11.3.2025 Policy Subcommittee

Well, welcome to the November 3rd uh policy subcommittee meeting here. Um and um I think the first order of business is to say our pledge pledge of allegiance to the flag. Roll call.

Excuse me. I'm sorry.

Sorry.

Okay. Go ahead, Deborah.

Mr. Das here.

Mr. Corey, I'm here.

Uh Miss Perr here.

Now, let's do the pledge.

I pledge algiance 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.

Pursuant 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.

Okay.

I should follow the um I should follow the sheet de but I I always try to I always you know make it his own. Yeah, changing it up.

I'm blues musician. I'm used to improvising, you know. Deborah, is there any citizens input for tonight's meeting?

Mr.

Okay.

Uh, so let's move on to item number three, discussion. Item three, number one, discussion and vote to refer title nine, sexual harassment grievances procedure.

Okay.

So, um this is coming from changes at the federal level. Um back in uh it was actually I think in April of 24 there were some changes made to uh Title 9 um at the federal level. And then uh in January of this year, there were more changes that actually reverted back to the 2020 um Title 9 definitions and and things like that. So, we're essentially updating um just some minor parts of our

procedures to make sure that they're in line with the current federal title 9 regulations that we have to follow. And those are, like I said, reverting back to the 2020 uh regulations. Um in Title 9 and our Title 9 grievance procedures, the really the only change in this is that um a definition of what constituted sexual harassment was changed at the federal level. So, we just had to update

our language in order to um have the same definitions in there.

So, one of I'm sorry, I don't want to interrupt you, but one of these is past, one is present. So, which is which?

The one with the actual policy uh listed on the top right corner is the current current one. And then, um the other one that we have is our draft new policy.

Okay.

Um let's see here.

Um which one's the new one?

This one with the numbers.

That's the new one. So, a couple things.

Under the 2020 Title 9 regulations, um sexual orientation and uh gender identity are not categories that are protected under Title 9. So, um under the 2020 regulations, if you feel like you're being discriminated against or harassed because of your sexual orientation or your gender [snorts] identity, you can't file a complaint under Title 9. However, you can file it under our civil rights policy, which is

one that we're going to get to after this. Okay. So the first change for definitions is that sexual orientation, gender identity are no longer covered in title 9. So we've removed references to those terms. The other uh change is um the definition to sexual assault. And um let me see here. Um basically what we ended up doing with this part is fondling if you look at in the current policy is is used. That is no longer

used. uh the term has now been updated to criminal sexual contact and there's some more um descriptors included to describe exactly what that means. So if you look at our current policy um current title N policy on page one under the scope section the second paragraph which reads in the current policy the title 9 sexual harassment uh grievant procedures apply only to allegations of sexual harassment under

title 9 which includes harassment based on sex, sexual orientation and/or gender identity and is defined in the sections below.

um that middle part that says which includes harassment based on sex, sexual orientation and or gender identity has been removed in the new um policy, the proposed policy. We removed the sexual orientation and gender identity. Um so that was the only change on that page.

Then the other changes happen on page two of our current policy.

If you look all the way at the bottom of page two of our current policy, the very last section has the definition of sexual assault and that reads an offense that meets the definition of rape.

Okay.

Fondonder policy section.

Oh, Siri, you weren't invited to the meeting.

Thanks for listening at all times.

Right.

Put that over there so I don't hit that button. Apologize about that. Uh so our current policy reads sexual assault [clears throat] an offense that meets the definition of rape, fondling, incest or statutory rape as used in the FBI's uniform crime reporting system and set out below. Um what we have in our new policy is that the word fondling has been removed and criminal sexual contact has been added.

Then on our current policy, the second bullet point gives a definition of fondling because we've removed that from our our proposed policy. We don't have a definition uh for fondling, but we do have a new updated definition for criminal sexual contact. So that you'll see on the bottom of page two. Um all right. So this is the new Yep.

Um those are really the the only substantive uh changes in in the policy.

