[00:00:10]
UM, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT THE SITUATION WE'RE IN THAT WE HAVE A THREE MEMBER COMMITTEE.
UH, ONE MEMBER SAID THAT, UH, THEY ARE DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO COMMENT IF THE OTHER MEMBER DOESN'T JOIN WEEDY OR NOT HAVE A QUORUM TO HAVE A MEETING.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL GIVE THAT, THAT OTHER MEMBER ABOUT 10 MINUTES TO JOIN.
IF NOT, UM, THEN WE CAN HAVE AN OFFICIAL MEETING, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER THE CUSTODIAL CONTRACT BENEFITS WITH JUST MYSELF AND EARL CAMPBELL AS BEING INTERESTED, WARNED MEMBERS.
SO WE'LL JUST WAIT AND SEE IF, UM, IF MR. SMITH JOINS THE MEETING.
AND AS I SAID, WE GIVE HIM ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND IF NOT, THEN EVERYBODY ELSE CAN, UM, GO DO MORE IMPORTANT THINGS.
THE PE AND THE ANNUAL REPORT, WHAT WE'LL DO IS THAT'LL JUST GO TO THE FULL BOARD IN JANUARY.
AND BECAUSE THERE'S NO COMMITTEE HERE TO THE SCREEN, IT WON'T SLOW THAT DOWN.
SO WE CAN ALL MEDITATE FOR A FEW MINUTES, TAKE DEEP BREATHS AND CALM DOWN OUR PRAYERS.
THAT 2021 WILL BE A HECK OF A LOT BETTER THAN 2020 HAS TO BE.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL SO EMBARRASSED.
I I'M, I'M IN THIS GROUP OF PROFESSIONAL, UH, FOLKS ON LADY'S ISLAND AND, AND I WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT.
AND I REMEMBER IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR I GOT UP AND I SAID, GEEZ, YOU KNOW, 2020 LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT.
IT'S SYMMETRICAL, IT'S GOT A LOT OF CIRCLES IN IT.
THIS IS JUST GOING TO BE AN OUTSTANDING YEAR, BUT I KEEP IT AT THAT KEEPS THAT GOING IN MY MIND THAT I ACTUALLY STOOD UP IN FRONT OF A GROUP OF 50 PEOPLE AND SAID THAT NOW SOONER OR LATER, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I WAS, UH, I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MUCH STRONGER.
IT LOOKS LIKE MR. SMITH HAS JUST JOINED US.
NOW WE'VE GOT A QUORUM SO WE CAN HAVE AN OFFICIAL MEETING.
UM, WE'LL CALL THIS MEETING OF THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE TO ORDER ON DECEMBER 10TH.
IF WE COULD ALL STAND FOR THE PLEDGE, PLEASE.
OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IN AMERICA, AUTOMATION, THE VISIBLE JUSTICE.
IT'S JUST YOU AND I, I MUSTER DOWN.
I COULDN'T MAKE IT, UM, NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA WILL BE OKAY.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE TODAY'S AGENDA.
AND, UH, ROBIN, IT'LL BE TWO ZERO.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? ROBIN CAN ALL LOOK TO YOU WILL FOR HIM.
LET ME REMOVE MR. DALLY ALL I'M READY.
YOU WANT ME TO DO SOMETHING? UM, YEAH, YOU NEED TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
I'LL MAKE THEM, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE OCTOBER 14TH MINUTES SECOND.
NOW WE GET TO THE TOPICS, CUSTODIAL CONTRACT BENEFITS.
AND, UH, JUST TO KIND OF TEE THIS UP, UM, BOTH MR. CAMPBELL AND I GOT WORD THAT UNDER THE NEW CONTRACT, UH, PREVIOUS EMPLOYEES UNDER THE PREVIOUS CONTRACT FOR CUSTODIAL SERVICES WOULD NOT
[00:05:01]
BE GETTING VACATION DAYS, UH, FOR THE FIRST YEAR.AND ALSO THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE WOULD NOT KICK IN FOR DAYS, ALTHOUGH THEY HAD COBRA THAT SHOULD'VE GOTTEN COVID BENEFITS FROM THE PREVIOUS, UM, AND BOTH MR. CAMPBELL.
AND I FELT THAT, UH, WE NEEDED TO SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO CORRECT THAT BECAUSE OF ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
UM, THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT REALLY CAN LEAST AFFORD TO TAKE A HIT.
AND I'D START BY SAYING, UM, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
UM, SINCE IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION, WE'VE, UH, UH, HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH ATS, WHO'S OUR CURRENT CUSTODIAL CONTRACTOR.
AND, UH, WE HAVE MADE SURE THAT WE HAVE A PACKAGE THAT IS COMPARABLE TO WHAT THEY HAD BEFORE WITH VACATION AND SICK PAY.
SO WE HAVE COME TO AN AGREEMENT, UM, ON HOW THAT CAN BE DONE.
UH, THERE IS A SLIGHT COST TO THE DISTRICT, WHICH WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FIND SAVINGS, UH, FROM VEHICLE FLEET MAINTENANCE.
UH, AS FAR AS DURING COVID-19, IT'S AN EXPENSE THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SAVE FUNDING ON.
SO WE ARE ABLE TO, UM, PAY THAT, THAT AMOUNT.
UM, WE'VE, WE'VE SHARED THE COST WITH HES AND OURSELVES TO MAKE SURE WE CAN DO THAT.
SO WITH THAT, UH, AND WHAT THAT MEANS, JUST SO YOU KNOW, IS THERE, THEY PREVIOUSLY HAD SICK, UH, SIX VACATION DAYS AND, UH, WE'RE AGREEING TO, UM, PUT THOSE SAME SIX VACATION DAYS IN INCLUDING RETROACTIVE FOR THANKSGIVING.
SO THEY'LL GET NEW YEAR'S MEMORIAL DAY, JULY 4TH, LABOR DAY, THANKSGIVING DAY AND CHRISTMAS DAY.
AND THEN PREVIOUSLY THEY HAD THREE SICK DAYS ON TOP OF THE FIVE VACATION DAYS THAT THEY ALREADY CAN HAVE AFTER A YEAR.
AND THAT WE'VE AGREED TO ADD THOSE THREE SICK DAYS BACK.
SO WITH THAT, AND I I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I HAVE, UM, RUSSELL LEE BOFF, UH, WITH HGS AND PHIL GILBERT, UH, WITH AGS ACTUALLY, UH, HERE.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'LL BE READY TO ANSWER THEM.
I HAVE A QUESTION, ROBERT, JUST, THIS IS FOR EMPLOYEES THAT ARE PREVIOUS EMPLOYEES.
THIS IS, SO IF THEY HIRED SOMEONE NEW OFF THE STREET, WE'RE NOT EXTENDING THIS OR ARE WE OKAY? ALL THEIR EMPLOYEES WILL NOW HAVE THIS BENEFIT, WHETHER THEY'RE BRAND NEW OR WHETHER THEY WORKED FOR ABM BEFORE.
AND IS THERE A CONTRACT MODIFICATION THAT THE BOARD IS GOING TO HAVE TO APPROVE? WELL, THERE IS.
SO, UM, THERE IS A COST INCREASE.
UH, WE'VE AGREED WITH HGS TO SHARE THIS.
SO THE COST OF THE DISTRICT'S A HUNDRED, 3000.
SO TECHNICALLY WE DO NOT HAVE TO BRING THAT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ANY KIND OF APPROVAL.
I'VE ALSO CHECKED, UH, THE RFP RESULTS.
SO THIS WAS A BID RFP WHERE PRICE WAS ABOUT 40% OF THE CRITERIA FOR SELECTION.
AND WE'VE GONE BACK AND LOOKED AT THE RFP RESULTS.
AND IF WE ADDED IN THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND 103 THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, THEY STILL WOULD HAVE BEEN THE TOP BIDDER.
SO THERE IS NO CONCERN ON THE RFP SIDE OF, OF, WE'RE NOT ALLOWING OTHER BIDDERS TO DO THIS.
AND FRANKLY, WE DON'T KNOW IF THE OTHER BIDDERS HAD THE HOLIDAY DAYS IN THERE OR NOT.
DAVID, MR. CAMPBELL'S HANDS UP.
UM, ROBERT, A COPY OF THIS, MR. LEE BOFF.
UH, HOW, HOW DO YOU PLAN ON COMMUNICATING THIS TO YOU? YEAH, WE'LL PUT OUT A WRITTEN NOTIFICATION AS TO HOW THIS IS GOING TO WORK, BUT IT'S BASICALLY A COMPLETE MATCH AS TO WHAT THEY HAD BEFORE BABY.
ROBIN, COULD YOU GET ME A COPY? SEND ME A COPY.
MR. FAN WILL, DOES THIS RESOLVE THE ISSUES THAT YOU HEARD ABOUT? YEAH.
