Updates on the Fight for Quality Public Education in Brevard County, FL
0:00 (upbeat music)
0:30 - This is the organizational school board meeting
0:32 of November 17th, 2020.
0:36 It is my privilege as superintendent
0:37 to chair the school board meeting until such time
0:40 as the chairman is elected for the coming year.
0:43 In order to minimize seat movement amid COVID concerns,
0:47 I will chair from my normalcy.
0:50 Once the chairman is selected,
0:51 we will sanitize any change seating areas
0:53 before reconvening.
0:57 The first order of business this evening
0:59 is the administration of the oath of office.
1:02 The honorable judge, Charles Crawford,
1:05 will administer the oath to our returning board member,
1:08 Mr. Matt Susan, district four,
1:10 and Ms. Joan Taddy, a former Brevard educator of 41 years,
1:18 will administer the oath to newly elected board member,
1:21 Ms. Jennifer Jenkins, district three.
1:24 First, we welcome Mrs. Taddy to stand at the podium
1:27 to administer the oath to Mrs. Jenkins.
1:30 Mrs. Taddy, if you wanna find your way to the podium.
1:34 Mrs. Jenkins, we have the microphone
1:37 approximately six feet away for you to stand
1:40 and repeat your oath.
1:42 And we welcome your family members to come and join you
1:46 as you prepare to take the oath and stand with you
1:48 if you would like.
1:58 Yup, this microphone right here.
2:09 Okay, this is Taddy.
2:10 - Okay.
2:12 I, Jennifer Jenkins, do solemnly affirm.
2:16 - I, Jennifer Jenkins, do solemnly affirm.
2:19 - That I will support, protect, and defend.
2:26 - The constitution and government of the United States.
2:34 - And of the state of Florida.
2:38 - That I am duly qualified to hold office.
2:45 - Under the constitution of the state.
2:50 - And that I will well and faithfully.
2:55 - Perform the duties of school board member.
3:00 - On which I am about to enter.
3:04 - Of which I am about to enter.
3:09 (audience applauding)
3:14 - Mrs. Jenkins, if you want to stay
3:17 and take the opportunity to say a few words,
3:19 you are welcome to.
3:22 Okay.
3:25 (audience member speaking faintly)
3:34 Not gonna pretend that I memorized this.
3:37 I want to take the opportunity to recognize
3:39 some really important people to me tonight.
3:42 My father, a strict law enforcement officer,
3:45 instilled in me since I was a little girl
3:46 to always use my voice and to advocate
3:49 for myself and others,
3:51 never letting anyone define who I am or what I believe.
3:55 My mother, frustrated by her life
3:57 being redirected by her disability,
3:59 reinforced conviction and independence
4:02 to go after the things in life
4:03 that could one day be out of reach.
4:08 Mom and dad, thank you for raising me
4:11 with the resiliency that led me here today.
4:15 To my husband, Sam,
4:16 thank you for continuously supporting me
4:19 to grow as a mother, a wife, an individual,
4:22 and as a professional, and always standing by my side.
4:25 And to my sweet Olive,
4:28 I hope mommy has taught you to grow,
4:30 to be proud, confident, determined,
4:33 and not just a firecracker, but a dynamite.
4:36 And to my colleagues,
4:39 I will honor your service to our community
4:41 with an unwavering integrity and responsibility.
4:44 I have already been blessed
4:46 with the opportunity to serve the students of Brevard
4:48 amongst the most experienced professionals in the state.
4:51 And I am so very grateful to continue to serve
4:53 a new chapter as a member of this board.
4:55 Thank you.
4:57 (audience applauding)
5:05 - And Judge Crawford, will you please come to the podium
5:08 to administer the oath of office to Mr. Susan.
5:11 Mr. Susan, please go there
5:14 and have your family join you if you’d like.
5:16 - It’s half the audience, sorry.
5:18 (audience laughing)
5:21 It’s nice to see everyone.
5:22 At the courthouse, we have the, for y’all old enough,
5:26 the cone of silence with the plexiglass.
5:28 Remember that from Get Smart?
5:30 Everybody’s covered up with plexiglass.
5:31 It’s nice to see it.
5:32 You can see everybody.
5:33 - I’m gonna steal this.
5:34 - Go ahead.
5:35 - Got a cowboy there.
5:36 - I also see a lot of familiar faces.
5:38 Last time I was here,
5:42 Ms. Thety was helping us get lacrosse
5:44 in Brevard Public Schools.
5:45 Dr. Thety was helping us, so it’s nice to see everybody.
5:49 - All right, cowboy, you ready?
5:51 - I’m almost there.
5:52 A little coordination.
5:54 I’m gonna hold it up and hold it flat, okay?
5:57 Here we go.
6:10 - You can’t sing now.
6:10 You just get to say the oath.
6:16 I’m Matthew Susan.
6:17 - I’m Matthew Susan.
6:18 - Do solemnly swear.
6:21 - That I will support, protect, and defend.
6:25 - The Constitution and government of the United States.
6:31 - And of the state of Florida.
6:34 - That I am duly qualified to hold.
6:39 - Office under the Constitution of the state.
6:43 - And I will well and faithfully perform the duties.
6:49 - Of Brevard County School Board member, District 4.
6:55 - On which I am now about to enter, so help me God.
7:02 (audience applauding)
7:11 - Mr. Susan, would you like to say a few words?
7:13 - Yeah, I do.
7:13 - I’d like to take a picture.
7:17 - Mike, can you take a picture?
7:20 - He’s back there.
7:21 - Plug it in.
7:24 - Mr. Francisco, are you back there behind the curtain?
7:30 - Probably.
7:33 - Mr. Francisco, are you back there behind the curtain?
7:37 - Yeah, I’m back there behind the curtain.
7:38 - Okay, I’ll take a picture.
9:16 Okay, I’ll take a picture.
9:16 - Okay, I’ll take a picture.
9:32 - I didn’t know what to do, so I called my dad, and I said, “Dad,
9:46 we’re about to start a new career. I’m really nervous. These
9:46 kids are going to eat me alive.”
9:47 He said, “Always do what’s best for the kids. Always. No matter
9:51 what. Every decision you make, make it for the kids.”
9:54 And I’ve done that from the beginning, and I’ve done that for
9:57 this district, and I’ll continue to do that for the next four
10:00 years.
10:00 And I’m honored to be a part of it and honored to serve for
10:02 everybody in this room in my district four. Thank you.
10:05 (applause)
10:17 - I would like to take this opportunity to thank again.
10:20 - Oh, wait, Crawford. Thank you. Judge Crawford, you guys.
10:24 - That’s right. Judge Crawford’s an old friend. We coached lacrosse
10:28 against each other.
10:29 And he’s amazing. He is the epitome of when you’re a competitor.
10:35 And he’s given his heart and soul to our lacrosse program, which
10:38 has done so many great things for our school district.
10:41 He has not only come and started the program, but just this
10:46 month, he decided to take over Rockledge High School’s program
10:50 because they didn’t have a coach.
10:51 And he doesn’t want to let that spirit die. So I wanted to say
10:54 thank you for everything you’ve done.
10:56 Thanks for coming here, judge. Appreciate it. Thank you.
10:59 (applause)
11:05 - Well, that was a good lead in because I was going to take the
11:07 opportunity to thank both individuals who came to recognize and
11:11 honor and help with the swearing in of our new board members.
11:14 Ms. Joan Taddy served Brevard Public School students for over 41
11:20 years across several different schools.
11:24 He retired twice. Where did she go? There you are, Joan. Retired
11:28 twice, failed retirement the first time.
11:31 John Tuttle successfully wooed you back to Heritage High School
11:36 to help open that school.
11:37 And you’ve certainly left a legacy across so many areas of our
11:42 school district, none the least of which is our performing art
11:46 theater programs.
11:47 Thank you for your many, many years of service, your probably
11:52 tens of thousands of young lives that you’ve positively impacted
11:56 over the years and being a part of tonight’s celebration and
11:59 recognition.
12:00 So we appreciate you, your years of service to Brevard and your
12:05 husband for being, there you go, the strength behind you when
12:09 inevitably the going got tough.
12:10 So thank you both for being here tonight and being great
12:14 champions for Brevard’s kids.
12:16 [Applause]
12:23 And Judge Crawford as well, not only my professional thanks this
12:28 evening for raising the honor of tonight’s recognition
12:31 ceremonies and the swearing in of board members,
12:34 but personally as a dad, the recognition tonight that you helped
12:40 launch La Crosse in Brevard, two of my own children are benefactors
12:45 of your love and passion for La Crosse.
12:48 As my son was on the first Melbourne High La Crosse team, my
12:52 daughter played La Crosse for four years from L High in her
12:55 senior year in college playing La Crosse on a scholarship.
12:58 But also helping my son be part of launching La Crosse at
13:01 Eastern Florida State College with a club program, just a true
13:05 testament not only of your great public service to our community
13:09 as judge but also as a man mentoring young men and women through
13:15 sports and certainly through La Crosse.
13:17 So thank you for being here tonight and being a pillar in our
13:20 community. We appreciate you.
13:21 [Applause]
13:27 So now we will move on to the rest of the meeting and at this
13:31 time we will hold a moment of silence, a silent reflection and
13:42 invite the viewing audience to join.
13:56 Thank you.
13:59 And now if you would please join me and stand for the Pledge of
14:05 Allegiance.
14:06 I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
14:11 and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God,
14:15 indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
14:27 That brings us to the organization of the board. First we need
14:27 to elect a chairman for this coming year at which time the
14:32 person elected will assume the responsibility as chair.
14:39 The board will then elect other officers and appoint individuals
14:49 to committees where board representation is required or expected.
14:59 Good evening. Board members, we follow Robert’s rules of order
15:02 and pursuant to Robert’s rules of order for the election of
15:05 chairman of the board, the presiding official will be the
15:08 superintendent who will call for nomination.
15:10 Any board member who wishes to make a nomination should call out.
15:14 The first person to call out will be number one to make a
15:16 nomination. I will assist the superintendent in determining who
15:20 is the first nominator.
15:22 The superintendent will then call for nomination by that person
15:26 and go down to the second and then the third and so on. We’ll go
15:29 back to the first person, the first nomination, and vote on that
15:32 nominee.
15:33 The nominee that gets the majority vote, three votes, will be
15:37 the chairman. If that person is the first nominee, that will end
15:40 the process. If the first nominee does not get three votes, we
15:44 will go to the second and so forth.
15:46 The nominations do not need to be seconded under Robert’s rules
15:52 of order. I would be happy to answer any questions before we get
15:58 started.
15:59 Before we move on to the nomination, Ms. Escobar reminded me I
16:04 had to take roll, so I messed up my first responsibility as
16:08 board chair for the moment.
16:10 I will take roll call now. Ms. Katie Campbell? Here. Ms.
16:17 Jennifer Jenkins? Ms. Cheryl McDougall? Present.
16:20 Ms. Misty Belford? Mr. Matthew Susan? Present.
16:26 All right, Mr. Gibbs will observe and inform me which board
16:31 member makes the first nomination, as I may have trouble
16:35 distinguishing simultaneous voices.
16:38 At this time, the floor is now open to nominations for chairman.
16:43 I’d like to make a nomination. Ms. McDougall? I’d like to
16:50 nominate Ms. Belford for another term, if she is interested.
17:01 Are there any other nominations at this time? I’ll ask for a
17:13 motion to close the nominations.
17:21 Motion made by Ms. Campbell? Second? Seconded by Ms. Belford.
17:38 At this time, I’ll take a vote for the nomination. All members
17:43 of the board, in support of Ms. Misty Belford’s nomination as
17:47 chairman of the board, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Any
17:53 opposed?
17:55 Congratulations, Mrs. Belford.
18:05 And at this time, I think we take a short recess.
18:10 Ms. Escobar, Mr. Gibbs, do we need a recess? If everybody’s
18:15 staying where they are right now, then I don’t think we need a
18:18 recess.
18:19 I think I turned the gavel back over to you at this point.
18:39 Thank you.
19:09 At this time, I will open the floor to nominations for vice
19:28 chairman.
19:32 I’ll throw a nomination in.
19:47 I would nominate Ms. Katie Campbell.
20:01 Any other nominations?
20:04 We need a motion for nominations to be closed.
20:11 So moved.
20:14 Is there a second?
20:31 We need a nomination or a second to close it.
20:34 Is there anybody have another nomination they want to put
20:47 forward?
20:50 I will entertain a motion for nominations to be closed.
20:58 I have a wave from Ms. Campbell and a wave from Ms. McDougall.
21:02 So clarification, Mr. Gibbs, does that mean that both names are
21:06 still up for nomination?
21:07 Yes.
21:08 Both names are up for nomination.
21:10 Okay, so it was moved by Ms. Campbell and seconded by Ms. McDougall.
21:15 So all members of the board in support of Ms. Campbell’s
21:21 nomination as vice chair of the board, please indicate by saying
21:25 aye.
21:26 Aye.
21:40 So that nomination fails, which brings us to all members of the
21:44 board in support of Mr. Susan’s nomination as vice chair of the
21:48 board.
21:48 Please indicate by saying aye.
21:50 Aye.
21:52 Any opposed?
21:55 Aye.
21:56 I guess since I voted on the first one, not truly opposed, Matt.
21:59 All right, so that motion passes and congratulations, Mr. Susan.
22:03 You are once again vice chair.
22:10 All right.
22:11 The next item on the agenda is to designate the date, time and
22:14 place of regular and special monthly meetings with exceptions.
22:18 It is my recommendation to the board to adopt the dates, times
22:25 and places for these meetings as listed on the attached meeting
22:28 date schedule.
22:29 What are the wishes of the board?
22:31 Move to approve.
22:32 Seconded by Mr. Susan, seconded by Ms. McDougall.
22:34 Is there any discussion?
22:37 All right, please vote.
22:40 Yes, absolutely.
22:51 Ms. Perch, if you could assist with the technical issue and Ms.
22:54 Eskemar, if you could record a voice vote for us.
22:56 All in favor on said motion?
22:58 Aye.
23:01 Any opposed?
23:02 The motion passes 5-0.
23:03 Can we take a second?
23:05 Yes, absolutely. We’re going to take a brief moment to address
23:14 our technical issues and allow those who wish to lead to do so
23:15 and then we will reconvene.
23:35 Thank you.
24:05 [Applause]
26:35 All right. We are briefly back in session for the organizational
26:54 meeting. We do have a time certain.
26:57 So I am going to call a recess now so that we can convene to the
27:00 Leasing Corporation meeting, which is a time certain meeting.
27:04 So recess of organizational meeting. The Leasing Corporation
27:10 meeting is now called to order. Dr. Mullen.
27:16 You got ahead of me. I’m sorry.
27:18 Sorry.
27:19 The bylaws of the Leasing Corporation require an annual meeting
27:23 for the purpose of electing a president, vice president,
27:26 secretary and treasurer.
27:27 The purpose is to elect the following officials of the Brevard
27:30 County School Board Leasing Corporation.
27:32 President, chairman of the school board, Ms. Misty Belford, vice
27:38 president, vice chairman of the school board, Mr. Matthew Susan,
27:42 secretary, superintendent of schools, Dr. Mark Mullens, and
27:47 treasurer, chief financial officer, Ms. Cindy Lisinski.
27:51 All right, board, I need a voice vote on this. What are the
27:54 wishes of the board?
27:55 Move to approve.
27:56 Second.
27:57 Moved by Mr. Susan, seconded by Ms. McDougal. Is there any
28:02 discussion?