So it was really just um aligning the language to the federal definitions and making sure that they match up. Um but other than that, uh it was just really those changes on the first couple pages.

um nothing else as part of the policy because this really gets into the you know uh descriptor of of our process you know when a how to file a title 9 complaint the process that we follow after a complaint is filed how we handle investigations none of that has changed um so the rest of the policy um has remained the same so it's really just those removing some uh uh categories

which we have added to our civil rights um policy and then updating a definition That's cut and dry.

Yeah. Um yeah, luckily this one was um fairly minor, you know, as opposed to some of the other changes that we've seen with Title 9. 2020 and 2024 were some major changes, but this one is um and to be honest, it's not really even Title 9. It was more of um that FBI's uniform crime reporting system where the definitions come from, they updated their um definitions to use criminal

sexual contact. So then everything that uses that system has to make updates as well.

So So uh does does every state have to comply with these changes?

Yep. Absolutely.

Yep.

So it's across the board in public education?

Yep. Yeah. Anywhere that receives federal funding um you have to abide by the Title N uh law and policies. So yeah, they they have to Good Mr. Dice.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, when I went through the policy manual just before this meeting, I saw some duplicate policies like AC. I don't have my laptop today, but it looked like just from the scratching the surface that we have um a bunch of like random policies that are similar to this that look the same. So, if someone's going through the policy [snorts] manual, they could look at some

different policies that look very similar to what we have here. Who and who's in charge of um maintaining the policy manual for the district?

I uh don't know.

Would it be would it be yourself or would it be this?

I would say the superintendent.

Um, I think I think in general, not even just for this policy, I think we should just take a look through and make sure we don't have old policies in general that are either have been already amended by the school committee or have been strucken down by the school committee or might be similar to this right here because I just don't want a staff member to go look at the policy

manual and see different things and get confused as what they're doing. So I think that's something we should take a look at and if possible we can report that to the committee. Um next question is actually on the end of the um proposed new policy that we have here on the last page. Um it's [clears throat] highlighted in yellow. I'm assuming I thought that would be something we would

discuss today. Um like for investigation investigators, decision makers, the appeal officers. Um seems like we don't have anyone there. Is that something we're going to Yeah. So, uh, if this gets approved to the, um, full committee, we would have like a more [snorts] formal, um, complete draft that would actually have those titles included. The old policy does. Um, investigators, we actually

don't identify. They kind of can be anyone and sometimes we do actually go out to outside investigators. The decision maker, um, most often we use the building principal. Uh, the appeal officer has always been the superintendent. Um and then I believe the informal resolution facilitator can either be title 9 coordinator which is yourself.

Yes. Um actually no the previous policy had uh for students the director of guidance or an assistant uh superintendent and for employees it had the an assistant superintendent or a superintendent.

Has that been what has been happening?

We haven't uh since I've been uh the title N coordinator, we haven't um um conducted any informal resolutions under Title 9. So, we haven't needed to, you know, utilize that person. Um we also haven't had actually no, we have had an appeal. Yes, we we've definitely utilized all the other roles, but we've never had an informal resolution process under Title N since I've been working here.

Okay. Um and for investigators, you said you would go outside, but that's usually your department.

Sometimes. Yeah. Yep. Sometimes, you know, uh the title N coordinator can act as the investigator. Um or other times you just get a you know completely separate third party to conduct a title N investigation.

The decision to to refer a case to an outside that's discretionary. That's not based in policy.

Correct. Yeah.

What would be the discretion? I think that I think there should be some general guidelines or just written down, you know. I I mean it could be a number of things. I mean um you know sometimes just the scope of a title N investigation would be you know far too much for for me and my team to handle.

So we you know uh do it outside. Other times uh if we feel like there you know could be um claims of bias in an investigation by having someone in district do it is helpful to get a you know completely uh you know separate third party with uh no attachment to the district. So, it's really sort of a case- by case basis. You know, when we get title N complaints and then we

decide to conduct an investigation.

And usually if there's like a re-review of a case that would usually go to a separate person like the same person wouldn't look at a case twice, my understanding.

