I hereby call this special meeting of the Board of Trustees, Katy Independent School District, to order.
Katy ISD · Special Meeting
Katy ISD Special Meeting, October 8, 2018
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Today is Monday, October 8, 2018, and the time is 6 o'clock p.m.
Noting that a quorum is present, the Board will now convene in open meeting.
Mr. Gregorski, will you verify that we are in compliance with the provisions of the Texas Open Meeting Act in regard to the notice for this meeting?
Madam President, I confirm we are in compliance with the provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act in regards to this meeting tonight.
Thank you. Go ahead.
And then I'd like to go ahead and introduce some speakers that are with us today, facilitators to help us with our board workshop today.
We've got Ms. Kay Douglas, a senior consultant with Texas Association of School Boards, and Dr. Shawn Haley, who is a coach, facilitator, and trainer with Engage to Learn.
Thank you Mr. Gregorski. We will move to agenda item 3.1. Our facilitator will be Dr. Sean Haley,
certified eGrow coach, facilitator, trainer, Engage2Learn. Thank you President Doyle,
Deputy Superintendent Nick Gregorski, board members, guests. Appreciate the opportunity to
be here. Truly it's always an honor to be close to home. I live down in Pearland-Manville area and
and have tons of friends and members of the community
attend school here and their children are served here.
So it's a pleasure to be able to help you
kind of take a second look at the work you're doing
and move forward.
So we're going to spend a little time
working through the,
working through your strategic design.
And we thought that a good way to begin
would be to kind of look back a little bit. I understand that you have a couple
of new board members who weren't necessarily engaged in the process when
it first started, although the remainder I think of the body was involved. So we
wanted to highlight a few things. One that the process was consistently
student focused, community based, a lot of voice as you will recall was engaged. I
I did see on your website a wonderful link to your strategic design with the videos,
with testimonials, and just an overview of all that occurred.
Just highlighting again that there was this whole focus on backwards design and making
sure everything was actionable, which is why we're here to talk and look towards the future.
When we think about the process of the strategic design, you had several different sessions
that occur that allow for multiple stakeholders to be engaged in the
activity. Once we gain that stakeholder input, including parents, I believe
teachers and students, business members and so forth alike, you guys had the
opportunity to design a strategic plan that had both the timeline and action
items that we'll be taking a look at. We'll look at year one, year two, and then
going forward from three and furthermore and I know that you guys will be working
with Mitzi who had the opportunity to work with you to do the initial
strategic plan process what I like to do is push forward to have you have a quick
opportunity to engage in some conversation with regard to the initial
design. So what I'd like to do, I know that you guys have some materials that
you've received, particularly materials that relate to the learner profile. You
had goal set. You did a lot of different things with student outcomes and so
forth. So one thing we thought would be nice to just kind of think about very
quickly is to have you guys just one or two if you would when you started that
strategic design process what was going on what was the reason that you really
jumped into the process just it would be nice to have a little interaction very
briefly around a couple of questions that we had to really ignite some
thinking so the first is the question that you have before you I did Katie is
D really engage in this process and so we're just looking for quick thinking on
on this. So if any of the members would like to share the thinking about that.
Why was it that we really initiated this multi-year strategic design process?
Ms. Fann.
When we were interviewing Dr. Hint, he came to us. He came to us with that was a question why he stood out as a candidate and, you know, future leader for this district.
that how could a district this size at growth this rapid not have a strategic
design and it was it was a light bulb moment at least for me in the interview
process and talking to him and the ideas that he brought so I'm gonna give him a
little credit for spearheading the effort I know that mr. Scott and mrs.
Fox were very involved with the process after that so I'm just gonna lay the
the groundwork of how it what the light bulb moment was of why this was needed and um what
was missing in this district okay very nice so it was time for us to really gear up with all the
growth and take a strong look at how we were going to move forward um think um as you noted there
wasn't a design in place at the time and multiple districts were really going through that uh vision
towards 2020 I think across the state and so forth and so with that in mind we
want you to take a look at the beliefs so if you have those beliefs before you
in your packet you have a comprehensive overview of the outcomes from that
strategic design so if you do have in front of you the beliefs what I'd like
you to do is just take 30 seconds. You looking for them?
Behind tab one.
So if you would we'd like to just take a look at the beliefs that
you have posted and what I'd like to ask you to do
is as you're looking at the beliefs and just one or two of the members will take
literally 30 seconds like for you to just kind of share one that really
resonates for you that stands out for you right now and why again just kind of
getting our focus going in the right direction so let me pause and be silent
for 20 seconds
Okay.
Okay.
Would anybody like to share this,
if any of those beliefs in particular,
one that just leaps out
and really speaks to you in this moment?
They're all grand.
Go for it.
Why not?
Okay, I have one.
Okay.
We believe that all learners are unique and thrive through personalized learning experiences.
And why does that stand out for you in particular?
Well, that stands out for me because I personally have three kids that learn differently,
and I've witnessed all kinds of kids who learn differently.
And if you can kind of tailor your teaching methods to them,
then they will all be successful in the end.
Very nice, thanks for sharing that.
Anybody else have one that jumps out for them?
Mine is, I'm sorry.
Mine is number five, because as a former teacher, I know that
classroom management and discipline and learning takes place much better
when you have that relationship, teacher to student, student to student.
and the ability to stand up and share what you think without being judged or ridiculed.
Would you mind just sharing real quick how number five reads, the one that you're?
Oh, number five is we believe that meaningful relationships are vital to learner success.
Thank you.
All right.
You guys had amazing beliefs.
Yes, ma'am.
Well, number five is, if I have to choose one favorite, number five is mine as well.
And I love Mrs. Gesoff having that teacher perspective.
perspective, but the relationships we have to each other and with our community and with
parents, I mean teachers and parents as well, and all of those things, once you have a relationship,
all of the rest of it can flourish in a stronger way.
But I was on the committee with Mr. Scott and I remember discussing every single word
of every one of these and that one cannot exist without the right they all matter so it's hard
to pick a favorite but number five would and i like number one through seven absolutely well
you know i don't know if anybody else wanted to share one or not i will pause
one of the reasons that we want to have these front-end conversations is just for that what
you mentioned and when you think about the process folks who were involved and say oh it was a great
process we had tremendous voice i did i truly enjoyed looking at the testimonial videos that
you guys have on your website and hearing from those students who were involved those parents
who were involved the various persons and just the demographics and so forth and this is what is key
As you said, every word had great meaning.
There was a lot of painstaking time.
I know I didn't have the opportunity to be engaged in your process, but I have been engaged
in multiple processes.
It's a lot of work.
So you don't want to forget those words, the meaning behind the words, and why you were
driven to come up with the specific goals and those specific results that you really
came up with that we're going to ultimately talk about here very quickly.
What we thought would be very important to go back and look at those beliefs
because you hold those things dear, you hold them near, and everyone should. So
the next thing I want to ask you to do is we also designed a call to action
that was really important. The call to action is wonderful. KDISD learners
through active engagement achieve individual success while making positive
contributions in an ever-changing world. And again, I know every single word is
probably a battle over the words and the meanings and the context and why do we
choose this word or that word. So we wanted to again get the brain pumping
around this. What does that call to action mean to you? Anybody would like to
share what this call to action really means to you at this moment in time as
as you think about where you are.
Sean, I'll jump in there.
Yes, sir.
Just from my experience,
pulling in from a campus principal perspective,
is that part about active engagement
and that we all know on the campus level
when those kids are in those classrooms learning,
if they're not actively engaged in the learning,
then that learning really isn't taking place
to the level that it could or should take place.
We really need people to take ownership of that and be active in the learning.
Thank you. That's well stated. Thank you so much.
And Sean, the other important part of that, you're exactly right, but the making positive contributions in an ever-changing world.
We have expectations for our students to whom much is given, much is expected.
So just to give outside themselves, right? It's not just sit and take. It's a give back.
I love that and I'm certain as you guys were developing the goals and those
specific results again that ever-changing world part is so critical
it's so difficult for folks on the ground right your teachers your
principals everybody else in the classroom the counselors thinking about
what are the multiple ways that we can help push along pull along and move the
direction of this call to action.
And then you guys developed the learner profile and outcome.
So you have quite a few things there.
I want to give you a moment to go ahead and place your eyes upon your learner profile
and the outcomes that you developed.
Because again, those goals and specific results all came from this pre-work.
So let me be quiet for 20 seconds.
that you glance down at those.
Do you know where we are on here?
Do you see on the...
The same page under tab one.
Oh, okay.
Thanks for asking.
Thanks.
All right, so the question we have for you as we're thinking and moving forward and progressing
through this interaction, why are these learner profile and outcome elements important for
for students in KDISD when you look there?
Why is it important for us to have this learner profile
and outcomes?
I mean, I think a lot of these are what we come to expect
from KDISD, from the teachers, the students, the staff,
you know, the obvious educational ones,
but the ones that stand out to me are perseverance,
civility, open-mindedness, coping skills,
empathy, and respect.
respect because you can be the sharpest nail in the woodshed, but if you don't have some
of these interpersonal skills on top of getting an amazing education here, where is it going
in the world?
So I love that there's time to take that we obviously have a lot of education driven profile
profile for the student but then there's also ones that humanity you know yeah
absolutely thanks for sharing that anyone else want to share on these
particular elements the learner profile outcomes and why those are so important
for us I'll jump in on that yes sir I look at what happens not when they
graduate not just at 17 or 18 but what happens when they're 28 what happens
from the 38 what happens when they're 48 and they're out in the real world and the words
that i had circled very similar to what you did ashley were perseverance civility i mean that's
you have to be able to communicate
well and in a cordial but professional manner and for people to be able to do that yet have
that persistence and be prepared and respect others period um i think that's that's what we
need to have our children prepared for if they're going to be prepared to be in the workforce they
have to be prepared to know how to act yes absolutely thanks for sharing that and it's
so true and when you think about the development of the teaching and learning and the model that
you've created your framework that you design it was really driven by these particular attributes
A lot of times I kind of jokingly say to folks when we talk about these types of things,
if I had the Sean Haley great district USA and I wanted every kid that came through my
district to be able to be the greatest orators and the best roller skaters, well, something
would need to happen every single day in the classroom to ensure that they would become
those things.
I use that as a kind of simple, silly example, but what you've just read, your learner profile
profile are not a profile of a graduate that they get there and when they graduate they
have these things, but that profile dictates what you want to see the learners doing day-to-day,
on a day-to-day basis, practicing these qualities, characteristics, and exuding those things.
So we go here to have this conversation as that foundation, that bedrock for looking
at your specific results what you want going forward you need to kind of take a
look back at all this tremendous work that was done and know is more than just
tremendous work think about the meaning of that for every child if every day
we're truly focused on ensuring that they exude those qualities and
characteristics in the classroom outside of the classroom etc yes ma'am I just
would like to talk about learner outcomes sure because to get where
you're going you have to know what the outcome is expected and if you'll just indulge me yes no
absolutely i know that a lot of people who will watch this video and who will observe are wondering
what in the world are the outcomes and it just take a minute to read thanks no problem please do
all learners will develop and achieve personalized goals all students will engage in meaningful
learning every day all learners will demonstrate leadership integrity respect and character
All learners will contribute to their community.
All students will graduate from high school prepared for life, career, and post-secondary opportunities.
And from the learner profile, my colleagues have mentioned several things, but they came under categories problem solvers, communicates, adapts, and contributes.
And each one had attributes under it.
So it was a comprehensive discussion and list, and I think the outcomes are really where we're trying to make sure that we get.
Yeah, absolutely.
Thank you for pausing to do that.
I think that's really important.
And you're right, in looking at those outcomes and measuring, you know, moving forward, thinking about that data that shares how we're doing with getting kids there.
So the last priming question that I have for you guys is related to, interestingly, you have multiple goals.
You had eight goals that you guys identified.
And from those eight goals, you then came up with multiple specific results under each of the eight.
And then you mapped out year one, this is what we're going to tackle. Year two, this is what we're going to tackle, etc.
An interesting question, while they are all very important, obviously, what KDISD strategic
design goal is the most essential to moving the district forward?
What I'd like to do again is pause for 20 seconds and let you guys look at those and
reflect on that question.
have a quick discussion about that.
Okay, I'll go.
All right, great.
I think I have to pick just one.
I'm gonna pick attract and support high quality staff members
to optimize their impact on student learning
and create a culture of staff retention.
The teachers are the front line.
They deliver our product.
They build the relationships.
They set the goals.
They set the tone.
So to me, that's the most important.
They're all important, but that's the most important.
Thanks for sharing that.
I agree with Ms. Gesoff.
I was going between five and eight, but I think five and eight kind of go hand in hand.
With eight being KDISD will actively support the emotional well-being of all learners.
So you have the emotional capacity and then you have the learning side of that and everything that goes under it.
I think number five and number eight can't exist without both of them being there because I was going back and forth between which one.
but since you picked five, I'll pick eight.
And, but they're, I mean, they're all, they're all so integral to each other.
They really can't, a lot of these can't exist without some of the others.
So those two for me go hand in hand.
All right.
Thanks for sharing that.
Others?
I like goal two, although I agree with the ladies over there.
Those are probably the most important.
But I like goal two because it says KDIC will develop systems where customized resources will ensure equity
in response to the needs of a growing district with rapidly changing demographics.
And I just feel like that is so important, excuse me,
because the perception needs to be at least that we're being equitable to everyone.
I know that we are, but it matters that they know it, that everyone understands that,
that everyone isn't just being equitably given all of their resources, but that they also feel that way.
Thank you for sharing that.
I would agree with Ms. Champagne.
That was the one I had started as well.
Though I also agree with Ms. May.
I mean, I think they all do bounce off of each other.
And so that's the beauty of it.
But I did like the insure equity in response to the needs of a growing district
and rapidly changing demographics.
That really defines our district.
Very nice.
And I know, you know, it's one of those scenarios where, hey, you have those eight goals for a reason.
All of them are critical and important.
And, again, opportunity is to kind of look back and make sure we have that frame of reference going forward.
And so now what we'll do is a little bit of a small print I'm noticing up here.
You guys are okay?
Oh, yeah, you can read it.
We can read it.
We're good.
Yeah, and I'm just realizing, do you have the, okay.
We have it.
Okay.
And I know, and actually this is on your website as well.
You guys did a great job of publishing everything.