28:02 All right. All those in favor, please say aye.
28:04 Aye.
28:06 Any opposed?
28:07 The motion passes 5-0.
28:10 There being no further business, the Leasing Corporation meeting
28:14 is now adjourned.
28:15 And the organizational meeting is back in session.
28:20 All right.
28:21 Next, we need to appoint board representatives to various
28:24 committees for the upcoming year.
28:25 Many of these we need to, I think almost all of them, we need to
28:29 identify primaries as well as alternate.
28:33 First one on the list is League of Cities.
28:35 Ms. Deskevich was the previous appointee with alternate Katie
28:39 Campbell.
28:39 Is anyone, Ms. Susan, you want to be lead on that one?
28:43 Okay.
28:44 Mr. Susan.
28:47 Ms. Campbell, did you still want to be back up on League?
28:49 I can.
28:50 Okay.
28:53 Second one is Brevard County Values Adjustment Board.
28:55 Mr. Susan, you were primary on that with Ms. McDougal as
28:58 alternate.
28:59 Do you want to keep?
29:01 You know what, I owe them another year being the fact that
29:04 Cheryl.
29:05 You sure you don’t want me to take it?
29:06 No, Cheryl.
29:07 It’s really a piece of cake.
29:09 It was a piece of cake.
29:10 Do you remember the other person that used to complain about it
29:12 all the time?
29:12 I know.
29:13 I do.
29:14 I’ll take it.
29:15 And if we’re doling out like only a certain number, but I feel
29:19 obligated because I don’t.
29:20 Okay.
29:21 I’ll be your back.
29:22 All right.
29:23 There we go.
29:24 All right.
29:25 So Mr. Susan maintains primary and Ms. McDougal alternate on
29:28 that.
29:28 FSBA legislative liaison, I am primary on that.
29:32 And Katie is my alternate.
29:35 I thought you were my alternate, Matt.
29:39 Oh.
29:40 He can be.
29:41 They’ve got a different setup now, right?
29:42 Yeah.
29:43 So why don’t you give us some insight into that?
29:44 Because there’s like no opportunity for us to be your backup.
29:51 So yeah.
29:52 So what happened with the FSBA committees?
29:55 Previously, the legislative committee was the main committee,
29:59 and then there was a federal
30:00 relations subcommittee and an advocacy subcommittee.
30:04 And they have actually changed the way that they’re doing that
30:08 to make advocacy the primary
30:09 committee, and legislative and federal the subcommittees.
30:15 So they actually appointed the people to the federal and the
30:20 legislative committees based
30:23 on who was appointed to the advocacy committee.
30:26 So I am technically the appointee for the legislative committee,
30:31 but I think it would
30:32 probably be good to have someone just in case I can’t
30:36 participate, who could at least be
30:38 there and get the information and that sort of thing.
30:41 But that legislative committee is now a subcommittee of the
30:44 advocacy committee.
30:45 That makes sense to all.
30:48 So the committee appointees were chosen for legislative and
30:52 federal relations by FSBA.
30:54 I think they’re kind of there.
31:00 So Katie or Matt, would you like to be in?
31:01 I don’t have a preference.
31:02 I’m going to be pushing a lot.
31:03 It’s hard to talk.
31:04 I’m going to be up there a lot.
31:05 Like I’m going to be on a solo single mission on a couple issues.
31:14 So I think that it would be better to give our people some more
31:17 spots there because in
31:18 the FSBA leadership, what it is is that, I’m sorry, in the FSBA
31:22 leadership, the more people
31:23 we have showing up in face would be better.
31:26 So I think, I truly believe I’m going to be there, but I think
31:29 that one of you guys would
31:31 be better off being the alternate.
31:32 Okay.
31:33 Katie, are you good being my backup on that?
31:35 Yes.
31:36 So are you saying that five and six, we don’t need to have those
31:41 then?
31:42 Correct.
31:43 Okay.
31:44 Because three, five and six are kind of all one?
31:45 Yes.
31:46 Okay.
31:47 Cam, you catch all that?
31:49 Okay.
31:50 FSBA board of directors, Mr. Susan, you’re currently lead on
31:55 that?
31:56 I think we should do, I think Ms. Campbell would be good or Ms.
32:00 McDougall with Ms. Jenkins
32:03 would be in the back up there, and that’s how I feel.
32:08 I think that I’ve been on the board of directors for two years,
32:10 and I work very closely with
32:11 the president, vice president, everybody currently, so I think
32:14 that this gives us an opportunity
32:15 to have more people in their face and represent, so I would be
32:18 honored to have one of you guys
32:20 take that.
32:21 You want to give us an idea of when they usually…
32:24 So they meet like twice a year, right, and they meet a couple of
32:26 times throughout on
32:27 a lot of the bylaws and stuff like that, but what it does is
32:30 there was some contentious
32:32 votes that I swung in that board of directors the last time, so
32:36 it’s a good opportunity
32:38 to be in there.
32:39 So you do set policy for the Florida School Board Association,
32:42 you vote on everything,
32:43 so the advocacy committee’s legislative agenda will be voted on
32:46 by you guys, it also gives
32:48 you an opportunity to kind of see the inner workings for future
32:52 leadership.
32:53 And you developed the officer’s platform and…
32:56 Okay, I wouldn’t be happy to do that.
32:59 Ms. McDougall, do you…
33:02 I’m okay with that.
33:04 You’re okay with me?
33:05 I’m okay with that.
33:06 Thank you.
33:07 Okay.
33:08 So Ms. Campbell’s gonna be primary on that one.
33:11 Do you, Ms. McDougall, want to take alternate on that, or do you,
33:16 Ms. Jenkins, would you
33:18 like to be alternate on that?
33:20 I mean, that’s fine, obviously I’m not well versed in what these
33:24 are and what’s gonna
33:25 be required of me, and obviously being a new member of the
33:28 Florida School Board Association,
33:30 but if you think that’s something that is okay for me to fill at
33:33 this point, I have
33:34 no problem doing that.
33:35 I almost believe that, like, we should go through the year where,
33:37 when I was doing it,
33:38 I said, “You know what, it would be nice if the alternate got to
33:41 do it.”
33:42 So if you did take it, look, it’s not, you know, you’ll pick it
33:45 up within 10 seconds.
33:47 I think that if you guys double-teamed it, I think that that
33:51 would be great.
33:52 And there’s an opportunity also for people to sit inside the
33:55 meetings when they do it
33:56 in the back, and I think that’d be great too.
33:58 I think you’d be good there.
34:00 So Ms. Jenkins, are you good to be Ms. Campbell’s backup?
34:04 Yes.
34:05 Okay.
34:06 Five and six are taken care of with the Advocacy Committee Brevard
34:10 Cultural Alliance.
34:11 Ms. McDougall, you are currently primary?
34:13 Yeah, I’d like to give that up.
34:15 All right.
34:16 Ms. Campbell, you’re currently secondary on that, do you have a
34:19 desire to take primary?
34:21 No, I’ve got a couple of other things I’d kind of like to stay
34:25 with.
34:25 I’ll take primary on that.
34:27 All right.
34:28 Ms. Jenkins is going to be primary on BCA, and anyone want to be
34:33 alternate for her?
34:34 I can be your alternate.
34:38 Okay.
34:39 Ms. McDougall will be backup.
34:43 Central Florida Public School Boards Coalition, I am currently
34:46 appointed to that with Matt
34:47 being my alternate.
34:48 I think we typically have done that as Board Chair, fine
34:52 continuing unless you all have
34:54 some concern.
34:55 I mean, the meetings are open to everyone, so it’s not like you
34:58 all can’t attend.
34:59 They’re publicly noticed meetings, so there’s no issue with
35:01 multiple board members being
35:02 there.
35:03 So I’m fine with keeping that if you guys are good with that,
35:07 and Matt, are you good
35:09 being my backup?
35:10 Absolutely.
35:11 Okay.
35:12 Brevard Schools Foundation, Ms. McDougall, you are currently
35:15 primary?
35:16 I am.
35:19 I could keep it, but I want to know if anybody else is
35:20 interested in that because that’s
35:22 something I’ve had for two years, and somebody else can have a
35:25 shot at that, so I think that’s
35:27 only fair.
35:28 It’s a great organization.
35:29 I would love the opportunity, but … Go for it.
35:33 Thank you.
35:34 That’s okay.
35:35 Ms. Campbell, were you … Did you say you’re good like your-
35:37 I’m good like whatever you all want to do.
35:40 All right.
35:41 So Ms. Jenkins, you’re going to be primary on Schools Foundation,
35:44 and who would like
35:45 to be her backup?
35:46 Oh, I can be.
35:47 All right.
35:48 Ms. McDougall is going to be secondary on that.
35:52 All right.
35:55 Now we’re getting into some that don’t have alternates
35:58 necessarily.
35:58 Choice charter school liaison, Ms. Campbell, that’s currently
36:01 you?
36:01 Yeah.
36:02 Do you want to keep it?
36:03 Yeah, I’m happy to keep it.
36:04 Most of the charter schools are within District Five anyway, but
36:06 if someone else really feels
36:07 passionate about it, they can certainly- Anybody want to fight
36:10 her for it?
36:11 Nope.
36:12 All right.
36:13 You got it, Ms. Campbell.
36:14 All right.
36:15 Capital Outlay Committee, Mr. Susan, you are currently the
36:18 appointee there?
36:18 Yeah, it fits.
36:19 Keep that?
36:20 I’d like to keep it.
36:21 Okay.
36:22 Everybody good with that?
36:23 Yep.
36:24 SIAC Committee, Ms. Campbell, you are currently primary on that?
36:27 Yes.
36:28 That one’s a heavy lift.
36:29 Do you want to keep that?
36:30 I’d like to keep it.
36:31 I just feel like in a year, it’s kind of hard to dive in all the
36:34 way because it’s a lot
36:35 to digest.
36:36 Yeah.
36:37 Absolutely.
36:38 Okay.
36:39 Ms. Campbell, you would like to be secondary for Ms. Campbell on
36:45 SIAC, Mr. Susan?
36:46 School Health and Safety, Ms. McDougall.
36:48 I would like to keep that one.
36:49 Okay.
36:50 Everybody good with Ms. McDougall keeping that?
36:52 Perfect.
36:53 Palm Bay Youth Advisory Board, Ms. Campbell?
36:56 Yep.
36:57 And Ms. Jenkins, if you want alternate since that’s your
37:00 district, I can tell you more
37:02 about that.
37:03 Some of those fall within your district.
37:06 Okay.
37:07 And AMI Kids, I actually spoke with their representative this
37:11 morning and they have
37:12 asked that I join their board as the district representative.
37:15 I told them I would be happy to do so if you all were
37:17 comfortable with that.
37:18 Well done.
37:19 I really would have liked that one only because it’s a great
37:22 organization and I’ve toured
37:23 that.
37:24 Okay.
37:25 I mean, I get it if they want you, that’s fine.
37:27 Well, I’m not sure why exactly they reached out to me, but I
37:30 would be happy to make a
37:32 recommendation that you be the appointee if you would like me to
37:35 do so.
37:36 Okay.
37:37 I will reach out to them tomorrow then, Cheryl and let them know
37:41 that was.
37:43 And if they have a real hard time with it, that’s fine.
37:45 I’m sure they won’t.
37:46 So I’m sure they won’t.
37:47 Everybody good with that?
37:49 Okay.
37:50 I missed one, who’s doing League of Cities?
37:55 The main?
37:56 Matt.
37:57 Okay.
37:58 And you are alternate.
37:59 Got it.
38:00 And anybody can attend.
38:01 So it’s not a, we’re just technically the member, but, and we’re
38:04 not really technically
38:05 even members.
38:06 All right.
38:07 Thank you.
38:08 It’s kind of like that.
38:09 But not really.
38:10 Everybody good on all those?
38:11 If not, are you good?
38:14 All right.
38:15 That brings us to board authorization.
38:16 Dr. Mullins.
38:18 Is the requirement to authorize the superintendent to have
38:20 signature facsimiles made of the chairman
38:22 and superintendent to be used for signing checks and also to
38:25 approve the continued use
38:27 of the current signatures facsimiles for district checks until
38:30 new facsimiles are received.
38:32 A motion and vote of the board is required for this issue.
38:37 What are the wishes of the board?
38:38 Move to approve.
38:40 Second.
38:41 Ms. Campbell, that was you, right?
38:42 Yep.
38:43 Moved by Ms. Campbell, seconded by Mr. Susan.
38:44 Is there any discussion?
38:45 Please vote.
38:46 I’m still back on the calendar for some reason online.
39:04 Yeah.
39:05 I’m going to go ahead and take a voice vote.
39:06 All in favor?
39:07 Aye.
39:09 Any opposed?
39:10 Motion passes 5-0.
39:19 All right.
39:21 Before we move further, I would like to offer my fellow board
39:24 members and Dr. Mullins the
39:25 opportunity to recognize staff, students, or community members
39:28 who would like to start
39:30 us off.
39:31 I mean, I can if no one else does.
39:35 All right.
39:36 Ms. McDougall.
39:37 Thank you.
39:38 I want to give a shout out to, and I think if many of us know
39:43 the finalists for our teacher
39:46 and employee of the year, and I have several in my district.
39:49 I have at Gulfview, Samuel Tazewell, who is the tech support,
39:53 and when Dr. Mullins and
39:55 I were visiting, everybody who came to talk to us sang his
39:59 praises.
40:00 They just thought he was wonderful.
40:02 So congratulations to Sam.
40:05 And then also Coco Beach, the secretary, oh, I’m probably going
40:10 to mess up Lisa’s name.
40:12 She’s the school secretary who’s nominated as the finalist for
40:16 employee of the year.
40:18 And it’s Lisa Paliquin, I hope I’m saying that right.
40:21 And then at Coco High School, we have two people who were
40:24 nominated, Katie Heiber, an
40:25 English teacher for teacher of the year, and then Vanessa Keys,
40:28 office clerk, employee
40:30 of the year finalist.
40:31 So congratulations, and I can let everybody else sing their
40:34 praises of their own staff,
40:36 unless you don’t have it.
40:37 And I have the whole list here.
40:38 So I want to give a shout out to those people.
40:40 Also, I want to give a shout out to the city of Coco for, at the
40:44 last game, where the tigers
40:46 beep Rockledge.
40:51 They donated a check for $85,000 to go towards the Coco High
40:56 School’s rubberized track.
40:58 So we’re getting closer.
40:59 So I want to thank the city of Coco for doing that.
41:02 And again, I just want to say that, you know, the tigers beat
41:05 the Raiders.
41:06 And I know next month, Mr. Susan will be wearing something that
41:10 will represent the tiger.
41:11 I’m aware of mascot head just for fun.
41:13 So you guys know, because I go big or go home, right.
41:16 So we’ll have an interesting dais meeting.
41:19 All right.
41:20 And I appreciate that competition, and I will keep going.
41:24 You know, maybe we have to play the fight song before each one
41:27 of our speeches the next
41:28 year, and then we’ll just keep adding stuff.
41:32 All right.
41:33 Thank you, Miss McDougal.
41:34 Miss Campbell.
41:35 All right.
41:36 Well, along the lines of what Miss McDougal was sharing, I’d
41:40 like to congratulate Jennifer
41:41 Zifer, who is also a Teacher of the Year finalist from Central
41:44 Middle School.
41:45 She’s our avid coordinator, and she’s pretty amazing.
41:48 About a month or so ago, I went to luncheon, and there was a
41:52 group that was a special guest
41:55 from Step Up America.