Uh when like do you mean under like an appeals process or Yeah. or any So once an investigation is completed um and this is all within the policy. So, an investigative report gets produced.

Um, following an investigative report, um, there's a decision-making notice that gets sent out by the decision maker. If either party disagrees with the decision, uh, that's been, um, decided in in the investigation, they have the opportunity to appeal and then that would go to the appeals officer.

Um, once the appeal officer sort of makes their final determination, as far as I know, that's that's kind of the the end of it. So there really wouldn't be a reooking I guess outside of the appeal process. Everything sort of gets contained within the title N uh process.

It was my understanding and and not to get into specifics. There's been some cases that have been either looked at by an outside person after it's been originally looked at, but I I don't want to get into specifics, but um and and that could be that they weren't, you know, it wasn't a title N investigation. You know, that that that could be a case. Yeah, I could I I I off

the top of my memory. Um, last question or last idea and this may or may not go into sexual harassment itself, but it can. Um, I think we need a um fraternalization policy between students and staff. Just something on the books um just to make sure we're up to date on our policies. So, I don't know if that has to be something specifically in this or if that's something we can research

just to have like a model policy. I think that would be good. Thank you.

Certainly. Uh, anything?

No. Madame Superintendent, so this is uh the question that I have is now that there's been a policy change in regard to these items. Would it go out to the director of guidance to disseminate to the guidance counselors and the adjustment counselors? Do they need to be privy to these changes?

We Yeah, I mean it's something that we would share with we would share widely with folks um that policy change, that particular language change. So I they would receive it along with other other members of the community for sure. Yeah.

Um and we'll revisit certainly some of the names because you know in this um in the original procedures there are people's names andor positions and so we would revisit that um so that people understand exactly who you know make sure that we are internally following this. Exactly. And to make sure everybody knows who the contact people are. So we want to make sure we get that out. That was my concern. And my other

concern is um as far as taking on new people, new staff um not only not only school teachers but also paraprofessionals, are they going to be trained in this new language as well?

So we have um an online system that we use ARxed and so any updates that we make to this policy that need to be reflected in that training, we will update the training and then as new people are onboarded, they participate in that training.

Yeah. So each new par profofessional specifically the paraprofessionals are trained when before they start their work or or during the tenure of their work.

We have a like there's a time we you know there's a time during which like within the first x number of days of someone being employed that we would expect them to um finish the training.

Thank you.

Um I have a question.

Um just touching back on on um what my colleague was saying on our different policies, teachers, I'm assuming um operate they they they operate under a contract but also expectations. Is there anything written down that label that um sort of teacher student relationship and where it should in terms of policies? Um I I know that there's um social media policy does talk about sort of you know blurring lines

between you know kind of you know your profession professional status in school and sort of outside of school. Uh I'm not aware of any other specific policies that you know speak to that though.

So I think what you would find is that during um during orientations at schools people are certainly given some guidelines but it's not in policy form.

So, I think that if that's like if that's our next move, we would want to, you know, kind of bring in some of those voices, um, collaborate with people on the committee so that we can pull together some kind of, um, draft policy for subcommittee review and then and then committee review.

To me, that seems like a good idea. I don't think it's an emergency situation, but it seems like a good idea.

Yep.

Um, other than that, it's a little disheartening to me that we're taken.

I'd be remiss. I wasn't going to say it, but I'm going to say it. It makes me sick that we're taking a step back and protecting children in my opinion. Um, as one as one member, but we don't make all the rules, do we?

We just have to play by them, which brings us to how we're going to kick back, which I appreciate. So, that's with that I yield.

That's one follow.

