ONE EXAMPLE, AND I'VE BEEN A PART OF THE SENIOR PROJECTS FOR NOW ONLY FOUR YEARS.HAVING TIME, HAVING A TIMED PRESENTATION IS JUST SOMETHING LIKE WHY IS IT NECESSARY? YES, IT IS, AND HERE'S WHY.
OUR KIDS REALLY LIKE TO HAVE THAT AS A MARKER TO KNOW THAT IT'S NOT THIS 30 MINUTE THING OR IT'S NOT A THREE MINUTE THING, THAT THERE HAS TO BE SOME PARAMETERS. THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE.
>> YEAH, WELL, AND WE CAN ALSO DO QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS IF YOU WANT, LIKE IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY DO WE DO THE TIMED THING, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THAT FOR SURE AND HOW IT GOT DEVELOPED AND THEN I DON'T KNOW, MARK, I DON'T WANT TO BE A HOG, SO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO ADD.
>> WE ACTUALLY IN TERMS OF [INAUDIBLE].
>> FOR THE FOLKS AT HOME, [OVERLAPPING].
>> YOU HAVE TO TURN IT THE OTHER WAY. IT ONLY PICKS UP.
>> THERE WE GO. ONE THING IS THAT GOING BACK TO THE INITIAL QUESTION AROUND THE POLICY, WHEN I'VE GONE BACK AND HAD INCITED THE BOARD POLICY TO FAMILIES TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHERE IT COMES FROM BECAUSE THEY'RE AWARE THAT IT'S NOT A STATE REQUIREMENT ANYMORE.
WHAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT OUR POLICY IS THAT ACTUALLY I INTERPRETED AS GIVING EACH SITE QUITE A BIT OF FLEXIBILITY.
BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SAY A 7 TO 11 MINUTE PRESENTATION.
IT TALKS ABOUT A CULMINATING EXPERIENCE.
THEN THE 20 HOURS AND THEN THE 40 HOURS, 20 HOURS TO EARN A QUARTER OF A CREDIT TOWARD GRADUATION AND 40 HOURS OR HALF A CREDIT.
WE'VE USED THAT BLANK SLATE AND HAYES FREEDOM TO TAKE IT A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
I TAUGHT AT CAMAS HIGH SCHOOL FOR 11 YEARS, MAYBE, 10 OR 11, AND TAUGHT SENIORS A FEW TIMES AND WORKED WITH SENIOR PROJECT THERE A FEW TIMES, AND TOOK SOME OF THE EXPERIENCES FROM CAMAS HIGH SCHOOL TO HOW WE'VE ADOPTED AT HAYES.
I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF IN THE VENN DIAGRAM OF OUR SENIOR PROJECTS AMONGST ALL OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, I WOULD ASSUME, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF OVERLAP, BUT THERE'S ALSO DEFINITELY SPACE FOR MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR INDIVIDUAL POPULATIONS. WITH THAT ALL.
>> I THINK MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT IT IS ACTUALLY I WAS READING WAS I WAS WAITING FOR YOU GUYS.
WE BELIEVE STUDENTS WILL DO WHAT'S EXPECTED OF THEM AND WE'LL WORK TO IMPROVE IF CONSISTENTLY CONFRONTED WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS BY ADULTS WHO DEMONSTRATE TRUE CARING.
WHAT'S REALLY AMAZING ABOUT THE SENIOR PROJECT IS IT HAS A REPUTATION.
THEY KNOW THEY HAVE TO SHOOT FOR IT.
THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY LOVE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT IT.
IT'S LIKE A MARK OF, I'M SENIOR, I HAVE THIS REALLY IMPORTANT THING I HAVE TO DO, AND SO IT'S SO FUNNY LIKE THEY ENJOY COMPLAINING ABOUT IT AND WHEN THEY'RE DONE, IF YOU WERE IN THAT, IF YOU COULD BE IN THE LIBRARY AS THEY FINISH AND THEY'RE WAITING FOR THEIR RUBRICS TO COME BACK.
THEY'RE JUST, AND I KNOW A LOT OF YOU AROUND THE BOARDS AND HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST, THEY'RE JUST BUZZING, AND THEY'RE SO PROUD OF THEMSELVES WHEN THEY GET DONE WITH THAT.
THE INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS IN IT, AND I SHOULD NOT BE SAYING THIS RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE'S SO MANY COMPONENTS IN IT THAT ARE THINGS THAT ARE THE BOXES THAT THE STATE WANTS US TO TICK.
THE MOST EASY ONE IS THAT THE RESUME THAT THEY REQUIRE, SO THEY HAVE TO WRITE A RESUME.
ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE IN HERE CAN EASILY BLEED.
I THINK WE'RE DOUBLING UP WITH SOME OF WHAT THE STATE NOW WANTS, AND IT WOULD BE PRETTY EASY TO ADD.
IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO TRACK IT THAT WE COULD, WE'RE ALREADY DOING SO MANY OF THOSE THINGS THEN WE'RE DOING THEM AUTHENTICALLY.
WE'RE NOT DOING THEM IN TO GET IN THIS PROGRAM AND CLICK ON THESE BOXES BECAUSE I HAVE AN ADVISORY CLASS AND I CAN TELL YOU, YOU'RE DOING AMAZING TEACHING IF YOU CAN GET THEM TO SPEND FIVE MINUTES ON THESE STATE REQUIRED LESSONS, BECAUSE THEY JUST THEY'LL GO, HOW MANY BOXES DO I HAVE TO FAVORITE TO DO THIS SO THAT I CAN BE DONE, WHERE THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IN HERE ARE CONNECTED TO SOMETHING THAT THEY REALLY WANT TO DO.
ALL THE INDIVIDUAL PIECES OF THE PROJECT WOULD BE DONE AT SOME POINT IN YOUR HIGH SCHOOL CAREER OR POSSIBLY JUST DURING YOUR ENGLISH CLASS.
BUT INSTEAD OF IT BEING LIKE, HEY, WRITE A RESUME, OKAY, HERE'S MY RESUME IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A PROFESSIONAL RESUME.
OH, PRACTICES SPEECH. HERE'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO PRACTICE THE SPEECH, WRITE A RESEARCH PAPER. HERE'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT.
WE TAKE ALL THAT AND THEY GET TO BUILD IT AROUND SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE CHOSEN.
SO THEY ACTUALLY SEE WHY ALL OF THOSE PIECES ARE IMPORTANT.
I SHARED WITH EVERYBODY EXCEPT JOHN BECAUSE I COULDN'T SEE THE SPELLING OF YOUR LAST NAME FROM WHERE I WAS SITTING.
I SHARED OUR DATABASE WITH YOU, AND IF YOU JUST LIKE, CRUISE DOWN IT AND GO, WOW, THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE SENIOR PROJECT.
THEN NOW ALL THE PORTFOLIOS ARE LIVE AND THEY'RE ALL LINKED LIVE.
SO IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT A HOODS RESEARCH PAPER LOOKS LIKE, SCROLL THE A1 WOODS CLICK ON THERE, CLICK ON HIS "SENIOR RESEARCH PAPER".
WE'VE DONE A LOT OF TECH UPDATING TO MAKE IT MUCH MORE USER-FRIENDLY FOR THE KIDS.
THOSE PORTFOLIOS ARE LIVE NOW FOR TWO YEARS, AND THEY FREQUENTLY TELL ME THEY USE THEM.
I ACTUALLY JUST HAD A KID SAY, I USE MY PORTFOLIO TO GET A RUNNING START STUDENT, TO GET AN EXTENDED INTERNSHIP AT A DENTIST OFFICE,
[00:55:03]
BECAUSE I HAD TO DO THESE HOURS FOR COLLEGE AND I WAS ABLE TO SHOW I'VE ALREADY DONE THIS INTERNSHIP AND HERE'S MY BODY OF WORK, LIKE HERE IS MY WEBSITE AND YOU CAN SEE ALL THAT STUFF.IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO DIGIT, IT'S EXPENSIVE AND IT SAVES TIME AND IT WOULD MAKE THINGS EASIER FOR THEM, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING IN THEIR ENGLISH CLASS ANYWAY.
THIS ALSO IS LIKE THEY WOULD GET, ESSENTIALLY WE'VE GOT SENIOR ENGLISH.
TO GET RID OF IT, WHICH ENGLISH TEACHERS ARE CREATIVE, THEY COULD FILL IT BACK IN.
BUT THE WHOLE ENGLISH AND SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM THROUGHOUT THE YEARS IS TRACKED TO BE JUST CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE FRESHMAN YEAR TO PREPARE HIM FOR THIS, CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE SOPHOMORES AND THAT SORT OF THING.
IT WOULD BE A PRETTY MAJOR CURRICULUM REWRITE AT THE HIGH-SCHOOL LEVEL.
I JUST HAVE ONE REQUEST, IF YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO KILL IT, PLEASE KILL IT RIGHT AWAY.
BECAUSE IF YOU DO THIS, THE LAST CLASS THAT HAS TO DO IT IS 2024, REARRANGING CHAIRS AS THAT TITANIC GOES DOWN ON THAT SHIP WILL BE UGLY.
IF YOU KEEP IT, GREAT, KILL IT, GREAT, BUT PLEASE BE CONCISE ABOUT IT BECAUSE THIS MEETING IS ALREADY OPENED UP A WHOLE STORM OF MESS.
I JUST GOT, SOMEBODY JUST BLEW INTO MY ROOM AND OPEN, DORCAS, HOW CAN WE HAVE TO DO THIS? BECAUSE THE SOPHOMORES ARE THE LAST CLASS, THIS WAS RIDICULOUS.
THIS IS A JUNIOR WHO'S WORKING ON SUMMER APPROVAL AND I'M LIKE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW, I CAN GIVE AN EMAIL IF SOMEBODY NEED AN EMAIL, SO JUST MAKE, I THINK HAVING EITHER A CONCISE COMMITMENT TO IT OR IF YOU'RE READY TO KILL IT, KILL IT, BUT DEALING WITH TEENAGERS IS A SPECIAL THING, AND LIKE, THEY NEED TO KNOW [LAUGHTER].
>> WHAT I'D LIKE TO TELL SUSIE OR BOBBI OR TWO LITTLE NOZICK'S LOADER OR THEIR NAME IS, TO CALM DOWN.
I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW THE PROCESS THAT EACH SCHOOL TAKES EVERY YEAR TO EVALUATE WHAT WENT WELL, WHAT DID WE SEE? I THINK BECAUSE THEY'RE ESPECIALLY AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE LAST TWO YEARS, THAT HAS HIGHLIGHTED EQUITABLE SITUATIONS, ESPECIALLY IN SENIOR PROJECT.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS THAT YOU ALL GO THROUGH TO EVALUATE, WHAT WENT WELL, WHAT DID WE WANT TO CHANGE, AND HOW FAST DOES THAT HAPPEN FOR STUDENTS?
>> WE WENT THOROUGH, I'VE BEEN IN CHARGE FOR FIVE YEARS AND WE WENT THROUGH A THOROUGH REWRITE OF ALL THE CURRICULUM, AND WE ADDRESSED FROM PREVIOUS YEARS AND PARENT FEEDBACK, COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, WHAT WE WERE HEARING, AND THE BIG THING WE WERE HEARING WAS THAT THE PAPERWORK WAS CUMBERSOME, AND THAT THERE WERE THINGS THAT STUDENTS WERE DOING THAT THEY REALLY CARED ABOUT, THAT THEY WANTED TO FIND A WAY TO USE AS THEIR SENIOR PROJECT.
FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE AN INTERNSHIP THAT YOU WOULD DO AT CASCADIA TECH ACADEMY IS SOMETIMES HUNDREDS OF HOURS AND THAT WASN'T COUNTED AS A SENIOR PROJECT.
