10.14.2025 FRPS Special/Alternative Education & Early Childhood Subcommittee

Order the special ed alternative ed and early childhood subcommittee October 14th 2025. Please call the role.

Mr. Ra here.

Mr. Cory here.

Miss Carrera here.

Can we stand for a salute to the flag please?

I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

to the open meeting law. Any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit the meeting through any medium. Attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or transmissions are being made whether perceived or unpersceived by those present and are deemed acknowledged and permissible.

Citizen input time and no one is in person. We have three people signed up by email.

Yes. Can you read those? First off, Taylor Perry, 105 Abedine Street.

Subject matter misconduct.

Dear members of the school committee and administration, my name is Taylor Perry and I am writing to request your immediate attention to several serious matters involving alleged misconduct within the fall of the school department. Over the past months, as I've watched numerous school committee meetings, I have repeatedly witnessed attempts by members to question or discuss is to discuss discuss issues

involving sexual harassment complaints connected to Ka Cruz. Each time these concerns appear to be redirected, dismissed or covered up instead of being transparently or properly addressed.

This pattern deeply concerns me as it gives the public the impression that accountability and policy are being ignored. Committee members have repeatedly asked that proper procedures be followed in simply in simple and reasonable expectations, but it remains unclear whether those procedures ever work. Recently, a former student reached out to me personally courageously sharing disturbing details

related to the superintendent. I have already submitted an email about this and the student has also provided a written statement describing her experience. That statement must be formally reviewed and investigated in full compliance with the fall public school policy and state law.

In closing, this is not a rumor. This is reality.

When multiple voices, students, parents, and former staff all describe the same patterns of abuse and inaction. This is not coincidence. That is culture. Our children's safety, dignity, and trust have been violated far too long under a veil in bureaucracy and silence. The community is watching. Parents are speaking, and we will not stop until accountability is delivered. Sincerely, Taylor Perry.

Mr. Chair.

Yes. Um, when Miss Perry submitted her input, she also tagged myself like so I was able to read the input beforehand.

That input does appear to be different.

Was that I spoke with um attorney Assad and he requested that some of it be redacted.

We'll um we'll hold that until after. So, as the chair of the subcommittee, I do not know any of that information. So, It's not the first time I should be hearing about it as the chair of this committee that we've changed what somebody submitted.

Might be totally legitimate. Might be for a good reason, but the chair of the committee is sitting here and doesn't know that information. So, we'll deal with that after. Next up, Colin D 560 Ray Street title misconduct. And I'm just going to take just so it goes longer. Not take uh time just so you know.

Good afternoon. I am submitting this public written input because myself and another member of the committee have both brought concerning information relative to inappropriate relationships that may have alleged to have taken place in the district. The administration hasn't taken this issue seriously. Has not looked into the matter nor has responded to said members if any of these claims have merit to

them or not. The issue that I have brought to the administration's attention was previously brought to the administration's attention by the vice chair and it was not appropriately investigated then either. I encourage the administration to implement a zero tolerance policy relative to inappropriate misconduct in the workplace. I am once again calling on the superintendent to have our letters

seriously and take our letters seriously and investigate them. Why is the administration allowing this to happen?

Best regards, Colin.

Thank you. Good up. Jeffrey Gudro, 229 Palmer Street allegations.

Good afternoon.

We, one citizen of Fall River. I am dis disgusted with the corruption and sexual misconduct happening in the Fall River public schools. The administration has allowed Dery High School to become Estin's Island and the allegations that have been made have shaken me to my core. Are we allowing drugs and sex to be the common practice while the security that is supposed to protect the students? Tracy Curley, why have you

allowed this to happen? Taxpayers, money will now go towards more legal expenses because we cannot hire the right people.

would feel would you feel safe placing your children in this district? I believe Kevin and Colin have made letters asking for an investigation into other inappropriate misconduct. Tracy Curley, have you investigated their letters?

How many more complaints of misconduct, sexual or otherwise, have crossed your desk since you took leadership? How many of those complaints have been fully investigated and how many were quietly dismissed? Tracy Curley, do you believe parents should trust your administration when these allegations continue to surface? Have you ensured victims given protection rather than retaliation? Do

you believe silence protects the students or protects the institution?

Enough is enough. It needs to be full transparency now and you can't keep hiding from these issues.

Thank you. Moving on.

Item number 3.01 discussion people incorporated contract item superintendent.

So um as you know we brought forth um or we engaged in a contract earlier this year I think over the course of five weeks as we were um exploring um pathways um to continue our partnership with people incorporated and we had um staff at the school who were working in the school for the last five weeks and um collaborating with staff there around the um around you know potentially a new contract that we would

continue throughout the year. So what was supplied here um for part of the discussion and you may or may not have had an opportunity to take a look at um it was really an overview of the um was really an overview of the program that had been in place last year um with the data in terms of the number of students participating in various activities. Can I just interrupt for one second just on

the first part of that about the mini contract?

Yeah. So on the sheet it talks about personnel but you mentioned the people who were present. Who was actually those people?

What which piece are you referring to?

You just mentioned that there was staff there at the 40 hours a week that was at the school cuz they didn't give us the name. So I'm just trying Larry and Emily Martins.

And which one is which? So I have top line program management personnel-director $6,500.

That's me.

Okay. And who the other one is? Emily is that that's the person who did the whose name's on this thing that was shared I think there's only two staff hold 40 hours a week for the last No just was trying to clarify I asked that question last week and I got no answer so go ahead no tell me what the question is who were the individuals on this sheet and you had already asked that question

yeah because I I thought that it was probably Miss Laravey but no one confirmed so they just didn't Oh, okay.

Honestly, but the name Emily I think is on in here somewhere is in the is in here.

Yeah, I think so. Okay.

I digress.

Yeah. Last page.

Yeah, she was the last page.

And is she one of the Is she here?

No. No, you're here on their behalf.

Yeah, I'm president CEO and Kelly is the vice president of children's who oversees them directly. So, the people who are in that building are not here right now.

Got it. Thank you.

And so, you're welcome to join. I was just going to kind of introduce what we were going to talk about um and so I know that you've looked through um the information um because it's here. I mean I think the um I mean the bottom line is we brought it here for discussion so that we could talk about kind of what has been done um you know the data coming out of last

year because it's something that we have um you know looked to do with all of our partners to be able to report out um the outcomes of partnerships. Um some of that is is meant to um provide a rationale for moving forward when we um adapt plans or we adopt new ones with the particular partners. Um this is shared here for your information um despite the fact that we are not continuing the

people inc contract going into this school year. So, um I still thought it would be a good idea to have um the partners here to talk a little bit about what we've done in um and why we're not moving forward, but that's that's the purpose of the discussion today.

So, twofold. One is the the document is based on what happened in the past with the correct piece. Now, this um the budget of what that short um mini contract was, is that I didn't really look at this. I just got it now.

So, I know we sent I didn't have a chance to look at Sure.

is in this document anything related to what the findings are in the 179 that we spent.

You understand?

In this No, this is outcomes from last year.

Okay. Yeah.

And then are we going to have the conversation about what we got for the 179?

Sure. I think we can lead into that. I you know as we look at the data that is very limited coming out of last school year as we have begun to build alternative pathways through RPA between the virtual school which only launched mid year last year. So getting the team connected with the virtual school kids was a vision for that work. As well as early o early early late September we

launched the home tutoring program over at RPA. That has been going very well.

However, um not having students physically in person really working with a very challenged group of students. It was a larger task than I anticipated to be able to connect the dots for all of those kids as well. Um, as we've looked at stone, we had t conversations around stone because really as we're thinking about all of these virtual and alternative pathways, could People Inc.

serve a role in that work? And as we dug into the data over the last four weeks, five weeks, recognizing the depth of the virtual pathway over at RPA, the limited numbers of kids who are coming into the building every day, in addition to just the 24% reduction in total enrollment at RPA, um we've been at a standstill with being able to have a fluid transition opportunity through RPA. And so coming

out of this, what we realized was stretching the program across two different sites, four different programs, as well as really working with the superintendent around all of the findings with the DOJ investigation and some of those, you know, limitations that it's put on us, we've come to a place to say it's too far stretched. In addition to looking at the enrollment, recognizing what we already know has

come up in conversation around the number of staffing and positions that RPA has, we definitely feel um at this point that we need to pivot and look to do things a little differently. Um as well as the program of people inc has shifted over the years. If we go back just even a year, there was a different program model that was in place. We had the youth program where they were getting direct job service through

people inc that has faded because a grant like dissipated in the last 12 months. Um in addition to that some of the job opportunities that we thought kids would be viable for and we had positioned kids to be viable for they really were not ready for those job opportunities out the gate both socially and emotionally as well as just the stability in their lives to hold down those jobs. Um and so we really had to

make some pivots to say this isn't the right time. Although we've had a long-standing partnership with our with People Inc. Um it has looked different over the course of the years. I personally can only speak to the last couple. Um but I think a some of what you're referring to is the next RPA update. So I would like to give an opportunity to people in if they want to go over any of

these slides, if you want to say anything, you want to join us at the table, anything like that. I don't want to minimize it till to not have it, but here.

No, I appreciate that. And I just, you know, um we've had a lot of conversations, our team has been in where we it was a fiveweek stint. Um we we had our two staff in there um for the last 5 weeks to to kind of like try to get um you know boots on the ground running um and so to to both you know Dr. and and superintendent's points, you

know, this this isn't the year with the decrease in numbers of the the students.

Um we don't want to give up, you know, we want our budget to reflect a significant direct impact and and I think we felt that that was just with numbers changing that it wasn't um we wanted to be fair and just and efficient and effective. Um and so with that said, you know, we've been doing this for about a decade, it's varied over the years. We've we've gone with the the flow of what this what people

incorporated does. we go with the flow of what our community needs. But um we're so grateful to have the collaboration. We've had a wonderful working relationship with you all. Um and I just want to, you know, thank folks. I want folks to realize it was a mutual um it was just kind of a mutual business decision that made the the most sense based on the the virtual students.