41:57 And I’d never heard of them.
41:58 They’re actually out of Vero Beach, and they come into schools.
42:02 They’re nonprofit.
42:03 They come into schools, and they teach about the Constitution
42:06 and civics and our founding
42:07 fathers and just tons of great information.
42:10 They come in for free.
42:11 They raise all their funds outside, and so this is free to the
42:15 school.
42:15 They’re offering it all around the state.
42:17 And I was like, wow, we should do that in Brevard.
42:20 And somebody said, are you doing that in Brevard?
42:21 And they said, yes.
42:22 We’re already here.
42:23 So they actually have already been to, I want to say, six or
42:26 seven of our elementary schools.
42:28 They have Ben Franklin come in and do a virtual thing where he
42:31 doesn’t just talk at the kids.
42:33 They actually have someone, I don’t know how they do it, through
42:35 the Mystery of Technology
42:36 off site where the kids, you can imagine a little first or
42:39 second grader walking up and
42:41 talking to Benjamin Franklin on the screen and asking him
42:44 anything, like what’s your
42:45 favorite vegetable or why did you put the kite up in the air or
42:49 whatever, and a person
42:51 answers back.
42:52 So and he says, oh, hey, you in the red shirt.
42:54 So like he can see the kid.
42:55 And so they get all excited because they can see me.
42:59 So just really excited to have groups like that coming into our
43:01 schools.
43:02 And like I said, they come in for free and support.
43:04 And they’re even doing it through the pandemic, even though we’re
43:06 not allowing visitors.
43:07 They’re finding a way to still have their programs coming into
43:10 the classrooms all around
43:11 the state and around the nation.
43:15 Somebody else made me say, I’m going to talk about this, but I
43:17 just wanted to thank the
43:19 community.
43:20 This is our first board meeting since the election for passing
43:26 with such a huge show
43:27 of support, the half cent sales tax.
43:31 And it was exciting to see that large number of our community
43:36 realizing the needs and the
43:38 accountability.
43:39 And I feel like it’s a word of trust to our staff for the way
43:43 that they have taken care
43:44 of that over the last six years, and the community recognizes
43:48 the need for the next six years.
43:50 So I did want to say to the 109,408 people who voted no, please
43:56 watch over the next six
43:58 years and see what we’re doing.
44:03 And if you want to come see it up close, just ask us.
44:07 We want you, man.
44:08 We want you to see what’s happening to the half penny on every
44:11 dollar that we’re collecting
44:13 and know that we are going to be held accountable.
44:16 So we appreciate you as well.
44:17 And we want to make sure that we don’t disappoint.
44:22 So I think we’re really excited to see this project.
44:25 I know I shared on my Facebook page the first year one projects,
44:29 and everybody was pretty
44:31 excited to see some of the things that are going to be done here
44:35 in 2021.
44:36 So thank you, community.
44:39 Mr. Susan.
44:40 Oh, Ms. Jenkins, I’m sorry.
44:42 Did you have recognitions?
44:44 Yeah.
44:45 Actually, I do.
44:46 Obviously, I’m a little bit different here.
44:49 My last day as an employee with Brevard Public Schools was
44:53 actually yesterday.
44:53 So I took a couple of days off and had the privilege of meeting
44:56 almost I think every
44:57 single one of our cabinet members.
45:00 So I just want to say a special shout out and thank you to every
45:02 single one of them.
45:03 They were so kind and welcoming.
45:06 So knowledgeable.
45:07 I really appreciate you.
45:09 And a special shout out to Russell.
45:12 I had a geek out moment with him.
45:14 I got to go see the server room, super fun, a little tech moment,
45:17 and I really enjoyed
45:19 it.
45:20 And everyone, thank you so much for being so kind.
45:21 And I look forward to working with all of you.
45:22 And I feel confident that I can lean on all of you for some
45:26 support.
45:27 So thank you.
45:30 Thank you.
45:31 Mr. Susan.
45:32 Thank you.
45:33 I had two things that I wanted to touch base on.
45:36 The first one is centered around – all of them are centered
45:38 around COCO, and the second
45:40 one is I wanted to say congratulations to Ms. Jolly for what she’s
45:45 got.
45:45 But the track at COCO is just like the track at our other
45:50 schools.
45:52 And we know Rockledge, we know COCO, we know – just to
45:56 emphasize to the fellow board members
45:59 the need for some of this is that our kids go to other schools
46:04 in other counties and
46:05 they play on tracks that are better than what we have.
46:09 And I think that we should do everything we have possible to
46:13 push for that, to get those
46:16 tracks in.
46:17 I know that we’re doing a great job to get the foundation first,
46:19 but I think we need
46:20 to push really hard to finish these off.
46:23 We’ve got Rockledge that’s been the Cape Coast Conference
46:25 champions for how many years, and
46:27 they’ve never had a workable track to run on.
46:31 We can do better than that.
46:32 So I think we’re doing it, and I think we’re getting there.
46:33 But when you talked about that track, COCO needs a lot of help,
46:36 just like Rockledge,
46:37 and we need to help them.
46:39 I’m going to go challenge the city council, both at Rockledge
46:42 and at COCO, to divide up
46:44 and create a fundraising committee, and then finish it off.
46:47 And then what we’re going to do is pull the businesses and
46:49 everybody else in, because
46:50 that’s your city pride when you have kids that are going out and
46:53 winning state championships.
46:55 And a good track team brings good athletes that feed your other
46:59 programs too.
47:00 So just something to remember that this is something that we
47:03 should push.
47:04 Now the other thing, our teams are getting ready to go to the
47:06 Florida High School Athletic
47:07 Association playoffs.
47:10 And once again, we’re getting ready to go in, and once again,
47:12 the Florida High School
47:13 Athletic Association has a requirement that everybody pays $500
47:17 to use their platform.
47:19 Now I’ll tell you what that means.
47:21 That means that little Viera Voice, if they were covering Viera,
47:24 that means that some
47:25 of the programs that are out there, they can’t go do what they
47:29 normally do.
47:30 And at a time of a pandemic, I find that it’s difficult for them
47:34 to take our people and
47:36 charge them.
47:37 But what’s worse is that last year when I went to Bulls, and COCO
47:41 was there, they didn’t
47:42 even have a workable platform for our kids.
47:45 So just so you understand, the people that may not know, is that
47:48 Florida High School
47:49 Athletic Association charges these guys $500 to be there,
47:52 because they say that you can
47:53 do yours, but we have our platform that’s supposed to do it too.
47:57 And then our parents that are in our low-income areas are
48:00 supposed to pay to watch their kids
48:02 on that platform.
48:03 But the platform doesn’t even work.
48:06 On top of that, when you go to the game, you want to buy a shirt
48:09 that says “COCO versus
48:10 Bulls.”
48:11 I was excited.
48:13 Not only did they not allow you to bring your own stuff to sell,
48:17 but when you go to actually
48:19 buy there, they don’t have any vending machines to do it.
48:22 So they’re, what is it, cutting your nose off to spite your face?
48:26 And so what ends up happening is, is our students are not given
48:29 the right opportunity to be
48:31 viewed by their people, and to also to have the products that
48:35 they have.
48:36 And let me tell you something, they’re cutting down the
48:37 percentages of the amount of people
48:39 that go.
48:40 So right now, there’s going to be a big desire to get on that
48:43 platform.
48:44 And it hasn’t worked in every time, so there’s a, you’re rolling
48:48 the dice.
48:48 And that’s the kids only, I mean these kids go play in these
48:51 programs, that’s their highlight
48:53 of their lives.
48:54 And it’s taken away, and there’s parents that can’t go to the
48:57 game now because there’s restrictions
48:58 on the amount of attendance.
49:01 So I emailed the executive director asking him to reevaluate the
49:05 opportunity to have
49:06 our people do it.
49:08 I didn’t do it with board direction, I’m doing it on my own.
49:12 But I’d appreciate it if there was any support from you guys.
49:15 I’m just asking for this year for them to suspend that, and then
49:18 I want them to peel
49:19 back and look at it again for next year.
49:21 Because the amount of money that they get is dismal, it’s not
49:23 even worth it.
49:24 And I think that what our goal should be to honor the kids that
49:27 are playing, not restrict
49:28 that viewership.
49:29 So that’s all.
49:30 So I was just letting you guys know that I’m sending that out.
49:32 Now last piece.
49:33 I’m going to try not to swear for the swear cup right now, but
49:39 you can do that, they just
49:42 get mad.
49:44 CoCo had all of their stuff stolen this week, so maybe people
49:47 don’t know, but CoCo High
49:48 School had their generators, their headphones, everything for
49:52 their football team stolen.
49:54 About $15,000 worth of stuff in the middle of a playoff.
49:58 So some low life, and I can’t say the words I want, went into
50:02 their locker room in their
50:05 program and stole all that stuff to a Title I school in the
50:09 middle of the playoffs.
50:11 And I can’t tell you how angry I am at that.
50:13 So I’m going to go ask, and if anybody’s out there that watches
50:17 this, if anybody would
50:18 like to help CoCo out, because they can’t make up $15,000,
50:21 especially by Friday, and
50:23 that program can’t make up $15,000 by the time next season
50:26 starts.
50:27 They’re calling around trying to get anybody to give them
50:28 headphones, and they’ll probably
50:30 get a team to give them to them, but dadgummit, I don’t know if
50:32 you guys know anything about
50:33 coaching, but if you don’t have your headphones, it sucks, and
50:36 you get to a place and you’re
50:38 trying to do the reverb on everything and you don’t have the
50:40 right programming, they
50:41 stole their generator for crying out loud.
50:43 This is BS.
50:44 You know?
50:45 What kind of a low life does that?
50:47 So one is to just harass, say something nasty about the
50:51 individual that thinks that that’s
50:53 appropriate, but then the other thing is that we need help for
50:56 CoCo, so if there’s anybody
50:58 out there, they need these headsets, and then we need to help
51:01 them out with that track,
51:02 because that program just took a big hit when they got that
51:05 stolen from them.
51:06 All right.
51:07 That’s it for that.
51:09 And then Ms. Jolly, where you at?
51:11 So I’m a former American history teacher, and it’s an honor to
51:15 have you win this award.
51:17 This is beyond a great recognition.
51:20 I see Ms. Garton back there, who is an amazing person, and I
51:23 just wanted to say from the
51:25 bottom of my heart, I don’t know if we’re going to be doing the
51:28 other stuff, but congratulations
51:29 for what you do.
51:30 You’re welcome.
51:31 And that’s all.
51:32 Thank you.
51:33 Thank you, Mr. Susan.
51:34 Dr. Mullins?
51:35 Thank you, Ms. Dollford.
51:38 I, too, would like to take the first opportunity, or second
51:41 opportunity, to thank our community
51:43 for their overwhelming support of the renewal of the half cent
51:48 sales tax on November 3rd.
51:50 Just a strong demonstration of our community’s support and
51:56 coming alongside us to provide
51:59 the quality buildings and facilities and security and technology
52:04 that we have come to ultimately
52:07 expect for our kids and our staff.
52:09 So I want to thank from the bottom of my heart to our community
52:15 for their showing of support
52:18 on November 3rd for the renewal of the half cent sales tax.
52:22 But I would be terribly remiss if I didn’t also take this
52:27 opportunity to publicly recognize
52:31 the leadership behind the administration of the first six years
52:35 of the sales tax because
52:37 we had a, as Ms. Campbell said, a very strong and confident
52:43 story to tell our community
52:45 going into the request to renew the half cent sales tax.
52:50 And that shout out goes to Ms. Suhan and her team, who for the
52:56 last six years have, with
52:59 great diligence and vigilance and commitment and pride,
53:05 administered and committed to our
53:08 accountability to our community in expending the dollars in a
53:13 responsible way and expend
53:15 the dollars in a completely transparent way to, evident by our
53:20 independent citizens oversight
53:22 committee consistently and annually endorsing the work that was
53:27 being done as well as validated
53:30 through third party audits that confirm that we were spending
53:34 the dollars as we had demonstrated
53:36 our community that we would six years ago.
53:39 So Ms. Han, on behalf of the children and the staff of Brevard
53:43 Public Schools, thank
53:45 you for your leadership for the last six years.
53:47 You set Brevard up for a great story to be able to tell our
53:50 community and reassure them
53:52 that we invested, that they made a wise investment in our
53:56 schools and I know you’re committed
53:58 to the same as we move forward.
53:59 So thank you for all of your great leadership and work to make
54:08 that possible.
54:11 Second, I would like to give a shout out.
54:15 We have some state champions across our schools that I think is
54:19 worthy to recognize.
54:21 One our satellite high school boys 2A cross country team, our
54:28 state champions, so congratulations.
54:32 Those athletes are Joshua Stern, Gabriel Montague, Justin Wilson
54:37 and Joseph Webster and certainly
54:40 thanks and congratulations to coach Doug Butler for his coaching
54:45 and dedication to the cross
54:47 country program at satellite.
54:49 And second, we have boys bowling state champions from astronaut
54:56 high school.
54:58 So congratulations to our war eagles for being state champions
55:03 in bowling and also want to
55:05 recognize the coach astronaut for the bowling team who was named
55:11 the Florida state boys
55:13 bowling coach of the year.
55:15 So congratulations to coach Dexter Deese for that recognition as
55:21 a state of Florida coach
55:23 of the year and also want to give congratulations to Rockledge
55:27 high schools, girls bowling state
55:29 runner up.
55:30 They were competing right there to the bitter end as well and
55:33 they are our state runners
55:34 up and Mr. Susan already alluded to this Friday we have five
55:39 high schools that are continuing
55:41 to compete in post season state playoff football competition, Bayside
55:47 High School, Cocoa High,
55:49 O’Gally High School, Rockledge and Viera High Schools will be
55:52 competing this Friday.
55:54 I believe we have two or three games at home this Friday so
55:57 there’s some great competition
55:58 here in Brevard to take advantage of call your school of
56:02 interest quickly to get a ticket
56:05 because seats are limited.
56:06 So congratulations and go Brevard football team.
56:12 Thank you, Dr. Mullen.
56:16 All right, I have a couple I’ll try to be quick, I will echo the
56:21 sentiments on our sales
56:23 talks so that you all don’t have to listen through that for a
56:27 third time, but thank you
56:29 to our community and to all of those who helped us to educate
56:32 the community over the many
56:33 months.
56:34 I also want to give a shout out to Sea Park Elementary who every
56:37 year does the most phenomenal
56:39 Veterans Day celebration and this year because of restrictions
56:43 with people coming into schools,
56:45 they did it online virtually and hopefully you got to see some
56:49 of that which was covered
56:50 on our district Facebook page, but they just always do such an
56:53 amazing job with their program
56:55 and the kids do art and they sing songs and they it just it
56:59 really is a very moving program
57:01 and so many things to those at Sea Park that put so many hours
57:04 into making sure that that’s
57:06 a great program every year.
57:09 Also want to recognize some of our employee of the year and
57:13 teacher of the year finalist
57:14 Christopher Bainbridge social studies teacher at Titusville High
57:18 School.
57:18 That was a fun one Dr. Sullivan and I went in and I don’t
57:21 remember what the comment was,
57:23 but he was like, no, no, no, I got to get back to teaching like
57:25 you guys get out of
57:26 my classroom.
57:27 This is this is my instructional time and you’re interrupting
57:30 very respectfully, but
57:31 you could tell that he is passionate about making sure that he’s
57:34 teaching his students
57:36 as effectively as possible.