OR IF YOU ARE WORKING ON THE ROBOTICS TEAM AND YOU WERE PUTTING IN ALL THESE EXTRA HOURS, COULDN'T COUNT AS A SENIOR PROJECT BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY A DIFFERENT CURRICULUM BOX.
KIDS THAT WERE ON ASB AND WANTED TO PUT IN EXTRA HOURS AND USE THAT AS THEIR SENIOR PROJECT.
SO WE WENT THROUGH AND WE LOOKED AT THE WHOLE LIST OF EVERYTHING THAT PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED IN DOING.
SPORTS MANAGEMENT WAS A BIG ONE.
HEY, I WANT TO MANAGE A TEAM, BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO USE THIS AS MY SENIOR PROJECT.
WE THOROUGHLY GATHERED INFORMATION, UPDATED, CLEANED UP FORMS. THE HANDBOOK IS ABOUT HALF THE SIZE, IT WAS MADE AREAS WHERE IT WAS OPEN FOR THINGS THAT ANYTHING THAT OUTSIDE OF YOUR BASIC, A CLASS REQUIREMENT CAN BE USED AS A SENIOR PROJECT AS LONG AS YOU CAN ARTICULATE, THIS IS WHAT I AM HOPING TO USE MY 20 OR 40 HOURS TOWARDS.
THIS IS MY GOAL AND THIS IS WHAT I WOULD WANT TO SEE, AND THIS IS WHAT MAKES IT MY SENIOR PROJECT, NOT JUST, I MANAGED THE VOLLEYBALL TEAM, BUT I USED MY TIME AND I WANTED TO USE MY SENIOR PROJECT HOURS TO MAKE IT BETTER OR SMOOTH OR WHATEVER IT WAS.
THAT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO, AND THEN WE HAD TWO YEARS OF WORKING OUT ALL THOSE DETAILS AND MAKING IT MUCH MORE USER-FRIENDLY.
NOW WE'VE HAD THIS YEAR, WHERE THIS YEAR, I WAS REALLY THINKING, ARE WE GOING TO BE CALLING THE AMBULANCE BECAUSE THEY'RE KILLING OVER FROM ANXIETY ATTACKS, I DON T KNOW.
WHAT HAPPENED THAT WAS WEIRD WAS THE FIRE ALARM WENT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF DAY THREE SPEECHES.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT THEY ALL GOT THROUGH IT.
WE HAD SAFETY NET BOARDS ON MONDAY FOLLOWING AND THERE WERE 10 LAST STUDENTS THAT FINISHED UP ON MONDAY OUT OF 436 AND THEY'RE ALL THROUGH.
>> I THINK THAT THAT GOES TO YOUR QUESTION.
>> NO. THIS IS A SYMPTOM OF A STUDENT THAT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE IT ON TIME.
THIS OFTENTIMES IS THE CANARY IN THE COAL MINE.
WHEN I'M LOOKING AT AND I'M LIKE, OH,
[01:00:02]
I DON'T HAVE A PROPOSAL FROM THIS STUDENT AND I START TRACKING THEM DOWN EARLY AND THEN YOU START LOOKING AND YOU GO AND MR. WILDE CAN ATTEST TO THIS, THEN YOU'LL SEE THERE'S A WHOLE HOST OF ISSUES.IN THE 22 YEARS I'VE BEEN INVOLVED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
THERE'S NOT A STUDENT COMPLETELY ON TRACK FOR GRADUATION WHO DOESN'T DO THEIR SENIOR PROJECT? THAT'S ENOUGH. [BACKGROUND]
>> AS SENIOR PROJECT COORDINATOR, I HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR WITH MY SUPERVISOR THAT THE SENIOR PROJECT WILL NOT PREVENT ANYONE FROM GRADUATING IN PART BECAUSE IT'S NOT A STATE REQUIREMENT AND WE THINK IT HAS A VALUE THE WAY THAT WE STRUCTURED AT HAYES HIGH SCHOOL.
OUR WHOLE MISSION IS TO MAKE SURE THAT KIDS ACHIEVE SUCCESS.
WE ONLY HAD ONE STUDENT WHO NEEDED TO REPRESENT THIS YEAR AND IT HAD TO DO WITH SOME CONTENT THAT HADN'T BEEN COVERED BUT NEEDED TO BE COVERED.
TO TALK THROUGH OUR WHOLE PROCESS.
OUR SENIOR PROJECT, CONSISTENT ESSENTIALLY THE SAME ELEMENTS AS IT DOES AT CAMAS HIGH SCHOOL, AND I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH HOW DISCOVERY STRUCTURE'S THERE, SO I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT.
BUT WE HAVE THE BIG PIECE, THE PRESENTATION, THE PORTFOLIO, THE PAPER AND THE PROJECT, WHICH CAN TAKE ANY NUMBER OF FORMS FOR OUR SYSTEM.
WE HAVE THESE THEMES THAT WE'RE AIMING FOR, FOR NINTH GRADE, 10TH GRADE, 11TH GRADE, 12TH GRADE.
NINTH GRADE IS REALLY UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF, 10TH GRADE IS EXPANDING YOUR VIEW TO THE WORLD, UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD ALIGNED WITH THE HISTORY CURRICULUM, BASICALLY YOUR WORLD HISTORY, YOUR SOPHOMORE YEAR.
JUNIOR YEAR, YOU THEN REFOCUS YOUR LENS A LITTLE BIT MORE CLOSELY TO THE UNITED STATES, ALIGNS WITH US HISTORY AND THEN SENIOR YEAR, IT IS REALLY ABOUT HOW YOU CAN IMPACT YOUR WORLD.
THAT IS THE UNDERLYING THEME OF WHAT WE TRY TO GET OUR STUDENTS TO FOCUS THEIR PROJECTS ON.
THEY ALL TAKE SENIOR ENGLISH WITH ME.
FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS AND NEXT YEAR OUR SENIOR ENGLISH IS ACTUALLY ALIGN WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON'S EXPOSITION COMPOSITION, ENGLISH 131 CLASS.
STUDENTS CAN GET UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON CREDIT PARTAKING SENIOR ENGLISH.
PART OF THE UNIT UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON CURRICULUM INVOLVES INQUIRY BASED RESEARCH WRITING AND ALSO A CIVIC ORIENTED WRITING THEMES.
BRINGS TOGETHER THAT THEME OF HOW DO WE THINK ABOUT STUDENTS IMPACTING THEIR IMMEDIATE WORLD? THEY'VE GONE THROUGH THAT PROCESS OF GETTING TO KNOW THEMSELVES, UNDERSTAND THEIR WORLD, UNDERSTAND THEIR COUNTRY, AND NOW UNDERSTAND THEIR POTENTIAL IMPACT ON THEIR COMMUNITY.
THAT'S THE UNDERLYING THREAD AND SO EVEN IF THERE WERE SOME DECISION TO ABOLISH THIS PARTICULAR POLICY, WE WOULD STILL BE DOING THAT.
WE WOULD STILL ALSO BE DOING A PRESENTATION BECAUSE I DO THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR KIDS TO GO THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE OF BEEN ABLE TO SHARE THEIR PROCESS.
THOSE OF YOU THAT WERE ABLE TO COME TO OUR BOARDS, IF SOMEONE IS UNDER TIME OR OVERTIME, THAT IS NOT A REASON THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PASS.
BUT WE HAD NO ONE GO UNDER TIME.
IN FACT, GOING OVERTIME WAS OUR BIG PROBLEM THIS YEAR.
IN FACT, THERE WERE SEVERAL ROOMS WHERE THE KIDS WERE LIKE, YOU'VE BEEN TALKING FOR 18 MINUTES [LAUGHTER] BECAUSE THEY HAD SO MUCH THEY WANTED TO SHARE.
PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE'VE STRUCTURED THE CONTENT FOR OUR PRESENTATIONS.
IT'S NOT PRESENTING YOUR PROJECT, IT'S A CAPSTONE PRESENTATION.
IT IS YOU HAVE SPENT HOWEVER MANY YEARS IN A PUBLIC OR A SCHOOL SYSTEM AND REFLECT ON THAT.
THEY TALK ABOUT THEIR PROJECT EXPERIENCE AND THE TOPIC OF THEIR RESEARCH IS CONNECTED WITH THEIR PROJECT EXPERIENCE, BUT NOT ALWAYS.
IT'S ROOTED IN THE CONCEPT OF A WICKED PROBLEM.
SOMETHING THAT ARE IS NO SIMPLE SOLUTION TO THAT YOU'RE GOING TO EXPLORE AND LOOK AT ALL THE DIFFERENT ANGLES FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS.
THEY SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
BUT REALLY THE BULK OF THEIR CAPSTONE PRESENTATION IS REFLECTING UPON THEMSELVES AS A LEARNER AND THE PROGRESS THAT THEY'VE MADE OVER THEIR TIME, EITHER IN HIGH SCHOOL OR BEYOND.
OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR FOUR YEARS AT HAYES, WE HAVE THEM GATHER ACADEMIC ARTIFACTS.
EACH QUARTER IN MY ADVOCACY JUST DID THEIRS TODAY, EVEN THOUGH I'VE GOT NINTH GRADERS AND I REMINDED THEM FOUR YEARS AND THREE YEARS, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE 15 OF THESE ARTIFACTS THAT YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM FOR YOUR SENIOR PORTFOLIO PRESENTATION.
BUT WE HAVE THEM REFLECT ON THE ACADEMIC EXPERIENCES THAT WERE IMPACTFUL FOR THEIR COURSE AS A LEARNER AND WE TIE THOSE TO OUR EIGHT COGNITIVE THINKING FOCUS AREAS WHICH ARE TIED TO THE MATHEMATICAL PRACTICES LIKE PERSEVERANCE, SENSING, STRUCTURE AND PROBLEMS. REALLY GETTING THEM TO THINK ABOUT BROADER SKILLS THAT ARE TRANSFERABLE BEYOND WHAT MAY BE HAPPENING IN THIS PARTICULAR CLASSROOM SETTING.
THE MAJORITY OF THEIR PRESENTATION IS REALLY REFLECTING
[01:05:04]
ON THOSE ASPECTS OF EDUCATION THAT WORKED AND DIDN'T WORK.WHICH MEANS SOMETIMES WE HEAR THINGS THAT MAKE US AS A SYSTEM PAUSE AND GO.
ALL THIS HAPPENS IN ENGLISH CLASS.
WE PRACTICED THE PRESENTATIONS TOGETHER.
WE DO ALL OF THOSE PROCESSES BECAUSE PRESENTATIONS ARE SPEAKING AND LISTENING STANDARDS.
ALL OF THAT FITS INTO THE LANGUAGE IF IT'S CURRICULUM.
IN TERMS OF MY REVIEW PROCESS BECAUSE THAT'S YOUR QUESTION ERICA, BECAUSE WE'RE SMALL AND BECAUSE I'M IT [LAUGHTER] I DON'T HAVE TO RELY UPON A BIG COMMITTEE.
I CONSULT WITH MRS. HOLMES AND WITH MY FELLOW TEACHERS ABOUT WHAT WORKS AND DOESN'T, AND WE'RE NIMBLE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME SHIFTS PRETTY QUICK.
JUST THIS, THIS CAPSTONE REFLECTION PIECE IS NEW THIS YEAR.
LAST YEAR, WE HAD A LOT OF KIDS THAT NEEDED SOME FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF HOW THEY COULD ACCOMPLISH THE REQUIREMENTS, COVID YEAR.
SOME OF IT WAS BY VIDEO, SOME OF IT WAS THERE WAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE APPROACHED IT.
IS BATTERY DYING? [LAUGHTER] [BACKGROUND]
>> I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE OR LISTEN, AND OBSERVE THESE WONDERFUL STUDENTS AT HAYES AND THE PASSION AROUND THEIR STORY IS UNBELIEVABLE.