When one goes to that strategic design link, all of this is laid out very clearly for folks.
So that's a terrific job.
In year one you had several different goals. In fact you had of your specific
results under the goals you actually had five particular, eleven, excuse me, you have
eleven that you tackled. And so there are five slides that give a quick overview
with the arrows kind of pointing to what you tackled. Now I don't know if you want
to ask any specific questions about them if you'd like for me to just kind of read off or if you
just want to take a look at the ones that were tackled in year one it's just to kind of let you
see that you are checking off a number of critical elements to your plan so with that for example um
I just lost the slide.
I apologize.
Sean, I would like to ask Mr. Gregorski, have we had an update to the 1.6?
The 1.6?
JROTC.
I'm asking our Deputy Superintendent.
JROTC, the expansion of that, is that still, have we had that update,
or is that still kind of working on looking for,
it's looking for the instructors for that, right?
we we did an update on that uh... probably think it was last november or
december of last school year
and we had that survey that was coupled with it
and what we had discovered during the survey was there wasn't a whole lot of
interest to move forward with the programs
that uh... most of the kids didn't want to join a program there's there was a
small number of proportion of kids
if we design the program
on their specific campus
but at the same time it wasn't enough kids to build the program cuz you need
the hundred commitment so the commitment wasn't there from the kids so we didn't
move any further with part of the plan they don't like leaving their campus to
go to a central one they don't and we still do offer just so everyone
remembers we offer the one program at May Creek and it's open enrollment that
any student who wants to attend that for either part of the day a portion of the
day or for the full day can attend that program there but we didn't expand thank
Thank you.
You bet.
Very nice.
And so I think if that's how you'd like to proceed as we look through these, you have
11 particular specific results that you guys successfully tackled during that first year
as planned.
So would you like a moment to kind of glance through and see if you have some other questions
you'd like to ask regarding those?
Would that be helpful for you guys?
Would you like to proceed?
That would be good.
I mean, the print is relatively small there,
and I know you have it in front of you.
So on 1.10, the early college,
was that when they came to visit and they gave the presentation
and explore requirements to offer an early college, high school,
and determinative students and families are interested in
and would benefit from such a program?
So I guess we tackled that when we actually watched the presentation and decided not to work with it.
Was that your first meeting?
It was the first meeting.
Yeah, that was last spring in May where we had the presentation on the early college.
That was coupled with a more comprehensive survey that we put in there with some dual credit.
We surveyed about the JROTC and a few other things.
and we just reported back on the early college.
It was another one of those things that some kids are interested in it,
but we didn't see the large magnitude of kids to design
and completely build an early college-type program.
But what we did get out of that was an expansion into AP offerings,
advanced placement for college credit,
and expansion into dual credit offerings, which we are building right now.
So to build those courses, it takes a little bit of time,
but that's where some of the things we were shooting towards
was to help those kids have more opportunities on their current campus
to get credits that they can earn towards college.
Okay, thanks.
Very nice.
So if you would shift, I would say now, to Goal 2.
It sounds like you've kind of made your way through Goal 1,
and you can see what was accomplished initially under Goal 2.
you have 3, you had 2.1, 2.3, and 2.4. Any questions or thoughts about those?
or no good answer okay so they had to go three that was laid out past year one
you didn't attack go three you attack go for that very first 4.1 continuously
provides safe and secure environment for digital learning all right we're good
good with that one. Then as you move forward under Goal 5, you had one particular specific
result that you targeted in year one, 5.2, and then under Goal 6, you had 6.1.
Thoughts, questions?
Looks like we're all good there.
And then Goal 7 was not targeted in year one.
All right.
So those were, so basically what we just reviewed were your year one.
targets. It sounds like you did a really good job. There were a couple of things that you had
continued to work towards. Then we go into year two. These would be with green arrows next to them
on the board. The yellow arrows that are projected show what was accomplished in year one. You can
start to see okay we're kind of checking things off kind of moving through hitting those multiple
areas that we wanted to hit so you had 1.4 under goal one and you also had 1.8
anything there that you guys want to ask about or share as a new person who
wasn't involved with the planning of the time just what is established structures
that support a collaborative flexible safe and respectful learning environment
mean because we we already have I thought structures that were safe and
collaborative does that mean with the new design of the new schools with the
collaborative learning I would say that is part of that what we're about ready
to get into in year two and some of these goals to look at our as we move
into year two we start tomorrow with some planning and discussion on that
then we bring the entire committee back after that to talk a little bit more
about that but we are talking about the actual spaces that people are learning
in and you have seen some of that in the in the newer designs of our buildings
with the flexible learning spaces flexible seatings and some of those kind
of things that we're doing but we are also going to take another look at that
to see what does that really look like in terms of customizing it for all of
our learners do we need to do a little bit more with that what are those
environments really look like more physically we're talking about the
actual structure of those environments than anything I'd say that's not
physical. Great question, thanks for asking that. A lot of times we kind of
parcel out those pieces and when you look at them as a whole, as noted, you're
looking at making sure that we have spaces that allow for the high levels of
collaboration, that there's flexibility for learning as you were noting,
different types of learners. So when you start pulling that all together and then
obviously than being safe and places that are respectful learning that has a lot of different
things i mean you guys really dig into the actions to make this come to life you're going to be
dealing with i mean different places have you know what kinds of um respect agreements for example
might we have this the young people create they're getting into learning so that they begin to move
through certain protocols that maybe will be created and i mean there's so many dynamics that
underneath this particular specific result.
And so you guys will have an opportunity to dig into that a little bit more deeply here
as you move forward.
And also on 1.8, the CTE course expansion,
identify current career and technology course pathways,
consult with community and business leaders to determine workforce needs,
assess resources and facilities, and survey students to determine interest.
And I see that that report is due on December 10th.
I just don't know if this is the place to add that, but I have talked to some teachers
that teach those classes and they're interested in seeing if they could get a grade waiver
like the fine arts do so that the CTE classes can be taken by the upper level kids with
the higher GPAs so that it won't hurt their GPAs.
it might attract additional students to those programs.
Yeah, I don't think that was originally part of the design in there,
but it certainly could be encompassed into that.
Each year annually we bring that list of courses to the board
of what we call GPA-exempt courses.
I think that's what you're talking about with that.
And those are courses that kids can choose to be GPA-exempt,
so it would not maybe possibly for your higher achievers,
bring down because these aren't weighted classes per se as in a pre AP or AP
course would be so could different courses in the CTE pathways be GPA
exempt courses they could we if that's something we want to choose to do as a
district to add more courses to that that's something we control internally
as a district a lot of benefit in multiple intelligences that connection
with real life and industry and the workforce,
especially, I mean, to me, the ones that jump out
are the engineering classes, some of the IT classes,
the medical classes, well, all of them, really.
I mean, they all get you excited about learning.
It helps you, I mean, when you've taken Algebra II all day
and physics, it's like, kill me.
How does this actually work, right?
You get to go into the engineering lab
and it's like, oh my gosh, it's applicable.
applicable. So I would love to talk about that a little bit. You know, I mean, obviously there's got to be a limit, right? Because
we've been in all of those classes all day long and not doing the core
classes, but I would love to see an exemption here or there. So you're saying the student would choose it?
Because I know my son who just graduated, graduated with the STEM plan.
So these CTE courses had to go towards his graduation plan.
Exactly.
So you're saying it would be a choice because he couldn't have chosen for his engineering
classes to be non-GPA if it's towards his graduation plan.
The coursework as earned, as earned in credit towards the foundation plan with your endorsement
would still count as they all count, any credit earned counts.
Whether it's GPA exempt is another story on how we want to calculate GPAs.
That's my question.
I think what we start with is let me get the board by this Friday a list of what our current GPA exempt courses are and the guidelines of why we exempt them and when we exempt them.
We've got a brochure on that which we can provide to the board.
We familiarize ourselves with that specific one.
and then from there we build upon what advice does the board have what
recommendations you have for us to explore it and then possibly put
together exploration committee on GPA looking at the courses looking at what
student choice could be there what do we want to do as a district and then come
back with some recommendations of what that looks like your memory is it it
won't be memory it'll be your knowledge which you keep right at the tip of your
Most of those GPA exempt are fine arts or athletics, so that boys and girls can take it for four years and not bring their GPA down.
My children chose fine arts or athletics.
That's correct.
There's a lot of fine arts, and there's definitely PE and athletics in there, or PE-related type courses,
because some people who are trying to drive up that GPA by taking more of your advanced classes, your weighted classes,
and they want those ones that are worth more points.
You might recall as well that we started with this year's ninth grade, and we started putting
in effect for this year's ninth graders, those dual credits were 4.5 weighted, which is going
to add some weight to it and help those kids out, and that's part of growing that dual
credit program.
I appreciate certainly Mrs. Champagne bringing it up, and then I just kind of want to say
ditto to what Mrs. Gesoff said about it.
But if we can't exempt it, would any of those classes do the 4.5?
You know, maybe to get some boys and girls interested in them.
I don't know.
I'd be certainly interested in looking at exempting them for boys and girls to take.
Because we have so many.
All the ones at Miller are CTE classified, right?
Pretty much.
Not everything at Miller, but most of it.
Right.
There are some core classes there.
Right.
Right, so those, the technology, the computers, the pre-med, the pre-law, the pre-vet, all of that.
So, that'd be.
And right around the corner, speaking of the Miller Career Center,
we'll get an update to the board annually as we do about those programs,
what's growing, what's not growing, what we might look at phasing out.
But you might recall, and I don't remember off the top of my head,
but we've instituted a few new programs over there,
and we do want to report that to the board of how that's going.
And then there are also ones at everybody's campus.
I'm not.
Correct.
That's not the exhaustive list.
No.
CTE is offered on every campus as well.
If I could, I know you guys have a lot to cover.
I want to bring it back around to something I think is going to be really important to what you guys said,
but I know Trustee Scott was holding to say.
This final pass.
Okay.
Okay.
If you look back at the goal above this specific result, what you see the goal saying very clearly is all learning environments will foster engagement by integrating personalized learning experiences.
So, when you see that particular specific result, and you guys, again, you're going
to get to really dig in on these, that's related to the CTE course expansion.
One thing you have to also keep in mind is that you have developed a learning framework
for your district that's going to try and drive all learning, even outside of CTE courses
that are very clearly stating that pathway piece,
every learning environment should become engaging.
Every learning environment should allow for application
of content, knowledge, and skills.
And that's really what you're striving to build up here.
And it's exciting to see that here at KDISD
and there's some other districts that are taking this on
and saying, you know, we want all learning environments
to be this way where we can really
have personalized learning.
We can really have the engagement of the community.
But this piece is really huge because also I just noticed that when you read it,
it's really about finding out from the community, business leaders,
what are these workforce needs we have?
And so there will be some actions that you really are going to have to create
some very strong actions around, surveying, identifying,
if you don't already have those in place, which you very well may well have those in place,
surveying students, et cetera.
So great discussion. This is a great primer for where you guys are headed.
So if we look forward past goal two, let's see, goal three, you have one, 3.1,
organize internal educator groups who will develop a variety of appropriate measures
to determine learner progress and growth.
So that's moving beyond traditional measures of learning and growth.
It kind of goes back to your student outcomes.
You know, you have some nontraditional ways of saying, hey, look, guys, this is what's going on out here in KDISD.
These are things our kids are doing.
This is the spirit we're developing.
Yes, sir.
This goal is a good goal, but it's also a goal that can be very squishy.
Okay.
And a goal that pretends to be empirical but becomes not is something that the board will need to give consideration to.
We do extensive DLA testing, but I can tell you right now, I don't think there's any significant analysis that correlates DLA performance to any other known measure in a statistical way that has statistical reliability.
liability. So from my perspective, I understand this goal if it's greatly implemented. And
I've always had a problem with this goal if it's symbolic and a cotton candy goal. And
that will come as we work through it.
And you know, and thank you for sharing that. I think that's really important to find different
lenses to really look at things. Because part of it might be that we just haven't found
that lens that that really speaks to this in a stronger way in a fashion that
those who seek more empirical evidence of something may want there may be some
things out there and they may you know or maybe we have some capacity to kind
of have some things developed that'll help us with that so thank you for
raising that it's very important yes sir just respond to what you said there are
are programs that pretend to be empirical that are not.
And this goal lends itself to really having to be careful
as to what you're actually measuring
and if what you're choosing to measure
is actually important.
One of the truisms in government research is
if you ask the wrong question, you get the right answers.
And this is one that tends to need to make sure that you have the actual right questions.
Thank you.
All right.
So let us look forward.
You had, oh, four payout stakeholders to effectively utilize digital resources
is going to be something that you're going to dig in a little more deeply on
and we know how big and important that is for our young people as well as for
our adults and again pause anywhere through I'm going to try and push you
guys through here goal 5 5.5 have the word refined starting that one we find a
plan to provide high quality professional development and then go six at six point two
any questions or thoughts about those just kind of pre-thinking you're okay
i don't know 4.3 i wish it had the word meaningful in front of technology integration
Sometimes I think the technology integration can not be so meaningful.
Technology for technology's sake.
So hopefully we'll build some rigor around that.
Great.
That's an excellent point.
That's a good one to have a jotting around because when you get in there and start digging
into actions and things of that nature, that's where you can really make it much more robust.
So thanks for bringing that up.
Right. Anything else just looking forward all those green hash marks.
My eyes have gone through goal six I believe.
Okay.
Goal seven you had
7.2 and 7.5
where you start talking about partnerships and strategic partnerships,
which I know are so crucial.
I think the big thing on 7-2 is to not only listen to the community
and what they need now, but look to the future.
It's one of the things that I like and appreciate so much
about our Miller career programs,
because we are preparing the workforce, not just college kids.
Yes, we need engineers, but we need the welders to put together the stuff that the engineers design.