57:38 Billy Dieters who’s a custodian at Astronaut High School and
57:41 that was another fun one Billy
57:43 is hearing impaired and so he, Dr. Sullivan was talking to him
57:49 and she was unaware and
57:51 his peers were like, you gotta, you gotta take your mask off so
57:54 I can read your lips
57:55 and took him a minute for him to understand what was going on,
57:58 but he was so incredibly
58:00 excited for that recognition.
58:02 Deputy Vicky Sumlin, who is our SRO at Fair Glen, I love to see
58:06 that our SROs and our
58:08 campus safety specialists are being included in those employee
58:10 of the year and teacher
58:11 of the year recognitions.
58:13 I think it speaks to how incredibly important they are to the
58:16 students that they serve.
58:18 And Deputy Sumlin has only been an SRO for two years.
58:22 She had many other duties within the Brevard County Sheriff’s
58:26 Office, but you could just
58:27 tell every word that came out of her mouth, just the pride that
58:31 she was exuding and the
58:33 work that she does at her schools and her level of understanding
58:36 of the impact that
58:37 she has on students who are oftentimes high need and facing many,
58:40 many challenges.
58:41 So thank you to the Deputy Vicky Sumlin and congratulations.
58:44 And then the last one out of my district is Mr. Brent Poole, who
58:48 is currently a physical
58:50 education teacher at Challenger Elementary, Challenger 7,
58:53 interestingly enough, he stepped
58:55 into that role.
58:56 He was previously a sixth grade teacher, phenomenal classroom
59:00 teacher, but through some occurrences,
59:03 there was a gap there that needed to be filled and Mr. Poole
59:06 stepped in to fill that gap
59:07 for the PE teacher there and is just doing a phenomenal job and
59:11 just amazing energy that
59:13 he exudes.
59:14 You can certainly see why he came in being a finalist.
59:15 So congratulations to all of our employee of the year and
59:18 teacher of the year finalists.
59:20 And we look forward to seeing all of them as this progresses.
59:25 And then I’m going to take a quick detour just because I don’t
59:28 want to forget to get
59:29 back to it.
59:30 Mr. Susan, I may have heard incorrectly, but are you requesting
59:34 individual board members
59:36 to reach out to FHSAA or would you like a letter from the board
59:39 as a whole or?
59:40 I don’t I don’t know where my role is here.
59:43 You know, I don’t want to step out.
59:47 I would love the support of the board for our kids.
59:50 I would love that.
59:51 But I didn’t want to, you know, get you guys to say no and then
59:54 I tried to go make a fight
59:56 with the FHSAA and he says your own board doesn’t support you.
59:59 If I can get some nods real quick, I’ll make a motion.
1:00:03 Okay.
1:00:04 All right.
1:00:05 So I would really like a letter from you guys in support to try
1:00:09 to do that.
1:00:10 And it’s not look normal to an argument, but COVID come on, man.
1:00:15 You know what I mean?
1:00:16 And these are families that can’t afford it.
1:00:18 So could you work with Mr. Gibbs to draft an appropriate message
1:00:22 and then I can send
1:00:24 it on behalf of the entire board?
1:00:26 You want my words on?
1:00:27 No, I want Mr. Gibbs.
1:00:29 I want Mr. Gibbs’s words on there.
1:00:31 I just want to make sure that you can provide the context behind
1:00:34 it.
1:00:34 Thank you.
1:00:35 Yes.
1:00:37 Sounds good.
1:00:38 Thank you, Mr. Gibbs.
1:00:39 And thank you, Mr. Susan.
1:00:40 All right.
1:00:41 That is going to bring us to the adoption of the agenda.
1:00:43 Dr. Mullen.
1:00:47 Chairman and members of the board on the published agenda, we
1:00:50 have administrative staff recommendations,
1:00:52 one recognition, 17 consent items, two action items, and eight
1:00:56 information items.
1:00:58 Changes made to the agenda since it was first released to the
1:01:01 public are as follows.
1:01:02 There were revisions to item A-14 on administrative staff
1:01:06 recommendations.
1:01:07 Attachments were added to items F-24 on critical teacher
1:01:11 shortage subject areas for 2020-21
1:01:14 and to F-26 on Florida Education Equity Act Annual Update 2019-2020.
1:01:23 Thank you, Dr. Mullen.
1:01:24 What are the wishes of the board?
1:01:25 Move to approve.
1:01:26 Second.
1:01:27 Moved by Mr. Susan.
1:01:28 Seconded by Ms. McDougall.
1:01:29 If there are any discussions, please vote.
1:01:34 All right.
1:01:36 I’m going to need to take a voice vote on that.
1:01:50 All in favor?
1:01:51 Aye.
1:01:52 Any opposed?
1:01:53 All right.
1:01:54 The motion passes 5-0.
1:01:55 Are we frozen again, Mr. Susan, or is it– No, it’s just not
1:02:00 coming up.
1:02:01 Okay.
1:02:02 Dr. Mullen, will you please tell us about the administrative
1:02:06 staff recommendations on
1:02:08 tonight’s agenda?
1:02:09 Yes.
1:02:10 Tonight there are eight administrative staff personnel for you
1:02:12 to consider this evening.
1:02:13 What are the wishes of the board?
1:02:15 Move to approve.
1:02:16 Second.
1:02:17 Moved by Mr. Susan.
1:02:18 Seconded by Ms. Campbell.
1:02:19 Is there any discussion?
1:02:20 All right.
1:02:21 Please vote.
1:02:22 All right.
1:02:26 So I’m going to take another voice vote on that one.
1:02:34 All in favor?
1:02:35 Aye.
1:02:36 Any opposed?
1:02:37 Motion passes 5-0.
1:02:38 Dr. Mullen, will you please tell us about the recognition item
1:02:41 on tonight’s agenda?
1:02:43 Yes.
1:02:44 Well, actually, Mr. Susan gave you a sneak preview.
1:02:49 Item B-15 is to acknowledge one of our Brevard Public Schools
1:02:53 social studies teachers who
1:02:55 has been named the 2020 Florida History Teacher of the Year by
1:03:00 the Gilder Leerman Institute
1:03:03 of American History.
1:03:05 Introducing our presenter and award recipient is Dr. Stephanie
1:03:08 Sullivan, Assistant Superintendent
1:03:10 of Secondary Leading and Learning.
1:03:11 Dr. Sullivan.
1:03:12 Hi.
1:03:13 Thank you.
1:03:14 Good evening, everyone.
1:03:15 Tonight we are honoring Ms. Jennifer Jolly, an exemplary social
1:03:20 studies educator from
1:03:21 Palm Bay Magnet High School who has been named the 2020 Florida
1:03:26 History Teacher of the Year.
1:03:28 This is an award presented annually by the Gilder Leerman
1:03:32 Institute of American History,
1:03:34 the nation’s leading organization dedicated to K-12 American
1:03:39 history education.
1:03:40 Inaugurated in 2004, the History Teacher of the Year Award
1:03:45 highlights the crucial importance
1:03:47 of history education by honoring exceptional American history
1:03:52 teachers from secondary and
1:03:54 elementary schools throughout the nation.
1:03:58 The award honors one K-12 teacher from each state.
1:04:03 Assisting with the presentation of the award is Kimberly Garton,
1:04:07 Secondary Social Studies
1:04:08 Resource Speaker.
1:04:11 Dr. Mullins, Ms. Belford, members of the board and audience
1:04:17 members, it is a great honor
1:04:19 to stand before you tonight to recognize Ms. Jennifer Jolly as
1:04:23 the 2020 Gilder Leerman
1:04:24 Florida History Teacher of the Year.
1:04:27 Jennifer Jolly is a national board certified teacher who has
1:04:30 taught secondary social studies
1:04:32 since 1993.
1:04:34 She currently teaches at Palm Bay Magnet High School.
1:04:37 She is a 2010 James Madison fellow, a certified teaching with
1:04:42 primary sources Library of Congress
1:04:44 coach and an active member of numerous professional
1:04:47 organizations and teacher council.
1:04:50 She holds a bachelor’s degree from Flagler College in social
1:04:53 sciences and philosophy
1:04:55 religion and a master’s in American history and government from
1:04:58 the Ashbrook Center at
1:05:00 Ashland University.
1:05:02 Her philosophy and teaching is to uphold the American principles
1:05:05 found in the Declaration
1:05:06 of Independence, promote civil discourse, exercise student
1:05:10 engagement and foster the
1:05:12 ideals of self-government.
1:05:14 In addition to a personal honorarium and educational materials
1:05:18 sent to Ms. Jolly, she was supposed
1:05:20 to be recognized at a national conference event hosted by the Gilder
1:05:23 Leerman Institute.
1:05:24 Due to COVID, both this national conference and the State of
1:05:28 Florida Social Studies Conference
1:05:30 were canceled.
1:05:31 So tonight, it is with great pleasure that we get to present her
1:05:35 with flowers, a plaque
1:05:36 and a gift certificate on behalf of the Gilder Leerman Institute
1:05:40 of American History and
1:05:41 celebrate these honors with her.
1:05:43 Dr. Mullins, Ms. Belford and Palm Bay principal, Mr. Kaminsky,
1:05:47 would you please join us socially
1:05:49 distanced, of course, for the presentation and a picture.
1:06:03 Anytime I’m really honored to be here.
1:06:20 Thank you.
1:06:36 (Applause.)
1:06:53 Congratulations again, Mrs. Jolly.
1:07:09 Thank you for your many, many years of dedication to exemplary
1:07:13 teaching and instruction and
1:07:16 inspiring and engaging young minds.
1:07:18 I’m going to take a person over.
1:07:20 Can we-
1:07:22 give Mrs. Jolly a standing ovation to make up for the
1:07:24 celebration she didn’t
1:07:25 get to have.
1:07:42 Congratulations.
1:07:50 Okay, we are now at public comments. The school board policy
1:07:59 zero one six nine
1:08:00 point one limits to 30 minutes. The portion of the meeting
1:08:03 during which the
1:08:04 public is invited to participate and provide public comment. The
1:08:08 policy
1:08:09 further provides that this time limit may be extended by a vote
1:08:11 of the board.
1:08:12 We actually only have four, five speakers, four speakers signed
1:08:16 up this evening so
1:08:18 there is no need to extend. Each speaker is limited to three
1:08:22 minutes. We have a
1:08:23 clock in front of me to help you keep track of your time. When
1:08:25 your time is
1:08:26 over you will be asked to stop and allow the next speaker his or
1:08:29 her turn. Always
1:08:30 keep in mind that reasonable decorum is expected at all times
1:08:33 and your
1:08:34 statements should be directed to the board chair. The chair may
1:08:36 interrupt, warn
1:08:37 or terminate a participant statement when time is up, personally
1:08:41 directed,
1:08:41 abusive, obscene or irrelevant. Did an individual not observe
1:08:46 proper etiquette?
1:08:46 The chairman may request the individual leave the meeting. Let’s
1:08:49 all encourage an
1:08:50 environment appropriate for our children who may be present or
1:08:53 are watching from
1:08:54 home. We’ll begin with the first three speakers. Before speaking
1:08:58 please state
1:08:59 your name, the organization you represent if any and identify
1:09:02 the topic you’ll be
1:09:03 discussing. Our first three are Marino Nardelli, Kyle Savage and
1:09:08 Anthony Colucci.
1:09:17 Right here to the mic in the front please sir.
1:09:25 My name is Marino Nardelli and this year Brevard High School
1:09:25 football teams were scheduled to play a divisional 7th game
1:09:30 schedule that was brought about the district. Only in-county
1:09:35 games were scheduled with no more than 50
1:09:38 students on each team per FHSAA recommendations. Along with
1:09:46 football other sports such as soccer, swimming, bowling and
1:09:48 track and
1:09:49 basketball will commence this year. Bands are limited. Yet
1:09:52 through this re-emergence
1:09:54 from the COVID cloud others are being neglected, namely band and
1:09:57 orchestra. A
1:09:58 music leadership committee consisting of several music teachers
1:10:01 across the county
1:10:02 met, collaborated and came up with a plan for students to
1:10:05 participate in in-person
1:10:07 all county music auditions and performances. It consisted of
1:10:11 protocols
1:10:12 to maintain safe distances, the wearing of masks when
1:10:15 appropriate, scheduling
1:10:17 students to perform with a little overlap as possible and
1:10:20 limiting audience
1:10:21 audience sizes. This proposal was sent to the BPS school reopening
1:10:25 team for
1:10:26 approval and the answer though thus far is no. Why can’t why can
1:10:32 football players
1:10:33 train, travel, socialize and play while music is denied? Already
1:10:37 five football
1:10:38 teams were playing out of Brevard County. Teams traveled to Pasco,
1:10:42 Tenillas and
1:10:43 Broward County. This Friday teams will travel to Bradenton,
1:10:47 Jensen Beach and
1:10:48 Estero all out of county. Why can’t athletes why can athletes
1:10:53 meet and
1:10:53 compete yet music is told no. Preliminary data from a university-led
1:10:58 study on
1:10:59 Aristotle dispersal suggests that with sufficient masks and
1:11:02 fabric coverings
1:11:04 it’s feasible to perform on perform on brass and woodwind
1:11:08 instruments. Music
1:11:10 plays a big part in high school. Bands even continue to support
1:11:14 and come out
1:11:15 for football games and support yes support their football teams.
1:11:18 Allowing
1:11:19 sports to gather and compete while music competitions are denied
1:11:23 in person all
1:11:24 county auditions is hypocritical. Can’t lick it. I’ll quote Mr.
1:11:36 Susan from an
1:11:37 article from the Space Coast Daily on August 22nd. We’re excited
1:11:40 for our kids
1:11:41 to regain some formal normalcy with return to athletics in the
1:11:45 fall. The
1:11:45 mental health benefits for getting back to play are immensely
1:11:48 important during
1:11:49 these challenging times. For many of our students sports are the
1:11:53 one thing that
1:11:54 gives them the sense of pride and self-worth along with the many
1:11:57 life
1:11:57 lessons learned through social interaction and working as a team.
1:12:01 Music
1:12:02 gives kids a sense of pride self-worth and life lessons just as
1:12:05 much as sports
1:12:06 do. Can’t provide be excited about supporting them but they’re
1:12:09 all
1:12:09 county ensembles. Sports prepares our newly learners for the
1:12:14 future. So
1:12:15 does music. I implore you to make this right for the benefit of
1:12:19 all these kids
1:12:20 not just the athletes. Thank you Mr. Nardelli.
1:12:25 Mr. Savage.
1:12:30 My name is Kyle Savage. I am the treasurer to provide Federation
1:12:34 teachers.
1:12:34 Thank you Ms. Belfort, members of the board, Ms. Jenkins, Mr.
1:12:38 Susan.
1:12:39 Congratulations Mr. Mullins. I come to you tonight as a teacher.
1:12:43 Our teachers
1:12:45 are stressed. Our teachers are tired. I have no doubt and I know
1:12:50 for a fact that
1:12:51 every single person in this room cares for our teachers. I’m not
1:12:54 coming here
1:12:55 saying you don’t. I know every single staff member behind me
1:12:59 cares for these
1:12:59 teachers. I know every single director that I talk to almost
1:13:04 daily cares
1:13:05 for these teachers but they are stressed. I always hear the word
1:13:09 we always hear
1:13:10 the word grace and flexibility. You know when I never hear the
1:13:14 word grace and
1:13:15 flexibility when a teacher made a mistake. You know I often hear
1:13:20 well the
1:13:21 administrator needs grace and flexibility and I agree because
1:13:24 you know
1:13:24 who else is stressed is that assistant principal. That principal
1:13:28 is stressed.