AGAIN, I'VE BEEN TO OTHER SCHOOLS AS WELL AND IT'S JUST AMAZING TO HEAR STUDENTS THEIR OWNERSHIP AND PRIDE AND TELLING THEIR OWN STORY.
IT'S JUST AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE TO BE A PART OF AND JUST BE AN ACTIVE LISTENER AND JUST AN ODD THESE STUDENTS TELLING ME STORIES AND IT'S A GREAT EXPERIENCE.
I DIDN'T ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
WHY IS THERE A TIMED COMPONENT? WAS THE QUESTION THAT I MISSED.
MOST PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS HAVE A TIME COMPONENT.
THIS YEAR THERE WERE ALMOST 700 PEOPLE, IF YOU COUNT INDIVIDUAL DAYS.
SOME PEOPLE WERE THERE SERVING TWO DAYS, BUT IT WAS ABOUT 700 DIFFERENT PEOPLE INVOLVED TO MAKE BOARDS HAPPEN.
TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT TIME FRAME, WE NEED TO HAVE THREE PEOPLE PRESENT EACH HOUR.
THAT MEANS WE WANT TO HAVE THAT QUESTION-AND-ANSWER SECTION AFTER AND THEN THE TECHNOLOGY TIME.
THAT PUTS THEM INTO 7-11 MINUTE RANGE.
WE PRACTICE AND THEY PRACTICE WITH THEIR PHONE ON THE PODIUM SO THAT THEY KNOW WHERE THEY'RE AT IN THAT AND THEY NEED THAT EXPECTATION OF WHAT'S TOO LONG AND WHAT'S TOO SHORT IF YOU'RE GOING TO REALISTICALLY MOVE THAT MANY THROUGH THE PROCESS.
THEY DO PRACTICE IT AND THEY KNOW THAT IN 7-11 IS A PRETTY BIG WINDOW.
IN ORDER TO GET THREE IN AN HOUR, THAT'S JUST WHAT WE HAVE HAD TO SETTLE ON.
>> A COUPLE OF THINGS, SO YOU BOTH SAID IT'S NOT A BARRIER TO GRADUATION.
YOU COULD BE DOING THIS, IT WOULDN'T HAVE TO GET YOUR SENIOR ENGLISH.
YOU COULD STILL BE DOING THESE COMPONENTS AND A PASSION PROJECT OR WHATEVER WITHOUT IT BEING A SENIOR PROJECT DISTRICT POLICY GRADUATION REQUIREMENT. TRUE?
>> IT COULD BE DONE I GUESS BUILDING BY BUILDING WITH [OVERLAPPING] [INAUDIBLE] TOM QUESTION MORE.
>> BUT IT WOULDN'T HAVE TO TOTALLY REMOVE ALL THESE ELEMENTS.
YOU COULD STILL, IF THEY ARE ALIGNED TO OUR STATE STANDARDS, YOU WILL STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS STUFF, SO WE CAN STILL HAVE THAT THREAD GO THROUGH.
I LOVED EACH YEAR THEME AND HOW THAT WORKS AT HAYES FREEDOM, SO WE CAN STILL BUILD THAT INTO THE CULTURE OF EVERY BUILDING AND STILL DO THE SAME TYPE OF THING, EVEN IF WE DIDN'T SAY IT WAS A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S NOT A BARRIER FOR KIDS ANYWAY.
IT WOULD BE BUILT INTO THE CURRICULUM. TRUE?
>> IT'S ONLY NOT A BARRIER BECAUSE WE WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT KIDS ARE ABLE TO ACCESS IT.
BUT THE PROMISE I MAKE TO KIDS EARLY ON AND I'D SAY NO, I WAS AT CAMAS HIGH SCHOOL FOR A DOZEN YEARS AND I'VE BEEN IN HAYES FREEDOM NOW FOR THIS MANY AND I'VE NEVER SEEN A STUDENT NOT GRADUATE BECAUSE OF THEIR SENIOR PROJECT, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT'S THE CASE.
WHAT I DO THINK WE WANT TO PAY REALLY CLOSE ATTENTION TO IS ITS SCHOOL AND IS IT AN ASSESSMENT AND IF SO, WHAT ARE WE ASSESSING, AND IS OUR ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT AND
[01:10:01]
VEHICLE THE RIGHT THING FOR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ASSESS? WHAT I DO THINK CAN BE A POTENTIAL BARRIER THAT WE'VE MANAGED TO WORK AROUND.I LOVE THAT THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ADDITIONAL QUARTER CREDIT AT 20 HOURS AND THE ADDITIONAL HALF CREDIT 40 HOURS BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT WILL COME TO US MID PROCESS THAT MAYBE JUNIORS OR SENIORS BY AGE BUT BECAUSE OF VARIETY OF REASONS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY CREDIT DEFICIENT AND WE ARE VERY FLEXIBLE AND CREATIVE.
WE HAVE T-SHIRTS THAT SAY SO AT HAYES AND WE FIND WAYS TO GET KIDS THOSE CREDITS.
WE ALSO HAVE, WHICH I HOPE THE BOARD KNOWS, OUR STUDENTS ACTUALLY HAVE MORE INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES PER DAY THAN ANY OTHER STUDENTS IN THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, WHICH IS PART OF HOW WE'RE ABLE TO PRODUCE THAT RECOVERY OF THOSE CREDITS.
FOR SOME STUDENTS, THAT'S UNNECESSARY CREDIT, FOR OTHERS AND THIS IS TRUE FOR STUDENTS AT CHS THAT CHRISTIE HAS WORKED WITH AND STUDENTS THAT THE OTHER BUILDINGS AS WELL, JUST GOING TO LAY IT OUT THAT I HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE HOMELESS THE ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR.
I HAVE STUDENTS WHO ARE WORKING JOBS ABOVE BOARD AND UNDER THE TABLE TO PUT FOOD ON THEIR KIDS, THEIR FAMILIES TABLES.
TO SAY AND ALSO 20 HOURS, I THINK IS SOMEPLACE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY, TO BE ABLE TO SAY, YOU'RE WORKING IN GETTING ROLL ON JOB EXPERIENCE.
I NEED TO HONOR THAT. HOW CAN I TURN THAT INTO A SENIOR PROJECT AND MAKE THAT.
BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS IN THE BOARD POLICY THAT THE STUDENT CAN'T BE PAID FOR THOSE HOURS.
BUT IF I COULD HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO WORK WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHEN I HAVE KIDS THAT, THESE ARE THE SAME KIDS THAT DURING REMOTE, WE'RE SITTING IN THE SAFEWAY PARKING LOT ZOOMING FROM THEIR CAR.
WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACCESS BETWEEN ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS, WE GRADUATED 500, 600 KIDS, SENIORS THIS YEAR.
WE KNOW THAT JUST BY LAWS OF STATISTICS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MANY KIDS.
TWO PERCENT TRANSLATES TO A NUMBER OF KIDS THAT WE NEED TO BE MAKING SURE WE TAKE CARE OF.
THAT'S WHY I STARTED WITH SAYING THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THE BOARD POLICY IS VAGUE BECAUSE THEN WE CAN ADJUST IT FOR WHAT WE NEED AND HAVING THAT FLEXIBILITY TO SAY YOU PUT IT IN THESE 40 HOURS FOR THIS PROJECT AND WE CAN FIND YOU A GRADUATION CREDIT THAT CAN ASSIST YOU ACROSS THE FINISH LINE, IS GREAT TO HAVE AS A BROAD DISTRICT BOARD POLICY.
IN TERMS OF MAKING IT A GRADUATE, HAVING IT CONTINUED AS A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT, YOU ALREADY POINTED OUT, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE DOING THESE THINGS, AND SO JUST FURTHER FOOD FOR THOUGHT AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
>> FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR GIVING US OVERVIEW BECAUSE I THINK IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN ON OUR MINDS AND HOW IS IT GOING AND WHAT'S NOT GOING WELL AND I LOVE THE FLEXIBILITY PARKS.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT AND ESPECIALLY FOR EACH HIGH SCHOOL, LIKE WHAT WORKS FOR THEM AND WHAT DOESN'T WORK FOR THEM.
HAVING A SENIOR ALSO THIS YEAR, I WENT THROUGH THE SENIOR, THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT AND SAT ON SENIOR BOARDS AND AS I HAVE FOR A LOT OF YEARS.
I THINK THERE'S SO MANY GOOD THINGS THAT COME OUT OF THIS.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STILL GETTING ALL OF THOSE THINGS, KIDS ARE GETTING INTERNSHIPS THAT CAN TURN INTO THINGS LATER.
WE'RE GETTING THEM CONNECTED TO OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU GO INTO SENIOR BOARD, THE ROOMS WHERE YOU'RE WAITING TO GO IN AND YOU SEE LIKE PAST CAMAS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES THAT ARE JUST COMMITTED TO THIS AND WANT TO SEE THIS.
I THINK THE EXPERIENCE THAT THEY GET FROM, LIKE MY DAUGHTER WAS SO NERVOUS ABOUT WHAT DO I WEAR? WHAT AM I GOING? WHEN THEY'RE DONE, THE EXCITEMENT ON THEIR FACE OF LIKE, I DID THAT AND I SPOKE IN FRONT OF PEOPLE THAT I DON'T KNOW AND THAT I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE A PRESENTATION TOO.
THERE'S A LOT OF REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE THAT THEY'RE GETTING.
NOW, WHETHER WE MAKE A REQUIREMENT AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT, NOT TO GET RID OF IT ALTOGETHER, I DON T THINK, BUT JUST HOW ARE WE'RE MAKING IT, THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE FOR EACH BUILDING AND FOR THE STUDENTS.
>> I THINK THE BEAUTY OF HAVING A DISTRICT WIDE REQUIREMENT AT THIS POINT IS THAT, YOU WILL LOSE MORE PEOPLE TO RUNNING START IF YOU SAY THERE'S A REQUIREMENT AT CAMAS HIGH SCHOOL BUT NOT HERE OR IT LOOKS DIFFERENT HERE.
YOU'LL LOSE MORE KIDS TO RUNNING START FROM THAT PROCESS OR YOU START GETTING PEOPLE SHOPPING AROUND FROM, THIS IS EASIER HERE, OR DIFFERENT HERE.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY BEEN BASED IN REALITY.
IT'S JUST WHAT THE PERCEPTION IS, WHERE THE NICE THING ABOUT HAVING THE STANDARD, THERE'S FLEXIBILITY BUILT INTO IT, WE ADJUST AS NEEDED.
THEN IT REMOVES THE LOOKING FOR WHERE'S THE SIDE ROW.
>> I THINK THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE I WAS IN A ROOM WITH ALL RUNNING STARTUP STUDENTS ONE DAY AND I THINK PEOPLE, THEIR PAPER DIDN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO DO WITH THEIR PROJECT AND SO I THINK THEY USED TO HAVE TO, MAYBE THERE WAS MORE OF A TIE BUT SOMETIMES THEY DIDN'T, WHICH THEY WRITE A TON OF PAPERS.
[01:15:02]
TO ME IT DIDN'T MATTER IF THEIR PAPER WAS RELATED TO WHAT THEIR PROJECT WAS.BUT THOSE PORTFOLIOS HAVE GREAT INFORMATION IN THEM AND WHAT WENT WELL FOR YOU, WHAT DIDN'T GO WELL FOR YOU? WHAT DID YOU LEARN? SOME OF THAT WAS MORE BENEFICIAL TO ME.
JUST HEARING HOW THEIR PROJECT WENT IN GENERAL.
>> I DO THE RUNNING START ONCE I DO THEM ALL ONLINE WITH THEM, SO THAT'S INTERESTING YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.