Um but um just a thank you and and um again I I mentioned um to these women earlier um as the months go by as the next school year goes by or two school years from now we'll always we'll always sit down to have a discussion how people incorporated can help um it's what we do so the door is always open.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Does anybody have any questions on this particular piece of paper?

So does that mean that um um Mimi and Emily won't won't be in the school any longer?

Correct. So, the contract technically go this is the fifth week of it all. Um, so we're basically going to instruct them that we'll start the phase out of of the building over the next day or two.

Okay.

Thank you. Um, just one and just want to say thank you again for the work and the years of collaboration with the fall public schools. Um, just one question for the administration that was on the contract. Um, were there any were there times like maybe school supplies was that have to have been given to to like help this program like outside of the contract at all like simple school

supplies like pencils, paper or anything of that?

I I I don't know. I would say I don't know what has happened on like we have all our own equipment, all our own like we would have our own deliveries. Bring in your own pencils.

Yeah. Make sure you bring maybe a pencil. We're going to send you a bill.

Well, that's um I I don't want to say absolutely not because it possible that at some point someone would have a box order.

I appreciate it. Thank you. I just hold on a second story. So, what the document that we had that actually indicates phone supplies insurance.

I think this was more of a any contract that they get they XML percentages, but it's deceiving. So to Mr. Das's point, it does say on here total phone supplies and insurance. It talks about equipment, leasing, depreciation, you know, like all those languages and not know what we typically get.

Hire a consultant 17 grand. We don't see the breakdown. So what he was referring to is the project. That's all Mr. Cy.

And so in in regard to our uh collaboration with uh people incorporated, um you guys are still working with us on the early childhood stuff, right? the CP CPPI grant and stuff.

So, no, that's always very very welcome because we're expanding that whole outlook too. We're still getting our feet wet in early childhood, too. So, appreciate your help.

Those by street too.

Yeah. When a Friday morning I did want to um just mention because I think there was there was a question about the the last five weeks. So, I was just looking for this um data that had been provided. So um the 45 um students did complete the youth voice survey um and four um there were four classroom visits. So the the staff pushed into four groups of students um around

services. Um 11 students um in person in one um did fill out um employment applications with the support of the CEC. Seven students completed their resume. um eight participated in a full employment surge and there were 16 students um total that had actually had been referred. So that was the the business over the last 5 weeks as they got the run.

So those numbers out of how many?

So we have about there are 100 student 150 students um enrolled right now roughly at RPA um with about 50 of them um virtual. So we had but so there were two referrals of the ver you know out of the 16 referrals two were virtual 14 were from inerson students and things like that. So I can share this with the committee but I think the um you know as was already mentioned I

think with 50 students not being um live and in participating in that way it really it just kind of decreased access um the way the program is designed. So I think that can I ask you what was that first? You said that they did a a survey or something or the youth voice survey.

What is that? What does that look like?

It was just an interest survey that we our goal was to have every single student participate um in it. So actually the numbers are were higher than last week. Um and it was I don't know how many questions do you remember Kelly what specifically was on it. It was like what they would like to get out of CDC, what would be most beneficial to them. um as a a RBA student

as well as extending after school hours, what they would stick around for after school hours. Um really looking at recreational programs as well as academic intervention programs, social experiences for kids after school. It really was a takeoff um to the youth voices survey that we attempted to launch back in the summer um as we really look to think about how the schools can be used as community hubs

across the city and specifically for RPA students. What would essentially keep them off the streets during the winter months? Um where would they want to go and what would they want to engage in as we look to use funds to build some of this programming out?

So it's not an inventory career.

Not inventory. No.

So basically like a Google doc or something that they fill out hand.

So what was those numbers again? Just saw you.

Uh there were 45 students who who participated. So about a third of the students so far had um participated in the survey.

Thank you, Mr. Cy.

So Dr. Bronhard, uh according to your statement just now, you say to open up the school a little bit for recreational purposes. Um back in the day, it used to be the Bank Street Armory because it was center city. it it was accessible to the kids from the south end to the north end and the east end. Uh is there any way that that gym could be opened up at all?

You know, I think that's one of the things that we're trying to do right now is work with the city. Um we're actively engaging in the Shannon discussions across the city. Um and so leveraging some of those funding opportunities right now. We do not have funding opportunities to immediately just open up every school. Um, so it's really, you know, taking a look at what the kids want to do and then backwards

programming design from there. And so our intent, um, really piloting over at RPA was to work with those students, identify their interests, likes, and what they would, you know, hang out and and get engaged with after hours so we could start small because we do have Shannon funds that support the the RPA community. Uh, whereas we don't have those funds across every school in the district. So the short answer is yes.

That's what we're looking to do, but we want to make sure that we don't just open it and roll out a ball, but we open it for the things that kids are going to want to show up for.

All right. So, you're set you're setting up your vision, right?

But but there is a vision to potentially open up that that school for after hours for recreational and home maybe craft purposes, maybe homework help, maybe that kind of thing.

I yield.

That's correct. Oh, is that we're still talking about the gym that needs tons of work that we've been I've been asking why we haven't Yeah, that one. Yeah, that's never I'm just saying that painting we still have that should come up in another committee. I'm not going to bring it up here, but that's something that I'm sure has stopped because we haven't mentioned it. I'll tell you

about it another time cuz you're going to guys will still be here. But yeah, that building whether we're bringing kids in there or not, that's a historic building. It's a beautiful building and we have children in a building where they can't access like one of the biggest rooms where they can kind of get together. It's it's ridiculous. If it was any other school auditorium, we Yeah, but it's

I'm just saying then we need to move them out of that school. I agree with you. we need after hours. But I think a bigger the big picture look is that those kids, if that school isn't going to open up and be functional just like any of our other beautiful schools, then we need to take those beautiful children and move them to a school that's just as beautiful for them. That's my opinion.

So I'd like to see after I was at the RPA, they have so much work to do in that building over there or come up with an idea of where those kids should go.

Yeah.

Because it's it's unfair.

We'll hit about that. We'll hit on that in the second. So, People Inc., we good?

Everybody have anything else to say? We want to thank you for your collaboration and we look forward to working with you somewhere in the future.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. So, next up is the update on the RPA.

Madam superintendent, assistant superintendent, whoever is uh going to present, we did get this.

Hi. Hi. Sorry, I'm keeping my It's freezing today. It's It's always freezing in here.

Okay. So, is somebody presenting?

Yep. Is that me?

Yep.

Okay.

Um I just want to quickly I know you know Miss Everybody knows Miss Kremley, but um I brought Miss Kremley with me and also our new VP, Jeff Goss, is the new middle school VP.

Nice to meet you. How are you?

Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you guys.

And um Mr. Soros wishes he could have been here, but I think he was doing kid duty. Um so, all right, I will start.

Um, have you seen this all before?

Yes, you did. Okay.

Okay. So, uh, the first couple of pages you'll see are pretty self-explanatory and it just goes over the enrollment.

Um, and like we said, we are down. It looks significantly. Um, at RPA, um, our biggest right now, it looks to be the eighth, ninth graders. Um, 10th graders as well. The 25 for the middle school.

Um it looks low on paper but they are 25 Mr. Gosh and very very active enthusiastic entertaining middle schoolers. Um so the visual of the next page it just shows the decline from 22 to 26.

Um please stop me if you have any questions on this. the student enrollment for the breakdown you will see um again we are hovering about 37% for special ed which I've been in contact with um and speaking quite a bit with Lucy Sheret who's been a great um resource for me. So um that's something that I think we need to be aware of our multil- language learners. We have a new

multil- language teacher who has also um been very good about coming in and and asking for help with apps. Miss Moer, I can't say enough about her. I love her.

Um, but there's some data for that on there. Um, attendance is a big push and it's something that we are tracking every single day and I will be honest, it's um something that we need to really tighten up at RPA. Uh we're looking at the scanner and trying to get that up and moving. Miss Crumbley and I had a long conversation today about it about that's going to be our most accurate is

the um it's ready to go. We have the ID cards ready. We just need to get some training on the new scanning process.

Um, can I just ask a question on that?

Yes.

Can you explain what you mean by scanner?

So, um, scanned.

Yeah. Is scanning into school. So, we've now adopted at the high school and the three middle schools. When the kids come in the door, they're essentially signing into school. So, they need their IDs for a number of different things across school. So, as kids come in, they scan in present in lie of going to home room and having the teacher mark them present. Kids are scanning in present at

the door. So, when they come in, they scan in present. They put their phones in their pouches.

No, their idea instead of like doing it school ID.

No, I get it. I I was missing the piece of the attendance is 65 kids a day.

So, it's I'm having a hard time just dealing with the fact of how much staff we have and that whatever you mentioned and I might have missed over it when you said we're having a hard time. We should have accurate information.

So, what is the I'm just trying to figure out what does the actual scanning have to do with that piece because how is that going to help as students come in at RPA? It's a staggered. They're not all there, right?

Like like a derpy. They're not. As much as I would love them to be, the reality is they're coming in at staggered times.

And sometimes with security there, I think we need something that is an absolute they they scan in and it's a very designated process as they're coming through. It's not h it's not where I want it to be. It's gotten better every week. It's gotten better because we're tracking it, but it's not.

But it's not like a detriment. I guess I was feeling like you were thinking that the scanner is a detriment to the attendance. as much different issues with that. But they still got to get metal detected in too like so actually how they're working on and dering and correct me if I'm wrong here.

We want to actually do it reverse. We want to have the IDs on us and as the kids come in they scan they get their ID as they come through we take the phone and the only way they get out is they hand their ID back to get their phone back. Does that make sense?