THEY WERE CONCERNED BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO GET SICK AND NOT ONLY THAT THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT PAY TAXES IN THIS COUNTY,
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THE CHILDREN GO TO OUR SCHOOLS.AND SO I WAS CONCERNED, I WAS, I RECEIVED SEVERAL CALLS, NOT JUST FROM DISTRICT ONE, BUT ALL OVER THIS COUNTY FROM EMPLOYEES.
AND I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S, IF THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THAT, THEN THAT'S FINE WITH ME.
I JUST LIKE TO SAY, I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THOSE CONCERNS.
AND I THINK IN THE END, THIS IS A WIN, WIN, WIN FROM THE EMPLOYEES.
IT'S A WIN FOR US HAVING HAPPIER EMPLOYEES AND IT'S A WIN FOR HDS CAUSE THEY HAVE HAPPY EMPLOYEES.
UM, I NEED TO RECEIVE A COUPLE OF THOSE PHONE CALLS TOO, BUT I, UM, I DIDN'T KNOW, BUT I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE GETTING THIS RESOLVED, BUT ALSO, UM, MY QUESTION IS TO AMAZON IN, IN, IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THIS, UH, IS THIS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'D GO OVER IN THE, IN, IN THIS, IN DISCUSSING OF CHANGING OF CONTRACTS? CAN YOU ALMOST THE WHAT'S THE PROCESS? YEAH, SO I MEAN, AS PART OF THE RFP REQUIREMENTS WE HAD LISTED THE CRITERIA AND ONE OF THE CRITERIA THAT WAS LISTED WAS THAT THEIR, UM, THEIR BENEFIT PACKAGE HAD TO BE COMPARABLE TO THEIR CURRENT.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I CAN TELL YOU AS PART OF THE RFP COMMITTEE THAT WE LOOKED VERY CLOSELY AT WAS THE MEDICAL AND THE, UM, UH, THE OTHER, THE OTHER BENEFITS IN THE PACKAGE.
UH, QUITE FRANKLY, THERE WAS NOTHING IN THEIR PACKAGE ABOUT VACATION DAYS BECAUSE THEY DID NOT PLAN TO OFFER IT.
UM, AND IT WAS JUST, IT WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T CATCH UNTIL IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE GLAD IT HAS BEEN, WE'RE GLAD WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT.
I'M I'M I HOPING, I'M HOPING THAT, UM, THAT THIS WILL JUST BE A, A OVERSIGHT IN THAT MOVING FORWARD, THAT, THAT JUST AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT A LESSON LEARNED, BUT, UM, MORE SO, UM, UH, THERE WAS CONCERN WHAT THAT, WE'LL ALL, WE'LL ALL THE EMPLOYEES GET AN INTERVIEW BECAUSE ONE EMPLOYEE CALLED ME AND ASKED ME ABOUT THEM, POSSIBLY NOT GIVING, GETTING SOME EMPLOYEES INTERVIEWS.
DO WE KNOW THAT? LET ME STRESS THAT, UM, WE, WE WOULD GIVE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE, UH, EXISTING STAFF, A POSITION IF THEY'RE ENDORSED, IF THEY'RE SO ENDORSED IN THEIR BACKGROUND CHECKS COME BACK, OKAY, THEY'RE GOING TO GET A JOB WITH HES A HUNDRED PERCENT.
THEY WOULD NOT GET A JOB WITH US.
JUST CONTINUE SUPPORTING, UH, BUFORD, UH, WOULD BE SOMEONE WHO CAME BACK WITH A BAD BACKGROUND CHECK, OR IF IT WAS SOMEBODY, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM DID NOT ENDORSE.
YOU SAID SCHOOL SYSTEM ENDORSES.
IS THERE A PARTICULAR PERSON IN THE DISTRICT THAT MUST'VE MADE THAT ENDORSEMENT? COULD YOU, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS? WELL, NO.
AS A, AS AN EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAD KNOWLEDGE, IF YOUR LEADERSHIP HAD KNOWLEDGE OF AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAD A RECORD OR, OR SOMETHING, OR MAYBE SOME BAD ACTIVITY, UM, IN THE, IN THE AREA IN THE DISTRICT, WE WOULD NOT HAVE, WE WOULDN'T EVEN, WELL, I'M GLAD WE WERE ABLE TO WORK THIS OUT BECAUSE OUR CUSTODIANS AND OUR STAFF ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
WE SCOPED IT OUT OR WE FIXED IT.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
SO LET'S MOVE ON TO THE HR ANNUAL REPORT FOR MORE ANIMALS, MR. STRINGER AND MR. SMITH.
I BELIEVE YOU HAVE A COPY OF THE REPORT AND BOARD DOCS.
MR. CAMPBELL, YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THAT AS WELL.
WE HAVE EIGHT PES TO BE APPROVED, AND THIS IS OUR STANDARD APPROVED APPROVAL PROCESS FOR THE APS FOR HR ON A YEARLY BASIS.
SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TODAY IS JUST BRIEFLY RUN THROUGH EACH ONE OF THE PES THAT YOU NEED TO APPROVE AND TALK VERY SPARINGLY ABOUT THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE IN OF YOU.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID DO THIS YEAR WAS TO ALTER THE REPORT A BIT SO THAT OUR NUMBERS AND OUR, UM, DATA
[00:15:01]
IS CONFIGURED IN A WAY THAT IS CHUNKED TOGETHER BY RECRUITMENT, BY STAFFING, BY SUPPORT, SO THAT IT'S EASIER TO FOLLOW.SO OUR FIRST, UM, PE IS PE EIGHT FIVE, 8.1, AND THE EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT REPORT.
AND THAT TALKS ABOUT OUR RECRUITING EFFORTS, WHAT WE'VE DONE AND OUR PLANS FOR THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR, NEXT YEAR'S REPORT.
SO I'M GOING TO TURN THIS OVER TO REGGIE AND JILL, THANK YOU ALL KNOW THE HR STAFF, REGGIE DS, THE, UM, PERSONNEL DIRECTOR, GEO MCCADDEN IS OUR RECRUITER.
WE HAVE MATT HUNT HERE WHO WAS A LEAD MENTOR.
WE ALSO HAVE DALE CRAWFORD, WHO IS OUR HR OFFICER, AND WE HAVE KIKI SWINTT WITH US TODAY.
SHE'S GOING TO BE ON AND OFF BECAUSE SHE'S IN A SEMINAR TODAY.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AS WE GO THROUGH, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
UM, REGGIE AND JILL, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU FOR A BRIEF SUMMARY.
OKAY, GOOD MORNING SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.
I'M GOING TO BE GOING OVER PE FIVE, A ONE.
AND LIKE MS. WALTON SAID, I'M NOT GOING TO READ THIS VERBATIM TO YOU, BUT WE HAVE SOME CELEBRATIONS, UM, AMIDST THIS PANDEMIC.
UM, I GUESS IT SHOULD ALL BE PREFACED WITH THAT.
AND MISS AND MYTHS, THIS PANDEMIC, WE WERE ABLE TO HIRE 238 TEACHERS THIS YEAR AND THE 1920 SCHOOL YEAR.
I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THE USE OF APPLITRACK, WHICH WE HAVE CONTINUED TO USE.
AND IT WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL THIS YEAR IN PARTICULAR, UM, BECAUSE A NUMBER OF OUR CAREER FAIRS WERE CANCELED.
UM, WE WERE REGISTERED FOR 32 CAREER FAIRS.
WE ATTENDED NINE AND 23 OR CLOSE TO DUE TO COVID.
I WOULD SAY THE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ARE REGROUPING KIND OF AS WE SPEAK AND MOVING TO A VIRTUAL PLATFORM.
UM, IN MANY CASES THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN LAST YEAR.
SO THE ENGAGEMENT PIECE BECAME VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME WITH THE FOLKS THAT I HAD CONTACT WITH AND THAT'S ALL THROUGH APPLITRACK, UM, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH POSSIBLE FUTURE EMPLOYEES WAS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE PLAN.
UM, OUR CAREER FAIR FORTUNATELY OCCURRED ON MARCH THE SEVENTH, PRIOR TO THE MASSIVE SHUTDOWN AND ADD OUR CAREER FAIR SHOUT OUT TO OUR 29 ADMINISTRATIVE TEAMS WHO CAME ON A SATURDAY TO INTERVIEW A HOST OF, OF INTERESTED CANDIDATES.
AT, ON THAT SATURDAY, WE DID OFFER 43 CONTRACTS.
WE WERE REALLY FOCUSED ON DIVERSITY AND OUR CRITICAL NEEDS AREAS AT THAT CAREER FAIR.
BUT AGAIN, I WAS ABLE TO CAPTURE 130 RESUMES.
SO BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THOSE FOLKS CONTINUED PAST MARCH THE SEVENTH.
UM, ONE OF MY STRATEGIES THIS YEAR WAS COHORT HIRING.
