Updates on the Fight for Quality Public Education in Brevard County, FL
0:00 We’ll be right back.
0:19 Brevard County is a community on the move as one of the fastest
0:22 growing counties in the state with increased business
0:28 opportunities, a booming
0:28 in Brevard County means being where the action is, and in the
0:31 middle of that action is Brevard Public Schools.
0:36 Brevard Public Schools is a community leader actively working to
0:40 shape young lives into individuals capable of making real world
0:46 impact.
0:47 Accessibility is of high importance, and as such, 84 schools are
0:52 offered throughout the county, spanning from Mims to Palm Bay.
0:57 While we’re proud to be in a district with a 90% graduation rate,
1:02 Brevard ensures students have every opportunity to succeed.
1:06 This can be seen in the 414 graduates who earned their associate’s
1:10 degree while still in high school, and the 47% of graduates who
1:14 earned certificates in STEM and CTE courses.
1:19 Showcasing national leadership in career and technical education,
1:23 Brevard students dominate in science, with seven high schools
1:27 ranked as America’s best for STEM.
1:30 For those students interested in other areas of study, our
1:33 schools offer 82 different industry certifications, a unique
1:38 aviation assembly and fabrication program,
1:41 a top-notch robotics program, and a maritime program that uses
1:45 technology only found in one Florida high school right here in
1:50 Brevard.
1:51 All of our CTE programs prepare students for college and the
1:55 workforce, whether in automotive tech, 911 public safety, or
1:59 culinary.
2:00 These programs strengthen the future of our children and Brevard
2:04 County.
2:05 Not just available to high school students, CTE programs are in
2:09 middle school and, yes, elementary schools too.
2:13 When it comes to academics, our students shine using a robust AP
2:17 program, dual enrollment, Cambridge program, International Baccalaureate
2:21 program, and National Honor Society.
2:25 If you want the best educators in Florida, they’re inside Brevard
2:28 classrooms.
2:30 Experienced, energized teachers and staff are leading our kids
2:34 from kindergarten to graduation.
2:37 At Brevard Public Schools, the sky is not the limit. We aim for
2:41 beyond.
3:01 Apollo Elementary was built in 1966 right in the middle of the
3:01 Apollo program, which brought the astronauts to the moon.
3:09 This school has a special place in Titusville because of that,
3:09 and I think it’s important for us to continue our relationship
3:09 with Kennedy Space Center and the space program.
3:19 The best thing about the school, it’s an environment where
3:19 students are nurtured, where they are given what they need to
3:19 become global citizens,
3:27 where everybody works together collaboratively so that they can
3:30 be successful.
3:32 My favorite thing about Apollo is just the culture that it
3:35 promotes. The teachers are kind and they work together, and the
3:39 students respond well to them.
3:42 When you have everybody working together, it just makes a
3:44 stronger school. Just being such a tight-knit community, we
3:48 really want to work with those kids that maybe are struggling in
3:52 an area.
3:53 We work a lot with the kids that maybe are excelling academically.
3:57 We have a lot of programs.
3:58 We will make sure that every child is taken care of, no matter
4:01 what the need is. They know no matter what when they go home
4:04 that they’re loved, and we just want to see Apollo continue to
4:08 succeed.
4:09 It is really easy at Apollo to make friends, and I got lots of
4:14 great friends here. I really love how the teachers helped me
4:18 here at Apollo Elementary.
4:21 I actually want to be an astrophysicist when I grow up because
4:25 of all the space-type things we do here at Apollo.
4:29 We actually have a moon tree. There are seeds that they took to
4:32 space and took them back, and one of them is actually planted
4:35 right in front of the school.
4:37 It’s really great to walk through the school knowing that this
4:41 school has a part of history that we’ll forever live on in our
4:45 lives.
4:51 [music]
4:56 My favorite thing about Astronaut High School are the students.
4:59 The students make everything that we do worthwhile.
5:02 I think the most unique aspect about our school is that we serve
5:06 a diverse population.
5:08 [music]
5:11 We have outstanding, experienced educators who really put the
5:14 students first and celebrate our ability to serve our students
5:17 here at Astronaut High.
5:19 My favorite thing about Astronaut High School is the community.
5:22 The culture is about every student being successful.
5:25 From the moment you step in here, it’s a different feeling.
5:28 There is no other school like Astronaut High School.
5:31 We are just here to support our students, support our community,
5:33 because we are a family.
5:35 There is something for everyone here at Astronaut. From
5:38 accelerated academic programs like our AP Academy to our career
5:41 and technical programs such as welding, construction, and
5:45 nursing,
5:46 we have great opportunities for all of our students.
5:49 We have a group of teachers who feel like Astronaut High School
5:53 is home. They’re truly invested in the students and they want to
5:56 see them succeed.
5:57 The connection between our administration, it’s what makes this
6:00 school work and it’s what makes this such a special place.
6:04 I feel like everyone’s really involved here and it’s a really
6:07 positive environment.
6:09 Everyone here is like a family. Everyone’s here to support you
6:13 and make sure that you succeed in everything that you do.
6:17 My favorite thing about Astronaut High is just the experience
6:19 and the friendships I have here at the school and the
6:22 relationships I build here.
6:24 There’s many things that you can do here at Astronaut High
6:26 School and they give you so many opportunities.
6:28 The teachers really do care about your future. Astronaut High
6:30 School just gives me that home feeling.
6:32 If I could describe Astronaut High School in one word, it would
6:35 be passion. Family. Community. Excellence. Learning. Special.
6:40 It would definitely be pride.
6:53 Upon arriving to this campus, they’re going to arrive to an
6:56 atmosphere of caring faculty. Teachers are energetic about what
7:01 they do. Their passion is undeniable.
7:02 Their reputation is undeniable throughout the county and not
7:05 just throughout the county, throughout the state of Florida.
7:09 Whether the student has ambition to go to Harvard or Yale or to
7:13 be a machinist at the Cape or one of our local industries, those
7:18 opportunities exist and they’re well-rounded for any student.
7:23 Whether it’s in the classroom, the athletic department, our
7:26 clubs and activities, our JROTC program, which is a very popular
7:30 program here at Bayside High School.
7:32 Even our BLAST program, which is students that have graduated
7:35 but have decided to continue on in their education, they have
7:39 real world experience in transitioning from school to
7:42 independent living.
7:44 I can’t say enough wonderful things about the CTE department and
7:47 all of the variety of courses we offer from machining to
7:51 culinary, TV productions, drafting.
7:54 Not only do we have world-class instructors, but we have world-class
7:57 equipment. There are a lot of academic opportunities here for
8:00 kids at Bayside High School.
8:02 The dual enrollment program and the early admissions program is
8:04 where students can enroll in Eastern Florida classes and if they
8:07 complete the program, they can graduate with their AA degree and
8:09 their high school diploma.
8:11 We have a wide variety of AP courses here that they can take on
8:14 campus and earn college credit for. There’s something for
8:18 everyone.
8:19 The staff definitely does care about us here. I feel like they
8:22 tailor us in a certain way so that we all feel comfortable
8:24 learning certain things because not everyone’s the same.
8:28 They really try to make it beneficial and comfortable for
8:30 everyone.
8:31 At Bayside High School, I always feel like staff and faculty are
8:34 putting in extra stuff forward when it comes to their student
8:37 success.
8:38 They’re very easy to reach out to and will always help you with
8:40 anything academic related and non-academic related.
8:43 The people you’ll meet here are just wonderful and they’re super
8:45 easy to get along with.
8:47 The community is just fantastic.
9:02 In Heritage High School, you can find a lot of different
9:02 cultures, diversity, and everybody respect each other. It’s kind
9:10 of like a really, really big family.
9:14 We have very successful students that are striving for
9:17 excellence in many different ways.
9:20 We have Cambridge programs, we have dual enrollment, we have CTE
9:25 programs, automotive programs, the Academy of Environmental
9:28 Water and Technology have a very strong athletic program.
9:32 And then, of course, we have the best band in the business and
9:35 our performing arts programs are very good also.
9:38 So all types of opportunities here at Heritage High School for a
9:41 well-rounded student that enjoys the performing arts, that
9:44 enjoys athletics, but also has college and career in the back of
9:47 their mind.
9:48 My favorite thing, honestly, has to be our Cambridge program.
9:51 The kids have a chance of earning college credit while they’re
9:53 right here on campus with us.
9:55 If the students earn their Cambridge diploma and also get 100
9:57 hours of community service, they qualify for Bright Futures,
10:00 which will pay for their college for up to a four-year degree
10:02 plus a book stipend.
10:04 Our kids, they get along, our teachers, they love them, and we
10:07 hear this back and forth from the kids.
10:09 We have visitors that come onto campus and they make comment
10:11 about how pleasant our kids are to interact with.
10:14 We are inclusive, we are robust, and your kids will feel welcome
10:19 here.
10:20 I feel like the staff here really does care about the students’
10:24 success and just their well-being.
10:27 We have great teachers here to get you prepared for the exams.
10:31 Here at Heritage, you can do everything at once. I can manage TV
10:34 productions, live stream all the football games, and earn my
10:37 Cambridge diploma at the same time.
10:39 I love being a student here because it’s so easy to meet new
10:41 people.
10:42 People aren’t segregated into their groups of band kids or
10:45 athletes or this or that.
10:47 Everybody mixes together, so you can really make a lot of
10:49 different friends at once.
11:01 Imperial’s a fun place to be. The school is family, and that’s
11:05 what my classroom is.
11:07 You, as a parent, become part of the family. You work close with
11:10 the teachers. The teachers know each student.
11:13 I have third graders that come to my door to wave at me and tell
11:16 me good morning. So it’s just a family atmosphere.
11:21 Your child’s coming to a school that they’re going to feel the
11:24 love. They’re going to feel that we care about them and their
11:28 growth.
11:29 We have a lot of teachers and staff members that put in the
11:33 extra effort and time to get to know our kids and work with our
11:37 kids.
11:38 You come here because we do have quality educators, and we
11:42 thrive ourselves on getting better and doing our best with our
11:47 students in the classroom and outside of it.
11:52 We have some great programs, the robotics program. We have
11:55 wonderful computerized programs where we’re dealing with
11:58 technologies.
11:59 And we have a great art program where students can stay after
12:01 school and, you know, work on their creativity.
12:04 The students are able to help each other out. They’ve got a lot
12:08 of spark.
12:09 Everyone’s helpful and friendly. And like, if you don’t know
12:13 something, if you just ask someone, they’ll lead you the right
12:15 way.
12:16 You can be yourself and no one will make fun of you.
12:19 This is a special school that is always wondrous to come to in
12:24 the morning.
12:26 They’re really special because these teachers, they’ve taught
12:29 you for years and they know you.
12:32 They know your family. They know all of you, basically.
12:45 We have the greatest kids, we have the greatest teachers, and we
12:47 have an outstanding community.
12:49 We believe in every child’s ability to learn, and we believe it’s
12:52 our responsibility as educators to create access for them, to
12:56 access the educational world and have the success that they
12:59 deserve.
13:03 We are an AVID school. We’re one of the few AVID elementaries,
13:05 one of only two here in Brevard schools.
13:08 And AVID, I believe, really helps create the purpose for why
13:10 students come to school.
13:12 It helps them understand what elementary school is going to do
13:14 for them in the future.
13:16 We have a lot of great programs like our drone teams, our sea
13:19 perch teams.
13:21 We have STEM clubs and STEAM clubs. We have orchestra.
13:24 They’ve been growing vegetables in the garden. They’re learning
13:27 and exploring.
13:28 And I have no doubt that we’re cultivating the next generation
13:30 of thinkers, innovators, and creators.
13:33 And I’m very excited for what our kids are doing.
13:36 At Palm Bay Elementary, we have quite a few programs that are
13:38 unique.
13:39 We’re a Special Olympics Unified Champion School, so we’re super
13:42 proud of our large exceptional education program.
13:45 Part of that is our gifted student program.
13:48 Our kids are super involved in lots of different academic
13:50 competitions and different community events.
13:53 So we have a lot of opportunities for kids outside the classroom
13:56 to participate in authentic learning.
14:00 Palm Bay Elementary is a special place to work and learn and
14:03 grow because of our sense of community and our commitment to our
14:07 students.
14:09 We give them the platform to practice their leadership skills.
14:14 At Palm Bay Elementary, the teachers make you feel really
14:16 welcoming and comfortable here.
14:18 It feels like family. The first day you came here, it feels like
14:21 you’re automatically just a part of it.
14:25 What’s awesome about Palm Bay Elementary is where they always
14:28 have something new every year or a month.
14:30 They offer new clubs or more hands-on activities.
14:34 And I also like that you can make a lot of new friends in this
14:36 school and have opportunities to learn new things in the school.
14:50 We have really grown and really been able to offer some very
14:53 unique learning opportunities for students.
14:56 I fully believe that the school is one of the best kept secrets
14:59 in South Brevard.
15:01 We have anything and everything you can imagine, and you’re not
15:03 going to find much like this in the district.
15:07 We’re the only magnet high school in Brevard County where our
15:09 focus is STEAM.
15:11 We have so many opportunities within that.
15:14 Not only the rigorous courses such as dual enrollment and AP and
15:17 honors, we have a Pirate to Panther program
15:20 where you can take college courses at FIT while you’re in high
15:24 school.
15:25 It’s complementary to our students.
15:27 AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination.
15:30 We provide leadership and community service opportunities.
15:34 We have an AVID tutoring center. Students volunteer during their
15:37 lunch to help all students on campus.
15:40 So everybody gets support.
15:42 We all have one goal in mind, and that’s for our students to
15:45 succeed.
15:46 Palme Magnet High School is an emotionally safe environment.
15:49 Its diversity is its strength.
15:52 And when I say diversity, I don’t just mean cultural or
15:54 linguistic diversity.
15:56 We have a wide range of academic abilities.
15:59 We have a wide range of programs to meet every student at every
16:02 level that they come to us.
16:04 And we have such knowledgeable faculty, but they’re not just
16:07 knowledgeable.
16:08 They’re really genuinely caring, and they want to meet the
16:11 students where they are
16:13 and work to make them come up to where we need them to be and to
16:17 where they need themselves to be.
16:19 It’s been amazing. I’ve seen aspects both from in the classroom
16:23 and in sports.
16:24 We all support one another.
16:26 The coaches are great. They’re going to push you to be your best
16:28 on and off the court.
16:30 Our teammates are going to push each other. We know our
16:32 strengths and weaknesses,
16:33 and we continue to strive for the better for all of us and not
16:35 just individually.
16:37 One of the things you notice if you talk to any of the adults on
16:40 campus
16:41 is how much they genuinely care for the students here.
16:43 The goal of Palme Bay High is for everyone to feel included.
16:57 The culture of Port Malabar can be summed up as positive,
17:00 supportive.
17:02 Many of our teachers have their own kids enrolled here.
17:05 Many of the teachers were students themselves here,
17:07 so I’m very proud of that family-oriented, family-focused,
17:11 very warm, welcoming feeling that we have here at Port Malabar.
17:14 Academics and social-emotional growth will be the focal point,
17:18 and we will take pride in making sure your child grows and
17:21 progresses.
17:23 Port Malabar Elementary is an incredibly unique place for your
17:26 child to attend.
17:28 We have several unique programs. We have an exceptional gifted
17:32 program.
17:33 We focus on multiple intelligences such as art, music, STEM, and
17:37 the kids really shine.
17:39 The teachers take such good care of the kids here.
17:42 Honestly, safety is first, and after that, we just love your
17:45 children so much.
17:47 When you walk in, you can feel it. There’s love here. There’s
17:50 caring.
17:51 We take good care of the kids, and they want to come back every
17:53 day.
17:54 We also have five teachers that are bilingual, so we’re very
17:57 proud of that.
17:58 We try to have one per grade level, so if your student is
18:01 struggling with English,
18:02 we can accommodate them.
18:13 I like coming to school because the teachers care about me and
18:17 my own way.
18:19 My favorite thing at Port Malabar is recess because it’s the
18:23 time where you make new friends
18:26 and you get to spend time with them.
18:29 I feel like our teachers really do care about us, and they
18:32 comfort us when we may be having a bad day
18:34 or something’s going on either at school or at home.
18:37 It does feel really special when we’re recognized for our hard
18:39 work because of our Pelican Pride Awards.
18:42 Prepared, respectful, improved, dependable, and enthusiastic.
18:47 I’ve had a really fun time here at Port Malabar, and I totally
18:50 recommend it.
18:59 Riviera is a very open school.
19:01 We’ll do almost anything for our students in order to make sure
19:04 that they’re successful.
19:08 We do believe in that village mentality where it takes a full
19:10 village to raise a child.
19:12 The thing that excites me the most is we’re not stagnant.
19:15 Every year, our expectations here for our students expand, and
19:18 they get greater and greater.
19:20 What gets me excited about coming to work each day are the kids,
19:24 seeing them learn.
19:25 I enjoy greeting them in the morning, seeing their excitement
19:28 for coming to school every day,
19:30 and the positivity that they have knowing that no matter what
19:33 happens,
19:34 we’re here to support them and they’re safe while they’re here
19:36 doing it.
19:37 I’m really proud of the work that we’ve done at Riviera to make
19:39 our core academics really strong,
19:42 specifically in the areas of reading and math and science.
19:46 I am very proud of the fact that we’re all a tight-knit
19:49 community,
19:50 and we’re all working towards a common goal, which is for the
19:53 students to be successful.
19:55 We’re full of instructors and staff that reflect,
19:59 and so our number one goal is to make every day better than the
20:02 day before.
20:03 For me and my team, we love seeing the progression that the
20:06 students have.
20:08 The light bulb going off is basically why we do what we do.
20:12 We work hard with these students five days a week,
20:15 so you’re sitting with that student and those students working
20:18 hard.
20:19 And to see them progress, see them understand something, it
20:23 makes it all worth it.
20:26 For someone new coming to Riviera, you can expect kind people
20:30 and people that can help you.
20:32 They don’t just say the answer, they teach me how to get the
20:36 answer.
20:37 I like science because we get to do some experiments time to
20:41 time.
20:42 They provide kindness, respectfulness, and mostly fun.
20:58 I am a product of Brevard Public Schools.
21:00 I’ve been with Brevard Public Schools for approximately 18 years.
21:05 Southlake is an amazing school,
21:08 and what makes it special is the collaboration between the
21:12 teachers and the faculty.
21:21 Well, students have different learning styles,
21:24 and part of what we do in the Smart Lab is that choice.
21:28 If they’re interested in 3D printing, or video, or building,
21:34 engineering,
21:35 I think that giving students the opportunity to follow their
21:38 passions in the Smart Lab
21:40 helps with engagement, helps them find that success.
21:43 As students decide on the careers that they want to do,
21:48 what they learn here is really going to help them.
21:51 I love the fact that we honor, respect, and take ownership in
21:56 all the diversity
21:58 and the differences and uniquenesses of all of our teachers,
22:01 staff, and the students.
22:03 Every aspect of Southlake is a teaching opportunity.
22:07 Be ready to be enriched, get ready for the adventure of learning,
22:12 and not just having one teacher, but having 50 teachers.
22:15 Not just having one friend, but having hundreds of friends.
22:19 In my opinion, I really liked PE and the Smart Lab.
22:22 We do things on the computer and things with robots, and I
22:25 really like it.
22:27 You can go into school and go like, “Oh, I wonder what is going
22:30 to happen today,”
22:31 because there’s just new things every day to try.
22:35 For me, you can kind of like feel the friendliness about Southlake.
22:39 You can wave at people and they’ll wave back.
22:41 Like, you smile and they smile.
22:43 I love Southlake because of stuff like that.
22:54 When I talk to fellow people and I say I’m at Sunrise,
22:57 they say, “Oh, I’ve heard of that school. Oh, I know that school.”
23:00 It’s always for really amazing things.
23:07 We are making the kids more responsible for their learning now.
23:10 We are all here for the children and just holding them up to, I
23:14 think, higher expectations.
23:16 Knowing that we will reach every child here on whatever level
23:20 they need
23:21 is why they should come to Sunrise.
23:23 Sunrise Elementary is a school community
23:26 where it just radiates joy and love and a super passion for
23:31 learning.
23:32 Sunrise is well known for academic success and helping every
23:36 student shine.
23:38 Our teachers love what they do.
23:40 They learn right along with the students,
23:42 but they also collaborate with one another to plan and execute
23:47 amazing, fun, and engaging lessons.
23:49 And that’s what I want for the future of Sunrise Elementary
23:51 School.
23:52 I want our little sea turtles that come here to be able to come
23:54 start when they’re young,
23:56 grow up in our school, and we want to be able to help them meet
24:00 their full potential
24:02 and help them shine as they become young adults in the world.
24:06 We came up with three standards that aligned with our core
24:09 values,
24:10 which is be safe, work hard, and be nice.
24:12 And we run our day-to-day lives here at Sunrise that way,
24:16 and we recognize students and staff and faculty that follow that
24:19 mindset.
24:20 You know, it’s just a great guideline of what you should be
24:22 doing at all times.
24:24 Every teacher’s classroom rules, aligns with the Sunrise
24:27 standards.
24:28 You can ask any student and they’ll tell you what the Sunrise
24:30 standards are.
24:31 We really work on having those kids take ownership of their
24:33 behavior.
24:35 All the teachers care about all the students, and all the
24:37 students look up to the teachers.
24:39 But it’s very kind, everybody’s very nice, and it’s just a great
24:43 place to be.
24:45 All the teachers, they’re wonderful. They don’t treat the
24:46 students differently.
24:48 They treat all the students the same.
24:51 They never treat you because of how smart you are, they treat
24:53 you because of who you are.
25:18 [no speech detected]
26:48 [BLANK_AUDIO]
29:48 [MUSIC]
30:18 » Good evening.
30:19 I’m happy to welcome my fellow board members and the public and
30:22 call the October 26th, 2021 school board meeting to order.
30:26 This is a business meeting of the board held in the public.
30:28 As such, the board is authorized to adopt rules or
30:31 policies to maintain orderly conduct and proper decorum in a
30:34 public meeting.
30:35 Please note that your presence here is subject to those rules
30:35 and policies.
30:38 Pursuant to Florida Statute 877.13, it is unlawful and a
30:38 misdemeanor of the second
30:43 degree, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
30:47 For any person knowingly to disrupt or interfere with the lawful
30:51 administration
30:51 or functions of any educational institution or school board.
30:55 Or knowingly to advise counsel or instruct any school pupil or
30:59 school employee to
31:00 disrupt any school or school board function or activity on
31:03 school board property.
31:05 To facilitate board business, please be aware of the following.
31:08 The current emergency face mask mandate states that if Brevard
31:11 County reaches
31:12 a level of 50 COVID cases per 100,000 people,
31:15 the superintendent could transition the mask mandate from having
31:18 a medical
31:18 exemption to having a parental opt out for students, which
31:21 happened on Friday.
31:23 However, adults are still required to wear a face mask covering
31:25 the nose and
31:26 mouth while on school board property unless social distancing of
31:29 six feet
31:29 can be maintained or you have provided a medical exemption.
31:34 The appropriate place for public participation in the meeting is
31:37 during
31:37 your individual public comment opportunity as identified in the
31:41 agenda.
31:41 Outside of your individual public comment opportunity, your role
31:45 in the meeting
31:46 is as an observer.
31:48 Once again, this is a meeting for board business held in the
31:51 public.
31:51 Our agenda is quite lengthy and I will take appropriate measures
31:54 to ensure we
31:55 are able to continue with board business without interruption.
31:58 I will ask persons deemed to be knowingly or intentionally
32:00 disrupting this meeting
32:01 of the school board of Brevard County or not complying with
32:04 policy to stop or leave.
32:07 If persons receiving the warning choose not to follow my
32:09 instructions,
32:09 I will instruct Brevard County Sheriff’s deputies to take any
32:12 law enforcement
32:12 action they deem appropriate and you may be escorted, detained
32:16 or arrested
32:17 depending on the conduct.
32:19 Persons who refuse to depart after a warning may also be
32:22 committing the crime
32:23 of trespassing in accordance with Florida statute section 810.08.
32:28 These statutes apply to conduct on all school board property,
32:31 which includes this boardroom as well as the outside of this
32:34 building to the sidewalks.
32:36 If you continue to cause a disruption, you are advised that you
32:39 are in violation of
32:39 Florida state statute 877.13 or if you fail to leave the
32:44 premises after being
32:45 warned by the sheriff’s office, you are committing trespass and
32:47 the board has
32:48 authorized the sheriff’s office to enforce these rules.
32:51 In the event multiple individuals fail to adhere to these
32:54 expectations and
32:55 board business cannot continue due to disruption, I will call a
32:58 recess and
32:59 request that the law enforcement officers present clear the
33:01 boardroom of attendees.
33:03 When the room is cleared, the board will return and
33:05 resume their meeting with no public present.
33:08 Those who are signed up to speak will be seated under the front
33:10 entry area and
33:11 called in when it is your time to speak.
33:14 Pam roll call please.
33:19 Mrs. Belford.
33:20 Present.
33:21 Ms. McDougall.
33:22 Present.
33:23 Mrs. Jenkins.
33:24 Present.
33:25 Mr. Susan.
33:26 Present.
33:27 And Mrs. Campbell.
33:28 Present.
33:29 The board will now hold a moment of silent reflection in memory
33:30 of three BPS
33:31 family members who recently passed away.
33:34 Michael Storm, a mechanic in our transportation department.
33:36 James Sistelo, also a mechanic in our transportation department.
33:41 And Shree Ali, a kindergarten teacher at Gulfview Elementary.
33:54 Thank you, please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
34:06 I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
34:15 and to the republic for
34:17 which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty
34:22 and justice for all.
34:23 At this time, I would like to offer my fellow board members and
34:29 Dr. Mullins the opportunity
34:30 to recognize students, staff, or members of our community who’d
34:33 like to start us off this
34:36 evening.
34:37 Ms. McDougall?
34:38 Sure.
34:39 I just want to give a shout out to a food service manager at
34:45 Freedom 7, who also happens
34:49 to be the food service manager at Roosevelt.
34:52 So he is doing two schools.
34:55 So a shout out to Devin Smith, which I did give him an impact
34:59 elevated pen because he
35:01 is definitely elevating two kitchens.
35:06 And I found out the other day when I was there, I looked around
35:09 the kitchen, I said, “Okay,
35:11 there’s you and one other person, are you the only two?”
35:15 And they were the only two because someone was out on injury.
35:20 And so there’s two people serving in the serving line and
35:25 cooking for over 400 students.
35:28 But I do want to also give a shout out to the volunteers who
35:32 help at Freedom 7 to make
35:33 that run smoothly.
35:35 So shout out to Devin Smith and the volunteers at Freedom 7.
35:41 Thank you, Ms. McDougall.
35:42 Anyone else?
35:43 Ms. Campbell?
35:44 I have a few, but I’ll be fast.
35:47 Last Tuesday night, the Children’s Hunger Project, who I also
35:50 get to serve on their
35:51 board, held a packing party for all our school coordinators who
35:55 coordinate which students
35:56 are in need.
35:57 And Children’s Hunger Project doesn’t get those names, they just
36:00 get numbers.
36:01 But we just had a little celebration, but also we packed 850
36:06 meals that go out to our
36:07 schools.
36:08 And thank you, Dr. Mullins, for coming and joining us.
36:10 One table team may have packed a little more than the other
36:14 tables team, but we had a good
36:16 night and we’re so thankful for all those people.
36:18 The rest of them are going tonight to, again, have a nice dinner
36:21 and get to pack.
36:22 We appreciate the Children’s Hunger Project and what they do for
36:24 our students, feeding
36:25 them on the weekends.
36:27 This morning, I got to participate in Central Middle School’s Stomp
36:30 Out Bullying Walk.
36:31 We walked from the West Melbourne Police Department all the way
36:34 to Central, and we had at least
36:36 a couple hundred students show up wearing red, walking down Main
36:39 Road in West Melbourne
36:40 and just hearing some inspirational speeches by our mayors.
36:46 And just had a great morning and proud of them for the work that
36:49 their teachers are
36:50 doing to help them in that initiative too.
36:52 This Saturday is the Marching Band Music Performance Assessment,
36:56 and I want to invite the rest
36:58 of the board as well as the listening audience to come out to
37:01 Mel High.
37:02 They start at three o’clock.
37:04 I will try to publish the schedule on my Facebook page this week
37:07 because it goes all the way
37:09 up to eight – the last band performs at 830, so if you want to
37:11 know which band you want
37:13 to come see or if you want to stay there for the whole day, it’s
37:14 going to be a wonderful
37:15 day of music there for their competition, but I encourage the
37:19 rest of the board to come
37:21 as well and check out the great work our marching bands have
37:24 been doing.
37:25 I had one thing I was going to say for the board report, but I’ll
37:27 just say it now since
37:28 it’s going to be a long night.
37:30 Met my every other month meeting with Russell Brun from
37:34 Government Community Relations,
37:36 the PAFR, which is the Public Annual Financial Report, is coming
37:40 out soon, or popular, I
37:41 think it’s popular.
37:42 It’s going to be so popular, everybody’s going to want to look
37:44 at it.
37:45 The very first one that we’ve ever done, it will be a layman’s
37:48 view at our very complicated
37:50 budget and finances and all of that, and so the initial look at
37:55 it has been really great
37:58 and I look forward to seeing that in the coming month.
38:01 » Awesome.
38:02 Thank you, Ms. Campbell.
38:03 Mr. Susan?
38:04 » I’ll go after Jay.
38:05 » Jenkins, did you have anything?
38:06 Mr. Susan?
38:07 » Yeah, so I wanted to thank Dr. Mullins and Russell Broom.
38:11 We’re getting ready to do something extraordinary.
38:14 Many individuals know that this COVID problem that we’ve had for
38:18 a while has put a lot of
38:19 kids on the couch.
38:20 A lot of kids are sitting back and they’re just lethargic, they’re
38:23 not getting out, they’re
38:25 not doing what they should do, and also at the same time, we
38:29 have one of the worst workforce
38:31 shortages in the United States in the last 50 years.
38:35 So what I’m going to do, and Russell Broom’s setting it up, is
38:38 that we’re going to do tours
38:39 of our career and technical programs.
38:41 I’m going to go in and show you exactly what’s inside of there.
38:45 I’m also going to call on the industry that surrounds each one
38:47 of those programs.
38:49 So at O’Gally, I’ll be reaching out to all the automotive
38:52 companies and shops and everything
38:54 else so that they can then view and see what we have.
38:58 Because the next step is, is that we have on-the-job training.
39:02 We have opportunities for these kids to get out and work.
39:05 And if our parents know that the opportunities are there, if
39:08 those shops and those organizations,
39:10 whether that’s the aviation hanger over there at O’Gally High
39:13 School, those students that
39:14 are going into Melbourne Regional Airport and working at some of
39:17 those, each one of
39:18 those sectors should be driving each one of our kids to get jobs
39:22 inside of them.
39:23 And if they know where the students are, they know the actual
39:26 teacher, they’ll be able to
39:27 do that.
39:28 So I wanted to thank Dr. Mullins and Russell Broom for getting
39:31 ready to set it up, and
39:32 it looks like we’ll probably start it in my district, and then I
39:35 hope my other school
39:36 board members follow suit.
39:37 It’s going to be a great opportunity to show off our stuff and
39:39 get these kids back to work.
39:41 Thank you.
39:42 Thank you, Mr. Susan, Dr. Mullins.
39:47 Thank you, Ms. Belfort.
39:48 I want to first recognize our student services department and
39:53 our ESC teachers, our ESC specialists.
39:57 Florida recognizes schools who establish a high-quality MTSS
40:03 process that stands for
40:05 the multi-tiered system of supports that is in every one of our
40:09 schools and responds to
40:11 the needs of kids, academic, behavioral, and so on, to provide
40:16 the identified supports.
40:18 Well, the state allows schools to submit application to
40:23 recognition of a school of high-quality
40:27 MTSS.
40:28 There were only 59 school applicants across the entire state of
40:34 thousands of schools,
40:36 and Brevard has one of the awarded schools.
40:40 Only 20 schools met all three criteria, and so congratulations
40:46 to Quest Elementary School
40:48 for not only going through the rigorous application process, but
40:53 being only one out of three applicants
40:56 who received the award across the state.
40:59 So congratulations to Quest, the staff who made that possible,
41:03 as well as our entire
41:05 student services team that comes around them and supports them
41:08 to do the work of supporting
41:09 our students.
41:11 And then, if that’s not enough, I’m going to kind of tout on Brevard
41:14 Public Schools
41:15 dominating the state.
41:17 This last Saturday, the Florida Council for Social Studies had
41:23 their annual awards program
41:26 this last Saturday night, and we took so many of the awards that
41:31 night.
41:32 It’s going to take a minute to go through them, but these are
41:35 state-recognized educators
41:36 and instructors of social studies.
41:39 First, the Warren Tracy Beginning Teacher of the Year Award was
41:43 awarded to Stephanie
41:44 Booth at Jefferson Middle School.
41:46 Congratulations, Stephanie.
41:47 Yeah, let’s hear it.
41:48 You’re going to clap a lot, because there’s more.
41:55 J.R.
41:56 Screading Leadership Award to Jennifer Jolly at Palm Bay Magnet
42:02 High School, state recognition.
42:05 The Dr. Theron Trimble Florida Teacher of the Year Award, high
42:10 school recipient.
42:11 We took that one.
42:12 Francine Dravick at Space Coast Junior Senior High School.
42:20 And then, the Dr. J. Doyle Castile Outstanding Leadership Award.
42:25 This is a big deal.
42:28 We took that award and awarded it to Ms. Kimberly Garton, who we’ve
42:33 said her name a half a dozen
42:34 times up here on the dais, as she is our secondary leading and
42:38 learning resource teacher for
42:40 social studies.
42:41 Congratulations.
42:42 No surprise to Kimberly Garton.
42:47 So I think the other 66 districts across the state had to share
42:51 a couple other awards that
42:53 we didn’t take, but that’s okay.
42:56 Dr. Mullins, it’s funny that you said that.