Because you don't use the pouch.

Correct.

We're not using Right.

But we're waiting for somebody to train train us on the scan the scanner. So um I understand. I apologize.

No, that's okay.

Nobody's leaving with that badge without their phone.

Absolutely. That and I mean, I'd get to my car halfway home, but I still remember.

Exactly. So, we're going to do it the the opposite way.

Um, so again, we're using strategies. We are doing incentives. Um, and the and the kids are buying into it. Uh, another thing that we just upd and I don't think it's on here is we're doing breakfast after the bell, which wasn't happening.

So, um, starting at 8:30, we have our um cafeteria ladies upstairs. They're super excited because they have quadrupled their numbers. Um, and as kids come in in the morning and head to advisory, they're getting a breakfast and heading to their which I I love to see that kids are getting fed. So, and I feel like that has actually helped our attendance and getting kids into that first period

advisory. So, feel free to speak out here in the back. Okay.

Can I ask you a question on the attendance update?

Yes.

First one is use of attendance stuff.

I'd ask the date around that like is is it how many days is it being used? Is it being used? Is it like what is the update on?

I would say it's at least two to three times a week. I can confidently say that. Um I would like I don't think it's being used daily. It was being it was used today. Um we do have a log now that they've initiated starting last week that wasn't in place.

Um and you have any more of that, Lori? I know the attendance car.

Um I'm not sure. I've used it with academy.

Right. Would you say I would say a couple times a week at least?

At least.

Yeah.

And what is it? Is it being used uh to the degree that it can really make a difference? Like so student calls up, parent calls up, we want to, you know, we're making our calls, we call up and say, "Little Johnny doesn't want to get out of bed.

He's got no ride." Whatever. We say we'll see you in 15 minutes. Get in the car, go pick him up, and come back in.

like it is it that's how that's exactly how it's being done. Maria Kennedy is on it.

Good. So, what I would ask is that we get some data on that or at least a paragraph. So, you know, one page because we as a committee said we want these attendance cars across the whole district. They're not being utilized in my opinion enough when we got terrible attendance, but the attendance is getting better.

Yeah. Way better.

But ultimately, the car the vehicles are not necessarily being utilized as much as as this member would like. So what I'm suggesting is that if you are doing it and I believe Maria Kennedy is on it and I'm not suggesting that she's not or you guys aren't just that if we don't know that it is you can say yep we're using it and we were able to get five kids to school this week that

wouldn't have come otherwise something like so starting la so I I hold the keys to the car and an attendance car is totally new to me but starting last week everybody knows where the key is. It's attached to a a clipboard. There's a log and they absolutely have to fill out the log sign and sign out once they turn the key back in. So, we will have that data.

Sound good. Thank you.

Yeah, you're welcome.

Um, any other questions about attendance, Mr. Chair?

Mr. C.

Um, no. The only thing about attendance I I it's always been difficult and and I I applaud any efforts and I applaud I know Dr. B's been working her tail off on and and districtwide attendance is up and I'm really pleased to see that. At RPA, it's a different animal and I know you got your hands full at trying to incentivize it. I'm happy to hear that breakfast is incentivizing somewhat

better attendance. I mean, it's going to be rough and so I I applaud all those little efforts. Thank you. I yield. M you have anything on attendance?

No, guys.

Very quickly, um just on the car, I'd like to see that data as well because I'd like to know as one member, do you have enough seats? Do you need like a minivan instead like or do you need I hope I never need a minivan to get students to school. I'd like one at a time to bring in a minivan tells me there's a lot of kids staying home, right? And and and I don't know if

that's the case unfortunately. So that's why I like to see if you need extra support at obviously at RPA I know there's the heightened um attendance issue there and so I think it's useful.

Thank you.

I don't know. I think in some regards and this just I could be thinking too into it but in some regards transporting multiple kids then may in case of different situations at school may actually cause like safety issues and things for the kids. So it may be a situation where this is a population that it may be best to kind of grab and engage with just that child to get them

to school if there's any sort of on the way and people change their minds and you don't get them in the door yet. Just brief. Just for sure. That's gorgeous.

Who's who's driving the car?

Maria Kennedy most of the time. Another staff member.

Yeah, I worked with Maria, so I know that that's good.

She's fantastic.

So, she's coaching the kids probably too on their way back to school, you know, probably put some good thoughts in their heads.

Those students don't want Ria Kennedy showing up to pick them up. Yeah.

Yeah. So, the car vehicle, I think, was a good thing. Like I said, it should be used. It's also meant for multiple staff go. There's like policies in place and there's coverage. So they no longer take your personal car to the cave in there because you want to just do the right thing. So this is a way for liability.

It just makes a lot of sense.

Absolutely.

You know why they were created. My only question on attendance has to do with uh virtual, but I think we're probably going to get to how that works later.

Correct.

Yes.

But we address the virtual kids attendance later um in the slides or do you want to try to touch upon it now or I don't want to There's a whole section about the virtual talk about it then.

Okay.

Thank you.

So, student support at RPA, you can see the breakdown. Um, vice principal, school counselors, sachs, seclaons, behavior therapists, virtual pathway specialists, and community facilitator and what that looks like.

Any questions on that?

I have a question. So when I look at these uh we do this across the whole district where we to look at um how many councils are age building school adjustment counselor behaviorist guidance counselor they're all listed as one when you look at and when I personally look at um ratios so I don't think these ratios are accurate obviously if that's my belief.

So we have three guidance counselors, three school adjustment counselors, three liaison, and a behavior therapist.

Technically speaking, you could say that's 10 individuals that are actually doing type work um in the school and only 150 kids total. I'm struggling with the number because that tells me that there's a 15 to1 ratio and if you take out the 50 kids virtual, it's less than a 10 to1 ratio. I'm just being totally transparent. That number is and I hear what you're saying in the top one about three vice

principles. I've worked in that school.

I know what the kids are. So I'm not sugar coating how difficult the job is.

But the same thing we're at 67 kids in the building. If you take the 150 or take the 50 off, you're at 67 kids in the building with three administrators, 10CL person and you have just regular staff, you know. So um so you will see once we get further into this that actually the um virtual Miss Kremley has now been shifted to the vice principal of the virtual as well is

what she has in front of her just because of that just on this slide I just want you to raise it just also to note on that too the third is a grant funded position that's not funded out of the operating budget for RPA so one of those positions will be fading away at the end of the year that's in the grant uh the gun violence grant um so Not dismissing the other

components you made. I just wanted to highlight that one of those is a grant funded position.

So, when we're looking at the student to staff ratios, these are virtual and inerson students.

Oh, okay. Correct.

Oh, I see it right here. Sorry.

Some of them, Mr. Cory.

Um, the community facilitator, Dr. Monette, what's the uh the role of the community facilitator? So, I'm going to be honest and I I know I can only use that I'm new for so long, but I'm trying to figure out what each exactly what everybody does. And to your point, when I start telling people the resources here, and that's what we've really been working on is defining what exactly everybody does.

So, the community facilitator, I'll be honest, could actually be doing, me personally, what CEC is doing as well, making the phone calls, getting people in for internships, talking to kids, students about jobs, facilitating what it looks like to bring the community into RPA and bringing our RPA students out into the community.

So, so maybe a guest speaker program, that kind of thing from the local businesses, maybe trying to get these kids jobs hooked up with local businesses correct?

Uh, stuff like that. Are we talking to schools like um uh ITT Tech or UTI Tech?

Maybe schools like that might have some type of a grasp with the kids at our at our PA, stuff like that.

Well, I do think we have plenty of those relationships and networking connections through Derby High School counselors.

And so I think a big missing piece has really been the professional development of the school counselors at RPA so that they too can deliver a very similar product to the kids at RPA as they do at Derpy High School. um many of the resources andor programming could either be replicated and or RPA students join like they are coming up to the college and career fair at Dery on the 16th.

We've got some RPA students going up. We will be leveraging the attendance car from a few schools to get them there. Um so we are trying to leverage some of those resources to expose the RPA students to those opportunities. But I also feel um that we are appro approaching a time based on enrollment and the demands that are put on um our school counselors different than that from our adjustment counselors because

they do two different types of work. But this is the work that I would envision and I know Dr. Monette and Dr. Curley um and we talked about on Friday as we're planning to pivot with people inc and move in a different direction that this will be some of the work that lives very naturally under these three guidance counselors over at RPA specifically.

Okay I Okay, next one's a staffing update. So, we currently have uh one science position open, two math positions, and three special education positions. Um, so I just want to speak about that for a few minutes. So, we are looking at this week um because of the virtual pathway and the numbers there of collapsing um a few sections to see what we can do to combine to see if we can

ease that up a little bit. Um the three special ed is a tough one as we know and Lucy and I have come up with some hopefully some ideas on that as well because we're identifying that we have some subsets that we need to we collapsed but now we have to open them back up. Am I saying that correctly?

Yeah.

Um, she's my specialized supervisor for RPA.

Yes.

So, um, so right now the the students that are currently in that science without a teacher are on egenuity. So, thank goodness we have that because they are getting instruction. Um, the math teachers um we also have um one that's filling in that's it's not ideal. The middle school I believe we are offering it to somebody. I think uh Dennis said that. Um, and then the other one, we're hoping if we can collapse those

sections, we can figure out how we can make it work because I just don't think we're going to find a science and a math future. I'm being realistic. So, the recent additions is Mr. Goss. Yay. Glad he's here. And our virtual pathway specialist, um, as you know, we went in front of school committee, I think, my first couple weeks.

Um, and that is up and running. So, that's where we're at with staffing updates. No, that is the after school position that we No, that's the position um the virtual pathway specialist is the position in school during the school day. That's which was converted. I'm just trying to remember that.

Yeah, we reallocated that from the community parent engagement.

Parent engagement specialist position but converted.