AND SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF I WAS SPEAKING TO SOMEBODY FROM UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, UM, I MIGHT ENCOURAGE THAT CANDIDATE TO THINK OF A, ANOTHER STRONG TEACHER THAT I COULD INTERVIEW AND GET THEM TO MOVE TOGETHER.
UM, THAT'S PROVED TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL THIS YEAR, AND I'LL REPEAT THAT IN THE YEARS TO COME.
UM, I'D LIKE TO NEXT HIGHLIGHT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH USC B, WHICH IS JUST CONTINUED TO GROW OVER TIME.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE VERY EASILY WITH THIS CHART FROM 2017 TO LAST YEAR, WE HAVE HIRED A NUMBER OF USC GRADS.
WE HAD 26 THIS PAST YEAR IN OUR CLASSROOMS FOR STUDENT TEACHING, WE HIRED 23 OF THEM WOULD HAVE HIRED 26, BUT THREE NEEDED TO GO BACK HOME.
SO, UM, HOPEFULLY THESE, THESE CHARTS ARE VERY HELPFUL TO YOU TO SEE KIND OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, OUR GOALS MOVING FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SAY THIS IS FLUID BECAUSE OF THE COVID VIRUS.
UM, BUT WE ARE LOOKING TO HOST AN INFORMATIONAL FORUM TO EDUCATE A DIVERSE GROUP OF P FOR COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, UM, TO DISCUSS OUR RECRUITING EFFORTS, OUR RECRUITING SUCCESSES AND OUR AREAS FOR GROWTH.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AS STRONG AS OUR TEAMS ARE.
SO I'M ENLISTING THE SUPPORT OF OUR PRINCIPALS.
AND FIRST YEAR TEACHERS AND VETERAN TEACHERS,
[00:20:01]
AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE WORLD OF VIRTUAL RECREATING WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT, UM, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS EARLY AND OFTEN.SO THAT IS OUR RECRUITING GOAL.
UM, MOVING ALONG TO PAGE SIX, THIS IS THE POWER OF APPLITRACK THESE GRAPHS THAT YOU SEE, UM, THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS ARE JOB POSTINGS RECEIVED.
AND YOU'LL SEE AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT GRAPH, THAT WE HAD A LOWER THAN AVERAGE APPLICATION RATE DUE TO THE TEACHER SHORTAGE, WHICH IS FELT AROUND THE COUNTRY AND OUR STATE AND THE FOLLOWING TWO GRAPHS REPRESENT GENDER AND ETHNICITY.
UM, THE FIRST ONE, THE, UH, GENDER IS NO, BUT WE HAVE GOTTEN MORE MALE APPLICANTS, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR GOALS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S A HIGHLIGHT OF CELEBRATION.
THE NEXT CHART SHOWS ETHNICITY AND, UH, MOVING FORWARD, YOU CAN SEE W WE OBVIOUSLY NEED TO WORK ON OUR HISPANIC, UM, INTEREST IN OUR DISTRICT, WHICH WE NEED VERY MUCH FOR THAT SOUTH OF THE BROAD AREA.
UM, THE NEXT AREA IS ON CRITICAL NEEDS VACANCIES, AND I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MR. DS TO COVER THIS PART MR. DAYS, UH, IN REGARDS TO, UH, CRITICAL NEEDS.
WE HAVE SEVERAL CRITICAL NEEDS AREAS THAT ARE HARD TO FEEL.
SO WE RELY ON, UH, UPON A COMPANY SUCH AS PARTICIPATE, A COMPANY CALLED TPG CULTURAL EXCHANGE, WHICH IS THE TEACHER PLACEMENT GROUP.
AND WE'VE JUST, UH, CONTRACTED WITH A COMPANY CALLED PROXIMITY LEARNING TO HELP FULFILL, UH, SOME OF OUR, UH, SOME OF OUR HARD TO FEEL AREAS, UM, CULTURE, UH, CURRENTLY, UH, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO HIRE TEACHERS FROM PARTICIPATE IN TPG DUE TO THE TRAVEL BAN, UH, ON INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.
BUT I'VE JUST BEEN MADE AWARE THAT THE TRAVEL BAN HAS JUST BEEN LIFTED FOR CERTAIN AREAS IN CERTAIN COUNTRIES.
BUT AT THIS POINT, UH, WE DON'T THINK IT'S FEASIBLE TO BRING TEACHERS IN, UH, TO COMPLETE THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR.
SO, SO WE'RE RELYING ON A COMPANY CALLED PROXIMITY, UH, LEARNING.
THIS IS A VIRTUAL PLATFORM WHERE WE BRING, UH, WELL, WE HIRED TEACHERS TO TEACH OUR STUDENTS VIRTUALLY.
THEY ARE CERTIFIED TEACHERS AND WE PLACE A FACILITATOR IN THE CLASSROOM TO HELP MONITOR THE STUDENTS WHILE THEY'RE BEING TAUGHT BY THIS VIRTUAL LEARNER.
ANY QUESTIONS, UH, IN REGARDS TO THE CRITICAL NEED VACANCIES IN THE, UH, UH, INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS.
WE CAN MOVE ON TO, UM, P E 5.2 0.3, AND THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF OUR, UM, RETENTION REPORT.
AND I THINK REGGIE, YOU'RE GOING TO TALK A BIT ABOUT OUR, UM, ORIENTATION.
UH, THIS YEAR WE WEREN'T ABLE TO HAVE OUR FACE-TO-FACE, UH, ORIENTATIONS, UM, ON MONDAYS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.
SO WE HAD TO RELY ON, UH, THE VIRTUAL.
YES, I DO HAVE A QUESTION IN REGARDS TO, OR WE'RE MOVING ON.
I DID HAVE A QUESTION IN REGARDS TO, UM, THE RECRUIT RECRUIT RECRUITING.
JOBS COMING IN WITH SCRIPTURE.
UH, W W W W REGARDLESS TO, TO INCLUDE NOT SURE THAT WE'RE RECRUITING DIFFERENTLY, BUT, UH, MY QUESTION IS, UH, WE SAID WE HAVE MORE, MORE, MORE MALES, BUT, UM, DID I HEAR THAT? SHE SAID THAT SHE WENT TO A TWO, ONE, TWO, ONE OF THE TWO, ONE OF THE RECRUITING SITES AND GOT ABOUT A HUNDRED APPLICANTS.
HI, MR. SMITH IS DISMISSED MCCANN.
I DON'T RECALL SAYING THAT I WENT TO A SITE AND GOT A HUNDRED APPLICANTS.
UM, I THINK, UM, ROBIN IT'S PAGE FIVE, MAYBE THE RECRUITING FAIR THAT WE HAD WITH THE HUNDRED AND THIRD, 130 RESUMES.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SMITH? YES.
TO BE CLEAR, MR. SMITH, THAT WE HAD 130 CANDIDATES
[00:25:01]
THAT WERE VETTED FOR OUR CAREER FAIR, THAT WAS HELD ON MARCH THE SEVENTH.UM, OUT OF THOSE 94 ACTUALLY CAME TO OUR CAREER FAIR IN PERSON, WHICH IS A GREAT NUMBER TO HAVE.
AND I BET YOU HIRED 50, 54 OR BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM.
AND THE NUMBER 52 IS THE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES THAT WERE RECOMMENDED FOR TIER TWO, WHICH MEANS WE'RE RECOMMENDED FOR FURTHER CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR PRINCIPALS WHO ARE BECOME OUR HIRING MANAGERS AFTER THE FAIR.
UM, AND WHAT WAS THE PROCESS OF, OF, OF, OF COMING UP, COMING UP WITH THE EASY, UH, WITH, WITH, WITH THIS FAIR, WHAT DOES HIRING FAIR? THE PROCESS OF, UH, WELL, WE'VE DONE THIS, THIS IS AN ANNUAL EVENT.
SO WHAT, WHAT PROCESS WOULD, COULD I EXPLAIN, UH, BASICALLY HOW YOU GOT STARTED IN, HOW DO PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT? THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT RIGHT THERE THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
SO, UM, THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA IS TREMENDOUS, AS WE ALL KNOW.
UM, BUT I START TALKING ABOUT THE CAREER FAIR ABOUT A YEAR BEFORE IT HAPPENS.
SO AS AN EXAMPLE, MR. SMITH, I'M ALREADY IN TOUCH THE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, SO I USE THE APPLITRACK, I POPPED THE CANDIDATE INTO A FOLDER, AND ONCE THE CAREER FAIRS ESTABLISHED, THE APPOINTMENTS ARE SET AND I SEND EACH CANDIDATE AN INVITATION, IF YOU WILL.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO SAY I NAG AT PEOPLE TO COME, BUT I KEEP ON THEM.
AND, UM, SO WE, WE DID HAVE A VERY SUCCESSFUL, FAIR.
WE, WE TRY NOT TO SCHEDULE OUR FARE ON THE SAME DAY AS CHARLESTON OR JASPER COUNTY OR SAVANNAH.