Um, just on my colleagues point about training. Um just for example, I know some districts they just hand you the sexual harassment policy and and then they wash their hands. What what do we do specifically for training for staff for it? So we use an online platform through ARCs litics um and so our policies um you know federal um guidelines state all kinds of things around furpa around um

HIPPA all kinds of things how people what we expect people to know in terms of food allergies in schools everything is in one it's a module set up in modules and people go through and then you know they're 25% complete 35 % complete and then we continue to get updates um saying that people are you know here are all the people here are all the people who are done and then

these people are only half done these people haven't started so we give people time during the school day um at the start of the year during our orientation day there is aotted time for all employees to complete and then after that people don't get it done that first day the expectation is they're getting it done on their free time um and we have to just keep getting back to people to you still haven't done

like free time during the school the school day you mean or after hours it's I mean it's an online module that people can complete the only issue I could see like unions being a little like don't but we give time we give so if we say here's an hour do this and people do not complete it in that hour and it only takes an hour then then we we gave you

an hour if you didn't use it then you have to do it on your free time that's fair um last question is um on punishment Is it something that varies or is it pretty set in stone what the punishment is under title N?

Yeah.

I mean that would be a case by case basis. It really depends on kind of what the complaint is, what the allegations are, and then what the findings are from the from the investigation.

Right. If there's like a finding that's like the allegations are credible, um what would I guess what would be usually like what would the punishment range from?

Uh yeah, I mean um certainly, you know, dismissal or termination, you know, could be on the table. Um you know, uh for like a staff members, um for students, you know, up to and including, you know, suspensions and and other things like that. Um but yeah, I mean, it really, you know, it depends on, you know, is is the claim, you know, a sexual harassment claim? Is it a sexual assault claim? Um, I mean, a lot

of different, I think, factors at play when you come into sort of the the next steps after the investigation, right? But to meet the claims, correct me if I'm wrong, but to meet the claims for a title 9, it has to be something that's egregious. Like there there's certain criteria that needs to be met for for the action that was done. It has to be an something that's well, it has to meet the definition that

are in here, you know. So, um, and all, if I can, if I may, um, I think first of all, to talk about how the trainings happen, cuz I do them all the time. You're right. You can literally click click click click click click click sign and not read any of it. It's not right. I'm sure people do it, but there's not much we can do about it. We

could sit them all in a lecture for an hour. If they don't want to listen, they're not going to listen. You know what I mean? Um, so anyway, I just wanted to to point that out. Mhm. Uh so I I think maybe what you're referring to um the definition of sexual harassment under Title 9 um there's three definitions. One of them is any instance of uh excuse me unwelcome conduct on the

basis of sex that is sufficiently severe and pervasive uh severe pervasive and objectively offensive. So it has to meet all three of those to meet the definition.

Right. So that that that's what I that was exactly what I'm looking for. So I guess the point I'm trying to make in terms of punishment because again if you're committing an action that the district sees as severe and pervasive I think the punishment should be termination and I think that should just be the only punishment when it comes to this specific Can I give you an example if you don't mind because this I think

if I put it into this context it'll make more sense to why maybe there'd be different circumstances. Okay so sexual harassment let's say for example I'm sitting here in this room with you guys and Mr. Cory decides to tell you a joke.

The joke's inappropriate. The joke talks about sex. The joke makes me uncomfortable.

I go and report and say, "You know what?

This happened and I'm extremely uncomfortable." They may speak to Mr.

Corey about it. He hasn't done anything bad yet, but he kind of laughs it off and we're around again and he decides he's going to do that again to you and you laugh and you're growing it up and I again am uncomfortable. That is sexual harassment. [snorts] Now, that is not the same as Mr. Cory, push me against a wall and grabbing at my body parts or things like that. Now,

that type of thing to me, immediate termination, there's if you're found guilty, you're out. That's absolutely 100%. In other cases, sometimes it may be, okay, look, we're going to suspend you because we talked about it once. You didn't take it serious. Now, we're going to suspend you. You're going to come back to work. You're not going to be telling jokes like that anymore. You're

going to be appropriate. [snorts] So, that's I think sometimes like we're talking about sexual harassment. Don't get me wrong, it all should be be gone.