So it's basically like a lateral lateral. Yes.

So the only question I have on that is like what does your middle school look like for staffing? So, that's the one where we got hit the most, unfortunately. Um, so we now have we have a history teacher now. We lost the math teacher. Um, we have a science teacher and we have a brand new ELA teacher. So, we're almost the only thing we're missing now is the math teacher, which hopefully if they take it, but

originally we were scrambling to get those positions filled.

So, you have four middle school teachers full-time.

Yes.

And then you have actually they're doing seventh through 9th grade. So I guess I'm just trying to figure out is there so the numbers are so ridiculously low in the middle school.

I I'm trying to figure out what they do all day.

So there's there's two cohorts. So they're teaching seventh eth and nth. So there's two seventh grade co cohorts, two eighth grade cohorts, and their ninth. So that would be their fifth.

There's in my head I'm looking at the numbers there. So you have two cohorts of seventh grade for 14 kids.

Actually, no, there's one. I apologize.

There's one cohort for seventh grade.

There's two for eighth grade and they must have two sections of ninth. I think two.

Yeah.

Well, ninth you have like um number so you know you're you're at 13 if you have two sections. The other way you're at eight. I was reading this wrong. You're talking about out of the seven you got three special ed and four where it says all on the enrollment pages.

Mhm.

All right.

So it looks like one section.

You have no kids in seventh grade other than special ed and multi- language learners. The way I'm reading this.

Mhm.

No. And I don't have that exact number in front of me. Yes.

Or either one or the other.

Yeah. That's how the street is. Yeah.

Wow.

So, and then you said ninth grade. I not middle school. So, our middle school there is now seventh and 9th.

So, right now the ninth grade because we we tried to keep 9th grade on that one floor with the seventh and eighth graders. And so, because of that and the proximity 7th and eighth picked up 9th and then the um the secondary are doing 10, 11, 12, those teachers upstairs just be based on those numbers. So, and what was it in the past? I know you're new, so I apologize for asking,

but like So, is that different than what we've done before?

It is. I mean, teachers used to be they would do seventh and eighth. So, you might have a science teacher who taught um seventh grade sections, eighth grade sections, and then also taught some kind of like elective class like in science or science related. And then the same thing. So people taught an additional course that wasn't the core content. That's how that's how it was done last year. Right.

But the seventh and eighth grade was middle school.

It was middle school.

So your certification is middle school.

Yeah. I mean some certification is sixth grade.

Yeah.

But ultimately like we used to hear all the time we're keeping the middle school separate from the high school.

I'm a on a separate.

I'm just curious how that changed and when it changed like cuz we that's news to me that we have nth grade with seventh and eighth grade I guess on the floor. Could we have No, actually as of last week, we started out when we we did it based solely on the numbers. We did 7 8 9 downstairs and then 10 11 12. We quickly realized 9th graders cannot be mixed with seventh and ethnot.

So as of last week, they moved upstairs and those teachers are moving upstairs during that section and and teaching the ninth graders upstairs. So that's what I mean. It's it was just the layout and the proximity of when I came on. and I brought middle school up from the first floor to the third floor and then the um fourth floor is now 9 through 12.

I think we had rationale to do the opposite in the past. That's why I'm you know I really struggle with uh it's like to me it just keeps bouncing back and forth.

One time it's 7th to 8th on one floor, then it's 9th through 12th on another floor, then we need another person. Like it really gets me confused with we and we don't see anything necessarily about any of this. It's just so now we're here at the meeting. I'm asking, you know, kind of I think good questions, but I don't know. But I'm going by what I knew before. What I knew before was it was

7th and 8th was separate. Then I think it was 9th and 10th was separate. Then I was 11th and 12th was separate. That's all this committee knew about. Now we have 9 to 12 on the one floor.

Well, because now we've added a virtual pathway. So, as we've looked at the dynamics of kids to keep a safe school environment, what was not safe was having seven, eight, and nine all on the same floor. And so, what we did see was having a lot of nth graders reverting to eighth grade and middle school behavior behaviors because that was the audience with which they were in. As we've looked at this year, this year

as we've loo also in an effort to get those kiddos out of the lower level floor because they are now two floors removed from the principal, from security and from all other support staff upstairs. So in order for us to have staff also be fluid across the floors, we had to bring them upstairs.

As we looked also at 9 through 12, which is where the virtual school is, the majority of kids were either subscribing to that andor had flex schedules. So they weren't in there, especially the 12th graders. And Laura, you can speak to this, but the 12th graders have a personalized schedule to support them in achieving 80 credits to graduation and as well as those classes that they need

to meet graduation. So the physical numbers of kids in the building didn't create a need for us to have everybody on second floors. By bringing it all together in two floors this year, it has given us an ability to be able to have staff be more fluid. Staff know students. it's not so much you're part of that floor. I really don't know anything about you. Um, and so staff are able to backfill and support. Being

separated last year and the year before was a huge strain on the adults in the building, having to cover three floors of kids and really not forming as personal relationships at with kids as what we've been able to do so far this year. And again, based on teacher schedules going back two years ago, the middle school teachers and the high school teachers, they were teaching one up. We tried to get them just on grade

level and it left too many holes in teachers schedules, leaving teachers unscheduled and/or teaching classes that kids were not interested in taking because it was a class I wanted to teach as a teacher as opposed to courses that kids were interested in teaching. So doing all of these components put more core classes, gave us more room for credit recovery classes so that kids can continue to make progress in the core

academics that they do need to graduate because electives as you know is a small margin of the credits that kids need to graduate from RPA specifically being at that 80 credit threshold. So the need for those teacher-driven electives, it was not prominent the way it might have been a couple of years back before we came to the committee for that 80 credit adjustment. So there were a number of

adjustments that we made um with the involvement of the VPs who have lived through the renditions of the schedules in the last couple of years in preparation of responding to kids needs differently going into this school year.

So that's where some of these changes have come about over the course of the last really 12 months if if we're honest because the last couple of years we have not found the success that we felt we needed to and needed to make some of those location scheduling and course adjustments as it relates. So the we just refered back to the page on the staffing. So the vice principles you

have seventh and eth has it their own.

9th and 10th has their own and 11th and 12th has their own and then when you go to the others it becomes 7 through 9 and the guidance council then 7 through 8 and like we have a virtual the vice princip. No you are missing it. This might this is I think been adjusted since last week but we have a vice principal who's overseeing all of the virtual. We have a guidance counselor who is overseeing all

of the virtual and the the school counselors, the adjustment counselors and the rest of the staff are pretty much all boots on the ground servicing 7 to 9 and 10 to 12. Right.

Correct.

Okay. So that's how the three staff are broken up with people owning the different lanes that are over.

So there's a virtual guidance counselor, virtual there's not a virtual school counselor or there is a not fully right. There's not a full virtual school counselor for a talking about sack or guidance sack. No, no guidance. Yes.

Just uh I I apologize for asking these questions. It's interesting to me how the dynamics work, how uh my vision would be a vice principal works with a sack and a guidance counselor, whoever it is very consistent. They know what I do. I want to hold these kids accountable. they you know like I think as a group so when I voted for a lot of these things when the budgets come out

is for that uniformity this everybody being on the same page we're not having you know she gives the kid discipline cuz she's in the 10th grade and I'm in the ninth like consistency and and that's why I'm asking these questions because I think it's I think you're trying you're trying to move in the right direction there's rationale for why I'm just curious what what those were the question

there's a lot of things that need to beed tightened up and defined and I got it. Mr. Cory, so um going back to the staffing update when you said you had open math positions, uh for which levels again?

Middle school math and high school math currently. Um, madame superintendent, is there any opportunity to bring a teacher from a middle school or from Darthy High School in to to maybe help supplement that like like for for one period like as an itinerant to go there and then go back to the high school to schedule it in such a way?

It's not impossible. I will say that I think that when we when we build people's schedules who are itinerants and we build we build in the travel time and we you know we build a schedule across schools um we'd be limited in just taking a look at people whose schedules were like had an open space they're willing to travel. Yeah. And then we build in the travel time and things like that. So, it's a little bit

more difficult um to do that than if if if Dorphy was down the teacher and another teacher raises their hand and says, "I'll I'll pick up the class kind of thing." But I think that that's something we can definitely look into.

Yeah. It's just as we're sitting here doing this discussion, it just crossed my mind to ask that question.

The last question from staffing is a special ed. Obviously, that's concerning. I recall there was a bunch of positions and I could be wrong if it was yours that were like on waiverss or something. So they were certified till December like the appointment letters and stuff. Is that in addition to these or do you are you going to have more vacancy? Like if you have three, how many special ed teachers do you actually

have in the building?

Those are vacancies. Um and I have I have quite a few teachers on waiverss and that's not including special ed just strictly special edges you have in the building.

How many special ed teachers I have?

Five.

One, two, four.

Well, total two subset. Two.

Yes. But now I'm like two subset.

Four.

Yeah.

Four.

So you have four total and three vacant.

So that means you only have one filled.

So is that person filled?

Oh, no. No. Those sub separates.

Our sub seeperts are aren't filled.

Yes. So right now it's the inclusion special ed. So four in addition to subsearate. Yes. So that would be six total. Three inclusion ones are vacant.

Correct.

Right. And her subsepparate ones are these subsearate ones are filled are filled with the wavered.

And when do those waiverss up that the one that we like put those things in there?

Yes. But since then people have gotten whatever they needed to get done to reissue waiverss. I would have to get the number from HR, but they've received their waiver since then. So, the 90-day appointment piece was whatever they had to do to submit the eligibility for the waiver, get a waiver.

Some of them had to like show that they had taken a course. Some of them, I mean, um, taken a test, different pieces. So, I know I've received some letters that basically If you can just send us an update, I'm just ask the three is still a problem, of course. And I don't have a solution for you. Um, is that a a contract? Um, is there anybody out there for um even the agency?