UM, OBVIOUSLY STAYING AWAY FROM ST PATRICK'S DAY AS WELL.
SO AGAIN, JUST SO HAPPY WE HAD IT MARCH THE SEVENTH BECAUSE IT'S PROTESTANT GOOD NUMBERS.
WELL BASICALLY WE USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO, TO GET US TO GET THESE CANDIDATES BASICALLY.
UM, I USE APPLITRACK, WHICH IS OUR, UM, TRACKING SYSTEM.
SO ONCE I MEET A CANDIDATE AT A JOB FAIR, UM, THEY SUBMIT THEIR INFORMATION, THEIR BRIEF INFORMATION INTO APPLITRACK AND I START COMMUNICATING WITH THEM THAT DAY.
SO I COMMUNICATE WITH EVERYONE THAT I MEET, UM, THROUGH APPLITRACK.
SO EVERYTHING IS DOCUMENTED THERE BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY I CAN REMEMBER THE PERSONALITIES OF THESE 238 PEOPLE.
SO I NEED TO LOOK BACK AT MY NOTES.
SO I COMMUNICATE BACK AND FORTH WITH EVERYONE WHO I COME IN CONTACT WITH.
WELL, YOURSELF SOLELY, SAY THAT AGAIN, MR. SMITH, DO YOU JUST BY YOURSELF, OR DO YOU TAKE TEACHERS WITH YOU OR, OH, NO.
I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT DO IT BY MYSELF.
THIS IS NOT THE WORK OF, OF ONE PERSON.
UM, I, I LIKE TO TAKE, UM, PRINCIPALS.
I LIKE TO TAKE, UH, NEW NEW TEACHERS AGAIN, THIS YEAR WAS DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T ATTEND MANY FAIRS.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, FREDDIE LAWTON ALWAYS GOES WITH ME TO UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
UM, HE'S A GREAT AMBASSADOR FOR OUR DISTRICT.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I'M DOING THIS THIS YEAR, MR. SMITH IS CONNECTING CANDIDATES WITH PRINCIPALS RIGHT THERE AT THE JOB FAIR.
SO, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, AT COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON, IF I MEET A GREAT CANDIDATE, SAY THAT TEACHES HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE, I WILL HOLD THEM AT MY TABLE AND CONNECT THEM WITH A PRINCIPAL RIGHT AWAY WHO HAS AN OPENING.
I ALSO USE OUR MENTORS TO HELP WITH TALKING ABOUT THE INDUCTION PROGRAM.
THE BEST THING I HAVE GOING FOR ME KUDOS TO THE SCHOOL BOARD IS THE COST OF LIVING SUPPLEMENT.
AND IN FACT, IF I CAN, UH, UM, SAY THIS, WE ALSO SEND OUT FEELERS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT, UH, FOR TEACHERS THAT HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE, BECAUSE THEY CAN GO THROUGH AN ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM, WHICH IS CALLED PACE TEACHERS OF TOMORROW, TEACH FOR AMERICA.
AND, UH, WE RECRUIT TEACHERS THAT WAY ALSO.
SO IF YOU HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE, WE ASK YOU TO APPLY TO THE STATE, UH, AND THE STATE WILL ANALYZE YOUR TRANSCRIPTS TO DETERMINE A CERTIFICATION AREA.
AND ONCE THAT IS DETERMINED, THEY WILL TAKE, UH, THE CONTENT KNOWLEDGE TEST, THE PRACTICE TEST.
THEY PASS THE PRAXIS TEST, THEY GET A LETTER OF ELIGIBILITY AND, UH, I SEND THEM OVER TO JILL AND WE TRY TO FIND PLACEMENT FOR THEM
[00:30:01]
RIGHT HERE IN THE DISTRICT.SO IF WE HAVE CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES OR SUBSTITUTES THAT HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE, WE ENCOURAGE, IF THEY WANT TO WANT TO TEACH, WE ENCOURAGE THEM TO, UH, TO TAKE THAT PRACTICE AND WE TRY TO PLACE THEM IN THE CLASSROOM.
CAN I, CAN I GIVE A COUPLE EXAMPLES OF THAT, MR. DS? SO I'VE INVITED REGGIE TO COME IN, TO SPEAK WITH OUR BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST A COUPLE OF YEARS IN A ROW TO TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT, UM, ALTERNATIVES TO CERTIFICATION.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD TWO BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT SPECIALISTS THAT WENT INTO THE TEACHING PROFESSION.
AND THEN ONE ACTUALLY JUST BECAME A SCHOOL COUNSELOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR AND JOB JUMPING ON THAT BANDWAGON.
WE ALSO HAD A BUS DRIVER WHO BECAME AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER.
UM, AND THAT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS STORY.
SO, SO THANK YOU MR. DAYS FOR BRINGING THIS UP.
THANK YOU, GEO AND REGGIE, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER NOW TO DALE.
DALE IS OUR HR DATA PERSON AND NUMBERS PERSON.
HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT POSITIONS THAT ARE ALLOCATED BY SCHOOL, UM, GET TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.
NO POSITIONS ARE AWARDED I, THIS IS WHAT I THOUGHT I, I THOUGHT INTERRUPTED MISTY.
D'S ABOUT TO MAKE A PRESENTATION.
MR. DIAZ, DID YOU FINISH? YES.
UM, DALE, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU TO TALK ABOUT NUMBERS HIRING, UM, AND OUR GENERAL OVERALL DEMOGRAPHICS.
UM, AS ELLE SAID, I AM DALE CRAWFORD ON THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES.
IT REPRESENT THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS THAT WE HIRED UP TO THE, UH, THE CREATION OF THIS REPORT.
AND IT'S WE, UH, HIRED AT THAT TIME 238, UM, NEW TEACHERS IN THE FOLLOWING SLIDES, UH, GRAPHS, JUST TO PICK THOSE, UH, THE DIFFERENT SUBJECT AREAS, THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL POSITIONS THAT WE'VE HIRED FOR, AND THE HIGH SCHOOL, UH, POSITIONS THAT WE HIRED FOR AS WELL.
WE ALSO PROVIDED YOU WITH A BREAKDOWN OF THE DIFFERENT CONTRACT LEVELS, THE AGE RANGES AS WELL, THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND THE DETER, UH, DEGREE LEVELS OF THOSE TWO AND 38 NEW TEACHERS THAT WE HIRED AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT.
UM, ON PAGE 11, IT, IT KIND OF GIVES YOU THE, UH, THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE HIRE.
AND IT ALSO GIVES YOU THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT LEFT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, LEFT THE DISTRICT AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT AS WELL.
AND THE TWO AREAS I WANT TO JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE MINORITY HIRING FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR.
IT WENT UP ALMOST JUST A LITTLE OVER 1% FROM LAST YEAR.
SO WE WENT FROM 1530 8% TO 16 POINT 39% THIS YEAR IN THE HIRING AND OUR MINORITY MINORITY DEMOGRAPHICS WENT DOWN, UH, ALMOST, UH, A PERCENTAGE POINT AS WELL FROM 17 POINT 80% TO 16.
AND THAT PROBABLY HAD TO DO, I'M ASSUMING WITH SOME OF THE COVID, UH, RESTRICTIONS AS WELL, PEOPLE WEREN'T LEAVING.
AND THEN THE, UH, THE, THE OTHER GRAPH JUST GIVES YOU A, A SNAPSHOT OF THE STAFFING ALLOCATION FORMULA THAT WE USE.
UH, EVERY YEAR WHEN WE START OUR STAFFING ALLOCATION TALKS IN ORDER TO STAFF THE SCHOOLS FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THIS IS THE PROCESS THAT WE USE IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS THAT WILL BE ALLOCATED FOR EACH SCHOOL BUILDING.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THE NEXT SLIDE IS MATT IS THE, UM, INDUCTION YEARS INDUCTION TEACHERS PAGE SEVEN 15.
UM, GOOD AFTERNOON BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, SO I'M ONE OF THE FOUR LEAD DISTRICT MENTORS, AND, UH, YOU'VE HEARD JILL TALK A LOT ABOUT THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS AND, UM, WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THOSE NUMBERS.
AND OF COURSE IN HUMAN RESOURCES, ONE OF OUR GOALS ALWAYS IS TO RETAIN A HIGHLY QUALIFIED WORKFORCE.
AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE DO THAT IS BY PROVIDING TEACHERS THAT ARE IN THEIR FIRST, THEIR SECOND AND IN THEIR THIRD YEAR OF THE PROFESSION WITH AN INTENSIVE MENTORING AND INDUCTION PROGRAM.
AND SO, UM, THE FIRST GRAPH THAT WE SEE HERE ON PAGE 15, JUST KIND OF SHOWS
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YOU THE BREAKDOWN OF THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS AT THE INDUCTION ONE CONTRACT LEVEL INDUCTION TO AN INDUCTION THREE CONTRACT LEVEL.AND WE ALSO BROKE THAT DOWN BY CERTIFICATION.