43:01 So when I was a teacher, I won the Warren Tracy Beginning
43:04 Teacher of the Year for the
43:05 whole state of Florida, and Ms. Dravick was one of the ones that
43:08 taught next door to me.
43:10 And the individuals that you have for social studies inside this
43:14 county leads the state,
43:16 and you should be very, very proud of them for that.
43:19 Ms. Dravick’s an amazing teacher, and I just had to make a plug
43:22 for her.
43:22 I mean, I sat across the hall from her for six years, so good
43:25 stuff.
43:26 Thank you.
43:27 - Thanks, Mr. Susan.
43:29 And that is a good lead in for me.
43:32 Wanted to thank Dr. Stephanie Sullivan and Ms. Jane Klein for an
43:36 awesome workshop earlier
43:38 today, where we really dug into the academics in our district,
43:42 where our challenges are,
43:44 and laid out our plans to address those challenges.
43:46 So for our public, if you did not have an opportunity, I know we
43:50 have a couple that
43:51 were here with us earlier, and thank you for being here and
43:54 engaging, but if you did not
43:55 get an opportunity to watch it, I would certainly encourage that
43:59 you do so, because there’s
44:01 lots of great data and lots of great explanation as to how we
44:05 move forward successfully.
44:07 Tying into social studies, because one of the areas that we are
44:10 very strong in Brevard
44:11 County is, in fact, social studies, and so I think it’s a
44:14 testament to the work that
44:16 those people have done that we can share that data.
44:19 I also want to thank our students and our parents, as well as
44:21 our faculty and staff
44:23 for the commitment and determination to work together to bring
44:26 down our COVID numbers.
44:27 Over the past several weeks, we heard numerous times that there
44:30 was no way we would get to
44:31 50 cases per 100,000 over a seven-day period in our community.
44:35 As you know, this past Friday, we came in at 50.1.
44:38 That’s even more impressive and more on point with my
44:40 appreciation for our school community
44:43 is that our in-school cases have dropped to nearly half of what
44:45 our community cases have
44:46 been per 100,000 people.
44:49 That’s an amazing feat considering that at the end of August,
44:52 our cases in schools were
44:53 two and a half times that of our community.
44:56 I will not claim that the masks are the sole cause of this
44:59 decline, as we know we had a
45:00 decline in our community, but I don’t believe that we can say
45:03 they had no impact either,
45:04 given the much steeper decline in our schools than in our
45:07 community.
45:08 Other mitigation strategies like staying home when sick, social
45:11 distancing when possible,
45:13 and additional cleaning protocols also likely contributed to our
45:16 steep decline, so I don’t
45:17 want to overlook the fact that everyone truly contributed to our
45:21 ability to have reached
45:22 the 50.1 in the community and 29.9 in our schools.
45:27 On behalf of everyone who sacrificed to make this happen, we
45:30 appreciate you.
45:31 I look forward to more discussion later in the meeting about
45:37 what our next steps are.
45:40 Dr. Mullins, that is going to bring us to the adoption of the
45:44 agenda.
45:45 Thank you Madam Chair and members of the board on this evening’s
45:47 agenda.
45:47 We have administrative staff recommendations, two presentations,
45:51 20 consent items, 12 action
45:53 items, and two information items.
45:55 Changes made to the agenda since it was first released to the
45:58 public on Tuesday, October
45:59 5th, 2021 are as follows.
46:02 A presentation on issues facing teachers and strategies for
46:06 improvement was added, a revision
46:07 was made to item G40 on procurement solicitations, and item F12
46:13 on student expulsions as well
46:16 as item G38 on extension of emergency mask policy and a board
46:20 discussion item were additions.
46:23 What are the wishes of the board?
46:24 Move to approve.
46:25 Second.
46:26 Seconded by Ms. McDougal, is there any discussion?
46:33 Hearing none, please vote.
46:51 Only when I try to vote twice.
46:54 I’m assuming that wasn’t a, okay, no, it didn’t show me and the
47:22 motion passes 5-0.
47:23 Dr. Mullins, will you please let us know about the
47:26 administrative staff recommendation?
47:29 Ms. Belford and members of the board, there are three
47:31 individuals for the board to consider.
47:33 What are the wishes of the board?
47:34 Move to approve.
47:35 Second.
47:36 Moved by Mr. Susan, seconded by Ms. McDougal, is there any
47:39 discussion?
47:40 Dr. Mullins?
47:41 Oh, we should vote first, sorry, please vote.
47:49 Motion passes, 5-0, Dr. Mullins.
48:10 Thank you, Mrs. Belford, members of the board.
48:22 If I were honest, I wish you actually would have denied the
48:24 first individual I’m going
48:26 to recognize, but nevertheless, I want to congratulate Mr. Frank
48:31 O’Leary as he retires
48:33 at the end of this semester calendar year from the position of
48:37 principal at Apollo Elementary
48:39 School.
48:40 Mr. O’Leary has a long-standing career in Brevard Public Schools.
48:45 We commend him for his dedication, his service, and certainly
48:50 personal sacrifice to putting
48:53 kids first and taking care of not only kids, but the parents in
48:57 his immediate community
48:59 and the schools he has served over the many years.
49:02 We appreciate you, Frank, we wish you well, and we appreciate
49:05 you sticking with us through
49:07 the end of this semester, but we wish you a most blessed
49:11 retirement.
49:13 And coincidentally, and to our fortune, we have another former
49:17 administrator who retired
49:18 a little while ago and apparently has failed at retirement
49:21 because he agreed to come back
49:23 as acting assistant principal at Delora Middle School.
49:26 Mr. Doug Cook, you may recognize him as a long-standing
49:30 assistant principal from Satellite
49:33 High School, but I see him at every satellite event that goes
49:38 going on in the community.
49:41 He remains very active, and he’s agreed to come back as a acting
49:44 assistant principal
49:46 effective November 1st through January 14th.
49:49 So Doug, welcome back to the team, it’s good to have you, and I
49:52 appreciate you coming to
49:53 help us out.
49:54 Thanks, Dr. Mullen.
49:56 All right, we are going to move on to presentations, and I am
50:01 super excited for this first one.
50:03 Dr. Mullens, if you’d like to share.
50:06 Thank you, Madam Chairman and members of the board, I’ll be
50:09 providing a presentation on
50:10 our Thrive by Five initiative.
50:12 I know you might think, “Wait, we’ve been hearing about this,”
50:17 and you have, but tonight
50:19 is the eve of our official hard launch of the Thrive by Five
50:24 program.
50:25 I have Ms. Klein and Ms. Priscilla Denino, who’s going to join
50:29 me over here while I make
50:30 a presentation to the board and to our public.
50:44 All right.
50:53 Is the microphone on?
50:54 I can’t tell.
50:55 It is not.
50:56 Yeah.
50:57 All right.
50:58 Thank you, Madam Chair.
50:59 First, I’d like to begin by introducing the lovely, talented,
51:03 amazing Priscilla Denino,
51:05 who is our coordinator of early childhood.
51:09 Did I get that right?
51:11 I’ve known Ms. Denino for years.
51:14 She is an exemplary educator, but truly an expert in early
51:18 childhood and has been instrumental
51:21 in our development of this initiative under the great leadership
51:24 of Ms. Jane Klein, who
51:26 you heard from earlier today, the assistant superintendent of
51:30 elementary leading and learning.
51:33 So to get us started, maybe, see if we can…
51:37 There we go.
51:38 Now the computer’s awake.
51:40 What we know and understand, and I don’t think will be a
51:43 surprise to our community, is the
51:46 absolute critical importance of early learning, really, the
51:50 literacy development of children
51:53 at day one of birth.
51:55 And then we know that in the first five years of life, it is
51:58 absolutely critical to the
52:00 overall lifelong development of a child into adulthood.
52:06 And if you’ve raised a child, you know those early years, they
52:09 are moving fast, they are
52:10 learning fast, and they’re making us move fast.
52:13 In fact, they develop more than one million neuron connections
52:18 per second.
52:20 I wish I could say the same still for me, but their brains are
52:26 wired from the moment
52:28 of birth to get ready to learn for the rest of their lives, and
52:33 their neurons are just
52:35 firing at accelerated rates.
52:38 So we began discussion, how do we capitalize on those early
52:42 years of a child’s life to
52:44 really lay the foundation of solid literacy acquisition?
52:49 And we discussed the way, how do we support families, how do we
52:52 connect with our families
52:54 in those earliest stages of life to give them resources and
52:59 tools and connections with how
53:01 to support their child with literacy?
53:04 Because we know if we can help families with the development of
53:10 literacy by five, when
53:12 a child comes into our schools in kindergarten, reading what we
53:16 call reading ready, then the
53:18 trajectory of that child’s literacy accomplishment is on pace
53:23 and on track for our teachers when
53:26 the child comes to our schools.
53:29 So how do we be a partner in that early journey?
53:35 In developing and fostering a love for learning, but also a love
53:40 for literacy.
53:41 So that is what was the impetus behind Thrive by Five.
53:46 We began development of a website and a logo design, and then we
53:52 went out to our community
53:54 health partners.
53:55 Because the reality is, is we wait right now for the kids to
53:59 walk into our schools at four
54:01 years old for VPK or five years old for kindergarten, and we don’t
54:06 know who those families are until
54:08 they walk in our doors.
54:11 But our health partners who have the birthing centers, they had
54:14 the very first introduction
54:16 to kids in the community, we said, if we can connect with our
54:19 health partners and our birthing
54:21 centers and get resources and supports in the hands of families
54:25 and then develop that
54:27 relationship in the coming years, we can not only help the
54:31 parents in developing that love
54:33 for learning and literacy, but also be a partner with them along
54:39 that journey.
54:40 So launching soon, actually official hard launch on Monday,
54:46 November 1st, is our Brevard
54:50 Thrive by Five website, where I love this quote.
54:54 I think this is actually Ms. Denino’s quote, so got to give her
54:58 the credit.
54:59 Watching your child grow and develop is like turning a kaleidoscope.
55:04 Each lens you look through shows you something different.
55:08 With that in mind, we knew we had to create and develop a
55:11 dynamic website.
55:13 As you can see, the tabs at the bottom of the screen, they
55:15 represent all of the different
55:17 resources that are available on our website for families.
55:23 So you may ask, well, how are you going to connect with these
55:28 families?
55:29 You’ve talked about the health care, the birthing centers, and
55:32 so on.
55:32 We have, Ms. Denino, will you hold up one of our resource bags?
55:37 We have to put together with our local hospital partners this
55:42 resource bag that will be delivered
55:44 to the hospital birthing centers, and they have agreed to give
55:48 them to families when
55:50 they have a child in their hospital.
55:53 The family can review that, take advantage of the resources, be
55:57 introduced to our website.
55:58 But also, if you’ll open one up so everyone can see, we want to
56:02 give them maybe their
56:04 first book, their first early childhood book, Brown Bear, Brown
56:09 Bear, What Do You See?
56:11 We still have it in our house from years ago.
56:13 We’re waiting to use it with grandkids, hint, hint.
56:19 I’m going to get in trouble for that one.
56:21 But also, we have a bib or a towel for our families that
56:28 celebrates the birth of their
56:31 child and connects them with Thrive by Five.
56:37 I have to do a huge, huge shout out to our three major health
56:42 partners in our community,
56:46 Parrish, Stewart Medical Group, and Health First.
56:50 I made a phone call to each of the CEOs in the organization, and
56:53 I said, you know, we’ve
56:55 got this crazy idea of connecting with all the families who are
56:57 having kids in our community
56:59 every year, every day throughout the year.
57:01 The problem is, I don’t know who they are, but you do because
57:04 they come through your
57:05 birthing centers.
57:06 Would you allow us to provide for you, we’ll put them together,
57:09 these resource packets
57:11 or bags for families?
57:14 And immediately, it was the quickest absolute yes I’ve ever
57:17 received from a business partner
57:19 in the community.
57:20 And not only have they given us access to the birthing center,
57:24 but every one of the
57:25 health partners made a financial contribution and have virtually
57:29 offset the entire cost
57:31 of this initiative and made a five-year commitment to continue
57:35 doing that for our community.
57:38 So we launched a packing day, a couple, three weeks ago, a bunch
57:42 of staff got together and
57:44 put together the first, I think it was 500, 200, 500 bags.
57:49 They’re ready to be delivered out in our birthing centers.
57:52 You see the bins there, they’re all ready to go.
57:54 The plan, we will continue to pack.
57:56 We may be having co-packing parties with Children’s Hunger
58:00 Project and then also our Thrive by
58:02 Five, but we’ll re-fill the bins, re-deliver them to our birthing
58:06 centers so they can continue
58:08 to make those resources available to our families.
58:13 So what does the community launch look like?
58:16 Monday, November 1st, you will be getting information or
58:21 announcement of our news conference
58:23 that we’ll be doing with our health partners, making that
58:27 announcement formally to our entire
58:29 community and then we’ll also be having a social media event
58:33 with BPS and those partners
58:36 moving forward.
58:37 You’re going to start to see billboards and the Thrive by Five
58:41 logo beginning to prompt
58:43 people’s interest and attention to this initiative and then we’re
58:47 launching our podcast on Monday
58:50 as well through our social media sites.
58:53 So stay tuned for more Thrive by Five information coming near
59:00 you and would encourage you to
59:04 show those families that you know with young kids or soon to be
59:07 families to our website
59:09 and the resources that are available.
59:10 As we move into the coming months, phase two of our launch will
59:15 be more bags being delivered
59:17 to hospitals and birthing centers across the county.
59:20 We know that there are other locations other than the hospitals
59:24 that we are connecting
59:25 with and providing the resources of them as well.
59:28 Billboards throughout the entire month of November as well as
59:32 continuing to build business
59:34 partners.
59:35 Our municipalities, I’ve been out meeting with our
59:37 municipalities over the last few
59:39 months and I’ve been dropping these hints of Thrive by Five is
59:43 coming soon.
59:44 Do you want to be a part of this initiative and undeniably yes,
59:48 how do we get, how do
59:50 we connect?
59:51 I said, well, the first thing you can do is you can join us in
59:53 passing a resolution and
59:54 we’re going to present that to the board here in just a few
59:57 minutes in committing to be
59:58 a community supporting families and committed to early literacy.
1:00:04 And it is my vision, my true hope that Brevard County becomes a
1:00:09 place that no matter where
1:00:11 a family goes, whether it’s the grocery store, the dentist, the
1:00:15 hair salon of the drugstore,
1:00:17 that they see images and reminders of, we as a community
1:00:21 surround you and support you
1:00:23 in the developing your child for the love of learning and a love
1:00:27 for literacy and we’re
1:00:29 going to help you ensure they thrive by five and we can send
1:00:33 them on to a very positive
1:00:34 and amazing journey the rest of their K-12 years in Brevard
1:00:39 schools.
1:00:40 So we will continue to stay in touch with our families through
1:00:45 at least the first birthday
1:00:47 with another book to our families.
1:00:49 So we will be setting up a way for families to connect through
1:00:52 our website, but we’re
1:00:54 also, I make Mr. Bruin a little nervous, I give this disclaimer
1:00:57 every time, but we’re
1:00:59 in the early stages of development of a Thrive by Five app.
1:01:04 I’m speaking it into existence.
1:01:07 So that our families have that interactive connection with Thrive
1:01:11 by Five and we can
1:01:12 push out new information to them because as we know, those
1:01:16 stages change fast in a kid’s
1:01:18 life.
1:01:19 So we’ll be making that available to our families as well.
1:01:23 And resources, again, the website will be dynamic and developed
1:01:28 along helping families
1:01:30 through the entire development of their kid.
1:01:35 So happy to answer any questions at this time of the board
1:01:39 before I ask Mr. Bruin to come
1:01:41 up and read the resolution for the official launch of Thrive by
1:01:46 Five.
1:01:46 I know you’re thinking, “Finally, COVID got in the way,” but no
1:01:52 more.
1:01:53 Anybody have any questions or comments for Dr. Wollan, Ms.
1:01:56 Campbell?
1:01:57 So I hope that you will get to include us on the packing
1:02:00 invitations, because I think
1:02:03 this is a great opportunity to get the community involved.
1:02:07 And just like you mentioned, Children’s Hunger Project, that’s a
1:02:10 great way to let people
1:02:11 know what we’re doing and to get volunteer hours and all that.
1:02:14 It would be great for students, high school students, hint, hint.
1:02:17 Those of you who have high school students, you need to earn
1:02:19 those hours.
1:02:20 But I love that and I hope we continue to involve the community
1:02:23 in this initiative.
1:02:24 It’s wonderful.
1:02:25 We are going to need the community’s help.
1:02:26 I alluded to we packed 500 bags.
1:02:28 Maybe someone was going to ask, “How many births do we have a
1:02:31 year in Brevard?”
1:02:32 Well, right now it’s over 5,000.
1:02:36 So we’ve got a few more bags to pack just to get ready for this
1:02:39 year.
1:02:40 So we need you.
1:02:41 All right.
1:02:42 Anyone else?
1:02:43 Ms. Jenkins?
1:02:44 Thank you, Dr. Mullins and everyone who is a part of this
1:02:48 initiative.
1:02:50 Obviously, I have a passion working with kiddos from birth to
1:02:52 five years old, so this hits
1:02:53 right at home for me.
1:02:55 I love your app idea and hopefully, as that starts to get
1:02:59 developed, maybe we can incorporate
1:03:02 my old department and Child Find and create some access for
1:03:05 families who really think
1:03:07 they might need some support and early intervention for their
1:03:09 students, and so we can catch those
1:03:10 kiddos sooner than later and make sure our kiddos are on par
1:03:13 when they come in for kindergarten.
1:03:15 Thank you.
1:03:16 Absolutely.
1:03:17 Great suggestion.
1:03:18 Thank you.
1:03:19 Ms. McDougall, did you … Well, you know how I was always
1:03:23 excited about
1:03:24 this program and I’m so thankful.
1:03:26 I’m glad that we are here and kicking it off.
1:03:29 And again, Jane, thank you for your department and for making
1:03:33 this a reality.
1:03:34 And yes, I have passed out the bags you gave me, and these are
1:03:38 so much nicer than the ones
1:03:39 we’ve had, so I’m excited about this.
1:03:43 This is the Gen 2 bag.
1:03:46 Five by five, 2.0?
1:03:48 Yep.
1:03:49 Got it.
1:03:50 Mr. Susan?
1:03:51 Yeah.
1:03:52 It gets me in my gut when I see what we give the new mothers.
1:03:59 I have five children, and being inside the hospital during those
1:04:04 times, you can look
1:04:05 down the hallway and there’s always one mother that doesn’t have
1:04:10 people coming in.
1:04:12 We had restrictions that were throughout the years that in the
1:04:16 beginning, years ago, you
1:04:18 could bring half the city inside your room, and lately it’s only
1:04:22 a couple of people.
1:04:23 But it’s a sad thing when there’s a single mom in there and not
1:04:26 to have that support
1:04:27 at home, and this is a nice thing to do.
1:04:30 It really is.
1:04:31 And I think what we need to do – Dr. Mullins, you made great
1:04:33 speech and brought levity to
1:04:35 the whole situation, but the reason we’re stepping in is because
1:04:38 it’s a serious thing.
1:04:39 And these kids need help.
1:04:41 When COVID hit and we were feeding those kids on mobile units to
1:04:44 just make sure that they
1:04:45 got fed, there’s kids out there that – because Children’s
1:04:48 Hunger Project feeds, and they
1:04:50 are such at a disadvantage.
1:04:52 So anything we can do with everything we have, I appreciate it,
1:04:55 Dr. Mullins.
1:04:55 That’s all.
1:04:56 Thank you.
1:04:57 » Thank you.
1:04:58 Any more comments?
1:04:59 I will just echo the appreciation, Dr. Mullins, I know this was
1:05:04 kind of your brainchild making
1:05:07 it a strategic priority, and you know, working with the little
1:05:11 ones myself, I know the ability
1:05:14 for them to learn at those young ages, even amazing things, and
1:05:18 so I’m super excited that
1:05:19 we’re going to be taking advantage of that learning opportunity
1:05:22 during those years.
1:05:24 What would echo Mr. Susan’s sentiments about realizing the need
1:05:27 in our community and how
1:05:29 this truly can, you know, thinking back about the student data
1:05:32 that we looked at today,
1:05:34 and those fragile subgroups that we looked at, I really think
1:05:37 that this has the potential
1:05:38 to impact, you know, how they start off and what that data looks
1:05:41 like for them for a long
1:05:43 time.
1:05:44 So thank you.
1:05:45 » If there’s no other questions, I’ll ask Mr. Bruhn to come up,
1:05:49 and I would be remiss
1:05:51 if I didn’t do a huge shout out to Mr. Bruhn and his team as
1:05:55 well in district communications.
1:05:57 You know, these are the experts in early childhood, these are
1:06:00 the experts in communications and
1:06:02 really framing everything from logos to messaging to how to
1:06:06 launch this, he has just stepped
1:06:09 up to the call and the charge and done a fantastic job.
1:06:13 Deborah Foley, who went out and really sealed the deal with our
1:06:17 health partners to bring
1:06:18 in tens of thousands of dollars annually to support this
1:06:23 initiative is no small feat.
1:06:25 So Mr. Bruhn, we appreciate your leadership and appreciate your
1:06:28 department.
1:06:29 » Good evening.
1:06:32 I also want to give a thank you to Kat Allen from my department
1:06:38 who did a great job of
1:06:40 this as well.
1:06:41 Here we go.
1:06:42 Whereas from the time a child is born, he or she is learning
1:06:46 every waking moment, in
1:06:47 fact, babies and toddlers are either learning or they’re
1:06:50 sleeping, and between birth to
1:06:52 age five, a child learns at the speed unmatched the rest of his
1:06:55 or her life.
1:06:56 It is during these years when more than 85% of a child’s brain
1:07:00 is formed, creating crucial
1:07:02 brain connections.
1:07:04 Whereas Brevard Thrive by Five will raise awareness about early
1:07:07 childhood literacy and
1:07:08 development, and whereas Brevard Thrive by Five will connect
1:07:11 with new parents in Brevard
1:07:12 County when they leave the hospital or hospital’s birthing
1:07:16 center with their new baby, and whereas
1:07:18 Thrive by Five gives Brevard families a central place to find
1:07:21 resources, information and best
1:07:23 practices for their children from birth to age five, and whereas
1:07:27 the initiative helps
1:07:29 provide a pathway for every family in Brevard to learn about the
1:07:32 importance of early literacy
1:07:34 beginning at birth, and whereas Brevard Thrive by Five
1:07:37 encourages a spirit of collaboration
1:07:39 with healthcare supporters, business partners, local cities,
1:07:43 civic organizations and community
1:07:45 leaders to serve Brevard families and their children, and
1:07:48 whereas research has proven
1:07:50 that early childhood literacy is a key factor to future success
1:07:54 in an education journey,
1:07:56 and whereas students who are behind when they start kindergarten
1:07:59 make up the largest portion
1:08:01 of school dropouts, having less than a 12% chance of attending
1:08:05 college, and whereas Thrive
1:08:07 by Five specifically supports goals outlined in the strategic
1:08:10 plan of Brevard Public Schools,
1:08:12 and whereas it is recognized that when children are engaged in
1:08:16 school, the community reaps
1:08:17 many benefits, including lower crime rates, an educated
1:08:20 workforce, a highly rated public
1:08:22 school system, and an attractive location for both employers and
1:08:26 employees to reside.
1:08:28 Be it resolved on October 26, 2021, that the Brevard Public
1:08:32 School Board publicly acknowledges
1:08:34 the Brevard Thrive by Five initiative as one that utilizes a
1:08:38 unique collaboration and support
1:08:41 the large network of supporting members that make up our
1:08:43 community, together, working together
1:08:46 to serve Brevard families and their children, and help every
1:08:49 child in the county thrive
1:08:50 by five.
1:08:51 - Thank you, Mr. Bruhn.
1:08:53 What are the wishes of the board?
1:08:54 - Move to approve.
1:08:55 - Second.
1:08:56 - Moved by Mr. Susan, seconded by Ms. Campbell.
1:08:57 Is there any discussion?
1:08:58 Hearing none, please vote.
1:09:05 - Still voting.
1:09:29 - The suspense is killing me, I just gotta tell ya.
1:09:52 I had to break the silence.
1:09:53 - And the motion passes five, zero.
1:09:54 - Thank you, school board, appreciate your support and
1:10:04 appreciate you journeying through
1:10:05 this with us over the last many months to this reality.
1:10:10 Sincere and genuine thank you to our health partners and your
1:10:13 commitment not only to give
1:10:14 us the opportunity to make this available to our new families,
1:10:17 but also partnering with
1:10:18 us financially.
1:10:20 If I can take one additional privilege, it’s been such a long
1:10:22 journey, can I ask the board
1:10:24 to come out, Bruhn?
1:10:25 We’re gonna give you a bag, you take a picture.
1:10:28 Mr. Bruhn, we should have put on our mission statement to serve
1:10:31 every future student with
1:10:33 excellence, but maybe you can Photoshop that in for our social
1:10:38 media launch.
1:10:40 - Thank you.
1:11:10 - All right, one more, so now we’re gonna point in our mission
1:11:27 and let our badge hold
1:11:33 up.
1:11:34 - So I’m gonna pay for this, thank you for that.
1:11:49 (audience applauding)
1:11:52 - Give it to a friend.
1:11:58 - Do you wanna take from, is there a copy of the preamble in
1:12:05 there, the thing in there?
1:12:09 That’s what I would do, claim that.
1:12:10 - With the Constitution.
1:12:11 - What is this, a T-shirt in there?
1:12:12 You guys get a T-shirt?
1:12:13 - You can get a T-shirt.
1:12:14 - It’s a T-shirt.
1:12:15 - If I can fit you.
1:12:16 - Extra large.
1:12:17 - All right, Dr. Mullins, we are back to you when you are ready,
1:12:31 sir.
1:12:33 - Next we will hear a presentation from the Brevard Federation
1:12:36 of Teachers, BFT, on issues
1:12:37 facing teachers and strategies for improvement.
1:12:40 Mr. Anthony Colucci, BFT President, will be providing the
1:12:46 presentation.
1:12:48 - Good evening board, my name is Anthony Colucci, I’m the
1:12:53 President of the Brevard Federation
1:12:56 of Teachers.
1:12:57 Tonight I’ll be discussing issues facing teachers and strategies
1:13:01 for improvement.
1:13:03 As you are aware, this year has been extremely challenging for
1:13:06 our teachers, I realize that
1:13:08 this is not just a Brevard problem, this is a Florida problem,
1:13:11 probably a national problem
1:13:13 as well, but we are here representing Brevard’s teachers.
1:13:17 There are approximately 160 instructional vacancies this year,
1:13:22 and I’m not gonna go
1:13:23 into the weeds whether it’s 210 or 110, there’s a lot of
1:13:27 classrooms without teachers right
1:13:29 now.
1:13:31 We’ve seen 208 resignations on board agendas this year, and 825
1:13:37 resigned or retired last
1:13:39 year.
1:13:40 It is an understatement to say that our teachers are worn out
1:13:45 and overextended.
1:13:47 The alarm bell for us was that the most common question we’re
1:13:50 getting in the office right
1:13:52 now is what is the district’s policy for resigning?
1:14:02 The greatest failure is the failure to try.
1:14:07 I am not a consultant, I am not gonna stand up here and say I
1:14:11 have a silver bullet to
1:14:12 fix these issues, I’m not going to do that.
1:14:16 If I used the word solution tonight, it was a mistake, because I’m
1:14:19 talking about strategies
1:14:21 for improvement.
1:14:23 But doing nothing or little is certainly not going to help.
1:14:26 The strategies for improvement that we’re suggesting should come
1:14:31 as no surprise to staff.
1:14:32 We’ve been advocating for many of these items for months.
1:14:36 What we’re seeking tonight is that this board uses its authority
1:14:40 to direct Dr. Mullins to
1:14:41 implement these strategies within the timelines VFT is
1:14:49 suggesting.
1:14:52 Based on qualitative feedback from members, emails, phone calls,
1:14:56 meetings, school visits,
1:14:58 we’ve identified three big issues.
1:15:01 Our union of over 3,000 dues paying members is the voice of our
1:15:06 teachers.
1:15:07 As a board, you need to take that seriously.
1:15:10 As the elected representative of the teachers, I’m offering
1:15:14 viable and practical ideas that
1:15:16 can be implemented quickly.
1:15:18 We are seeking to be a solution driven union, but we could only
1:15:22 do so if the board is willing
1:15:24 to act.
1:15:25 My hope is that the presentation is not you listening to me and
1:15:29 moving on without acting.
1:15:32 I’m asking that this board commit to these actions and the
1:15:36 timelines I presented.
1:15:38 The first issue we’ve identified is a lack of coverage.
1:15:42 There are not enough teachers.
1:15:43 There are not enough subs.
1:15:46 Earlier in the year due to COVID, we had a ton of teacher absences.
1:15:50 Teachers are being pulled from their planning periods or their
1:15:54 actual jobs to cover.
1:15:55 This can be multiple times per week.
1:15:57 We’ve heard of teachers losing their planning periods for the
1:16:01 entire week.
1:16:02 This is a big problem for all, including our ESE teachers who
1:16:05 are unable to write IEPs
1:16:07 during the school day to our resource teachers down here at ESF
1:16:11 who are missing several days
1:16:12 a month to cover classes at schools, which is preventing them
1:16:16 from doing the jobs they
1:16:17 were hired to do.
1:16:20 The second issue that we have identified is student discipline.
1:16:23 Our teachers are dealing with unruly students, students hitting
1:16:27 and eloping, and being overall
1:16:28 difficult and non-compliant.
1:16:31 The third issue is morale.
1:16:34 This pandemic is only a year and a half old, but this is the
1:16:38 third school year that our
1:16:41 teachers are dealing with the impact of COVID.
1:16:45 It pangs me to say it, but many teachers don’t feel good about
1:16:50 teaching right now.
1:16:52 You know, the excitement is waning.
1:16:54 There’s a sense that it’s not worth it, and they’re looking and
1:16:57 seeing job opportunities
1:16:59 elsewhere.
1:17:06 Without a doubt, all these issues have an impact on one another.
1:17:10 We must try to improve in these areas.
1:17:12 We must try.
1:17:14 If there’s a silver lining in all these issues, it’s that
1:17:18 improvement in one area will help
1:17:20 improve the others as well.
1:17:27 So what I’m going to offer now are some strategies for
1:17:30 improvement, things that we think can
1:17:32 be done quickly to help with these various issues.
1:17:36 So as for the issue of coverage, the first thing we’d like to
1:17:40 see done is one of our
1:17:41 directors meet with all teachers that put in their two weeks
1:17:45 notice, and we think this
1:17:47 should be done immediately.
1:17:50 And by this, I’m saying a teacher says, “I’m going to resign,”
1:17:53 turns in their paperwork
1:17:55 to the school secretary or principal.
1:17:57 They alert the director of that school.
1:18:00 The director has a face-to-face meeting with that teacher.
1:18:04 And what we believe can happen here is that these directors can
1:18:08 provide help to these
1:18:10 teachers.
1:18:11 These teachers can be heard, and we can stop the bleed.
1:18:15 We can stop the bleed, because we know if that teacher goes,
1:18:19 that teacher is not going
1:18:21 to be easily replaced.
1:18:23 So the better move is to make sure that teacher doesn’t leave in
1:18:27 the first place.
1:18:28 And we know that we can prevent these teachers from leaving,
1:18:31 because we do it all the time
1:18:33 in our office.
1:18:34 We do it every day in our office.
1:18:37 We help teachers stay in Brevard County and get the help that
1:18:41 they need.
1:18:42 We are asking that our secondary teachers are informed by the
1:18:46 end of November of the
1:18:48 possibility that they could be working seven out of seven,
1:18:52 meaning that they would give
1:18:54 up their planning period for the optional class stipend, which
1:18:59 is $3,509.
1:19:00 This is a Band-Aid, I understand, but there may be teachers that
1:19:04 are interested in doing
1:19:06 this for that supplement.
1:19:08 You also have it within your power to increase that supplement
1:19:11 using the ARP funds, because
1:19:13 this would fall within the scope of that grant funding.
1:19:18 Even if five teachers take us up on this because a memo was sent,
1:19:22 that’s five classes that
1:19:24 don’t need to be covered every day.
1:19:31 The next thing we believe will help with coverage is to ensure
1:19:36 an equitable rotation, and we’re
1:19:38 asking that this is also completed by the end of November.
1:19:43 What we’re asking is that directors of each school request and
1:19:47 review with the principal
1:19:49 the schedule they have for coverage to make sure that it’s being
1:19:53 done in an equitable
1:19:54 manner.
1:19:55 What I mean by this is it should not be Ms. Jenkins being called
1:19:59 to cover every day while
1:20:01 Mr. Susan sits in the lounge eating potato chips, all right?
1:20:06 Probably it would be a true story, just saying.
1:20:08 So we want to make sure that this is being done fairly.
1:20:12 We believe in most cases it is, and we also are very grateful to
1:20:16 the many, many administrators
1:20:19 who are jumping in on this rotation schedule.
1:20:24 We’re asking that administrators are generous with flex time,
1:20:30 comp time, and personal time.
1:20:33 We believe that this could be implemented by the end of November
1:20:37 once again.
1:20:37 Perhaps the principals get the information at a leadership
1:20:41 meeting or memo, and what
1:20:43 we mean by this is we’re not talking about providing comp time
1:20:48 and personal time.
1:20:49 We’re talking about using it.
1:20:51 There are actually some caveats in our contract about using
1:20:54 these benefits.
1:20:55 For instance, personal time currently requires that teachers
1:21:00 take at least a half a day,
1:21:02 and comp time requires a request two days in advance.
1:21:06 So what we’re saying, it’s better for a teacher to miss an hour
1:21:10 or two if they need to run
1:21:11 an errand rather than miss a half a day.
1:21:14 So we ask that principals are more flexible on that.
1:21:20 And finally, we have increased sub pay.
1:21:23 We believe that you guys can implement this by January.