So I think that's so important that we reach out to the entire student body
rather than just try to identify, okay, let's take these that are the engineer type, the super smart kids,
let's make sure that we have that workforces there. Absolutely. And then
beyond this you get to year three going forward. You guys have quite a few specific
results. So what's going to happen is you're going to end up, because this
didn't take place at the onset, you did year one, year two, and then you did like a
three plus so you're going to go back in and kind of dig into that three plus and
say okay this is what we really need to focus on and three and four and so forth
all right so you build it out and you continue to build and grow from there
that's going to be the work that you're going to do we could spend a few moments
if if we have them to kind of look through that I know that you're going to
get into that work in much greater detail I think this has been a great
opportunity to kind of do some pre-thinking about some of those items
that you guys have pointed out where hey this you know this might be a little
squishy it might be you know how can we I like the term and say put the rigor
into and really get it where we need to get it and so you'll have the
opportunity to work through that but really this evening we just wanted to
spend a little time with you having your minds get refreshed around from whence
it came the criticality behind that and where we're going so if there any other
questions that I can help you with can we talk about 8.2 and 8.3 sure let's
look those are for this year okay create trainings and ongoing support tailored
to students staff and parents concerning emotional well-being is that what we're
done with the legacy parent academies? That's correct. That's part of the ongoing work we've
been doing, and we've started that foundational work with what we've designed on that legacy
parent academy. So we had some, I'm sorry. That's okay. Ken, would you also agree, I'm sorry,
Mr. Gregorski, that 8.3, our bullying coordinator and programs that she's been putting in place
for emotional well-being of our students.
Yeah, I agree with that, Madam President.
We've put a few things in place.
We've got more coming.
We're currently doing an overview of what work is in place.
Is this the correct work?
Is this the right work we're doing?
and then analyzing that to move forward.
Is there more to be done in terms of that?
But it goes hand-in-hand with the work we're doing with the bullying
and our coordinator for bullying prevention and support.
And also the safety and security committee in your bullying committee?
Correct.
So we're starting to lay that foundation right now to move those specific actions forward.
That's good.
We just posted a closing slide with next steps for those who may talk them through.
I know tomorrow you'll have a chance to begin digging in much more deeply.
You'll also have a community strategic design team in November that's going to get a chance to get some status reports
and critique the plans that you guys are working on, and it will circle back around.
So keeping that community engagement is critical.
you started off with a bang you've been doing tremendous things thank you so
much for allowing us to support through facilitating the process and I enjoyed
working with you this evening thank you for your time
none presidents mr. Scott really frustrated there were no geese I'm sorry
it's an inside joke I missed it no it's it's an inside very good thank you yes
that was a compliment no oh okay yes it was a very good compliment i'll take it thank you so much yes
backstory mr Lacy are y'all warm is it warm in here deal it's just you take a jacket off
middle age happens i heard somebody else it's usually freezing in here no you see no
i'm like no i'm cool well he can't do it i can get it done right off this phone
and shine jump let's go out let's see and now the ladies will freeze we're on to the next portion of
our meeting where the women in the room freeze thank you very much it was uh that was wonderful
to go over with you agenda item 3.2 review kdic board operating procedures miss k douglas senior
consultant Texas Association of School Boards welcome I didn't get the email I
did I got the email that we weren't gonna spend much time I just didn't hear
what she said oh i'm sorry he can't do you have a microphone sorry i was supposed to put that on
sure okay you might have something else to say yeah could you repeat that please
yes i sent out an email that did say we weren't going to spend much time on it i'm not going to
go line by line but i asked you to look at them and tell me if there were ones that you had
particular questions or comments about and i have to apologize i don't have a hard copy so i'll just
be pretending to go along with you if you tell me what it says.
What your email says?
No.
I didn't actually.
Does anybody have any questions on our board operating procedures?
But now I have a.
I have a question.
Okay.
Which one?
Page 10.
Non-agenda items.
Well, it's page 10 in our book.
Yeah.
I don't know what it is.
17.
Okay. I'm there. Non-agenda. Rules during board meetings. So for Don and I, I know it was kind of a weird situation the first couple of meetings. You know, people get up and talk and during the open forum and they address questions to you and you feel terrible that you can't respond. But my understanding is because the Open Meetings Act, which I think you were my facilitator at the training in Fort Worth. Probably. Yeah. I was trying to figure out where I know you. Were you an attorney before?
I still am. Right. Unless you heard something I don't know about. I was when I got here.
Do you want to still be an attorney? It wasn't, it wasn't, I'm a recovering attorney, so I'm okay.
But anyway, so my understanding is because of the Open Meetings Act, it's not on the agenda and
hasn't been posted 72 hours in advance to the public. You can't talk about it. So here's my
my question. What if, for example, the new zoning proposal was on the agenda, we talked about it on
the agenda, and then someone gets up to speak and talks about and asks a question about that.
Then are we able to respond? I mean, I know we're limited in time and we probably don't want to get
into that. I was just wondering if that's a violation or not. It's not a violation of open
meetings, but I want you to remember always that this is not a public meeting. This is a meeting
held in public so that if you set the precedent of having a back and forth with the audience
then they're going to expect it on everything and you can lose track of the time of your meeting
but this is also where i tell you i'm a lawyer and i work for tasb but i'm not a tasb lawyer but
i could answer that one well i would be hesitant anyway just because you know where do you go off
the script then you know okay we talked about that i'm answering that then there's another
question and so I just wanted to get clarification I'm sorry no no I was just
getting there until you're through you use the word precedent and since you are
a lawyer I'm gonna ask you a question about your use of that word all right
Preston has a legal connotation and it has a Webster's dictionary definition if
there is an item on the agenda and I make a decision someone in public says
says something, I do not believe, since you said there is no open meetings violation,
that it creates a precedent.
I think individual members of the board have the discretion, if an item is on the agenda,
to say, I'm going to make an exception and I'm going to ask this person questions about that topic.
And I don't believe that that obligates me or the board in the context of the Webster's definition
of precedent to the next time you have to do it, I think. So you've raised an
issue that has legal connotations and it may well be that we have to get a legal
opinion to understand your use of the word precedent because I think it's a
big deal. I think it's a big deal and we need to have that clarified. Okay, you can
get an outside legal opinion but what I meant was that if I am a member of the
the audience and I watch someone else get up and you have a back and forth with them, it is going
to create the impression in my mind that you will do it for me. You will do it for the next person.
Had you used the phrase impression, I wouldn't have said anything, but you used precedent and
I felt like I needed to question the use of the word precedent. Okay. Are we good?
Mm-hmm.
Are there any other questions?
I have one.
On the developing board meeting agendas.
What page are you on, Ms. Shepard?
Well, I'm on nine.
I don't know what her ... If you're in this book, it's nine.
Let's give Kay a few seconds to find it, and that's 14.
Okay.
All right.
So I just really want to make sure that I follow the rules, of course.
And the second one says, any three board members, board president, maybe one of the three, may request a subject to be included on the agenda for a meeting, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
So let's act like I wanted to get something on the agenda.
I don't really have anything right now, but let's just act like I did.
Okay.
If I asked two people, would they put it on the agenda, and let's say one person says yes and one person says no.
Now, I'm afraid to ask the other person because that could be considered a walking quorum.
Because that would be then.
So basically, if I ask two people and one says yes and one says no, then I'm done.
I can't get it on the agenda.
And I'm going to ask you to turn that back to your fellow board members.
Because I've actually never seen a board that said three people.
And I don't know why you do.
I don't I was on the board that okay and the the thought is that you this is
champagne that you ask them I'd like to put an item on the agenda to discuss ABC
would you agree to put it on the agenda about it with them can't tell them why
you want it you can't tell them you can't try to convince them to vote why
you want it on there you just ask would you agree to put something on the agenda
about, you know, not having hot dogs on Thursdays.
And then they say, okay, I will, or no, I'm not interested.
So you're asking, will you agree to put something on there?
No discussion.
And no asking how they will vote.
That's the violation.
It's asking how someone's going to vote.
So if I ask two people about hot dogs on Thursday,
and let's say I ask you and you say yes and you say no,
know could I then go to Ashley and that's you don't ask me how do I feel about it will I vote
yes for it let me tell you why I hate it and why I hope to get rid of it you can't that's what you
cannot do I just want to make sure that's a good question all right that's a very good question
because I don't want anyone to misinterpret you know if something like that it would be different
Miss Champagne if you called Rebecca and said you know what I really don't want hot dogs on
Thursdays and I know that this is something that's coming up for
discussion so I'm calling you because and you into now you've already told her
how you're gonna vote on it you've already told her your opinion on it you
and then you've shared that opinion with her and then you call Ashley and you say
you know I talked to Rebecca and we don't think that hot dogs should be
served on Thursdays okay now all of a sudden it's that rolling quorum and in
discussion of voting versus I have an agenda item I'm interested in could we
we put this on, but no discussion of opinions on either side.
Thank you very much.
You got a good example of this fairly recently.
And when I ask for something to be on the agenda, whenever I have any doubts, even though
I have pretty good experience at this, I call the open hotline of the Attorney General's
of Texas.
I identify myself as a board member and I say I don't want to go to jail.
This is what I'm thinking about doing.
Does this pass the test?
And the AG will say, well, I would get on.
some ice skates or you're in good shape and the most recent communication where i made an effort
made it very clear no opinion i'm asking for agenda because the policy puts you in a position
of to getting three members you're automatically in a position of involving the fourth person
and so the policy was approved by the attorneys.
I don't agree with the policy, but it is the policy,
and it was approved by the attorneys.
And if you ever have any question, I called there about 8.30 this morning,
got a return call about 10.30, and they're very, very cooperative
in helping you walk you through that.
As long as you identify who you are, they'll help.
Mr. Scott, and you've asked about this one, right?
About the three, you're talking about asking about this one of asking other board members to join you in.
Join in, join in placing an agenda.
It's just a clinical exercise, but don't take my word for it.
If you have any doubt at all, any 1% doubt, call the Attorney General and they will help you.
What was the, oh, I'm sorry.
What was the rationale for three?
The rationale was it used to be two, and so it was me called the board president.
Hey, what do you think about?
Okay, fine.
And there it was.
And so you just had two people.
Or you could have two people who would agree to everything and put it on there.
If you can't get three people to agree to it, how will you ever get four people to vote for it?
So if it's not strong enough to get a conversation by three people, it may just fill our board agendas with a lot of talk and no possible action.
That's exactly right.
That's part of the policymaking.
We want to.
And it was to show that there was possibly consensus among the board of it being important enough to discuss.
Yes, just for discussion.
Or sometimes it was a discussion that was like something down the road that could be addressed,
maybe didn't even, you know.
It's a development of the agenda, and like she said, you could have 17, 18,
we have had that many or more on there, and then the things get lost.
The minutiae keeps rising to the top, right?
Some board members loved to talk about things.
No.
but no real former.
And that's wonderful.
Well, and I think that's the beauty of having the board president,
having the opportunity for the board president to be that third voice on that.
If you do have, do you still have the opportunity of those two board members,
possibly, that are passionate about something, that want to see it on the agenda?
And so as the board president, you've had that conversation,
possibly with a board member that says,
I'm really passionate about seeing this put on the agenda and then and we've had
this discussion and then you've sent me an email didn't really even have to talk
to miss Fox if you didn't want to put it on and in Senate and then she sent the
email as well saying hey I'd be interested so as the board president when
I see two board members saying I'm interested in this or then or we have it
I'm just saying speaking for two if I see two and I think you know what I
think this is an important discussion that should be brought to the entire
board, then I can be that third person or whoever is the sitting president can be
that third person to see to it that it gets on the agenda. Mr. Scott? Since we've
gotten into debating the merits of the policy, I do want to add something. As a
career journalist, I believe that any member of the board should be able to
add something to the agenda. You have a situation where one or two members could
have very passionate beliefs and they believe they want to bring something to
the public's attention. And if you're on the outs and you have five, you don't really have any way
of communicating to the people that elected you to the board that you're doing your best to advance
an issue. Now, I want to make sure I have not had one single problem under Ms. Vann or Ms. Doyle
getting something on the agenda. But democracy is sort of a fail-safe backup. Here's your solution,
And this is the bottom line of why I was very upset when Rebecca Fox and her board took
this action.
There's a real simple solution.
And it may be uncomfortable, but democracy is sometimes.
You put it on the agenda and someone makes the motion.
Madam President, I move we table this item.
Second vote.
The fact that someone puts it on the agenda does not obligate the board to debate that
proposition but the fact that an individual or two members of the board
can put something on the agenda helps call attention to the public that there
is an issue that they believe is important without going calling a press
conference and getting into interviews with the media that's my reasoning I can
see it both ways it's never been a problem for me getting something on the
agenda but I do want to make the counter argument because I I am old enough to
remember when individual board members could get something on the agenda and if
the rest of the board members didn't like it it just didn't go anywhere how
does that work tabling it does you can just table it forever
you just table it forever just keep tabling it at every meeting like we're
not gonna know it just doesn't table someone would have to bring it up for
instance let's just be practical if if your two new board members recently
elected, if you and Don wanted to put something on the agenda because you two
and you two could have a conversation about any issue. Don't go talk to anyone
else but you two could have a conversation about any issue and if you
two want to put something on the agenda you shouldn't have to say pretty please
to me or anyone. But if you put it on the agenda and I think it's dumb I will not
be shy about saying that but that's democracy that's you're an elected
public official the people of this community voted to put you on this board
and I believe that focusing an item of an agenda on an agenda is something that
should be made not impossible and again I want to there is me to hear I want to
Let me make it real clear. I have not had a nano ounce of problems having something discussed.
But going back 40 years and watching history, my memory is not all that short.
If you table something, there has to be a motion to untable it.
So if something's tabled, then there would have to be another motion to pull it off the table.
And it has to be a majority vote.
And Madam President, if I could just add, you jogged my memory, Mr. Scott,
any three board members may request a subject be included.
We talk about it maybe every time we look at this board operating procedures.
We've talked about it year after year after year.
It's not a requirement to have three.
Any one of us can go to the board president and say,
say, hey, there's something I'd really like to discuss, and our board president is the
liaison to the superintendent.
Either the board member, I can myself go to the superintendent and ask about something
and say I'd really like to talk about something, or I go to the board president who goes to
the superintendent.
And so one person can get something on the agenda.
And if it's good for kids, the president's going to say, absolutely, what a good idea.
It's just what you said, right?
So if it's a good idea, it can just take one.
Three people can force something, but it's not a requirement.
The president builds the agenda with the superintendent,
and in conversation with other people, things come to the agenda that don't require it.
Like you said, you don't require three.
It's never been a requirement for me to have three when I was president.