1:13:29 What we are asking them to do is insane. It is crazy what we are
1:13:33 asking our
1:13:34 teachers to do right now. What we are asking our schools based
1:13:37 site
1:13:37 administrators to do right now. The contact tracing. The e-learning.
1:13:42 But every
1:13:43 time I’ve been in a discipline meeting lately I’ve never heard
1:13:46 the grace and
1:13:47 flexibility for our teachers. Our teachers are worn out. Our
1:13:51 teachers are
1:13:51 stressed. They are making mistakes. I agree.
1:13:55 Principals are making mistakes because they are tired. They are
1:13:59 stressed. So as
1:14:00 we go into the fall and realize hey we didn’t have our normal
1:14:04 days off because
1:14:05 they all got moved to the beginning of the year. I ask that we
1:14:08 make an extra
1:14:09 effort as leaders and I have to squat this thing. As leaders we
1:14:14 make an extra
1:14:14 effort to make sure that the teachers know how much you guys
1:14:18 care. I know how
1:14:20 much you guys care but I get to interact with you guys on a
1:14:22 daily base. Our
1:14:24 teachers won’t see that. Our teachers just see the mandates of
1:14:27 the state test
1:14:28 and of the I-ready diagnostic of how important our tier three
1:14:31 group is on how
1:14:33 important it is to work on the lower 25. And I understand that
1:14:37 because somehow in
1:14:38 the middle of the pandemic the state’s gonna do FSA tests and
1:14:41 then come out
1:14:42 with school grades as Ms. Campbell talked about last time. But
1:14:45 guess what our
1:14:46 teachers don’t care about that today. Our teachers care about
1:14:49 getting everybody
1:14:50 out the door and everybody accounted for. So I really ask that
1:14:53 you make another
1:14:54 push to let everybody know that grace and flexibility also
1:14:58 applies to our
1:14:59 teachers right now. Because they are frustrated. They are tired.
1:15:03 I know when
1:15:04 Launchpad goes down it’s nobody’s fault. I get it. But when
1:15:07 Launchpad goes down
1:15:08 three times in the last week I know it’s not Mr. Cheatham’s
1:15:11 fault. I know his team
1:15:13 is working as hard as they possibly can. I also geeked out in
1:15:16 the same server
1:15:17 firm you were in this weekend. But they are tired and we all
1:15:21 need to realize we
1:15:22 are in this as a team. So I thank you very much for your time
1:15:25 and I just ask
1:15:25 for the same grace and flexibility that everybody else has asked
1:15:29 them for for
1:15:29 our teachers. They are tired. Thank you. Thanks Mr. Savage. Mr.
1:15:34 Colucci. After Mr.
1:15:36 Colucci we have Ashley Hall and Annette.
1:15:45 My name is Anthony Colucci. I’m the president of the Brevard
1:15:47 Federation of
1:15:49 Teachers. At the last meeting BFT second vice president Jonathan
1:15:54 Hilliard
1:15:54 requested that this board begin the process of posthumously reinstating
1:15:59 Harry T. and Harriet V. Moore as Brevard County teachers.
1:16:03 Tonight I’m requesting
1:16:04 at the December 15th board meeting this board approve a
1:16:07 proclamation doing so.
1:16:09 Furthermore I’m asking that as the piece of this proclamation
1:16:13 every year every
1:16:14 fourth grade class in this district participate in a field trip
1:16:18 to the
1:16:19 Harry T. and Harriet V. Moore cultural complex. It’s time for BPS
1:16:23 to honor the
1:16:24 Moore’s legacy by recognizing and correcting the mistakes of the
1:16:27 past. Not
1:16:28 only were the Moore’s the first true civil rights activist of
1:16:31 the modern era
1:16:32 in the state of Florida who organized the first Brevard branch
1:16:35 of the NAACP
1:16:36 and were instrumental in registering 100,000 black voters they
1:16:41 both were
1:16:42 well respected Brevard County educators. In return for their
1:16:46 noble work in our
1:16:47 community the Moore’s were fired from their positions in our
1:16:50 school district.
1:16:50 Although their personnel records indicate that they resigned on
1:16:54 June 7th
1:16:55 1946 historians have shown that shadowy Brevard politicians were
1:17:00 responsible for
1:17:01 the resignation. Ben Green author before his time before his
1:17:05 time notes there was
1:17:06 no tenure at the time and the half-page contract the teachers
1:17:10 sign gave the
1:17:10 school board the discretion to raise or lower salaries lengthen
1:17:14 or shorten the
1:17:14 school year or terminate a contract altogether upon written
1:17:18 notice or the
1:17:19 board could simply off not offer a contract for the next year
1:17:23 which was
1:17:24 even cleaner and that is exactly what the school board chose to
1:17:27 do as a form
1:17:28 of retaliation for the Moore’s activism. A quick internet search
1:17:32 shows this
1:17:34 injustice is still hurting our community and action needs to be
1:17:39 corrected and it
1:17:41 will be hard for this district to move forward and improve inequities
1:17:44 in our
1:17:44 district without recognizing what has happened already. We plan
1:17:48 on seeing this
1:17:49 effort through and we are working with the board of the Harry T
1:17:52 and Harriet V
1:17:53 Moore cultural center. Bill Gary president of the board could
1:17:57 not be here
1:17:57 tonight because of a prior engagement however he did send a
1:18:01 message for me to
1:18:02 share and I’m going to read that right now. As president of the
1:18:05 Harry T and
1:18:06 Harriet V Moore cultural complex board of directors and past
1:18:10 president of the
1:18:11 North Brevard branch of the NAACP I strongly support this effort
1:18:15 to finally
1:18:16 set the record straight and give Harry and Harriet Moore the
1:18:19 recognition of
1:18:20 being faithful and committed teachers of the Brevard County
1:18:23 School Board by
1:18:23 correcting the record and reinstating them as full and qualified
1:18:28 teachers in
1:18:28 Brevard County schools in the Brevard County school system with
1:18:32 the full
1:18:33 support of the Florida State Conference of the NAACP branches
1:18:37 president and that
1:18:38 of all 50 NAACP branches in the state of Florida we request the
1:18:42 Brevard School
1:18:43 Board to take this matter under serious consideration and to be
1:18:47 placed on the
1:18:47 board agenda to be prepared to hear a formal proposal on this
1:18:51 initiative at
1:18:52 the December 15th meeting. Please let me know or Mr. Gary know
1:18:55 if you have any
1:18:56 questions. Thank you Mr. Colucci. Ashley Hall.
1:19:08 Hello I’m Ashley Hall parent of a first-year student of our
1:19:16 school systems here to let you guys know we’re still fighting
1:19:20 against this mask mandate. I implore you to continue I continue
1:19:26 to implore you to
1:19:27 unmask our children. I’m so angry at the complicitness that was
1:19:33 displayed in this
1:19:34 meeting last month despite the number of parents that came up
1:19:39 here to voice our
1:19:41 concerns over these masks on our children. I’m not here to try
1:19:45 to convince
1:19:46 you just to let you know we’re still here we’re still fighting
1:19:48 over this
1:19:49 because it’s a trampling of our parental rights.
1:19:54 It’s clear it’s it’s all about optics it’s it’s very clear about
1:19:57 that it’s not
1:19:58 about health. So the latest thing I just wanted to bring to your
1:20:03 attention which
1:20:04 you all should have seen my email was the ponchos over the
1:20:09 instruments at the
1:20:12 Space Coast High or junior senior high virtual concert. That
1:20:18 breaks my heart
1:20:21 personally to watch children that just want to play instruments
1:20:27 go through a
1:20:28 sensationalized irrational fear-mongering whatever that was to
1:20:35 drape themselves in plastic. Where is our common sense? I just
1:20:42 feel
1:20:43 like it’s lost. We’re continually just making up rules as we go
1:20:49 continuing to
1:20:50 have children not even be able to sing in a classroom without a
1:20:54 mask on or even
1:20:55 outside for that matter they have to go outside to sing in a
1:20:59 mask.
1:21:01 It’s just it’s not it’s not fair to our kids. There are so many
1:21:06 other things we
1:21:06 could be doing to mitigate these measures but the masks I don’t
1:21:10 know if
1:21:10 you saw the Inside Edition video that they put out where they
1:21:16 tested the masks
1:21:17 and came back with adults this is adults that probably wear
1:21:22 their masks not very
1:21:24 regular not for long periods of time millions hundreds of
1:21:28 millions of counts
1:21:30 of bacteria on these masks and we are sending 70,000 students to
1:21:36 school with
1:21:37 masks on their face for eight hours a day is that mitigation is
1:21:42 that
1:21:42 mitigating the spread of bacteria I can guarantee you it’s not I
1:21:46 can guarantee
1:21:47 you if we took samples of every mask on these children you would
1:21:51 be astounded at
1:21:52 what is on those masks and they’re bringing breathing it in it’s
1:21:56 going into
1:21:56 the respiratory system. Unmask our children. Thank you, Ms. Hall.
1:22:03 Annette Shante.
1:22:14 Hello, my name is Annette Shante and I work with a company that
1:22:19 makes purifiers
1:22:21 that will help to combat the problem that we’re hearing from our
1:22:26 parents who
1:22:27 are talking about masks who we’re hearing from our teachers who
1:22:32 are
1:22:32 talking about the fact that they are worn out. When I look at
1:22:35 your mission
1:22:36 statement it says to serve every student with excellence as a
1:22:40 standard this
1:22:42 era’s purifier will work to take the contaminants out of the air
1:22:47 it puts it
1:22:48 through a patented titanium system and it puts out hydroxyl
1:22:53 pathogens that will
1:22:55 go and attack the COVID virus and it will destroy them. I have
1:23:02 research here
1:23:03 from Florida schools who have used them and shown that the drop
1:23:08 in the rate for
1:23:09 those students is significant enough for them to be able to buy
1:23:13 it and have the
1:23:14 parents even raise the money to buy the purifiers so that you
1:23:19 can have music
1:23:20 areas you will be able to have your theaters and have these
1:23:24 mobile purifiers
1:23:26 be able to go into the system into the school and be able to
1:23:31 attack these
1:23:32 pathogens and give the environment that your students are in a
1:23:36 clean environment
1:23:38 one that is free of the COVID that will help them to study will
1:23:43 help the
1:23:44 teachers when you look at the budgets of these school systems
1:23:48 you are spending so
1:23:49 much more money on sanitizing on the janitorial systems of
1:23:54 trying to just
1:23:56 clean those systems and the surfaces that you have not not
1:24:00 anyone will have
1:24:02 enough time to be able to clean everything as significantly as
1:24:06 we all
1:24:07 would want it to be with this purifier anywhere you have an air
1:24:12 circulation the
1:24:14 SAC system it will help to take that from wherever you are
1:24:20 breathing and
1:24:21 whatever it drops on and it will attack in the air your surfaces
1:24:25 will be COVID
1:24:27 free so it will help to eliminate on the cost of having to sanitize
1:24:31 and clean
1:24:32 those areas mr. system you’d said that when you walked into the
1:24:37 school on your
1:24:39 first day and you said you were afraid and you called your dad
1:24:44 and your dad
1:24:45 does that door closed he said do what is best for the kids if
1:24:50 you are going to
1:24:51 look at the environment that you’re in look at what is going to
1:24:55 be best for not
1:24:56 only the kids but the teachers the star at everybody who is
1:25:01 involved in the
1:25:02 school systems within our board meeting here be able to combat
1:25:07 whatever that
1:25:08 issue is I ask that you take out your phones that you put in my
1:25:13 number that
1:25:14 I’ll give you right now which is three time ma’am you are being
1:25:18 televised if you
1:25:19 would like to share contact information I would encourage you to
1:25:22 get with major
1:25:22 lands over there as opposed to giving the entire world your
1:25:26 contact I’ll give
1:25:28 that information over there so that you can get more information
1:25:31 about something
1:25:32 that would help every single school in this school district and
1:25:36 be able to get
1:25:37 them to be able to have a coded free environment and try to get
1:25:42 us all back
1:25:43 to a normal life thank you we appreciate you joining us this
1:25:46 evening feel free to
1:25:47 share that information over there okay thank you all right any
1:25:51 board members
1:25:52 wish to respond to any of the or give direction on any of the
1:25:55 comments from
1:25:56 tonight’s speakers mr. Susan yeah mr. Nadelli I think I hope I
1:26:02 said it right
1:26:04 mr. didn’t tell you are a hundred percent right we brought this
1:26:08 issue to
1:26:09 dr. Mullins and he’s working on figuring out something that
1:26:12 might be able to work
1:26:13 but I did want to tell you I didn’t want that because I do have
1:26:17 a huge passion
1:26:18 for both for band and orchestra and sometimes my passion for
1:26:22 athletics comes
1:26:23 and people think that that’s the avenue but equally just as much
1:26:27 and you are a
1:26:27 hundred percent right I used to play frisbee football with all
1:26:31 the band
1:26:32 directors in the county for a couple years and when I was a
1:26:34 teacher and it’s
1:26:36 just what you guys do and what they do for our our kids is
1:26:39 amazing so thank you
1:26:40 for that savage you’re right grace and flexibility right there
1:26:45 with you Anthony
1:26:47 Colucci I would like to see if the board is willing to do
1:26:51 something like that I
1:26:53 mean I would love to do that I had some other ideas when we put
1:26:56 for point of
1:26:56 discussion at the end of the meeting for that I’m I’m looking at
1:27:00 it still I’ve
1:27:02 got something I know the history of it I mean yeah I’m looking
1:27:08 at the the
1:27:09 posthumous reinstatement issue okay but it is it is being worked
1:27:14 on but here’s
1:27:15 the other thing we can do you know let’s put it as a point of
1:27:18 discussion at the
1:27:18 end because I would like to discuss the whole Harry T Moore
1:27:21 piece to the
1:27:22 cultural center I led that when I was a teacher I was part of
1:27:25 the group that
1:27:26 took him there miss Hall I disagree with your with your your
1:27:30 statement although I
1:27:30 like your passion you know she left but I truly appreciate her
1:27:35 passion for
1:27:36 coming down here I just disreward disregard what she says and
1:27:39 then miss
1:27:40 Shuntage there’s a process for us to become a vendor in the
1:27:44 district if you’ll
1:27:45 see miss Suhan and you can go through and there’s a process to
1:27:49 become a
1:27:49 vendor and then there’s other things to do we as board members
1:27:52 can’t give
1:27:53 direction for that you would have to go through procurement and
1:27:55 all of that
1:27:56 stuff but I didn’t want you to think that we wouldn’t follow up
1:27:59 with you but
1:27:59 there is a process we wouldn’t do that because we try to keep
1:28:02 businesses and us
1:28:03 separate but you can go to miss hand in the back she might be
1:28:06 able to help you
1:28:06 out over there thank you I’m done I would like to say something
1:28:14 as well mr.