1:21:26 I recently heard from an administrator that it wasn’t until this
1:21:32 month that their first
1:21:34 sub picked up at the school.
1:21:36 Until October.
1:21:37 They’ve not been able to secure us up.
1:21:40 I was talking to a substitute the other day, and she pointed out
1:21:43 that her high school students
1:21:45 are making more money than she is in their part time jobs.
1:21:51 We know we have to get to $15 an hour.
1:21:55 I believe you guys have five years to get there.
1:21:58 And what I’m suggesting is get there sooner.
1:22:00 You have to get there.
1:22:02 Get there sooner.
1:22:03 It cannot hurt to pay people more money to do the job.
1:22:07 And you have the ARP money available to help you reach that
1:22:16 point as well.
1:22:19 Strategies for improvement for discipline.
1:22:23 First and foremost, we need to make sure all our schools are
1:22:26 following the district’s discipline
1:22:28 plan.
1:22:30 And we believe that should happen by the end of November once
1:22:34 again.
1:22:35 Lots of hard work and important work to ensure equity and
1:22:38 reasonable corrective actions have
1:22:40 gone into the discipline plan over the past five years.
1:22:43 BFT has been a part of those efforts.
1:22:47 It’s been really disappointing to learn that some schools are
1:22:50 using minor infraction forms
1:22:51 instead of referrals.
1:22:54 Often these infraction forms prevent a teacher from writing a
1:22:57 referral until the student
1:22:59 commits the same offense four times.
1:23:02 And according to our discipline plan, some of these infractions
1:23:05 are level one and level
1:23:07 two offenses.
1:23:09 Teachers must have the ability to write referrals to ensure an
1:23:12 appropriate learning environment
1:23:14 for students.
1:23:15 And it’s extremely important for BFT and BPS to ensure it’s
1:23:19 being done correctly so we
1:23:21 can properly track discipline.
1:23:25 We’re also asking that the referral process is reviewed with all
1:23:29 administrators and teachers.
1:23:31 That could happen through principals meetings and staff meetings
1:23:35 by the end of November.
1:23:36 It seems that some of our new teachers do not even understand
1:23:40 what the process is to
1:23:41 write a referral.
1:23:43 And perhaps some administrators don’t know to return a process
1:23:47 referral back to the teacher
1:23:49 for them to review.
1:23:52 We’re asking that clear guidelines and communication surrounding
1:23:55 the placement of students with
1:23:57 disabilities be created by the end of November.
1:24:03 We’re asking that the ESE department creates this, some kind of
1:24:09 guideline infographic something.
1:24:13 Because what we know is there can be a long and drawn out
1:24:16 process with seemingly no finish
1:24:18 line to get a student the appropriate staffing that they need.
1:24:23 Oftentimes we have a student who is placed in one setting and
1:24:26 the teachers feel strongly
1:24:28 that that is not the appropriate setting.
1:24:31 They collect data, they collect more data, they collect more
1:24:34 data and never seems to
1:24:35 get to the point where this student is moved.
1:24:38 So we’re looking for clear guidelines on that.
1:24:44 Finally we’re asking that the district use its art money to hire
1:24:48 additional district
1:24:49 peer mentors, behavior analysts, and school counselors as well
1:24:53 as provide more district
1:24:55 based PD in this area.
1:25:06 In these tough times some of our teachers may need additional
1:25:09 support including district
1:25:10 peer mentor teachers and behavior analysts.
1:25:13 We have three district peer mentor teachers who are trying to
1:25:17 get to approximately 80
1:25:18 schools.
1:25:19 They might have several teachers at each of those schools that
1:25:22 need support.
1:25:23 If we have more of those folks we will be able to provide the
1:25:27 support that these teachers
1:25:29 need and hopefully provide them the help they need with
1:25:33 discipline and keep them in the
1:25:35 classroom.
1:25:37 We also believe that more district based professional
1:25:40 development should be offered.
1:25:42 I’m just going to say that the BFT believes that the school
1:25:45 based professional development
1:25:47 is not working.
1:25:50 Teachers used to run to PD when it was district based.
1:25:55 Since it’s been school based they now run from it and this has
1:25:59 been an ongoing issue.
1:26:01 We also know that school counselors, more school counselors need
1:26:05 to be hired to deal
1:26:06 with post pandemic issues concerning mental health and social
1:26:11 issues and that could be
1:26:12 done using our funding.
1:26:15 We realize it is difficult to hire right now so we’ve put in a
1:26:19 start of next school year
1:26:21 for that.
1:26:26 In the area of morale we have several strategies for improvement.
1:26:34 First is to recognize and appreciate the circumstances in which
1:26:38 teachers are working immediately.
1:26:40 That could start right here tonight.
1:26:45 This can’t be said enough you know and the message we might tell
1:26:49 our teachers is maybe
1:26:50 we can’t fix it but we’re going to at least acknowledge it.
1:26:54 We know that this is hard.
1:26:56 There is no easy fix and we are aware and thankful of your
1:27:01 contributions.
1:27:03 We all need to be saying that until we are blue in the face.
1:27:07 They need to hear that we know what they’re going through.
1:27:13 We’re asking that we put student achievement second to student
1:27:18 and staff well-being immediately.
1:27:22 I want to clarify this.
1:27:25 The BFT believes in the importance of student achievement but we
1:27:28 believe the best way to
1:27:30 achieve this is with a happy and full fully staffed workforce.
1:27:35 For instance I heard from an ESE teacher yesterday that the
1:27:39 other ESE teacher at her school resigned
1:27:42 which puts the entire workload on her.
1:27:45 She is now scared and overwhelmed and thinking of resigning
1:27:49 herself.
1:27:50 What I’m saying is in this situation making sure that teacher
1:27:54 feels supported will result
1:27:57 in greater student achievement than stressing about data or
1:28:01 pacing guides.
1:28:02 In other words we believe students with teachers will outperform
1:28:07 those without teachers and
1:28:09 those with happy teachers will outperform those with miserable
1:28:13 teachers.
1:28:14 There’s seemingly too much pressure from the top to bring scores
1:28:19 up.
1:28:20 We need to take a breather with this new reading curriculum and
1:28:24 recalibrate our expectations
1:28:26 of its implementation.
1:28:28 It is putting many teachers over the edge.
1:28:32 Another suggestion for improvement we have is an easy one.
1:28:36 Jeans day every week, monthly district wide spirit days.
1:28:42 We can implement these things almost immediately.
1:28:45 The EFT is willing to publicize those things.
1:28:48 It’s simple things.
1:28:50 Now am I saying that by wearing jeans all these problems are
1:28:54 going to go away?
1:28:55 No, but I’m saying it’s a little token of appreciation to our
1:29:00 teachers.
1:29:01 You know what?
1:29:02 You’re killing yourself.
1:29:03 Wear jeans tomorrow.
1:29:04 When I was a teacher I would have been glad to hear that so I
1:29:06 didn’t have to go home and
1:29:08 iron my pants at night.
1:29:10 It’s the little things like that.
1:29:13 We’re asking that administrators start using some of their early
1:29:17 release days for team
1:29:19 building.
1:29:20 We believe they can start implementing this in November.
1:29:23 Team building can’t just be a one and done.
1:29:25 Oftentimes we have schools doing team building during preplanning
1:29:29 and that’s the end of it.
1:29:32 The team building should be fun and bring staff together.
1:29:39 Our next suggestion for improvement is an optional extended day
1:29:43 and we believe that
1:29:44 could be implemented by the end of November.
1:29:47 Once again we have this ARP funding and we can use ARP funding
1:29:50 to pay teachers for the
1:29:52 work they’re already doing by being compensated for an extra
1:29:57 hour a day.
1:29:58 What I’m saying is if these teachers are on campus, if they are
1:30:01 grading papers, meeting
1:30:03 with students, calling parents, writing IEPs, and we can’t hire
1:30:08 additional folks to do that
1:30:10 work like that grant funding allows us to, well let’s compensate
1:30:14 the folks who are doing
1:30:16 that work.
1:30:21 We are asking that the morale committee is revived by the end of
1:30:26 November.
1:30:27 Some of you might remember we used to have a morale committee.
1:30:30 We used to have a regular jeans day.
1:30:33 You might remember we had an employee picnic several years back.
1:30:37 Those ideas came through the employee morale committee.
1:30:42 Once again VFT is willing to help with this effort.
1:30:47 Next suggestion is let teachers periodically leave with students.
1:30:51 We believe this could be done starting in November.
1:30:56 My guess is many of our veteran administrators probably are
1:31:00 already doing this.
1:31:01 Many of our newer administrators are nervous about doing
1:31:04 something like this without having
1:31:07 permission granted to do so.
1:31:09 Idea here is simple.
1:31:10 You’re working hard.
1:31:12 You’re working a lot.
1:31:13 You have an enormous amount of pressure on you.
1:31:15 We’re asking a lot from you.
1:31:18 You know what?
1:31:19 If you can, if you don’t have something pressing to do, you can
1:31:23 leave when the kids do.
1:31:26 Go to Starbucks, get a coffee, go get a milkshake, go to the gym,
1:31:29 go take a nap, whatever it
1:31:30 is.
1:31:31 It’s these little things to show appreciation to our teachers
1:31:35 that can go a long way.
1:31:37 And then finally we’re asking to improve veteran teacher pay.
1:31:42 That would happen at the bargaining table.
1:31:45 I know you are all very well aware of that issue and concerned
1:31:49 about it.
1:31:50 But a teacher coming into this district with 20 years of
1:31:53 experience, if somebody leaves
1:31:55 Orange County tomorrow and comes here, will be making $46,550,
1:32:01 which is the exact same
1:32:03 amount that a teacher who is very first day in the classroom
1:32:08 tomorrow as well.
1:32:10 Somebody like me who is a 22-year teacher, I’m only making $3,000
1:32:15 or $4,000 more than
1:32:16 a brand new teacher.
1:32:18 It doesn’t quite give you a sense of excitement when you see
1:32:23 that happening.
1:32:25 And by no means am I suggesting that is this school board’s
1:32:29 fault.
1:32:29 We clearly know that it’s legislation that has intensified this
1:32:34 issue.
1:32:34 What we’re asking for you to do is find a way to help get around
1:32:41 what the state has
1:32:42 created.
1:32:50 And finally, my ask right now is will one or more of you
1:32:55 champion one of these issues,
1:32:58 coverage, discipline, or morale, and work with BFT, Dr. Mullins,
1:33:02 and staff to implement
1:33:04 these ideas in a timely manner.
1:33:06 Now I know Matt’s like, oh, yeah, my picture’s first.
1:33:10 And yeah, and Misty’s going, why do I only have a half a circle
1:33:14 there?
1:33:15 And it’s just what it did when I pressed enter.
1:33:20 These strategies for improvement from your teachers must be
1:33:24 taken seriously and not get
1:33:26 kicked to staff and hope they get done.
1:33:28 This elected board must use its authority to ensure staff
1:33:32 implement these ideas.
1:33:34 I will take any questions that you may have.
1:33:36 » Anyone have questions for Mr. Colucci?
1:33:39 » I just have something to say.
1:33:42 » I’m sorry?
1:33:43 » I just have something to say.
1:33:45 » Sure.
1:33:46 Go ahead.
1:33:47 » Thank you, Mr. Colucci.
1:33:48 I think it’s important for people who are watching to recognize
1:33:52 that BFT represents
1:33:53 60% of our teachers.
1:33:55 And so if we don’t, whether or not we agree or disagree on
1:33:58 things, if we don’t take at
1:33:59 least the opportunity to listen to what they’re presenting, we’re
1:34:02 also not listening to 60%
1:34:03 of our educators.
1:34:04 So it’s something really important that we need to kind of focus
1:34:08 on.
1:34:08 And you know, something you’ve kind of touched across your
1:34:12 entire presentation, you know,
1:34:14 we talk often about grace and flexibility over these past 18
1:34:19 months of COVID.
1:34:20 But I think it’s really important for us to really remember, you
1:34:22 know, the grace and flexibility
1:34:24 that all of our staff has given their community.
1:34:29 And it’s time for us to double down and recognize there are
1:34:32 these little things that we can
1:34:33 really make a huge difference when it comes to our educators and
1:34:36 make a huge difference
1:34:37 in their lives.
1:34:39 So I appreciate you guys, you know, you know, I’m an ally and I’m
1:34:41 here to champion anything
1:34:42 you need.
1:34:43 Thanks.
1:34:44 » Thanks, Ms. Jenkins.
1:34:45 Anyone else?
1:34:46 Ms. Campbell?
1:34:47 » All right, thank you, Mr. Colucci, and I have to tell you, I
1:34:52 thank you for coming
1:34:54 up with some ideas that don’t necessarily cost money.
1:34:57 It’s always good to have a little variety, but really some great
1:35:02 ideas.
1:35:02 I, you know, I’ll jump right in here and be, I don’t know if Ms.
1:35:07 Jenkins may have beat me
1:35:09 to it, and just say, you said you wanted us to immediately start
1:35:12 saying thank you.
1:35:14 And I will continue to say thank you to our teachers.
1:35:16 I was just hearing, I saw a Facebook post this morning from a
1:35:20 teacher who is very gentle
1:35:22 and very positive all the time, but just shared her heart of
1:35:25 what a tough time it’s been,
1:35:27 especially over the last six months, because of all the craziness
1:35:32 in our public division.
1:35:34 And sometimes that ire gets aimed at teachers because people say,
1:35:38 oh, education, everybody,
1:35:40 it’s a system and it’s trying to corrupt our children or
1:35:43 whatever.
1:35:44 And the truth is, the people who teach in our schools come from
1:35:46 our community.
1:35:47 They are a reflection of our community, and some of them are
1:35:49 conservative and some
1:35:50 of them are liberal, and, you know, they really have a tough
1:35:54 time no matter
1:35:54 which political meeting they have, and they need our support.
1:35:57 And so I’m very thankful, and I am really thankful for our
1:36:00 community who has stepped
1:36:01 up our business partners to say thank you to our teachers as
1:36:05 well.
1:36:05 I have a question for you about one of the very first things you
1:36:09 mentioned.
1:36:09 You chose – I was wondering why you picked the director to meet
1:36:15 with those teachers
1:36:17 who have given their two-week’s notice, because I know you guys
1:36:19 get those calls.
1:36:20 You said that, but I’m wondering why that particular –
1:36:23 because, you know, who’s going to be most effective to keep that
1:36:26 person in the building?
1:36:28 » So I tried to put Dr. Mullins there, but he tells me he’s
1:36:31 busy enough as our –
1:36:33 » He is.
1:36:34 » – Ms. Klein and Dr. Sullivan.
1:36:36 So sometimes it’s my belief that oftentimes these teachers have
1:36:42 already discussed the issue
1:36:44 with the principal and have felt like they didn’t have relief
1:36:47 from the principal,
1:36:48 so that is the next person up from the principal.
1:36:51 » Okay. Thank you.
1:36:56 I just want to point out, you’ve mentioned the ARP funds a few
1:36:59 times, but, you know,
1:37:00 if you paid attention to the last board meeting that we don’t
1:37:02 really have control –
1:37:03 we don’t have access to that money, but we also – part of that
1:37:06 is it has to be discussed
1:37:07 by the community, so certainly please encourage your teachers to
1:37:10 access the portal, you know,
1:37:13 and you guys as well to put those ideas in there, because
1:37:16 certainly there are some things
1:37:18 that are possibilities as we dream big for those plans.
1:37:23 I think – oh, you mentioned more PD on the discipline slide, I
1:37:29 believe.
1:37:30 Do you have some specific topics that you – or just general
1:37:34 behavior management,
1:37:35 classroom discipline kinds of things, or things specific to our
1:37:40 processes, I guess?
1:37:44 » Just general professional development on classroom management.
1:37:48 We were surprised in a BFT meeting, even some of our veteran
1:37:52 educators felt
1:37:53 like they could benefit from more PD in this area because of the
1:37:58 challenging situation
1:38:00 that they’re dealing with.
1:38:01 » Okay. A particular format for times, you’re talking about
1:38:05 like Friday release –
1:38:06 or Friday early release day district professional development
1:38:10 evenings, weekends.
1:38:11 » Well, when you step up to champion this area, we will discuss
1:38:14 the specifics.
1:38:15 » All right.
1:38:16 Well, I’m trying not to bargain away from the table.
1:38:18 The other thing is, you know, it’s time.
1:38:20 That time professional development is precious, and I know we –
1:38:25 but I don’t want to bargain away from the table about getting
1:38:27 some of that time to do it.
1:38:29 So that’s all I’ve got for right now.
1:38:33 » Thank you, Ms. Campbell.
1:38:35 Mr. Susan, I feel like you’re asking for the mic.
1:38:40 » Yeah, Anthony, there’s nobody that was running in my school
1:38:43 to PD day.
1:38:43 I’m just not going to lie to you.
1:38:45 Professional development was good, but it wasn’t like we were
1:38:48 running to it.
1:38:48 Genes, I love it.
1:38:50 Committees, yes.
1:38:51 The only thing is, is that if we do a spirit day,
1:38:54 one of them has to be a Florida State day.
1:38:56 That’s all I’m saying.
1:38:56 So I am not going to allow –
1:38:58 » It’s going to go over well.
1:39:01 » Dr. Mullins will support me on that.
1:39:02 But one of the things is, is you’re right about the person that
1:39:06 we go to for the next step,
1:39:08 is that there may be some internal conflict so that the director
1:39:11 might be somebody to do that.
1:39:12 One of the things you could do is do a Zoom meeting and record
1:39:15 it
1:39:15 so that others can use it for best practices and stuff like that.
1:39:18 So if an individual is leaving and we need to find out what’s
1:39:20 going on
1:39:20 and give them the opportunity, we can do something like that.
1:39:24 Like you coming up, just the way it is, you know, you guys do
1:39:27 represent 60% of the, you know,
1:39:29 the teachers and you guys have done a good job throughout the
1:39:32 years.
1:39:32 Appreciate everything that you guys have done as a former
1:39:34 teacher.
1:39:34 I appreciate it.
1:39:35 And I look forward to working on some of these committees.
1:39:38 » 65%, but who’s counting?
1:39:41 » Oh, sorry.
1:39:43 So 65%. Big deal.
1:39:49 » Dr. Mullins, looks like you might want the mic.
1:39:52 » Thank you, Madam Chairman.
1:39:53 I was going to save the best for last.
1:39:55 But I don’t need to jump in front of you if you would like to go
1:39:58 next.
1:39:58 » You’re good.
1:39:59 Go right ahead.
1:40:00 » Well, Mr. Colucci and I have had, I would suggest,
1:40:05 a great relationship throughout my superintendency.
1:40:08 And we’ve had conversations around some of these concerns,
1:40:12 several of them more recently.
1:40:15 I’m visiting schools more regularly.
1:40:18 Thank you to board members for joining me and getting into our
1:40:21 schools.
1:40:21 And the reality is, is, Anthony, I agree with you.
1:40:25 Our teachers have expressed these concerns.
1:40:28 I met with my teacher of the year, teachers of the year and
1:40:32 finalist over the last three
1:40:34 or four years as my superintendent’s ambassadors, actually, last
1:40:38 night.
1:40:38 And we had discussion around the challenges that they’re facing
1:40:41 and they echoed some of these same things.
1:40:44 But so have our administrators.
1:40:46 And I want to, and I think you alluded to that in your
1:40:49 conversation,
1:40:50 our administrators recognize the challenges that our teachers
1:40:54 are facing.
1:40:54 The shortage, Anthony, correct me if I’m wrong.
1:40:57 I think we were talking about this in the last several days.
1:41:00 We both predicted a teacher shortage crisis five years ago, five,
1:41:05 six years ago.
1:41:07 We didn’t know it was going to be compounded by a global pandemic.
1:41:13 But nevertheless, here is where we are.
1:41:17 And, you know, we know within BPS and many of our parents and
1:41:23 community understand
1:41:25 that I would suggest that this is the most important and noble
1:41:29 profession
1:41:30 that we have is educating our youngest kids and raising them up
1:41:34 to be the next generations
1:41:35 of leaders that we want leading our communities and our country.
1:41:41 And I would ask our community, I would echo Anthony’s charge, to
1:41:47 express the appreciation
1:41:49 to our teachers and our administrators and our staff across the
1:41:53 organization.
1:41:54 Anthony, many of the things that you’ve suggested aren’t just
1:41:57 benefits to teachers,
1:41:59 but they’re important elements to consider for all of our
1:42:02 employees.
1:42:03 So I appreciate the charge to join the commitment.
1:42:06 I will make the commitment to add these conversations to our
1:42:10 monthly conversation
1:42:11 that we have along with 1010 and BASA.
1:42:14 But I’ll also put it on my meeting agendas with the board
1:42:18 members
1:42:19 so the community understands I meet with board members one on
1:42:21 one at least formally every month.
1:42:24 And we discuss items along the way and I’ll add this to the
1:42:29 agenda so we keep it
1:42:30 on the forefront and we’ll certainly continue to be talking as
1:42:33 we move forward.
1:42:34 Thank you.
1:42:40 » Anthony, thank you very much for bringing this in.
1:42:42 I have two areas that I would be interested in working with you.
1:42:49 Certainly discipline kind of goes with social-emotional learning
1:42:53 and morale.
1:42:54 Both of those kind of came together, I think.
1:42:57 So I certainly don’t have a problem if the board doesn’t have a
1:43:00 problem with that,
1:43:01 my fellow board members.
1:43:03 And thanks for bringing– I agree with what Ms. Campbell said is
1:43:07 that it’s not all about money.
1:43:10 It’s about what we can do to help little things.
1:43:16 It doesn’t have to be something that’s going to necessarily cost
1:43:19 us a lot of money.
1:43:20 So thank you.
1:43:21 » Thank you.
1:43:22 » Thank you, Ms. McDougall.
1:43:25 And Mr. Colucci, I think, you know, I’m there for wherever you
1:43:29 need me to work on.
1:43:30 Where you have a gap, feel free to stick me in.
1:43:32 I know you started this presentation with a request for us to
1:43:36 commit to following your timeline
1:43:38 on all of the things that you put forward.
1:43:40 And I don’t think it will shock you to hear me say, I don’t
1:43:44 think as a board we can vote
1:43:46 to adopt your timeline on all these issues without having
1:43:48 conversations with Dr. Mullins
1:43:49 and staff and understanding the ins and outs of all of those
1:43:52 things.
1:43:53 I will, however, continue to have those conversations with Dr.
1:43:56 Mullins
1:43:57 as we have our one-on-ones and check progress on those things.
1:44:01 And I’m happy to step in and help on any of the initiatives you
1:44:05 would like for me to do.
1:44:07 » So can we declare tomorrow jeans day?
1:44:09 [ Laughter ]
1:44:13 » Walk away with that.
1:44:15 » Dr. Mullins, are you opposed to a jeans day tomorrow?
1:44:18 » I am not opposed to October 27th, Wednesday, October 27th,
1:44:23 being Brevard Public Schools National Jeans Day.
1:44:27 » There you go.
1:44:28 [ Inaudible Remark ]
1:44:32 » Well, I appreciate–
1:44:32 » So it’s your job to get the word out though, you know,
1:44:35 because I’m not assuming they’re all watching this meeting.
1:44:37 » Bruce, right there, send it out, bro.
1:44:40 » Appreciate the time and the consideration and I will be
1:44:43 following up with you guys.
1:44:44 » And thanks for bringing the solution.
1:44:46 We appreciate that.
1:44:46 » Have a good night.
1:44:49 All right, board members, we are going to be moving into public
1:44:52 comment.
1:44:53 We have approximately– well, not approximately, we have 26
1:44:56 speakers this evening.
1:44:58 I’m going to be asking for direction in a moment.
1:45:01 But before we get too far in direction, I just want to do a
1:45:05 check in and make sure do we–
1:45:07 do we need a break before we move into our public comment?
1:45:10 » Just a short break for me.
1:45:11 » OK. So if we could have just about a five-minute– Ms.
1:45:14 Campbell?
1:45:15 » Yeah, I just have a question because I know when we do our
1:45:18 policy adoption,
1:45:20 we have a separate– so are some of those going to be moved to
1:45:23 those times?
1:45:23 Are we going to hear them all different or–
1:45:25 » So Mr. Gibbs– well, OK, so I’ll go ahead and give you guys
1:45:28 the details.
1:45:29 We have 26 speakers.
1:45:31 We have eight that are not on agenda items.
1:45:34 We have–
1:45:46 We have seven that look like they are going to be speaking on
1:45:49 our public comment policy,
1:45:51 but many of them are speaking about more than one thing.
1:45:55 So, I’ll call them up during public comments so they can speak
1:46:01 to the other issue that they’re speaking to.
1:46:03 And then, you know, would respectfully ask that they utilize
1:46:08 that time to address all of their concerns.
1:46:10 So, but I mean, there’s only eight of them not on agenda items.
1:46:15 So, did that answer your question?
1:46:19 » Yes.
1:46:20 » OK. So with that, are we good to take a five-minute recess?
1:46:25 All right.
1:46:25 We will be back momentarily.
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1:59:45 [ Inaudible ]
1:59:49 » All right, we are back in session.
1:59:53 Board members, just for clarification, I have a correction.
1:59:57 We have 26 speakers.
2:00:00 Nine of them are not on agenda items.
2:00:03 The rest of them are on agenda items.
2:00:05 So, at this time, I will entertain a motion from the board as to
2:00:08 how you’d like to handle those.
2:00:10 [ Inaudible ]
2:00:19 » So, is that a motion to take all 26 speakers?
2:00:22 » Yeah, I move to let everybody speak at once.
2:00:24 » Is there a second on Mr. Susan’s motion?
2:00:27 All in favor, please signify by saying aye.
2:00:29 » Aye.
2:00:30 » Aye. Any opposed?
2:00:31 » Nay.
2:00:33 » All right, and the motion passes.
2:00:36 Ms. Jenkins, I didn’t hear you.
2:00:37 » Aye.
2:00:38 » The motion passes four to one.
2:00:40 Okay. We are now at public comments.
2:00:47 Each speaker is limited to three minutes.
2:00:50 We have a clock in front of me to help you keep track of your
2:00:52 time.
2:00:52 When your time is over, you will be asked to stop and allow the
2:00:55 next speaker his or her turn.
2:00:56 Always keep in mind that reasonable decorum is expected at all
2:00:58 times,
2:00:59 and your statement should be directed to the board chair.
2:01:02 The chair may interrupt, warn, or terminate a participant’s
2:01:04 statement.
2:01:05 When time is up, it’s personally directed, abusive, obscene, or
2:01:08 irrelevant.
2:01:09 Should an individual not observe proper etiquette, the chairman
2:01:11 may request the individual leave the meeting.
2:01:14 Let’s all encourage an environment appropriate for our children
2:01:16 who may be present or are watching from home.
2:01:19 We will start with our first three speakers.
2:01:22 And if you guys wouldn’t mind kind of getting on deck over there
2:01:25 for me.
2:01:26 We are going to be Katie Delaney, Karen Fulton, and Veronica
2:01:39 Diaz.
2:01:40 All right, Katie, whenever you’re ready.
2:01:42 » Thank you.
2:01:43 First I want to thank the four board members who stayed through
2:01:47 the entirety of the achievement gap and curriculum workshop
2:01:50 today.
2:01:51 It was great to kind of be involved in that and, you know, hear
2:01:54 you guys.
2:01:55 So I appreciate you guys who were there for that.
2:01:59 Switching gears, I wanted to read a quote by Barack Obama.
2:02:04 For those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and
2:02:09 the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of
2:02:13 history.
2:02:14 But that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench
2:02:20 yours first.
2:02:22 That being said, I’m hoping you all want to be on the correct
2:02:29 side of history.
2:02:31 Please let the illegal mask mandate expire.
2:02:34 Even with the parental opt out, it leaves room for forms to get
2:02:38 lost and for children to be harassed and abused.
2:02:41 Like sweet Sophia.
2:02:43 BPS failed her.
2:02:45 They abused her.
2:02:49 That was made possible by this illegal mandate.
2:02:53 I find it ironic that the union president got 40 minutes to
2:02:58 speak while I am the union president of my students union.
2:03:03 And we deserve at least three minutes.
2:03:08 This is an attempt to silence the public.
2:03:11 Nothing more, nothing less.
2:03:13 Please watch the workshop and all of you are in favor of this
2:03:16 new policy, having to pass something, having to pass something
2:03:21 could never be a reason.
2:03:23 Not videoing the meeting in its entirety will further the divide
2:03:28 and continue to destroy public trust.
2:03:31 Now is not the time to limit speech.
2:03:33 In our great republic, our founders called for robust debate.
2:03:39 You are not our rulers.
2:03:41 Frankly, the public should have more input.
2:03:45 And there should be more back and forth.
2:03:48 That is how we reach compromises and work together as a
2:03:52 community.
2:03:53 And I just want to comment on.
2:03:58 You know.
2:03:59 What was being said about how how the masks help bring the
2:04:02 numbers down.
2:04:03 Two charter schools in this county had similar if not better COVID
2:04:07 numbers, and they were mask optional, which they had very little
2:04:11 participation with masks.
2:04:13 And I know that because my children go to one of those schools
2:04:17 where almost no staff or children wear masks.
2:04:20 We are now into our fourth week with zero COVID cases.
2:04:26 So thank you, and I hope that you guys are on the right side of
2:04:29 history.
2:04:30 Thank you, Ms. Delaney. Ms. Colton.
2:04:40 Hi, I have three things I’d like to address tonight.
2:04:43 First of all, I’m representing Moms for Liberty.
2:04:46 Take that very seriously.
2:04:47 I wear this shirt because I want to represent this group of
2:04:53 people that I’ve affiliated with.
2:04:57 In all of my experience with Moms for Liberty, there has been no
2:05:00 discussion of anything inappropriate, no violence, no none of
2:05:05 that.
2:05:06 I’ve never heard anything like that.
2:05:08 And I’m very disappointed that that has been been brought
2:05:13 against us.
2:05:15 I think if anyone had any proof of anything like that, they
2:05:18 should bring it forward because that would be something that we
2:05:23 would seriously have a problem with.
2:05:26 It’s just not right to be accused of something that that you’re
2:05:31 not a part of.
2:05:32 It breaks the bonds of trust.
2:05:34 And I think I take that very seriously.
2:05:38 The second thing I want to talk about is is is another trust
2:05:42 issue.
2:05:43 We want to build trust and we want to unite our community.
2:05:47 We want to we don’t want to restrict parents.
2:05:50 Right. I know you don’t want to do that.
2:05:52 We need to be a team. We need to work together.
2:05:56 And why would we restrict these these these rights in a school
2:06:02 board meeting?
2:06:04 We have three minutes that we can speak.
2:06:06 I think that that’s something that we need to retain and not not
2:06:11 broadcasting the comments of parents since the message that what
2:06:15 they have to say is unimportant.
2:06:17 And I’m sure that we don’t want to do that. Parents are feeling
2:06:21 left out in the process of all of this.
2:06:24 And that’s not right. Parents are a part of the process.
2:06:30 The third thing I’d like to speak about is something that’s near
2:06:33 and dear to my heart.
2:06:34 And that is the little girl Sophia.
2:06:39 You know, parents have this precious commodity of their children
2:06:44 and they send them to the school with a trust that you’re going
2:06:49 to you’re going to take care of those children.
2:06:53 It takes trust to be able to do that. In the case of Sophia, it
2:06:57 takes an even greater trust.
2:06:59 She’s vulnerable. You can’t express herself.
2:07:03 And so I am very disappointed in the the situation with her.
2:07:10 I have a 56 year old brother with Down syndrome. And we have
2:07:14 fought for him every day of his life for 56 years.
2:07:20 We have fought for him when he started. There were no public
2:07:24 schools for him. And we had to fight for that.
2:07:27 And I strongly am very sad about what happened to Sophia.
2:07:33 And I think it’s the responsibility of the schools to make sure
2:07:36 things like that don’t happen.
2:07:37 And ultimately it’s your responsibility as a board to make sure
2:07:40 that doesn’t happen.
2:07:41 Thank you. Thank you.
2:07:45 As Ms. Diaz is approaching, our next three speakers will be Demani
2:07:51 Hosey, Molly Williams and Erin Davison.
2:07:54 Ms. Diaz. Hi board. My name is Veronica Diaz and I’m a mom of
2:07:58 two children in BPS.
2:08:00 I am new here. I just came from Miami about a year ago and I
2:08:03 have a background in medical social work for almost 20 years in
2:08:06 a very large health care system.
2:08:07 So wearing a well fitted face mask is not a foreign concept to
2:08:11 me.
2:08:11 It was a requirement and an annual competency competency we had
2:08:14 to complete every single year.
2:08:16 But I’m not here today to talk to you about data competencies
2:08:18 because we all know that certain board members don’t consider
2:08:21 any of this when making its decisions.
2:08:23 I’m here today as a terrified parent after learning about a
2:08:26 young girl with Down syndrome in your district who had a mask
2:08:29 forcefully tied around her head by her teacher,
2:08:32 restricting her breathing and her ability to speak because of
2:08:36 your mask mandate.
2:08:37 It terrifies me to send my children to school knowing that
2:08:40 someone charged with the responsibility of educating my child is
2:08:43 capable of doing this to a child, capable of doing this to
2:08:46 someone.
2:08:47 This alone should be evidence enough that the school board is
2:08:50 not qualified to make the decisions over my child’s bodily
2:08:53 autonomy or health care.
2:08:54 This task is the sole responsibility of the parent and their
2:08:56 physician.
2:08:57 The correct handling of masks is not always easy to achieve for
2:09:00 medical staff, much less the general public.
2:09:03 You can see everywhere that adults consistently fail to comply
2:09:06 with necessary hygiene regulations when it comes to wearing a
2:09:08 face mask.
2:09:09 It’s almost impossible to expect a teacher and not fair,
2:09:12 actually, who has 20 students to monitor the compliance of
2:09:16 necessary hygiene requirements that have not followed correctly
2:09:19 can counteract as a possible hazard to our kids.
2:09:23 I’m not anti-science or anti-vaccines.
2:09:26 I’m going to blow your minds when I tell you right now that I
2:09:29 myself am vaccinated for reasons that are none of your business.