AND SO AS TO BE EXPECTED, BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, WE HAD A LARGER PROPORTION OF TEACHERS THAT WERE HIRED AT THE ELEMENTARY CONTRACT, OR EXCUSE ME, THE ELEMENTARY CERTIFICATION LEVEL.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER DEMOGRAPHICS THERE BY SUBJECT LEVEL.
UM, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT PAGE.
AND SO THE DISTRICT MENTORS, THERE ARE FOUR US THAT ARE FULL-TIME.
AND WHAT WE DO IS WE COORDINATE THE ENTIRE INDUCTION AND MENTORING PROGRAM AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ALSO SERVE CASE LOADS OF 25 TO 30 TEACHERS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
UM, EVERY BRAND NEW TEACHER FIRST AND SECOND YEAR RECEIVE, UM, SERVICES AND SUPPORT FROM A BUILDING MENTOR AND FROM A DISTRICT MENTOR.
WELL, THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS THAT WE HAVE EVERY YEAR IS, IS QUITE HIGH, SOMETIMES AS HIGH AS 200 AND SOME.
AND SO THAT BEING SAID, WE NEED TO RELY ON 14 PART-TIME MENTORS.
AND SO 14 OF THE MENTORS THAT WE HAVE ON OUR LIST, UM, WE'RE IN EDUCATION, THEY'VE BEEN TRAINED AS MENTORS, AND GENERALLY THEY'VE ALL RETIRED, BUT THEY GO IN AND PROVIDE SUPPORT FROM THE DISTRICT LEVEL.
ONE OF THE NUMBERS I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT HERE, IT IS NOT ON THE SLIDE, BUT TO DATE, WE'VE TRAINED OVER 800 TEACHERS IN THE DISTRICT AS MENTORS.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS, UM, A TREMENDOUS NUMBER, UH, SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM BACK IN 2007 AND TO HAVE OVER 800 TRAINED MENTORS MEANS THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT THROUGH OUR TEACHERS.
AND REALLY WE'VE EXPANDED THAT THE SCOPE OF OUR, UM, MENTORING THIS YEAR TO INCLUDE VETERAN TEACHERS.
WE TALK ABOUT THE UNPRECEDENTED TIMES IN WHICH WE LIVE AND HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT HAS RECOGNIZED THAT THERE ARE NEEDS OF TEACHERS THAT ARE VETERANS IN THE CLASSROOM, UM, AS WELL AS BRAND NEW TEACHERS.
AND SO WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE, UM, THE SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS WITHIN THE BUILDING.
AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE DID THAT IS IN THE 2019 2020 SCHOOL YEAR, WE TRAINED ALL ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS AS MENTORS AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE ALL OF OUR ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS AND EVEN SOME BUILDING PRINCIPALS THAT HAVE BEEN TRAINED AS MENTORS, UM, BECAUSE WE NEED TO RETAIN THAT HIGH QUALITY WORKFORCE.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT WE DO, EVERYTHING WE DO IN THE DISTRICT HAS TO START WITH KIDS.
IT STARTS WITH KIDS AND IT ENDS WITH KIDS.
AND PART OF THAT IS MAKING SURE OUR TEACHERS ARE HEALTHY AND WHEN TEACHERS GROW STUDENTS GROW.
SO, UM, ON PAGE NUMBER 16, THERE, YOU CAN SEE KIND OF HOW THE INDUCTION SUPPORT WORKS.
AND THEN ON PAGE 17, WE HAVE A LIST OF WHAT THESE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE FOR OUR RETENTION OF FIRST AND SECOND YEAR TEACHERS.
AND IN 2019, 2020, UH, WE HAD A 79% RETENTION RATE.
UM, IT'S NOT AS HIGH AS WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, IT'S, IT'S HIGHER THAN IT WAS IN.
UH, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR FIVE 20, 15, 2016, WE HAD ABOUT A 28.91% RETENTION RATE.
UM, SO WE'RE VERY CONCERNED WITH THAT, BUT WE ARE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES TO TEACHERS.
UM, I THINK THAT, THAT IS IT FROM MY PART.
ARE THERE ANY, ANY QUESTIONS UP TO THIS POINT THAT, UM, WE CAN ANSWER? OKAY.
SO DALE DALE, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO MR. SMITH'S, UM, CALL EARLIER ABOUT REGGIE BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF A PRESENTATION.
HE WAS ABOUT READY TO TALK ABOUT OUR ORIENTATION AND THE NEW VIRTUAL ORIENTATION WE DID THIS YEAR.
SO I'LL LET REGGIE SLIP BACK IN JUST A BIT TOO, IN THAT DISCUSSION.
THANKS FOR REMINDING ME MRS. SMITH.
I, YOU ASKED HIM THE CORRECT, UH, JUST BRIEFLY ON THE NEW HIRE ORIENTATION.
UH, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT, UH, THIS PAST YEAR AS IT WAS, UH, IN THE PAST, IN THE PAST, WE, WE NORMALLY, UH, CONDUCT A FACE-TO-FACE ORIENTATION WHERE WE, WE ASKED THE, UH, NEW CANDIDATES TO COME TO THE DISTRICT OFFERS AND WE ORIENT THEM, UH, ORIENT THEM
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AT THE DISTRICT.UH, THIS YEAR WE CAN DO THAT DUE TO A COVID 19.
SO THIS YEAR, UH, WE CONDUCTED A NEW HOT, NEW HIRE ORIENTATIONS VIA ZOOM.
UH, I WOULD SAY IT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UH, THE, UH, HR TEAM CAME TOGETHER AND PUT TOGETHER A WONDERFUL POWERPOINT, WHICH HELPED US NAVIGATE THE ENTIRE ORIENTATION.
UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE THE AGENDA, WE HAD A WELCOME A VIRTUAL WELCOME BY DR. RODRIGUEZ, UM, UH, AND INTRODUCTIONS TO, UH, CHIEF OF HR, MS. WALTON AND GENTLEMEN, UH, SINCE THEY MET JILL PRIOR TO THE ORIENTATION, UH, JILL, UH, ALSO, UH, DID A WELCOME SPEECH.
WE HAD, UH, UH, DISTRICT MENTORS DO A PRESENTATION, UH, EMPLOYEE SERVICES, DID THEIR PRESENTATION, UH, RISK MANAGEMENT.
WE ALSO HAD ANITA PARKER, UM, WITH THE TEACHER EVALUATION, UH, THEIR CRAWFORD WITH HIS, WITH THE, UH, HR IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
AND I, I, UH, COMPLETED THE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE RULES AT THE END, AT THE END OF THE ORIENTATION.
WE, UH, YOU KNOW, TOOK ON ANY QUESTIONS, UH, FROM ALL OF OUR NEW EMPLOYEES.
UH, AND AFTERWARDS WE SIT THEM TO, UH, UH, SEND THEM A LINK TO TECHNOLOGY WHERE THEY SIGNED UP FOR TECHNOLOGY TRAINING THROUGH OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT.
THIS IS WHERE THEY HAD, THEY DID HAVE TO COME TO THE DISTRICT OFFICE, UH FACE-TO-FACE TO PICK UP THEIR DEVICE.
UH, THEY WERE TAKE THROUGH A TRAINING AND WHEN THEY LEFT THE DISTRICT, THEY HAD THEIR DEVICE, WHICH, WHICH WAS GREAT BECAUSE IT CONNECTED THEM, UH, VIRTUALLY WITH THE STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION, UH, AT THE SCHOOL, AT THEIR PARTICULAR SCHOOL.
AND THEY PARTICIPATED IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING, UH, THAT WAS NECESSARY FOR A SMOOTH, UH, STARTED THE SCHOOL YEAR.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE MS. WALTON FOR THE NEW HIRE POINTING.
WE'LL GO BACK TO PAGE 18 WITH DALE.
UM, ONE THING I JUST WANT TO MENTION ABOUT THE ORIENTATION WAS, UM, THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR THAT WE'VE HAD AN ORIENTATION WHERE WE'VE HAD ZERO, UH, PAPERS, UH, BEING ROUTED THROUGH THE PROCESS.
WE, THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR THAT WE'VE BEEN 100% TOTALLY PAPERLESS IN GENERATING A NEW HIRE DOCUMENTS AND NEW EMPLOYEE PERSONNEL FILES.
AND AS AN ONBOARDING PROCESS WORK, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE.
WE WILL BE TO THE POINT WHERE EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE'S PERSONNEL FILE WILL BE, UM, ELECTRONIC AS WELL.
UM, SO I'LL MOVE ON FROM THERE.
SO ON PAGE 18, THIS SHOWS THE, UH, THE DISTRICT'S OVERALL RETENTION RATE.