Madam President, Ms. Fox, it is a point,
but it is not a point to what I said relative to why you you protect the
voters who put two members on yes one member can get something on the agenda
I've done that the policy should not be designed to protect it when everything
is swimming smooth the policy should not be to block it when it's not going
smooth. I am totally dedicated to the notion that if Don and Susan or Don and
you or Courtney and Ashley or Bill and Susan really felt strongly about
something that they should be able to have a direct access to the agenda. Any
two are elected public officials period paragraph into story. They got the votes
that we got that all the other six got and I do believe you know it's been a
while since I've been a practicing journalist but I do believe in public's
right to know public information and public access to the agenda as long as
there is goodwill it's not a problem but the second goodwill goes away it's a
problem and I think that the right to an agenda the right of access to an agenda
There is a simple solution. Madam President, I think this idea is so stupid it hurts.
I move that it be tabled. Madam President, I respect the right of them to do this.
I think it's a brilliant idea whose time will come in the 22nd century.
I move that it be tabled. We have an authority to remove it, period.
Okay, let me jump in here.
Thank you, Mr. Scott.
One question, okay?
Ms. I'm sorry, Dr. Haley, do you, you do not have to stay if you're, if you would like
to go?
I paid him to stay.
He's not here.
You still have the check in your pocket.
I just wanted to make sure because we, okay, all right.
I just wanted to let you know that because we've gotten through your portion, if you
need anything.
The beer land is, you know.
Any reason?
Okay.
It could be a while.
I was going to say, I was going to say, I was going to say, I was going to say, I was
Can I say something else?
Just wanted to let you know.
Ms. Champagne.
Okay.
Do you have another question?
I actually agree with Mr. Scott on this because I understand what you're saying, Mrs. Fox,
but the way it reads makes it seem like it's a real rule to me that it's three board members.
It doesn't say board members may.
me. So I understand that Mrs. Doyle may be you know nice about that or maybe
Mrs. Ann was nice about that but what what about when we're not here anymore
you know this these to me it's not clear that if we wanted to just take it to the
president we could so I mean that's just the only point I wanted to make about
that. Okay go ahead. The reason there I think your policies your
your procedures say you will annually review these is because it needs to work for seven of you.
What may have worked for the previous seven or the future seven may not.
So you are absolutely free to change that.
But the other thing I want to say is, Mr. Scott, I heard you say if there's something you want to bring to the public's attention,
you can put it on the agenda.
I'm going to remind you this is not the public's meeting, although it is a meeting held in public.
So I don't want anybody to leave here thinking that if there's an issue that I want broadcast, not through journalism, that this is the vehicle.
Ma'am, I'm just going to have to say I'm trying to get out of this discussion.
But when I hear things, I am going to respond because I'm saying what I'm saying.
If I can talk Susan into having a discussion on the district learning assessment and say that I want the board to present a statistical correlation between the district learning assessment and the PSAT and AP scores and classroom grades, that is a primary, that would be a primary function.
So the semantics of a public meeting, it doesn't work.
What we're talking about is if two board members want to have a substantive discussion about matters that are under their purview as fiduciary due diligence officers of this corporation,
the issue is can Susan and I get that done or can Dawn and I get that done or
do we have to ask pretty please okay so it's not about this is a meeting in
public it's not a public meeting I'm not talking about the semantics of this
issue I'm talking about the substance of this issue and period and please note
that I said before I said that that any time the eight of you decide to you can
So if one of you wants to say, you know what, this is not an action item, but I would like to have it changed, then that's fine.
Okay?
So I'm not disagreeing with that part of what you said.
Are there any other questions?
One.
Go ahead.
Maybe I'm reading this wrong.
What page are you on?
I am on page 12.
I'm on page 12.
Letter E, closed meeting.
Okay.
Closed meetings.
Just make a reference to a tape recording.
I'm sorry, say it again.
There's a reference, an E to a tape recording?
Yes, when you go into closed session, you can either make a certified agenda or a tape recording.
Oh, it's an or.
Yeah, we do certified agenda.
But in any case, what it's saying is if neither is being done.
None and none.
It's a little negative.
It's one or the other.
I read it.
I was like, what?
Okay.
Good question, though.
I figured it was either or, but it didn't kind of read out.
It doesn't read out.
And most boards that I've worked with do a certified agenda.
They don't necessarily do a tape recording, but it's one or the other.
Okay.
Thank you.
You're so welcome.
I have one.
This will hopefully be my last one.
It's on page 12.
It's referring complaints.
So we...
Which letter?
It's, well, A. So I have a, you know, I almost feel like it's a judgment call when I get
a complaint from somebody in referring it to Dr. Hindt or not, or, you know, trying
to help them navigate through the system, like how y'all have taught me how to do.
But at what point, let me ask you guys, at what point do we just say, okay, Dr. Heron, now your deal?
Every complaint.
Yeah.
No chain of command?
Typically, I go through the chain of command.
If somebody comes to me and they've got a complaint, let's say at Stanley Elementary, I will say, if it's a parent,
the first thing I'm going to say is have you talked with a principal or a teacher
if it's a teacher issue in the classroom issue have you talked with your teacher
well I talked to the teacher and I didn't get any resolution have you gone
to the principal yeah I've talked to the principal not okay then you need to the
next would be go to the area superintendent in the process though the
minute I have that conversation I'm letting dr. Hint know okay this is this
is what's happening I've advised for them to go you know they haven't even
even talk to their teacher about it but I've advised them to talk to their
teacher but I want to let you know this is what's happening because you have to
remember we're not in management we're an oversight but people think because
we're school board members that if little Johnny didn't get to bring his
blue backpack because that class requires green backpacks and you know
green upsets him or something like that that as a board member we should be able
to make a call to the teacher and say little Johnny wants to wear his blue
backpack not green because we're gonna fence him so I have been doing that it's
just I've also been told that as the newer of a board member you are the more
of those things you get and so I just wanted to make sure but C deals with
chain of command mm-hmm is that again letter C under that deals with chain of
command this is in addition to that I've been doing it so long I'm just always
done chain of command I do take if I hear it three times I pretty much go the
superintendent just to let you know i've heard this three times so i'm probably going to get
more of those and i use three for my rule and then a notifying but i just go back and or if i tell
them to call someone what if it's uh i don't know something about cafeteria i tell them call the
food service people her name is tell her i referred you that's my job so that you know
sometimes i do that i get so so few of those but sometimes i do that well today i heard something
about there wasn't enough soap in the soap dispensers as an elementary school.
That's way below the line.
Yeah.
Way below the line.
I'm just saying.
I'm just saying.
But that's not our job.
That's not our job.
We have to put those kinds of things every day.
Of course.
So.
We all do.
Okay.
And you'll get them from people who know you very well.
Mm-hmm.
And so you just always have to be respectful and explain your position.
Mm-hmm.
Or, I'm sorry there wasn't soap in the bathroom today.
I'm sorry the grass isn't mowed.
Yeah, I'm sorry the grass isn't mowed, the flowers aren't the right color.
but actually this is who you would refer that to.
Well, I mean, you're on the school board.
Why can't you fix it?
That's not my job.
Everything.
That's not my job.
My job is oversight,
and I have had to explain my position more to people that know me best
than to just the general population.
Thank you.
No problem.
Are there any other questions about board operating procedures?
I have a question.
What's your mechanism if something came up today that people want to change?
What's the mechanism?
Because it can't, it won't happen at this meeting.
That would be, we would bring it for, I guess it would be an agenda item.
If a couple of three board members wanted a specific thing changed, then it would have to be put on the agenda.
And we would take it to the seven of us for a vote on what that would look like changing it moving forward.
Okay.
Okay. Let me, before I go any further, thank you all for being here because I know that
there are other places you could be and things you could be doing.
Now, I promised I was not doing any catching and
calling or any of that, but I am going to just break this for a second to ask you a question.
I want you to think of the teacher in your life who had the biggest impact.
And for some of you, you thought of somebody immediately,
and for others of you, you're debating do I say him, do I say her? I'm gonna limit
you to one, even though somebody the other day tried to tell me about a
whole family, but just one person. And whenever everybody's got somebody, I want
you to tell me who that person is or was and what that impact was, in no
particular order. I'm not gonna make eye contact. I don't want anybody to think
that I'm... I'll go first. Okay, good. First of all, I'm pretty old, so when I was in
the first grade it was in 1970 but the the significance of that way
older but go ahead is that i had a first grade teacher that
was very um experienced she was older
and she identified me as being dyslexic and so i'm the i'm the first born child
so my parents would have probably never known they're educated people but
but not in dyslexia.
So she got me into the right programs,
and they were hard to find then.
I had to actually go to Galveston.
I grew up in Lake City, so I didn't know what I was doing.
I thought it was just fun little things for me to do.
And I was actually in a program all the way through elementary school,
but they would pull me out for things,
but I didn't really realize why.
why and my parents didn't actually tell me I was dyslexic after I graduated high school
because they wanted me they didn't want me to use anything as a crutch but I did struggle with
reading and so I would say Miss D Pearson without her I probably wouldn't have gone to college and
gotten my couple degrees and all that so they definitely missed D Pearson.
Did you ever get a chance to tell her the impact?
No. She passed away by the time I was in college. So that's when I found out.
My daughter wasn't diagnosed as dyslexic until high school,
so I totally understand what you're saying. Okay, who next?
I'll go. Her name was Pi Brown. She was in third grade.
and I just remember her being very strong but very inclusive. I was in a private school at the time
and she was actually the first African-American teacher I'd had, possibly the only one at our
school to be honest with you. I'm trying to remember back. I'm pretty sure she was but
she loved us. There was never a question when you walked in the room. She kept us in order
her it but and she but she respected us she demanded respect in the best way and
she received it and she was one of those teachers though if you asked her to then
be at your high school graduation she showed up yeah so and and I don't know
that I don't remember ever getting an opportunity I think I was in high school
maybe college when she passed away but yeah she was one of my favorites thank
Thank you.
She made school fun.
I was going to tell you about my favorite, who is a fifth grade teacher, Bonnie Johnson, who's awesome, came to my wedding.
I'm still friends with her on Facebook.
She was my fifth grade teacher.
I taught fifth grade, whatever.
But instead, I'm going to tell you about my husband's favorite teacher.
Did you just sneak two in?
Yeah.
This is a good story.
They got divorced.
Parents got divorced.
Dad stayed in New York.
Mom, crazy mom, took the kids to California.
This is recorded, Ms. Gasol.
No judgment.
I'd say it to her face.
California, weren't getting a whole lot of parental supervision, you know, running the
streets at night.
So my husband nearly failed fourth grade.
And then at that point, he went to live with his father and his new wife.
And the fourth grade teacher packaged an entire year's worth of work for my husband and sent
it across the country to this new stepmom and said, you know, if you work with him and
and he can pass some evaluations, I'll still let him pass.
And anyway, she really was a labor of love.
And so when he came back the next year, he passed, moved on to fifth grade.
Fast forward, he was probably 45, I guess, maybe 40.
When did Facebook come into being?
And, you know, he was like, maybe I could find this teacher,
because he remembered her name, found her, wrote her a letter.
She was still alive.
She wrote back, and he's like, you know, you literally changed my life.
You really changed my life.
because we all know the impact it can have to be held back a year when you're
already from a broken home with a mom that's not necessarily present so anyway
huge impact I don't even know her name but it was a better story than mine it
was worth having sneaking into okay don't try that but who's next I'll go
I'll go.
Oh, go ahead.
Go ahead.
Oh.
Yours has got to be more exciting than mine.
Well, I have three, but I'm just going to choose one.
No, no, you won't get one.
You see what you're doing?
Oh, shoot.
All right, man.
Now I've got to have four?
That's right.
You've got to have four.
Since Ms. Champagne had first grade, I won't be redundant.
So my second grade teacher, her name was Rhyna Zucker,
and she was my brother's teacher, too.
And she and her husband might have played poker with my parents
a couple times a month, but it was a small town,
you know, small little area in Houston where we lived,
so everyone knew everybody.
And she just held you accountable.
She was tough, but she was smart. She was kind, but she was funny and
she ended up the very next year becoming the AP of the elementary school and
Just recently retired from the same position at Ashford Elementary, which became Ashford primary. It was totally a pre-k
and
Just retired there. I think like three or four years ago, which
The friends in our street in our little area we lived in
and had all stayed really close with her
and posted pictures of her on Facebook,
so I was able to message her.
But the good thing was,
the only time I went to the principal in elementary school,
I went to her.
So she just said, sit there five minutes,
go back to class,
and don't throw wet paper towels in the bathroom again.
Okay.
And I didn't.
So that was my one rebellious elementary school moment.
But she was a big part of not just my second grade year,
but all the way through fifth grade year.
Now you can't run for...
I know.
Chief Justice.
I can't be Supreme Court Justice.
Yeah, you won't be throwing paper towels.
I was the principal when I was in fourth grade.
Mr. Lacy.
Mine was a.
I'm moving on.
Mr. Lacy, before we start that debate.
Let's see.
I have to have four.
Mine was actually a.
He was a teacher, but he was also a coach.
And Harry Ingalls.
And it's kind of funny because we all graduate and we progress.
and we become adults and we're all on Facebook.
I made mention of Coach Ingles on something,
and some of the guys that I went to high school with
made some pretty funny comments about me.
I was his favorite.
I don't know why.
But he was a guiding force.
He was the one that's like, all right, look, here's what your goal is.
Here's where you need to get.
How are you going to get there?
He was one of the first ones to establish goals for me.
and he was also a history teacher I think that's a lot of what we had in
common as well in that I love history and especially post 1900 depression to
present history and that was what he taught so it was it was fun to be in his
class but to have that gentle hand on my shoulder so to speak guiding me through
through what will become my career.
It was just very impactful and I don't know if he's alive or dead.
Check on Facebook.
I have, I have.
Okay.
Who next?
Mr. Scott or Ms. Fox, one of you.
Yeah.
Go ahead, George.
Well, I had polio when I was four and it left me
with a fairly deficient right leg.
and for about 10 or 11 years I had to wear a big plaster cast on my right leg
for about six or seven weeks in the fall and about six or seven weeks in the
summer a lot of fun but it was a walking cast and it was an old-fashioned it was
a plaster Paris cast so in the fourth fourth and fifth grade where we got to
to go outside for PPE and play flag football or touch football,
Coach Wood let me play.
And I was the second smallest kid in the class.
And he told the other kids, suck it up.
He couldn't work for you now.
Right?
So I learned to kick people when they were down
and score touchdowns.