1:28:15 Nardelli it’s it’s nice to see you outside of the building and I
1:28:19 want you
1:28:19 to know that I am with you a hundred percent little fun fact I
1:28:22 was the drum
1:28:23 major of my marching band so music has a special place in my
1:28:26 heart and I’m not
1:28:28 saying you know whether or not I feel that all of our students
1:28:30 should be
1:28:31 gathering outside of school or not but I wholeheartedly agree
1:28:34 with you if we’re
1:28:35 doing it for one group of kids we should be doing it for
1:28:37 everybody and so I’m
1:28:39 with you on that and I would love it if I don’t know who to ask
1:28:43 but if somebody
1:28:43 could refresh me on what our students are allowed to do it
1:28:49 sounds like you’re
1:28:49 kind of updating that as well when it comes to music versus the
1:28:52 athletes I
1:28:52 would appreciate that very much and mr. savage grace and
1:28:57 flexibility I just want
1:28:59 all of our educators listening and all of our staff members
1:29:01 listening to know I
1:29:03 have that for you I wholeheartedly understand what you’re going
1:29:06 through I
1:29:06 am very concerned about the mental health of our staff and our
1:29:09 teachers and
1:29:11 I’m with you and we will continue to make it through this year I
1:29:14 have a
1:29:15 teacher in my home with me my husband and so I understand and I
1:29:18 have
1:29:18 compassion for you so thank you for everything that you do
1:29:29 all right dr. Mullins I know we don’t have an answer yet but I
1:29:34 believe that as
1:29:35 far as our all County it’s it’s a hold on for right now just so
1:29:39 the public
1:29:40 knows because there has been that disparity between sports and
1:29:43 you know
1:29:43 I’m I’m music mom too that it’s it is a little different to
1:29:48 bring hundreds what
1:29:49 are normal I think what’s no right now for sure has been our
1:29:53 normal weekend in
1:29:54 January we bring hundreds of students from dozens of schools all
1:29:58 together in
1:29:58 the same place at the same time and that decision how do you
1:30:01 make last summer
1:30:02 when we didn’t even know if the FSC was going to allow us or the
1:30:05 King Center was
1:30:06 gonna allow us if they were even going to be open for business
1:30:09 so right now the
1:30:10 word that I’ve gotten is is there it’s a it’s a hold on there
1:30:13 they’re gonna
1:30:14 continue to work on it and you know in this world that we’re in
1:30:17 right now a few
1:30:18 months makes a big difference as for what as far as what we know
1:30:21 and the
1:30:22 virus and our response and community so I don’t know if we have
1:30:25 any more updates
1:30:27 dr. Mullins and that thank you miss Campbell no there is no
1:30:31 additional
1:30:31 update right now other than I would assure the board that dr.
1:30:35 Sullivan mrs.
1:30:36 Klein our resource teacher for music are continuing to consider
1:30:40 what an
1:30:40 alternative option might be but you are correct the historic or
1:30:46 the historical
1:30:47 or traditional all County Orchestra process that we have that we
1:30:52 have had as
1:30:53 a district typically in January February timeframe is not is not
1:30:58 being pursued at
1:30:59 this time but we haven’t completely said no we’re looking at
1:31:03 like so many areas
1:31:05 in across the district things to look different and may be
1:31:09 different moving
1:31:10 forward but we’re looking at a potential late spring option for
1:31:15 an all-county
1:31:16 type of experience it’ll look different inevitably and it
1:31:20 obviously is at a
1:31:21 different time but we haven’t stopped looking at what the
1:31:24 potential could be
1:31:25 and I would just like to say an echo actually taking a different
1:31:30 take on what
1:31:31 miss Hall said I would like to just thank our music teachers for
1:31:34 the way
1:31:35 they are getting so creative with having performances because
1:31:39 the weekly football
1:31:41 game equivalent for the choir programs and orchestra and band
1:31:43 programs are the
1:31:44 concerts and our theater programs as well because they are just
1:31:48 getting even
1:31:48 the video that was referenced the students whoever did the video
1:31:52 they had
1:31:52 three or four camera angles they had the e-learning students
1:31:56 come into the screen
1:31:58 who are participating from home and I just am so thankful I know
1:32:02 that this one
1:32:03 of the schools where my kids go it’s going to be doing their
1:32:06 performances out
1:32:07 and the football stadium so that you know we can have as many
1:32:11 parents as you
1:32:12 know will fit and and where they can be outdoors and so thank
1:32:17 you to our fine
1:32:18 arts teachers for getting so creative so that our students have
1:32:20 the performance
1:32:21 because without the performance you there’s just not the joy
1:32:25 that one of the
1:32:26 reasons why you study music there’s benefits definitely but
1:32:28 without the
1:32:28 performance it’s just not what it is so I just want to thank our
1:32:31 music teachers
1:32:32 for the way that they’re making this happen for a student this
1:32:35 camel I would
1:32:36 add to that our our performing arts our theater programs we’ve
1:32:40 given them the
1:32:40 opportunity to problem-solve and troubleshoot and work together
1:32:45 to
1:32:45 identify a plan a safety plan that would allow them to have
1:32:50 performances across
1:32:52 their programs and in our theaters and they’re working closely
1:32:55 with our
1:32:55 administrators to find ways find a way to yes safely I I feel
1:33:01 like I’d be
1:33:02 remiss if we lose sight of a couple things one safety is our
1:33:06 number one
1:33:07 priority and this gamble you sent out the updated numbers across
1:33:12 our community
1:33:12 to the board I think yesterday or late last week and we can’t
1:33:16 deny that numbers
1:33:17 are not moving in our favor and second when that happens the
1:33:23 demand and the
1:33:24 responsibility on our administrators to then contact trace
1:33:30 across our schools
1:33:34 there isn’t a there isn’t a dad out there that I don’t think
1:33:37 could have has
1:33:38 a greater appreciation for our music programs and I do as the
1:33:41 dad of three
1:33:42 children who all took advantage of our public schools music
1:33:45 programs through
1:33:47 their career but there are these are challenging and very
1:33:52 difficult times in
1:33:53 upholding our commitment and our responsibility to safety but we’re
1:34:00 trying
1:34:00 to do that we’re trying to find alternatives in a safe manner so
1:34:04 that we
1:34:05 can continue to give our kids it’s the experiences we want them
1:34:08 to have and
1:34:09 we’re trying to find ways to yes so we’ll continue to do that as
1:34:12 we move
1:34:13 forward
1:34:16 all right thanks all that moves us into the consent agenda dr.
1:34:20 Mullins
1:34:22 there are 17 items excuse me there are 17 agenda items under
1:34:27 this category one
1:34:28 with prior information any board member wish to pull any item
1:34:32 from the consent
1:34:32 agenda
1:34:35 hearing none I’ll entertain a motion to accept the consent
1:34:38 agenda as presented
1:34:39 move to approve moved by mr. Susan second by miss Campbell is
1:34:43 there any
1:34:43 discussion
1:34:46 please
1:35:02 you
1:35:10 motion passes five zero
1:35:16 that brings us to the action agenda dr. Mullen
1:35:21 there are two action items on tonight’s agenda the first item is
1:35:25 g34 which is
1:35:27 procurement solicitations what are the wishes of the board moved
1:35:31 approved by mr.
1:35:32 Susan second by miss McDougal is there any discussion
1:35:36 please vote
1:35:54 the motion passes five zero dr. Mullen next is item g35 on
1:36:00 department school
1:36:01 initiated agreement what are the wishes of the board move to
1:36:05 approve moved by
1:36:06 mr. Susan seconded by miss Campbell is there any discussion
1:36:11 please vote
1:36:24 you
1:36:31 the motion passes five zero that brings us to the information
1:36:35 agenda the
1:36:35 information agenda includes items for board review and will be
1:36:38 brought back
1:36:38 for action at a subsequent meeting no action will be taken on
1:36:42 these items
1:36:43 tonight dr. Mullins there are eight agenda items under the
1:36:46 information
1:36:47 category does any board member wish to discuss any item from the
1:36:50 information
1:36:50 agenda
1:36:55 okay we are now at the board member reports and discussion
1:36:58 points mr. Susan
1:37:00 has asked to discuss the board’s appetite for a board policy and
1:37:03 or
1:37:03 standards procedure standard procedures for choosing school mascots
1:37:07 thank you so
1:37:08 at the last meeting we sat back and said okay what would the
1:37:11 process be what
1:37:12 would you like to recommend I think we’re at the point where I
1:37:16 came up with
1:37:16 I guess the what when I was looking at is is one a threshold
1:37:21 that we would make
1:37:23 that decision based on what it would be the reason that you
1:37:25 would change a
1:37:26 mascot right and making sure that there’s not a steerage because
1:37:29 sometimes there can be somebody that’s inside that school that
1:37:32 could steer it
1:37:32 towards a an area just because they a popular teacher or
1:37:36 anything like that
1:37:37 and then all of a sudden we have a mascot change and stuff like
1:37:40 so I would
1:37:40 I would I would like to consider a policy that has a threshold
1:37:44 that needs
1:37:44 to be pierced in order to start it it could be that it’s
1:37:47 controversial that
1:37:49 it’s detrimental to anything that it is right like it’s
1:37:52 detrimental to education
1:37:54 it’s controversial something like that a threshold like that and
1:37:58 then have the
1:37:58 opportunity for the steer the students or the faculty and the
1:38:03 teacher the
1:38:04 parents to vote on it before they move forward with a process
1:38:08 and the reason
1:38:09 for that is is um we had a vote recently on the Edgewood one
1:38:14 that I think kind of
1:38:15 put it into perspective of do you does this is this what’s
1:38:19 wanted is this what’s
1:38:20 moving forward does that make sense
1:38:27 but hasn’t had a vote the next this Thursday will be the SEC
1:38:30 committee to
1:38:31 look at everything that was gathered and all the input and they’ll
1:38:35 decide they
1:38:36 may not decide to vote on to make a decision at this point they’re
1:38:39 gonna
1:38:40 take their time I believe the email that you saw was they had
1:38:47 surveyed the
1:38:48 student they surveyed the students also so it’s like they want
1:38:51 all the
1:38:52 information they want the students I want the communities they
1:38:55 want the I
1:38:56 think the one that’s telling is the natural American Indian
1:39:03 National
1:39:04 Conference that also weighed in so anyhow so they’re taking all
1:39:07 that
1:39:07 information looking at that tomorrow Thursday at the second
1:39:11 meeting and they
1:39:12 may or may not vote then they may wait until January I do
1:39:16 understand that they
1:39:18 it is it’s hopeful that they will it’s under the impression they
1:39:21 will make a
1:39:22 decision this school year because this is a group the SEC
1:39:25 committee has gotten
1:39:26 all the information from various sources so at this point there
1:39:30 is nothing that
1:39:31 has been voted on at this point okay so the survey what was the
1:39:35 survey results
1:39:36 that came back can anybody speak to that we got an email today I
1:39:40 want to say it
1:39:40 was like 60 60% to 30% dr. Sullivan’s give me a head nod so I
1:39:46 must be in the
1:39:46 neighborhood 50% against her in favor I believe it was 60%
1:39:50 against changing the
1:39:52 mascot so in the reason that I was saying that is is that if you
1:39:58 have a
1:39:59 threshold that it needs to be required in order to to start the
1:40:03 process then a
1:40:05 vote some kind of a process at the beginning it makes it to
1:40:09 where okay this
1:40:11 can’t just be a group of people that are trying to make change
1:40:13 and then you’re
1:40:14 gonna go down this road and then you’re gonna find out after
1:40:16 community meetings
1:40:17 and after all of the different things that we went through this
1:40:19 entire process
1:40:20 and it could have been avoided if we would just had a threshold
1:40:22 or a vote at
1:40:22 the beginning does that make sense there’s needs to be a
1:40:25 threshold as to
1:40:26 why somebody can’t just say I want to change a mascot there
1:40:30 needs to be a
1:40:31 process of something that needs to be the why and then there
1:40:36 needs to be a
1:40:36 majority of individuals involved that’s it if that makes sense
1:40:40 that’s what the
1:40:41 policy I’m not saying in any way that this is attributed to the
1:40:45 Edgewood piece
1:40:46 for that but what I’m trying to say is is that our school
1:40:49 district keeps
1:40:49 getting pulled into all of these different things and what ends
1:40:53 up
1:40:53 happening is is we’re in the middle of a pandemic we’re in the
1:40:55 middle of all
1:40:56 these other issues and we continue to bring this is this energy
1:40:59 on to us and
1:41:00 that’s fine if the majority of the individuals want to do it and
1:41:02 there’s a
1:41:03 threshold that’s pierced but if we don’t have that then there’s
1:41:05 no sense in
1:41:06 moving forward that was all so that I asked to have a policy
1:41:09 brought forward
1:41:10 or to work on one that includes a threshold and then a process
1:41:14 that
1:41:14 involves the community engagement that we currently have for
1:41:17 naming schools and
1:41:17 then I would like to see that process to include the parents the
1:41:21 students in the
1:41:22 past presidents of that school to weigh in on what that meant to
1:41:26 them as far as
1:41:27 a mascot that’s all I that was my feeling but we keep bringing
1:41:32 this up and
1:41:33 I and and I feel that that would be the piece that I would like
1:41:36 to add to an
1:41:37 already existing school name process to say that this could be a
1:41:40 mascot and I
1:41:41 would be willing to only do it for secondary I think elementary
1:41:44 schools
1:41:44 just kind of they change them they you know what I mean it but
1:41:46 in secondary you
1:41:47 get an official card you get an official mini diploma you get
1:41:51 you get all those
1:41:52 things you get them from an elementary school but it just starts
1:41:54 to mean a
1:41:54 little bit more once you start playing on the sports teams and
1:41:56 stuff like that
1:41:56 from the middle and highs so that’s it so a threshold in so that
1:42:01 there would be
1:42:01 something that needs to be pierced along with the majority of
1:42:05 parents staff and
1:42:05 student body and then that would start the process of the
1:42:09 community engagement
1:42:10 and everything else that would end up in a final vote between
1:42:13 the two mascots
1:42:15 that’s my idea you shoot down if you want to approve it move
1:42:19 forward with
1:42:19 discussion I have a concern about having a conversation about a
1:42:23 threshold to be
1:42:23 met I’m concerned about how language would be drafted that
1:42:28 wouldn’t be
1:42:29 subjective who would be defining whether or not this is
1:42:33 something that’s
1:42:34 offensive or culturally inappropriate I think that would be a
1:42:37 whole nother
1:42:37 public discussion that you would be having yeah I just I don’t
1:42:43 know I think
1:42:45 I think that’s subjective I took I didn’t get the email about
1:42:49 the student
1:42:50 survey but I did go to Edgewood’s website and I did see that
1:42:54 they had
1:42:54 posted all of the submissions of comments from teachers parents
1:42:59 community
1:43:00 members both in favor and against and again I was just there was
1:43:04 a lot of
1:43:05 information on there there was no tally on there but it felt
1:43:08 like it was a
1:43:08 pretty mixed bag of information and so some of the things that
1:43:11 you’re describing
1:43:12 mr. season I feel like they did a really good job of creating
1:43:18 almost basically
1:43:20 what you’re what you’re talking about gathering that information
1:43:22 from everyone
1:43:22 so I’m not I’m not against that but talking about a threshold
1:43:27 and whether or
1:43:27 not something meets it I think is really subjective and I think
1:43:30 that would be
1:43:31 really difficult to define you’re concerned can I follow so you’re
1:43:35 concerned that the conversation over the why would be subjective
1:43:40 because we as
1:43:40 individuals might not frame it correctly is that what it is is
1:43:46 that what you’re
1:43:46 saying give me a little bit more in that area so I’m concerned
1:43:51 that the why if
1:43:53 it’s stemming from a student or a community member or a parent
1:43:57 originally
1:43:57 what gives us the authority to decide whether or not that why is
1:44:02 okay it’s
1:44:03 just to me that’s a subjective threshold if it’s offensive or
1:44:07 inappropriate if it