AND, UM, CURRENTLY FOR THIS YEAR, WE ARE AT 85 POINT 38%.
UM, THAT IS A, UM, ALMOST A 2% INCREASE IN OUR RETENTION RATE FROM LAST YEAR.
AS YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE IS A, IF YOU WERE THAT DOWN, ROBIN, THAT PAGE DOWN, YOU CAN SEE THE, UH, THE HISTORY, THE RETENTION RATE HISTORY FOR OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AS WELL.
WE ALSO STARTED LOOKING AT, UM, THE CRITICAL NEEDS AREA, FOREIGN LANGUAGE, MATH, SCIENCE, AND SPECIAL ED AS WELL.
AND YOU CAN SEE THOSE NUMBERS ON THE CHART WHERE THEY'VE, UH, WHERE THEY'VE INCREASED A LITTLE BIT, OR THEY'VE GONE DOWN AS WELL.
UM, SAME WAY WITH THE, UH, THE NEXT, THE NEXT SET OF CHARGE SHOWS THE, UH, THE TEACHER VACANCIES THAT AT MID OCTOBER AND ALSO BELOW THAT ARE THE NUMBER OF RESIGNATIONS THAT WE RECEIVED BY, BY THE DIFFERENT MONTHS AS WELL FROM JUNE THROUGH OCTOBER, IS WHEN THIS REPORT WAS GENERATED.
AND THAT'S THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE MS. WALTON.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING ANY OF THE CHARGES, ANY OF THE DATA? YEAH.
SO WE WILL MOVE TO THE NEXT PE AND THAT'S PE POINT A 0.4, AND THAT IS THE EMPLOYEE EXIT REPORT.
AND I'M GOING TO TURN THIS OVER TO REGGIE.
THANK YOU AGAIN, MS. WALTON, UH, THE EXIT INTERVIEW PROCESS HAS CHANGED, UH, OVER THE YEARS.
UH, WE HAVE UPDATED IT SINCE THE, UH, UH, 2018, 2019 SCHOOL YEAR.
THERE ARE FOUR DOMAINS THAT WE LOOK AT CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, SUPPORT, UH, EVALUATION, FEEDBACK, PROFESSIONALISM, AND
[00:45:01]
SCHOOL CLIMATE.AND AS YOU CAN SEE, HERE'S THE, UM, OUR EMPLOYEE ONBOARDING PROCESS IN THE PAST, THE, UH, TEACHERS HAVE ONBOARDED AT THE SCHOOL WHERE THEY TURNED IN THEIR DEVICE, THEIR BADGE, THEIR KEYS, AND EVERYTHING AT THE SCHOOL.
UH, WE FELT THAT THAT WAS, UH, NOT A GOOD PROCESS.
SO ALL OF OUR TEACHERS ONBOARD HERE AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
SO WE LIKE TO SEE THEM, UH, BEFORE THEY LEAVE.
SO THE ONBOARDING PROCESS HAS CHANGED NOW.
THEY TURN THEIR LAPTOP AND THEIR BADGE IN, AND THEY'LL MEET WITH ME IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO MEET WITH ME TO DISCUSS SOME PERSONAL ISSUES, WHETHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE, UM, THAT THEY'VE EXPERIENCED IN THE SCHOOL.
UH, AND IT ALSO, THEY HAVE TO TURN THERE FOR ME AND THE FORMS ORIGINATES AT V A SCHOOL LEVEL.
THEY WILL CHECK OUT AT THE SCHOOL TO MAKE SURE THEY TURN IN THE KEYS, THE BOOKS, UH, ALL THE NECESSARY ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE TURNED IN AT THE SCHOOL.
THEN THEY REPORT TO THE DISTRICT OFFICE AND COMPLETE THE OUTBOARDING TURNING IN THEIR BADGE AND THEIR COMPUTER.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, BACK IN 2018, 19 SCHOOL YEAR, UH, WHERE ZERO SURVEYS SUBMITTED AND 23 FACE-TO-FACE EXIT INTERVIEWS, UM, AND THE INFORMATION I RECEIVED FROM THOSE INTERVIEWS, UH, I PROVIDE TO MS. WALTON AND THEN WE PROVIDE IT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.
AND A LOT OF THAT, LOT OF THE INFORMATION AGAIN, IS NEGATIVE.
YOU KNOW, IF THE TEACHERS WOULD LIKE TO COMPLAIN, HAVE A COMPLAINT ABOUT SOMETHING AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR THE SCHOOL LEVEL 2000, 1920 CHANGED THE PROCESS WHERE WE REQUIRED THEM TO TURN THE DEVICE IN AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, WE HAD 70, UH, SURVEY SUBMITTED AND 10 FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEWS, HALE, UM, SLIDE ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, THE DATA, UH, THE MAJORITY OF THE, UH, PEOPLE LEAVING THE DISTRICT IT WAS THROUGH IS BY, IS BECAUSE OF THE RELOCATION.
UH, WE HAD A DUE TO COST OF LIVING FOR COVID RELATED, UH, SEEKING, UH, TO SEEKING HIGHER DEGREES TO, WITH A TOXIC WORK ENVIRONMENT.
AND THAT INFORMATION IS TAKEN DIRECTLY TO MS. WALTON.
WHEN I GET THAT INFORMATION, I REPORTED DIRECTLY TO MS. WALTON, WE REPORT THAT DIRECTLY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, UH, THREE HAVE LEFT THE PROFESSION AND, UH, TWO ACCEPTED JOBS AND OTHER, UH, UH, OTHER TEACHING JOBS IN OTHER AREAS.
ANY QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO THE, UH, EXIT INTERVIEWS? I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.
WHAT CONSTITUTES A TOXIC WORK ENVIRONMENT, UH, MS. WALTON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO? SURE, SURE.
UM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT FORMS, MR. STRINGER.
IT CAN BE AS MINIMAL AS SOMEONE WHO FEELS THAT THEY ARE BEING, UM, TARGETED OR HARASSED BECAUSE OF THE CULTURE IN THE BUILDING OR THE CLIMATE.
HOW DO THEY FEEL? ARE THEY COMFORTABLE IN THE BUILDING? DO THEY FEEL IT'S WARM AND WELCOMING? AND THEN IT CAN GET TO THE, AS, I GUESS I WOULD SAY, AS EXTENSIVE AND EGREGIOUS AS SOMEONE WHO IS ACTUALLY BEING TARGETED AND HARASSED AT THE SAME TIME, SINGLED OUT, IT'S OBVIOUS TO THE PERSON IS OBVIOUS TO OTHER STAFF MEMBERS IN THE BUILDING.
AND THERE HAS BEEN AN ACTUAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES THAT THERE, THERE ARE ISSUES BETWEEN THE TWO.
I THINK YOU ANTICIPATED, MY NEXT QUESTION IS, DOES THIS GENERATE A FOLLOW-UP FROM HR? WHEN SOMEONE SAYS IT WAS, I REALIZED THERE'S ONE OUT THE DOOR AND THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M LEAVING.
CAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS STOCKS AT WORK ENVIRONMENT.
DO WE FOLLOW UP EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE GONE? OH YES, WE DO.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, WE TRY TO, UM, PROBE AND ASK IF IT'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO MAKE THOSE SITUATIONS BETTER, OR IF WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THEM IN ANOTHER WAY, MAYBE IN A DIFFERENT BUILDING, BECAUSE WE ALWAYS TRY TO KEEP STAFF IN THE DISTRICT.
SO WE, WE WILL REACH OUT TO ACCOMMODATE AND MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR, UM, A GRIEVANCE EMPLOYEE.
AND ONCE THAT MEETING IS SET UP, UH, ACTUALLY QUALITY SENDS OUT AN INVITATION.
AND ONCE THAT MEETING IS SET UP BEFORE THEY RESIGNED, I WOULD TRY TO SPEAK WITH THEM IF THEY HAVE
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SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN DOCUMENT AND PUT IT IN WRITING FOR ME, THAT HELPS EVEN MORE.THAT WAY WE'LL HAVE IT ON FILE.
UM, SO I ASKED THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, GO ONLINE OR I'LL SEND THEM THE, UH, HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION, OR A FORM FOR THEM TO FILL OUT.
SO I CAN HAVE THAT DOCUMENT, MR. SMITH.
SO MR. DS, WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE ANY HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION FORM AT THIS TIME ON FILE.
YOU MEAN A BLANK FORM? YOU MEAN ALL FORMS FROM THE EMPLOYEES OFF A BLANK FORM THAT WAS IN THE EMPLOYEES? YES, SIR.
IT IS ON IT'S ON THE WEBSITE, BUT IF THEY CAN'T FIND IT OUT, I'LL DOWNLOAD IT AND SEND IT TO THEM.
UM, ALSO, UM, IS THERE ANY, SOMETIMES, IS THERE ANY HESITATION WITHIN THE EMPLOYEES TO, TO FAR TO SPEAK TO YOU OR TO, TO SAY THESE THINGS UPON EXITING? YES, SIR.