Okay. But I think it's such a it's such a large spectrum because sometimes that guy who's telling the joke doesn't even think he's doing anything wrong, right? No, I I think I think we're 100% on the same page. I guess my my question is like the first like like reference you about the joke. I don't think that would meet the requirements of a Title N sexual harassment. I I I am under the impression that the two

separate things like there's sexual harassment which is wrong and then there's title 9 sexual harassment which has a lot more it has to be sufficiently severe and pervasive. So but what are the words severe I mean severe and pervasive. What does pervasive mean? It just means continuous ongoing. So it doesn't mean penetration.

It doesn't mean grabbing. It just means a behavior that is pervasive which means behavior that keeps going over and over.

So that could be a wide variety of things is all I'm saying. That's why it's hard to be black and white when things are so much more complex, especially when we're dealing with things like this. Um, but I certainly would agree that anybody found, and I would assume that would be the case, Dr.

Curley, right? If we have somebody who's found guilty of actually touching or being inappropriate, they they go they can find a job elsewhere.

We'll send them on their way.

Um, but I understand why you can't just always put it down in black and white.

Because there may be that situation where you go, "Oh, this is why we shouldn't have put it in black and white."

You know, we need to be a little more creative with our discipline, I think, is also a better word than punishment.

But yeah, any that I yield.

No, I I understand what I'm saying.

I understand what you're saying. Sure.

It's just um again without getting into specifics, you hear stories or you hear the results of certain things and you start to question but again we we have to maintain our role.

I don't listen to stories. I listen to facts. I research and I find facts because full rib is full of a lot of stories, Colin. A lot of stories.

Yep. Are we all set?

I've heard them all. Some about me.

Motion to refer to full committee.

Second, Mr. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Cory.

Yes.

Yes.

We on to uh the next one.

Yes, sir.

Okay. So, uh civil rights grievance procedure. Um as I mentioned, Title 9 no longer Mr. Lai. Which one is the new uh current one has the actual ACRB listed on top and then the proposed uh changes are doesn't have any. I think Title 9 no longer covers gender identity and sexual orientation. Um so references to those categories were removed from Title 9 um and then updated to add to

the civil rights uh grievance procedure.

I I will say I think at some point um there probably should have been an update to the civil rights grievance procedure. The current one that we have on file was last approved or adopted by the school committee in 2022. So, I do think that after the 24 title 9 um changes, there probably should have been an update to this. So, as a result, um what you'll see is sexual orientation

and gender identity is actually in the current policy in some spots. It is missing from one location, so we do need to update it. Um but yeah, just sort of interesting if you're wondering why.

Hey, I'm looking at the current policy.

It does have sexual orientation, gender identity. I I can't speak to that cuz I wasn't here, but I I think that there probably should have been a change, you know, back in uh 2024. Um so, if you look at our current policy, um the very first opening paragraph, uh it says, "The Fall River Public Schools is uh committed to maintaining school environments free of discrimination harassment or

retaliation based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or disability."

um that is also in the new policy.

However, um the category of sex is also identified in the new policy which is missing from our current policy. Um so the word sexual orientation and gender identity are in our current policy. Uh the word sex is not so that needs to be added. Um on the bottom of page two, our current policy, the definition of um discrimination. Um interestingly enough, that definition does contain the word

sex. It says discrimination means discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, age, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or religion, so on and so forth. Um that is exactly what uh the new policy is proposing. Um, again, those terms weren't taken out of our previous civil rights policy, so that really isn't a change. Um, then on our

current policy, if you go to the top of page two, it gives you the definition of harassment.

Our current policy is missing uh the term sexual orientation and gender identity from that section. So, those will be added. Um current policy reads harassment means unwelcome conduct on the basis of race, age, color, national origin, disability or religion that is sufficiently uh severe, persistent or pervasive so on and so forth. Um that is missing like I said sexual orientation

and gender identity and those will be added for for the new policy. Um, and I believe that is actually the only changes. Uh, those are the only areas where sexual orientation and gender identity show up in our policy. So, it's just ensuring that those are um added to um our civil rights policy. [snorts] Malia, uh, are are these it seems like they broadened the definition a little

bit in the new policy. Uh are these in response to what's going on with our DOJ investigation?