THAT IS ONE OF THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE MADE WAS THAT THEIR ENGLISH 102 PAPER ONCE THEY HAVE PASSED THEIR ENGLISH 102 CLASS AND HAVE A PASSING GRADE THEN THAT GOES IN THEIR PORTFOLIO AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO WRITE A LITTLE BLURB ABOVE IT SAYING, AS A RUNNING START STUDENT THIS IS PROBABLY NOT RELATED TO MY PROJECT, BECAUSE THEY MAY HAVE DONE IT WHEN THEY WERE A JUNIOR.
THE POINT IS NOT TO REMAKE THEM DO A PAPER, THE POINT IS TO SHOW I CAN WRITE AN ACADEMIC RESEARCH PAPER. [OVERLAPPING]
>> I KNEW THAT PART, BUT THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE ASKING WHY ISN'T THEIR PAPER MARKED [INAUDIBLE] WELL, THEY WERE.
>> THEY WERE COACHED TO PUT A LITTLE BLURB IN THERE AND ALSO COACHED TO SAY, THEY MAY ASK YOU THAT, SO JUST MAKE SURE YOU CAN ARTICULATE IT.
I NOTICED YOUR PROJECT WAS UTAH SUNDAY SCHOOL WHEN YOUR PAPER WAS ON MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS.
WHY USE THAT? BE PREPARED FOR THAT QUESTION.
>> SOME ART TO YOUR POINT WAS THE WORD COMPONENT.
CHRISTIE, I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SAY FIVE YEARS AGO, YOU ALL REVAMPED SAYING WAIT A MINUTE, WHY ARE WE MAKING THEM DO THIS WHEN THEY'RE ALREADY DOING THIS.
CAN WE COUNT THAT? WAS THAT THE FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN YOU BROUGHT FOLKS TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT THAT, WAS THAT JUST CHS OR WAS THAT THE BROADER GROUP?
>> THAT WAS CHS AND THEN I WAS ASKED TO PRESENT HERE.
>> WE WENT OVER WHAT THE CHANGES WERE IN WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO.
TO MARK'S POINT ABOUT EXTRA HOURS, THIS IS REALLY THE CORE OF THEIR SENIOR ENGLISH CLASS, SO FOR US IT'S NOT EXTRA HOURS.
THAT THE PAPER, IT'S THE 20 HOURS OF HOMEWORK THAT YOU WILL BE DOING THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.
IT WORKS OUT TO BE EIGHT MINUTES A DAY OR SOMETHING, THAT YOU WOULD BE DOING OVER THE COURSE OF THAT.
BUT WE DID FIND THAT THERE WERE STUDENTS THAT WERE HAVING TROUBLE JUST LIKE ACCESSING RESOURCES OR BECAUSE OF TRANSPORTATION ISSUES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND OUR HARD AND FIRST RULE HAD ALWAYS BEEN, YOU CANNOT LOG HOURS BETWEEN THE START AND END OF SCHOOL.
WE WENT THROUGH AND REVAMPED AND THE NEW RULE IS, IF YOU HAVE TIME IN YOUR SCHEDULE THAT'S AVAILABLE TO YOU WHERE I ACTUALLY WROTE IT IN HERE IT WAS LIKE, IF YOU'RE A TA FOR SOMEBODY AND THEY NO LONGER NEED YOU TO DO WORK FOR THAT TIME, YOU CAN WORK ON YOUR SENIOR PROJECTS.
THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY, IF IT'S TIME YOU COULD BE ON YOUR PHONE AND NOBODY WOULD CARE, THEN IT'S TIME YOU CAN WORK.
THAT MEANS OUR STUDENTS WHO COME IN DURING CONFERENCE PERIOD AND ACCESS THE WHEELS SO THAT THEY CAN DO A POTTERY PROJECT.
THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE TAS AND THEN THEY USE THAT TIME TO VOLUNTEER IN HIGH NEEDS PE CLASS TO ACCESS THAT BECAUSE CONFERENCE PERIOD JUST 30 MINUTES A DAY, YOU CAN EASILY GET YOUR EXTRA STUFF IN 30 MINUTES A DAY.
THAT WAS THE ADJUSTMENT WE MADE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT PROBLEM BECAUSE IT REALLY WAS BETWEEN THESE HOURS NO LOGGING, AND SO WE WENT, I THINK WE NEED TO LIGHTEN THIS UP A LITTLE BIT.
>> I DID HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS JUST BECAUSE I'M CURIOUS ABOUT IT, BUT THE ONES THAT ARE MOST RELEVANT, WHAT DO YOU REALLY THINK A STUDENT GLEANS FROM THIS PROCESS WHEN THEY'RE DONE BESIDES JUST PUBLIC SPEAKING AND MAYBE RESEARCH? I'M INTERESTED IN, MAYBE JUST GETTING A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THE STUDENTS BENEFIT.
I SEE A BENEFIT FROM AN ORGANIZATIONAL STANDPOINT.
WE DRAW IN PARENTS AND OTHERS FROM NORMALLY NOT INSIDE THE SCHOOL.
WE DRAW A LOT FROM INSIDE OBVIOUSLY.
BUT I'M WONDERING, DOES THAT REALLY SERVE A PURPOSE IN YOUR THINKING? I BELIEVE IT DOES IS IT INTRODUCES PEOPLE TO SEE STUDENTS DIFFERENTLY THAN THEY WOULD OTHERWISE, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IF YOU'VE SEEN THAT DYNAMIC PLAY ITSELF OUT SOMEWHERE IN THIS PROCESS WHERE YOU SEE PARENTS GET ENGAGED AND GO, OH I HAVE NO IDEA.
I HAVEN'T BEEN IN THESE HALLS FOR 50 YEARS.
>> I'LL ANSWER THE FIRST ONE AND THEN I CAN JUMP IN AND THEN I THINK THE SECOND ONE.
I NOTICED WHEN I TOOK OVER THAT NOBODY INVITED THE MENTORS TO COME IN AND SIT ON THE OTHER END OF THE PROCESS.
SO I'D MADE A BIG PUSH TO SAY, HEY, DO YOU GUYS WANT TO SEE? THEY DON'T GET TO SIT ON THE BOARD OF THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENT THEY'VE MENTORED.
BUT WE HAD SO MANY MENTORS THAT WERE IN THERE THAT WERE LIKE, AND THEN THEY WOULD SAY, THEN I GET THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIKE, I HAD A GREAT TIME WITH THIS PERSON.
I WOULD LOVE TO, PUT ME ON THE LIST.
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY BACK OR I'M ALREADY BACKGROUND-CHECKED AND SO ON SO IT WAS SO GREAT, I'D BE HAPPY TO DO THIS.
AND THEN THE BIG ONE I THINK IS, AS I TRY TO EXPLAIN TO THE SENIORS UP TO THIS POINT,
[01:20:02]
MOST OF THE THINGS YOU'VE LEARNED HAVE BEEN LAID OUT FOR YOU DO THIS PROJECT.AT THE END YOU'LL GRADUATE AND THEN YOU'RE JUST OUT THERE AND YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN FOR YOURSELF.
THIS IS, WE WANT YOU TO IMAGINE SOMETHING AT THE BEGINNING.
IMAGINE SOMETHING YOU CAN BE PROUD OF.
DO SOMETHING THAT YOU WILL BE PROUD OF AT THE END THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A GREAT STORY TO TELL AND WE'VE GOT THREE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES THEY CAN DO IT IN SO THEY CAN EITHER DO A CREATIVITY SKILL-BUILDING PROJECTS.
SO HEY, I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO LEARN TO PLAY THE GUITAR.
I ALWAYS WANTED TO LEARN TO KNIT.
I ALWAYS WANTED TO DO WHATEVER.
THEY CAN DO, AN INTERNSHIP OR JOB SHADOW SO I'M TRYING TO EXPLORE THIS FIELD.
MY FAVORITES ARE, I'M REALLY ENCOURAGING HIM DO A COMPARE CONTRAST.
BECAUSE BETTER THAN HALF OF THEM COME BACK AND SAY, I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT, WHICH IS THAT SUPER VALUABLE.
FOR EXAMPLE, I HAD ONE STUDENT WHO SHE KNEW SHE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING THAT HAD TO DO WITH HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE, BUT SHE WASN'T QUITE SURE.
WE GOT HER HOOKED UP INTO A CHIROPRACTOR'S OFFICE, SO SHE DID 10 HOURS WITH THE CHIROPRACTOR, 10 HOURS WITH ACUPUNCTURIST, AND 10 HOURS WITH A MASSAGE THERAPIST.
THEN SHE HAD THIS REALLY RICH COMPARE CONTRAST EXPERIENCE.
I HAD ANOTHER STUDENT WHO KNEW SHE WANTED TO BE A NURSE AND SO SHE JOB-SHADOWED A CHARGE NURSE WHICH IS A TERM I LEARNED FROM HER. CHECKS YOU IN.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT, SURGICAL NURSE AND ONE OTHER ONE.
THEN SHE CAME BACK AND SHE SAID, I'M SO GLAD I DID ALL THREE BECAUSE I FOUND OUT THAT I HATED THE SURGICAL NURSING PART BECAUSE I LIKE WORKING WITH THE PEOPLE AND THE PEOPLE ARE KNOCKED OUT THE WHOLE TIME.
AND I WAS LIKE, GOOD THING YOU DID MULTIPLE ONES, YOU COULD HAVE CONCLUDED.
SO IT'S EITHER CREATIVITY, SKILL-BUILDING, INTERNSHIP JOB SHADOW, OR VOLUNTEERING IN COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE JUST BOYS.
I JUST LOVED PLAYING BASEBALL WHEN I WAS LITTLE AND THEY GO VOLUNTEER WITH THE CHEMISTS AND THEY HUMP AND THEY CLEAN UP THAT, ALL THAT STUFF.
SO I TRIED TO TELL THEM THIS IS THE TRAINING WHEELS THAT ARE COMING OFF.
SOMEBODY ELSE HAS LAID OUT ALL THE STEPS OF THE PROCESS FOR YOU, FOR ALL YOUR LEARNING TO THIS POINT.
FROM HERE NOW, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT.
IF YOU WANT TO COLLEGE DEGREE, IF YOU WANT ANYTHING.
IT'S GOING TO BE A BIG HASSLE WITH A BUNCH OF PAPERWORK AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF HOOPS YOU HAVE TO JUMP THROUGH.
THIS IS YOU FIGURING OUT YOUR COURSE TO GET YOURSELF FROM HERE TO HERE, SOMETHING I'M PROUD OF, AND THEN THIS IS THE SCALE YOU WILL USE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE TO GET ANYTHING DONE.
FIRST OF ALL, DREAM IT, AND THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO PUT IT INTO STEPS THAT GET YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.
THAT'S WHAT I HOPE THEY TAKE AWAY, AND THERE'S A HUGE VARIETY.
THERE'S SOME PEOPLE THAT IT BECOMES THEIR CAREER PATH AND THEN THERE'S OTHERS THAT ARE LIKE, I FOUNDED IN AND THE SENIOR PROJECT IS TERRIBLE.
I TRIED TO TELL THEM HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE SENIOR PROJECT IS MORE REFLECTION OF YOUR CHARACTER THAN THE SENIOR PROJECTS.
SO MAKE SURE YOU DO SOMETHING YOU'RE PROUD OF AT THE BEGINNING.
DON'T JUST TAKE THE EASY ROUTE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I HOPE THEY GET OUT OF IT THEN IT'S THAT LIKE TRAINING WHEELS.
TRAINING WHEELS ARE COMING OFF GUYS, DREAM BIG, FIGURE OUT.
>> OUR PROJECTS ECHO EVERYTHING THAT CHRISTIE JUST SAID ABOUT THE INDEPENDENCE.