It seems like nobody has finding a very hard time finding.

I'd agree with Mr. Corey that at some point we need to move people from other jobs involuntarily if need be to go to these positions.

And that's ultimately I said that five months ago in negotiations. I'm not sure saying it right on TV. The other thing at the end of the day, we can't go we cannot go a year without three special ed teachers in inclusion there. We just can't do it.

There's also something at RPA to be said about reconvening some of these teams now when the students are there to say our subspars have more students in them sometimes than our inclusion classrooms.

So reconvening the IEP teams, talk to families about just what options are available at RPA and utilizing some of our special ed teachers that are teaching substantially separate to push in with their students. So you can have a content teacher and a special education teacher teaching the kids. So we've had those conversations too about reconvening some of those teams um to talk about what substantially separate

looks like at RPA versus the schools that the students came from. No, I understand just the compliance is the issue. We can't have three open special ed people. So, we have to move to something else, right?

Mer um I was going to say um obviously it's it's struggle is hiring teachers everywhere, but what do you think the main issue is getting teachers to RPA?

Because when we talk about making I don't know. I I I like the toughness in his attitude. However, I'm pretty sure Union's going to tell us, "Heck no.

That's a huge grievance. You can't take me from fifth grade here and just bought me somewhere else, especially if I don't have the special ed credentials." We've actually had that happen recently as we all know. So, we want to make sure that we're putting their people there who are prepared to do the job and are aware to do the job. And I will say that I think the best way to do it is to pay people

more for doing the harder job. Cuz you're not going to tell me it's harder to be a middle school teacher at IPA is not the same thing as a second grade teacher at a traditional TNZ. It's just not. So we can talk about it all we want. We can pretend it's all equal, but it's just not. And I think it's hard to get teachers to want to work in that environment with, as you said, I forget

excited students, enthusiast, an excited, enthusiastic student population.

I spent a lot of my time working with that type of enthusiastic population.

Just as important as every other student we have here, but sometimes more challenging and sometimes you have to pay people more for those more challenging jobs.

So, I don't know. I keep saying that.

It's tough though because we don't we don't always make we can't decide who gets it's you know they get their unions and stuff like that.

So along those lines um Dr. B if if we're lacking three special education teachers as far as um uh recruiting kids from Dery or any of the middle schools into RPA. Could we hold the special needs kids to be like in the in the bigger schools and we have been and limit the population at RPA so that we don't run into this impass with teachers as it as it stands now

we already have been. I think the biggest challenge is that our students needs need to be met and I would argue in some of those larger environments where it's a huge challenge for kids to stay regulated regulated to be able to maintain the expectations.

Um Dery is doing all that they can the increased numbers of students who have been looking at evolve as an option as well. Um we have been taking every student on an individual basis and trying to work with families as it relates to what's the best placement for students.

Um it's a challenge. It's been an ongoing challenge. This is not the first year as the committee knows of this challenge.

Um to just you know and the other part is like taking in a special educator away from other students at another school too. That that's also not the solution. So I you know I applaud you know assistant superintendent open chain. She's been working with Dr. Monae really trying to look at the schedule, trying to see again because class sizes are low, how do we rewrite IEPs so that

those services can be distributed over a traditional size, even a class of 12 right now is not what our substantially separate class sizes look like. Um, and so by looking at the schedule, we're really trying to even put co-eing opportunities in place because albeit they may not be special education teachers, if we're able to at least provide academic supports for kids so that they can access the curriculum and

provide some of the strategies in place um, we will be able to at least provide a better service um, to our kids who are there and we do have staffing available at RPA. It's a matter of the schedule aligning right and those pe and those folks being able to coach. really if that doesn't come across we need to really ASAP look at creative scheduling um because I do think the numbers in

some of these classes are so small and we need to combine and and and you guys and you're in that process now re-evaluating the whole thing right that's great the whole the whole thing and I feel like now I feel comfortable enough to know all the players to know what's going on with the virtual path because I'll be honest I I got here and virtual pathway was already underway I would

have you had a different couple of different ideas for it which I will share. So I yield guys.

So I know we're talking about potentially moving in staff from other buildings into RPA. Have we considered doing the opposite? looking at any vacancies that we have in other schools and maybe moving some children that might be eligible to other schools to lower that case load at RPA from a special education like like have we considered moving children who are in special education to other like therapy or

um I think it the struggle is a lot of these students came from the schools they would go back to and I'm not sure the teams have enough data to support the fact that the kids are ready to go back there. That's always our goal. Um, but even in our middle school, you know, returning back to their middle school programs without some significant growth with the students or with our own staff. I mean, our programs are

struggling really. Um, and there's unfortunately this the skill set of our special education staff across the district continues to struggle. So even though we have bodies in a lot of places, you know, they are doing the best they can with what they have, but trying to give them all this professional development and all this support. If you didn't go to school for education or you're coming from a non-educational

background, it's hard to do a crash course at the same time you've got students in front of you with high needs. And I'm finding that that has been the challenge AC not just unique to RPA across the district because when you look at the number of certified special education teachers especially in middle school um and our high schools um it's a low percentage of of certified a lot of

waiverss which again they are working really hard. They're asking for the supports. It's just finding the people to give them the supports.

Right. So basically it's not that much better in terms of getting certified individuals outside of Yeah. It's it's not unique to RPS for sure.

And again, I agree. Thank Thank you to that. Um and I agree with my colleague in terms of the schools are different comparing TANZ to RPA. I think it also may come down to a culture issue and I think just from like the conversation that we've had with the administration that this something that really want to tackle going into this year. However, I think that's something that needs to be

addressed as well if we're going to um fill these vacancies. And again, look at I don't know if we looked at this in terms of other alternative high schools throughout the region and comparing the pay of their staff compared to RPA. I know we've done it like on a district-wide level, but I think that's something we should take a look at as well. Thank you.

Yeah. Uh enrollment, how many students have come into the school in this 2526 school year?

roughly there any yes um five is what I want to say off the top of my head I'm trying to think so the seventh grade will be all like the seven seventh grade seventh grade are all brand new so that will be seventh and I just got an email today about uh a middle I believe an eighth grader um just curious if you can send us something and the reason why I asked that is

because as we're going through this whole thing I know you're struggling I know our middle schools are struggling big time And I wrote myself notes like, "So, what what are we doing?" This was supposed to be a help to the traditional middle schools, putting kids in a better spot where they could learn in a smaller environment and they could get the services that they needed. And we're

like that faucet shut off in a lot of ways for a variety of reasons. But then the middle schools are still struggling.

Like, you know, they got you damned if you do, you damn if you don't. So, I'm not suggesting I have the answers, but if you get Well, I think uh the addition of Mr.

Goss, we've already seen it. Um, you know, I was I was doing both. I was like my hair was on fire for the first three weeks. Um, and I I love middle school.

It's all I've ever done. But, um, with him there too, the two of us, I think it's been I mean, it's the expectations are up here and we're not lowering them.

And I think the students I I'm see I'm seeing and I'm feeling the difference and people are feeling the difference.

Um it's because I think you in order for this your school to exist, it needs to take kids.

Yes. because the school doesn't exist just because school needs to exist to help the burden of other kids that are in the wrong placement or need the extra support. So, I'm not happy with the numbers going that the number should be going this way, not that way. Agreed.

And when I look at the little middle school ones and I'm going to blame that point, you acknowledge it's very low, high staff. If we ever did put the cost behind this, you know, wow. So, I I digress, but I feel a whole lot more comfortable now with kids coming in knowing that we have systems in place and I know enough of what's going on and what we can offer

and what we can show and showcase. I I finally feel confident enough to have people come in and go, "This is what we can give you."

Okay.

So, can we move right to the virtual pathway?

Uh, yes. Um, so do you want to just write to where it says Okay. So, the virtual pathway and I'm going to be honest, it's been a little it's been a little murky and I think every week we're tightening it up. Um, we now have our standing virtual pathway Monday morning meeting that is gospel to me that everybody has a lot of questions and stuff and just again figuring out everybody's role and how

we're tracking these kids because I keep saying as the principal it makes me nervous that I don't know what these kids are doing or what which is why I said we need a scrumly to be the liaison between what's happening with guidance the virtual kids the families and me.

Um, we have a ways to go. we do and we're now just starting to bring those kids in and identifying which ones are not making it out in the virtual world and bringing them back into school so that we can have eyes on them. Um there's there's kids that are choosing it and I want to make sure that if they're doing it, they're doing it for the right reasons if they're going virtual because I keep saying

everybody's heard it. I think it's it takes more discipline for a student to go virtual than it does for them to be in person. Um, and I need to make sure that students understand that if they're opting to go virtual. So, um, I don't know if you have any questions or if you want me to go through this.

I know. Let's ask for a couple M.

I do. Uh, could I ask uh Lori to maybe give some testimony to what what you're seeing as far as the virtual pathway program?

Yeah. Well, when it first started, you know, we needed to have students who had a need for it, right?

So, um, like some of our kids are working and we're finding now like engaging them might be harder in terms of getting them face to face, but we still need to make sure they're doing their work. So, I know tomorrow we have like several students who are coming in because they weren't doing or making the progress they were supposed to make or they've been hard to reach. they're coming in so we can meet with them and

discuss, you know, is this really the right program for you?

Uh, as far as uh off-campus work is concerned, is are there good attendance numbers for them showing up to the to their jobs? Are they showing up to their jobs and working their hours?

Would the would um Dr. Monette would the community facilitator maybe be able to, you know, enhance that role a little bit, you know, correct to make make a connection between if they're showing up to their work, you know, and if they're in the virtual pathway, then they have a responsibility on both ends to show up.