HONESTLY, THEY, A LOT OF OTHER EMPLOYEES, UH, YOU DON'T WANT TO COME FORWARD, UM, BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'D BE, THEY WILL BE RETALIATED AGAINST, BUT WE, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THAT, THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN.
SO EVERY, IN THE END THEY DO, THEY DO, UH, COME FORWARD AND REVEAL THE INFORMATION.
SO IF I CAN JUMP IN HERE, UM, REGGIE, TO TALK ABOUT, UM, MRS. SMITH'S QUESTIONS ABOUT RELUCTANCE FOR REPORTING BY EMPLOYEES, THAT'S OUT THERE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE WORKED VERY HARD ON IN THE LAST TWO TO THREE YEARS IS TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO STEP FORWARD AND COMPLAIN TO TAKE BACK TO THE, THE, THEIR BUILDINGS AND THE REST OF THE, THE DISTRICT TO LET THEM KNOW THAT HR IS HERE TO, TO SUPPORT THEM.
THEY SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID OF ONE BEING RETALIATED AGAINST, AND TO FIRST AND FOREMOST, NOT LOSING THEIR JOBS, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING SOMEONE SAYS TO US WHEN THEY ACTUALLY GET UP ENOUGH NERVE TO COME IN HERE, THEY SAY, WELL, I DON'T WANT TO LOSE MY JOB.
AND I DON'T WANT TO CALL SOMEONE ELSE TO LOSE THEIR JOBS.
SO IT'S A DIALOGUE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE.
AND WE HAVE GOTTEN ACTUALLY TEACHERS IN BUILDINGS THAT WILL COME AS A GROUP.
AND THEN WHAT REGGIE AND I USUALLY DO AT THAT POINT IS TO GO SET UP, SHOP IN A BUILDING SO THAT WE CAN TALK TO ALL THE TEACHERS TO TRY TO DO A VIRTUAL OR VERBAL CLIMATE SURVEY.
AND THAT INFORMATION IS SHARED WITH THE PRINCIPAL AS WELL AS SUPERINTENDENT.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT IS A FEELING.
EMPLOYEES ARE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE THAT FEELING.
IF I COMPLAIN I'M GOING TO LOSE MY JOB, BUT WE TRY TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT NUMBER ONE, NO ONE IN THE DISTRICT CAN FIRE THEM, BUT THE BOARD.
SO IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THE SAYS I'M GOING TO FIRE YOU.
HR, DOESN'T FIRE ANYONE THAT GOES TO THE BOARD.
SO WHEN WE PUT IT IN THAT CONTEXT, THEY FEEL A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
THERE'S NO ONE INDIVIDUAL THAT HAS THAT KIND OF POWER THAT THEY CAN RELEASE AN EMPLOYEE.
SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT PE SPE 5.8 AND PE PE 5.8 0.5 0.6.
AND THIS IS FOR THE HR CHIEF TO REPORT.
IF ANY FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN HIRED OF THE IMMEDIATE FAMILIES OF SUPERINTENDENTS AND CHIEF OFFICERS.
AND THERE WERE NONE THIS YEAR, OUR NEXT PE IS PE FIVE POINT B 0.4.
AND THAT IS EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCES.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT NEPOTISM.
SO CAN, SO THAT NEPOTISM IS, IS ONLY, UH, WITH SENIOR STAFF AND THE, IN THE, UM, CAN YOU, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? YOU SAID THERE NEPOTISM IS BASICALLY WITHIN THE CNET AND THEN WITHIN THE SUPERINTENDENT AND SENIOR STAFF, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE SAYING? NO.
THIS P ASKS US TO INFORM THE BOARD WHEN INITIALLY RECOMMENDING INDIVIDUALS TO ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL POSITIONS OR GENERAL CONTRACTING
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POSITIONS WHO ARE IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP OR PRINCIPALS.WHAT ABOUT AN ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, FOR INSTANCE, JUST, JUST AN EXAMPLE.
AND HE HIRES HIS SON AS A HEAD COACH OR SOMETHING.
WHAT ABOUT THAT? THAT, THAT IS AN AR THAT'S GOVERNED, UM, BY WHAT THE ULTIMA POWERFUL THE SUPERINTENDENT TO OVERRIDE.
SO WE DISCOURAGED THAT WE DISCOURAGE ANYONE WHO IS IN AN ADMINISTRATIVE ROLE AND WILL HAVE ANY ADMINISTRATIVE POWERS OVER SOMEONE IN THE BUILDING THAT THAT CAN HAPPEN.
SO IF HE WAS A PRINCIPAL AND HE HIRED HIS WIFE, HIS WIFE, AS AN, AS A DIRECTOR OR A COACH, THEN THAT, THEN THAT WOULD NOT BE THAT.
THAT'S NOT WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WE, UH, WHAT ADVICE? NO, WE WOULDN'T.
THE SUPERINTENDENT WOULD BRING THAT TO YOU INDIVIDUALLY AT A BOARD EDITING EXECUTIVE SESSION.
IT WOULD NOT BE THAT THIS IS NOT THAT PE, BUT WE STAY AWAY FROM THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT'S, IT'S, IT IS A FORM OF NEPOTISM.
SO WE HIRED YOU, MR. SMITH, WE WOULDN'T, UM, HOW ARE YOUR, UM, SON TO BE YOUR HEAD COACH IN YOUR BUILDING? OKAY.
SO WE TRY NOT TO GET TO THOSE POINTS.
SO OUR NEXT P PE IS EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCES.
THERE WERE EIGHT EMPLOYEE HANDLED GRIEVANCES DURING THE 1920 SCHOOL YEAR AND OUR NIGHT, OUR 2020 2021 GOAL FOR THAT IS TO MAKE SURE OUR SYSTEM ELECTRONIC SYSTEM IS IN PLACE.
AND MATT CAN TELL US NOW WHERE WE ARE IN THAT PROCESS AND WHAT TIMEFRAMES WE'RE LOOKING AT.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, OUR GRIEVANCE PROCESSES ARE STILL IN PLACE.
SO WE ARE STILL HANDLING GRIEVANCES.
THEY'RE JUST NOT ELECTRONIC YET.
UM, SO WE'VE BEEN THROUGH, UM, WE'VE TAKEN THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE AND, AND EVENTUALLY THE SCHOOL BOARD THROUGH THE PROCESS OF THE RFP AND THAT GENERATED, UM, SOME PROPOSALS THAT WERE UPWARDS OF $500,000, IF YOU WILL RECALL BACK IN NOVEMBER.
SO WE, UM, REVAMPED THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR.
AND WE THEN WENT BACK FOR AN RFQ PROCESS.
AND THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, SELECT A VENDOR BASED ON THE QUOTE THAT THEY GAVE US IN TERMS OF WHAT THEIR COMPANY WAS ABLE TO DO FOR US.
AND SO THE, A NOTICE OF AWARD WAS POSTED TWO WEEKS AGO, AND THAT COMPANY'S NAME IS CALLED EYESIGHT.
AND EYESIGHT HAS THE, UM, COMPONENTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF ALL OF IT.
AND THAT'S NOT THE CONVERSATION FOR HERE, BUT EYESIGHT HAS THE COMPONENTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF MANAGING AND TRACKING GRIEVANCES, UM, TO INCLUDE THE EDUCATION EXPERIENCE, INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE AND THE, UM, TITLE NINE COMPLIANCE.
AND SO, UM, WITH EYESIGHT, THEY HAVE GIVEN US A COST OVER THREE YEARS OF $40,500, WHICH IS CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN THE $500,000 INITIAL FEE, UM, FROM THE RFP PROCESS THAT GENERATED.
AND SO OUR PRIORITY FOR THIS YEAR IS TO GET THE SYSTEM IMPLEMENTED AND THEN WORK BACKWARDS TO UPLOAD EVERY FILE, UM, THAT WE HAVE THAT FITS WITHIN THE FEDERAL REQUIRED RETENTION OF GRIEVANCES.
SO, AND I THINK DALE, UM, FIVE YEARS IS THE, IS THAT THE AMOUNT OF YEARS WE NEED TO KEEP GRIEVANCES ON FILE.
AND SO WE WILL BACKDATE THAT FROM THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FILES GET INPUT INTO THE SYSTEM.
AND, UH, RIGHT NOW THEY'RE THE CONTRACT BETWEEN EYESIGHT AND PROCUREMENT.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING FORWARD.
UM, ONCE THE CONTRACT IS FINALIZED, THEN WE CAN BEGIN WORKING WITH THEIR PROJECT TEAM.
ALL RIGHT, AND ARE THE EIGHT GRIEVANCES HANDBOOK DURING 1920, THOSE ARE JUST ONES THAT THE DISTRICT WAS AWARE OF.