No. So this is all just based on uh the changes at the federal level to title N.

All right. So it's consistent with the other changes.

Exactly. Yep. Right.

Yep. Yeah. Had the other changes not been put into place or taken effect, we wouldn't need to update this policy.

Do you think this will um this will be favorable, Madam Superintendent? Will this be favorable for our district in light of the DOJ stuff going on? [snorts] Um I don't think that um there's much relationship between that um that particular um investigation. Okay. And these changes. All right.

Um but I think that in general the adjustment to the civil rights um grievance procedure and you know in that policy I think certainly it makes sense to be able to make those adjustments in light of what was taken out of the other policy. And so to my experience uh as even being a former educator, a retired educator, uh in all of the orientation meetings that we ever had in assemblies,

uh I hope that these um um these procedures and policies are stated widely in each and every school, in each and every department, disseminated throughout the entire place. That's what I'm hoping for moving forward.

Yes.

Good.

I just had one question. Who's our um civil rights coordinator? Because I didn't see a name on either of uh so I I that is something that I think um we need to have some conversations about. I think technically it is me right now, but yeah, that is missing from the current policy.

Okay.

Yep.

Yeah. And is that where you think it should lay? Uh Dr.

I so I think that be um in in many ways it makes sense to have the title N coordinator and the civil rights coordinator be um the same person.

Uh but we are going to discuss it prior to Monday to make sure that whatever names um and positions are put forward are the ones that everyone understands to kind of make sense. I don't want to be having those conversations.

I was just going to I was just going to say please Monday you're going to come with the names cuz any blank spots you realize. Okay.

Yeah.

All right.

Mr. guys.

Um, just was just going to ask the same question. I'm not asking you to give the names now, but it seems like you had a few ideas of who you'd put as the civil rights coordinator. Like, what positions would you also consider if it wasn't the HR director?

For me, it makes sense to to keep it as it's been in practice. um HR coordinator, HR director, but that is something that I I I'm open to discussing if there is another um you know, another position that makes sense.

Sure.

I think that it's just one of these things that's kind of widely even if someone didn't open a um a policy, I think that the first person that people would think of um in this district and probably others. Um, and in that way, I think it makes sense that people should kind of automatically know who that go-to person is. That doesn't mean we couldn't reestablish those expectations, but that's where it stands now.

Yeah, I I think it should be one person as well. Um, [snorts] unless Yeah, actually, I think it should be one person as well. Um, last question on this. Um, and this is grievous procedure. I understand it's based off of like state law, federal law, but it's our procedure. Like, we could put in extra protections as a district policy if we wanted to, if we wanted to go above and beyond. And that's something

I've always been a proponent of, specifically um, political affiliation. I know if you apply for a position here, you're protected based off of a political affiliation. I think that should be listed in the policy. And um [snorts] and also any I think it should just be any individual who believes that any of their constitutional rights were violated, they should have the right to have a grievance as well. No matter

um if they even if they don't fall within a protected category, if they're an individual who believes their rights have been violated by the district in any way, I think that should be covered either within this policy or if it's something separate. and going picking back off my previous line of questioning and apologize I didn't have my computer today but I believe there are also duplicate policies not duplicate but

different policies that are similar to this within our um policy manual as well so just again making sure we have um I think we should just have one policy and not different ones just to make sure we're protected I mean just to make sure it's just clear but if that's something we can look at report out one day that'd be appreciated thank Do you know what those policies are?

Which ones that you saw that were repeats?

Yeah. Um for the Sure. For the um sexual harassment one, it was like AC um or it was a civil rights. I think it was AC AC or AC. I can I can email it to you after.

And for like the sexual harassment, I think there was just an ACAB without the RA. It's but I'll make a motion to refer.

Second, Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Cory.

Yep.

Mr.

Yes.