CULTIVATING INDEPENDENCE IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND SOMETIMES THAT DOES TAKE, YOU CAN HAVE THE TRAINING WHEELS FOR A LITTLE WHILE LONGER AND I'M A KNOCK THIS ONE OFF AND THEN YOU WILL WOBBLE AND WE'LL KNOCK THE OTHER ONE OFF.
THERE'S SOME OF THAT AS WELL AND IN TERMS OF THE OTHER ELEMENTS BEYOND THE PROJECT, THE OTHER BIG DISPOSITION THAT WE WANT TO CULTIVATE IS AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW BINARIES DO NOT EXIST IN OUR WORLD IN TERMS OF RIGHT, WRONG, BEST, WORST AND THAT EVERYTHING IS INCREDIBLY COMPLICATED AND COMPLEX.
AND HELPING THEM TO SEE THIS IS REALLY THE MAJOR FOCUS OF THEIR RESEARCH AND THEY DEVELOP A BILL AS PART OF THEIR CIVICS PROCESS THROUGH THIS AS WELL.
YOU REALLY GET TO SEE HOW INTERCONNECTED EVERYTHING IN OUR SYSTEMS AND SOCIETY AND COMMUNITIES ARE AND SO IF WE ADVOCATE FOR THIS RESEARCH AND ADVOCATE FOR THIS ONE PARTICULAR POLICY ON MY PROBLEM THAT WE'RE EXPLORING FOR OUR SENIOR PROJECT, HOW'S IT GOING TO IMPACT OF THESE STAKEHOLDERS DIFFERENTLY THAN WE ANTICIPATE.
SO DOING A LOT OF THAT SYSTEMS UNDERSTANDING, WORKING TOWARD THAT IS THE OTHER LAYER OF SEEING THAT NOT ONLY IS THEIR COMPLEXITY, BUT YOU CAN IMPACT IT.
IT IS REALLY WHAT OURS IS AIMING FOR, IS THAT AS A CURRENT OR FUTURE VOTER, DEPENDING ON HOW OLD THEY ARE WHEN WE GET THEM, AND AS A CITIZEN WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY, THERE ARE WAYS THAT YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT AND IT MAY FEEL SMALL BUT NOW THAT YOU SEE HOW SYSTEMS ARE INTERCONNECTED, YOU MIGHT SEE THAT WHAT YOU PERCEIVE AS A SMALL IMPACT, LIKE TEACHING A FEW SPANISH WORDS EVERY OTHER WEEK AT HELEN VALOR.
THAT EXPERIENCE THAT ONE OF OUR SENIORS DID, HELPED THEM REALIZE THEY DIDN'T WANT NECESSARILY BE AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER.
LIKE SHE WAS SAYING AND ALSO BROADENED TO THEIR EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH DIVERSE LEARNERS AND THEY CAN SEE THEIR IMPACT ON OTHERS.
THAT'S THE OTHER PIECE OF IT, ESPECIALLY AT OUR SENIOR YEAR WHERE IT IS THAT THE THEME IS ON THAT IMPACT THAT STUDENTS CAN HAVE.
[01:25:03]
THERE WERE OTHER PARTS OF YOUR QUESTION AND MY CAPACITY FOR MULTIPART QUESTIONS STOPS AT ABOUT 4:30.>> [INAUDIBLE] FIRST OF ALL, I'D LOVE FOR IT TO BE ABLE TO START SOONER.
IT CURRENTLY TEACH SOPHOMORE WORLD LIT.
AND I'VE HAD AT LEAST A DOZEN STUDENTS ASK IF THEY CAN START THEIR SENIOR PROJECT THIS SUMMER.
IF IT'S TRULY A CULMINATING PROJECT, DOES IT HAVE TO HAPPEN DURING THE SENIOR YEAR? CAN I TAKE MY KIDS THAT ARE DOING A LOT OF COMMUNITY WORK THIS SUMMER BECAUSE OF OPPORTUNITIES THEY HAVE? COULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT IS BUILT UPON? THAT'S ONE PIECE OF IT, BUT IN TERMS OF THE BIGGER END PICTURE IS THAT SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT CHRISTIE HAS TALKED ABOUT THE LIBRARY AFTER THE KIDS DO THE THING THEY THOUGHT WAS IMPOSSIBLE.
WHEN WE KNOW ALL ALONG IT IS COMPLETELY POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN THE BRILLIANCE IN THE CLASSROOM.
TO ME, THAT IS THE EXPERIENTIAL GOAL AND IF WE CAN ACCOMPLISH SOME STANDARDS ALONG THE WAY, THAT'S FANTASTIC.
BUT THAT'S THE EXPERIENTIAL GOAL THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THERE WAS A HARD THING AND I WAS ABLE TO DO THE HARD THING AND I HAVE PEOPLE SUPPORTING ME, BUT I DID IT AND NOW I CAN REFLECT ON IT, WHICH IS PART OF OUR PROCESS TOO, AND APPLY THAT FORWARD.
>> MINE IS I HAVE LIKE A SMALL TWEAK.
I WOULD DO AND I ACTUALLY WANT TWO SMALL TWEAKS.
ONE I CAN THINK HOW I COULD DO IT THEN THE OTHER ONE I CAN'T QUITE FIGURE OUT BECAUSE SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT THEY COME UP WITH ARE SO AMAZING.
I WOULD LOVE TO FIND A WAY THAT WE COULD DO LIKE A SENIOR PROJECT FAIR WHERE THE SENIORS PASS THE CONTACT AND THE IDEA ONTO THAT JUNIOR THAT'S SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IT AND GO, HEY, HERE'S THE MENTOR.
THERE'S A FINE LINE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THEM TO GET A PACKAGE DEAL.
I CAN TELL YOU WHEN I FIRST TAUGHT THIS SENIOR ENGLISH IN 2000 YOU COULD PRETTY MUCH HAND AT THE HANDBOOK TO THE CLASS AND THEY HAD ALL THESE IDEAS.
THE BIG DEFICIT THAT I'M SEEING NOW IS THE LACK OF IMAGINATION.
THEY CAN'T THINK OF SOMETHING THEY HAVEN'T SEEN ON A SCREEN.
I'M TELLING THEM, JUST IMAGINE IT, LIKE IF YOU CAN FIND A MENTOR AND IT'S SAFE, WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
THERE'S LIKE AN IMAGINATION DEFICIT.
THAT'S GOING TO BE THE NEW BUZZWORD HEADS-UP. YOU HEARD IT HERE.
THERE'S A FINE LINE, I STILL WANT THEM TO IMAGINE SOMETHING BUT IF WE CAN HAVE SOME AFFAIR OR A WAY THAT YOU COULD PASS THAT ON TO THE NEXT AND KEEP THOSE REALLY COOL ONES ALIVE AND CLOSING IN ON STRUCTURALLY HOW IT CAN BE DONE.
BUT I WOULD LOVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT.
THEN IN A DREAM, DREAM WORLD, EVERY BOARD WOULD HAVE SPECIFIC COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WERE IN THAT, THE BACKGROUND WITH THAT AND YOU COULD SIGN UP FOR YOUR BOARD AND YOUR BOARD COULD BE CONTENT-SPECIFIC.
LIKE THE 25 CHILDREN THAT THINK THEY WANT TO DROP-SHADOW A DENTIST, THE DENTIST COULD BE ON THAT BOARD OR WHATEVER THAT IT COULD ACT, SO THAT THE QUESTIONS COULD BE A LITTLE MORE CONTENT-RICH.
BUT THAT STRUCTURALLY HAS ALSO ALLUDED TO ME.
IN TERMS OF SOMETHING ALL BIG AND NEW, I'D HAVE TO THINK A LITTLE BIT LONGER, BUT THOSE ARE TWO TWEAKS THAT I THINK COULD MAKE IT MUCH RICHER IF WE COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT.
I THINK THERE'S A BALANCE ON THE STARTING EARLY AND NOT STARTING EARLY THING BECAUSE IF YOU KEEP SETTING THE EXPECTATION BACK THAT IT NEEDS TO START EARLY, YOU DO CREATE A BARRIER FOR PEOPLE THAT JUST MOVED HERE OR PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN ALL OTHER THINGS WHERE YOU'VE ADDED THIS THING ON WHERE I LIKE THE FREEDOM OF COME IN SEPTEMBER AND WE WRITE THE PROPOSAL TOGETHER, WE REVIEW THEM TOGETHER.
THERE IS A WAY THAT THEY CAN START IN THEIR SUMMER IF THEY HAVE A SUMMER-SPECIFIC OPPORTUNITY, LIKE SOMETHING THAT'S EXCITING.
BUT THERE'S A CERTAIN FREEDOM, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE MANAGING AS MANY, I KNOW YOURS ARE COOLER BECAUSE YOU CAN KNOW THEM FOR LONGER.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE MANAGING THIS MONEY TO JUST SAY IT STARTS WHEN YOU'RE A SENIOR.
I EVEN TELL THEM ONCE IT GETS SUMMER APPROVAL AND START, I SAY YOU CAN'T LOG HOURS UNTIL YOU'RE ACTUALLY THE SENIORS.
IT'S LIKE DAY AFTER GRADUATION, JUNE 13TH IS THE FIRST DAY YOU CAN LOG OUT IF YOU HAVE SUMMER APPROVAL.
IT'S THE SENIOR PROJECT. SO THERE'S A FINE BALANCE THERE.
I CAN SEE THAT BUT I CAN ALSO SEE IT STARTS TO GET REALLY HARD TO HAVE CLEAR EXPECTATIONS FOR THEM BECAUSE THEN THE PANICKY ONES ARE LIKE, I'D START WHEN I WAS A SOPHOMORE.
I'M LIKE, YOU'RE NOT BEHIND. IT'S OKAY.
[01:30:04]
>> I REMEMBER SITTING- I THINK I'VE BEEN ON BOARD SINCE 2012 OR 2013 BEFORE MY KIDS WERE EVEN IN HIGH SCHOOL? YEAH. YES, THAT'S RIGHT.
I REMEMBER A STUDENT WHO TOOK CARE OF THE GARDENS HERE AT ZILLOW BACK, AND I THOUGHT, HOW DOES THAT GET PASSED DOWN TO ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR A KIDDO TO DO.
I LOVE THAT IDEA AND I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF DATABASE.
>> THERE IS, AND I'M THE CLEARINGHOUSE OF, THIS ISN'T ONGOING AND I HAVE ONGOING.
THIS IS THE ONGOING ONES. BUT IT'S MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE. WELL, I DON'T KNOW.
I CAN IMAGINE IT BEING MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE IF THE JUNIORS COULD SEE THE SENIORS THAT ARE EXCITED ABOUT IT IN THE PAST CONTACT COULD GO DIRECTLY FROM STUDENT TO STUDENT.
I HAVE A HUGE DATABASE OF REOCCURRING SENIOR PROJECTS.
>> LIKE THOSE MAGNET PRESENTATION.
I LOVE THE FLEXIBILITY AND I'VE SEEN THAT BEFORE AT HAYES' AND IT'S HARDER TO MOVE A BIG SHIP IN THE OCEAN.
BUT I REMEMBER SITTING IN SOME WHERE THE ADULTS MAYBE THE FORM, AND I GO BACK TO THAT EQUITABLE PIECE.
WHERE ON THE FORM, IT ASK CERTAIN QUESTIONS THAT ADULTS IN THE ROOM NEED TO BE EDUCATED ON BECAUSE MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE THE BACKGROUND AND UNDERSTANDING.
SO WHEN THERE'S A CHECKBOX OR THEY DRESSED BUSINESSLIKE OR APPROPRIATE, AND REMEMBER THAT WAS A CONVERSATION IN THE ROOM.