1:44:08 offends somebody or is inappropriate to someone else I don’t
1:44:11 understand why we
1:44:12 would then have the right to decide whether or not that was
1:44:15 offensive to
1:44:16 them I think it would be difficult to put language out there
1:44:20 that would make
1:44:20 that really clear there needs to be what I was getting at is
1:44:23 there needs that
1:44:24 initial start needs to have some kind of clarification
1:44:28 classification and
1:44:29 something right you can’t just get up and say I want to change
1:44:32 the name of the
1:44:33 mascot and then and then the other piece just so you know is I’m
1:44:37 not against
1:44:38 changing mascot names I just want to process in place so that
1:44:42 every time in
1:44:43 secondary when we do this that we don’t have a group of people
1:44:46 just making
1:44:47 things up and I’m not saying that in negative towards towards Edgewood
1:44:50 Jackie
1:44:51 is a friend of mine but the bottom line is is that it’s just it’s
1:44:55 just not it’s
1:44:56 not proper policy to just let people just randomly start to
1:44:58 change mascots
1:44:59 without some kind of a policy in place we as individuals and
1:45:02 board governance
1:45:03 should do that that’s all so if that’s if that’s to adopt what
1:45:06 Edgewood’s doing
1:45:07 is great I did ask one question though miss Jenkins did you say
1:45:11 that you were
1:45:11 in favor of putting in a vote to proceed from the parents the
1:45:17 student body and
1:45:18 the past presidents and the faculty you said there was you
1:45:22 agreed to the
1:45:24 collaboration of the vote at the beginning is that did you not
1:45:28 know
1:45:28 there’s no vote what I said was that I agree with you this needs
1:45:32 to be
1:45:32 something that involves the community the parents the students I
1:45:36 agree with
1:45:37 you I’m not against the idea of a policy what what I’m
1:45:40 uncomfortable with is that
1:45:42 start piece that you’re talking about and whether or not it
1:45:45 needs that
1:45:45 threshold the way that you defined it I don’t I don’t think that
1:45:48 that would be
1:45:49 the start piece I think there needs to be something else
1:45:52 miss Campbell you look poised to comment I I just think when we
1:46:00 have I I hear
1:46:02 where you’re going mr. Susan is you know it’s we don’t you know
1:46:05 if someone were
1:46:06 to stand up at any school and say I think we need to change the
1:46:09 mascot to
1:46:09 Mickey Mouse and then we have to start on this whole process you
1:46:12 know I you
1:46:12 know does every every does that does every suggestion to change
1:46:17 a mascot
1:46:18 result in us having to go through this long process I don’t
1:46:21 think it should but
1:46:23 it but I don’t think it has and this I just think about this
1:46:25 particular case
1:46:26 because this is the one that’s before us it there was a build-up
1:46:31 of interest and
1:46:32 some discussion that had I think if you if we put you know if we
1:46:37 put some kind
1:46:38 of a vote before the discussion can even happen because there
1:46:41 was there’s been
1:46:42 discussion they’ve had presentations you know I know missing grotta
1:46:46 actually made
1:46:47 the students and the students and staff who were part of that
1:46:51 summer focus group
1:46:52 to even explore if they would even go this way she made them
1:46:56 read articles on
1:46:57 similar issues from multiple points of view and you know so I’m
1:47:03 not really sure
1:47:04 where you would want to put that I’m not just think you know in
1:47:08 this case it kind
1:47:09 of happened organically that it that it grew you know if we if
1:47:13 we want to put a
1:47:15 policy in place just to ensure that schools in the future get a
1:47:18 minimum
1:47:19 level of community input that you know it has and for our naming
1:47:23 process it has
1:47:23 to be 18 months for you to change a name if we want to tell
1:47:26 schools okay if
1:47:26 you’re gonna change a mascot you have to at least give it you
1:47:29 know six months
1:47:30 don’t do it overnight you have to get community input from
1:47:33 community from
1:47:34 alumni or from teachers from other staff from students you know
1:47:38 if we want to put
1:47:39 those things in there but honestly they’re kind of doing that
1:47:42 the other
1:47:43 ones that we came up with the other schools that had changed our
1:47:45 mascots
1:47:45 were elementary schools and were made for some political
1:47:50 politically correct
1:47:51 reasons but you know so I don’t know how many more of these we
1:47:56 have in the future
1:47:57 if we want to put some parameters on there but I honestly I
1:47:59 would like to
1:48:00 keep it as loose as possible you know so that our schools have
1:48:04 the freedom to
1:48:05 look at their student body and the needs that they have and say
1:48:08 what what’s gonna
1:48:09 best fit our school when we walk through this decision-making
1:48:11 process so I
1:48:12 wouldn’t necessarily want to put it down to you know a specific
1:48:16 you have to do
1:48:17 you know step step step step to go through it do you think that
1:48:21 the student
1:48:22 body miss Campbell should approve it or disapprove it or no as a
1:48:28 part of that I
1:48:29 not necessarily I mean as far as I mean I don’t before are you
1:48:33 were you’re
1:48:34 talking about putting that you’re talking about putting that
1:48:36 before because
1:48:37 I think that I was a little confused where you want to put a put
1:48:40 a vote so
1:48:41 you’re the thing I think I’m understanding you is when you were
1:48:45 talking a while ago was just to even get it off the ground you
1:48:49 there’s a certain
1:48:50 group of people that you would like to see that it would have to
1:48:53 get past them
1:48:54 before it would come to I mean if I wanted to change the mascot
1:48:57 at a school
1:48:57 I could definitely just create a steering committee that I know
1:49:00 would
1:49:00 approve or move forward with the option and then start the
1:49:03 process even though
1:49:04 it may not be popular among the entire school you go through a
1:49:07 process of four
1:49:08 or five months where people in the communities blood pressures
1:49:11 are up
1:49:11 they’re attacking each other they’re going and then my argument
1:49:14 is is that at
1:49:15 the end of it if you vote and the students are against it I love
1:49:18 the
1:49:18 collaboration don’t get me wrong I love the debate I love
1:49:21 bringing it forward
1:49:22 but when it starts to be conducive towards education towards our
1:49:26 models and
1:49:27 everything else I don’t know if it is so the question is is that
1:49:30 I would like to
1:49:31 create a policy that creates a threshold of a vote of something
1:49:35 that allows the
1:49:35 process to start and then I would like to have everybody weigh
1:49:39 in on that
1:49:39 decision at the end I don’t think that this is a decision that
1:49:42 should be made
1:49:43 without the student body I don’t think that this is a decision
1:49:45 that should be
1:49:46 made without the teachers or the parents I think that they
1:49:48 should weigh in on
1:49:49 this and I think that when we start skirting some of that we
1:49:52 start skirting
1:49:53 and trying to pass to do things that don’t involve the people
1:49:57 that we serve
1:49:57 the taxpayers the students that we represent that’s all and
1:50:00 whether that
1:50:01 passes or not within the school is one thing but I would like to
1:50:04 move forward
1:50:05 the policy that has some thresholds that if there’s a vote it
1:50:08 doesn’t pass if
1:50:09 there’s a vote and it’s improved then it moves forward and then
1:50:11 the process
1:50:12 follows stuff but I would like to have a discussion at a board
1:50:14 workshop and bring
1:50:16 it forward and that’s what I’m asking for okay I need can I jump
1:50:19 go ahead I’m
1:50:20 currently we don’t even have a decision I don’t have anything
1:50:23 that says that
1:50:24 SAC is the one that votes I mean could you principle do it on
1:50:26 their own I mean
1:50:27 I don’t think they would do that none of our principles would do
1:50:29 that but you
1:50:30 know it’s not it’s not clear where you know where the final
1:50:33 decision lies so is
1:50:35 that say that you mean that you will support us moving towards a
1:50:37 workshop on
1:50:38 policy okay I’m not going to know I’m not going to because for
1:50:46 umpteen years
1:50:47 we have not had a policy on mascots and our schools have done a
1:50:50 great job of
1:50:52 picking the mascots and it isn’t just the principal and it isn’t
1:50:55 just the
1:50:55 students it is the whole community so we are now getting
1:51:00 involved in to me
1:51:02 running the school which is to me the principal and the
1:51:06 community’s job so no
1:51:07 I’m I will not be supporting us going forward with the policy
1:51:12 and I follow up with miss um it is our duty as our school board
1:51:18 members to run
1:51:19 our schools run our programs and everything else um I do believe
1:51:23 that the
1:51:24 community should be involved in that piece in the beginning um I
1:51:27 do believe
1:51:28 that this is an area where we should have a policy in place but
1:51:31 I disagree
1:51:32 with letting them run the school I understand the autonomy of
1:51:35 that but we
1:51:37 are governance and we are budget and if there’s a policy that
1:51:39 needs to be put
1:51:40 into place I think that um I truly believe also that if we leave
1:51:46 it up to a
1:51:46 non-majority group to change the mascot in a community that does
1:51:53 not have it
1:51:53 supported by the others and we don’t show it with transparency
1:51:56 and
1:51:56 accountability and clarity that we run into a problem so that’s
1:52:00 why we have
1:52:01 policies so I would argue that I would like to see us move
1:52:04 towards a workshop
1:52:05 on and bring forward and we have other examples and stuff like
1:52:09 that but I would
1:52:10 like you to do it in a workshop forum rather than a 10-minute
1:52:13 discussion at
1:52:14 the end of our thing that’s all and if you guys don’t feel like
1:52:16 that then we
1:52:16 don’t do it and go from there
1:52:21 so
1:52:27 we have kind of had the practice as a governing body that if one
1:52:32 of the board
1:52:32 members wants to have a discussion on something we we have a
1:52:35 discussion on it
1:52:36 and so I think that’s a good practice for us as a team
1:52:40 regardless of how we
1:52:41 feel that we take the time to have the discussion right I have
1:52:46 some concerns
1:52:47 about a couple of the things that you recommend mr. Susan it’s
1:52:53 not
1:52:58 I feel like it’s difficult to grasp exactly what it is that you
1:53:01 are wanting
1:53:02 us to look at so for example I struggle with doing a vote before
1:53:08 there’s been an
1:53:10 opportunity to educate because I feel like people aren’t
1:53:14 necessarily voting
1:53:16 based on knowledge they’re just voting on on gut feeling right
1:53:20 so if you for
1:53:21 example require that we’re going to survey the parents the
1:53:25 students and did
1:53:26 you say past presidents take it take opinion from past
1:53:29 presidents of students
1:53:30 the student body presidents who have been there and given what
1:53:34 they believe
1:53:34 they may say you know what you’re right we tried to do this for
1:53:38 years and this
1:53:39 is a great thing but let that tradition come into the what we’re
1:53:42 trying to do
1:53:43 that’s all and I like the inclusion of the past presidents but I
1:53:48 think where we
1:53:49 get into really sticky waters is
1:53:54 our our community owns our schools all of the taxpayers of the
1:54:00 county own
1:54:01 our schools right so yes there is the aspect of the teachers the
1:54:07 students the
1:54:08 parents that I absolutely think their input should be included
1:54:13 but I don’t
1:54:14 think that we can limit to that I think we have to have the
1:54:17 community aspect and
1:54:19 then I’m not sure how we set a certain threshold so if we’re
1:54:24 going to ask
1:54:25 everyone who is zoned for that school like every resident in
1:54:29 that geographic
1:54:31 area to weigh in are we going to say in the situation of Edgewood
1:54:37 them being a
1:54:37 choice school people you know what I mean I just I think it’s
1:54:40 hard to nail
1:54:40 down especially to say prior to even beginning conversation
1:54:44 around the issue
1:54:44 we’re going to require this threshold of a vote from whoever
1:54:51 before we even begin
1:54:52 the discussion like I said not not opposed to having the
1:54:56 conversation if
1:54:57 you would like to put that on an upcoming workshop schedule I
1:55:00 think we
1:55:01 can go into more depth but these are just some of the things
1:55:04 that came to
1:55:05 mind as you were we’re talking about the recommendation I still
1:55:10 and I’m absolute
1:55:12 that I don’t think it should be a board decision I think it
1:55:14 should be a school
1:55:14 based decision and if we want to as miss Campbell referenced
1:55:20 before established
1:55:21 minimum criteria for input I’m not necessarily opposed to doing
1:55:26 that but I
1:55:26 am not interested in making it a board decision I think it needs
1:55:30 to be a
1:55:30 decision of the parents the students the teachers and the
1:55:33 community members that
1:55:34 it would impact
1:55:39 miss Belford thank you so difficulty to grasp I get it like you’re
1:55:45 trying to
1:55:45 figure out do you do a referendum within the school the limits
1:55:48 that’s very
1:55:49 difficult and you’re right in the cost and everything else over
1:55:51 a mascot that’s
1:55:52 not fair to do to the process because that would bog it down but
1:55:56 I don’t think
1:55:57 I hear anybody in here saying that they’re against a vote by the
1:56:01 student
1:56:01 body a vote by the teachers they just it’s a different time
1:56:05 period of where it
1:56:06 is after education which is fair that’s fair I mean if somebody
1:56:10 wants to make a
1:56:10 point and make an argument we have to give that platform so I
1:56:13 guess that’s
1:56:14 what part of what I would like to do is figure out where that
1:56:17 that vote would
1:56:18 occur where that threshold how right in a board discussion I
1:56:22 truly believe that
1:56:24 there needs to be somehow a policy here and I agree with you I
1:56:29 think you said it
1:56:30 should be the board’s decision not a school-based decision not
1:56:35 be the board’s
1:56:35 decision try to put words there but but the we can make a policy
1:56:40 that it is a
1:56:41 school-based decision but at least we have an infrastructure
1:56:44 that we can work
1:56:45 with them and I think that if we can get there it just really
1:56:49 bothers me that in
1:56:50 my experience in governance that that this is something that we’re
1:56:53 just
1:56:54 allowing tools to just go do and it with with such a hot-button
1:56:57 issue that’s all
1:56:58 so if you can put it on a board workshop and we don’t mind doing
1:57:02 that with the
1:57:03 idea that it’s framed around a part where there’s an education
1:57:06 piece and
1:57:07 then a vote depending on there I would love to have that
1:57:12 discussion
1:57:12 or numbers are you open for that discussion of establishing some
1:57:18 minimum
1:57:18 criteria ask a question does anyone know offhand how many times
1:57:25 this is actually
1:57:25 happened in our County yes secondary so the other thing and I
1:57:35 know that this is
1:57:35 going to sound almost like I’m mocking and I don’t mean that by
1:57:40 any means
1:57:40 whatsoever but then you know what if they want to change their
1:57:44 school color
1:57:44 are we going to create a policy to change school colors we’ve
1:57:49 actually had
1:57:50 that issue and that has been handled at the school level oftentimes
1:57:53 the
1:57:53 complaints do come to the board level but it’s been handled
1:57:58 I just seems seems equivalent to me almost one of the challenges
1:58:04 and this is
1:58:04 going to be I believe you can correct me if I remember
1:58:08 incorrectly but um but
1:58:10 there’s not no other school board that mr. Gibbs had found has a
1:58:16 policy based
1:58:17 on now so we’re gonna have a you have to build this one from
1:58:20 scratch and my
1:58:21 Hillsborough has one it is very basic it says more or less we
1:58:27 direct the
1:58:27 superintendent to develop a procedure for changing a mascot
1:58:35 so there’s that I’m assuming then then there’s no policy
1:58:37 template from Yola no
1:58:40 there’s not
1:58:45 so are we comfortable with preserving time on a board workshop
1:58:50 to have
1:58:51 additional discussion on a minimum procedure for this type of
1:58:58 thing in the
1:58:58 future
1:59:05 does that mean that you have to know it doesn’t mean a part of
1:59:09 this is process
1:59:09 obviously so I know it just means as I said typically if a board
1:59:14 member wants
1:59:15 to have discussion around something we honor the request for
1:59:18 that I think dr.