And I think that once we get to that, that's what we've have identified for our flex students because those have been for me personally the most heartbreaking ones. The the boys I say the boys, sorry. Uh the students that are coming in and are really looking and they're this close to getting their high school diploma, but they work full-time and they don't want to give that up. And like, you know, the first the first

student we met, it was heartbreaking because he's there with his mom and his mom's like, I just want him to graduate.

And I'm like, what do we do? What do we do? How do we get him to the finish line? Um, so that's where we've defined what the flex is. We'll get to that, but those are our students where school right now is not the priority. He's working and he's working construction and I'm sure he's doing a great job, but what what can we offer him to get him that extra support to get him the diploma? So,

are the kids in the virtual pathway, are they responsible to show up to school at any point on campus? Do they have to be on campus at any point throughout their entire schedule?

No. And if I had to back up two months ago with this, that's one of those things I would have. There needs to be a touch point where I need to see them.

Yeah. So, the touch point and and what's going on through my mind, Lori, uh if if if we could set up a touch point system, then maybe it could be uh like a mentoring group, you know, and the kids come in and and talk about, you know, what they're doing and and and just to incentivize them toward more responsibility. That's that's where my mind is. There is a daily touch point.

There is Oh yeah, there is a daily but not virtual. They don't physically come in person. Correct.

But but if it could be a physical touch point, right? I think that's where like a hybrid program would come into play for those students. But I think it's really important to recognize that kids are choosing a virtual pathway for a range of reasons being unsuccessful physically in the building.

Yeah, of course.

Right. And so I that is really where this individualized connection through the guidance counselor working with students individually to figure out what they need as part of the virtual pathway agreement. It is the virtual pathway specialist's role to be able to create essentially a lab space in the building because we have plenty of space in that building. So that as students land in the bucket of they haven't made

consistent progress that they're held accountable to come in person for the following week to catch up on their academics in person. That had not yet gotten put in place with the virtual pathway specialist. We're now at the point yes of being able to put that in place has evidence by the kids are coming in. We've identified the kids who did not make progress independently.

Gave them a few of the warnings and outreach but some of those a couple of those kids may or may not have responded back. now we need to get in touch with their families because of the progress not being made. So it's it's putting the system in place to be able to figure those pieces out and to have a person in the building who can receive those students coming into the building and

move off to a lab space to be able to get that one-on-one support.

Yeah. That and the one-on-one support may may include some counseling.

Correct. All parts of all parts of the resources that RPA has to offer.

Great. Okay. Are you as well as lunch as well as breakfast, right? All those pieces. You're exploring all of these alternatives. Is that correct?

You're exploring 100%. And really to figure out between what worked last year, does it continue to work this year as we've added in 9th grade this year, what the 9th graders need that we didn't have last year because it was only 10 to 12. So that a formal vision of a virtual school in Fall River can can come as a result of this towards the end of the year. That's

really a a broader vision of ours. As we continue to see the Greater Commonwealth Tech School and the enrollment and the interest of families wanting to enroll in that program, we feel we can do it better locally. We feel we can offer a hybrid model locally that right now TEK can't and they've got a waiting list.

So, we recognize that there's a request from the community because we've seen the increased enrollment in TEKA and the waiting list. the commit the committee knows the 2% cap that you know we had to take a vote on a year ago um all of that still exists. So the data has shown even when we started this search two years ago to explore the virtual school pathway um there was an interest even

among homeschooling students as well as um students that were in the virtual pathway themselves. So the virtual school themselves I should say. So, we know there's a request and there's a need here in the city based on what we're seeing as enrollment trends. And so, taking all of the elements of the program that are working, even to be honest, looking at some of the pieces of the home tutoring program that are

really finding success and how do we write a virtual school application that could kind of run alongside um as a full virtual school and go through that whole process.

the uh assessments uh I think that was an issue at the beginning about uh authenticity of assessments. I believe in the past we used to have kids come in to take that assessment so that they knew they did their hours but also they know the material. I think that's something to look at how that works.

So that's where the virtual pathway specialist is. He's the one that's monitoring the assessments and has he's he's brilliant in picking up like I he has them where they have to do it and the camera has to be on them and class relay. Yes.

The tool that we can say we're not just letting the kid do and he's also picking up on because there's apps out there where the kids can cheat. So he's very on top of that too. So I actually had met him during summer school um and had he had identified a few kids who were using that app. So that's been shut down.

A teacher.

Uh he was a teacher. Yes.

Was it a teacher before? Yes.

Um not a special ed teacher, right?

No.

Uh he was a special ed teacher.

He was doing special ed but was wavered.

So um if we can just move along cuz I know just other people are struggling. So if we can just go over the next steps a couple.

Okay. Uh so obviously again and I know I keep saying tighten it up but now I feel that and Dr. B and I and I love that she lets me pick her brain and I love her passion for this because I do think it's this this is the wave of the future to catch a lot of kids in many different districts. The district I was coming from even in Western Mass Tech was one

of those that we competed with. I think the um I think it was the Deerfield or West something one of those other ones too. Um, but we have we have some work to do because as much as I can say we're we're hiring our expectations within the building, that expectation needs to be outside in the virtual pathway, too.

That students need to know, I've said it before, it's a privilege to be allowed to go virtual pathway in Fall River. So, that's where I feel like we need to really define what it looks like for those learners and to make sure that they know we're watching them like you're still you're still a student at in Fall River. So, um, and I think we're at the point, too, that we need to be

better about celebrating the students that are succeeding, um, and are doing what they need to do. And we have identified those students. We're at the midway point, which is why we're now pulling kids back in because the midterm grades are not where they need to be, and we know what they what they are doing and what they're not doing. Um and then just looking at I guess building stronger connections and

you know next year already in my head going we need to have a huge you know open house for those families and a huge um orientation that it it wasn't what I would now looking back we were trying to get them up and moving and get them online and I wish I had more time to hit the brakes and go no no no we need to do a whole orientation on this and we

didn't. So, um, we're getting there. I feel way better sitting here than I did even two weeks ago because I feel like we've had a long a lot of good conversations at our virtual pathway meeting and everybody knows that this needs to succeed. Sorry.

Can we stop at the end of the workforce development career exploration?

Um so so these are just some of the things that we are offering to all of our students not just the virtual pathway is uh balanced learning is now coming in. They've already started their groups. I love it. I think this is huge.

Um we've got kids and they did it the right way. They met with kids as a group and then they saw the interest and met with kids individually and now we've created those groups based on the interest level. Um I've heard no kid complain about it. Um they're doing a lot of really great things. So, that is something I think honestly every school in America should have. Um, so I don't

know who brought that in board, but is that for you? Thank you very much. Um, college fair, we're getting our kids excited about that. CTE after dark, um, UMass Dartmouth field trip, and then the financial aid workshops. So, as much as we can bring in and and I love that the students are asking about all this stuff, you know, are we eligible? Can we go to this? Um, you know, we had one of

the guidance counselors say today, I had a student say he's never really left Fall River. what can we do? Like this is the stuff that's going through my head, you know? So, that's where I keep talking to Dr. B about the Shannon grant money and all these opportunities that I think we can do within our building for these students. Um, you know, I have a dream of taking these kids on big field

trips and showing them what exists outside of all River. I could go on and on about that. Um, so culinary again, if we could get these programs in, these kids race down to culinary.

They you and I had just they love it.

If we could build that within, you know, and I don't know if the building's big enough, but you know, she's talking about sewing and I just think of like I think of Mashp has all these things that were saving these kids. And I I'll just talk about it that you want to see some special things, some things going on, getting kids in the building. Um just whatever we could do. I you know, the CTE

for RPA kits would be amazing. I just Yeah, I think you just we've been talking about this for years and sometimes there's barriers that are nobody's fault in some ways because we've been talking about it for a while.

Uh but the culinary like I'm just looking at Roman 18 students total. Like what how is that possible? And we have a full-time teacher cuz not everybody likes culinary. But yeah, I mean that's the answer what do you do all day? Like what do you do to fill up the day? And in culinary you need to be present in order to cook the food to be able you know like it's not like a class like fizzed

where you can come and go come and go.

This is a program that you need to how is the schedule that this has so limited kids in it for something that to use your own words the kids love right they do they love it I mean is it a schedule thing is it kids are in academics too often or what like and when we talk about creative scheduling I would love to look with those numbers to see what we can combine

and collapse to make sure it fits and she's got a whole room of sewing machines I mean that's where I would see and she's willing to do it I don't know if you She's amazing. Um, yeah. I I I don't want to go on go on a tangent on it. My thought was this has been a long time coming. We spent years trying to fix the place. Then it was like we got

to build it. Then it's not handicap accessible. Like I have a whole slew of questions and concerns about how that's gone. At the end of the day, we got a program that kids like. We only got 18 kids in it. Something needs to in my opinion change.

26 actually because eight we have eight.

Oh, you say yeah there's 20. So it's 18 plus 8.

So yeah, thank you.

Same consent part. Yes, Mr. Cory.

So uh I had a chance to visit the school recently and I was thoroughly impressed at what I saw going on with the culinary program. Um I wanted to uh thank Mr.

Pico for, you know, getting all the uh all the stuff up and running for us. And um I want to thank the school for getting the program up and running. I met the teacher that's running culinary.

I was thoroughly impressed with her energy, her enthusiasm um to work with those children and those children were they were going to their they were they were on task. They were cutting the the vegetables and and the stuff according to the way the teacher wanted everything to be done. So, she's disseminating her instructions accordingly. And and I see it as a stepby-step process. We're not going to

be uh like Dery Culinary right off of the bat or Diamond Culinary, but we're going to start this program really really slowly and build upon it. But I was I was impressed with the enthusiasm in the program. My concern is um she may be retiring, so we might need to recruit somebody to replace her as a really enthusiastic culinary teacher moving forward. That's my biggest concern with

that. But I hope that we can find a way to retain her in some way, shape, or form. I yield. Do you have anything? No. M does.