I COME BACK TO THAT IDEA OF ARE WE REFLECTING AND TALKING ABOUT IS THIS UP-TO-DATE? ARE THE VOLUNTEERS THAT WE'RE GETTING, ARE THEY BEING PREPPED APPROPRIATELY? ARE THESE APPROPRIATE TYPE OF QUESTIONS? I REMEMBER ONE YEAR, ONE OF THE OPTIONS IS POSTING YOUR ESSAY FOR COLLEGE AS PART OF THE REQUIREMENT, AND IF YOU DON'T, THAT IS A A DIP IN THE GRADE.
IT WAS ONE OF THE OPTIONS, I RECALL 2021.
>> SO THERE'S AN EXTRA SECTION IN THE PORTFOLIO AND TEACHERS MAKE A REQUIREMENT ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT IN THE EXTRAS SECTION, AND THEN BEYOND THAT, STUDENTS PUT WHAT THEY WANT.
THE REQUIRED EXTRAS ARE A PROFESSIONAL RESUME AND A THANK YOU LETTER TO YOUR MENTOR.
THEN THERE'S A LIST OF SUGGESTION OF THINGS YOU CAN ADD OR NOT ADD.
FOR MY RUNNING START STUDENTS, THAT'S PLENTY, I JUST SAY ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT.
BUT YOUR COLLEGE ESSAY OR A PERSONAL STATEMENT IS AN OPTION OF SOMETHING YOU COULD PUT IN THE EXTRAS.
IF THERE WAS A STUDENT THAT MISUNDERSTOOD THAT, THAT WAS UNFORTUNATE COMMUNICATION, BUT WE NEVER REQUIRED THAT.
>> OKAY, GOOD. YEAH, IT'S JUST THAT REFLECTION OF DOES THIS FIT WITH THE TIMES? ARE WE BEING FLEXIBLE FOR STUDENTS? IS THIS AN EQUITABLE? I THINK THAT'S A YEARLY REFLECTION.
>> I'LL ADDRESS THE RUBRIC THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS IN HERE IF YOU GUYS WANT TO LOOK AT THE EXACT WORDING OF THE RUBRIC, WHICH IS ON PAGE 15.
WE DID HAVE A BIG STAFF DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO THAT WAS, DID WE CARE ABOUT THE SPEAKERS' DRESS BEING PROFESSIONAL OR NOT? THE TEACHERS THAT WERE SENIOR TEACHERS AND ADMIN ON THIS, THIS WOULD BE BEFORE BRIAN TOOK OVER AND ALSO BEFORE TOM.
SO SORRY, THIS REFERENCES THAT.
WE REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT, WAS THAT A BARRIER FOR STUDENTS OR WHATEVER? IT WAS PRETTY STRONGLY, WE FELT LIKE YOU DRESS FOR SUCCESS AND THAT TEACHING THEM WHAT BUSINESS PROFESSIONALISM, WHAT BUSINESS CASUAL IS, AND KNOWING WHEN YOU WOULD USE THAT, COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GETTING A JOB THAT YOU ARE EXCITED ABOUT OR NOT.
WE DECIDED YES, IT'S A HASSLE, BUT WE STILL THINK IT'S A SKILL THAT MATTERS AND WE ACTUALLY WANT TO KNOW THAT WHEN THEY LEAVE THE BUILDING THEY HAVE AN OUTFIT THAT THEY KNOW IS BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL THAT THEY COULD WEAR TO AN INTERVIEW.
WE USE MATERIAL FROM UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE THAT GIVES EXAMPLES OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO.
WE USE THE SAME CURRICULUM IN THE CLASS, AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
IF YOU WANT TO FLIP TO PAGE 14, WE CHANGED THE WORDING TO MAKE IT GENDER-NEUTRAL UNDER ATTIRE.
WHAT TO WEAR, WHAT NOT TO WEAR IS ON PAGE 14, IT'S TABLED.
THEN DURING THEIR PRACTICE SPEECH STUDENTS WEAR THEIR PROFESSIONAL OUTFIT, AND SO THEY CAN GET FEEDBACK FROM STAFF AND STUDENTS BEFORE THEY END UP IN BOARDS DRESSED A CERTAIN WAY.
THEN I HAVE A FORM, TEACHERS COME TO ME BEFOREHAND AND THEY DOUBLE-CHECK WITH STUDENTS AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT THEY NEED, OUTFIT WISE, THEY JUST SEND IT TO ME AND I GET IT FROM JACQUELINE ROB, JUST WHAT YOU NEED AND WHAT SIZE.
[01:35:01]
SO JUST TELL ME I NEED BLACK PANTS AND SIZE 8.5 SHOES AND THEY GET THAT BEFORE THE PRACTICE SPEECH, AND THEN THEY'RE ABLE TO WEAR IT TO THE PRACTICE SPEECH, AND THEN THEY LEAVE THE BUILDING WITH THE PROFESSIONAL OUTFIT THAT THEY KNOW IS GOOD FOR AN INTERVIEW.WE DEFINITELY WEAR LIKE, IS THIS IS A HASSLE? DO WE DROP THIS? DO WE LET THEM SCHLEP IN IN THEIR PAJAMAS? THE BOTTOM LINE IS, YOU SHOW UP TO AN INTERVIEW EQUALLY IN ONE PERSON LOOKS LIKE THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO SHOW UP LOOKING ANOTHER WAY.
I MEAN, WE KNOW WE'RE ON THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND IT'S MORE DIFFERENT THAN NEW YORK, BUT WE FIRMLY SIDE.
I THINK THAT'S A SKILL THEY STILL NEED.
WE LIGHTENED UP LIKE OPEN TOED SHOES AND FEW OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT, AND WE MADE A GENDER-NEUTRAL HERE, BUT WE STILL THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT, AT LEAST A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHEN WE DID IT RIGHT BEFORE TOM TOOK OVER THAT WE HAD THE CONVERSATION.
YEAH, AND THEY WEAR IT TO CLASS BEFOREHAND IN FRONT OF THEIR PEERS.
SO IT'S NOT AS IF THEY JUST MATERIALIZE IN FRONT OF THE BOARD DRESSED, HOWEVER THEY'RE DRESSED.
THEY LEAVE KNOWING WHAT THE VALUE IS TO THAT WHICH WE DECIDED IS STILL IMPORTANT A COUPLE YEARS AGO, BUT I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE WE HAVE BEEN SITTING AROUND IN STRETCHY PANTS IN FRONT OF ZOOM FOR A LONG TIME.
MAYBE IT DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE, MAYBE IT MATTERS MORE THAN IT USED TO, I'M NOT SURE.
>> I HAVE A QUESTION, SO YOU SAID THAT A LOT OF THE STUFF YOU DO IN SENIOR ENGLISH, ANYWAY, SO YOU'D BE WRITING A PAPER IN SENIOR ENGLISH ANYWAY?
>> YOU WOULD BE WRITING AN ANALYTICAL RESEARCH PAPER.
I WOULD IMAGINE, YOU WOULD BE DOING THAT?
>> THE OTHER THING TOO IS, TO BE PERFECTLY FRANK, IT SETS THE EXPECTATIONS FOR TEACHERS SO THAT YOUR SENIOR ENGLISH EXPERIENCE IS MORE STANDARDIZED BECAUSE THE TEACHERS HAVE TO TEACH TO THAT LEVEL.
IF THERE'S NO OVERSIGHT OR MAINTENANCE OF THAT, IT'S DIFFICULT TO MOTIVATE A TEACHER TO WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY'VE DONE A PAPER AT THAT LEVEL.
>> BECAUSE I ALWAYS WONDER, THAT WE PAY EXTRA FOR GRADING OF THOSE SENIOR PAPER.
>> WE DITCHED THAT AWHILE AGO.
>> OKAY, I THOUGHT I SAW IT AS RECENTLY AS RIGHT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
YEAH, AND I WONDERED IT, IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE WRITING PAPERS IN ENGLISH ANYWAY.
>> THAT WAS THE ARGUMENT. THAT'S WE DITCHED IT.
>> GOING BACK TO DRESS, WE DO ENCOURAGE OUR STUDENTS TO HAVE PROFESSIONAL ATTIRE AND ALSO USE OUR HAYES' CLOSET AND SUPPORT THAT, BUT IT WILL NOT BE A REASON THAT A STUDENT DOES NOT PASS.
I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE. IT'S NOT A STANDARD THAT IS ANYWHERE IN ANY OF MY STANDARDS.
I DO THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT CHRISTIE IDENTIFIED, BUT I HAD ONE STUDENT IN PARTICULAR THAT WAS NOT GOING TO ACCEPT THE SUPPORT AND I WAS NOT GOING TO LET THAT KID NOT GRADUATE BECAUSE OF THAT.
IN TERMS OF, TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE ANALYTICAL PAPERS, SO MUCH OF THIS WOULD BE HAPPENING IN OUR ADVOCACY PROGRAM AS WELL, WHICH IS WHY WE ANTICIPATE THAT HAVING THE POLICY IS FANTASTIC AND WHATEVER THE BOARD DECIDES IN TERMS OF UNIVERSAL POLICY.
WE'LL STILL BE DOING THE CAPSTONE IN PART BECAUSE IT ALIGNS WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON REQUIREMENTS THAT WE DO IN SENIOR ENGLISH IN PARTICULAR, FOR THEM TO EARN THE EXTRA ADDITIONAL COLLEGE CREDIT, AND IT ALIGNS WITH ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND PLAN, WHICH IS ALSO A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT.
A LOT OF THAT ALSO HAPPENS IN ADVOCACY BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT BUILT-IN TO OUR SYSTEMS. WHAT I THINK IN TERMS OF THE QUESTION THAT THE BOARD MIGHT NEED TO WRESTLE WITH IF THERE IS A QUESTION ON THE TABLE AT ALL, WHICH IS WHAT THAT POLICY STATES AND IS ABOUT POLICY THE THING THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD WITH? DOES THE POLICY ENABLE APPROPRIATE.
I'VE JUST GRANTED MYSELF THE AUTHORITY TO HAVE FLEXIBILITY.
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE KNOWN ME FOR THE 20 YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE, I DO THAT OCCASIONALLY THAT I FELT THE LANGUAGE OF THE POLICY WE CAN COACH OUR KIDS TO MEET THAT EXPECTATION, AND HOW WE GET THERE CAN LOOK A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
THAT'S WHERE WE STAND IN TERMS OF HOW WE'LL CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD AT HAYES'.
>> WELL, I WOULD JUST POINT OUT TOO BECAUSE, BEING A POLICY, THE POLICY GUY HERE.
TWENTY FOUR TEN JUST SAYS CULMINATING PROJECT IS A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT.
THE PROCEDURE LISTS OUT ALL OF THAT STUFF AND THE PROCEDURE CAN BE CHANGED BY STAFF.
THAT DOESN'T NEED ANY SORT OF BOARD APPROVAL.
IN TERMS OF A BOARD, I MEAN, IF THIS DOES COME UP FOR SOME SORT OF A DECISION WHERE WE WANT TO CHANGE SOMETHING, WE'RE LITERALLY TALKING ABOUT TWO WORDS IN THE POLICY.
DO WE WANT CULMINATING PROJECT TO STAY IN 2410 OF GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS OR DO WE WANT TO NOT HAVE THAT IN THERE?
>> FOR ME, IT'S A CULMINATING PROJECT,
[01:40:02]
BUT I REALLY WANT IT TIED TO STANDARDS.BECAUSE FOR EVERYTHING WE DO, WHAT'S THE STANDARD WE'RE MEASURING.
ESPECIALLY MOVING TOWARDS STANDARDS-BASED GRADING.
I GO BACK TO WHEN MY SON WAS DOING HIS AND HE WANTED ME TO PROOFREAD HIS PAPER.
I'M PROOFREADING, I'M LIKE, "OH, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY GET RID OF THIS." "OH, MOM, DON'T TAKE ANY WORDS OUT BECAUSE IF I DON'T HAVE THIS MANY WORDS, I CAN'T GET AN A." I'M LIKE WHAT STANDARD IS THAT MEASURING? I KNOW WE'VE GONE THROUGH AND STREAMLINED, AND THAT'S THE THING.