2:09:32 But I stand here for medical freedom, for the right to make our
2:09:35 own decisions for ourselves and for our children.
2:09:37 Almost two years into this pandemic with readily available
2:09:40 vaccines, the issue of mandatory masking of our children should
2:09:43 be a moot point.
2:09:44 It’s really not a surprise to any of us that this issue is
2:09:46 obviously being driven by emotion and political agendas.
2:09:49 And quite frankly, we, the parents who fund the school system
2:09:52 with our tax dollars, have had enough of this charade.
2:09:55 In closing, in order to restore faith and trust within our
2:09:58 community, I respectfully ask the school board to acknowledge
2:10:02 the abuse that has transpired in one of our schools to one of
2:10:04 our students.
2:10:05 Made possible by the illegal mask mandates and a sloppy
2:10:08 institutional policy in which the school board has negligently
2:10:11 instituted without properly instructing its teacher how to
2:10:13 navigate.
2:10:14 And I would like the school board to return the control of
2:10:17 children’s bodily autonomy to the parents.
2:10:19 No more mask mandates. Indefinitely. Let our children be free.
2:10:23 Thank you.
2:10:36 Whenever you’re ready, say, My name is Damani Hosey, a family
2:10:36 physician with one child in Brevard Public Schools and two
2:10:43 children in Florida Virtual School.
2:10:48 I would like to thank those board members who followed the
2:10:52 science and instituted a mandatory mask mandate, a mandatory
2:10:56 mask policy.
2:10:57 The implementation of this simple public health measure has been
2:11:02 an undeniable success.
2:11:04 When masks were made mandatory, the average number of covert
2:11:08 cases in Brevard Public Schools per three day reporting period
2:11:12 dropped from five hundred and forty nine to one hundred and
2:11:15 eleven.
2:11:16 The average number of quarantines dropped from two thousand nine
2:11:20 hundred and ninety eight to four hundred and thirteen.
2:11:23 To put it another way, there were five times fewer covert cases
2:11:28 and seven times fewer quarantines after the board ordered
2:11:33 students and staff to be masked.
2:11:36 The benefits of this policy likely extended beyond our school
2:11:40 doors.
2:11:41 Brevard’s overloaded hospitals have seen a dramatic decline in
2:11:46 covert cases. This mirrors what we have known from the from
2:11:50 countless scientific studies.
2:11:53 Masks work and they work well. From a medical standpoint, the
2:11:57 question of whether masks curb the spread of covert 19 has been
2:12:01 asked and answered.
2:12:02 They do. But we must remain vigilant. Do not let success be the
2:12:08 enemy of the good.
2:12:10 It is not time to loosen mask mandates with opt outs and
2:12:14 exemptions.
2:12:15 Our experience this summer and early fall has demonstrated the
2:12:19 havoc that the Delta variant can reap if we do not have in place
2:12:23 mandatory mask policy.
2:12:25 During the Delta surge this summer, covert 19 hospitalizations
2:12:29 among children nearly quintupled in the United States, with
2:12:33 twenty three percent of hospitalized children being admitted to
2:12:37 the ICU.
2:12:38 And sadly, two percent of those hospitalized children dying.
2:12:44 According to the CDC, an estimated forty six percent of children
2:12:49 hospitalized with covert 19 had no known underlying condition.
2:12:53 And Brevard between ninety five and nearly one hundred percent
2:12:57 of all patients hospitalized with covert 19 are unvaccinated.
2:13:01 Our children are largely unvaccinated. Covert has the potential
2:13:09 to devastate many families and it threatens our children and our
2:13:11 community.
2:13:12 It needs to be taken seriously. Please reinstate the mandatory
2:13:17 mask policy with no opt outs until the pandemic is under better
2:13:22 control and our children have at least the opportunity to be
2:13:25 immunized.
2:13:26 Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Hosie.
2:13:34 And audience members, I will just remind you that you should not
2:13:37 be audibly responding during the public comment.
2:13:40 OK. It’s their time to speak. It’s not your time to voice your
2:13:43 opinion on what they’re saying.
2:13:44 So we need to be respectful and we need to let them have their
2:13:48 time.
2:13:49 OK. Molly Williams. Hi, Molly Williams. Our family resides in
2:13:55 District four.
2:13:57 It’s foolish to think someone can promise us safety. For the
2:14:00 last year, you’ve been selling something that’s impossible.
2:14:03 And in the process, you managed to take away our parental rights.
2:14:06 You haven’t necessarily gone about this in a very wise way.
2:14:09 You can shake your head all you want in disagreement that this
2:14:11 has never been about our parental rights, but it has.
2:14:15 And you strip those rights from me and many parents so you could
2:14:18 continue to sell something that you will never be successful at
2:14:20 selling.
2:14:21 I understand where you’re coming from. I truly do. I’ve listened
2:14:25 to you.
2:14:25 I hear you. I also understand why your words, actions and
2:14:28 policies you’ve put into place sound and look desirable to some
2:14:31 parents, because who doesn’t want safety?
2:14:34 Right. So when you say we are going to mandate masks and it’s OK
2:14:37 to disregard the law, it’s OK to take away parental rights.
2:14:40 And it’s OK for the overreach because if the kids just wear a
2:14:43 mask for 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, however long you want this
2:14:47 to go on, then you will pull us into safety.
2:14:50 But when I said that what you’re selling is impossible, it’s
2:14:52 because you cannot give us that.
2:14:54 Instead, it’s just a false promise of safety. As an individual
2:14:58 and as a parent, I stand firm in the fact that my family and I
2:15:00 choose to rest in the best security.
2:15:03 I stand firm in my freedom to make my own decisions that I
2:15:05 believe are best for myself, my family and my children.
2:15:09 And I stand by the fact that I’m grateful I live in a state that
2:15:12 gives me my right and freedom to my parental rights as it should
2:15:15 be.
2:15:15 Unfortunately, we’ve made our way down in an extremely ugly path.
2:15:19 The relationship between the parents and the school board is in
2:15:22 an ugly place.
2:15:23 There are distractions throughout our districts keeping us from
2:15:25 focusing on what’s important. And the Brevard parents and Brevard
2:15:29 school board are not being painted in a very good light.
2:15:32 I am fully aware of some policies that you will be voting on
2:15:35 this evening and based on how those votes go will determine if
2:15:38 you want to move forward or keep going down this nightmare of a
2:15:41 path that we are on.
2:15:42 I want to be an involved parent. I want to work with the school
2:15:45 board. I am a volunteer and I am a room parent at my child’s
2:15:48 school. I want to be involved.
2:15:51 Do you want involved parents? Do you want relationships with the
2:15:55 parents of the children in your districts?
2:15:57 Do you want that? Because seeing how certain issues have been
2:16:00 handled and certain policies getting voted on, I’m just not sure
2:16:03 if that’s what you want.
2:16:04 Full transparency from a parent who’s new to public schools.
2:16:07 This has been an embarrassment. It’s a shame and it’s a disgrace
2:16:11 what’s been happening.
2:16:12 You’ve certainly dealt our children a pretty crappy hand of
2:16:14 cards for a while now. And to be honest, we’re just done playing
2:16:17 the game.
2:16:18 Maybe one day we’ll be able to get back to what’s important.
2:16:21 Maybe one day the school board and parents will be able to work
2:16:23 together again like it’s supposed to be.
2:16:25 And if not now, I’m hopeful that one day we’ll be able to do
2:16:28 that. In the meantime, I am going to keep showing up.
2:16:32 I am going to keep fighting for my children and I am going to
2:16:35 try my very best to get things done the right way. Thank you.
2:16:38 Thank you. As Erin’s approaching, as Erin is approaching, our
2:16:44 next three speakers will be Elliot Davison, Julie Bywater, and
2:16:48 Matthew Dawley.
2:16:49 Erin? I was super disappointed when I showed up tonight after
2:16:56 checking the agenda every day, refresh, refresh, refresh, and
2:16:59 then seeing masking on it.
2:17:02 I thought it would just expire, but here we are again. So it was
2:17:06 certainly interesting to hear about Thrive by Five tonight.
2:17:10 And I’m going to go out on a limb and I’m guessing that nowhere
2:17:14 in early literacy research will you find evidence to support
2:17:18 that masking young children helps them develop in any way,
2:17:21 especially with their early literacy.
2:17:24 In fact, I’m most certain you will find the opposite. I’m also
2:17:28 shocked to see you want to continue the mask mandate for our
2:17:32 youngest learners, especially after what allegedly happened to
2:17:36 little Sophia at the school my kids are zoned for.
2:17:40 I was on the call you had with the DOE regarding compliance a
2:17:44 few weeks ago. They have the data. There’s virtually no
2:17:48 difference. I know you guys know this, but there’s no difference
2:17:53 with the numbers with all of the counties who did not have masking
2:17:58 mandates and the few counties who did have masking mandates.
2:18:02 So I cannot figure out what we’re doing here. I’m asking that
2:18:06 you reconsider continuing the mandate and end it immediately for
2:18:10 everyone, including our teachers. You can tell by what BFT said
2:18:15 like teachers got enough junk going on.
2:18:18 They don’t need to be dealing with mask, mask discipline,
2:18:22 discipline problems because of masking. Just end it. You can end
2:18:27 it tonight.
2:18:28 I’m also asking that you continue to allow all public comment to
2:18:33 be heard and to broadcast the entire meeting, including non
2:18:37 agenda public comment. When I can’t come to a meeting, I have
2:18:41 YouTube on and I’m watching.
2:18:42 And I benefit so much from hearing the public comment and from
2:18:46 hearing what people’s concerns are even getting ideas for like,
2:18:51 oh, maybe we could learn more about this or I don’t know about
2:18:55 this. Like, it’s just been really good and I know it’s a benefit
2:18:58 to the community and it also helps with that relationship
2:19:02 between the board and between parents to keep an open line of
2:19:05 communication, even if it is just broadcasting everything for us.
2:19:10 So I do think the BFT had some great suggestions that sounded
2:19:15 super reasonable. Our teachers do so much, and it certainly
2:19:19 would be would be great to see them supported, even if with just
2:19:23 some little things.
2:19:24 Dean stay. This is a super great start. All right. Thank you,
2:19:31 guys. Thanks, Erin. Elliot. Hi, I’m Elliot and I’m a Brevard
2:19:37 public school student.
2:19:40 And as you are all probably well aware of the school shooting
2:19:43 incident a few years ago where the fire alarm was pulled and
2:19:47 everyone left there, that was a safety policy that had to be
2:19:50 changed because it was found that it didn’t always work.
2:19:54 Masking is a safety policy. And I think that it should be
2:20:00 changed because it has been proven over and over. And you all
2:20:06 know the data, but that it does not work. So it can and should
2:20:10 be changed.
2:20:10 I also wanted to speak on this being like the board members
2:20:14 being respectful to their audience, because I have seen board
2:20:20 members on their phones, rolling their eyes, and I don’t
2:20:24 appreciate that.
2:20:26 And I don’t think anyone else here does. Thank you. Thanks,
2:20:32 Elliot.
2:20:38 Hello, I’m Julie bywater with moms for liberty tonight I was
2:20:41 supposed to speak on behalf of my senior son and all the seniors
2:20:44 in the county about allowing the return of school function
2:20:47 dances.
2:20:48 Sadly, there are more pressing issues at hand.
2:20:51 For example, the proposed limiting of public complex comment, I
2:20:54 wouldn’t get the chance to be heard the way I am being heard
2:20:57 tonight with the amount of speakers typically that we have, I’d
2:21:01 be limited to one minute at best.
2:21:03 But since it will never be a consent agenda item, dances would
2:21:07 likely be shoved to the end of the meeting with the video turned
2:21:10 off. After all, why should I be heard? I’m just a mom.
2:21:14 So much for encouraging parents to offer suggestions, which is
2:21:17 exactly what I did when I spoke about homecoming dances being
2:21:20 canceled. I gave you solutions, none of which were explored.
2:21:24 You keep asking for volunteers, but it seems like you only want
2:21:28 volunteers to do specific things at specific times, rather than
2:21:32 encourage creative collaboration.
2:21:34 One that might result in actually giving these kids a chance at
2:21:37 a normal school experience in all facets and mask again are now
2:21:41 on the agenda.
2:21:42 A late addition is that keeping these kids on a constant seesaw
2:21:46 with a dangling carrot in front of them only to slap that mass
2:21:49 back on their face. Remember, masks could always be optional for
2:21:53 those who chose to wear them.
2:21:55 These kids are real people. Not once have you had a panel that
2:21:57 included an adolescent mental health care provider. Not once
2:22:00 have you sought out any kind of student panel and asked them how
2:22:04 it was affecting them.
2:22:05 You make decisions based on selected information without even
2:22:08 acknowledging the largest stakeholders in the county, the
2:22:11 students. This affects them.
2:22:13 What kind of message do these kids get when they can be masked
2:22:16 practically anywhere in the county except school, including the
2:22:20 dual enrolled students at EFSC where masks are optional?
2:22:24 In the Florida today, it was suggested that grades seven through
2:22:26 12 could be mass optional, but mandated for K through six.
2:22:29 So we send the message that one group of kids has to be punished
2:22:32 while the others aren’t. And believe me, all these kids see
2:22:35 these masks as punishment.
2:22:37 Not to mention the distancing, the loss of activities deemed a
2:22:41 normal part of growing up process, the rites of passage you all
2:22:44 had the opportunity to participate in.
2:22:47 Those of you with children who vote to continue these measures
2:22:50 obviously do not have a high school student, let alone a high
2:22:53 school senior who has had all of these things taken away from
2:22:56 them.
2:22:56 And they’ll never get them back. They will never have an
2:23:01 opportunity to have a homecoming dance.
2:23:05 As Brevard students all watch across the state as the other
2:23:08 children get to go unmasked and attend school dancing dances,
2:23:12 including Orlando. Come on.
2:23:14 Orange County, your cure and mitigation are hurting children in
2:23:18 the name of politics.
2:23:20 I’d say I was disappointed in this board. That used to mean
2:23:23 something, but now it falls on deaf ears. And by the way, these
2:23:27 seniors are hurting.
2:23:29 They’re going to vote in the next election.
2:23:35 Matthew is approaching.
2:23:38 All right, guys, if we could hold the applause so I can get
2:23:40 through the names because people can’t hear me.
2:23:42 Okay. If you wouldn’t mind, I would appreciate it. As Matthew is
2:23:52 approaching, Karen Colby, Angie Houlihan and Susan Richards will
2:23:52 be next. Mr. Dolly, whenever you are ready, sir.
2:23:52 Hello, everybody. The village idiot is back. I apologize for my
2:23:56 absence the last few times.
2:23:59 I’m going to be forward and say that something that raises my
2:24:02 agitation level to 10 immediately is self aggrandizing.
2:24:06 And I cannot say how ripe the irony was in the air tonight to
2:24:10 see everybody up here.
2:24:12 Take a photo photo and have the audacity to point to a silence
2:24:15 to serve every student with excellence.
2:24:18 Because as most people in this room know, I’m an advocate for
2:24:22 over 100 parents that came together.
2:24:24 Pulled our money together and filed lawsuit against the school
2:24:26 board. And I’m telling you right now, Sophia is the one of many
2:24:31 cases.
2:24:32 One of many special needs and not special needs. They know about
2:24:37 them because the parents contact them and the staff.
2:24:40 Do they care? I do not know. But do they try to resolve the
2:24:43 issues? They do not.
2:24:46 And it’s difficult for me to sit here and clap for you to know
2:24:50 these kinds of things are going on to the teachers union and the
2:24:54 school board.
2:24:55 Did you go to a school when masks were optional? How many people
2:25:00 wore masks? You know, the overwhelming percentage of people did
2:25:04 not.
2:25:04 And like oligarchs, you made the decision for them. I know
2:25:07 teachers have reached out to the teachers unit about this and I
2:25:11 know they have told them to kick rocks.
2:25:13 Because by being an advocate for the parent, I’ve by accident
2:25:17 become an advocate for teachers because they called me with
2:25:21 their problem.
2:25:22 Misty Belfort knows this because we had a problem at our school
2:25:26 and the teachers went to their union, got no help, and they
2:25:30 contacted me and begged me to call the school board.
2:25:34 Teachers don’t want to wear jeans. Teachers want help. That’s
2:25:39 why they come to me.
2:25:41 You have an army of parents, right to left, that care. Get them
2:25:48 in the schools. Let them volunteer. You’re going to rebuttal and
2:25:52 say, well, people can volunteer.
2:25:53 Ask a teacher how many steps they have to go through to get a
2:25:56 parent in their classroom to volunteer. They don’t do it because
2:25:59 it’s too much work.
2:26:01 Look at all of them. Have them on campus helping the teachers.
2:26:06 My wife and I, more so my wife and she forced me to do it, used
2:26:11 to volunteer all the time.
2:26:13 We can’t because it’s too much work for the teachers. You want
2:26:17 to fix your substitute problem? I’ll substitute. Send me to
2:26:21 whatever school has all the problems, children.
2:26:23 I’ll do it. But I just can’t have faith when we’re going to sit
2:26:27 up here and pat our backs, which I think is a great program.
2:26:32 My child was speech delayed. Two of the board members know it
2:26:34 because we’re supposed to have conversations about it that didn’t
2:26:37 fruit to nothing.
2:26:38 But early intervention is important with reading and speech. I’m
2:26:41 telling you, man, this is a political thing and you all have got
2:26:45 to stop making political.
2:26:47 As I said, when the health people were here, ask questions to
2:26:50 find truth so we can find good answers for the kids, not what we
2:26:52 want. Thank you.
2:26:55 Karen. Karen.
2:27:07 I feel our families are upset, whether it’s one way or another,
2:27:15 people are upset. I want to thank the board for honoring the 50
2:27:17 to one agreement.
2:27:17 However, you’re still in discussions and about to vote upon
2:27:21 changing the mask policy for the K through six kids, which
2:27:26 includes many of those.
2:27:28 By five kids, you’re going to be back in violation. You’ve got
2:27:32 reverse mainstream and mainstream in there with the children to
2:27:35 affect them.
2:27:36 Yes, I had a child with a speech impediment and I had one that
2:27:39 was selected for her gifted status to be a reverse mainstream.
2:27:43 So I am on both sides of the fence and I know how important they
2:27:46 are. If they’re masked, they’re going to be useless.
2:27:50 You might as well put one of those robots in there that I robots
2:27:53 that just speak with no facial expressions.
2:27:56 I think that we need cameras in the rooms of the early
2:27:59 intervention classes, the K through five classes through six
2:28:03 classes, and especially as of the late occurrences that’s going
2:28:07 on.
2:28:07 I think the parents with children of special needs would be
2:28:10 happier and feel safer and more comfortable with you guys with
2:28:14 having these cameras in that classroom.
2:28:16 We all work with cameras. There’s cameras in here. There’s
2:28:19 cameras in the schools. There’s cameras in the hallway. I think
2:28:22 they should be in the classrooms because nobody’s in there to
2:28:25 speak for themselves.
2:28:26 And if you have a hearing impaired child who cannot speak, plus
2:28:30 being special needs on top of that, and you put an item on her
2:28:34 face, how can she speak?
2:28:37 She can’t even scream. I was horrified because it makes us look
2:28:42 bad.
2:28:43 I was horrified because it makes us look bad. We are better than
2:28:46 this as a community. We don’t have to mistreat our handicapped
2:28:50 children.
2:28:51 That’s not political. Correct. I’m sorry. I came here to praise
2:28:55 people and I was so upset by hearing the comments against this
2:28:59 child who is seven years old.
2:29:01 Special needs are not a seven year old child is still a seven
2:29:04 year old child, even though maybe she’s more like a three year
2:29:07 old child.
2:29:08 She really is defenseless. You guys, I know that that Max may
2:29:12 only mandate only happened because of three of you.
2:29:15 I’m addressing this only to Miss Belford. I’m asking you, please,
2:29:20 to reconsider your stances so that we can get our trust back in
2:29:23 you.
2:29:24 It’s very important. And yes, we want to be in the classrooms.
2:29:26 We want to help you. We want to help mend the rift.
2:29:30 The community is horrified. People are wanting to move here. And
2:29:32 all they’re seeing is the arguments over school.
2:29:35 Some people have been talking to mainstream media and they’re
2:29:38 seeing this in California. They think we’re fools.
2:29:41 They think you guys can’t handle us. We’re not a problem. We’re
2:29:44 not domestic terrorists. We’re moms. The lunatics were outside.
2:29:48 They didn’t come in. We like you guys. We want to work with you.
2:29:51 I know Mr. Sussman will tell you I’ve offered to volunteer in
2:29:54 certain ways.
2:29:55 In my career of 21 years of having kids in your school, I
2:29:59 volunteered constantly, plus ran a rec cheerleading team for a
2:30:03 different sports organization.
2:30:05 I appreciate you. Thank you, Karen. Angie Houlihan. Angie Houlihan.
2:30:19 My name’s Angie Houlihan and I’m a parent of a Brevard public
2:30:22 school child, as well as being a product of Brevard public
2:30:26 schools myself.
2:30:27 I just came out tonight to show my support to this board. And
2:30:30 thank you guys for implementing this mask mandate.
2:30:33 Obviously, the numbers have declined in our COVID cases in
2:30:35 schools, which that’s among the administrators and the teachers
2:30:40 as well as all the staff.
2:30:42 And just like that gentleman with the Teachers Federation was
2:30:45 discussing, we have such short supply of teachers and staff in
2:30:48 schools right now.
2:30:49 It’s important that every single one of them are in school
2:30:52 helping our children learn.
2:30:54 And I just wanted to thank you guys for putting this mask
2:30:57 mandate in and having some level of, you know, I guess,
2:31:00 community transmission or whatever.
2:31:02 I don’t know, a five percent positivity or whatever the rate is
2:31:06 so that this mask mandate stays in place when we have high
2:31:09 transmission transmission amongst our community and especially
2:31:14 in the schools.
2:31:15 So I just wanted to thank you guys for implementing this mask
2:31:18 mandate.
2:31:19 And I want to, you know, I guess address some of the things that
2:31:22 some of the folks are saying tonight.
2:31:24 If you want to get involved in your child’s school, you can join
2:31:27 their PTO.
2:31:28 That’s a great way to try to help out your school and support
2:31:32 them and support these teachers and support a pay increase for
2:31:35 these people, because a lot of them are not being paid well.
2:31:38 And it’s hard to attract quality candidates to teach and educate
2:31:42 our children when they’re being paid less than, you know, many
2:31:45 other professions coming out of four and six year degrees in
2:31:49 college.
2:31:50 So, again, I just came out to say thank you to this board for
2:31:53 implementing this mask policy.
2:31:55 I think you’ve saved a lot of lives, kept a lot of students and
2:31:59 staff healthy.
2:32:00 And I just wanted to thank you guys for that. So appreciate your
2:32:03 hard work. Thank you.
2:32:05 Thank you, Angie. Susan Richards.
2:32:11 As Susan’s approaching, the next three speakers will be Diana
2:32:14 Haynes, Judy Stevens and then Joanne Regan.
2:32:17 My name is Susan Richards. I have a daughter that goes to Viera
2:32:20 High School.
2:32:21 I’m not speaking about her tonight. I am speaking about Sophia.
2:32:25 Can you imagine my surprise when friends all over the country
2:32:28 have been talking to me about this case?
2:32:31 This case is one nationwide attention. And why?
2:32:36 The school says, oh, the school board made us put the mask on
2:32:39 the kids. We didn’t we didn’t want to tie a mask on her face,
2:32:43 but you wouldn’t keep it on.
2:32:44 They blamed it on the school board. They didn’t take
2:32:47 responsibility for it. They said it was the school board.
2:32:50 They talked to the parents about Sophia not keeping her shoes on.
2:32:54 Did they mention the best?
2:32:56 No. And how come if the mask is so important, she wrote a bus to
2:33:00 school every day,
2:33:01 got on the bus with no mask and came home every day without a
2:33:05 mask on except the one day where somebody forgot to take it off.
2:33:10 Why is that? If the mask is so important, why wasn’t she writing
2:33:14 and wearing it on the bus while she was going home?
2:33:17 This makes no sense at all. And the fact that this father has
2:33:22 gone nationwide.
2:33:24 Brevard County schools look horrible to the whole United States
2:33:29 now.
2:33:30 It was on Tucker Carlson just last night. That is a shame for
2:33:34 all of you.
2:33:35 And I know that you don’t want that. So I hope in the future you
2:33:39 will take into account these poor children who can’t even speak.
2:33:44 this poor girl
2:33:46 nonverbal. What was she supposed to do? She didn’t go home and
2:33:48 tell her mommy and daddy
2:33:50 that she was having to be forced masked every day. She had no
2:33:55 way to tell and that is a
2:33:56 crime.
2:33:57 Diana.
2:33:58 Hi, good evening. I came here this evening with a well-thought-out
2:34:14 well-researched comments regarding cameras in the classrooms and
2:34:21 in hallways and I believe
2:34:24 that in light of what has occurred, this is a necessity. It is
2:34:31 important that parents
2:34:32 have access to their children at all times. There is no reason
2:34:37 if you’re going to replace
2:34:38 intercom systems, you can just as easily put in cameras. The
2:34:45 incident that occurred with
2:34:47 Sophia is heinous. There’s no other word for it and had there
2:34:51 been cameras in the classroom,
2:34:54 it never would have happened and as the other gentleman
2:34:57 mentioned, there are other instances
2:34:59 where there is obviously either abuse, neglect or something
2:35:03 going on in these classrooms
2:35:05 to these children. We have cameras everywhere so there’s no
2:35:09 reason why a parent only or
2:35:13 a legal guardian has access to these cameras. They don’t have to
2:35:18 be for public viewing.
2:35:21 Then some events unfolded in the last 10 days that went against
2:35:25 everything that I was raised
2:35:27 to believe in on how one conducts oneself in life. The biggest
2:35:32 violation that ever could
2:35:33 occur in my world is the harming of innocent children and
2:35:37 animals. I was completely, totally
2:35:39 and utterly appalled by the actions of members of the school
2:35:43 board. Violating the mask mandate
2:35:45 set forth by our government and then going on national TV and
2:35:48 crying victim because parents
2:35:50 that saw that broken mandate as a harmful event to their
2:35:53 children and chose to voice
2:35:55 their concerns doesn’t make you a victim. Then it got worse. As
2:36:00 we all know, the innocent
2:36:01 disabled child with no ability to communicate her frustration,
2:36:05 her pain, her inability to
2:36:07 breathe, her uncomfortableness was forced to endure all of the
2:36:13 above for weeks, days
2:36:15 and hours. That is beyond unconscionable. She can’t tell us what
2:36:21 other things she felt
2:36:22 because again, she’s nonverbal. This was all done as a direct
2:36:26 result of the mask mandate
2:36:28 that the three members of this board chose to violate. Now, I
2:36:34 can get up here and I can
2:36:35 make a speech about as a taxpayer, I pay your salaries, okay?
2:36:40 And I can also speak about
2:36:42 my first amendment rights where I can say whatever it is I
2:36:46 choose to say to you in whatever
2:36:48 language I choose, but I have a sense of decorum, I hope, and I’m
2:36:53 going to try not to do that,
2:36:55 but I can tell you now that I’m going to leave you with this. If
2:36:59 you thought Randy Fine’s
2:37:00 statement was there’s a special place in hell for those who did
2:37:04 this to Sophia was horrendous,
2:37:07 I can tell you that some of you, which is in this room-
2:37:09 Thank you, Ms. Haynes. We appreciate you joining us this evening.
2:37:16 Hey, then. Did you hear that?
2:37:18 Guys, once again, if I could just ask you so everyone can hear
2:37:21 when I’m calling their
2:37:22 names and calling up the next group of people, can we just hold
2:37:24 applause? It doesn’t matter
2:37:26 to me what side of the issue you’re on. If we can just hold
2:37:28 applause so we can get through
2:37:30 everyone, that would be fabulous.
2:37:36 No, I didn’t hear it.
2:37:47 Ms. Stevens, when you’re ready.
2:37:50 My name is Judy Stevens. I’ve lived in Brevard County for over
2:37:55 30 years, so I’ve had kids
2:37:58 through the school system and grandkids. A couple of weeks ago,
2:38:05 I was able to come and
2:38:08 review the ELA curriculum for K through six, and while talking
2:38:15 to two of the women from
2:38:18 the administration about the curriculum, we talked about the
2:38:24 learning gap and how that
2:38:26 would be handled. One of them mentioned this great, at that
2:38:32 point, I thought, current program,
2:38:35 which was Thrive by Five. I thought, “Wow, this is really great.”
2:38:42 I went home and I got
2:38:44 on the website and researched it, and I thought, “Oh, there’s a
2:38:48 lot lacking.” So thank you,
2:38:51 Dr. Mullins, for tonight, clearing up that it’s really going to
2:38:58 start Monday. So hopefully,
2:39:00 on the website, there will be somebody we can contact in case I
2:39:05 and some of my friends
2:39:07 who are very interested in it can find ways that we can
2:39:12 volunteer or help with it. So
2:39:15 that kind of took a lot of my griping tonight away. So I’m going
2:39:20 to add another little gripe.
2:39:23 I know that you’re trying to get out of here at a decent time,
2:39:27 and I know I’ve walked out
2:39:29 on some board meetings at 1130 at night to a dark parking lot
2:39:35 that’s scary, but to cut
2:39:37 down the time below three minutes is really very hard for many
2:39:45 of us who have several
2:39:48 things to speak on. So we would like at least three minutes to
2:39:54 say our piece because it’s
2:39:57 important to us what goes on in education. I worked for a while
2:40:03 at then Brevard Community
2:40:05 College teaching everything from precalculus down to remedial
2:40:10 math. And when you see 18
2:40:13 and 20-year-olds that can barely add and subtract, it makes you
2:40:18 well aware that something needs
2:40:21 to be done with early intervention all the way up. And we’d all
2:40:27 like to get that done.
2:40:29 Thank you.
2:40:30 Thank you, Judy. Joanne. And as Joanne’s approaching, our next
2:40:35 three speakers are going to be Sarah
2:40:38 Murski, Michelle Beavers, and Jabari Hosie.
2:40:42 Hello. Congratulations. The numbers are down. The math worked.
2:40:52 Thank you.
2:40:54 Audience members, I’m not going to say it again.
2:40:59 Thank you to the three courageous board members who at great
2:41:03 personal sacrifice and in some
2:41:06 cases great personal risk took the step of voting in a
2:41:10 controversial way because they
2:41:13 have one priority. That priority is to keep children safe, to
2:41:19 keep staff safe, and to
2:41:21 do what they can to mitigate disease spread in our community.
2:41:26 You did that. Congratulations.
2:41:28 Thank you. It worked. Now let’s keep it up. Normally I don’t
2:41:33 come to these meetings. I’ve
2:41:35 been outside to show support for the people that are in favor of
2:41:41 masks. I don’t feel terribly
2:41:44 comfortable being indoors with all these people without masks,
2:41:50 but I got tired of watching
2:41:52 it on TV or on my computer and seeing so many people speak
2:41:57 against masks when that’s really
2:42:00 not the majority. Most normal people are home watching what
2:42:06 happens the next day on TV or
2:42:08 in their newspaper. They don’t have time or they don’t have the
2:42:15 interest to come be here
2:42:17 in person, but most people are like me. They want the community
2:42:22 to be safe. This little
2:42:23 piece of fabric is not a big deal. It’s something that we’re
2:42:29 doing during a pandemic to keep
2:42:31 people alive. It’s a little piece of fabric. It’s not your civil
2:42:38 liberties. I guarantee
2:42:40 you. Regarding Sophia, I saw the picture. It’s an adorable
2:42:50 little girl with a mask,
2:42:53 and you can see that somebody took a shoelace and made a bow
2:42:59 above her ponytail so that
2:43:01 her little ears would be comfortable. And people grabbed on this
2:43:07 as if audience members
2:43:08 could please stop interrupting. People glommed on this. Ma’am,
2:43:16 pause for just a moment. Okay,
2:43:19 sir, make your way out, please. Out, please. Great. Have a good
2:43:36 night. I apologize, Joanne.
2:43:39 If you’d like to go ahead and finish. Thank you. So I mean, you
2:43:43 could see the little bow.
2:43:45 Everybody was just keeping a little girl under their care
2:43:49 comfortable. They were not trying
2:43:51 to imprison her or any such thing. It’s so much political
2:43:57 bastardization of what really
2:43:59 happened. To wrap it up, thank you again to the board members
2:44:06 and to the staff whose number
2:44:08 one priority is not politics. Thank you, ma’am. We appreciate
2:44:12 you joining us this evening.
2:44:14 Your time is up. I stopped the timer when he walked out. Yeah.
2:44:25 So thank you. Sarah.
2:44:29 Good evening, Madam Chair and board. Hope everyone has been able
2:44:37 to enjoy the beautiful
2:44:39 weather we’re having and make memories with your families. And I
2:44:43 just wanted to share
2:44:44 because it wasn’t explained that these ribbons that we’re
2:44:47 wearing are in honor of Down syndrome
2:44:49 Awareness Month in honor of Sophia. I’m Sarah taxpayer,
2:44:52 registered voter, student wife and
2:44:54 mother of two children in BPS. And I live in district two for
2:44:58 school board. And I’m
2:44:59 heartbroken and disgusted over all the events surrounding our BPS
2:45:03 community over the past
2:45:04 couple of weeks. Madam Chair, you’re willing to defend your
2:45:08 stance on the illegal mask
2:45:09 policy that you were the swing vote on that you say it’s now up
2:45:14 to the courts to decide
2:45:16 with that it is grossly unfair to 50% of your constituents who
2:45:20 are now on the hook for paying
2:45:22 your for your legal fees. That is not in the best interest of
2:45:26 your stakeholders and our
2:45:27 children and that is not serving every student with excellence
2:45:31 as the standard. That’s because
2:45:33 something is denied from the dais does not mean it’s true. Today
2:45:36 it was reported in your
2:45:37 workshop that BPS has about 10,000 less students than last year.