I had not, that last part was probably not true, but I had great teachers.
I went back for my 50th reunion last weekend, and it reminded me I was raised in Mayberry.
White kids.
All right.
I was, too, in 1980.
It's over.
Okay, Opie.
Thank you.
Opie.
Who next?
I think it's me.
Okay.
So my, man, I have so many.
Before you say this, I'm going to call on you, too.
So you're not getting out of this.
Go on, Ms. Fox.
So hard to choose.
My fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Deibert, because just the way she made me feel, right?
She always told me I was great at this or you're such a good, you're so good at math.
It happened.
She said it.
and she would always she would say you know you're really going I think you'll
really enjoy this book because you like that author and I was like I do how did
she know I like that author because she would write she would just pay attention
and I would think I'm her favorite and then
Later, I find out everybody thought that.
Yes.
And she said to me, you know, leadership is not something you can teach.
It's something that's natural in your...
In the fourth grade, I mean, I had to be like, Mom, I have to leave because Mrs. D said I have.
So I have to be the leader.
And she made a real impact.
Did you ever get to tell her the impact?
I didn't.
I wish I could.
Okay.
Who next?
Pressure's on.
Ms. Douglas, you're going to have to go as well.
No one's ever asked me to do that, but I might.
Okay.
All right.
I would talk about a gentleman I met during my first year of college,
which really made an impact on what I wanted to do.
I went off to college, didn't know what I wanted to do,
didn't know what I wanted to study, but I really liked history.
That was a favorite of mine, so I was taking history classes.
And, of course, he was obviously teaching history classes,
It made a real connection with him and he made learning fun and exciting and I said,
you know what, this could be okay.
This could be what I want to do and go in there and make learning fun and exciting for
other people and do what I enjoyed of studying, which was history.
That was the fun part about college was to really load up on courses that you like and
you get to do that as an educator because 80% of what you're taking is your major area
courses.
And so it kind of worked out for me to take passionate courses instead of things I wasn't so interested in, maybe math or science, things like that, and take the fun stuff I liked and then go do something really fun with that and really project that passion to others.
Since you're the president and you insisted I will answer, did you ever tell him the impact?
No, no, to tell you the truth, I struggled.
I mean, I started thinking about it when you brought that up, that question.
I can't even remember his name.
I just can't even remember, but I can remember his face.
I remember, you know what I mean, you get that memory burn of what the guy looked like,
but I can't even remember his name.
Now that we've got you thinking about it, it'll probably come to you like two in the morning.
It'll wake up and you'll be like, I got it.
I'll probably be awake. Call me. I'm going to send Bill a text.
My daughter said that all the young people got off Facebook because it was all old people.
And I asked her, where did they all go?
And she said, if I told you that, wouldn't that defeat the purpose?
I now have a Snapchat, Instagram, and everything that I don't know the password to.
But since you asked, and I didn't actually ask for your favorite person, because about
95% of the time people answer that and it's that the impact is positive, but about 5%
people talk about a negative impact.
I almost went there.
I almost went with a negative impact.
Yeah.
And I didn't specify public school teacher or what kind of teacher, and the person that
I can think of that made the biggest impact was actually the president of my college because I
went to a college and I worked in her office and she was just really really nice and one day she
said if you ever need me for anything just let me know and of course everybody says that well I was
a senior about to graduate and they called me into the bursar's office and said one of your grants
you didn't sign or something I didn't have and I was gonna I couldn't graduate I wasn't gonna be
be able to graduate. So her apartment was right up the street from my dorm and I went to her house
at 7 or 7.30 in the morning, rang the bell. She buzzed me up. I mean, she didn't even ask who it
was. She was probably expecting someone else. But when she opened the door, if she, you would think
I went there all the time because she never looked like, what the heck are you doing here? And I told
her what happened. She went and picked up the phone. She called the financial aid lady and said,
give her a loan and hung up the phone and the lady did now this was the same lady who had told me no
the day before and because of that i got to graduate paid back the loan it was actually
the only money i had to pay back from going to school and i was on a southwest airlines flight
y'all those of you who know me know i'm a huge fan of southwest airlines but in their magazine it
said basically what the question i asked you and go back and tell that person so i googled her
found out she was now living in Evanston, I'm originally from Chicago, and I sent
her an email, no I'm sorry, I called her and I still have the voicemail that she
left me when she returned my call. And she said she didn't remember that
incident and she said I was the only, the second person in her career who had ever
called to thank her for something. So that is absolutely huge. You know, we
We think they know, but you never know when they need to hear it.
But let me ask you.
I'm not going to cry.
Let me ask you, what did those people have in common,
which means you kind of had to listen when other people were talking?
They all cared about us.
They all cared about you.
What else?
Relationship.
There was relationship.
They all loved their profession.
They all loved their profession.
What else?
They were good people.
Yes.
Deep down, good people.
And then you find out that you thought she thought you were special.
well she thought everybody was special they were doers they were doers they were absolutely they
were not sitting there whining and complaining they were just getting it done and the teacher
i mentioned she never had children of her own so to be in education at the same school for i can't
remember when it was 28 years at that point i mean those were her kids yeah well my teacher was very
mean so she was like everybody in the school was very scared of her and in fact on the first day
of school, I had to go to the restroom.
And so I had gone to a private kindergarten and not in that town.
So when I went to the, she told me to go to the right and find the girl's restroom.
Well, I remember this specifically.
Every door looked the same to me because I couldn't read.
And I didn't know the right to the left or anything.
So I'm looking at all these green doors.
And so when I come back, I can't tell time either.
I'm hoping that it's almost the end of school.
So I lied.
I did lie.
She said, did you find the restroom?
And I said, yes.
And then I ended up peeing on the floor.
Everybody.
So the funny thing is about that is that was the beginning of, you know,
of her identifying with me.
But I was so scared of her, though, but she was so nice to me that day.
But the whole year I was terrified of her.
But in reality, she was a good teacher.
I thought she was mean.
But was the person who you talked about, were they necessarily the easiest teacher you had?
Sometimes they're the ones who make you jump through the hoops, who make you dot the I's and cross the T's.
You talked about them making the subject fun.
I couldn't wait to read another book just so she would choose one for me.
So, right, I became an avid reader when I really didn't like to read.
Exactly.
So why did we spend time on this other than this is my favorite thing in the world?
Kill time.
No, I don't need that.
To remind us why we do what we do on this world.
Partly, yeah.
And to recognize that we didn't take the time to thank people that changed our lives.
So sometimes we're not always getting thanked for what we're doing, and that's okay, too.
that doesn't mean we're not still making a difference.
Yeah, it does not mean because you don't hear.
And for each of you, the person you picked had other people in the class,
they might not have had that same impact on them,
which is why you have to have different kinds of people
because different kids will relate to them.
Why else did we do this?
Get to know each other a little better.
Yeah, you learn the most amazing things about people,
that they throw wet paper towels, that they lie,
that they yeah because that's part of it because when you come in here with an
agenda and you're doing your agenda and you're voting and you're reading and
doing all that stuff you don't have time for that but everybody here has a path
that brought them here at this time for a reason and actually some of you
mentioned that what your teacher did they couldn't do anymore there's so many
things that teachers used to be able to do that they can't sometimes I have
people who say well I spent more time with my coach than I did with my family
and he took us to his house or she took us here and there's so many things that
you're like no you can't do that now so I was on another Southwest Airlines
flight and then we'll take a break and there was a the magazine was dedicated
entirely to education and the one thing I remember I the whole thing is it said
it teachers are the one teaching is the profession that makes every other
profession possible and I went duh you know so if that's true why don't we
treat teachers better why don't we compensate them better you know why
don't we as you were talking about why don't we support them better so and what
as we go through this the rest of the time we're going to spend together and I
am gonna let you out on time I'm big stickler on time I want you to ask
yourself are your teachers succeeding are your students succeeding because of
what you do in this room or in spite of and I ask every single board that so
it's not anything unique to you but ten minute break okay now what I want you to
do and I sort of thought I might not have to actually actually were you in my
class? Were you ever in my baby board member class? Yes I was. I've been in your class. You know that I grew up when child abuse was legal right? Yes. And there was a new baby board member that you might have had fun and you know teasing him a little bit. Well there's always someone. You had a favorite in that class and I will never forget every time I see him to this day. Was it KP? Yes. Yeah I knew it was KP. There was someone in my class who talked about meeting constituents in HEB and I started calling her HEB to this day.
she said people are still calling me H-E-B. But she said it with great pride.
That was KP. Ladies, I will put you in the corner, further in the corner than you
already are. I appreciate it. You can do anything you want to the redhead. You can move her all the way out.
Oh I don't I don't have favorites. I can't. Well I don't think you should go
on record as telling me to because it would look more authentic if I'd just
done it. Now it sounds like. I can only imagine that they're the ones that took
blood pressure medicine before they came. Everybody else has left. Oh, oh. And I forgot to keep in mind, so God only knows what will happen.
Okay, now what I want you to do, and I didn't think we were going to do this because
Engage was here, but I want you to tell me the great stuff that's happening in your district,
and I'll write as long as you talk.
Ms. Fox?
Ms. Well, I can go way back to about a year ago right now.
Ms. Way back.
Ms. Way back.
Ms. Yeah.
When we had gone through Harvey and so many of us had friends who lost everything, Ms.
Fox flooded, this building was flooded, we resurged as a district stronger, tighter,
or better despite any of the other things that have happened in this
district that will be a time that we all look back with pride it was such a hard
time for so many people but it reinforced to people who had just been
here or someone like myself who's been here since the mid 80s that this is
where you want to call home and I think when we came in the one-year anniversary
here recently and reminded of all the hard work that this that so many of us
in this room and our leadership of this district did for us it's just kind of
laid a pathway that no matter what happens you know that might be bumpy
that was a time that I'm never more proud of the strength and the
perseverance and the resilience and the pride and there was no there was no I
wear red you wear blue it was we are katie yeah can't top that i i would like to add to that
because the the kids um i completely agree with you mrs van but the kids were all for two weeks
and everywhere you went you saw the the ktisd students helping as long as young as elementary
kids because you know their house may not have flooded but they can't go to school either and um
Then there was a day that Dr. Hint had, the teachers had come back to school but the kids hadn't yet.
And there was a day that Friday when he told them to go to the service day.
And so I was one of the ones out there, you know, trying to make sandwiches and doing things like that.
But on that day, I ran into a group of teachers that were from May Creek Elementary.
And they happened to be in a neighborhood close to me where it's not by May Creek Elementary.
but I just ran into them and they had bought pizzas and so I had my little
rink and eat sandwiches but then I thought well the pizzas are better so I
ended up hanging out with them I have a picture of them somewhere but anyway and
it was just it was just seeing all those kids out there mucking with houses and
stuff that just was I can't even begin to tell how moved I was by that and in
And the day that it flooded, I don't want to cry about this,
but I live right by the Barker Reservoir,
and so it didn't come into my neighborhood,
but it went right to the edge of it.
So when you walked out, that's what you saw on TV.
It means it was the boat dock thing.
And I saw some kids out there that I recognized,
and I said, oh, it's so good to see you out here helping kids off the boat and everything.
And those kids go, well, our house is flooded,
so we wanted to come out here and help other people.
We got out, so we wanted to help other people.
And that's what you were talking about earlier, that you just don't want to talk about what
you're giving to them, but what you were teaching them to give back.
Yeah.
I want to reiterate a little bit and go a little bit deeper on what Ashley said.
We all have our Harvey experiences and our Harvey stories.
Yours is fantastic.
Rebecca Wood couldn't get down here and she sent her husband to work when her house was flooded.
To see the leadership that we had in Lance Hens, when he opened up Cinco and Morton Ranch to be a place for us to have guests.
And dogs.
Yeah, and dogs and cats.
That was overwhelming.
And I was there with Patty,
and we were there pretty much about 20 minutes after it opened,
and we left each night at 11 or 12 o'clock every night until we had to leave.
We couldn't be there until the last day that they were open.
But the thing that so indelibly is just etched into my brain
and I will never, ever forget is walking those halls,
I'm pulling a Rebecca, I'm sorry.
And seeing the generosity of our community to see the overwhelming amount of stuff.
It got out just that fast that we need this.
If somebody said we needed dog food, we had an 18 wheeler with a dog food within 30 minutes
to the point where we had to say no we have plenty and we were all of us that could be there
were george was out directing traffic what is a wet rat um you know uh i was running around with
lee crews helping him trying to be you know help him with the guidance and stuff patty was
was volunteering her time. Um, and we all were, you know, it's not just it. We all were and
to see the people, um, who lost everything and it didn't matter skin color. It didn't
matter. Economic conditions. Uh, there was an Hispanic family right next to an older
couple and I happened to be talking to him and, and I noticed on his watch that he had
an oil and gas company watch i was like i know what this is well and i found out where he lived
and he was in a very very expensive part of town his house flooded just the same as this
other family that you know barely had two nickels to rub together and and after talking to them i
found that out but our community became i'm going to use your words ashley we were katie it didn't
matter. We were all there together. And that's with any sort of tragedy like
that, any sort of disaster. Because I live 70 miles north of here, an hour and a
half away, and we had someone who drowned in their truck on the road in Huntsville,
down the road from me. I mean I still think I find that so incredibly
difficult to believe but we did so I cannot even imagine you know being
closer to it but in all of that tragedy the beauty is that you discover that
people don't care if you're black white Hispanic Asian they don't care if you're
rich if you're poor if you're a Democrat Republican or independent we just lose
all of those labels and it's just us so absolutely yeah I want to say something
too at the schools i noticed that um so at taylor high school i was involved with project grad and
then i talked to other the other high schools too because uh especially the schools that were
affected that had um the families in there you know cinco taylor katie high school um you know
we were all trying to talk to each other and so we had all kind of decided that we were going to go
along with Project Grad because it wasn't, you know, our kids' fault that the deficit,
you know, they still had their senior year.
And we kind of all decided, well, I know that Taylor just decided this, and I think that
the other ones did too, that, you know, we weren't going to turn any child away.
So that was going to be the year.
This was just, you know, we may not make a lot of money.
There may not be a lot of prizes that year.
Right.
But if, and we're not going to make them prove their address or anything like that.
If they come to us and say, we just can't afford the ticket for Project Grad, you're
going to, I think we only had to give away about five or six tickets as it went, but
just even those kind of things.