BUT THE IDEA IS WE WANT EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE DOING TO BE RELATED TO WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? WHAT STANDARD ARE WE MEASURING? IF WE SAY THESE ARE THE STANDARDS THAT YOU NEED TO MEET, THEN EACH SCHOOL CAN BE REALLY FLEXIBLE IN WHAT DO WE WANT OUR KIDS DO? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO IN ORDER FOR OUR KIDS TO MEET THE STANDARD? HOW ARE THEY GOING TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR LEARNING IN THAT? I MEAN, FOR ME I JUST REALLY WANT IT BECAUSE IF IT'S NOT TIED TO A STANDARD, IT'S JUST SOMETHING WE'RE DOING.
I JUST THINK THAT LINK, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT BELONGS IN THE POLICY OR IN THE PROCEDURES OR JUST IN THE CURRICULUM OR NOT SURE.
>> YEAH, WE DON'T DO THE WORD COUNT FOR ANYTHING ANYMORE.
>> I MEAN, WE DO HAVE WORD PERIMETERS FOR THEM.
>> THE STANDARDS ON THOSE ARE USE OF RESOURCES AND IT'S TIED TO HOW MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF RESOURCES, PROPER CITATIONS, ARGUMENTATION WITHIN THE PAPER, ALL THOSE MEET EVERY BOX ON THERE.
>> ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, LAST-MINUTE THINGS OR MARK AND CHRISTIE HAVE JUST BEEN AWESOME AND THANK YOU FOR JUST THE WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE HAD OVER THE YEARS OF DOING THIS.
AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE HEAR FROM THE EXPERTS THAT ARE WORKING WITH OUR STUDENTS DAY IN AND DAY OUT ON THAT.
BECAUSE AGAIN, AT THIS LEVEL THEY'RE NOT GOING TO KNOW ALL THE INS AND OUTS.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD CALIBRATION FOR OUR BOARD AS WELL TO SAY, WHERE'S THIS AT? I THINK IT'S REALLY INTERESTING.
IT'S BECOME THE CULTURE THOUGH.
YEAH, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH THE POLICY.
WE'RE STILL GOING TO DO THIS. BECAUSE IT'S A CULTURE.
WE BELIEVE IN THIS WITH OUR STUDENTS.
WE HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY WORTHWHILE FOR OUR STUDENTS.
REGARDLESS IF IT'S A REQUIREMENT OR NOT, WE'RE STILL.
I THINK THAT SPEAKS TO WHAT IT'S BECOME AS WELL.
>> IF YOU WANT, LIKE IN THE KIDS WORDS OF WHAT WORKED WELL, WHAT DIDN'T WORK WELL, WHICH IS ALSO WHERE WE GATHER OUR DATA FROM.
EACH KID HAS THEIR LIFE PORTFOLIO LINK AND YOU JUST CLICK ON REFLECTION AND THEY HAVE A SET OF QUESTIONS IN THERE AND SO YOU'LL GET AN IDEA FROM THAT, WHAT THEY GOT OUT OF IT, WHAT THEY WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY.
I DO THINK TOM, IS IT OKAY IF I TELL HIM WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT IT THE OTHER DAY WHEN WE WERE TALKING [LAUGHTER].
YOU SHOULD PROBABLY JUST COME TELL HIM.
BECAUSE THEY'VE HEARD ME TALKING ABOUT IT.
BUT WHEN YOU SAID YOU DID A 180 BECAUSE LIKE LEADING UP TO 80S LIKE, I ALWAYS THINK, OH MY WORD, THIS IS HORRIBLE WHAT ARE WE DOING.
>> THIS GUYS DID IT AND IT COMES A LITTLE BIT ON TRYING TO MAKE STAFFING DECISIONS, STAFFING CUTS AND ACTUALLY TALKING WITH DR. WILLIAMS ABOUT EVERY YEAR, AT LEAST AT CAMAS HIGH-SCHOOL WE'VE REDUCED STAFFING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND AT SOME POINT, IT'S PROGRAMS WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT.
BECAUSE I CAN JUST PINCH THINGS OUT.
THEN JUST I STARTED THINKING ABOUT SENIOR PROJECT AS I WAS GOING THROUGH OUR STAFFING SHEETS AND WE DO ALLOCATE SOME FUNDS TO STAFFING THAT.
FOR OUR RUNNING STARTS STUDENTS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE TOGETHER AND THEN TO HELP COORDINATE THE WHOLE PROCESS.
>> IT'S ACTUALLY REVENUE POSITIVE.
ACHIEVE THIS POINT TO IN THE BUDGET, WHICH OTHERWISE WOULD DISAPPEAR.
>> I THINK USUALLY IN SEPTEMBER, MAYBE OCTOBER WHEN YOU GET A FEW COMPLAINTS FROM SENIORS ABOUT THE SENIOR PROJECT, IT'S LIKE, WHY DON'T WE DO THIS? WHY DO WE DO IT? THEN YOU WATCH THE BOARD PRESENTATIONS AND ABOUT AT LEAST A THIRD TO HALF OF THE STUDENTS ARE LIKE, I DIDN'T WANT TO DO THIS, BUT I'M SO GLAD I DID.
BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS INTERESTED IN THIS AND I'M NOT.
OR I DID THIS THING THAT NOW I WANT TO CONTINUE IN THIS PATH.
IT GIVES THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE SOME THINGS AND DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT TO DO IT OR NOT, AND IT HAD NO IMPACT ON THEIR GRADE.
IF I TRY AN INTERNSHIP AND I DON'T LIKE IT, THAT'S FINE TALK ABOUT HOW YOU DIDN'T LIKE YOUR INTERNSHIP AND WHAT YOU LEARN FROM IT.
THEN THE EXCITEMENT GOING INTO THE ROOM AT THE END, WATCHING THEM, AND THEN MY OWN DAUGHTER'S EXPERIENCED GRADUATED FROM CAMAS HIGH SCHOOL THAT DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT AND AT THE END, SHE'S STILL TALKS ABOUT.
[01:45:02]
I'M SO GLAD I HAD TO DO THAT PRESENTATION AND EVEN JUST LISTENING ABOUT THE BUSINESS CASUAL OR BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL AND THOSE SORTS OF TERMS, SHE CURRENTLY WORKS AT HOME DEPOT, SHE'S GOING ON HER FIRST TRIP AND SHE'S LIKE, OH I GOT TO DRESS BUSINESS CASUAL.IT'S ALL THESE THINGS THAT SHE KNOWS ABOUT.
YEAH, AT THE BEGINNING AND THE FALL, IT'S LIKE, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS BY THE TIME WE COME AROUND AND THE KIDS ACTUALLY PRESENT, I'M LIKE, I'M SO GLAD WE HAVE THEM GO THROUGH THIS, AND I THINK SOME OF THE ELEMENTS WOULD BE KEPT IF WE DIDN'T DO SENIOR PROJECT.
THERE'S SOME, WERE STILL WRITING RESEARCH, WE'RE DOING ALL THAT.
BUT I THINK THE OVERALL IMPACT AND THAT IMPORTANCE IN THAT FEELING OF I WENT THROUGH AND DID THIS AS PART OF MY GRADUATION WOULD BE MISSING AND I DON'T THINK IT WOULD HAVE THE SAME IMPACT.
I'M LIKE CHRISTIE, I COULD ARGUE BOTH WAYS.
WE KEEP IT WE DON'T KEEP IT, IT IS WHAT IT IS AS FAR AS LIKE BOARD POLICY AND STUFF GOES.
I WOULD SAY THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO CUT THEM OFF, WE DON'T GO.
YEAH, WE'RE IN 2025 WILL BE THE LAST YEAR WE DO THIS BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO CAUSE ALL PROBLEMS WITH THAT.
BUT AGAIN, AT THE BEGINNING, DON'T LIKE IT AT THE END I'M LIKE, YEAH IT WAS WELL WORTH.
WELL, THE TIME SPENT I THINK I'VE TALKED TO CHRISTIE ABOUT A POINT FOR FTE THAT WE ALLOCATE TOWARDS IT AND I THINK WE GET MORE THAN A 0.4 FTE OUT OF IT IN THE END FOR THE STUDENTS AND THE EXPERIENCE WE GET. THAT'S IT.
IF IT WERE NOT A BOARD POLICY, DO YOU THINK YOU GUYS WOULD PHASE IT OUT? BECAUSE IF IT'S VALUABLE EVEN IF IT'S NOT A BOARD POLICY THAT SAYS YOU MUST DO THIS.
>> I SEE MARK WITH HIS FINGER ON THE BUTTON.
>> I'LL LET HIM TALK MORE. I DON T KNOW THAT BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH OUR STAFF TO SEE WHAT THEY VALUE OF IT, WHAT DO THEY WANT TO KEEP OF IT AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT WORK.
I THINK IT WOULD CHANGE THE IMPACT ON STUDENTS.
GOING, WAIT A SECOND IT'S NOT, I DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS TO GRADUATE NOW AND MAYBE.
>> BUT IF THEY HAD TO DO IT TO GET THE [OVERLAPPING]
>> BOXES MORE THAN WHAT WE WOULD NOW.
BUT AGAIN, I WOULDN'T KNOW UNTIL WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
I KNOW I ASKED THE TEACHER THAT JUST TAUGHT SOCIAL STUDIES THE OTHER DAY, WHO'S BEEN IN OUR BUILDING FOR A LONG TIME ABOUT SENIOR PROJECT.
MIKE, WHAT DO YOU THINK BECAUSE I LOVE IT.
I LOVE THAT THE KIDS HAVE TO DO THIS.
I LOVE THAT THEY HAVE THIS END GOAL.
IT KEEPS THEM FOCUSED TILL THE VERY END ON A PROJECT, WHICH IS GOOD.
>> WE WOULD KEEP 97.5 PERCENT OF IT.
HAVING THE FLEXIBILITY AGAIN, ON WHAT IS DONE OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL DAY IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO US, IN PART BECAUSE LIKE I SAID EARLIER, OUR STUDENTS ALREADY SPEND MORE MINUTES WITH US EACH DAY THAN ANY OTHER STUDENTS IN ANY OTHER BUILDINGS, SO THEY'RE ALREADY GETTING AN EXTENDED EXPERIENCE WITH US.
THEY ACTUALLY CAN ALREADY EARN LIKE A STUDENT DOES WITH US FOUR YEARS CAN EARN 28 CREDITS FOR GRADUATION.
THERE'S ALREADY THAT TIME PIECE.
I'VE REALIZED EVEN IN JUST IN THIS DISCUSSION THAT A LOT OF THE RULES THAT I FORCE MYSELF TO ABIDE BY, DON'T ACTUALLY EXIST IN THE POLICY.
EVEN JUST SOME CLARITY ABOUT IF THE BOARD DOES DECIDE TO KEEP THIS AS A REQUIREMENT.
I DO, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO EARN ADDITIONAL CREDIT.
WHEN WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT JOIN US, THAT FOR WHATEVER VARIETY OF REASONS ARE.
WE CELEBRATE KIDS THAT FINISH PERIOD, IF THEY TAKE FIVE OR SIX YEARS, BUT HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO EARN THAT ADDITIONAL CREDIT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
KEEPING THAT AS AN OPTION WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
BUT LIKE I SAID, IT'S REALLY EMBEDDED IN OUR SENIOR ENGLISH CURRICULUM.
IT'S REALLY EMBEDDED IN OUR ADVOCACY PROGRAM.
THIS YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR WE ACTUALLY HAD JUNIORS.
WE HAD 11TH GRADERS ON THE BOARDS.
THEY GOT TO OBSERVE THEIR PEERS.