Um just a very quick question. Um my colleague brought the point of um we're not going to be the same as Dery right away. Um at Dery's culinary program, what's like the end goal? Like do they get like they get to serve safe certifications?

like what are they getting there that maybe isn't happening right now at RPA?

So I mean they have an opportunity certainly to do um many more hours over the course of like sophomore, junior and senior year. Um so the students who are here it looks like culinary one meets for one period, culinary 2 meets for two periods. So the teacher is teaching five periods a day with smaller groups of students.

relative is new.

Um, and I brought that on as a because I feel like it should be an exploratory for those students that so she has eight students now and then it'll switch and she'll have, you know, different students because it is an explorator.

We say many more hours at RPA.

No, many more hours as a Dery student in the culinary program.

They're doing many more like there's much more seat time there. Sure. in terms of what they're doing. So there is an opportunity for them to earn other you know different certifications um that aren't in the time provided at RP, right? And I guess that's my my concern because I believe by law every different school should have like adequate like the same programs. So, I just don't want

to run into a a future situation where we don't have the same services or programs that Dery has or whatnot or if we're mixing kids in if they can go to Dery for their culinary program.

We do have students who are participating in in an after dark so they have staggered schedule so that they can do they're doing they can do classes and RPA and then culinary later in the afternoon. Right. And we do or cosmetology.

I understand. Do you understand what I'm trying to articulate with my concern?

Yeah. That there are programs available at Derby High School that are not available at RPA, right? And I just want to make sure legally we're sound. I'll just leave it at that. Thank you.

So, I think the other piece is that Dery has the uh restaurant, which we were told was going to happen down there, but I guess that's not handicap accessible.

So, now that's out. But it's we've been trying to do this for 3 years. We didn't know or we maybe we I don't know. It was disheartening to figure out now at this point. Oh, by the way, we can't open. But we make handicap accessible bathrooms. We do this, but we're not going to open them. The point of that was to make a restaurant or somewhere where they could have the, you know,

thing, put the food in there, the kids could make it. People could come from outside. And that is not, I guess, happening. But I only heard that secondhand. So, I guess maybe a one pager on sure where we're at with that because that's a big investment if you want if you have to make a an elevator or something.

Fine. But then maybe that's what we got to do in the budget. We spend money on a lot worse stuff.

They've started construction on the rooms.

Mhm.

Yeah.

We're building an elevator.

No.

So, well, have you been in that? I'm sure you have.

No, I'm saying like for real.

There is a room. Um, and they're, you know, they've had flooring put in. So, you understand what I'm saying?

We're not saying accessibility is not the the reason why we're not We have a handicap bathroom in that room that's been completed. Um, we've got furniture in that room that's been completed. Um, the conversation changes um that may be used for a classroom instead of a a a serving room.

I believe that the the the terminology of, you know, learning how to crawl before you walk is what needs to happen because I'm not quite sure that that that's the next logical step there.

And I'm I'm saying that from a person who taught vocational education for 16 years. So I'm only going I'm only going on what we've talked about, right? So it's that was going to open as a outside people to come into it. And what is the barrier to that is I guess what I'm asking for the one picture. So if if if for instance if if if the barrier is a handicap accessible

interest and obviously that school has one, the idea would be to have a kiosk as we've talked about and set a kiosk up.

the the hours would be limited to whatever time we could set a kiosk up and people could come from the outside, walk in the door and have a kiosk set up with a variety of stuff that the students made and the students could serve and not in the room that was but not in that kitchen.

That's my only point was that I went visit.

Yeah, we're going to move this in. We're going to have people coming in from the courthouse. We're going to have this and that, you know, and now it's not. Right.

But there also employees that could use utilize the room that's there.

The people who work on that floor or most of them are adults on the floor where the restaurant is. So it could be used as a restaurant.

I guess it's just a one pager.

Sure.

Request. Uh I think it's a good program.

Just everything takes money. It's no way to duplicate services between, you know, an alternative school and Dery High School. That's I was really happy with what I saw cuz it was moving in the right direction.

It's not necessarily I I just think we have to figure it out.

What are we going to do ultimately with it? Anything else on the IPA uh presentation? Any other questions?

We thank you. Thank you for No, thank you. Come in and visit. We We love people coming in. It was a It was a Yes, it was a good visit. I can't remember your name, but it was a good visit.

Yeah. Thank you very much.

All right. Uh on to the next item.

I applaud your enthusiasm and your vision.

This early childhood update. Uh I put this on for uh discussion. What I did see in the documents uh wasn't necessarily what I was asking for for a plan. So the what I did see was just a regurgitation of the same thing every year.

You know, x amount of kids, we get this and that. At the end of the day, my concern was what is the plan for early childhood for do you need 256 anything? Where are we where are we at? Where are we heading? not a regurgitation of the same numbers that we always get that we have 33 classrooms, we have x amount. We know that information. So I the purpose of putting this on was it's October 15th

whatever the date is maybe 14th 14th my daughter's birthday.

Yeah. So my thing is what is the plan for early childhood moving forward?

plan. I I I plan like next year, are we going to are we projected to have 33 classrooms? Are we going to have 38 classrooms? Are those classrooms going to be located at Bishop Connelly? Are they going to be located in a different place? Are we repairing other places? Are we getting leases with somebody? Are we asking for rent for somebody like if you if you if if if I understood what the question was, I

would have said today is not the day for that agenda item because I don't really I don't have information to share with you across across all those topics. So it I it appeared from the I want an early child an early childhood update that you wanted the information plan. That's the the plan. That's what we need is a plan. We need a plan for where we're at and where we're going to

go and how are we going to get there.

That's the in essence of it. So, okay, we're going to postpone this for 30 days until the next meeting. That's perfect.

And at that point, but that's the theory is what are we doing? Where are we going? What are we doing? Update on the pay center, uh, repairs, money, you know, and the reason why I'm saying that and why I'm being like firm with it is because we've been told many things and some of these are not your fault.

Oh, this was going to be done on that time. This was going to be done on that time. And shame on me for not having those meetings every 30 days to hold people accountable to it. So in 30 days we'll postpone this until I ask one question for the administration for um not looking for the answer right now. Um in terms of the pay center and I'm I'm not sure if we're going to be

placing more prek or more students in there next year. I've received some concerns about um the air quality inside and outside and um I can go more into detail. I'll send an email with it, but I just wanted to put asked those people to reach out to us. I haven't heard any concerns around air quality until now.

I have soy not to uh forward those requests directly to the superintendent, please.

I will.

Uh next up, 3.04. And thank you, Miss Faras, for uh comments. Sorry.

Thank you. your information was valid, but it wasn't necessarily what we were looking for. So, we'll be back in 30 days. 3.04 special education strategies.

So, special education sped strategy is an organization that is hired that Jessie hires to support districts based on their LEA determination. So, every year Jesse gives us a report. In the backup documents, you have the report, but basically Debie decides if if schools are in one of four areas. Meets requirements, needs assistance, needs intervention, or needs substantial intervention. They use a whole rubric

and then they send us um the kind of print out of where we scored. So, I know that this is the sheet that is in your um packet.

They look at us in three specific areas.

Performance, which really has to do with academic achievement across many areas.

Compliance, which is with all regulations, and then other considerations, which are just like other factors that don't really fit into one of those other categories. And out of a total um of 41 possible points, Fall River had 19. That puts us in the 46th percentile. And based on um their rubric, needs intervent, we are in the needs intervention category. Needs intervention goes from zero um percentage points to 65

percentage points. We earned almost all of our um points in the compliance category, which is a good thing. Again, based on previous um um program reviews, we've had issues with compliance. So, we earned 14 out of 16 points in that category. Um that was huge for me. The piece that we cons continue to struggle with and we know is academic achievement and that's mostly of the performance.

So, we only earned two out of 20 points.

As a result of this with sped strategies, we had to do a root cause analysis and I try to upload it's a multi- um multi-heet Excel document um that we have to complete and then upload to DESIE. When we peeled back, they told us that basically the the biggest areas for Fall River were the number of students with disabilities who graduate with a high school diploma and the number of students with

disabilities who drop out. Now, we know that those concerns don't start in high school. So, we have to start peeling the onion back. And when we peel the onion back, this is not something that is going to be new to this committee because I've shared this before. We go all the way down. One of the other things they look at is educational placements. The number of kids in substantially separate classrooms

without certified teachers. So during this big process of a whole year of root cause analysis, action planning, we we landed with we are going to focus on the area in our elementary school, our younger grades on getting students in front of in the general education classroom with their typical peers, getting the special education supports and having a certified general education teacher in front of them as well.

We had to come out with a whole plan. I shared with you the letter where Desi gives us feedback on our plan and approval for our action plan. So, all the support we've gotten from the committee when it comes to um working with um Deb Harris and her group um doing an audit of our related services, all of that ties in to our multi-year action plan. And over the course of the

the multi-year action plan, our goal remains the same. We are going to improve outcomes for students with disabilities as far as graduation by focusing on the ex the experiences they are getting in our elementary and middle schools. And then over time, I mean this goes multi-year, it goes to 2030, right?

We are going to see the um rate of graduation increase from I think we were at I'd have to pull it up. We set a long-term goal. So sorry, our dropout rate will decrease from 9.6% to 3.4%.

That will take us out of the needs intervention um category. And our 5-year graduation cohort will increase from 62% to 80%. And again, that takes us out of the the needs intervention um um category. Is that where we want to be?

No. But it would certainly be a lot better than where we are right now. And I need to do something that I can I feel like is a reasonable target for us to achieve knowing all the factors that um come along with students and graduation and diplomas. Um so part of our immediate goals is that we will see 70% of all our teachers participating in this trailblazer academy with Dev Harris. implementing

those strategies with special education teachers and students with disabilities in the general education setting. It takes the entire district to support that. Right? It's not just a special education piece. It is a general education piece. Building principles, coaches, department heads all need to be in classrooms looking for these um looking for these indicators. And then along with that 80% of students will be

spending at least 40% of their day in those general education classrooms.