It was just a very special year at all the schools, you know, for a lot of different
events like that, not just Project Grad, but prom, homecoming.
How long were you actually closed?
Were your schools closed?
Two weeks.
two weeks yeah when you think about that there were a little bit more because it ended friday
early right we went back september 11th so you know when the storm hit and um that's amazing now
i i loved um the doctor so the teachers came back after one week and the kids came back after two
and i loved that they came in how do you make up 10 days of school and they and they just hit the
ground and they just do it right and everyone was concerned with especially those babies who were
displaced for months and months but everybody losing 10 days of instruction how do you get
that back and be ready for state mandated tests and those kinds of things um dr hint gave them
so they they met for four days and planned all that and then on on friday he said go serve and
And they did, they just poured into our community
and every employee went and served somewhere.
A day of serving.
A day of serving.
And it was, like, huge, huge.
You know, people came, five staff members,
one of the principals sweeping my floor, the mud off my floor, you know,
and these sweet teachers helping me make order out of chaos by that time.
So I can't talk about it without crying, but here's the success to that.
We did great.
Our babies did great.
When it came time for assessments, we did amazing.
There's this new, I don't know if you've heard, there's this A through F system going around.
Yeah, I've heard something about that little something.
And KDIC is the largest school district in the state of Texas that got an A.
We're in the top 12% of all school districts in the state.
And there's a niche report that just went out.
16.
16.
We have, on elementary schools alone, last year we had, I think, 19.
This year we have 16 of the top 25 schools in this area.
16 of them are KDISD schools.
And didn't we get the top 12?
We got top 12.
All the top 12.
And we have 16 of the top 25.
That's just, nobody gets that.
So what are we proud of?
Our teachers are making a difference and they're connecting with students.
I believe there is nothing more powerful than a teacher with a student face-to-face and our teachers are miracle workers and
They're they're doing it. They're doing it and our and our babies are our students our boys and girls are succeeding
Because we have incredible educators who won't
Won't stop until every child
Practically has an IEP
They're just committed to them. I wasn't here for the I wasn't on the board during the flood
but my first one of the first things we got to do is being part of the board was
go to graduation not to be honest with you I don't even invite my family
members to high school graduations when my kids graduate yes I feel like it's
torture and so when Bill was like oh you're gonna love it it's gonna be great
and I'm like this nine bill he's like yeah yeah I go to all of them like go to
all of them like seriously it's like yeah it's great it's great like really
Really?
It was not dropped on my head, by the way, as a child.
Yeah, I know.
But, so, you know, I went and I got my colors to wear, the different colors, whatever.
And I have to say, it was amazing.
It's like being in Detroit and watching the new Cadillacs roll off the assembly line.
You know, standing there shaking their hands, everybody's shiny and bright and excited.
And here's what stands out to me about this community.
Almost every kid, yes ma'am, thank you ma'am.
We had had all that drama leading up to May, all that horrible drama.
Every kid shook Dr. Hindt's hand as they should have.
I was just so proud of the community and so proud of those young people.
And some of those were your students?
And some of them were my students, so that was really, really fun.
But really nice to close that loop with some of the kids.
But I was just amazed.
just and I'm amazed at their accomplishments was it made Creek the
song they sung yeah I mean like there wasn't a dry eye we were all like oh my
gosh you know just the smarts and the talent and and the behavior and the
decorum and the respect you know I really felt like wow we're really
turning out these great citizens into the world we are doing what we're here
here to do. So now you will miss how many of them?
Zero. Unless there's a family emergency. I have to say I've done this a lot. I've been to a lot of graduations. I've never heard anyone describe it as like being in Detroit because I was like, where is that going? Watching the Cadillacs roll. I just. So you've got to be at the end of the line. Yeah. Seeing them come towards you, you know, and I mean, oh my gosh, every, every one of them just, and I mean, all the colors of the rainbows, all shapes and sizes,
special needs kids, kids in wheelchairs, everything.
But it's just they're all just shiny and beautiful and wonderful.
It's great.
I love how you describe it.
For 14 years, I love going to all of them too, just like Mr. Lacy.
You see why we make any decision is about the boy or girl crossing that stage from left to right, right,
moving that tassel from left to right.
that's what we do why we do what we do from the moment they come in pre-k until
they cross that stage that's our work that's our work yep that's why we do and
so celebrate with them oh it's a great way to start your board it really is you
know it's kind of cool that you can do that at the beginning mm-hmm top ten or
last ten they celebrate them all and they celebrate each other it's so and I
Have I heard you say that it's almost like every kid has an IEP and that really is the
goal, but for a district as large as you are to say that means a lot.
Because I saw a billboard once that said an education as unique as your child and I thought,
oh, that's exactly what you're talking about.
When we did that strategic design, we talked about how close do we get to every child having
an IEP, which is that called individual education plan.
Right? So that's what we're doing. We're doing individualized instruction, engagement.
How do you reach who they are, what they love? How do you reach the history one and the math one?
And how do you get that? And it's because incredible educators figure that out. Right.
We just don't want to overwhelm them too much. No, you know, we don't want to overwhelm them at all.
We want them to stay and be happy. You have to give them the resources, but you also have to give them the latitude to be able to do that right.
and to have the creativity in there.
You know, you're talking about that.
I come back to Miller, and I look at Miller, and I look at Raines
and the different opportunities we have for these kids.
I mean, it is overwhelming.
The things that we have, if they want to learn,
if they have just a little bit of drive and a little bit of gumption,
we've got the programs for them.
That's what's just so cool.
and knowing that what we as a society need in the future,
you know, we've got to have the plumbers,
we've got to have the electricians,
we've got to have the mechanics.
Lord knows I had to have one as a son-in-law for a long time.
You know, you've got to have those people.
Yes.
And not everybody that graduates from KDISD
is going to be that kid that goes to Harvard or, you know.
Or any ISD.
Yeah, anywhere.
We everybody we've got to put out these kids that that have the education and they don't realize it
I was having the conversation the other night with my son-in-law
Like just got to know how much did you think you'd be using math because he's the mechanic. He's the diesel mechanic
How much did you think you'd be using that? Yeah, I know
You know, he's just he's just a great kid and a great guy and here he is going
Yep, using it all the time, but that was what somebody else said
you've got to make what they're learning apply it has to make sense it has to be
there has to be some connection between what you're doing and what you're
learning yes right look I'm not an emotional and and Scrooge when it comes
to appreciating the great things that this district does but I'm sorry I'm
going to introduce at least an element here we have 78,000 students we have a
tremendously disparate student body. Every metrics available indicates that
we have tremendous disparity that we have to deal with and I like I like the
the atmospherics of taking great pride in what we do but there are and I'm not
going to apologize for it. There are things that we need to take a more
empirical, analytical process in evaluating. If we're here for team
building and you look at goal six and you look at goal seven and eight and you
you read some of the the words, the words impose a great burden that go beyond the
the pizzazz and the fun and the excitement of graduation day.
Graduation day, if you want to look at it as an iceberg,
graduation day is right up here at the tip.
And it's what we're all proud of.
But this is not the same district it was when I moved to this town in 1983.
It is not the same district that this town was in 1993.
It's not the same district that it was in 2013.
And in the context of being rightfully proud that we are better than the vast majority
of school districts in the state of Texas, it does not undercut the reality that KDISD
has some systemic issues that deal with all of public education.
education. We have goals that talk about staff development, but we don't do any
correlation analysis between staff development and improved student
academic performance. We don't have any correlation analysis between if we take
classroom teachers out of the classroom for six or ten or twelve days during the
year, are we better off having done that staff development program and
and putting substitute teachers in that classroom.
So I'm not trying to be Scrooge.
I really am not.
But I am, maybe in the last five or six months
of my service on this board, I am
going to be a constant voice for we need to look under the hood.
We need to think of ways that take the strategic plan, what
what it says and put some empirical meat to it.
And the day too many people look at public education
and data is like holding a cross to a vampire.
We need to be more analytical in all of the students.
And we have thousands and thousands
of students that need our help to be better,
not just on graduation day but all along the way. George you know what you're
exactly right. Well and I'm gonna apologize to you because normally I tell
you that was the next question normally I say I'm not just Pollyanna in a second
I'm gonna ask you what concerns you so so you don't have to apologize I need to
apologize but go ahead. Well what I was gonna say is you know as great as we are
we have to continue to improve and if we don't push ourselves everybody else is
gonna catch up you know and pass you that's it you know what happens if you
don't attend to we're going to do it we you know we've got to look to the future
we've got to prepare these kids we've got to look at the kids that are in
kindergarten in first grade and second grade right now and go what do we need
to get them prepared for in the next 10 to 12 to 15 years and that's where we've
got to look back the again being a history a fan of history you got to look
back and go what happened here there's a reason that that rearview mirror is
smaller than the windshield you look back you take the glance then you go
alright let's keep going forward and we need to keep pushing we're not a perfect
school district now our isn't one and but that's the neat thing we've got
people like George that can look at it and not be the Scrooge but look at it
and go yep you know you're right you're you know we're let's you know we got all the pom-poms now
let's get to work on what's next year but it's not just george that's looking at it i mean you guys
are aware of the warts and you're working the warts let me tell you why i start with what are
you proud of or what what exciting is going on is because if you don't tell that story no one else
is going to because not just public ed in kdis he is under assault but in the entire state and it's
because we have not bragged, we have not told the story. Charter schools come in
and say, oh we've got this and this and this, and people go, oh I'm gonna move my
kid, and they don't realize you've had those things in your district all the
time. That's why I start there, but it is never where I end, because I do want to
know what are the things you've got to get better at, what are the critical
things. The other reason I start with that is because those teachers who are
in the trenches, those people who are in the trenches, if we don't celebrate the
successes, all they hear are the bad things. All they hear is are what they're
doing wrong, what they don't have enough of, what they don't do enough of. And I
was, the Commissioner was up in East Texas and it's like he's been reading my
mind because he said we need to get educators to encourage their kids to go
into education. Well educators are either saying implicitly or explicitly don't do
this, you're not gonna, it's a thankless job, you're not going to be celebrated.
and what happens is when those folks no longer go into what is it what is a
calling then we have problems so that's why I talk about in every single
district what are the things that are going along not for fluff but so that
you are equipped to go out and tell the good stuff while you're working on the
stuff that's not so good so I'm going to take a couple more fluff things and then
we're going to talk more about empirical data I would like to say I would like to
brag about our kids the talent that they have. I've been, you know, football games, the athletes,
the drill team girls, the cheerleaders, the band, the I call them the flag girls, the flag boys.
Like people. Like people and then the fine arts. I've been going to some plays in the choir
performances, the band performances, orchestra performances and I just went to something that
or not at Cinco Ranch High School and I'm just I'm always blown away by what
these 14 to 18 year olds can do on a stage so I would like to brag about that
and you're obviously making it fun my eight-year-old grandson does not like
school not because he doesn't love learning but it's not fun it's not fun
at his school it's not fun for teachers and if you can make it fun if you can
get people engaged so i may be moving to katie but go on well i certainly don't think that i agree
with the sentiments about our teachers but that also comes from the administration as well those
that are calling in our teachers bringing together the camaraderie amongst our teachers and i think
that's a direct result of the leadership that we have in place with our area superintendents with
with Mr. Gregorski as our Deputy Superintendent and, of course, Dr. Hint as our Superintendent.
You know, that's where strategic design came from.
That's what made us really focused in on what are our goals, how are we going to make changes,
how are we going to do it.
What is not just we don't need to focus, like Mr. Lacy said, on what does it look like today.
What does it look like with the seven of us?
We need to know what does it look like tomorrow when the seven of us aren't here.
But the kids are still here.
And they're still growing.
And so I want to point out that as well, that the leadership is remarkable.
And also the community as a whole, in addition to the things that happened with Harvey,
there are so many other programs within the schools that a lot of people don't even recognize.
You know, we've got the PALS program where students are mentoring younger students.
That's causing those children to be service-oriented, and they're seeing life outside.
these teenagers are seeing life outside of their bubble you know because they're
teenagers so the world revolves around them until they go meet with an
elementary kid that has needs and and maybe is really quiet because they don't
have any friends and all of a sudden they think beyond themselves and we've
also got you know the keys mentor program where community members are
coming in and they're mentoring our students from elementary all the way
through I know miss Miss Champaign is involved in that as well one of the high
High schools has a take flight program where volunteers go in and mentor once a month to
classrooms.
And so there's so many other things that are happening in addition to Miller and Raines.
It's little pieces.
I'm sorry, Best Buddies.
I love Best Buddies.
Best Buddies, yeah.
I mean, it's amazing where children are partnering with children with disabilities and making
them inclusive.
And I mean, we could just go on and on about those things that it's not all about teaching math.
Just like we said in the strategic design areas, it's about teaching character.
It's about teaching who are you going to be after school?
What are you going to be in life?
And what lessons can we give to you all along the way?
And I think that Katie does.
There is a place for everybody.
If you haven't found your place, you haven't asked because there is a club for everybody.
I mean, I know that there was a knitters club at the junior high, and kids got together early in the morning to knit.
And, you know, boys and girls. And it was a way to make friends. It was a way to make community.
And so I just I think that everybody has a place.
And that stuff will never be tested. It won't ever show up on end, of course.
But it's stimulating and it's .
And I know at the high schools they try to identify the kids who aren't in things.
Because I was on the CAT team last year for one of them, and I know the high schools,
I think they have about an 80% rate of kids that are in things at school.
And they try to find those kids that aren't, and they will actually say,
why don't you be in this, there's that run thing that, yeah.
Yeah, KSR, and so they'll try to plug them into something so that they can, so everyone can have something.
I was a juvenile prosecutor for a while, and the kids who typically end up in trouble are the ones who aren't involved.
Because that period between when school ends and parents get home is the time when they are most vulnerable to things that are not healthy for them or that may be criminal.
So getting kids involved gives them someplace else to be, something else to be doing.
Okay, now we're going to talk about what causes you concern because we do need to have empirical
data and I wholeheartedly agree with you that we need to be able to justify the decisions
that we're making, you know, not just does it feel good, is it making a difference?
So what else causes you concern?
Achievement gap.
Okay.
Differentiation.
I think it's a smile on a dog, sorry, that's how I feel about it.
I just, I've only seen, in the five years I taught, I saw a handful of people who could
really do it and really do it well and it's exhausting.