2:45:42 Whereas in a recent meeting,
2:45:43 the board stated that enrollment numbers were not down. The
2:45:47 damages our children have suffered
2:45:49 that many of us have brought to your attention before about your
2:45:53 illegal mask mandate now
2:45:55 have come out in very public ways and will continue to do so,
2:45:59 including but not limited
2:46:01 to lawsuits and investigations. There’s a reason why I voted
2:46:04 with my feet and moved
2:46:05 from Chicago to Florida. Don’t Chicago my Brevard. You could
2:46:10 have simply allowed a parental
2:46:11 opt out since since your illegal mask policy was first enacted
2:46:15 and avoided all the downfall
2:46:17 since three board members are so concerned about politics and
2:46:21 defending an illegal mask
2:46:22 mandate agenda. I do not think that a school board seat is the
2:46:26 right place for you. We
2:46:28 need people to serve on the board who are interested in being in
2:46:30 compliance with the
2:46:31 Oe the law and in making the best policies for our district for
2:46:35 everyone and focusing
2:46:36 on education, not using their board seat for their own personal
2:46:41 political agendas. We need
2:46:43 school board members who actually listen and engage and welcome
2:46:46 parents, including parents
2:46:47 who have a different point of view, who actually take their oath
2:46:51 of office seriously, as well
2:46:53 as the laws and directives they are governed by. I joined sack
2:46:57 at my child’s student school
2:46:59 to help support our school staff and bridge the learning gap.
2:47:02 The biggest need for our
2:47:04 Children is more mental health help. The mental health
2:47:07 professionals are not able to actually
2:47:09 provide the mental health services that the Children need. We
2:47:12 need to take that ester
2:47:13 money and employ more mental health professionals for our
2:47:16 Children who are going through trauma
2:47:18 and actually get them the help they need. Please do not vote to
2:47:21 extend the illegal mask
2:47:22 mandate or or allow students, teachers and staff to opt out. Let’s
2:47:27 get the focus back
2:47:28 to teaching. Thank you, Sarah. Michelle. Hello, board. First, I
2:47:38 wanted to address Dr Melons
2:47:41 just for a moment. He reached out to me last time we had a
2:47:44 meeting, and he corrected some
2:47:45 numbers that we had gotten wrong. Eso I thought it was 18. I’m
2:47:51 sorry, 1891 students that had
2:47:54 left the district in that 30 40 days. It was actually 1275 on
2:48:00 that number. But that still
2:48:03 means that you’re missing $7,999,550 in revenue. And if you take
2:48:10 away the expense of educating
2:48:12 those Children, which is eight, I’m sorry, 8,788 per per child,
2:48:18 you’ll have a difference
2:48:20 of about $1500 of students. You’re still missing 1188,850
2:48:26 dollars, and you just lost another
2:48:28 20,000 that just walked out the door. Um, so I think if you
2:48:33 limit the the ability for
2:48:35 us to be seen on television on recorded, then what you’re doing
2:48:40 is hiding us. And I think
2:48:42 everyone knows that. I don’t think you want to hide what’s going
2:48:45 on. I think you want
2:48:46 to be open with us and honest with us. Um, the other thing I
2:48:51 wanted to address is in
2:48:53 the beginning of this pandemic, it was never to stop the spread
2:48:57 of this disease. It was
2:48:58 too slow. The spread of this disease flow it because the experts
2:49:02 at the time said everyone’s
2:49:03 going to eventually can’t handshake this disease. It’s just like
2:49:07 the flu. Eventually, you’re
2:49:08 gonna get it. It’s just the way it is, because even if you have
2:49:12 the vaccine, you’re still
2:49:13 going to get it. And the bottom line is, is these Children in
2:49:16 these schools aren’t going
2:49:18 to die from this. This is not happening. It’s 0.008 I believe it
2:49:22 was last time I checked
2:49:24 of kids that are dying from this. So all you’re doing is
2:49:27 starving their brains. There’s neurosurgeon
2:49:30 and I did not put her name up here. I had it on my phone who
2:49:33 came out and said, Look,
2:49:34 you know, there’s kids that were complaining of headaches at the
2:49:36 beginning of the pandemic
2:49:37 because they had these masks on all day. Mom said, Oh, they’re
2:49:40 coming home slow. They’re
2:49:41 coming home lethargic to have headaches. They’re not having him
2:49:43 now. They’re not having him
2:49:45 now because eventually the body says, Oh, well, it’s not working,
2:49:48 so we’ll just ignore
2:49:49 the headaches down. Go on. But the damage is still being done to
2:49:52 their brains, which
2:49:53 left me very little time to talk about books, which I was really
2:49:56 here for today. I tiptoed
2:49:57 toward the door appearing through the window at the boy’s pants
2:50:00 around his ankle, squeezed
2:50:01 between April straddle legs. As you lay on the teacher’s desk, I
2:50:03 swung that are open,
2:50:04 letting the soft light from the hallway shine a spotlight on
2:50:06 them. Shit, Keith muttered,
2:50:08 pulling the man I need for you to keep your language clean. Okay.
2:50:10 Oh, well, this was on.
2:50:11 This was our school books. Yeah, I understand. But at this
2:50:14 meeting, you get my point, right?
2:50:17 You get my point. These books are in our school. You’re gonna
2:50:20 keep me committed. I’d like my
2:50:22 time back that you made me for them. These books are in our
2:50:25 school. That is my point.
2:50:26 That is just one of them. I have another one here. It says see Dixie
2:50:29 Jane here. Baby Sally
2:50:30 Cry. See Jane put the knife in baby Sally’s neck. Baby Sally is
2:50:34 quiet now. That’s just
2:50:36 part of it. That also talks about going to other people’s houses
2:50:38 where your parents aren’t
2:50:39 gonna know what you’re doing. Encourage kids to play games,
2:50:42 calling strangers that says,
2:50:44 Can you come to my party? Mommy and Daddy left me alone and
2:50:46 forgot it was my birthday.
2:50:47 Will you come play with my party? This is what this was for a
2:50:52 second grade child. A
2:50:53 second grader. Can you imagine someone’s second grader coming
2:50:57 home with a book that says to
2:50:59 kill a baby? And it also talks about about about taking a fake
2:51:05 baby and drowning it.
2:51:07 Thank you, ma’am.
2:51:12 As Jabari is approaching, our next three speakers are going to
2:51:15 be Kim Huff, Sarah Conkling and
2:51:17 Danielle McDonough.
2:51:18 Hi, I’m Jabari Hosey, president of Families for Safe Schools.
2:51:26 And we all know masks do
2:51:27 work. Vaccines do work. Thought that everyone catching a virus
2:51:33 that has so many unknowns
2:51:34 is our solution is absurd. At the last school board meeting, a
2:51:41 resolution was discussed
2:51:42 to discourage attacks on board members after six plus months of
2:51:45 this happening to a board
2:51:46 member up there today, while many on the board remain silent.
2:51:52 This board has spoke on discouraging
2:51:54 this behavior in this room outside of this building. Yet one
2:51:58 group and their associates
2:52:00 and or affiliates have been the only ones guilty of this
2:52:03 countless times they have been
2:52:04 told to quiet down or follow the rules. Arrests were made
2:52:08 outside of this building. Remarks
2:52:10 have been disrespectful, untruthful and obligatory hand gestures
2:52:14 outside. The list goes on. Yet
2:52:17 two of you who sit on this board, who harp about following rules,
2:52:22 laws and respect, seem
2:52:24 to not have a problem attending private speaking engagements
2:52:26 with this group. Mr Hosey, keep
2:52:28 it directed at me, please, sir. This sounds like hypocrisy, but
2:52:33 maybe I can’t hear. The
2:52:35 same group regurgitates posts and comments via Facebook made by
2:52:40 a state representative
2:52:42 who is no more than an Internet troll who has made threats
2:52:46 against the very same person
2:52:48 you expressed in the resolution to protect. I would advise this
2:52:52 board to focus on what
2:52:54 is best for the majority of their students here in Brevard and
2:52:57 again, not pander to these
2:52:59 small pockets of hate and the groups that do not bring us
2:53:03 together, but create a further
2:53:05 separation and wedge in the community and within our schools.
2:53:11 Thank you. Thanks, Mr.
2:53:12 Hosey. Kim Hough. Kim Hough. No, Kim Hough. Sarah Conkling. Good
2:53:27 evening. I’d just like
2:53:29 to thank all of you for your service to our community. I don’t
2:53:32 think we thank our administrators
2:53:33 enough and our school board members, so let’s say that I’m here
2:53:37 tonight in support of Jennifer
2:53:39 Jenkins, school board member who isn’t even from my district.
2:53:42 But I just want to say we
2:53:43 love you. We appreciate you. We appreciate you standing tall and
2:53:46 in the face of threats
2:53:48 and intimidation and threats of violence. And that’s the number
2:53:51 one thing I want to
2:53:52 say tonight. And I want to also speak out in opposition to the
2:53:55 resolution that was passed
2:53:57 at the last school board meeting, which was in response to a
2:54:00 letter calling for federal
2:54:01 law enforcement intervention in the harassment of our school
2:54:04 board members. I want to start
2:54:06 by quoting Elie Wiesel. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the
2:54:10 oppressor and never the
2:54:11 victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.
2:54:16 Sometimes we must interfere.
2:54:19 When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in
2:54:22 jeopardy, sensitivities become
2:54:24 irrelevant. Whenever men and women are persecuted because of
2:54:28 their race, religion or political
2:54:30 views, that place must at that moment become the center of the
2:54:34 universe. The language of
2:54:36 our local board resolution adopted at the last meeting regarding
2:54:39 board member safety
2:54:40 has not been and is not strong enough to discourage the acts of
2:54:44 intimidation and threats of violence
2:54:46 against our school board member, Miss Jenkins. Contrary to the
2:54:49 suggestion of that resolution,
2:54:51 the fact that the acts of intimidation and threats of violence
2:54:54 have been going on for
2:54:55 six long months says that our local law enforcement, for
2:54:58 whatever reason, has been ineffective
2:55:01 in preventing the torment of Miss Jenkins. This is the exact
2:55:05 circumstance in which bigger
2:55:06 and hopefully better federal law enforcement resources should be
2:55:10 employed. When faced with
2:55:11 serious, protracted, unending, violent threats of one of your
2:55:15 members, you should not be
2:55:17 continuing to suggest that local law enforcement is enough. It
2:55:21 is not enough. It has not been
2:55:22 enough. It has not succeeded in protecting Miss Jenkins. All of
2:55:26 you should be asking
2:55:27 for all available law enforcement resources to end the torment
2:55:31 of one of your members.
2:55:33 And lest anyone else on the board think that they might be
2:55:35 immune to what Miss Jenkins
2:55:36 has suffered, I would like to say I hope you’re immune.
2:55:40 Specifically, as a lifelong Democrat
2:55:42 committed to nonviolence, I hope there are no Democrats in our
2:55:46 county who would perpetrate
2:55:48 acts of intimidation or threats of violence, just as I hope that
2:55:51 they would never do it
2:55:53 anywhere else. Nonetheless, the issue of domestic terror should
2:55:57 transcend political affiliation.
2:56:00 As humanity, we must all stand together against inhumanity. I
2:56:05 therefore, acknowledge every
2:56:07 one of you to strongly condemn in specific terms the acts of
2:56:09 intimidation and threats
2:56:11 of violence suffered by Miss Jenkins to emphatically and adamantly
2:56:15 disavow the perpetrators and
2:56:16 to bring every available law enforcement resource, both local
2:56:20 and federal, to bear on the personal
2:56:22 torment of one of your members. Your failure to do this is
2:56:28 encouraging the tormentors.
2:56:30 Thank you, ma’am. We appreciate you joining us. Your time is
2:56:33 unfortunately up. Danielle
2:56:38 after Danielle, our next three speakers will be Gordon Sumner,
2:56:44 Ashley Hall, and then Sarah
2:56:47 Brightman. Danielle, whenever you’re ready. Good evening, board.
2:56:51 I want to thank you for
2:56:53 doing what we needed to be done to mitigate the pandemic. The
2:56:57 evidence is overwhelming
2:56:59 when you just look at the dashboard. I think we were at 15 cases
2:57:04 on the most recent dashboard.
2:57:06 The spread of COVID is going to be reflected in the schools and
2:57:11 school spread of COVID
2:57:12 is going to be reflected in the our community, and we need to do
2:57:16 everything we can to mitigate
2:57:18 that. I do hope you extend the mask mandate. We are still
2:57:23 waiting for a vaccine for the
2:57:24 children under 12 years old, so we still have nothing to protect
2:57:28 them. It takes two weeks
2:57:30 after their second dose. We’re probably a minimum of two weeks
2:57:34 away from the them being
2:57:36 eligible for the first dose, so you need to continue to make an
2:57:41 effort to mitigate the
2:57:42 pandemic. We’re going towards the holidays. People are going to
2:57:46 travel. There’s going
2:57:47 to be get togethers. We’re going, you know, we’re at risk of
2:57:51 another search, so I want
2:57:53 to thank you for everything you’ve done so far. I don’t think
2:57:56 there’s enough positivity
2:57:57 in this room. I’m actually really disappointed by our community.
2:58:01 I’m disappointed by the
2:58:02 hatred that we hear every day. I’ve been a parent of BPS
2:58:08 students for 13 years. I’ve
2:58:11 been an active member of our school system. I’ve volunteered at
2:58:15 four different schools.
2:58:16 I continue to volunteer. The gentleman that said we can’t
2:58:20 volunteer, Mrs. Campbell and
2:58:22 I are at Mel High on a regular basis volunteering, so I’m not
2:58:25 sure what that’s about. I also
2:58:28 volunteer at at metal Lane and I volunteered at Central. I’ve
2:58:32 served on that committees
2:58:34 and PTO’s and parent leaderships under our previous
2:58:37 Superintendent. So there’s lots of
2:58:40 ways to be involved, and I think that people sit in this room
2:58:43 and they say we don’t have
2:58:45 this and we don’t have that. They’re just not participating. So
2:58:50 I want to thank you
2:58:52 for all that you do. I want to thank our teachers and I really
2:58:55 hope that you listen to the Union
2:58:57 President today because we are losing teachers were losing him
2:59:01 to counties that pay more
2:59:03 money. We’re losing them because they don’t want to come here to
2:59:06 work because there’s
2:59:07 not pay. We’re losing them because they’re not supported. We don’t
2:59:13 have substitute teachers.
2:59:15 We can’t get them for the same reasons because there’s not
2:59:18 enough pay and because there’s
2:59:20 so much hatred and attacks on our education system. I believe in
2:59:26 public education. I cannot
2:59:29 say enough how proud I am of the teachers and administrators at
2:59:34 all of the schools my
2:59:35 kids have been affiliated with. I am so proud to be a parent at
2:59:39 metal Lane primary metal
2:59:41 Lane intermediate central middle and Mel High. They have
2:59:46 outstanding teachers and they’ve
2:59:49 done amazing jobs. We have a great public education. Thank you
2:59:53 ma’am. Thank you. Gordon
2:59:56 Sumner Ashley Hall. Hello members of the board. My name is
3:00:09 Ashley Hall. I’m in the Brevard
3:00:12 chair for Moms for Liberty. I’m here to address agenda item G 32
3:00:17 the proposed parent suppression
3:00:18 policy is what I’m calling it. I have watched for over a year
3:00:22 now board meetings how they
3:00:24 have become more and more contentious. Do you remember the May
3:00:31 25th meeting? That was
3:00:34 the meeting right after the special meeting ending the mandate.
3:00:38 Were meetings during the
3:00:40 summer contentious? No. Why do you think that was? I can tell
3:00:46 you definitively that it was
3:00:48 because parents regained their control over health care
3:00:51 decisions for their children.
3:00:53 The balance was restored. It wasn’t until the July 29th meeting
3:00:57 where one particular
3:00:58 board member brought back the discussion on mask mandates and
3:01:01 just like that tensions
3:01:03 flared because parental rights were once again in jeopardy. The
3:01:06 only difference at this time
3:01:08 was that rules were established directing school boards that
3:01:10 mask mandates were not
3:01:12 to be instated during the school year. Don’t get me wrong. I am
3:01:16 not I’m not 100% against
3:01:18 this policy change. I actually agree with the proposed time
3:01:21 reduction based on the number
3:01:22 of speakers. It actually makes sense to do this and forces
3:01:25 speakers to get to their point.
3:01:27 My real issue is with the policy changes that reduce the
3:01:31 comments to one minute regardless
3:01:33 of the number of speakers simply because someone is not speaking
3:01:36 to the agenda. Under the new
3:01:37 policy that speaker would be moved to the end of the meeting and
3:01:40 most egregiously would
3:01:41 not be broadcast on the live feed. Didn’t this board just pass a
3:01:45 resolution denouncing
3:01:47 the statements of the National School Board Association about
3:01:50 parents? Was that all for
3:01:51 show? Because the message this policy sends right now is we don’t
3:01:55 want you here. Your
3:01:56 voice doesn’t matter and just to make sure you know just how
3:01:59 much we don’t care about
3:02:00 what you have to say, we will turn the cameras off and not allow
3:02:03 the public to listen. I
3:02:05 would ask that you remove these parts of the policy as well as
3:02:08 amend your broad statement
3:02:10 of no signs with obscene messages to have a short list of things
3:02:14 that are not allowed
3:02:15 such as curse words, threats of violence, etc. Anything else is
3:02:19 suppression of speech
3:02:20 and further divides the community. If BPS and this board really
3:02:24 wanted to restore harmony
3:02:25 with parents and quell the tensions in the boardroom, I would
3:02:28 like to suggest a public
3:02:29 denunciation of the dangerous and slanderous accusations made
3:02:33 against hardworking concerned
3:02:34 parents in our organization by one particular board member. All
3:02:39 we want is to protect our
3:02:41 children but what we are met with is false malicious and
3:02:43 baseless claims that these parents
3:02:45 are likened with domestic terrorists and should be under federal
3:02:49 investigation. These attacks
3:02:51 need to stop. There’s absolutely no evidence that Moms for
3:02:54 Liberty members have done any
3:02:56 of these things to this member. No police reports, no pictures,
3:03:00 no videos, no arrests.
3:03:02 If there were evidence, we would not condone it and we have said
3:03:06 as much multiple times.
3:03:08 The district’s silence on this matter is unacceptable and
3:03:10 implies their complicitness. Thanks,
3:03:12 Ashley. Sarah. Sarah is approaching. Our last two speakers will
3:03:19 be Sandra Sullivan and Michelle
3:03:20 Bernal. Good evening board. I’d like to second everything that
3:03:31 Ashley Hall just said. I am
3:03:35 also a Moms for Liberty member, a very nonviolent Moms for
3:03:41 Liberty member and I’m speaking tonight
3:03:45 on critical race theory and the American Rescue Plan. Number six
3:03:50 on the agenda, addressing
3:03:52 the needs of children from low income families, English learners,
3:03:57 racial and ethnic minorities,
3:03:59 students experiencing homelessness and foster care youth. My
3:04:03 concern is in the words racial
3:04:04 and ethnic minorities. Recently, the newly appointed director of
3:04:08 equity and diversity
3:04:09 for BPS, Dr. Danielle McKinnon presented a slide show with three
3:04:14 ethnicities, white,
3:04:16 black and Hispanic. There was no mention of other ethnicities,
3:04:20 no Native American, no
3:04:22 Asian. So why would BPS select certain minorities to focus on
3:04:26 instead of all students? Is money
3:04:28 being allocated from ARP for just certain races? Dr. McKinnon
3:04:34 stated that she is merely
3:04:35 reviewing documents since October 2020 that she’s not
3:04:38 implementing policy. She also stated
3:04:40 that CRT is not being taught in BPS schools. Even when given
3:04:45 examples of CRT in BPS curriculum,
3:04:48 she would not admit it. Here’s an example of CRT in BPS schools.
3:04:52 The US Constitution
3:04:54 then and now by Benchmark Education. Benchmark received grants
3:05:00 from Bill and Melinda Gates
3:05:02 Foundation. Follow the money. Excuse me. Your BPS teachers don’t
3:05:09 like CRT? Here’s a suggestion
3:05:11 to Anthony Colucci. Tell your union that CRT must be banned in
3:05:16 every form of BPS schools.
3:05:18 Parents and teachers recognize that CRT indoctrination is
3:05:22 harmful to all citizens. Oppressors and
3:05:25 oppressed, diversity, equity and inclusion training, racial
3:05:30 sensitivity training, racial
3:05:33 healing, social, emotional learning, anti-bias training,
3:05:36 critical ethics studies are all
3:05:38 synonymous with CRT. We’d like to say stop the bleed just like
3:05:43 Anthony Colucci said tonight.
3:05:45 Stop the bleed of losing teachers and students. Get rid of
3:05:50 critical race theory in BPS schools.
3:05:53 Thank you. Thank you. Sandra Sullivan. Sandra Sullivan, I have
3:06:04 three children in BPS. I
3:06:08 have special education kids, both gifted and ESC. And I’ll say I
3:06:14 was extremely disappointed
3:06:17 when you reduce the time of non-agenda items when parents come
3:06:20 in, especially parents of
3:06:22 special needs kids come in or any other issue. And we come in
3:06:26 here and to have one minute
3:06:28 only, that’s unacceptable. You need to hear from your parents. I
3:06:34 used to come to these
3:06:35 meetings regularly and speak about ESC and gifted needs. I gave
3:06:41 up, took my kids out
3:06:43 to homeschool for some years, but we’re back into BPS right now.
3:06:48 Anyway, I would like to
3:06:50 talk about the hypocrisy that is going on. You guys, a certain
3:06:56 school board member anyway
3:06:57 is talking about how much she, she cares. Well, she cares so
3:07:03 much or the school board
3:07:05 cares so much for our children. Sure with actions because
3:07:11 childhood cancer is an issue.
3:07:15 We in, in satellite beach where I live, we became a childhood
3:07:20 cancer cluster for 2000
3:07:22 and 2010. Now I came in here and I talked about how schools that
3:07:27 are 50 years old, back
3:07:28 in the day, you guys use Chloridine and Hapaclor to treat for
3:07:32 termites and other insects. And
3:07:34 I requested that you like other districts, you test the school’s
3:07:40 the indoor quality because
3:07:41 this is a very cancer causing issue. I also came here and spoke
3:07:47 one day and sent emails
3:07:49 requesting you approve the Corps of Engineers right of entry
3:07:54 form for Seapark Elementary
3:07:56 as soon as possible. They’re starting the testing soon. The area
3:08:01 to give the Corps of
3:08:03 Engineers access is to the far left field, which is fenced and
3:08:08 separate from the school
3:08:10 regarding the formerly used defense site, the military dump that
3:08:15 is under our homes
3:08:16 in that area and extends out to the school. Why haven’t you
3:08:19 taken action on this in a
3:08:21 few months? You care about kids, you care about them dying, but
3:08:24 you don’t care about
3:08:26 things that can cause cancer. Or did you see the full page, the
3:08:30 front page article of Florida
3:08:32 today with the vapor intrusion concerns? And thirdly, test all
3:08:39 the beach side schools for
3:08:42 PFAS. I sit on the Patrick Space Force base rad board meeting
3:08:49 and this last meeting this
3:08:50 month discussed the PFAS levels, which adjacent to Saleh High
3:08:54 School are 400 parts per trillion.
3:08:58 This chemical now has, has been determined via research to have
3:09:02 far more vapor intrusion
3:09:04 potential than they previously thought. Thank you, ma’am. We
3:09:06 appreciate you joining us this
3:09:07 evening. Have a great night. Michelle. This is our last one.
3:09:15 Michelle Barano. Hello. Hi,
3:09:19 my name’s Michelle Barano. I’m a vice president for Families for
3:09:22 Safe Schools. I would like
3:09:23 to thank all of you for your service. And this is truly a thankless
3:09:28 job. I, no matter
3:09:30 how many people like me come up and say thank you, what you have
3:09:33 to deal with on a daily
3:09:34 basis is immense. And whether I agree with everything you do or
3:09:37 not, thank you for doing
3:09:38 it. But I would also like to specifically call out and thank the
3:09:42 three board members
3:09:43 who went up against ridiculous amount of political pressure. I
3:09:46 find it ironic that people are
3:09:48 saying that you did it for political reasons when in fact the
3:09:51 politics were aimed at your
3:09:53 head. And that was not, clearly not your motivation for doing it.
3:09:59 It was clearly concerned about
3:10:01 where we were headed. It’s real easy to sit here now and think
3:10:04 that we’re all great. Schools
3:10:06 were closing. There was staff missing in all the buildings. How
3:10:09 many people were in the
3:10:11 ER with ventilation tubes down their throats? Let’s not forget
3:10:14 that. That’s why you voted
3:10:16 for the mass. And we appreciate that. Thank you. And for that
3:10:21 reason, I would like to
3:10:23 ask you to continue with mass for under 12 until the vaccine is
3:10:27 available, until they
3:10:29 have some protection that they can, their parents can provide
3:10:33 for them. I ask that you
3:10:35 maintain that. I think that is a reasonable thing to do. And it
3:10:37 looks like we’re talking
3:10:38 about a matter of weeks here. Third, I would like to address the
3:10:46 unfortunate situation
3:10:48 with Sophia. My daughter goes to Ocean Breeze Elementary School.
3:10:54 If what is being alleged
3:10:56 happened, happened, then that is an atrocity. Okay. This board
3:11:00 voted for mass to protect
3:11:02 kids and they specifically allowed a medical opt out. If Sophia
3:11:06 needed a medical opt out,
3:11:08 it should have been available to her. I don’t know all the facts
3:11:11 in this case. I’ve heard
3:11:12 one side from someone with a very clear political agenda who has
3:11:16 successfully and rightfully
3:11:18 gotten people upset because we should care about children,
3:11:21 especially those of us who
3:11:22 can’t speak for themselves. I don’t hear anyone talking about
3:11:26 how perhaps the fact that Sophia
3:11:28 was able to wear a mask because again, I don’t know what
3:11:31 happened. I asked the principal.
3:11:33 She said there’s an ongoing investigation. She couldn’t share
3:11:36 any facts with me. We don’t
3:11:38 know the other side. Okay. And the autistic down syndrome
3:11:47 resource foundation has posted
3:11:50 ways to help keep masks on children to protect them from getting
3:11:54 COVID. Imagine if you have
3:11:55 down syndrome and an enlarged tongue, how devastating would it
3:11:59 be to catch COVID in
3:12:00 your class? So I don’t know the facts. I’m withholding judgment
3:12:04 until I hear what happened.
3:12:06 Thank you. I also want to point out the irony of people up here
3:12:09 speaking on public talking
3:12:10 about how their voices are being silenced. I think a minute is
3:12:13 sufficient. If you want
3:12:14 to be on TV, get a blog, go, go on TV, get on Facebook. Thank
3:12:20 you very much. All right.
3:12:24 Word members that concludes our public comment for this evening.
3:12:26 Are you all good to move
3:12:27 into the consent agenda? Does anyone need a break? I’m good.
3:12:31 Okay. Super. All right.
3:12:34 That’s going to move us then into the consent agenda. Dr. Mullins.
3:12:38 There are 20 items, 20
3:12:39 agenda items under this category. Does any board member wish to
3:12:42 pull any item from the
3:12:43 consent agenda? Okay. None. I’ll entertain a motion to accept
3:12:46 the consent agenda as presented
3:12:48 to approve by Mr. Susan. Second by Ms. McDougall. Is there any
3:12:52 discussion? Hearing none. Please
3:13:02 take your time. I’m going to close the last. Hang on a second.
3:13:20 Oh, I did it again. It’s
3:13:27 me. Got it right now. It’s me. Hang on. There you go. No, I got
3:13:40 it. Yes. The motion passes
3:13:42 five zero. All right. Dr. Mullins, will you please let us know
3:13:49 about the items under action?
3:13:51 There are 12 items under this category. The first one is G 32 on
3:13:54 board policy zero one
3:13:56 six nine dot one public participation at board meetings. The
3:13:59 public the board will hear public
3:14:02 comments regarding this policy and then be asked for a vote. Is
3:14:05 there anyone present
3:14:06 this evening who wishes to address the revisions to board policy
3:14:09 zero one six nine point one
3:14:10 public petition participation at board meeting? I’m I’m hopeful
3:14:32 that you guys hear us. We
3:14:33 hold on one second. Your mic was not on. And if you could please
3:14:39 state your name since
3:14:41 you’re not signed up to speak so they can get record for the
3:14:43 minutes. Okay, go ahead.
3:14:45 My name is Katie. And I’m here to talk about public comment. I
3:14:51 hope that you guys hear
3:14:53 all of us when we speak. I’m not speaking for just me. I’m
3:14:56 speaking for everybody in
3:14:57 this room. I had an incident years ago when my daughter was in a
3:15:04 school in town. And it
3:15:06 wasn’t an agenda item. She got abused at school. The admin
3:15:11 brushed on the under the rug said
3:15:14 kids will be kids boys will be boys that shouldn’t be a big deal.
3:15:19 They’re just in third grade.
3:15:22 At that time, if I only had one minute to speak on this, it
3:15:28 wouldn’t be enough. When
3:15:31 parents come here, we’re coming pleading because you are our
3:15:35 last hope. Because we’ve gone
3:15:37 to the teacher, we’ve gone to the admin, we’ve gone to the, you
3:15:41 know, assistant superintendent,
3:15:43 I went to Stephanie Archer, there was a major who literally said
3:15:48 to me that somebody touching
3:15:50 my daughter’s private parts is not that’s not abuse. And I said
3:15:56 to him, so if I touched
3:15:58 you right now, that wouldn’t be abuse. I wouldn’t be arrested. I
3:16:04 came here to you guys for my
3:16:07 measly three minutes to talk about my daughter’s abuse, to plead
3:16:13 for help. And I’m here today,
3:16:17 asking for that same respect for the entire community. I don’t
3:16:21 care if they want 15 masks.
3:16:23 I don’t care if they want vaccines. I don’t care if they want
3:16:26 everyone painted purple.
3:16:28 I don’t care. We deserve our time to speak with you guys. We
3:16:36 really do want to work with
3:16:38 you all. But cutting our time is just going to tell parents that
3:16:45 you guys don’t want to
3:16:47 hear us. So I really hope that I really hope that you guys take
3:16:53 that into account with
3:16:54 this. Thank you. Thanks, Katie.
3:17:00 » Is there anyone present who wishes to address the revisions
3:17:06 to board policy 0169.1, public
3:17:10 participation at board meetings?
3:17:13 » Hello, my name is Michelle Baranow. I’m horrified to hear
3:17:18 that woman’s story with
3:17:20 her daughter and I hope that situation got resolved. I also hope
3:17:24 that three minutes in
3:17:25 front of the board was not her only avenue for resolving that. I
3:17:31 feel that a minute is
3:17:32 sufficient. I have emailed each and every one of you repeatedly.
3:17:37 There’s a phone number
3:17:38 to this building. There’s Facebook. There’s Twitter. I do not
3:17:43 feel that I have any inability
3:17:45 to reach you. I also feel that any issues I have that I want to
3:17:49 address with you don’t
3:17:50 have to be televised. If I want to speak to the public, I will
3:17:54 address the public. A variety
3:17:56 of social media sites, newspaper editorials. There has never
3:18:00 been, I can write you a letter,
3:18:03 there has never been more options for communicating with people
3:18:06 than there are today. I think
3:18:07 a minute allows people to get their point across, allows them to
3:18:10 be heard. If it needs
3:18:11 to be followed up on, as obviously this woman’s case does, then
3:18:16 there needs to be ways of
3:18:17 that occurring and I think those exist. So, I think a minute is
3:18:21 fine. Thank you very much.
3:18:26 Hi, I’m Julie Bywater. This thing about the public comment, when
3:18:43 you have the three minutes
3:18:48 and it’s not a non-agenda item, I mean, I spent three minutes
3:18:51 talking to you about homecoming
3:18:52 dances and offering you three minutes full of options, of which
3:18:56 you never once reached
3:18:58 out to me about. I mean, I stood up here for three minutes. Why
3:19:05 is this such a hard thing
3:19:06 for you guys to sit up there and listen to us talk to you about
3:19:09 things that aren’t on
3:19:10 the agenda? We don’t get to pick the agenda. You’re picking the
3:19:13 agenda. Sometimes we are
3:19:15 going to come to you with things that are going on in the
3:19:18 schools, positive things.
3:19:20 And we want to talk to you about it. It might take longer than a
3:19:23 minute. And yeah, we do
3:19:24 deserve to be on video, not because we’re looking for attention,
3:19:28 but because it’s public
3:19:29 record. Sometimes you don’t check your email. Sometimes you’re
3:19:34 looking at other things while
3:19:35 we’re talking and this is our chance for us to address you. Yes?
3:19:44 This is our chance to
3:19:45 address you. We want to be heard. You don’t return our email.
3:19:50 You kind of blow us off.
3:19:53 It hurts the kids. It hurts the issues. This is often our last
3:20:00 resort, not our first one.
3:20:04 It doesn’t hurt you to listen to us. And we’re trying. Just like
3:20:09 when I gave all those suggestions.
3:20:12 I wasn’t up here to complain. I was up here to offer solutions.
3:20:17 It’s really sad that you
3:20:19 want to limit that ability. You want to shove us to the end of
3:20:22 the meeting. You want to
3:20:24 turn the video off and you want to act like it doesn’t exist.
3:20:27 And that’s a shame. Because
3:20:30 you have a room full of people just dying to be invested and
3:20:35 involved. And when we stand
3:20:37 up here and we’re speaking and you refuse to look at us, it’s
3:20:43 hard. It’s frustrating.
3:20:46 And it’s disrespectful. » Good evening, again. I’m still Sarah
3:20:57 Mirsky.
3:20:57 I still live in Brevard County and I still have kids in the
3:21:01 school system. I left a couple
3:21:03 of you voicemails today about this issue and I appreciate the
3:21:05 chance to actually address
3:21:07 the board tonight on the issue on public speaking, public input.