NOT ONLY DO THEY GET TO SEE THE PRACTICE PRESENTATIONS AND OUR ADVOCACY CLASSES BECAUSE THEY PRACTICE IN OUR SENIOR ENGLISH CLASSES AND OUR ADVOC CLASSES.
BUT THEN THEY GOT TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS AND COMMUNICATE WITH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY SAW AND POST QUESTIONS TO EACH OTHER.
WE WOULD DEFINITELY BE KEEPING IT AND HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO AWARD ADDITIONAL CREDIT IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR US.
>> THE CREDIT IS EARNED BY THE NUMBER OF HOURS THEY DO.
WELL, THERE'S EVERYTHING'S WEIRD WITH WAIVERS, BUT THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT I WAS IN CHARGE THAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEIR CERTAIN KIDS THAT ARE LIKE, I'M WORKING ON MY 40 HOURS BECAUSE THAT GETS ME GRADUATED ON TIME.
A HANDFUL THAT IS FOR US THAT IT'S THE DIFFERENCE.
I THINK A LOT OF IT WOULD START OUT.
I THINK IF YOU REMOVED HAVING IT BE A BOARD REQUIREMENT GIVES IT A GRAVITAS THAT YOU CAN'T GET ANY OTHER WAY.
IF YOU REMOVED IT, I THINK IT WOULD STAY FAIRLY SIMILAR FOR A WHILE, AND THEN AS YOU HAD NEW STAFF ROTATING WITHOUT THE INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY OF WHAT IT WAS,
[01:50:02]
IT WOULD THEN JUST BECOME, HEY, THIS TEACHER DOESN'T REALLY MAKE ME WRITE A PAPER OR THIS TEACHER DOESN'T REALLY DO THAT, SO I WANT THIS TEACHER, SO CAN YOU MOVE ME INTO THIS KIND OF THE COUNSELORS SHOPPING AROUND.WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT IS THE KIDS THAT ARE HIGH ACHIEVERS ARE GOING TO BE DOING THINGS LIKE THIS ANYWAY.
WHAT THIS DOES IS IT FORCES US TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SCOOP UP ALL THOSE ONES AT THE BOTTOM AND SAY, NO YOU CAN DO SOMETHING TOO.
YES, YOU CAN DRESS PROFESSIONALLY AND YOU JUST TELL ME WHAT IT IS YOU NEED AND IT MAKES US AS A STAFF AND AS A BODY, NOT JUST GO, OH, YEAH, IT'S ALL GOOD AND THESE AP KIDS AND MAGNET KIDS WILL DO STUFF BUT NOW EVERYBODY IS GOING TO DO SOMETHING YOU'RE PROUD OF.
HOW DO WE ALL GET TO THAT LEVEL?
>> I WOULD SAY THAT WE DID HAVE OUR JUNIORS AS OBSERVERS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND THE SENIOR FEEDBACK WAS THAT HE MADE THEM REALLY NERVOUS AND THEY DIDN'T LIKE IT.
>> THIS YEAR I DROPPED IT THIS YEAR COMING BACK FROM COVID OUT OF RESPECT FOR WHAT THE SENIORS SAID AND I THOUGHT IT REALLY IS ABOUT THE KID PRESENTING IN THE ROOM.
>> IT'S NOT ABOUT THE ONE COMING UP. [OVERLAPPING]
>> BUT YOU GUYS ARE SMALL ENOUGH WHERE YOU KNOW EACH OTHER WELL, SO I COULD SEE THAT WORKING WHERE THEY'RE LIKE, I DON'T WANT RANDOM TEENAGERS ON THE BACK OF MY ROOM.
I JUST WANT TO FOCUS ON THE ADULTS, SO I'M LIKE THAT CAME BACK REALLY CLEAR SO I WAS LIKE, PEACE OUT GUYS [LAUGHTER].
WE GOT PERMISSION FROM A FEW SENIORS.
THEY CAME BACK IN AND DID THEIR SPEECH FOR US AND WE RECORDED THOSE SO THAT WE CAN SHOW.
WE'VE GOT EXAMPLES THAT WE CAN SHOW.
WE DON'T RECORD ANYMORE AS ACTUAL BOARD, BUT AFTER THE [INAUDIBLE].
BUT IT WAS INTERESTING, IT WENT TWO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
IT WAS A GOOD THING FOR YOU AND FOR US, IT WAS CLEARLY NO.
>> WELL, MARK AND KRISTI, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THAT WAS SO AWESOME TO HEAR YOUR STORIES AND JUST PROVIDE THAT INSIGHT FOR OUR SCHOOL BOARD AND THINGS TO THINK ABOUT FOR SURE.
THANK YOU. [BACKGROUND] [LAUGHTER]
>> BOARD COMMUNICATION, IT LOOKS LIKE.
>> I HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE FOR BOARD COMMUNICATION.
BUT FIRST I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYBODY ELSE WHO HAD ANYTHING THEY WANTED TO SHARE.
>> I WAS JUST CHECKING. I DIDN'T WANT.
>> MR. HOOD, THIS IS AN AMBUSH BECAUSE WE NEEDED SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA SO WE CAN TALK.
WE KNOW THAT THIS IS YOUR LAST OFFICIAL BOARD MEETING WITH US AS INTERIM BECAUSE EVEN ON JUNE 27TH, I THINK YOU'LL BE AT A CONFERENCE, AWSA CONFERENCE OR WHATEVER.
WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RECOGNIZE IN PUBLIC HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS AND MORE, LEADING OUR DISTRICT THROUGH THIS TRANSITION TIME WHERE EVEN UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES IT WOULD BE A DIFFICULT THING.
WE ASKED YOU TO STEP INTO THIS ROLE, YOU CERTAINLY HAD NO ASPIRATIONS FOR THAT BIG CHAIR.
I THINK ANY RATIONAL PERSON WOULD PROBABLY HAVE THOUGHT LONG AND HARD ABOUT IT BEFORE YOU BY STEPPING IN THERE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES WE WERE IN AND YOU HAVE GUIDED US THROUGH THIS PAST YEAR WITH STEADFAST LEADERSHIP AND THE SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US THROUGH THIS PROCESS, NOT ONLY OF REOPENING SCHOOLS AND GETTING EVERYBODY BACK IN PERSON, BUT THROUGH OUR SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH PROCESS AND JUST KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
WE REALLY ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOU FOR THAT.
I WOULD WELCOME IF THE REST OF THE BOARD HAD ANYTHING ELSE THEY WANTED TO ADD BEFORE I DO THE OFFICIAL PART.
>> [INAUDIBLE] FOR A GUY WHO SAID HE WASN'T SURE HE WANTED TO DO THIS THING, AT LEAST IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU WERE WILLING TO TAKE THE INTERIM, BUT THE IDEA OF I WANT TO MOVE INTO THIS AS AN AREA PROFESSION, I AM QUITE IMPRESSED.
I ENJOYED OUR ABILITY TO WORK TOGETHER.
I APPRECIATED THE LEADERSHIP, THE AWARENESS OF I NEED TO SPEAK NOW AND HELP YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT AND I THINK I'LL JUST LISTEN TO YOU GUYS FOR A LITTLE BIT.
VERY ARTFUL AND SKILLED IN THAT REGARD.
[LAUGHTER] I HOPE THAT YOU CAN DISAPPEAR, TAKE SOME TIME AND GO PLAY. THANK YOU.
>> I ALSO JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I KNOW IT WAS A LOT AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILY AS WELL, SO I KEPT THINKING ANGELA [LAUGHTER] FOR LETTING US TO HAVE YOU ALL THIS EXTRA TIME THIS YEAR BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH US AND A LOT OF EXTRA TIME HERE, AND WE JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AND SHE CAN HAVE YOU BACK.
IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID [LAUGHTER] [OVERLAPPING].
[01:55:03]
>> I'LL DITTO THAT AND YOUR ABILITY TO JUST STEP IN AND STEER THE SHIP COMING FROM AN ELEMENTARY PERSPECTIVE AND YOUR ABILITY TO JUST, LIKE YOU SAID, KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, KEEP EVERYTHING STEADY, AND DO IT WITH A SENSE OF HUMOR AND [LAUGHTER] IT WAS NOT ALWAYS EASY AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO STEP UP AND DO THAT AND THE GREAT JOB THAT YOU DID WHILE YOU WERE DOING IT, THANK YOU.
>> I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF INTERIM FACTORS HERE.
WE'RE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC, WE'RE STILL GETTING OUR FEET UNDERNEATH US, WE ASKED YOU TO STEP IN AND YOU DID IT WITH HUMOR AND OPEN EARS AND REFLECTION FOR US WHEN WE NEEDED IT AND WE REALLY, I KNOW I APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS AND YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR ADVOCACY FOR YOUR TEAM.
I SAY THAT AS A BIGGER TEAM, NOT JUST HERE, BUT EVERYBODY IN THE BUILDINGS, AND YOUR ABILITY TO BRING THAT TO US AND HELP US THINK THROUGH THIS YEAR.
ALWAYS THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR CONDIMENTS WHENEVER WE HAD DINNER.
>> THANKS, COX AND IF I CAN JUST ADD DOUG, SINCE DAY ONE, WHEN I WAS BROUGHT ON, YOU'VE JUST BEEN ABSOLUTELY HUMBLE AND KIND AND GENEROUS AND AN EXPERT.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP AND I KNOW OTHER COLLEAGUES OF MINE GOING INTO THIS ROLE HAVEN'T HAD SOMEBODY LIKE YOU TO MENTOR THEM AND GUIDE THEM THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND HAVING YOU REALLY RIGHT BY MY SIDE, AND HOPEFULLY YOU'RE NOT GOING TOO FAR AWAY, HAS JUST BEEN A BLESSING TO ME AND MY FAMILY.
THANK YOU AND I HOPE THIS IS JUST THE START OF A LONG FRIENDSHIP AND COLLEGIALITY BETWEEN US. THANK YOU.
>> I THINK I DID TELL YOU THIS AND THIS IS ALL I'LL SAY AND THEN I'M DONE BUT IF THIS BOARD WAS NOT THIS BOARD, AND I THINK I TOLD JOHN THIS A WHILE AGO, THIS SCHOOL BOARD WAS NOT THE SCHOOL BOARD IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED.
HONESTLY, I AM SO EXCITED FOR JOHN TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AND JUST THE AMAZING PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE AND THE ABILITY TO SEE WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN IT'S NOISY OUT THERE AND YOU ARE ALL STEADFAST.
THAT HELPED ME BE STEADFAST AND JUST TRUE TO WHAT OUR VALUES ARE AND WHAT OUR CORE IS AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY AND IF IT WAS A DIFFERENT BOARD, I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT.
THAT'S A COMPLIMENT TO YOU FIVE.
>> WELL, OFFICIALLY, WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH [LAUGHTER] THIS MILL TOWN PRIDE AWARD FOR YOUR STEADFAST LEADERSHIP AND SO [NOISE] HERE LET ME.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS SHOULD BE AN OFFICIAL THING OR NOT, BUT HERE YOU GO.
>> [LAUGHTER] CONGRATULATIONS.
>> THEN UNOFFICIALLY, I GOT YOU THE CARD, OF COURSE, AND THEN WE GOT YOU A COUPLE OF LITTLE PARTING GIFTS THAT YOU CAN OPEN ON CAMERA OR NOT AND WE HAVE A SMALL LITTLE CELEBRATION.
DORIAN IS GOING TO BRING SOME CAKE AROUND AND OTHER THAN THAT, THAT IS GOING TO ADJOURN OUR WORKSHOP FOR TODAY, SO WE'LL BE BACK ON JUNE 27TH FOR OUR REGULAR BOARD MEETING, BUT FOR EVERYBODY WATCHING AT HOME, GOODNIGHT, WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.