1:59:19 Sullivan has worked very closely with the process at Edgewood
1:59:23 and can probably
1:59:24 provide a pretty thorough outline of the process and things that
1:59:29 have taken place
1:59:31 that we could take a look at and see if they’re you know
1:59:35 questions concerns
1:59:36 there so and it’s you know we’re not setting a specific date but
1:59:41 for when we
1:59:42 have an open workshop session moving forward we can preserve
1:59:46 some time for
1:59:47 that discussion mr. Gibbs you look poised to speak as well I was
1:59:49 just gonna
1:59:50 say I’m happy to work with mr. Susan on a whatever he struck to
1:59:53 try and put what
1:59:54 he is envisioning into words that might help the board kind of
1:59:59 grasp for what he
2:00:00 is trying to do so you can then evaluate that and tweak it if
2:00:04 you want I would
2:00:05 like to have it to where there’s a threshold that needs to be
2:00:09 voted on to
2:00:10 where the majority of the individuals that are involved in that
2:00:13 school approve
2:00:15 it so that there’s not a way that a small minority and pass
2:00:18 something that
2:00:20 the majority doesn’t want I’m not saying that from the board
2:00:22 level I’m saying
2:00:23 that from the school level that’s it and I would like that as
2:00:27 part of the process
2:00:31 thank you mr. Gibbs for offering to work through that process
2:00:34 and we appreciate
2:00:35 you additional discussion points mr. Susan you requested that we
2:00:39 discuss the
2:00:40 Harry Timor yeah and may I ask that mr. Gibbs have an
2:00:45 opportunity to
2:00:48 you want to provide an update are you at a point where you can
2:00:51 provide an update
2:00:52 of those concerns do you want to have board members speak to you
2:00:55 individually
2:00:55 on that or I haven’t finished yet so I’m not really to a
2:00:58 concluding point okay I
2:01:01 know that no one has efficient no other district has officially
2:01:05 reinstated that
2:01:06 we could find someone as far as saying we’re rescinding the
2:01:10 termination they
2:01:11 have passed resolutions acknowledging past wrong if you will and
2:01:16 they’ve read
2:01:17 those into the record and passed like proclamations and
2:01:20 resolutions but I have
2:01:21 not found her no we’re reinstating someone terminated after they’re
2:01:25 deceased and my understanding for the reasoning for that is that
2:01:31 there are
2:01:32 potential legal ramifications of doing so there could be yes but
2:01:36 that’s what I
2:01:37 don’t have a grasp on yet
2:01:42 so where I wanted to speak in the scope of it was as a teacher I
2:01:47 was one of the
2:01:48 individuals that worked with the school district on getting kids
2:01:52 from the high
2:01:53 schools up to the Harry Timor Center every year right and we
2:01:57 took you know
2:01:58 the kids and forget how many kids we targeted and we brought him
2:02:01 up there we
2:02:01 went through the tour and I always thought that that was really
2:02:04 good but
2:02:05 what we don’t do is incorporate what he was and what he did into
2:02:09 our curriculum
2:02:10 and I think that that is what we’re missing here is that our
2:02:15 kids can go for
2:02:16 a field trip for the day and they will learn but what we don’t
2:02:20 have is but it’s
2:02:22 just it’s very difficult to reinforce that piece and it’s
2:02:26 something that I
2:02:28 think that we should move forward with entering inside of our
2:02:31 local Florida
2:02:32 curriculum both either in 8th grade American history or the 10th
2:02:35 grade
2:02:36 African American history class that we have we can add that and
2:02:43 so what
2:02:46 I know but think about it if you’re teaching in fourth grade can
2:02:51 you talk
2:02:52 about lynchings can you talk about all the things that are going
2:02:54 on in there
2:02:55 with the descriptive side that that occurred during that time I
2:02:59 think it’s
2:02:59 difficult so I think that I would like to add it in and it’s
2:03:02 something that as
2:03:03 an American history teacher American government teacher I think
2:03:06 that I have a
2:03:06 little bit of experience in doing that I think that I would like
2:03:11 to work with the
2:03:12 Harry Timor Foundation to create a supplemental piece that we
2:03:15 can use for
2:03:15 the teachers to use so that when they get to the civil rights
2:03:18 they can say
2:03:19 that this was an individual that was within the community that
2:03:22 did this and
2:03:22 start because I think we miss it there so I’m in favor of doing
2:03:26 the fourth
2:03:27 grade I’m in favor of going a little bit further and doing it
2:03:29 and that’s what I
2:03:30 wanted to say I too am supportive of the concept absolutely I
2:03:35 think there are a
2:03:35 lot of pieces to work through obviously we currently aren’t
2:03:39 doing field trips
2:03:39 which poses a challenge for doing field trips to the virtual but
2:03:44 yes
2:03:45 potentially virtual and and you know that may help to overcome a
2:03:48 funding
2:03:48 issue as well because that’s that’s gonna be a big challenge to
2:03:51 transport
2:03:52 students typically those the big field trips like that are you
2:03:56 know covered by
2:03:58 the right schools foundation donations and that sort of thing so
2:04:02 yeah certainly
2:04:02 some hurdles there but I don’t think anything that we can’t work
2:04:06 through as
2:04:07 far as doing some work on that and dr. Mullins correct me if I’m
2:04:13 wrong but I
2:04:14 think that fits into some of our equity priorities going forward
2:04:18 so perhaps yeah
2:04:20 as a matter of fact I’d love to point out dr. Danielle McClendon
2:04:23 is here this
2:04:24 evening our director of equity and diversity and already
2:04:27 connected her with
2:04:29 mr. Colucci and mr. Savage to continue the conversation and see
2:04:33 what we can do
2:04:34 have you guys all rang the bell at Harry T Moore right Wow and
2:04:40 it sets a message
2:04:41 and I think our kids need to do that I think they need to feel
2:04:45 that Bell I
2:04:45 think they need to hit that thing because it’s something that
2:04:49 that I think
2:04:50 is memorable I have one quick discussion point that I did not
2:04:57 add to the agenda
2:04:57 but if you all would be so kind as to indulge me we had our
2:05:03 central Florida
2:05:04 Public School Board coalition meeting I think Friday Russ and I
2:05:10 were in
2:05:11 attendance and just for some information this particular meeting
2:05:14 they pulled in
2:05:15 the in-house lobbyists from all of the other member districts
2:05:18 from the central
2:05:19 Florida School Board coalition and they each provided us some
2:05:23 legislative
2:05:24 updates and there are a couple you all may already be aware but
2:05:28 I just want to
2:05:29 make sure that these things are mentioned so you probably are
2:05:35 aware that
2:05:36 the legislature is having their organizational meeting this
2:05:38 evening as
2:05:39 well and so initial leadership has been appointed in both the
2:05:42 Senate and the
2:05:43 house that’ll be made official this evening and then you know
2:05:48 additional
2:05:48 leader leadership positions will be identified a couple of
2:05:51 changes and the
2:05:52 house typically only allows six bills per legislator they’re
2:05:55 actually allowing
2:05:56 them seven bills per legislator this year and about ten more
2:05:59 days to get
2:05:59 their bills in the this one not so much impacting us because we
2:06:07 don’t have any
2:06:07 individual appropriation requests but one of the things that
2:06:10 they said was in
2:06:11 previous years if we put in an individual appropriation request
2:06:14 for
2:06:14 Brevard County Lake for our welding program or a manufacturing
2:06:17 program those
2:06:17 sorts of things there was a tendency for us to put in if we
2:06:21 needed five hundred
2:06:22 thousand we might request seven hundred and fifty thousand
2:06:24 knowing we’re
2:06:25 probably not gonna get the full allocation and maybe we could
2:06:28 still
2:06:28 cover with whatever allocation they gave they are pushing back
2:06:31 pretty hard on
2:06:32 that from the appropriations leadership and saying that they
2:06:37 want us to keep our
2:06:39 requests very close and that any organization requesting those
2:06:43 individual
2:06:44 appropriations must file an attestation as to how those funds
2:06:47 will be used and
2:06:48 what the actual cost of the project is
2:06:54 many of the subcommittees have been identified they did add an
2:06:58 additional
2:06:59 subcommittee the pandemic and health emergency committee has
2:07:04 been formed in
2:07:05 the legislature and so they’ll be looking at some of the issues
2:07:09 around
2:07:09 COVID a couple of the big things though that I think are
2:07:13 important and
2:07:17 disappointing at the same time last year as you all know we had
2:07:22 a significant hit
2:07:24 on FRS increasing the amount of money that the district had to
2:07:28 pay to FRS and
2:07:29 the state is anticipating another three hundred and milk three
2:07:33 hundred and
2:07:33 eighty million dollar shortfall in FRS this year and we know
2:07:37 that education
2:07:39 and health are the two biggest areas of the budget and so we are
2:07:44 likely to carry
2:07:45 the brunt of that FRS increase as a district again and the
2:07:49 governor’s
2:07:50 recommendation is a ten dollar increase in the BSA last year we
2:07:55 had a seventy
2:07:56 five dollar increase in the BSA the recommendation this year is
2:07:58 only a ten
2:07:59 dollar increase in the BSA plus an additional increase in the FRS
2:08:02 as well
2:08:03 as potential adjustments to budget based on state shortfall so
2:08:08 just important I
2:08:09 think for us to keep in keep an eye on that multiple times it
2:08:13 was mentioned
2:08:14 that we need to be very careful with the dollars that we have
2:08:17 because they’re not
2:08:21 anticipating good news for us budget-wise for a few years to
2:08:26 come
2:08:29 there it there was some discussion about accountability and
2:08:34 school grades
2:08:36 the with the state requiring the prior prior prior year for
2:08:41 making school
2:08:43 grades as opposed to just prior year the problem with the way
2:08:47 that it was
2:08:48 presented to us initially with the prior prior year which was
2:08:51 what was was
2:08:51 presented by our team with their concerns is that the statute
2:08:55 actually
2:08:55 requires prior year so they are anticipating that there will be
2:08:58 a
2:08:58 changes change in the statute to potentially allow prior prior
2:09:02 year for
2:09:03 calculation which I don’t know that that’s a good thing for us
2:09:07 but I think
2:09:08 those were the big highlights of the meeting there was a some
2:09:13 discussion
2:09:15 about the teachers salary allocation and some concerns the hope
2:09:21 seemingly across
2:09:22 our committee is that we get the same amount this year that we
2:09:27 got last year
2:09:28 it seems to be very little hope that we will get an additional
2:09:32 increase and that
2:09:32 teacher salary allocation this year and as you all know
2:09:36 potentially that would
2:09:38 mean if we did not get the same amount of dollars we would have
2:09:41 to make up
2:09:41 dollars because we have those salary commitments so lots of
2:09:46 really bright
2:09:47 news as we just begin to convene our our legislators for this
2:09:53 session but I will
2:09:55 continue to pass that information along as it comes and we’ll do
2:09:59 our best to
2:09:59 stay on top of it and I think you all received the FSBA final
2:10:03 platforms for
2:10:05 state as well as federal billions and fed out to you all
2:10:08 yesterday they did
2:10:11 not the only pretty much the only thing they picked up from ours
2:10:13 was mental
2:10:14 health increases so they didn’t take the freaking did not take
2:10:17 the pre-k they’re
2:10:18 still digging their heels in on me yeah okay yep can I say
2:10:23 something to the tail
2:10:24 end of what you said sure um this is gonna be the biggest fight
2:10:28 of our lives
2:10:28 for budget and just because the state tells us that this is what
2:10:32 we have
2:10:33 doesn’t mean that we have to take it it doesn’t mean that we
2:10:36 have to take what
2:10:37 they say this is our budget our taxes locally going to them they
2:10:43 then make the
2:10:44 decision up there to us that does not mean that we have to sit
2:10:49 back and allow
2:10:50 them to tell us what we’re going to get we can fight for our
2:10:54 taxes from our
2:10:55 community to go to us the right way and that’s not being
2:11:01 negative that’s telling
2:11:02 them what we as individuals feel is important to us we just had
2:11:08 a massive
2:11:09 support for a half penny that means our communities behind this
2:11:14 school district we don’t need to sit back and say yes sir thank
2:11:19 you for
2:11:19 giving me this let’s go fight for it let’s go tell them what we
2:11:23 want for
2:11:23 education and make it known we consistently are standing there
2:11:27 we go we
2:11:28 shake hands we go up to the Capitol once a year let’s go let’s
2:11:30 go make it known
2:11:31 that this is the time to fight for education we’re all losing
2:11:35 budgets I’ve
2:11:35 watched this in 2000 I watched this when I worked in the Capitol
2:11:39 building I was
2:11:40 an intern in 1998 in the Capitol building I was up there in 2000
2:11:44 to 2004
2:11:45 when the budgets start cutting and they just decided to do a
2:11:47 straight cut across
2:11:48 the boards advocacy gets us to where we are and if we sit back
2:11:52 and allow them to
2:11:53 do that to us we’re just going to get pinned and I just don’t
2:11:56 have it in me
2:11:57 anymore to just sit back so I’m going to start start going up
2:12:00 more often and then
2:12:01 I’d appreciate the support when we go and if FSBA doesn’t want
2:12:04 to pick up the
2:12:04 hat the pre-k I’ll get it done well and I would remind you mr.
2:12:11 Susan that that
2:12:11 still is one of our local priorities so I don’t I don’t think
2:12:15 any of us are
2:12:16 backing down on those things that we identified here locally
2:12:18 please don’t let
2:12:19 me think that I’m just fired up right now because I’m tired of
2:12:22 people telling
2:12:22 us stuff very good I would Campbell add to one of the other
2:12:28 things that will
2:12:29 impact us moving forward is that was passed on election night
2:12:33 was the
2:12:35 amendment two or three to increasing the minimum wage to ten
2:12:43 dollars an hour
2:12:43 starting in September and that doesn’t we don’t get any
2:12:47 additional funding we
2:12:48 don’t have a lot of positions below ten dollars but that will be
2:12:52 impacting us
2:12:53 for the next five six years so we just need to be cognizant of
2:12:56 that moving
2:12:58 forward starting with next year’s but it I know dark months they’re
2:13:01 already very
2:13:02 look at that there’s massive increases in kindergarten coming
2:13:06 back because kids
2:13:07 are keeping parents are keeping their kids back in pre-k because
2:13:10 of this we’re
2:13:10 gonna see an increase in massive increase of teachers and into
2:13:13 the
2:13:13 kindergarten our budgets are going to be fluxing everywhere for
2:13:16 them to start
2:13:17 cutting back at a time when we’re gonna need it’s it there’s a
2:13:20 lot of good
2:13:21 arguments to be made in this Campbell and I say we start to make
2:13:24 them don’t
2:13:25 hold back as soon as they come back
2:13:33 I do have to go tell you let’s go there’s nobody yet well they’re
2:13:41 busy no
2:13:42 they’re there right now I know where they are they’re there yes
2:13:44 they’re all
2:13:45 there right now all right anyone else any other board members
2:13:50 have additional
2:13:51 for discussion items then dr. Mullen’s you have a superintendent’s
2:13:56 report not
2:13:56 tonight thank you all right there being no there being no
2:14:08 further business this
2:14:09 meeting is now adjourned have a great night
2:14:21 you