Again reducing full substantially separate and increasing partial inclusion.

um we had to identify um the barriers to our success and again in Fall River we need to acknowledge a culture and a mindset where students that had significant disabilities or behaviors were better educated and again it came from a good place outside of the general ed setting but we don't have teachers in those classrooms in many of them so we need to rethink that and the data doesn't support it we said it all along

the data for students in substantially separate is not comparable to data for students with disabilities in general education. That's been a barrier is just mindset changing people's belief that they can't educate students with disabilities in general education. Our IEP development has been weak, very vague, and low expectations. We're doing a whole professional development around

unpacking standards with the office of instruction so that general uh special education teachers know what the what the target is for the kids. We're not lowering the expectation. Grade level standards. Now you have to get the kids there. Um, again, another barrier, class size, nothing we haven't talked about before. And the unlicensed staff.

The last barrier we identified was tier one. Again, it all starts in that general education classroom before any student. There are all students in front of us meeting the needs because we know that achievement across the board, not just for students with disabilities, but all of our students remain a concern here.

Jesse approved our action plan. We are going into year two of the action plan.

Um, and we have our me first meeting with them is next week. I know that was a brief summary, but that's all the work and why we Thank you, Mr. Card. And so I really uh I'm I'm I'm you're really unpacking a lot of a lot of issues that I think have been undermining special ed in this district for so many years. I can't even tell you how many years. I don't know

maybe uh Dr. Bean, Dr. Curley can um can understand where I'm coming from. Um, I know that when I began my career as an adjustment counselor, I know that special ed was um, there was a lot of politics involved in the appointment of certain directors in the past. I've never heard any director uncover what you're uncovering.

And I think that one of the the main pathways to success in trying to achieve the goals that you just spoke about is consistency in the central office. And I'm really really really hoping that you don't go anywhere for a good number of years because what you need to unpack here is so severe. It it's so deep and and I'm in line with you. I think I think these goals are all accessible,

but it's going to take it's going to take a whole team to make it work. But when we lose, I thought that when we hired Michael Lo, uh he came from Boston on a great recommendation and I thought maybe we were heading in a better direction for our special needs, but I didn't see any deep growth happen. But I'm witnessing much deeper growth with you in this position. And I'm not trying

to yes you to death. I'm just appreciating the fact that you're uncovering so much and and your eyes are on the prize. And and that's what's impressing me the most. So, we need consistency because if you leave the district and we get another special special ed assistant superintendent, then it's going to be we're going to have to start from ground zero again because I think our needs are that deep.

So, that's where I'm coming from. I see consistency in the central office according to these needs I think is really important and that's what I wanted to say. I yield no thank you.

Thank you. Um, I agree with a lot of what my colleague said and I can appreciate how you took the selfacountability and there's a plan, an action plan going forward. So, that makes me feel a lot more um a lot less stressed going into next year. Um, two questions. one um and I think this is okay to say. Do you feel supported at all levels that you can like is there anything that you would

need from the committee or um No, yes, I do feel supported. I I honestly I tell my team all the time I was just meeting with them on the Walker report earlier and I said I am grateful for the support of this committee. I am grateful whatever I bring to my team at central office.

What worries me is everybody needs the investment that this is the priority and it's not just my department and in a in a district this large and it's not any it's not like anybody isn't saying everybody yeses me yes Lori yes Lori but pe everybody in every school has to make this the priority to do the work because I can give you the tools I can give you the analysis the data but everybody has

to own it And it's going to it's going to be hard work. Our students have high needs and we have to learn about self-regulation. We have to learn about communication. Those are the barriers for some of our little guys that we have to say it's okay. I'm going to embrace this and do something different. Right?

So yes, I feel supported. I need every layer of Fall River to be committed to this work.

It's holistic.

It is. It is. And I'm and again spreading across a large district continues to be my struggle, right? I want to be everywhere all the time and it's hard to keep the work moving in the right direction when you can't be there and you rely on a district to do the work and and thank you for that and I agree with you. My last question is on the um PRS complaints.

Could you tell me how that again you might apologize if you said it. How does that factor into?

So that goes under our compliance. So basically if you look Yeah. So under one of our um on the compliance rubric, it will say the number of findings of non-compliance.

And so out of all the um PRS complaints that we had, how many of them did they give you the opportunity to fix the problem? Right. So a we submit a local report. Sometimes our local report says there isn't any findings of non-compliance. Those don't get reported. These are yes um we found non-compliance and then what are we doing to fix it? Honestly, a lot of our non-compliance is related to um

discipline and not giving the right letters at the right time or bullying investigations. Those types of pieces. I haven't got a non-compliance where it's like you didn't implement an IEP within the right timeline. So, it's more about um kind of this the systems that we have in place and making sure those systems are being followed so this doesn't happen.

Can we even if you have to take the names out, can the committee get a copy of those three PRS reports?

Oh, the three that were findings?

Sure.

If I can redact them. I don't see why not. I think it's actually PRS's public thing.

Okay.

Did you say that you were meeting with Desi again soon?

Yes, next the 23rd or the 24th something like that. So we're meet I should we're meeting with special ed strategies.

Okay. Um who is the you know Jesse's using Yes. So they'll take the focus of this year is taking all the work we did last year our action plan. We have to give them an update of where we are and then based on any new information that we have as a district. Is there anything in our action plan we need to change?

So, some of it is like there was funding in there. If that funding didn't get approved, we need to So, the reason I'm asking is cuz this seemed just kind of like a synopsis like I read through everything you had just said, but I'm assuming next week you may have some new information of different things. So, you're going to circle back and share or maybe it'll be at the 30-day meeting or whatever.

Yeah, I don't think there will be much to share with you. I got to figure out how to take all the all the sheath of the template. I think that that would be helpful for you guys to see how it's mapped out over the year.

Yeah. Trying to download it and you know Yeah. If maneuver it and stuff and it was hard to print.

So I think we can definitely get that.

We are going to have a meeting in 30 days about the other piece.

So make a recommendation at the Walker report which is the next item gets put on that agenda. More has one question before we end.

So um um you talked about you talked about self-regulation in that. So two questions. Will Desessie be by our side through any transitions that we make to our programming?

Will they support us?

That's a tough one, right? Because definitely now there's like they're coming down with new regulations of timeout spaces and even our calming spaces, right? This is all new regulations.

Are they overregulating?

Yes. I don't know. I don't know that I'd say overregulating. I think it's good, but the implications of the day-to-day work, there's a disconnect. There's a disconnect between DESIE and what's happening at schools. And I just had Jamie Kamacho, the commissioner of special education, at my last urban meeting, and it just feels like there's a disconnect. I get it. I get what the regulations should be, but we need the

supports to do the work for our high need.

I I'll I'll maintain that so many of them live in a bubble. But my my next question is to Dr. Bronnhard. So as far as uh her plea for self-regulation uh as in the holistic approach are we getting our seal leaison and our adjustment counselors all on the same page as far as that motivationally through professional development and and the like.

Yeah, I think it's way beyond motivationally. We are seeing in our data particularly through our satchel data from end of year last year, beginning of the year this year, we are making headway as it relates to creating safe spaces for kids and supporting kids with the skill development and the subskll development.

We still serve a very challenging population of students and the needs across our community are not changing. if anything they're increasing and so constantly ensuring that our staff have the tools and the resources and the time to be able to meet the needs of our kids is a top priority.

So departmentally um we've hired lots of liaison and adjustment counselors and there's been some movement even within those ranks but but they're all on the same page departmentally as far as what the mission is.

That's all I need to know.

Only thing I would like to say on that is I like to say we have tremendous amount of issues the issues are getting greater, not easier, more complex than more simple to deal with and our class size is still in crisis across the whole district. So, you take a lot of those things. We have a lot of challenges. You can have it all those things in place and then we got 28

students in a class. The kids are in second grade. They're running rough shot over one or two kids that are just totally out of control. The teacher can't teach the other 26 kids. This is happening all over this district and it not only here all urbans are probably going through the same thing. So we can keep saying oh it's we're trying our best, you're trying your best, but ultimately the challenges

are tremendous uh great. Same thing with special ed. I think the committee should take some credit for the resources that we've put in because you know there hasn't been the level of resources that we've put in have allowed you to do some of the things that you could do. I do think you're doing a nice job, but without the right people, like we can't just have no administrators in the school system and

run all these things. That's crazy. But everybody wants to say it because it's a popular phrase to say all the money and administrators. I'll stand here today again and say we need more administrators than less to do some of the pieces that we need to. We just need to hold those accountable if they're not doing right. But ultimately like I fought for the assistant what I call the assistant sp director that's been

monumental for compliance all these other things. So here's the proof in the pudding that it was a controversial vote and people were like oh why are you doing that what we need actually more when you look at the charts we need more people to do some of those things and hold them accountable for good quality work and that I I just think the challenges are tremendous and I do appreciate everybody's cander at the

meeting. I would move the Walker report to the next meeting on 30 days. You're unpacking it now anyway. So, we read it.

I would ask that it goes to the full committee, but just a a view. Sure.

But an agenda item isn't needed at the full committee in my opinion because we're going to meet again in 30 days to go over it. I want to reiterate the need for the early childhood plan for 2025 26. We'll schedule a meeting with the secretary as soon as we can. And um any new business, Mr. Chair? Go ahead. Mr. address.

I just like to find out earlier in citizen report why one was redacted.

I will as the chairman get that information and I'll forward you an email.

Okay.

I don't know that information at present. Uh motion to adjourn. Made by Mr. Cory, second by Mr. All in favor.

Thank you so much. Have a great night.