And still, even those people who really did it well, the GT kids are reading a book in
the last ten minutes and you know, you're spending your time on people that didn't get
it so let's see I like we're I can't talk with that in my ear okay all right
drum beat you're so right I think if you have two things that are going to
eventually produce privatization and vouchers when people finally give up on
public education it's going to be useless staff development trying to
pretend that differentiation is possible.
All right, but to get to differentiation...
And I mean the differentiation the way we do it.
You can differentiate education the way we do it.
To get to differentiated curriculum, there are about eight steps that involve empirical
data before you can even get to debating or analyzing differentiation.
differentiation. We don't have anything, and I'm not saying Katie, public education doesn't have
anything that does skill gap assessment on a classroom by classroom basis, period. Gifted
and talented GT kids are tightly grouped. Kids that need four or five questions to pass the TAS,
the TACS, the STAAR Test are grouped. Everybody else is poured like it's a gun out swimming pool.
It's students with wide skills gaps. So how do you prove that?
Are districts using their internal testing? We give some kids eight and ten
tests a year in DLA. Three and four, five sometimes, STAAR Test, AP test. Are we using
the empirical data to ask a very basic question. In a class of 29 students, how many of them are
two years below grade level, one year below grade level, at grade level, one year above grade level?
And until you have an empirical commitment to analyze the actual data from multiple metrics,
not just one metric, but multiple metrics.
You're not going to be able to evaluate.
My wife's a classroom teacher, not a conflict of interest.
She was a classroom teacher 10 years before I got on the board,
and she's going to get mad at me.
She is going to be pulled out of a class five times, four times this year,
to go learn how to teach writing according to some guru
guru that's going to teach her how to teach writing.
Now, I want, when are policy makers, which is what we are,
when are we going to say that pulling classroom teachers out of four classes,
and she'll miss others, too, because of staff development,
produces better writers in her classroom because a substitute is in there,
rather than having a woman who produced two National Merit scholars,
in there teaching them how to write. To do that, you can't just say that though. To do that,
if you're going to evaluate staff development, we don't do pilot programs. Public education does not
do pilot programs, generally speaking. We have the Pied Piper comes from California. It does the
open concept. By the time the Pied Piper's back to California, another Pied Piper's marching across
the country. Professional learning development, Sternberg Triarchic Station,
all this stuff. We never ever as policymakers stop and say why are you
going to do this program systemic-wide? What are you going to do? Are you going
to have a control group that tells me the Sternberg Triarchic Station?
Literally the name. Unbelievable name. Here's the truth. The better the name, the
the worse the program.
But the Sternberg Triarchic Station was a method of teaching.
And I'm going to do this because this may be my last chance to do this.
Okay?
A teacher, we were actually teaching teachers of English that if their
students could do the final test or a test in RAP or with a PowerPoint or
with this that that teacher needed to incorporate these multiple strategies in
assessment. One teacher raises her hand, not my wife, and says, you know, I don't
really feel qualified to judge a grade for a rap song. How do I do that? Answer?
Oh, well, go to the internet. There's some rubrics. Now, this is not me just
pontificating. This is not George Scott hyperbole. This is going on in our staff
development in every school district across the state. There is no correlation
between these programs and student academic performance and we never figure
out a way to honestly assess what teachers think about it. Okay George, I
love you but I am gonna have to go on to someone else. I have a question for Mr.
Mr. Scott, can you help?
It could be dangerous, but go ahead.
Okay.
No drum beating when I talk, and you have that in your ear?
Yes, but it's when he's talking.
Yes, lots of drum beating.
That's what he's going to say.
So I have a question.
I'm under a misunderstanding that the instructional coach model is more helpful to classroom teachers
because you go directly to the teacher to help,
but I thought that that meant that they weren't doing pull-out staff development
because an instructional coach could come and help them one-on-one.
What's the difference with that?
Why do one when you can do both?
I mean, that is the serious answer to the question.
I thought one was better and we weren't doing the other.
No, we're pulling teachers out.
We have staff development.
And it doesn't even matter.
If you spend time in summer or over breaks
and you are basically forcing teachers,
you've got a lot of young teachers.
My wife is a senior, experienced teacher, and maybe I shouldn't be saying this, but she works within the system.
She's not as obnoxious as I am, okay?
But she's still an experienced teacher, and she's going to use her best judgment in working within that system.
But if you're a young teacher, if you're on a probationary contract, if you are a young teacher and you're worried about your job, how do we protect classroom teachers that want to do it different?
And Susan, differentiated instruction is the umbrella for the last 15 minutes of my life.
Until you start figuring out how to deal with this, until we figure as policymakers,
one of the tragedies, I personally believe, of the last, I'm going to finish this one.
I'm going to finish this one.
One of the tragedies over the last seven months is that a lot of the agenda of this administration has been hijacked by the political damage that has been done to this community.
I think we would be farther down the path if the grave political damage that we've encountered had not happened.
but you've you've hit the one word but to get to your one word requires an
enormous amount of effort and the bottom line of that enormous amount of effort
is the courage to look at empirical data okay I think we can safely say that you
are in favor of data and what it's for so I think I'm not gonna have it
trivialized no no I'm not trivializing it I'm going to allow you to leave at
at the time that you were supposed to.
So I need to also open it up for other concerns.
And others can do that, and I'm going to challenge you on this.
I haven't done that much in this meeting.
This is the reason I am on the school board.
I came to this meeting tonight primarily
to be able to address this issue,
and I'm not going to be subject to artificial protocols.
I have said what I want to say.
It's the reason I'm here.
It's the reason I'm on the school board.
and I wouldn't be saying this if I weren't lecturing. Mr. Scott, I brought my
toothbrush. I will stay here as long as you want to. I'm not talking to you, I'm
talking to them. Okay, but I am talking to you and I'm talking to them because they
might have other things to do at the end of this meeting. So does anybody else
have any other concerns that they have about what's going on in your district?
district. There's still a.
There's still a pretty good size economic gap between a lot
of our schools. There's still the haves and the have nots.
And if you look just geographically, I'm going to
throw this out in a note. It's not 100% accurate, but if you
look South of I-10 and North of I-10.
there's there's a lot of disparity between you can just economics there's a
lot of kids that I mean there's there's extra stuff that's in some of our more
wealthy communities portions of the district that other kids I mean they
just wish they could have and I'd like to see us to find a way to and I know
that we have adopted schools you know we have some schools that have adopted some
of the others we just need to continue to to push that agenda i don't want to say push the agenda
we need to continue to fan that flame so that we can go completely over and give those same
opportunities to everybody and then that was the first the second one was just getting a lot of our
kids into the programs that we need to really try harder i think at getting identifying the kids
that need to get into some of our more specialized programs they don't fit the
normal they're not going to go to college but they can go to block you
know we need to be able to identify those kids I feel like earlier so that
they can start down that pathway of you know going and working or getting ready
to go to the military things like that and I can say having a freshman in high
school and having to very graduated I never understood why Miller and all that
that wasn't exposed to eighth and ninth graders.
It was last year to eighth graders,
and there's already been a communication
to ninth graders about Miller.
So that's something from the very beginning
when I first ran for this position that I've said,
we need, in the middle to end the sophomore year,
it's too late.
These kids have already picked their courses
through the senior year.
They already have a plan,
and they didn't maybe even know this existed.
I've asked most kids, and they think that's,
they call eight, they think Miller schools
Miller's a school they don't realize that it's what's my town they can't call
that but um they don't realize the the amazing things that go on at Miller and
what they just don't know it exists so I can say that I think it's not perfect
but from from having a senior in college who toured Miller the end of his
sophomore year and really wanted to go but it wasn't gonna work in his course
plan at that point I've seen exposure to eighth grade in ninth grade now so I
I think that's moving in the right direction.
Even earlier than that, I don't think, because in seventh grade, some kids are taking high school credit.
But while we're talking about that, there's so many, because I, for the future,
because so many of the things that happen at our Miller Career and Technology Center are really geared toward college.
We don't have as many programs that I wish we had that are geared toward the workforce.
force i would rather see you know what we finished out the second floor shell space of the miller
career center and the first time the school board knew what programs were going in the plans were
drawn it's all here and it's presented to us in a shiny package for us to vote yes and no input of
any kind from the policy makers of what would go in there and i became incredibly sad that the
program most of the programs other than the manufacturing that went in you know it's dental
Dental hygiene.
Dental hygiene.
A lot of those are certificates that boys and girls can get, right?
Yeah, because in the pharmacy program,
they can come out of that pharmacy program and be pharmacy techs.
They don't have to go and become a pharmacist.
Vet techs, the paramedics.
Cosmetology school.
Well, certainly cosmetology and the auto and the culinary.
There are some that are, right?
And you could get a certificate,
But it just feels like that a great amount of the things that happen there are geared toward this will help you.
When I hear the presentations, it's this is going to help you a lot and be able to earn money while you're in college or you'll be able to, you know, a lot.
And there's a whole lot of things.
I know you've said that throughout the years, but I disagree.
Yeah, I disagree as well.
I do, too, because I'm sorry.
That's okay.
Were you going to say something beyond that?
No, I just, I mean, having a daughter that went to Miller for her last year, she went
specifically because her goal was to become a nurse.
Yes, she went on to university and she did the, I can't even think of the word now,
the clinical rounds.
So she went and made the rounds at hospitals and it really gave her insight on is that
the path that she wants to take.
So yes, that was a little more college-based, but I know that she made lots of friends and when she would talk about the different programs
I'm like miss fan and I just said and miss champagne you yes
You are coming out with certificates
But that doesn't mean you have to go to college with them
You can come out of that pharmacy program and go and become a pharmacy tech and make really good money working alongside of a pharmacist
When you take that test to be a certified pharmacy tech
They do very well for themselves and and and don't have to go into college at all
class or an AP class? No. And the vet tech program, cosmetology. So I don't, I actually find that
there are more opportunities for kids at Miller to come out with some type of certificate or
continue that training, maybe in another technical school to get that ultimate certificate versus
going into a four-year university. And I hear from boys who want hands-on kind of workforce ready
trades trades something explore yeah we've got the auto mechanics they have
all five of the majors I can tell you is having my son-in-law is a mechanic they
make really good money have you tried to hire a plumber lately I mean there's the
big numbers we go to the TASB things and they're talking about the number one you
know the high $80,000 a year it's plumbers electricians you know elders
There's those kinds of things right we could look at some more hands-on things
Maybe geared to our men. That's that's where thank you for the discussion. Just throw in man because you're right
She was saying she was saying that
Maybe look at some other really want to work with kitty cats and all yeah, maybe they
Yeah, that's not right and a lot of those programs are an exploratory, which is a great thing
You know, they're well at the high schools.
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah.
We're not even thinking about our technical kids that run the lamb system at.
Oh, my gosh.
Well, I mean, technology, that technology training at Miller is remarkable.
Straight into the industry.
Yeah.
We've had quite a few go into the industry and get impressive jobs because of what they learned.
You're right.
Ms. Champagne down here trying to talk.
I know.
I'm sorry.
I stand corrected.
Can I just say I stand corrected.
I want to add to that and say three.
concerns real quick. What I like about the Miller, even if it's not going to lead to
something else, it saves a lot of money and time if, let's say, a kid did do the clinical
rounds and hated it. Now we don't have to pursue that anymore.
My daughter did a bet. She's like, nope.
Not what I thought it was.
But is that our job?
Nobody gave her the opportunity to say.
I agree with you.
Yeah, I don't put a program into place because kids figure out, oh, yeah, I hate it.
I just don't.
Well, I mean, it's.
Or they figure out they love it.
I see that as a benefit to a family.
Okay, but my concern is I was going to say what Mr. Lacy was talking about with the economic.
I ran into a teacher, and I can't remember her name, but she's been in the district for a while.
and when I was campaigning she actually ran over to me and said hey you know I
can't I'm sorry I can't remember the name of the school that she's from but
she was from another school on the north side town I hate to say it but she said
if you get elected and could you look into this and she said a long time ago
in the district now I don't know if this is true or not but the schools that were
less economically advantaged and we're given some sort of scholarship or
something and it was in the budget for programs and things that they could not
otherwise afford because they didn't have the parent input into that. So I
don't know. I just thought I would say that that would be you know even if it's
just like five thousand dollars a year or something that's just an idea. The
second one is safety and security. That is I know that we're making leaps and
in bounds with that and I'm so happy about that and I know that we communicate that with the
parents but I just feel like that has to be a constant uh communication because just just because
I think um parents and students are still wondering what we're doing even though I know what we're
doing um I just think it would put ease of mind to people um so that's a concern and the last one is
actually who's going to be our new superintendent. I mean and that's a that's
a big thing on people's mind and that's just my three. On the safety and security
and I agree I don't disagree with you but Mr. Gregorski isn't there some
things we're not letting everybody know we're doing because we don't want to
have then a strength become a weakness because somebody knows and I think the
parents see things with changes we've made they know about the badges they
know about the cameras the fences the interest of schools to be you know
limited to the number of ins and outs but I think there's certain things we
are doing that we don't know you're correct there are definitely things and
that's why we are allowed in closed session to take certain things into with
the board to share with the board about that because they are very private and
And they are meant to be that way so we don't let out, per se, everything we're doing because that would make us vulnerable.
So there are a lot of things going on behind the scenes that we can't really talk about, but we talk to the board about and share those kind of things, but we don't share them.
But there are a few things coming up.
We've got some videos coming up for some parents on some things moving forward, trainings that we're working with the kids on, things that we're doing.
they need to know we're doing with their kids and that'll be coming out shortly
but I agree with you miss champagne we're not gonna take our foot off that
gas pedal at all we've got a lot of things going on and it's part of our
strategic plan keeping kids safe and we're gonna keep on working on that it's
one of those goals that never goes away you bet and I think people appreciate
if you tell them there are things we can't tell you for that reason because I
want you to be doing so yes take one pass one pass it down okay I have three
more things I want to do it doesn't matter which one you keep they're all
the same the first thing I want to ask you is what does this board do this this
board superintendent team do really well and I'm gonna ask you in a minute what
things you need to get better at what do you do well the neat thing that I see
about this board and the chemistry is different from what it was last year it'll be different
next year doesn't really matter but we all bring our own different experiences and we all bring
something to the table and that's that's the biggest key um we've got to be able to continue
to have that we don't want to turn into a to the pta people here we don't want to turn into a pta
This is a business. This is almost a billion dollar business.