3:21:13 So what I talked about was how
3:21:18 I feel every parent who takes the time to have their voices
3:21:22 heard at school board meetings,
3:21:24 even parents who disagree with me or I disagree with them,
3:21:27 should have their three minutes
3:21:29 regardless. I appreciate, again, where the board is coming from
3:21:33 on this issue, not wanting
3:21:34 marathon board meetings, not wanting trying to keep the tone
3:21:40 down and keep the decorum
3:21:43 in the room. And I do appreciate that. And I understand that.
3:21:47 But like many of the other
3:21:49 parents have shared, when we come to address the board, we’re
3:21:51 taking time away from our
3:21:52 families. We’re taking time away from our schedules and things
3:21:57 to set the time to address
3:21:58 the board on issues that are important to us. And the fact that
3:22:02 you want to take that
3:22:03 away or you want to limit that in any way, shape, or form, I
3:22:07 think is a slap in the face
3:22:08 to parents, even parents who disagree with me on issues that I
3:22:12 come to address.
3:22:13 As I mentioned, I am from Chicago. I’ve worked with a lot of
3:22:16 people, politicians, friends,
3:22:18 church members, who disagree with me politically. And I can work
3:22:23 with people who disagree with
3:22:25 me, who have different points of view than I do. And I really
3:22:28 wish that the board would
3:22:30 lead by example in that way. I am doing that in the schools that
3:22:34 my kids are a part of.
3:22:36 We’re helping to bridge the gap as a family. That’s part of our
3:22:39 family values. And I want
3:22:42 to work with the board, even if we disagree. Thank you.
3:22:49 Hi. I echo everything that Sarah just said.
3:22:55 Karen, can you just repeat your name for them for a minute,
3:22:57 please?
3:22:58 My name is Karen. Hi.
3:23:00 Last name?
3:23:01 And I’m B side and I’m district three. And I have reached out to
3:23:05 my rep before and heard
3:23:07 nothing. It seems like there has been a changed air in this
3:23:12 board. Sometimes you guys always
3:23:13 seem to listen to us. And as of late, it’s like non-existent.
3:23:16 And I’m scared that if
3:23:18 we don’t have our three minutes, the half of the time that we
3:23:21 are speaking, you’re not
3:23:22 paying attention. Some of you, some of you are, and I appreciate
3:23:25 that. We have offered
3:23:27 to help. We’ve offered to work with you, even if we disagree
3:23:29 with you because it’s our kids
3:23:31 that are in jeopardy here by not paying attention. We didn’t pay
3:23:34 attention to what’s going on
3:23:35 with the special needs school issues regarding masks. And look
3:23:39 what happened. We’re national
3:23:40 mocking laughing stocks. I’m really embarrassed about that
3:23:44 because that’s the school I went
3:23:46 to. That’s the school my brother went to and all six of my
3:23:49 children. I raised a legacy
3:23:53 of kids coming up from Brevard County Schools that went to the
3:23:56 schools that I went to and
3:23:57 my husband went to. Most of my children were A students. The
3:24:01 apple doesn’t fall far from
3:24:02 the tree. They speak their mind. They do volunteer work in
3:24:05 public. They work with the kids younger
3:24:08 and less fortunate than them. All the way through high school,
3:24:11 both my daughters cheercoached
3:24:12 with me with disadvantaged kids. Even on days they’d rather have
3:24:15 gone to the movies and
3:24:16 gone out with their friends, they still were with me with
3:24:20 unfortunate kids. They’re not
3:24:22 even related to and they were helping. I just wanted to point
3:24:25 that out because I can show
3:24:26 a record of public service of public leadership. I have never
3:24:30 been in trouble. I have never
3:24:32 gone to anybody’s house, anybody in front of me or anybody
3:24:35 behind me or anybody that
3:24:36 I would meet in the future. I don’t agree with it. I think it’s
3:24:39 really a heinous thing
3:24:40 to do to our community. Because in our community, we have to
3:24:43 trust each other. What if something
3:24:45 bad happens like another hurricane, we have to all get together
3:24:48 by limiting our public
3:24:49 contact time. Here, coming here, we’re losing connections with y’all.
3:24:54 If you try to tell
3:24:55 us we can’t talk without a mask on, then put the mask off, take
3:24:58 the mask on, put it off,
3:24:59 take it on. It’s so confusing. We already let them wear them if
3:25:03 they want to. If I wanted
3:25:04 one on, I’d have one on right now. And I believe in PPE because
3:25:07 I brought earplugs tonight
3:25:09 because that guy out front was playing obscene music on that
3:25:11 thing. And it was very loud
3:25:12 and could have hurt our ears. So I came with PPE with masks and
3:25:16 I handed out stuff to others.
3:25:19 So I am a team player. I’m here to offer to be a team player and
3:25:22 to continue to be a team
3:25:23 player. I have never been at anybody’s house in front of me,
3:25:27 nobody’s house behind me.
3:25:28 And I have no intention on ever doing that. I have separated
3:25:31 ties with every idiot that
3:25:32 did something like that. And I’m not apologizing for them
3:25:35 because they’re their own person.
3:25:37 I didn’t do it. Why should I apologize and quit linking me with
3:25:40 them? I am Karen Colby.
3:25:44 I am an alumni, a mom, a friend, and I want to work with you.
3:25:49 Okay. Thank you, Karen.
3:25:54 Next.
3:25:55 How’s this? A little hot.
3:25:58 Sir, if you could just state your name for the record.
3:26:02 Yeah, you got it. Jeremy Bauer. First time, long time. I wasn’t
3:26:05 planning to come here
3:26:06 tonight and make a speech. That’s why it looked like it came
3:26:09 from a luau.
3:26:10 We raised that up for him. He’s standing over.
3:26:12 You know, I’m a business owner here in Brevard County. I’m a
3:26:15 packaging company. I put people
3:26:17 to work. I might be hiring some of those teachers that left. We’re
3:26:20 hiring now. Give her a packaging
3:26:22 shout out there. You know, I wasn’t planning to speak, but I
3:26:27 felt compelled to. There’s
3:26:29 a lot of talk of domestic terrorism and people being very
3:26:34 opinionated about their children
3:26:37 and potentially even something being politicized that’s not. But
3:26:41 I want to just pose a couple
3:26:42 questions to the people here. Mr. Bowers, I’m going to stop your
3:26:46 clock
3:26:46 just for a moment to address something, okay? Yeah.
3:26:49 I’m sure that your intentions are absolutely pure, but we do
3:26:52 have an expectation that it
3:26:53 be directed, any comments be directed to the chair as opposed to
3:26:56 to the audience. So if
3:26:58 you could, you could just divide that one. Yeah, oh, okay,
3:27:01 procedure that I speak to
3:27:02 you guys, not the constituents. Oh, yeah, absolutely. And on the
3:27:08 policy issue before
3:27:09 us, if you would. Yeah, okay. It’s pretty relevant because
3:27:16 this is going to take, you know, between two and a half and
3:27:18 three minutes. I think three
3:27:19 minutes is probably pretty, pretty appropriate. So I’m going to
3:27:21 go ahead and restart your
3:27:22 clock, okay? Got it. All right, let’s rock. But yeah, like
3:27:26 I said, I’m a business owner and political comment is important.
3:27:32 Which group is the domestic
3:27:33 terrorist, I think? And it’s important that I’m saying this in
3:27:35 three minutes. So, you
3:27:36 know, because we’ve already gone through one and I haven’t even
3:27:39 gotten to my point. Is
3:27:40 it the group that’s that’s putting masks on people or the group
3:27:43 that’s mandating choice?
3:27:45 Is it the group that’s saying, hey, let’s have three minutes? Or
3:27:49 is it the group that’s
3:27:49 saying we’re definitely going to limit the time that you have to
3:27:53 speak at a public forum?
3:27:54 Which group is more likely to be a domestic terrorist? Pretty
3:27:58 troubling when you put it
3:27:59 that way. So let’s make this clear. I’m here tonight
3:28:02 as a concerned citizen, a constituent of District Three, but
3:28:05 next time I come here, I’ll be
3:28:06 a political candidate. You hear that? That’s all I have.
3:28:14 » All right. This is getting ridiculous. » I know. No one’s.
3:28:18 » Thank you, Senator Sullivan. So when I so talking about the
3:28:22 amount of time I would
3:28:25 appreciate that you not reduce the time to one minute for non-agenda
3:28:30 items. I think it’s
3:28:32 especially important to listen to parents. When I came moved to
3:28:36 this district, I came
3:28:38 here with my oldest is ESE and my other kids are gifted. So what
3:28:45 did this district do to
3:28:47 my kids? They put my ESE kids in an ESE clustered class in the
3:28:53 school. That is not that violates
3:28:55 federal law, okay? As an ESE kid that is supposed to be legally
3:29:02 placed in a gen ed class, in
3:29:06 a gen ed class with 85% of the time to cluster him in a class
3:29:12 that was ESE clustered. What
3:29:15 happens is the performance level goes way down on those kids.
3:29:18 » Ma’am, can I ask you to speak to the policy, please?
3:29:20 » When I come in here to these meetings and I need to speak
3:29:25 about what was going on here,
3:29:27 if you – if I had one minute to explain what was going on, that
3:29:30 wouldn’t be sufficient.
3:29:32 For my gifted kids, I moved up here. I have a profoundly gifted
3:29:36 child and I have another
3:29:37 gifted kid. And their needs are very different. And they were
3:29:41 not being met. You guys do canned
3:29:43 EPs here. In the school we were in, we had one lecture –
3:29:47 » Once again, ma’am, I’m going to ask you to keep to the policy,
3:29:50 please.
3:29:50 » So again, I came into these meetings to talk to you guys
3:29:54 about the needs of our gifted
3:29:56 kids. I have a gifted Brevard Facebook group as a consequence. I
3:30:01 served on your gifted
3:30:03 board until I got too vocal and you disbanded, okay? So my
3:30:08 option – I couldn’t get what
3:30:11 I needed on being a board member of SAC. So my option was to
3:30:16 come in here on this platform
3:30:18 right here and have my three minutes. And now you’re going to
3:30:22 reduce that for parents
3:30:24 with kids’ needs to one minute? That’s shameful. Okay? And when
3:30:30 I read that, I was livid, okay?
3:30:33 It took a lot for me to come back into BPS, okay, to bring my
3:30:37 kids back in here. And when
3:30:39 I see these shenanigans that you guys are doing, it’s disgusting.
3:30:45 Thank you.
3:30:46 » Thank you. Next. » A little taller than me. Hi, I’m Michelle
3:30:56 Beavers again. And first I want to apologize for the language.
3:30:59 That was one of my choosing.
3:31:01 That was to get the point across of the things that are
3:31:03 happening in our schools. And on
3:31:05 that count, the limiting of the television coverage would not
3:31:10 allow parents to see things
3:31:12 like that and understand what’s happening so they could address
3:31:15 that in their schools
3:31:16 and look in their schools for these things that are happening. I
3:31:19 think it’s important
3:31:20 that they see not just what’s on your agenda, but what people
3:31:23 are actually concerned about.
3:31:25 So not just me, but anybody else who has a concern about their
3:31:29 child or children or classrooms,
3:31:32 I think it’s important that it’s a part of the public record and
3:31:34 that we have that chance
3:31:35 to get it on record. Also, coming here, now, I’ve done e-mails
3:31:40 before, too, that weren’t
3:31:41 answered. Coming here, I know you’re hearing me. I’m old school.
3:31:46 I have six kids. They
3:31:48 range anywhere from 36 years down to 11. So I have a huge span.
3:31:53 I’ve been helping in schools
3:31:55 since the very first one, 30 years ago when she first entered
3:32:00 kindergarten. I’ve been
3:32:02 in school every single year helping out, being room mother, SAC
3:32:08 committee, volunteer, and
3:32:10 all kinds of things. I don’t think it’s too much when you’re
3:32:13 getting paid to be up there
3:32:15 once or twice a month or however many special sessions you have
3:32:18 that you listen to the parents
3:32:19 and you record it. I think it’s a really small thing. If you
3:32:23 have to limit time a little
3:32:24 bit, okay. But I think it should all still be recorded. Thank
3:32:28 you.
3:32:28 » Thank you. » Hi, my name’s Carrie Tagus. I just wanted
3:32:38 to say with public comment, I’ve sent plenty of e-mails that
3:32:42 haven’t been answered. I’ve
3:32:44 made calls and I haven’t had callbacks. So this was the last
3:32:47 avenue. It’s why I started
3:32:48 coming to board meetings. It’s how I met the awesome parents and
3:32:52 moms for liberty who have
3:32:53 nothing short of amazing. The stuff going on in the news, it’s
3:33:00 not us. So the last thing
3:33:01 I want to say, I don’t want to take up too much time, but there
3:33:04 are nine officers that
3:33:05 I counted here and they look well equipped to protect us. And I
3:33:09 think it’s really insulting
3:33:10 to assume that they’re not. Thank you, guys. [ Applause ]
3:33:17 » Hello. Matthew Dolly again. Still a village idiot. To talk
3:33:27 about the time thing, as I
3:33:28 had said earlier, there’s two board members I had spoken with
3:33:32 back in May who had told
3:33:34 me we were going to talk on the phone about my child’s speech
3:33:37 delay and their prosperity
3:33:39 through the school system. I’m still waiting on those phone
3:33:42 calls from those two school
3:33:43 board members to discuss that topic. And the public forum is a
3:33:47 check and a balance. It’s
3:33:49 a way for me to come here and say, hey, I’m reaching out to you.
3:33:52 You’re not getting back
3:33:53 to me. This is why we need it. I’ve advocated this before or
3:33:56 complained, I should say, it
3:33:58 should be longer than three minutes. Not cut back. This public
3:34:03 forum is important because
3:34:04 I got to learn today that there’s parents that actually get to
3:34:07 volunteer to their school
3:34:09 without restriction. I’m curious as to why it’s parents on one
3:34:13 side of the aisle that
3:34:14 are able to come up here and brag about unrestricted
3:34:17 volunteering access, but that gives me hope
3:34:20 because my wife and I want to volunteer again. And also the
3:34:24 reason why I think time should
3:34:26 be longer than three minutes because I also want to speak out to
3:34:30 the domestic terrorism
3:34:32 stuff. I’m telling you right now, a person’s house is not the
3:34:36 place. It is not the place
3:34:38 their family was there. And I don’t care what kind of flack I’m
3:34:42 going to get for this. I
3:34:43 saw the YouTube video of the lady out on the sidewalk. That’s
3:34:47 where you should have been.
3:34:49 I don’t fault you for that at all. Come to my house and see what
3:34:52 you find. It will be
3:34:53 very similar. Someone’s private property is not the place. It is
3:34:58 sacred grounds. Okay.
3:35:00 This is the arena. This is the forum. This is where we come to
3:35:05 combat our ideas. And
3:35:07 that’s why we need as much time as possible to do it. Three
3:35:10 minutes is not enough. It
3:35:11 should be longer and you should provide coffee. Like I said that
3:35:14 one time, but that being
3:35:16 said, like the freedom of speech is such a foundational thing.
3:35:21 You know, without it and
3:35:23 without some of the other amendments of the bill of rights, we
3:35:26 will crumble. Please do
3:35:27 not impinge on it. Please don’t do anything like that, whatever.
3:35:30 And I’m going to say
3:35:31 it again because I still got 50 seconds. So there’s like a heyday
3:35:34 for me to have six minutes.
3:35:36 If you are the person that’s going to travel to somebody’s house,
3:35:41 you do not have my support.
3:35:43 You, as I said before, you will never stand beside me and I will
3:35:46 never stand behind you.
3:35:48 And with that being said, if any of these school boards feel
3:35:51 intimidated, I know you
3:35:53 got the police officers here. Obviously they’ve done their job
3:35:56 because nobody’s been physically
3:35:57 harmed. You contact me and I will come to your house and I’ll
3:36:00 stand on your sidewalk
3:36:02 for you because that’s malarkey bullcrap. 100% it is un-American
3:36:08 to go to somebody’s
3:36:09 house and try to intimidate them to align with you. And if you
3:36:12 come to my house and
3:36:13 do the same thing, you’re going to get the same thing. The young
3:36:17 lady did a pissed off
3:36:18 parent. Thank you. Thanks. Next and guys, if we could just keep
3:36:27 your comments focused
3:36:29 on the policy at hand, that would be great. Thanks. Roger that.
3:36:33 Coffee and donuts. And
3:36:35 don’t forget to state your name for the record, please. Coffee
3:36:38 and donuts. Sorry, I’m greedy.
3:36:44 Donuts. Sorry. With regard to the policy for public speaking, I
3:36:52 would greatly appreciate
3:36:55 having three minutes to speak to you all. And you are beloved in
3:37:01 our community. Even
3:37:03 if we have disagreements, you are the force of our community and
3:37:09 for our children. And
3:37:12 you are greatly respected for your office that you hold. And so,
3:37:16 you know, you are very
3:37:18 much appreciated. With regard to the mask mandate, that mandate
3:37:24 needs to end. The illegal
3:37:26 mask mandate, I mean, just needs to end all together. Just going
3:37:29 to remind you we’re talking
3:37:30 about the policy for public comment. Okay, so, sorry. It’s okay.
3:37:35 But I would like to
3:37:37 please request that we get our three minutes and that it be
3:37:41 broadcast so that other people
3:37:43 that may have to work can watch it later. And I heard a speaker
3:37:49 two board meetings ago
3:37:51 who said that she watches you all no matter what state she’s in.
3:37:56 And she listed like four
3:37:57 or five states she travels a lot. So she loves you. And we love
3:38:02 you. So please let us interact
3:38:05 with you in our three minutes. Thank you very much. Thank you.
3:38:16 Good evening, Kevin Marshall.
3:38:17 I’m in district three. Unfortunately, we’ve had some trouble in
3:38:20 that district lately.
3:38:22 So I had no plans on speaking tonight, but I do third donuts and
3:38:25 coffee, by the way.
3:38:27 But I do want to get to the point. I have emailed you concerns.
3:38:30 I have emailed you questions.
3:38:32 I have emailed you a lot of suggestions. And I get a lot of
3:38:35 responses whenever you’re defending
3:38:38 yourself. After you’ve already insulted us as parents, you’ve
3:38:41 insulted a group that I
3:38:43 support because I didn’t have a voice before Moms for Liberty
3:38:46 came about and told us that
3:38:48 we did have a voice and told us what to do to get in contact
3:38:51 with you. So if you’re going
3:38:52 to cut our time, and you’re going to cut us to the end of the
3:38:55 meeting, how do you want
3:38:57 us to contact you? How do you want us to get a response? I mean,
3:39:01 please tell us because
3:39:02 you don’t follow through with what we’re telling you during the
3:39:05 meetings. And you only respond
3:39:07 when you’re defending yourself. So when do we get a chance to
3:39:10 have a question and answer
3:39:11 or a discussion or debate? Because we don’t see that we have
3:39:16 that. So I’m going to make
3:39:17 that very brief. Think about that. Maybe send out Facebook
3:39:20 notification, whatever fits your
3:39:21 fancy. I just want to know how we’re supposed to communicate
3:39:24 with you as parents who are
3:39:25 terrified for our kids. My child is in kindergarten. I can’t
3:39:28 even tell you what we’ve dealt with
3:39:30 through this process. It’s not enjoyable, and it’s actually
3:39:34 embarrassing. So please
3:39:35 listen to us and let our voices be heard. Or at least tell us
3:39:38 how to communicate with
3:39:40 you otherwise. Thank you. Thanks, Devin. Anyone else that wishes
3:39:46 to speak to policy 0169.1
3:39:49 participation at board meetings. All right, hearing none, I will
3:39:54 entertain a motion. I
3:40:00 move to approve the current policy. I have a motion from Miss
3:40:06 McDougal. Is there a second?
3:40:08 Second. I have a second from Miss Campbell got open for
3:40:11 discussion. Miss McDougal, your
3:40:13 motion. Would you like to discuss? I think we have. Oh, no, it’s
3:40:19 not on. I’m so sorry.
3:40:21 We have vetted this through our council. We were very concerned.
3:40:26 We wanted to make sure
3:40:28 that we were following what was legally possible for us. And Mr
3:40:33 Gibbs, we have we are not breaking
3:40:36 any laws at this point. Is that my understanding? No, you can.
3:40:42 You said the rules for your public
3:40:45 period. It’s limited public forum as established by statute for
3:40:50 public meetings. You got to
3:40:52 set the ground rules for those as long as the public’s only
3:40:55 given an opportunity unless
3:40:56 you expand the forum for items before the board. So that would
3:41:03 be agenda item. And and
3:41:05 I want to be clear in this policy. We have stated that we can
3:41:10 vote to extend times. I
3:41:12 want to make sure that everyone we have put that in there. So I
3:41:15 just want to make sure
3:41:16 that people are clear on that that we are not trying to limit
3:41:19 people’s voice. That’s
3:41:21 Campbell. I know we’re trying to go back and forth, but I just I
3:41:27 intend to support the
3:41:30 vote tonight, but I want to share some things. And because there’s
3:41:33 been a lot of misunderstanding,
3:41:35 I encourage everybody last week to go and listen to the workshop.
3:41:38 And I think Mr. Burns
3:41:40 department for made a little short, but I want there are a
3:41:42 couple of things that didn’t
3:41:43 get addressed that day. I’d like to talk about really quick. One
3:41:48 is, you know, the board,
3:41:50 we came together in a couple of sessions, I think, at an hour
3:41:54 retreat or check in. And
3:41:56 we start talking about this back in the spring and and started
3:41:59 brainstorming what what can
3:42:00 we do better? And we talked with counsel and one of so I, I will
3:42:07 just say this, that that
3:42:08 was one of the most actually this process has been one of the
3:42:11 most collaborative processes
3:42:12 that we’ve had because we all gave a little we all took a little
3:42:15 and we came up with what
3:42:17 we have before us today. Because we’re trying to make things
3:42:20 better. We’re not trying to
3:42:22 get out by, you know, 843 or before Chick-fil-A closes. They
3:42:27 close at 10. But we’re not trying
3:42:31 to do that. The second thing is, as we started looking at what
3:42:34 are the problems that I see
3:42:37 the really definition of one of the problems is people started
3:42:40 looking at this as an open
3:42:42 forum. I’m not going to go into the legal definitions, but I can
3:42:45 send them to you if
3:42:46 you’d like the difference between an open open forum versus a
3:42:48 limited public forum,
3:42:50 it is. And so it’s been taken as we want to silence parent
3:42:54 voices. So and by the way,
3:42:56 I have three points and a caveat. So it’s almost like a sermon.
3:43:01 The over the past year,
3:43:02 during the public comment time, people have used their three
3:43:06 minutes to share their political
3:43:08 opinions on how the presidential election went. They’ve used
3:43:11 their three minutes to
3:43:12 talk about immigration. They’ve used their three minutes to talk
3:43:15 about how bad Democrats
3:43:17 are or how bad Republicans are. They’ve used their three minutes
3:43:20 to insult parents in the
3:43:21 room, one side insulting one group of parents, one side
3:43:24 insulting the other group of parents,
3:43:26 all things that had nothing to do with this board. They’ve used
3:43:28 their three minutes as
3:43:29 a sales pitch to try to sell us various products. They’ve used
3:43:33 their three minutes to share
3:43:36 their personal sexual history. So our public is guaranteed by
3:43:43 law and by our policy and
3:43:45 by this policy also the opportunity to address the board about
3:43:49 how we’re running the district.
3:43:52 But the public is not guaranteed a microphone and a camera to
3:43:55 speak whatever irrelevant
3:43:57 or inappropriate thing that they want to broadcast over our
3:44:02 YouTube channel. And that is the
3:44:05 thing that I think we all had this mutual frustration that
3:44:08 people were using it, really
3:44:09 abusing it to spew whatever that really didn’t have anything to
3:44:13 do. Now, we’ve heard a lot
3:44:16 of things tonight, a lot of parents concerned that it’s their
3:44:18 topics that we do need to
3:44:20 hear. I’ve talked about it and that’s going to be in my caveat
3:44:23 here in just a little bit.
3:44:24 But those are the things we’re trying to curtail. We don’t want
3:44:26 to curtail parent voice or public
3:44:28 voice because some people come talk to us, have really good
3:44:30 things to say and they’re
3:44:31 not current parents. But the third thing I want to bring up is
3:44:35 that I wonder how many
3:44:39 people have actually read our current policy on this because our
3:44:43 current policy, the actual
3:44:44 verbiage states that our public comment time is only going to be
3:44:50 on agenda items. It only
3:44:51 talks about propositions could be brought before the board. It
3:44:55 also says public comment
3:44:56 time will be limited to 30 minutes, which would be 10 people.
3:45:00 And unless extended by
3:45:02 a vote of the board and then the rest of the comment time would
3:45:05 be moved to the end of
3:45:06 the meeting, not where we’ve been doing ours before voting, but
3:45:09 to the end of the meeting,
3:45:11 in which case some people may have things that they wanted to
3:45:13 say about things we were
3:45:14 going to vote on, but we wouldn’t have heard them. That is what
3:45:16 our current policy says.
3:45:18 So if the choice for me, and these are things we talked about,
3:45:21 if the choice for me was
3:45:22 between enforcing our current policy, which doesn’t allow people
3:45:27 to speak off the agenda
3:45:29 and moves people who might have things to say that we’re going
3:45:31 to vote on to the very
3:45:32 end, and actually we have been counseled in our master board
3:45:36 training to use the policy
3:45:37 to, if we’re going to have a policy, we might as well enforce it.
3:45:40 So if the choice is enforce
3:45:41 the current policy or have a policy that guarantees that people
3:45:44 who are going to speak off the
3:45:46 agenda, and this was very important for me and this was part of
3:45:48 the give and take that
3:45:49 we had to have, that people are going to speak, get that time,
3:45:53 even if it’s just a minute,
3:45:54 then I’ll take the new revised version. Now, a lot’s been said
3:46:00 about how to communicate
3:46:02 with us, and I understand the frustration of people who call or
3:46:05 they email and they
3:46:07 don’t get a response, but I will continue to say that this forum,
3:46:10 this three minutes
3:46:11 where there can’t be back and forth, is not really the best way,
3:46:15 at least for me, to communicate
3:46:17 with me, because I can’t respond back to you, and I can tell you
3:46:21 time after time after time
3:46:22 just in this week alone in the past seven days where someone’s
3:46:25 emailed us or emailed
3:46:26 me and said here I have a problem, I’ve sent it immediately to
3:46:29 staff, gotten a response
3:46:30 within a few hours, and the problem has gotten taken care of,
3:46:34 and that to me is an effective
3:46:35 way of working. Waiting until school board meeting, which might
3:46:38 not happen for two or
3:46:39 three weeks or more, to save it up, to say it then in a public
3:46:42 comment time, is not effective.
3:46:44 And I will tell you this, for the people who have emailed us,
3:46:47 some people, I maybe think
3:46:49 they still can only email their own school board member, you can
3:46:51 email all of us, you
3:46:52 can email any of us, and if you need a phone call, I’ve talked
3:46:56 to lots of people, including
3:46:57 Mr. Dolly, who don’t live in my district, I welcome you, email
3:47:03 me, I will take care
3:47:04 of you. We are elected by our five districts, but we all are
3:47:09 responsible for all of the
3:47:10 citizens and all the students and all the schools in the county,
3:47:13 and so it’s not just
3:47:14 one person who, they may represent you because they were in your
3:47:18 voting district, but we
3:47:19 all represent all of you, so please reach out if you’re having a
3:47:22 hard time communicating
3:47:24 with one of us, communicate to all of us, and we’ll try to take
3:47:27 care of the problem
3:47:28 that happens every day, multiple times a day, and I see it. Here’s
3:47:31 the caveat. I have said
3:47:33 this to a few people this week who have reached out to me. This
3:47:36 is not permanent. Someone
3:47:37 said this is permanent. It’s not permanent. It’s not any more
3:47:39 permanent than our current
3:47:40 public comment policy, which we are voting to change whether we’re
3:47:44 going to change it
3:47:45 or not, and it can be revised again. Interestingly, board, I
3:47:50 have heard, and you may have as well,
3:47:52 from people on multiple sides of a few issues who have a problem
3:47:58 with one particular part,
3:48:00 and we’ve heard it tonight, but I’ve also heard it in some phone
3:48:03 calls and emails, and
3:48:03 I’ve seen it on social media. The one thing that keeps coming
3:48:06 back up that is consistent
3:48:09 is the video piece, and so I, here’s what I know, Ms. Jenkins,
3:48:13 you mentioned it at our
3:48:14 workshop that you thought, for transparency’s sake, that we
3:48:16 ought to leave that in, and
3:48:18 I did not join you that day, but I will tell you, I think if we’re
3:48:22 listening to people
3:48:23 as if you have had the same kind of feedback as I have, what I
3:48:26 would like to suggest as
3:48:27 we move forward, and then I’ll close with this, is that we
3:48:31 revisit this pretty quickly,
3:48:34 because I think, I don’t think we can change that tonight.
3:48:37 Correct me if I’m wrong, Paul,
3:48:39 because that would be more than a technical change.
3:48:41 Yeah, you’re voting to approve it tonight. Right. So here is
3:48:45 what I would suggest that
3:48:46 we do, if it’s amenable to the board, and Madam Chair, you
3:48:50 direct us however we want
3:48:52 after the vote, is that we go ahead and move to revise the
3:48:55 policy immediately, and to make
3:48:57 that change to allow the cameras to be on. Still leaving
3:49:00 everything else in place, but
3:49:02 that would be my request, and if I need to do it as a motion
3:49:06 after we’re done, I can
3:49:07 do that however Mr. Gibbs says. So the only, just a point of
3:49:12 clarification, Ms. Campbell,
3:49:13 because I don’t want there to be any understanding from the
3:49:17 audience side on that. A request
3:49:20 to revise the policy requires that we go through the policy
3:49:23 amendment process again, so when
3:49:25 you say immediate, if the board supports, we can start that
3:49:28 process, but it’s not going
3:49:30 to be an immediate change to the policy, so just for
3:49:32 clarification. Right, then we would
3:49:34 start that process, in which case, we’ve got I think three weeks
3:49:37 before the next meeting,
3:49:38 if there’s room on the November workshop that we could do that,
3:49:41 if it, like I said, if there
3:49:43 was movement from the board to do that, and then we could vote
3:49:45 for it in December, and
3:49:47 honestly the way Mr. Gibbs wrote the policy, we could probably
3:49:49 vote that night if we felt
3:49:50 like to go ahead and leave the cameras on for the end of the
3:49:53 meeting, but that’s, that
3:49:54 would be my caveat, thank you. Mr. Susan. She hasn’t, do you
3:50:05 want to? Yeah, that’s fine.
3:50:05 I appreciate that. I mean, I made that statement when we had our
3:50:10 offsite meeting, we had our
3:50:12 workshop, and when we had our last board meeting. Frustrating
3:50:15 that we’re having this conversation
3:50:17 now, because my whole point was that it increased the volatility
3:50:21 of the community when it came
3:50:23 to this policy, and don’t know if you noticed, but most of the
3:50:27 comments were directed at
3:50:28 me as if it was, you know, my reasoning why we were doing this,
3:50:33 and if I felt that way,
3:50:35 so I just want to make that very clear that from the beginning,
3:50:38 that was something that
3:50:39 I said, I don’t understand the point of turning the camera off,
3:50:42 it just makes the public think
3:50:44 that we’re trying to hide something, even if we’re not, there’s
3:50:47 no point behind it,
3:50:48 people have cell phones and can record it anyway, so we might as
3:50:51 well just keep it on,
3:50:52 so I’m with Miss Campbell on that one. Thank you, Miss Jenkins.
3:50:58 Thank you, I had a couple
3:50:58 of things. So I went ahead and, you know, we got to a point
3:51:02 where all of a sudden there
3:51:03 was a lot of community input, and I started looking around and
3:51:06 started asking people,
3:51:07 I said, what do you think about this, I started pushing back and
3:51:10 forth. So in the community,
3:51:13 I got consistently, why does this matter, we pay the taxes,
3:51:16 there are three minutes,
3:51:18 right? Okay. The employer groups, a lot of them, our buses, bus
3:51:24 drivers, everybody else
3:51:25 started telling me, why are you restricting our speech, we may
3:51:30 have to come in on an issue,
3:51:32 there might be 10 teachers that want to come in and speak, you’re
3:51:35 going to limit us and
3:51:36 you’re going to take us off, that’s not fair. Fellow elected
3:51:40 officials, I called around
3:51:41 to many of our elected officials and talked to them. And each
3:51:44 one of them, I mean, there
3:51:46 was not one that said, they said the optics on this are really
3:51:49 bad because of the timing
3:51:50 that you guys are doing it. They said, and we don’t, and we
3:51:53 wouldn’t. And then one of
3:51:54 them in particular, two of them actually gave instances where
3:51:57 people would come in and do
3:51:58 exactly what you’re saying. It’s like we have the local, not
3:52:02 nothing against you, Matthew,
3:52:04 but the local village idiots that come in and speak about
3:52:06 everything that’s out there,
3:52:07 right? But that’s their right. That’s what they do. I was like,
3:52:11 Okay, okay, I’m listening,
3:52:13 I’m going. And then I started looking at and I called two of my
3:52:18 friends. One of them’s
3:52:19 a very, very well known attorney up in Tallahassee, and there’s
3:52:23 another one here locally that’s
3:52:25 well known. Both First Amendment lawyers with over 30 years in
3:52:31 First Amendment. And I asked
3:52:33 them, I said, Is this legal? Is this right to do where you were
3:52:37 taking the visual off
3:52:38 at the end? And they both said with 30 years experience that
3:52:43 there is some gray area there,
3:52:45 but it is not a sound and strong policy. So after I talked to
3:52:49 the attorneys, after I talked
3:52:50 to the community, after I talked to the fellow elected officials,
3:52:54 the employer groups, I
3:52:55 then came back and started looking at it. And I said, What are
3:52:59 the optics on this thing?
3:53:00 It looks like we’re trying to reduce it during a time when we
3:53:03 have the height and the most
3:53:05 heightened up awareness on our school board. But just the optics
3:53:09 and what that does long
3:53:11 term in our community is the trust and transparency and
3:53:14 everything else. And I and I and I understand
3:53:17 and I will say to everybody in here there is not that is not
3:53:19 what this is about. Just
3:53:21 as it was said before, this was not brought forward to do that.