And so, uh, that's good. We had two, uh, two items on the agenda. We voted to, uh, refer both to full body for the next meeting. Moving on to number four, new business. Uh I did I did raise an issue for new business, Deborah. Uh how do I propose that? So I I did I did have an item I I wanted to broach about our cursive writing policy. Is is is that in policy form or

is that just a practice that we've maintained and are we still doing it?

The last upgrade, the last update I got on cursive writing was that it would be conducted once the MCCAST testing was finished in the spring and then the last two to three months of the school year, it was conducted with grades three through five.

Yes.

Is that still being carried out in every school?

Yes.

No exceptions.

Yep. That is the expectation. Um and I know I can grab it, but I know that that is something that reminders go out to schools. um you know in the spring that this is the expectation but I don't believe it's in policy form. I think it is in practice.

Is there a way that we could make it into policy form so that it's upheld uh not only now but for you know so that we can codify it.

Okay that yeah that's something that we could take a look at for sure. I will um you know we can do some work to see what other you know if there's language out there from other districts that we want to start with as baseline or if it's something we would just develop from scratch um that we could certainly bring forward you know bring back here and then um for some discussion and then to

full committee if if it gets moved.

That sounds good to me because I get a lot of I get a lot of interest out there. A lot of people are uh coming at me with that exact question. And um you know in in the creative world, you know, cursive writing continually appeals to the creative side of our brain. And and in this new electronic age that we're all living, I just don't want children uh any school age child to forget what

it's like to sign their name, you know, in cursive style rather than just, you know, given an electronic, you know, oral pen. [snorts] No, I understand. Um yeah, it it is something that we do each spring. I mean, I know that as a child, I remember what that was like uh to learn cursive writing and um it I'll tell you it felt wildly exciting at the time, right?

Because it seemed like something adults did. It was like the first thing you could that you learned in school that was like something that like your parents did.

You remember how excited you were when you were able to do it?

Absolutely. But I also know that I have teenage children. Holy moly. When my daughter had to sign her first paycheck, I was like, "What?" Um, and they, you know, we, we come from a school district that does some cursive writing, right?

Um, but not to the extent certainly when, you know, when we were children.

Me and Colin went to Catholic school.

Yeah.

Was it a class when you were there?

Obviously much younger book.

Yeah. No, I it stopped like Did it stop around? Yeah, cuz my Yeah, my kids. Yeah. Good.

But I learned it maybe for like two years. One or two years.

And then they just stopped. Yeah.

Because my kids went to St. Mike's, too.

No, we used to have to do the worksheets. Yeah.

The worksheets. The worksheets. the worksheets. I love writing long notes to my kids in cursive and going figure it out.

Figure it out.

But I also think that um in in in psychology, psychological term terminologies, I I just think that uh the creative nature of the way people sign their own names is another way for them to solidify their own identity, who they are. That's my signature, you know, [snorts] nobody else's, you know. So, it just helps to um uh for self-concept purposes. I really think it helps a child to um you know, give themselves a

little bit of confidence and it appeals to their creative side and who knows what else might happen as a result. You know, they might end up as great artists down the road. Who knows, you know, but thank you for um and will that come back to uh it would come back to policy potential discussion at some point?

We certainly recognize that um and Mr. D has brought this up, you know, a number of times, this idea of kind of revisiting um policies. I'd like to revisit them in groups. This is what, you know, something that we talked about earlier. And I think what you're bringing up today, um, Mr. Dice, makes sense. Like, if we are revisiting policies, you know, five or six at a time that fall into the same category,

do they there do there need to be five or six different policies? Could we streamline it so that it's, you know, one or two or maybe it's three because they're just different enough. um that work needs to be done and then certainly additionally you know bringing some new policies to this subcommittee is you know will make sense and so the last word I'll say is before it even comes to that point right now um

it is a practice still being carried out once all the MCAST regimen is done and then they'll pick that up for the you know the last couple of months of the year.

Yep.

Thank you.

Absolutely.

I yield.

Okay. Number five I move to adjurnn.

Motion to adjurnn.

Second.

Third.

Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Cory.

Yep.

Moro.

Yes.