And we have to treat it as such.
You know, this is not just a simple little, you know, rah-rah.
And I know that. We all know that.
And that's why we all are here.
Because it does, we have to make grown-up decisions
and we have to be able to do the things that you brought us up to do.
Lastly, what are some of the things that we've got to improve?
We're getting to that, but let me hear what you do well, if there's anybody else who wants
to say what you do well.
I want to say to that, every time you change people, it's a different team.
Every time you get new people, and everybody always brings something to the board, but
it's whether or not the board will accept those things.
When you lose people, people go off the board, you got to say, what did that person bring
that was good to the board, and who's going to step up and do that now?
now. So, okay. What else do you do well? I think as a team and our administration,
we hire the best people. That makes a difference. What else does this board do well? This board
superintendent team do well? We're present in the community. We're responsive to the
campuses um we all have adopted feeder patterns for the year um that doesn't mean we only do those
obviously because there's wait there's a lot of schools and only seven of us but um i believe
i feel like all of us feel like we're pretty approachable um and and present in different
ways some of us are still parents some of us aren't but have been and you know so it's brings
It brings a different feeling to it, but I feel like we are, even though this district is pushing over 80,000 towards 90,000 kids, and there's just seven of us, I feel like all of us contribute in a different way out in the community.
Letting them know it's not just something we show up for two meetings a month.
Yeah.
I also want to add, I think the communication between our leadership and the board with the community has improved drastically.
And that would go back also to the leadership of Dr. Hint.
He has changed the dynamic of the way this board communicates and the way this administration communicates with our community.
And the way our superintendent communicates with the board.
There is nothing we don't know about, and he is never not willing to answer questions and get his team to answer questions if a board member has one.
What else?
I'm going to ask you what this team needs to get better at.
I'll start it.
and this will be real great believe it or not I think there's some trust issues
this board between members between members and I think that there's going
to have to be a real effort to see if those trust issues can be resolved
now the funny thing about trust is it's hard to build it's very easy to destroy
destroy one word, one sentence, one issue, one rumor, one just, yeah.
One fact.
One fact.
But it does take work regardless.
I think we just need to regain our mojo or courage.
I mean, not to regain because I'm new.
I'm still considering myself new.
I will just say from my own personal, we were talking about this today.
Half the time, like I don't text anybody anymore.
I don't email anybody anymore.
I mean, we have effectively shut down communication because of the political climate.
And I think we need to rise above that and do what we were elected to do.
And speaking for myself, you know, you all are probably way more courageous than I am.
But I just think we need to really step up and do what we were elected to do.
And I think that I hope that things are getting better in the community.
But for me, it was a rough start. I mean, coming in in the middle of all of this, not in, you know, Don and I have asked our questions like all new board members.
Are we allowed to say that? Are we allowed to talk to people, you know, and then to have everything constantly, constantly, constantly be scrutinized and requested and have to turn over everything?
you know it's just it's been a challenge for me to feel like I can show up here
and say what I want to say and say what I need to say and have conversations
with people to get to the point where we can accomplish what we need to
accomplish I think we can all agree this has been a yeah what do you need to get
better at in light of what you've been through and what's interesting to me is
is when you see people up accepting for honor board,
so many times they say, if you had seen us five years ago,
10 years ago, four years ago, whatever,
you would have never thought this was possible.
But just like we talked about Hurricane Harvey,
as bad as that was, the good things that came out of it,
I have seen so many boards come out of something
that was very difficult, pull together and do amazing things.
I mean I could name you boards that have done that. So I hear what you're saying
that we've got to get our mojo back, we've got to get to there, but where
you are does not have to define where you're going. I mean that's really a
choice. And I'd like us to get a little ahead of ourselves too. Again I'm new so
everything is new. Every time I show up it's like oh now we're getting the
performance objectives, oh now we're getting this. But like you said quite
often by the time we get it has a bow on it and it's like oh well we can't change
that because it affects these six things so I'm not saying that we're gonna
change everything or rewrite everything or get in the weeds but it would it would
be helpful to have a little bit more lead time to know what's coming when
possible I think we could improve on having a more respect for each other and
And for opinions and ideas, we don't have to be best friends.
But we should respect each other.
And we're all professionals.
And I like what Bill Lacy said.
We all bring different skill sets and different experiences.
And I'm now the old lady of the board.
And my biggest pet peeve is people who say, because we've always done it that way.
And you won't hear me say that.
But I have that institution.
Now I'm the institutional knowledge girl, right?
And so there's a reason for, but I'm never locked down on it.
But I think it's highly disrespectful to not allow someone to have their opinion or have their say
and to be attacked for not agreeing or for disagreeing or for having a different point of view.
And I think a level of respect for, you know, we all need to have it for each other,
from whichever, we were all put here by our community.
And so, and our, we have a job to do and I may not agree with Mrs. Champagne or Mr. Lace, I may not agree, but it doesn't mean that it's wrong. It means it's different.
I think there's another danger besides not respecting. I can't tell you how many times I went to meetings when I was on the board and thought I knew exactly how I was going to vote on something.
I'd done all the research. I'd asked all the questions. And I got there and somebody said something that I had not even considered.
And it was something valuable. And I thought, oh, my goodness, I hadn't thought of that. And it literally changed my mind.
So when you get to the point where people don't feel free to share whatever kooky thing they have to say, you don't make as good a decision.
You don't.
Because some people are going to talk anyway and some people are kind of like, yeah, I don't think they're going to listen.
I'm not going to.
And then it's not just a respect issue.
It affects the whole, it affects the decision you make in everybody.
I think maybe a better way to say it is every person deserves to be valued and heard.
I want to add this though, Ms. Fox.
Some things defile respect.
From my perspective, my trust issues are not born, believe it or not, of empirical data.
Trust is an intangible, and it's not based on whether I believe that sign over there is red
or that sign over there is green like in the U.K.
It is relationships can be broken if you feel like there's not straightforward candor.
And I think some of the trust issues at this table are generated not by facts, not by disagreements on issues, but on the classic definition of trust.
And it's 854, and I'm going to close out on that.
Okay.
I mean, I've got my toothbrush, and I've got to go through this.
Which kind of reinforces the being valued and heard, not agreed with.
I don't ask people to agree with me, but I do think I have the right to speak and to be heard, or any person.
I'm not necessarily speaking for me as the old lady.
You know, I'm probably speaking for just the greater idea of it.
But it's incredibly difficult to be board president.
Those of us who have understand the incredible pressure it is on you, Madam President, to take the input from everybody and get back to people.
And you're great at doing that. And I'm grateful for you. Very grateful for you and your leadership. It's a tough job to be in.
And so I'm not going to share here the kinds of things that you're able to do for us, but we all know what you do.
and that you allow us to speak.
And I'm not absolutely not calling anyone out in particular.
It's just a thing that I think comes with putting a new,
every time one new person comes, it changes the entire dynamic of any team.
And we have two new incredibly talented and capable board members,
and I'm grateful for both of them and the perspectives that you bring.
Very, very grateful.
And I'm grateful for each of you.
because you all represent of a group of you know all of our children and we're we're all we're all
here but um so it wasn't aimed at anyone i just want to say publicly thank you for your leadership
thank you anything else we need to do better
i have to i was taking notes from when you started and mr haley dr haley was here and these are the
the things that you said stood out for you in your strategic design under the
beliefs you talked about relationships and how everybody was unique so I assume
that goes for board members too you talked about making being actively
engaged and making positive contributions but you over and over said
leadership respect integrity communicating in a cordial and
professional manner Shawn said it took daily practice it was not something that
happened and Sue you said we want to attract and support quality teachers
because they set the tone and I agree with you but I would also tell you that
the eight of you set the tone in a much more public way than even teachers do in
their classroom and Don you said that you wanted there to be equity and for
everything to be equitable and for people to feel that so that's what I'm
gonna leave you with on that idea because all of the things that you said
at the beginning that you want for your teachers, for your students, I absolutely want for you. And
so I think you're on your way there because we've already we've talked about what you need,
you just have to make the choices. This, according to the statute, says that I have to talk to you
about the framework because I have to ask you in order to give you team building credit,
credit, what further continuing education you need individually and as a team, not me
come back, not TASB, this is what do you need to know more about to be better at what you
do individually and as a team.
And so if you could just take a moment and look at these and it's not anything new, I
gave every one of you one of these as a new board member and I know you've gotten framed
and it's hanging in your shower, it's laminated.
Just pick one of these for yourself
and one of these for the team, please.
So we had to pick two?
One for you, one for the team, at least one.
I mean, you can pick more than one,
but at least one for you and one for the team.
I think unity well I don't know unity of shared vision for the team you know that our framework
is big there are a lot of goals there's a lot of detail our agendas are big our district is big
I think it would be helpful if we had more of a singular or just if we focused on just the goals, you know, I suggested once that, you know, maybe we tried to look at the agenda items against those goals.
like what the heck are we talking about here how does it relate to the goal how
does it relate to the end goal how do we steer the boat always in the right
direction because it's just a big complex district and there's a lot and
you know I think sometimes we get lost in the weeds that just run in the
business and we lose that vision I would say unity and I would like that's for
for the board and I would like accountability training for myself.
I'd have to go with advocacy for the board because we do need to communicate what
what we're trying to do, what our goals are.
I mean, to me, that's the most important thing.
As a board, that we make sure that people in our community
understand what we're doing.
We've gotta be able to get the-
They can help you if they know what the heck you're doing.
Yes, yeah.
And also those partnerships with the city,
with the counties that y'all,
because I know y'all encompass a whole bunch,
and not just the state and the national,
but also just locally.
who else and what else what was your individual one bill did you say i didn't say an individual um
team was um um i don't know you know what individual i really don't know
the two most difficult intricate and i think all important are the second and third bullet point
of our under accountability and it is the one that in my experience over many
years school boards feel miserably to do this board and this superintendent under
under dr. Hint has made genuine progress and that's from a cynic has made genuine
progress in laying a groundwork for that and I hope that when we have a new
superintendent on board that the political turmoil that has created some
problems will not detour us from those two bullet points because all else is
important everything every bullet point on here is important but until a board
really internalizes what it actually means to evaluate instructional programs
programs, the administration and public education flies on autopilot.
So accountability, George, is your team, accountability for your team?
Personal and team.
Okay.
And bullets two and three.
Okay.
Who else?
What else?
For me, for the board at Unity, everyone looks at us as the set the example and to lead and
to be the, you know, so and just strive to get stronger there.
and for me promote the vision work with legislators help them understand the
challenges and help our community understand that their voices are much
louder than ours and we need their help to help legislators understand that
teachers deserve more money and school districts deserve you know more than us
shrinking piece of the pie. I have to do the job that they require us to do. Yes
and I agree and I want to say with regard to unity, unity is not unanimity.
It does not mean that you are all going to think that one way is the best way
and here's the deal if you vote every on every issue 7-0 you're called a rubber
stamp of the superintendent if you vote six four I mean six four six one five
two four three they say you can't get along so it's not about pleasing folks
it is about agreeing and voting your conscience and once the decision is made
helping that decision to happen but I am NOT going here to tell you that you have
to sing kumbaya at the end of every meeting you don't even have to like each
other it's nice but if you don't have to okay who haven't we heard from
I'm individually accountability for me.
Despite the fact that you know we had that great three-hour training at TASB
and the commissioner was in my session. I could use more.
I was next door and I kept saying you know he's next door so if you have a question about
that but he even said this is meant to be a beginning not the end.
Only the very beginning.
There will be other things that are 1566 to the next level and next level.
Okay. I would say for me, unity. I think that's important for the team. And then individually,
I'm torn a little bit between accountability and advocacy.
I like bullet points from each one. So I'm a little 50-50 on those. And as Mr. Scott said,
they're all important. They are. I mean, it's not like you just, you only do this and you don't do
those things but i think whenever we're holding for instance uh ensuring the assessment of students
that can be looked at broader than just one test and this is how well our students do when when we
dig into that accountability we're advocating so we're doing them together advocating for our
students that they're not they should not be determined based on one assessment neither
Neither should our teachers.
We're so much more than that.
Ms. Vann?
I'm the same as you.
Dr. Redundant.
Accountability and advocacy.
Whatever you said, girl.
I've actually had board members who say, well, for you it should be this, so we're good.
Anything else?
I know, right?
I want to be her.
Thank you.
Thank you.
What's her number?
There is no number.
I just go and I put in an email that says, please give all Katy ISD board members.
Before we go, I want to share something.
Okay.
As we were talking, I actually read this today.
And interestingly enough, it was an article about a young man who had it all coming out of high school.
He was a fabulous football player, went to a great college, university or whatever.
and ultimately his life was turned around by the usage of drugs that led him to a criminal life and led him to 65 years in prison.
And because of good behavior, 65, because of good behavior, he got out early.
He was paroled, and he's out.
Now he's written a book, and he goes around and speaks.
And I've become, just had conversations with him about his life, and he wrote a book.
Look, the guy that he credits as one of his best mentors is actually a man who's a pastor, has a life sentence in prison.
And his whole message outside of prison now, Damon's, is what he learned from this life experience and from this man.
But there was something I read today, and it just stuck with me.
So I want to share it with the board because I think that over the course of the past year, starting with Harvey,
then what we went through with Dr. Hint and where we are today, we've been in some boiling water, right?
it's been hot and we are under a lot of pressure. And so the saying, and I want to credit Mr.
Jackson from a life sentence in prison for being the one that came up with this analogy,
you have a carrot, you have an egg, and you have a coffee bean. And when you put each one of them
in boiling water, the carrot gets soggy, the egg gets hard, but the coffee bean becomes something
something new. It becomes coffee. And so it just, it resonated with me because I think we're in
boiling water. And I think as leaders of this district, we can become carrots and we can get
sloppy and soggy. We can become eggs and get hard. And like you said, stop communication and shut
people off. Or we can be the coffee beans of the district and we can get in the boiling water and
And we can become something new.
And we can rise above what's happening with our leadership and make a difference for these kids.
And I think that that's what we need to be doing.
I had put away my notebook.
I had to get it back.
I will share it with you.
With that, there being no further business before the board, this meeting is adjourned.
And the time is 9.08 p.m.
Thank you all.
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