3:53:24 But it’s what it looks
3:53:25 like. And when we have to start gaining the trust and
3:53:27 transparency inside of our community,
3:53:29 even though it’s not what it was meant to be, along with the
3:53:32 lawyers, along with the
3:53:33 community, along with the employer groups, along with the fellow
3:53:36 elected officials, I
3:53:37 started having some serious issues. Okay. And it just got to me
3:53:42 that the optics were
3:53:43 bad and that that piece that you talked about was one of the
3:53:46 issues I had a problem with.
3:53:48 The other problem is is that we are limiting the people who come
3:53:51 afterwards to one minute,
3:53:52 no matter what. But we’re limiting all of the other ones to
3:53:56 multiples. So if there’s
3:53:57 ten public speakers, they get three minutes. I have a problem
3:54:01 with just having each speaker
3:54:02 afterwards only speaking for one minute, because there may be,
3:54:05 as it was stated here tonight
3:54:06 and I’ve talked to other people, an issue that takes more than
3:54:09 one minute. For somebody
3:54:10 to come down here to a non-agenda item, it’s got to be pretty
3:54:13 serious, and they may want
3:54:14 that extra more than one minute. Now, we can always vote to
3:54:17 extend, but that might not
3:54:19 always be there. So then I started looking at that and I said,
3:54:22 you know what, I can’t
3:54:23 support this policy the way that it’s written. So Gibbs, I don’t
3:54:30 tell me no, don’t do it.
3:54:33 We can amend it now while we’re here, and then we start the
3:54:37 process, right?
3:54:39 If you change it, you can’t vote to approve it tonight, because
3:54:42 then you…
3:54:43 But that’s one extra step towards it.
3:54:45 You can say you’re going to yank it off the agenda and just
3:54:48 start the process over again.
3:54:50 That’s fine.
3:54:51 So we start the process, I mean, I’m hearing from one board
3:54:53 member and another board member
3:54:55 that they want this too.
3:54:56 You can’t satisfy rulemaking, because you’re going to change it.
3:54:58 So I have to advertise
3:54:59 14 days prior to a workshop, and that’s your first public
3:55:03 hearing, and then 28 days prior
3:55:05 to adoption, which is your final hearing, so tonight. So tonight
3:55:09 cannot be your first
3:55:11 meeting. It has not been advertised for 14 days. The rulemaking
3:55:16 process is 14 days prior
3:55:17 to a workshop, 28 days prior to your final adoption.
3:55:21 So okay, I get you. I don’t physically believe in that portion
3:55:26 of this policy. I would like
3:55:28 to… I will vote against this, because I don’t think that even
3:55:32 if you don’t believe
3:55:33 in it and she doesn’t believe in it, that we should do it, and
3:55:36 then force it upon our
3:55:37 people and then change it in three terms. I just don’t. And
3:55:40 whatever. I mean, so we
3:55:41 stay here a little bit longer, we listen to a little bit more.
3:55:44 And that’s all.
3:55:45 So I would like to make that amendment, but I can’t. So I will
3:55:50 be voting against this
3:55:52 in the attempt that we can bring it back and go through the
3:55:56 process again.
3:55:57 So I guess we could… I want to talk about what Mr. Shinn said,
3:56:12 but in just a second.
3:56:16 But I just want to… As mentioned this evening, someone talked
3:56:17 about the State Board of Education
3:56:18 meeting. I understand the frustration about the one minute, but
3:56:22 every one of us here tonight
3:56:24 recognized people who were watching the clock and were filling
3:56:28 the time. Some of us experienced
3:56:31 the people who got to three minutes and they could have gone for
3:56:33 another three and they
3:56:34 had it written out and so they were to go. But then we also have
3:56:38 had two meetings recently
3:56:39 where everybody got one minute. And it was pretty successful, I’d
3:56:44 say. Everybody got
3:56:44 to the point and we got it and we got out. And the State Board
3:56:46 of Education meeting that
3:56:47 was met, man, those guys are ruthless because that chair of our
3:56:52 State Board of Education,
3:56:55 they gave him one minute and if you got off topic, he didn’t
3:56:57 just remind you, he cut it
3:57:00 off. So I think we can get this done. But to your point, Mr.
3:57:07 Susan, I’m just trying
3:57:09 to figure out which way we do it because we have two ways. We
3:57:11 could go ahead and vote
3:57:12 tonight and it’ll be up to everybody’s choice and I hear what
3:57:15 you’re saying that you don’t
3:57:16 want to vote for it tonight. And if it passes, we could go into
3:57:21 rulemaking at the next workshop
3:57:23 and go ahead and change it. The earliest we could vote on it
3:57:26 would be the December meeting.
3:57:28 And then we could vote at those two meetings to go ahead and
3:57:33 leave the cameras on. We can
3:57:36 do that. Or we can vote it down now and not have the thing in
3:57:39 place. I go back to what
3:57:41 we’re guaranteeing in this policy with the revisions is to hear
3:57:44 the non-agenda items.
3:57:46 And I know this Board has been very gracious to hear those, even
3:57:49 if they are trying to
3:57:51 sell us something. But I just, I’m not really sure which way. I
3:57:57 don’t know, Mr. Gibbs, where
3:57:59 are we with the voting one way or the other? I mean, I’m trying
3:58:04 to figure out what difference
3:58:06 it makes. It’s your item. So, I mean, you guys can vote it up or
3:58:12 down. If you want to
3:58:13 pass it, you can pass it. If you want to say we’re going to go
3:58:15 to rulemaking and three
3:58:16 of you voted down, go back to rulemaking. We can do that. Okay.
3:58:21 Sounds like it’s going
3:58:23 back to rulemaking either way. Can I speak? Yes. Can I? Only
3:58:33 because, yeah, well, because
3:58:35 I haven’t spoken, if you want to go ahead and go again, Ms.
3:58:40 Jenkins. No. So, and I’ll
3:58:43 come right back to you. But so I think to your point, Ms.
3:58:51 Campbell, I think you made
3:58:56 some really great points and pointed out some really important
3:59:00 things. And I think we have
3:59:02 to say, again, this forum is not the best forum for resolution
3:59:09 of concern. And I’m going
3:59:12 to, Ms. Delaney, do you mind if I reference you personally? Okay.
3:59:16 So, Ms. Delaney referenced,
3:59:18 and I say this because we had a conversation yesterday, where
3:59:21 she expressed her concerns
3:59:22 and shared the situation of her daughter. And the only thing
3:59:26 that I will say is I think
3:59:27 we need to verify that that student was not at a Brevard public
3:59:30 school run by the district.
3:59:31 It was at a charter school. Because I think that’s an important
3:59:34 differentiation in how
3:59:36 staff handled the situation when you reach it out to them. But
3:59:40 as I shared with her,
3:59:42 it’s much more effective to pick up the phone and call me. And
3:59:45 let’s work through the issue.
3:59:47 As opposed to waiting for a board meeting, as you said. You’re
3:59:51 right. And she the point
3:59:53 she brought back was emails get lost or don’t get responded to
3:59:56 sometimes. And I absolutely
3:59:58 agree. I think we all try to get to them as much as we can. But
4:00:02 at the end of the day,
4:00:04 all five of our cell phone numbers are on the district website.
4:00:07 The main district number
4:00:08 Ms. Escobar over here takes calls for the board members and
4:00:13 sends us messages to follow
4:00:15 up with her. You can always obviously send us email, send her
4:00:20 email and she’ll follow
4:00:22 up with us. I think there are lots of ways to get in touch with
4:00:25 board members that are
4:00:26 much more effective than coming in speaking in a board meeting.
4:00:30 And I would agree. I don’t
4:00:32 think that you know, some things waiting for a board meeting or
4:00:39 coming to this this public
4:00:40 forum is the way to do it. And I just want to reiterate what Ms.
4:00:44 Campbell said, which
4:00:45 was that once we are elected, we serve all of you. So if I am
4:00:50 your designated representative
4:00:53 for the schools that you attend, and I’m not responding to you,
4:00:57 then please call any one
4:00:58 of my peers because I really try hard to return all of my phone
4:01:02 calls. But there are times
4:01:04 when I am buried for whatever reason and can’t get back to you
4:01:07 right away, it might take
4:01:08 me a day or two. I have faith that they will be responsive and
4:01:13 do all that they can to
4:01:14 assist you. And the beauty of it is I can immediately I spoke to
4:01:18 a father this afternoon
4:01:19 on my way to the board workshop, was able to get with staff when
4:01:24 I got here to have
4:01:25 a conversation so staff can start looking into the issue and
4:01:28 follow up with him as opposed
4:01:30 to no response, waiting till the next board meeting or any of
4:01:34 those things. So I think
4:01:37 we have to really think about the purpose of the public comment
4:01:41 and what we’re trying
4:01:43 to achieve with the policy. And one thing that hasn’t been
4:01:46 addressed, that I think is
4:01:47 really important to be addressed, is there a lot of people who
4:01:50 don’t come to board meetings
4:01:51 because they can’t sit through hours of public comment. Because
4:01:57 they don’t have childcare,
4:01:58 don’t want to bring their kids don’t want to. There are a lot of
4:02:02 people who don’t come
4:02:03 to board meetings because the environment and I appreciate the
4:02:06 person that reference
4:02:07 appreciation for keeping decorum. Because that’s what we’re
4:02:14 there is waving your hand.
4:02:16 Because that’s what we’re trying to accomplish is a forum here,
4:02:21 where we can all hear what
4:02:23 we need to hear and have it be done respectfully. But you know,
4:02:26 at the beginning of the meetings,
4:02:28 I say every meeting, this the purpose of this particular meeting
4:02:33 is for the business of
4:02:34 the board. I don’t think there’s anyone up here that doesn’t
4:02:37 want to hear from our public.
4:02:40 I’ve we get meeting requests all the time. Hey, can we have
4:02:43 coffee and talk? Absolutely.
4:02:45 I’d be happy to doesn’t matter if I agree with you or disagree
4:02:48 with you. We’re all working
4:02:49 for the same goals, right for our kids. So I just want people to
4:02:53 understand that this
4:02:54 forum is designed for a very specific thing. And we are happy to
4:02:59 make ourselves available
4:03:01 outside of this forum to address things that need more of our
4:03:04 time. I just don’t want it
4:03:06 to be perceived that we don’t want to hear what you have to say.
4:03:10 But we need to ensure
4:03:12 that we’re doing it in the most efficient and effective way to
4:03:15 work. And that’s not
4:03:16 necessarily coming up and and speaking at the board meeting for
4:03:20 three minutes or six
4:03:21 minutes when we have policies or like, we can do this, we can do
4:03:25 this together, we’re
4:03:26 not trying to silence you. And I, you know, I appreciate the
4:03:32 concerns about the videotaping
4:03:34 and I would absolutely support if after we take the vote, if you
4:03:37 guys want to start that
4:03:40 policy amendment process, but I do think that it’s important
4:03:43 that we go ahead and make the
4:03:44 changes that we have put in place to make the meetings more
4:03:47 manageable for so many reasons.
4:03:49 For those people who can’t come and spend all that much time for
4:03:51 the people who to stand
4:03:54 there and try to fill their three minutes. I mean, it’s, there’s,
4:03:59 there’s a lot to that.
4:04:00 So Miss Jenkins, I will gladly turn it back over to you at this
4:04:04 point.
4:04:05 Sure. I have to be like perfectly honest with you guys. What’s
4:04:08 more frustrating than listening
4:04:10 to somebody tell me something for three minutes or be vile to me
4:04:13 for three minutes is listening
4:04:14 to us go round and round and round in circles about a policy we
4:04:16 already discussed three
4:04:17 times. So can I please just call the question? Thank you.
4:04:26 Jenkins has called the question. Is there any opposition?
4:04:32 Do you want to respond?
4:04:43 All right, and the motion passes three.
4:05:13 Miss Pelford, can you read it to the public who voted which way
4:05:17 you can see it? Okay.
4:05:22 People that watch it can’t be. Yeah, and I don’t watch it. That’s
4:05:28 all. I mean, it’s just
4:05:28 I don’t know sometimes in fighter boats.
4:05:34 And I don’t it. My screen doesn’t even show me who voted how
4:05:37 about so they have more
4:05:38 questions. Okay. So Miss Campbell, if you’d like to bring that
4:05:48 issue back at board discussion,
4:05:49 I’ll go ahead and move to the rest of the action items. Okay.
4:05:54 Yes. All right, Dr. Mullins.
4:05:57 Sorry, it took me a second to find where we’re at. Yep. Section.
4:06:05 Section 1001 dot three nine
4:06:07 subsection one of the Florida statutes requires any board member
4:06:11 travel outside the district
4:06:13 exceeding $500 to receive prior approval to confirm the travels
4:06:17 for official business
4:06:18 and complies with the rules of the State Board of Education. An
4:06:21 opportunity for the public
4:06:23 to speak to this item must be provided prior to action by the
4:06:27 board. Each board member
4:06:28 has indicated his or her wish to attend the conference. First is
4:06:34 item G 33 on Cheryl McDougal’s
4:06:35 travel request to attend the FSB a conference November 29
4:06:41 through December 3, 2021. Is there
4:06:45 anyone present this evening who wishes to publicly address item
4:06:48 G 33 on Miss McDougal’s
4:06:50 travel request to attend the FSB a conference? Is there anyone
4:06:57 present this evening who wishes
4:06:58 to publicly address item G 33 on Miss McDougal’s travel request
4:07:02 to attend the FSB a conference?
4:07:05 Hearing none, I’ll entertain a motion. Moved by Miss Campbell.
4:07:10 Is there a second? Seconded
4:07:13 by Miss Jenkins. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, please
4:07:22 vote. Yeah, what am I
4:07:26 supposed to vote on my own? I think I think you guys have done
4:07:33 this in the past. I vividly
4:07:36 remember this before me where it was a really difficult question.
4:07:40 So I’m having major. Is
4:07:46 anyone else getting a everybody but you voted? Yes, if you would,
4:08:02 please. Hi. Can you give
4:08:05 me the vote count? Okay, motion passes five to zero. Next is
4:08:18 item G 34 and Jennifer Jenkins
4:08:20 travel request to attend the FSB a conference. Is there anyone
4:08:24 present this evening who wishes
4:08:25 to publicly address item G 34 on Miss Jenkins travel request to
4:08:30 attend the FSB a conference?
4:08:32 Is there anyone present this evening who wishes to publicly
4:08:35 address item G 34 on Miss Jenkins
4:08:37 travel request to attend the FSB a conference? Hearing none, I’ll
4:08:40 entertain a motion moved
4:08:42 to approve. Moved by Mr. Susan, seconded by Miss Campbell. Is
4:08:52 there any discussion? Please
4:08:57 vote. Motion passes five zero. Next is item G 35 on Katie
4:09:15 Campbell’s travel request to
4:09:17 attend the FSB a. Is there anyone present this evening who
4:09:20 wishes to publicly address
4:09:21 item G 35 on Campbell’s travel request to attend the FSB a
4:09:25 conference? Is there anyone
4:09:27 present this evening who wishes to publicly address item G 35 on
4:09:30 Miss Campbell’s travel
4:09:31 request to attend the FSB a conference? Hearing none, I’ll
4:09:34 entertain a motion to approve second
4:09:37 moved by Mr. Susan, seconded by Miss McDougall. Is there any
4:10:02 discussion? Please vote. The
4:10:02 motion passes five zero. Next is item G 36 on Matt Susan’s
4:10:08 travel request to attend the
4:10:11 FSB a conference. Is there anyone present this evening who
4:10:14 wishes to publicly address
4:10:16 item G 36 on Mr. Susan’s travel request to attend the FSB a
4:10:20 conference? Is there anyone
4:10:22 present this evening who wishes to publicly address item G 36 on
4:10:25 Mr. Susan’s travel request
4:10:26 to attend the FSB a conference? Hearing none, I’ll entertain a
4:10:31 motion. Moved by Miss Jenkins,
4:10:33 seconded by Miss Campbell. Is there any discussion? Please vote.
4:10:50 The motion passes 5-0. Dr. Mullins.
4:11:00 Item G 37 is on Miss developers travel request to attend the FSB
4:11:04 a conference. Is there anyone
4:11:06 present this evening who wishes to publicly address item G 37 on
4:11:09 my my travel request
4:11:10 to attend the FSB a conference? Is there anyone present this
4:11:13 evening who wishes to publicly
4:11:15 address item G 37 on my travel request to attend to the FSB a
4:11:19 conference? Mr. Dolly,
4:11:21 are you raising your hand or just stretching? Okay. Hearing none,
4:11:25 I’ll entertain a motion
4:11:27 to approve. Moved by Mr. Susan, seconded by Miss McCougal. Is
4:11:29 there any discussion? It’s
4:11:33 really Katie. Is Katie faster? You want it Katie? I’ll give it
4:11:37 to you. All right. Hearing
4:11:39 none, please vote. The motion passes 5-0. Dr. Mullins. Next is
4:12:02 item G 38 on possible
4:12:04 amendment of the emergency mask policy. Thank you, Dr. Mullins
4:12:09 and members of the board.
4:12:10 As you all see, so this process has been a little bit different
4:12:16 because we’re so accustomed
4:12:18 to working from recommendations from the superintendent on the
4:12:22 agenda. So I did request addition of
4:12:25 this item to the agenda and have put forward recommendation, a
4:12:30 starting point, much like
4:12:32 we had before. So at the October 5th special board meeting, we
4:12:36 approved the motion to continue
4:12:38 the current emergency mask policy until we reached 50 COVID
4:12:42 cases per 100,000, at which
4:12:44 point the board had to take no action. It allowed Dr. Mullins to
4:12:48 remove the mask mandate
4:12:49 or update the mask mandate with a parental opt out and employee
4:12:53 mandate unless social
4:12:54 distancing is maintained in effect until October 29th, unless it’s
4:13:00 extended by the board. Obviously,
4:13:02 as I reflected earlier, I’m thankful to say that we reached that
4:13:05 measurement on Friday
4:13:07 and the superintendent was able to implement that parental opt
4:13:10 out. I’m very encouraged
4:13:12 by the numbers and certainly we want to see, I would say we all
4:13:15 want to see those numbers
4:13:16 go down. I did ask to have this item placed on the agenda to
4:13:21 extend that policy for the
4:13:23 final 30 days. And I would just remind our public, this is an
4:13:26 emergency policy, so it
4:13:28 cannot be extended beyond this final 30 days in the least
4:13:33 restrictive manner possible to,
4:13:35 in my opinion, still take us forward. My recommendation, and as
4:13:40 I said, it’s a starting point, certainly
4:13:41 open to discussion, is that we continue to require masks for our
4:13:45 students in pre-K through
4:13:46 sixth grade because there are no vaccines available. And while I
4:13:51 think we can all celebrate
4:13:52 where we are, I don’t know about you all, but I’m still hearing
4:13:55 from a significant number
4:13:56 of parents that are concerned about the safety of their students,
4:14:00 especially those who are
4:14:01 not yet eligible for vaccine. So the recommendation or the
4:14:08 request is to continue to require a
4:14:10 mask for students in pre-K through sixth grade with the parental
4:14:14 opt out option. And then
4:14:16 for students in grades seven through 12 and adults making masks
4:14:21 strongly recommended, but not mandated.
4:14:23 The only other thing that I would throw out there, and Ms.
4:14:25 Campbell, you may want to weigh
4:14:27 in on this particular request, I did, and I think we all got the
4:14:31 request this morning
4:14:32 from, I want to say it was a chorus teacher that was requesting
4:14:36 that we continue to require
4:14:38 masks in classrooms where students are going to be singing based
4:14:42 on the study that we talked
4:14:44 about the Colorado study. Okay. So yes, there was there was
4:14:52 concern expressed about not
4:14:54 having a mask requirement for indoor singing in seven through 12.
4:14:59 So I will with that,
4:15:01 as you all know, I don’t motion. So if anyone would like to make
4:15:05 a motion, and then we can
4:15:07 open for discussion or however you all want to move forward. I
4:15:15 can make a motion. Okay,
4:15:16 I make the motion. Can I just make the motion that we discussed
4:15:20 this is the current recommendation.
4:15:23 You can make a motion to approve the current recommendation and
4:15:25 then it can always be modified
4:15:27 in discussion. I make a motion that we approve the current
4:15:31 recommendation. I have a motion
4:15:33 for Miss McDougall. Is there a second to open for discussion?
4:15:36 And I have a second for Miss
4:15:38 Jenkins. That would open for discussion. Miss McDougall, your
4:15:41 motion your discussion. I’m
4:15:44 I do like that our middle school and high schools because of the
4:15:50 option of also of if
4:15:53 they want a vaccine, they can get a vaccine. And I feel that we’re
4:15:57 there definitely there.
4:15:59 And I think that makes perfect sense. I’m not the expert about
4:16:02 singing. I’m going to
4:16:03 leave that to Miss Campbell to talk about that some more. I do
4:16:08 think at this point,
4:16:09 we do need I get a lot a lot of emails from people and phone
4:16:14 calls, telling me how they
4:16:16 want the mask mandate. I would like it to be with a parental opt
4:16:20 out, not a medical
4:16:22 opt out. So I really support how you have raised this amendment
4:16:25 at this point. I only
4:16:27 have a concern about Dr. Mullins, maybe you can help me. How
4:16:32 does how does that look?
4:16:33 How does that look when we get the forms in to the school?
4:16:37 Because you and I talked to
4:16:39 a principal the other day. And what he what that principal
4:16:43 really said that, yes, he would
4:16:46 follow it definitely follows it. But it would have been better
4:16:49 not to just say, email it
4:16:50 or send an email, but to print it off and bring it in so that
4:16:53 one person is not inundated,
4:16:55 like the secretary, their email gets filled up. So how would
4:16:58 that work if we did it that
4:17:00 way if we had forms that people like I don’t know how it’s
4:17:03 working now with the parental
4:17:05 opt out? Currently, I don’t know what feedback we’ve heard. I’m
4:17:08 sorry, Miss McDougal. I’m
4:17:10 not sure I understand your question. I can rephrase it. I can’t
4:17:13 understand why. But so
4:17:15 but basically, how is it working with the current parental opt
4:17:19 out? What kind of workload
4:17:20 are we finding with our tools? Have we had that feedback? And
4:17:24 what are the principles
4:17:26 or the the administrators saying about the forms that are coming
4:17:31 in? I have not heard
4:17:32 any any that feedback has not come to me directly. I’m not aware
4:17:36 that there’s been a difficulty
4:17:38 in, you know, receiving the the parental opt out forms. I
4:17:42 anticipate schools have adapted
4:17:44 to the method which they have been turned into the school,
4:17:48 whether it’s via email or
4:17:49 brought in by the student, but they’re collected in the office
4:17:53 and then they are cataloging
4:17:55 those turned in forms. So yes, you did ask my question, but
4:18:01 there’s there’s one more
4:18:03 question and I don’t know if it’s been answered. I do know that
4:18:05 there was a constituent that
4:18:07 asked that they talked about that we’re noting we’re documenting
4:18:15 it in the system and was
4:18:17 concerned about how that was being used or not being used. And
4:18:21 do we documented in a
4:18:22 system and I think we need to share with the public. Why or why
4:18:25 not? We’re doing that.
4:18:28 I’d have to call it Dr. 30 Do you know if we are actually inputting
4:18:34 students indication
4:18:35 that they are a parental opt out in a s 400? Or is it retained
4:18:41 in the front office for
4:18:42 the administration’s reference? This is truly a better question
4:18:46 for Chris Moore, but my
4:18:47 understanding was there was a data element on one of the S
4:18:50 screens and as 400 that these
4:18:52 will be put into at some point, but I don’t know for sure. I got
4:18:57 a thumbs up from Dr.
4:18:59 Sullivan in the back. My great team coming in through the
4:19:05 magical door there. But so
4:19:08 to answer your question, Miss McDougal, I’m going to anticipate
4:19:14 that our school teams
4:19:16 are entering those into the appropriate field in a s 400. So
4:19:19 then any staff at the school
4:19:21 can look that up and know if a student has submitted a parental
4:19:27 opt out or not. Thank
4:19:29 you. Did I get around to your question? Answer your question.
4:19:39 All right. Thank you. Miss
4:19:40 Jenkins, you seconded. You want to go next on discussion? Yeah,
4:19:43 I’m just gonna be really
4:19:44 quick. I the only concern I have about this, I’m fine with the
4:19:48 parental opt out. We’ve
4:19:49 hit that number like we agreed upon. But for the 7th through 12th,
4:19:53 personally, I think
4:19:54 it should be a required mass. We know that no one’s going to
4:19:57 wear it if it’s not required.
4:19:58 If the intention is to mitigate, we should be putting it there
4:20:00 with a parental opt out
4:20:02 as well. Because we can’t assume just because vaccines are
4:20:05 available that all of our students
4:20:07 have access to those vaccines. And I think it’s our
4:20:09 responsibility as an educational
4:20:11 institution to keep those students safe. But then there’s that
4:20:14 simple parent opt out form
4:20:15 if their parents don’t want them to wear a mask. I think it kind
4:20:19 of, you know, takes
4:20:20 care of both sides there. But you know, takes the responsibility
4:20:23 off of us making sure that
4:20:24 we’re keeping all of our students safe regardless of their socio
4:20:27 economic status or the ability
4:20:28 to get to a vaccine. Thank you, Miss Jenkins. Anyone else want
4:20:33 to discuss? Mr. Susan’s giving
4:20:37 you the finger. All right. supposed to go second to last. All
4:20:44 right. So I sorry, I was
4:20:46 taking just a minute to look up a couple couple things because
4:20:48 the last time I had checked
4:20:49 that study from University of Colorado Boulder had not been
4:20:52 updated in a long time. So I
4:20:54 was just checking and it didn’t look like I don’t know if they
4:20:56 have I can’t see any
4:20:57 more studies. But they did release some more information in the
4:21:05 summer about arts particularly
4:21:09 band and choir. The things where you would be blowing through
4:21:16 things. Actually, can you
4:21:18 just go so I can finish this? No problem. Paul, can you read me
4:21:24 the actual emergency
4:21:26 mandate? You sent it to me the other day. Can you pull that up?
4:21:28 Sorry, I didn’t give
4:21:29 you a heads up. Because it is written completely different than
4:21:33 what we like the preamble the
4:21:35 basis behind it. All of that is geared towards something else.
4:21:38 You’ll just read that. Because
4:21:39 I think that once we start seeing that it’s it’s a little
4:21:43 different. Because we’re amending
4:21:46 something that we’re not looking at, right? You see the
4:21:50 beginning of it, it references
4:21:52 the court cases it references. Right, the preamble is about the
4:21:58 basis for implementation
4:22:00 of the mask mandate originally adopted. And it talks about
4:22:05 lawsuits that are currently
4:22:07 in place, right? It says the reason that we are implementing
4:22:10 this is because of the lawsuit
4:22:12 that has, and the judge had defined it based on that, and that
4:22:16 has been overrun by the
4:22:17 DCA, right? It’s been stayed by the DCA, but it also goes into
4:22:22 the parent bill of rights
4:22:23 and exceptions set forward in Florida statute like the 25236.
4:22:30 But the basis behind our argument
4:22:32 for this, which is stated inside of that was for the original,
4:22:37 prior to the most recent
4:22:38 updated changes by the governor, correct? Yes, it was the
4:22:42 original implementation by
4:22:44 this board. And the justification behind it is for the previous,
4:22:49 not the current. So we
4:22:51 are basically making an argument to impose this based on the
4:22:55 previous laws and regulations
4:22:59 and the argument and everything else. That’s what it says in the
4:23:01 preamble. I don’t know
4:23:03 what you’re referring to the previous laws. I can read it. I
4:23:07 have it up, but you want
4:23:09 me to read the whole thing? No, just the beginning, because it
4:23:12 sets the premise behind what we’re
4:23:14 doing is based on a premise of a previous lawsuit that was
4:23:18 stayed by the DCA, that a
4:23:20 new rule has come in. So like literally the fundamental
4:23:24 legislative intent behind it is
4:23:26 old. The preamble, Judge John C. Cooper, Florida Circuit Court
4:23:30 for the Second Circuit of Florida
4:23:32 found that the Centers for Disease Control is the preeminent
4:23:34 authority in the United
4:23:35 States for infectious diseases and control. Moreover, Section
4:23:40 252.36 sub one sub C Florida
4:23:42 statute states the legislature intends that during an extended
4:23:46 public health emergency
4:23:47 such as the COVID-19 pandemic, there should be a presumption
4:23:50 that K 12 public schools
4:23:52 to the greatest extent possible should remain open so long as
4:23:55 the health and safety of students
4:23:57 and school personnel can be maintained by specific public health
4:24:00 mitigation strategies
4:24:02 recommended by federal or state health agencies for educational
4:24:06 settings. The CDC qualifies
4:24:07 as a federal health agency as specified in Florida statute.
4:24:11 Moreover, CDC guidelines
4:24:12 explicitly recommend all individuals students as well as staff
4:24:16 wear face coverings while
4:24:17 inside whether they have been vaccinated or not, until the
4:24:20 spread of COVID-19 is better
4:24:22 control as the Florida legislature. We’re good. I just what I
4:24:26 was trying to get at was,
4:24:27 is that we based the beginning of it and the intent. So if you
4:24:31 guys are going to pass this,
4:24:32 I would try to reword that beginning so that it’s stronger for
4:24:36 the argument rather than
4:24:38 quoting a previous case that was stated. That’s all. That was
4:24:41 part of the beginning of it.
4:24:43 That helped. I’ll keep going. But it was just a recommendation.
4:24:46 All right, so we’ve heard
4:24:47 from multiple speakers that the hospitals, the CDC, our district,
4:24:54 every number that is
4:24:56 out there, every single data point is at the lowest that it can
4:25:01 be. The lowest it’s ever
4:25:03 been is in the 30s since this has started. And we’ve only been
4:25:07 below 50 for now 30 days
4:25:09 total over 18 months. So my common theme that I’m going to get
4:25:14 to is, is at what point are
4:25:16 we not going to have opt outs? And at what point are we not
4:25:19 going to have people wearing
4:25:21 masks and having policies and everything else? Because what it’s
4:25:25 doing is, is it feels to
4:25:26 me as we’re starting to put in the AS 400 piece, and we’re
4:25:30 starting to put it all in,
4:25:32 that this is slowly becoming permanent. And that’s not where we
4:25:38 started with this thing.
4:25:39 So let me get started. So right now, I talked to bus drivers,
4:25:45 teachers, administrators,
4:25:48 the teachers union, the community, the bus drivers cannot
4:25:52 enforce it, I am telling you
4:25:54 that they are screaming that they cannot enforce it, that they
4:25:58 do not want to. Our bus drivers
4:26:00 in many areas have been told that they should not try to enforce
4:26:04 it, because it becomes
4:26:06 dangerous for them to consistently look behind and try to force
4:26:09 an opt out. Plus, they don’t
4:26:10 have an opt out list every day that they get. There’s nobody
4:26:13 walking out and presenting
4:26:14 them an opt out list. The teachers are upset because the kids
4:26:22 have been given an opt out
4:26:24 and they don’t. They’re forced to wear a mask, and they don’t
4:26:28 have the opportunity to opt
4:26:30 out themselves. The administration, the administration from the
4:26:38 people that I’ve talked to, are trying
4:26:41 to mitigate this as much as possible, but you have people emailing,
4:26:45 carrying in opt
4:26:46 out forms. I mean, it’s just it’s a lot of work. And we’ve heard
4:26:50 from the employee groups
4:26:51 and everybody else that everybody’s stressed beyond belief. So
4:26:54 having more work into the
4:26:56 pipeline at a time when every single data point is low enough to
4:27:01 support it, to me it
4:27:03 doesn’t justify it. Our own union has come out and said that
4:27:09 they do not want the opt
4:27:11 out forms anymore. They’re done. They want their own people to
4:27:14 have. They want the employees
4:27:16 to be able to choose for themselves. They have said that. The
4:27:23 community has shown us
4:27:25 through the way that they act, not just the individuals that
4:27:28 come in here. I get it, both
4:27:30 sides. We have football fields, football stadiums filled,
4:27:36 basketball arenas filled. The communities
4:27:40 are all doing outside of what we are doing. And I get you, we
4:27:44 worried about people being
4:27:45 we’re worried about keeping our kids safe, but everywhere they
4:27:49 go outside of the schools
4:27:51 is not mandated. I tried to find one single place in the in the
4:27:55 county that does have
4:27:56 a mask mandate that you have to perform an opt out. I couldn’t
4:28:00 find it. So with the community
4:28:02 showing us that the for the community showing us for the
4:28:05 teachers union calling for our
4:28:06 employees to not have to mandate it for the administration that’s
4:28:10 being overworked because
4:28:11 of the opt out forms because the teachers themselves want it
4:28:14 because it’s not fair to
4:28:16 have the other kids be able to do it because the bus drivers can’t
4:28:19 enforce it because the
4:28:21 numbers are so low and because the efficacy of actually trying
4:28:26 to enforce it is difficult
4:28:28 and it’s more difficult now that the numbers are justified that
4:28:32 we told the public we were
4:28:34 moving to a certain direction. So now we keep going into the
4:28:39 seesaw. We go into the seesaw
4:28:41 of coming up with this every week and the mental health and the
4:28:44 problems. I mean our
4:28:46 parents are worn out. I heard from them, I’ve heard people that
4:28:50 are mask mandate supporters
4:28:52 call me and say I’m just worn out. I just want this thing over.
4:28:55 I mean people that were
4:28:56 like basically yelling at me before are saying that to me. And I
4:29:00 just like my thing is is
4:29:02 that Japan doesn’t have a mask mandate. Like the one place you
4:29:06 would think has one doesn’t
4:29:08 actually have one. What they do is they recommend it and their
4:29:13 entire population goes up and
4:29:15 down based on the threat level. They just do. It’s incredible
4:29:20 when you allow people
4:29:22 to make a choice on what they’re doing that they make the right
4:29:25 one. But the instant that
4:29:27 you start telling people they can’t choose they will fight you.
4:29:30 I’ve got five kids. I
4:29:32 tell them anything. They will do everything opposite than what I
4:29:35 do. And if you give them
4:29:36 the opportunity to make the right choices to make their own
4:29:40 choices that they can make
4:29:41 at a time when all the numbers I mean if this is where we are
4:29:45 right now with all of the
4:29:47 numbers at the lowest place that we can be. Is this our reality
4:29:52 for the rest of our existence?
4:29:56 It’s scary to me to think that the rest of the world the
4:29:59 community the teachers the employees
4:30:01 everybody are moving on and we’re still in here trying to create
4:30:05 something that’s creating
4:30:06 more work animosity mental health to our community. That’s my
4:30:12 opening statement. And I look forward
4:30:14 to you guys with rebuttal. Please don’t call the. Thank you. So.
4:30:19 Sorry when you said that
4:30:24 and I thought you had more paragraphs to go. I’m going to give
4:30:29 it all out now. I just quickly
4:30:32 about the music stuff. I’ll just there there was there was no
4:30:38 further study done except
4:30:40 for they did a survey of the programs. I think both of them were
4:30:46 secondary. There were some
4:30:48 post-secondary programs that they asked. They got a survey out
4:30:52 of 3000. They got you know
4:30:54 a pretty good number to almost 2800 back. Their recommendations
4:30:59 that they sent out over
4:31:00 the summer included the same things that we had in place last
4:31:04 year which were using outdoors
4:31:06 as much as possible using the indoors. If you’re indoors using
4:31:11 masks using bell covers
4:31:12 for the band like last year doing rehearsal times they increased
4:31:16 it to 50 minutes if you
4:31:18 have good and. Three air exchanges per hour and you consider
4:31:26 longer rehearsals. Physical
4:31:28 distancing they reduced it to three feet. Hygiene. You know drop
4:31:33 in your spit from your
4:31:34 trumpet on the floor those kinds of things and using face
4:31:37 shields and partitions if necessary.
4:31:40 But they specifically talked about masks and bell covers being
4:31:43 this specific material Merv
4:31:45 13 material or something. So by the way none of those things we
4:31:49 had in place at the beginning
4:31:50 of the school year except we tried to social distance and
4:31:53 several teachers. We did not
4:31:54 require masks. We have no band has used bell covers have not
4:31:57 seen a single instrumental
4:31:59 trumpet clarinet and using bell covers. We’re not doing that at
4:32:02 all. We have not released
4:32:04 reducing our rehearsal times. I do know some programs choir
4:32:07 programs that are rehearsing
4:32:08 outdoors because that’s the choir teacher but they were not
4:32:12 directed to do that. That
4:32:13 was the choir teacher’s choice. And those kids have been outside
4:32:16 in the heat rehearsing
4:32:17 the best they can. Before we had a mask mandate and then since
4:32:21 we’ve had a mask mandate. We’re
4:32:23 doing official fiscal distancing as much as the rooms can can
4:32:27 handle. You know the hygiene
4:32:31 I don’t know if they’re not allowing the spit to be dropped on
4:32:33 the carpet I can’t answer
4:32:34 that but we have not had that requirement so they’re not doing
4:32:37 that’s just program by
4:32:38 program teacher by teacher. So the data when they did that they
4:32:41 what they said was you
4:32:42 know they’ll report back over last year what worked based not
4:32:47 what worked but how many
4:32:48 of the mitigation measures did you put in place and how what
4:32:51 evidence of spread within
4:32:53 your program was there. So here’s the results and there’s some
4:32:56 mix because they’re not sure
4:32:57 even says in here you know some of it’s not clear. Did it
4:33:01 actually happen news in class
4:33:02 or did it happen in other place. They made the assumption that
4:33:04 it happened and they’re
4:33:04 not in a cafeteria or not as they were walking out or when they
4:33:07 went and spent the night
4:33:09 with a friend or whatever. It’s out of the twenty thousand
4:33:12 programs who came to return
4:33:14 to activity four and a half million students were expected to
4:33:17 participate. They did a risk
4:33:19 assessment. I’m just going to cut down to the most important
4:33:23 number. It says the overall
4:33:26 expected chance of getting COVID in a 30 minute rehearsal. Going
4:33:32 to read you the number if
4:33:33 you don’t use any of the study mitigations would be point zero
4:33:37 zero zero three seven
4:33:39 percent or one in two hundred and seventy three thousand one
4:33:42 hundred and twenty four.
4:33:43 That’s if you didn’t do any of those things. So I say all that
4:33:47 to say and by the way that
4:33:49 is a greater chance than the people who used all the mitigation
4:33:52 strategies who were like
4:33:53 at point zero zero zero zero five one or one in you know a
4:33:59 million whatever. The chances
4:34:01 are very very low. And I’ll point out again we had none of those
4:34:04 mitigation strategies
4:34:06 for choir or band this year. Our programs have done successfully
4:34:10 successful work. We
4:34:11 haven’t heard I haven’t heard of any when we were having all our
4:34:14 great outbreaks of
4:34:16 them happening more often in band or chorus classes. So I would
4:34:18 absolutely recommend against
4:34:20 making any adjustments if we have choir directors who are
4:34:22 particularly they can continue to
4:34:24 rehearse outside as they’re nervous. They have the freedom over
4:34:27 those programs. But
4:34:29 we’ve had indoor concerts we’ve had you know things going on
4:34:32 outdoor concerts successfully
4:34:34 and I would just very strongly request that we don’t make any of
4:34:37 those changes. It’s been
4:34:38 very difficult for our music programs to have to deal with what
4:34:42 they’re dealing with on
4:34:43 the mask mandate as a whole. I I’m just a strong no if I could
4:34:48 just yell no I’m getting
4:34:50 to the point where I just want to yell no to the top of my lungs.
4:34:53 I don’t want us to
4:34:54 continue in another 30 days. And I would just point out that
4:34:58 this board when it first came
4:35:00 up on August 30th and we had the policy the way it was
4:35:02 originally written and we made
4:35:04 the one the one big change that we added was to change it from
4:35:07 90 days to 30 days and we’d
4:35:09 revisit it. That 30 days was good enough. The 30 days was good
4:35:12 enough. We got to the
4:35:14 end of 30 days and we weren’t at the point we made we added the
4:35:16 50 or I don’t know if
4:35:18 the 50 was in the middle but we got to the 50. We said you know
4:35:20 that’s good enough when
4:35:21 the 50 comes we’re going to drop it and then we changed it to
4:35:24 when the 50 comes we’re going
4:35:25 to do a parental opt out. But at some point the 50 was good
4:35:29 enough just to drop it. Let
4:35:31 the superintendent just drop it. And and now it’s not good
4:35:34 enough. And I’m very very frustrated
4:35:38 that we’re having this conversation when we were almost to the
4:35:41 finish line for many of
4:35:42 us to get to Friday and it continues to not be good enough. And
4:35:46 now we’re changing it
4:35:47 again because the parental opt out you know getting down there
4:35:51 is not good enough. And
4:35:52 I I am so grateful that on here we’re allowing the staff for it
4:35:58 to be optional for them.
4:36:00 Strongly recommending. I’m so grateful that that this or the
4:36:03 recommendation that we’re
4:36:04 allowing that recommendation is for the secondary students. But
4:36:07 I think we just need to keep
4:36:09 it clear across the board from pre-k to our youngest ones who
4:36:13 are the very least likely
4:36:15 to have issues. Our parents knowing what the options are. The
4:36:23 ones who are extra afraid.
4:36:24 Have we gotten any do we have the KN95 masks available to kids.
4:36:30 Yes we do. We have KN95
4:36:32 masks available to kids. If that’s what the parent wants we will
4:36:36 provide them to them.
4:36:37 I know we had some problems with shipping they were coming from
4:36:39 Singapore and you know
4:36:40 who knows ships getting stuck everywhere. But we have them
4:36:44 available for parents who
4:36:45 are still concerned and parents are waiting for the vaccine. You
4:36:49 know we have those things.
4:36:51 What was good enough then and how that we’ve reached here we
4:36:54 keep moving the finish line
4:36:55 and I’m it’s very frustrating to me. I just ask that we would
4:36:59 just go to what we originally
4:37:01 thought was good enough which is when we get to a good place in
4:37:03 our county and an even
4:37:04 better place in our school district. And we’ve got school
4:37:08 districts all around the state
4:37:09 that are showing they didn’t do what we did and yet they’re also
4:37:11 getting to those that
4:37:12 same good place. We don’t have enough evidence to support. And
4:37:20 you know continuing to put
4:37:21 this restriction in place and I would just add that you know Mr.
4:37:24 Susan shared already
4:37:25 my my same frustration with the parental opt-out all along is
4:37:29 the inconsistency. Now I will
4:37:31 tell you yesterday when I dropped off my son I watched you know
4:37:36 kids I was curious who’s
4:37:37 going to have a paper in their hand who was going to not have a
4:37:40 mask because Monday was
4:37:41 the first day. And honestly most of the kids at that middle
4:37:44 school got off the bus and
4:37:46 they had their mask on and went to the building and I thought
4:37:47 well either they didn’t know
4:37:48 or they don’t care or they didn’t want to be the only kid
4:37:50 because they’re middle schoolers
4:37:51 and nobody wants to stand out. So I don’t know how it was the
4:37:54 second day because today
4:37:55 when I saw them they were outside and I didn’t get to see them
4:37:58 going to the building. We
4:38:00 did our our walk. The rest of the week will have yet has yet to
4:38:03 be seen. But our teachers
4:38:05 have already said we have an MOA with the teachers that say they’re
4:38:07 not going to enforce
4:38:08 it. They don’t want to have to enforce it which means it will be
4:38:11 dependent on the teacher
4:38:12 and one in one teachers which honestly it’s kind of like this
4:38:15 already to be honest in
4:38:16 one teacher’s class you have to wear them in another teacher’s
4:38:18 class you don’t have
4:38:19 to wear them because this teacher is going to enforce it and
4:38:21 this teacher is not going
4:38:22 to enforce it. And honestly we’re back to the place where we
4:38:25 were first talked about
4:38:26 the opt-out where it’s mandatory. So if you child who does not
4:38:31 have an opt-out if you
4:38:33 don’t have your mask on you’re going to get in trouble or I’m
4:38:36 going to be correcting you
4:38:37 all day long which is tiring. Well you have this student over
4:38:40 here who doesn’t have to
4:38:42 wear one at all and there there’s no discipline there. So the
4:38:46 inequity in that is also frustrating
4:38:48 and the only time I voted for a parental opt-out was because it
4:38:51 was the lesser of two evils
4:38:52 and but I’ve hated it all along and I still hate it and so I
4:38:56 would just ask that we just
4:38:58 let it go. We get to Friday and we say goodbye and we move
4:39:04 forward and and just be done with
4:39:08 it. Thank you. Anyone else wish to speak again? Mr. Susan do you
4:39:24 wish to speak again?
4:39:24 So we’re putting the teachers in a liability because of exactly
4:39:29 what she said. So imagine
4:39:31 yourself inside that classroom with that student that’s sitting
4:39:34 there and they have the opt-out
4:39:36 form but Johnny right next to him is dropping it or doing
4:39:39 whatever ADHD and now he’s being
4:39:42 forced and now he will be disciplined for it. That teacher if
4:39:46 they’re not doing it to
4:39:47 efficacy in some in some of our schools we’ve already heard from
4:39:51 principals that said that
4:39:53 it would be on their evaluations. That and then I received
4:39:56 emails from people that said
4:39:58 how could you ever not think that they should be you know reprimanded
4:40:02 on their evaluations
4:40:03 for not having a mask. The community doesn’t support it by the
4:40:08 visions and what they’re
4:40:09 by what you see on TV and what you do in the community. The
4:40:12 evidence doesn’t support it
4:40:14 in any single way. Bus drivers are out of masks half the time
4:40:18 they can’t even offer
4:40:19 them to the kid. We’re consistently moving the goalposts on our
4:40:24 community. Our community
4:40:26 thinks this is it this is going to be good we’re moving into it
4:40:28 and then we move it.
4:40:29 This is it we got the numbers here and then we move it and in
4:40:32 the end I got real scared
4:40:33 when all of a sudden I found out that we’re putting that thing
4:40:36 on AS 400 because that
4:40:37 starts to become permanent. The governors in the legislature are
4:40:41 getting ready to go
4:40:41 in and they’re getting ready to change everything that’s
4:40:44 happening. The lunchrooms just so everybody
4:40:47 is consistent. Lunchrooms have a third of the school in there
4:40:51 with no masks on sitting
4:40:53 right next to each other eating. Anybody wants to go watch it.
4:40:56 Go to Viera High School there’s
4:40:57 700 kids in a lunchroom that are sitting there looking at each
4:41:00 other with their masks off
4:41:01 in one big room talking the whole time. So for 20 30 minutes at
4:41:06 a time during the day
4:41:08 our entire student populations are in massive non-masked areas
4:41:14 with each other. And ultimately
4:41:17 where it all comes down to to me is is that if my kid if I told
4:41:23 my kid to go wear a mask
4:41:25 and I wanted them to wear it in there they’re not going to or
4:41:27 they’re going to when they
4:41:29 leave anyway. So whether you give them an opt out whether you do
4:41:33 it or not the teachers
4:41:34 are slowly going to not enforce. The administration is slowly
4:41:38 not going to and it is going to
4:41:40 become non-valid. And my fear ultimately right is that when it
4:41:47 comes time to come back up
4:41:49 because it’s coming back. This is three times it’s been in here
4:41:54 and it comes back. What’s
4:41:56 going to happen then? Are we going to go right back to it? Are
4:41:58 we just never going to come
4:42:00 out of this? And that’s my fear is is that we as individuals are
4:42:04 not doing what we should
4:42:06 and we’re forcing something on the parents and on the children
4:42:10 and creating a massive
4:42:11 mental health problem for our community. That’s it.
4:42:15 Thank you Mr. Susan. If I could just address a couple of
4:42:20 comments from you both and I you
4:42:21 know I I want to make it clear that regardless of how the vote
4:42:26 comes out tonight I I respect
4:42:28 the perspective and input from from both of you and I understand
4:42:31 your frustrations and
4:42:33 where you’re at. One thing I do want to address Mr. Susan going
4:42:38 back to your original comments
4:42:40 was the the fact that the DCA stayed the the judges comments in
4:42:48 the beginning of the the
4:42:50 policy and I just promised myself I wasn’t going to go here but
4:42:55 since you mentioned it
4:42:57 I think it’s important to note that the DCA stayed the ban on
4:43:02 the Department of Health
4:43:04 policy but the DCA has not weighed in on the legal analysis of
4:43:10 that case yet right because
4:43:13 when they filed for the appeal they they put the stay back on
4:43:18 the ban on masks but they
4:43:20 they’re the only analysis that we have on all of this at this
4:43:24 point in time is from
4:43:26 that one case because the appeals court hasn’t weighed in on any
4:43:29 of the arguments of that
4:43:31 case is that a correct interpretation Mr. Gibbs yes there’s no
4:43:36 decision yet so I don’t
4:43:38 think that we necessarily need to need to worry about the
4:43:42 language in the beginning
4:43:43 of it and that’s that’s the only reason I say that to your point
4:43:47 of becoming permanent
4:43:49 as as stated this this policy can only go to the end of November
4:43:55 unless we go into rule
4:43:57 making to amend our permanent policy so I get your concerns
4:44:03 there I absolutely do and
4:44:05 I think that you know it’s even it’s in it’s in the language of
4:44:10 the recommendation it’s
4:44:12 everywhere that this is this is it it can only go there the
4:44:18 recommendation which is
4:44:19 what the motion is on actually removes the requirement for
4:44:23 teachers who wear masks that
4:44:25 makes it strongly recommended for for all of the adults so that
4:44:28 would be our faculty
4:44:30 our staff volunteers visitors vendors I think there was some
4:44:36 misunderstanding there and
4:44:40 you know what you’re right it it is a lot of work for our
4:44:43 teachers but our current policy
4:44:45 runs through Friday and I would suggest that the majority of the
4:44:49 opt-outs have already
4:44:51 are already in process right so and your point Miss Campbell I
4:44:57 don’t love the the idea of
4:44:59 an opt-out either I commented initially that I didn’t think it
4:45:02 was going to be effective
4:45:04 that I thought it was going to make a lot of work but the
4:45:07 reality is and I go back to
4:45:08 and this is the crux of of my choice is we still do not have
4:45:15 vaccines available for our
4:45:18 five through twelve year old and something came out today and I’ve
4:45:21 not had a chance to
4:45:22 read it in depth but it looks like we are very close to FDA
4:45:28 approval on that and so
4:45:30 that that is really what’s driving my concern and and based on
4:45:35 the feedback that I’m getting
4:45:37 from parents who have little ones that say you know we we really
4:45:42 have no protection for
4:45:44 them if there is no mask requirement so the the recommendation I
4:45:48 put forward was to try
4:45:50 to find a middle ground that we could come together on that
4:45:53 would address Miss Campbell’s
4:45:55 concern about employees that would address concern about any
4:46:00 unnecessary paperwork to
4:46:03 put forward really what you know the the least restrictive given
4:46:06 the fact that things do
4:46:08 look so good and that we are so close to a vaccine for our
4:46:12 youngest ones and so I like
4:46:15 I said I I respect your stances and and I I’m not looking to to
4:46:22 argue but and at the
4:46:24 end of the day I you know will will walk away however it comes
4:46:28 out and I will have the utmost
4:46:30 respect for you all so I just think that’s important to the
4:46:33 state so any additional discussion
4:46:36 does that call the question was thinking all right these votes I
4:46:54 think I’m gonna have to
4:47:06 I had to refresh mine oh did you approve my travel can you tell
4:47:19 me that yeah mine’s
4:47:21 still stuck on this one yeah mine’s even worse Miss Escobar can
4:47:26 you take a voice vote for
4:47:27 us all in favor please signify by saying aye aye aye those
4:47:32 opposed please indicate by saying
4:47:34 nay nay yeah mr. Susan dr. Mullins just so that the parents in
4:47:48 the community understand
4:47:49 is there a way to explain what’s happening because you know they
4:47:54 mean like I think right
4:47:55 now everybody was are we gonna wear masks aren’t we gonna wear
4:47:59 masks but now completely
4:48:00 secondary starting what next Monday will not be required to
4:48:05 bring an opt-out or anything
4:48:07 right if you could just kind of just explain that for the people
4:48:09 that are on here and then
4:48:11 maybe send out some kind of information tomorrow that’s all yes
4:48:17 sir we’ll work on communications
4:48:18 as ASAP to our community so they’re aware of exactly what the
4:48:22 standing is so the employees
4:48:24 don’t will be required to wear masks until Friday and then
4:48:27 coming back Monday they’ll
4:48:29 be in the clear is that what it is the mask policy the current
4:48:32 mask policy is in place
4:48:33 through Friday the close of business Friday when employees
4:48:37 return on Monday masks will
4:48:39 be optional for all employees students in 7 through 12th grade
4:48:45 will be strongly recommended
4:48:48 and students in elementary school will still require a parental
4:48:54 opt-out thank you yeah
4:48:58 absolutely thank you Mr. Susan for that clarification I’ll go
4:49:01 ahead and then also make the board
4:49:04 aware by the end of the week I will review the other remaining
4:49:07 mitigation strategies
4:49:09 and provide schools and an update as well as the board by the
4:49:13 end of the week what the
4:49:15 update will be for the following week thank you Dr. Mullen all
4:49:21 right if I’m tracking correctly
4:49:23 we are back on item g39 Dr. Mullen’s the next action item is g39
4:49:32 on department school initiated
4:49:34 agreement and board members you may want to try to refresh your
4:49:37 screen if you were hung
4:49:39 up on the travel item while we what are the wishes of the board
4:49:42 moved to approve moved
4:49:43 by Mr. Susan seconded by Ms. Campbell is there any discussion
4:50:01 please vote
4:50:04 the motion passes 5-0 Dr. Mullen’s item g40 is on procurement
4:50:23 solicitation one of the
4:50:24 wishes of the board moved to approve moved by Mr. Susan seconded
4:50:28 by Ms. Campbell is there
4:50:29 any discussion please vote
4:50:55 the motion passes 5-0 Dr. Mullen’s item g41 is to approve the
4:51:03 naming of the adult and
4:51:05 community education manufacturing building to the johnny fred bailey
4:51:09 senior manufacturing
4:51:11 building what are the wishes of the board moved to approve moved
4:51:15 by Mr. Susan seconded
4:51:16 by Ms. Campbell is there any discussion just hate that all the
4:51:19 turmoil of the evening has
4:51:21 diminished every other good things but this was exciting I hope
4:51:24 you guys read the bio
4:51:25 of the gentleman I haven’t gotten to meet him sounds like
4:51:27 someone needed me but I’m
4:51:28 very pleased with the name that was chosen for this building yes
4:51:32 thank you Ms. Campbell
4:51:34 for that recognition on this particular item I know we had a
4:51:36 couple of community supporters
4:51:38 that came earlier excuse me in support of the item and have have
4:51:44 since left so but certainly
4:51:46 a lot of support for this this particular naming so I would echo
4:51:52 Mr. Bailey has been
4:51:53 a long-standing member the community and made quite frankly
4:51:56 generations of investments in
4:51:58 our and our kids across the community and it’s a very worthy
4:52:02 recommendation and appreciate
4:52:03 the board support absolutely any additional discussion hearing
4:52:12 none please vote the motion
4:52:19 passes five zero congratulations Mr. Bailey yeah yeah put it out
4:52:37 there all right Dr. Mullins
4:52:40 item g42 is to hear public comments on board policy five one one
4:52:44 two followed by board
4:52:45 action is there anyone present who wishes to make comments
4:52:48 regarding the revisions to
4:52:49 board policy five one one two I’ll do it okay is there anyone
4:52:57 present who wishes to make
4:53:00 comments regarding the revisions to board policy five one one
4:53:12 two I was just reading
4:53:13 that revisions to number five dash one one two entrance
4:53:17 requirements packet do you have
4:53:19 a copy of the packet we can see on mine okay my question is is
4:53:25 it gonna cost us anything
4:53:27 and who is it benefiting so it’s not a Q&A session Karen it’s
4:53:33 just for you to make public
4:53:35 comment on the policy so all right is there anyone else present
4:53:50 who wishes to make comments
4:53:51 regarding the revisions to board policy five one one two all
4:53:55 right what are the wishes
4:53:57 the board moved by Mr. Susan seconded by Miss Campbell is there
4:54:02 any discussion hearing none
4:54:03 please vote
4:54:23 the motion passes five zero Dr. Mullin our last action item is g43
4:54:31 on the two thousand
4:54:32 twenty one two thousand twenty two student progression plan for
4:54:36 Brevard public schools
4:54:37 you are being asked to authorize the superintendent to advertise
4:54:41 for a public hearing on the plan
4:54:42 what are the wishes of the board move to approve move by Mr.
4:54:45 Susan seconded by Miss Campbell
4:54:47 is there any discussion hearing none please vote the motion
4:55:15 passes five zero
4:55:15 we will move on to the information agenda which includes items
4:55:19 for board review and
4:55:20 may be brought back for action at a subsequent meeting no action
4:55:23 will be taken on these items
4:55:24 tonight Dr. Mullins there are two items under the information
4:55:28 category does any member wish
4:55:30 to discuss either of these information items all right that then
4:55:38 is going to bring us to
4:55:40 board discussion Mr. Susan you had a request for substitute
4:55:43 vacant teaching position discussion
4:55:45 yes real quick I just wanted to say kudos goes out to the ESF
4:55:49 staff for going out and
4:55:50 covering all of our schools many people don’t know this but
4:55:54 because of the lack of substitutes
4:55:56 and vacant positions our ESF staff to include superintendent
4:56:00 went out and covered into the
4:56:02 schools so when this started happening I started looking back
4:56:05 over the last six eight months
4:56:06 and I realized that you know when I substitute I feel the school
4:56:12 different than when I visited
4:56:14 I don’t know if you guys feel that way but it’s just different
4:56:16 when they close the door
4:56:17 here with the kids and you can have those communications so what
4:56:20 I would like to do
4:56:21 is move forward with us with you maybe discuss it in a board
4:56:26 workshop as one item just discussion
4:56:29 about possibly making anybody who’s not in the schools that may
4:56:33 be you know above the
4:56:34 teacher grade maybe in the ESF everybody just substitute one day
4:56:38 and the reason is is that
4:56:40 many of the individuals that that we have including myself I was
4:56:44 a teacher many years
4:56:45 ago and I I lost touch with the classroom I mean I was really
4:56:49 into it I mean I was there
4:56:51 but now when I get in there I substitute I could feel it but I
4:56:54 it’s not the same so what
4:56:55 I would like to do is look into a possible policy to have more
4:57:00 involvement with our staff
4:57:02 into the schools not so much for filling the subs I mean that’s
4:57:05 going to happen but just
4:57:06 to get that feeling that we get when we when we substitute in
4:57:09 there and feel it and even
4:57:11 if it’s just one day it gives them the perspective of what our
4:57:14 teachers are dealing with because
4:57:16 every year is different that’s it so I just wanted to bring that
4:57:19 up and put it in towards
4:57:20 a discussion in the future that’s it miss oscar bark could you
4:57:24 do me a favor and make
4:57:25 a note to add that to our future board off-site conversations
4:57:31 there we go we got one coming
4:57:33 up we just approved it today yep miss campbell did you want to
4:57:40 request that mr gibbs move
4:57:41 forward with amending the public comment policy on that video
4:57:45 issue yes like if we can I know
4:57:51 I don’t I can’t remember what we have on the agenda for our november
4:57:54 workshop day but there’s
4:57:56 room to squeeze that in I don’t think all right I’ll get with my
4:58:04 paralegal any board
4:58:05 member opposed no okay and mr gibbs you’re clear on what the
4:58:09 area of concern is that
4:58:10 needs to be amended yep okay I have another okay that’s all
4:58:15 right to see what happened
4:58:17 with the mask mandate first go right ahead um so I’ve gotten
4:58:21 some feedback I’m sorry
4:58:22 there are like little bugs crawling out over there’s been some
4:58:31 angst about the opt-out
4:58:35 policy and I asked mr gibbs if he wrote and he said no it was
4:58:38 just understanding it was
4:58:39 kind of a conglomeration of what some other districts have done
4:58:42 so I you you may have
4:58:43 gotten I think there was at least one email that came to all of
4:58:45 us I’ve gotten a few to
4:58:46 me questions I’ve seen some feedback on social media concerns
4:58:50 about the language of the opt-out
4:58:53 form two two problems one has to do with liability and the other
4:58:59 one has to do with acknowledging
4:59:02 that the board can tighten or loosen restrictions as needed so I
4:59:10 would just put you know I signed
4:59:13 the form I said I gave it to my kids I said and put it in the
4:59:16 mask basket take it to opt-out
4:59:18 or take the mask whatever you choose take both whatever you
4:59:22 choose but you know some
4:59:24 people have concerns the liability part to my understanding I
4:59:27 don’t remember if this
4:59:28 is exact statute mr gibbs you can help fill me in there was a
4:59:32 the in the legislature this
4:59:34 spring they passed a bill that had to do with covid liability
4:59:40 for schools for and even for
4:59:42 hospitals and things like that there was another bill so that if
4:59:47 someone gets covid in a business
4:59:50 or a school or whatever who’s taking reasonable precautions then
4:59:54 you can’t sue because you
4:59:56 got covid in that place so this is that statute correct mr gibbs
5:00:00 yeah 76838 okay so when people
5:00:03 I think one of the current concerns about that piece of it was
5:00:06 that if they signed this
5:00:07 they were saying that they they were losing all their rights to
5:00:12 sue the school board for
5:00:13 because they didn’t want a mask mandate and I don’t think that
5:00:16 has anything to do with
5:00:17 no that that’s just referring to the statute that’s what the
5:00:20 statute does if the school
5:00:21 district is materially compliant with a recommendation of a
5:00:24 federal or state health agency we are
5:00:27 immune from lawsuit unless certain requirements are met right so
5:00:30 the kind of people who would
5:00:32 be signing an opt-out wouldn’t really be concerned with that
5:00:36 probably so then the first part
5:00:39 is also bothersome for some about the school board maybe tighten
5:00:42 or loosen restrictions
5:00:44 as needed I mean I guess technically we did that tonight by loosening
5:00:47 before the end of
5:00:48 the 90 days we could come back in our November I don’t know why
5:00:51 we do this but in November
5:00:52 17th and tighten it back up but at some point the 90 days ends
5:00:59 so you know there’s been
5:01:01 people saying I crossed out the parts I didn’t like and signed
5:01:04 it or I sent in my own form
5:01:05 I’m not really sure what’s happening and this McDougall’s asking
5:01:08 about how this is being
5:01:09 handled but I you know if it had been me and nobody asked could
5:01:15 have just left it to my
5:01:17 child blank will opt out from wearing a mask parent signature
5:01:21 and a date but I just wanted
5:01:23 to clarify that because I don’t you can understand it you don’t
5:01:28 have to agree with it and I just
5:01:30 tell people just sign it send the form you do what’s right for
5:01:32 your family if you don’t
5:01:33 feel like sign it don’t sign it but if you’re just saying I
5:01:37 understand that they will continue
5:01:39 to review I don’t have a problem with it but some people may but
5:01:42 it doesn’t really it’s
5:01:43 not really making very much of a difference and if someone
5:01:48 crossed it out I don’t really
5:01:49 know a principal that’s gonna say no you crossed out that one
5:01:51 sentence so I’m not encouraging
5:01:53 people to cross it out I’m just saying you know I just feel like
5:01:56 we created a bigger
5:01:57 problem with the way this was written is there any movement into
5:02:03 changing and just making
5:02:06 it a little simpler not that we make everybody do it over again
5:02:10 but since now we’re gonna
5:02:12 need this for another month for our elementary school students
5:02:15 well that’s what I would say
5:02:22 but people are still having a problem with sign it and send it
5:02:28 and so like I said cross
5:02:29 out the words you don’t like highlight the words you like the
5:02:32 best you know sign it send
5:02:33 it in but I did want to clarify the legal legalities of that
5:02:38 part you’re not signing
5:02:39 that that’s already been established yes it’s just a reference
5:02:42 to the Florida statute granting
5:02:44 immunity so there’s nothing in there that we’re saying you were
5:02:48 waiving it it’s just
5:02:49 a reiteration and letting people know what Florida statute is
5:02:55 right thank you madam chair
5:02:57 just for clarification I take responsibility for the form I
5:03:00 would I directed staff to put
5:03:01 a form together that was reflective of what other districts had
5:03:05 used the language that’s
5:03:06 there is reflective of other districts albeit not necessarily on
5:03:10 the form but in other locations
5:03:12 across the district Mr. Gibbs please correct me if I’m wrong but
5:03:17 I believe staff did go
5:03:18 through you did review the form although you didn’t necessarily
5:03:22 write the form yes I have
5:03:23 no issues with the form okay thank you and that’s that’s fine
5:03:27 thank you thank you and
5:03:29 I’m a big fan I’m a big fan of not reinventing the wheel so I
5:03:34 appreciate that you there goes
5:03:37 another bug sorry it’s all coming me so but again you know if
5:03:44 parents are concerned you’re
5:03:47 not actually saying you’re willing for them to be further
5:03:51 restricted I mean it’s it’s
5:03:53 just an acknowledgement or you understand that so I just
5:03:56 encourage people if you want
5:03:58 to use the opt-out to go ahead and sign it because it’s it’s
5:04:00 really not going to make
5:04:01 one difference whether you cross it out or sign it as is but you
5:04:04 do need to have a form
5:04:05 if you’re going to opt out and it’s not like I’m not getting
5:04:10 like dozens and dozens I’ve
5:04:11 just seen a handful and I just wanted to address what that
5:04:17 actually means I appreciate you
5:04:20 clarifying that I have had a couple of inquiries as well so I
5:04:24 think that’s definitely important
5:04:26 information Dr. Mullins do you have anything more I do if the
5:04:31 board doesn’t have any other
5:04:32 closing items and it’ll be a good one and I think you’ll
5:04:34 appreciate hearing it quite
5:04:36 frankly and so will the Union and our principals credit to Dr.
5:04:44 Thede and staff were have been
5:04:46 working on actually finding ways to incentivize our subs to
5:04:50 cover what we anticipate are soon
5:04:53 to be what I’m calling high demand sub days so we’re we are
5:04:59 instituting a high demand
5:05:02 premium pay supplement for our substitutes who commit to subbing
5:05:08 on a Friday November
5:05:10 12th and or Monday and Tuesday November 22nd and 23rd that’s the
5:05:18 Friday after Veterans
5:05:20 Day we have we are closed our schools are closed for Veterans
5:05:25 Day on November 11th $50
5:05:28 for every sub that covers those days in addition to the regular
5:05:33 daily rate obviously which
5:05:35 actually gets I think even the lowest daily rate paid sub well
5:05:41 above the $15 an hour so
5:05:44 it’s not where all the distance we want to go but it’s
5:05:48 definitely a big step in the right
5:05:50 direction and Mr. Savage I’m disappointed that Mr. Colucci didn’t
5:05:54 have the fortitude
5:05:55 to stay there a whole evening to hear the great announcement but
5:05:59 I know that you will
5:06:00 pass it along just kidding Anthony had to give you a hard time
5:06:05 past his bedtime but
5:06:07 if the Union would help us get that information out and
5:06:10 communicate that we’re gonna hit the
5:06:12 highways and the byways and encourage our our subs to help us
5:06:16 out on those days so that
5:06:18 we ensure we’ve got our schools covered because those are
5:06:21 historically higher teacher vacancy
5:06:24 days that’s phenomenal news dr. Mullins thank you and thank you
5:06:27 dr. Fennion team for working
5:06:29 on that to make it happen we appreciate it immensely anyone have
5:06:33 anything else all right
5:06:35 hearing no for the business this meeting is adjourned have a
5:06:37 great night
5:06:54 you