THOSE DOESN'T INCLUDE THE ONES RESOLVED AT THE PRINCIPAL LEVEL.
CAUSE I REMEMBER THAT WAS AN ISSUE.
NO, THOSE, THOSE ARE THE, THE GRIEVANCES
[01:00:01]
THAT WERE HANDLED AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL.AND WE HAD NO REPORTS OF GRIEVANCES AT THE SCHOOL LEVELS, AND YOU ALSO HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS WAS AN ABBREVIATED YEAR AS WELL.
WELL, THE AGREEMENTS THAT WERE DEALT WITH THAT WORD DEALT WITH WHAT WAS THE PROCESS IN DEALING WITH THOSE? WHEN A GRIEVANCE IS FILED, THE INDIVIDUAL IS NOTIFIED THAT THE DISTRICT LEVEL HAS RECEIVED THOSE GRIEVANCES.
THE PARTY IS NOTIFIED THE GRIEVANCE, THE GRIEVING PARTY AND THE GRIEVANT, THE PERSON THAT'S BEING GRIEVED AGAINST IS NOTIFIED.
AND BOTH SIDES OF THAT GRIEVANCE WILL COME AND HAVE A HEARING AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE AND DETERMINATION IS MADE AND A RECOMMENDATION IS GIVEN AND FOLLOW THROUGH FROM HR.
BUT THE SUPERINTENDENT IS, IS NEVER IN, UH, HE'S NEVER INVOLVED WITH CORRECT? NO, OUR, OUR AR DOES NOT, UM, DESIGNATE THE SUPERINTENDENT AS A PART OF THE GRIEVANCE PROCESS.
UM, AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE GRIEVANT OR THE PORTION WHO IS BEING GRIEVED OR ARE THEY, THEY BASICALLY, ARE THEY, ARE THEY ATTACH TO REPRESENTATION TO REPRESENTATION? SURE.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO ACROSS THE BOARD, MR. SMITH, IS WHEN ANYONE IS IN, BE IT A GRIEVANCE OR IT IS, UM, A COMPLAINT OF BEHAVIOR OR, OR REPRIMAND THROUGH HR.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALWAYS PERMIT IS FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL TO BRING THEIR REPRESENTATION WITH THEM IN IT CAN BE ANYONE EXCEPT AN ATTORNEY, BECAUSE ONCE IT GETS TO THE LEGAL LEVEL, THEN IT BYPASSES HR.
THEN IT NEEDS TO GO TO THE ATTORNEY.
BUT IF A BOOKKEEPER WANTS TO BRING THEIR REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION, THEY ARE MORE THAN WELCOME.
WE ALWAYS OPEN OUR DOORS FOR INDIVIDUALS TO BRING THEIR REPS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT THEM TO THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A CLOSED DOOR SESSION AND IT'S GOING TO BE AN AMBUSH.
THEY CAN EVEN BRING, UM, A FELLOW TEACHER.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST OUTSIDE LOOKING IN, UM, I WOULD TAKE THAT AS SOMEWHERE WHERE SOMEONE COULD TAKE THAT AT THE PROCESS.
WE SAID TO NOT BRING IN AN ATTORNEY AS, AS INTIMIDATING, BECAUSE THAT'S WHO MOST PEOPLE MAY, MAY, MAY, MAY, UM, UH, FEEL COMFORTABLE BRINGING IN AN ATTORNEY.
WELL, THEY CAN BRING AN ATTORNEY, MR. SMITH, BUT IF THEY BRING ONE, THEN THE DISTRICT HAS TO BRING THEM.
SO THEN IT BECOMES A MEETING BETWEEN THE EMPLOYEE AND THEIR ATTORNEY AND THE DISTRICT AND THEIR ATTORNEY.
SO WE'RE NOT SAYING YOU CAN'T GO TO YOUR ATTORNEY.
WE'RE SAYING HR WILL NOT MEET WITH YOU AND AN ATTORNEY WITHOUT OUR REPRESENTATION.
BECAUSE THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT CAUSE CONCERNING.
CAUSE I'VE, I'VE UH, HAD SOMEONE TOLD ME WHAT THEY TOLD HIM.
I SAID, NASA, I DON'T THINK THAT THEY TELL YOU THAT YOU CAN'T BRING AN ATTORNEY, BUT WHEN YOU BRING AN ATTORNEY, MAYBE THAT MAY JUST CHANGE THE YEAH.
IT TAKES IT UP TO ANOTHER LEVEL.
WE JUST PUT IT UP TO ANOTHER LEVEL.
THAT'S WHEN WE BRING OUR ATTORNEY IN.
AND IS THERE SOMETHING, DO WE HAVE SOMETHING WRITTEN IN THE H IN THE, UH, IN THE, UM, DO WE HAVE SOMETHING WRITTEN WRITTEN ABOUT THAT? I BELIEVE IT IS IN OUR, UM, PREVIOUS POLICY MR. SMITH, BUT YEAH, I WILL LOOK IT UP FOR YOU.
CAUSE I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE TO KNOW THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE OF THAT.
THAT'S THAT, THAT THAT'S JUST A CONCERN.
NO, WE NEVER DISCOURAGED ANYONE BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL SAY, WELL, I'M GOING TO SUE YOU.
WE ALWAYS SAY THAT YOU'RE RIGHT TO DO THAT.
LET US KNOW HOW YOU WANT US TO PROCEED.
[01:05:02]
OKAY.OUR NEXT PE IS PE FIVE POINT C 0.1 0.2, EVALUATE ALL STAFF.
OUR EVALUATION MODELS ARE IN PLACE TEACHERS, ANY CERTIFIED STAFF, WHICH WOULDN'T.
I WAS JUST, I WAS JUST TRYING TO BREAK DOWN THE, BRINGING DOWN IN MY HEAD.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WILL BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BRINGING IN AN ATTORNEY AND NOT, AND, AND NOT HAVING REPRESENTATION VERSUS COUNTY DO HR? WHAT W WHAT, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? LIKE, WHY DOES AN ATTORNEY CHANGED THE PROCESS OF IT SO MUCH? THE WAY I SEE THAT MR. SMITH IS IT IS A, IT CHANGES IT FROM A, FROM A, FROM A GRIEVANCE TO A LEGALITY ISSUE, INSTEAD OF JUST, YOU KNOW, UM, I WAS NOT TREATED, MAYBE SOMEBODY, UM, YOU KNOW, SAID SOMETHING WRONG TO ME.
UM, THEY, UH, BULLIED ME OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHERE IT'S JUST A GRIEVANCE BECAUSE OF THE BEHAVIOR, MAYBE.
BUT I THINK ONCE YOU'D KICK IT UP TO THE, THE ATTORNEY LEVEL, THEN IT BECOMES A LEGAL ISSUE.
AND YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IT ON THIS SIDE AS WELL.
MRS. SMITH, IF I GET IN A MEETING WITH AN EMPLOYEE AND AN ATTORNEY, I DON'T WANT TO PUT THE DISTRICT IN A POSITION OF LIABILITY BY SAYING SOMETHING THAT COULD COME BACK TO HURT US LATER.
SO YES, IT DOES BECOME LEGAL AT THAT POINT.
SO I HAVE TO HAVE THE DISTRICT'S INTEREST IN TERMS OF LEGALITIES LOOKED OUT FOR AS WELL, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO SAY SOMETHING OR DO SOMETHING OR GIVE SOME ADVICE AND IT COULD COME BACK ON THE DISTRICT.
AND I DO UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT MY THING IS, IF WE'RE TRYING TO MITIGATE, THOUGH, WE'RE TRYING TO DIFFUSE IT, THEN WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH THE, WITH THE, WITH THE, WITH THE ATTORNEY'S MEETING AND COMING TO A COMMON GROUND, IF THAT'S AVAILABLE AND NOT TAKING IT, NOT, NOT JUMPING IN AND SAYING, OH, THIS IS YOU'VE, YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR AS A PERSON, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, TO ME, THAT CAN, THAT CAN COME ACROSS A BIT INTIMIDATING IF YOU'RE TELLING ME BECAUSE AS AN EMPLOYEE, IF I HAVE FOUR KIDS, I HAVE FOUR KIDS AT HOME.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST THING I'M THINKING ABOUT IS I WANT TO GO TO SOMEONE WHO'S NOT ATTACHED TO THE DISTRICT.
AND THEN YOU TELLING ME, WELL, YOU, YOU CAN HAVE AN ATTORNEY HERE.
ONCE YOU GET AN ATTORNEY, YOU CHANGED THE WHOLE OPERATION OF THIS MEETING.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE COULD POSSIBLY WORK THINGS OUT, BUT IF YOU GET AN ATTORNEY, THEN THAT JUST CHANGED.
THE WHOLE, THE POSSIBILITIES IS OUT OF MY HANDS, NOTHING THAT COMES OUT OF MY CONTROL.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT PART CAN BE VERY INTIMIDATING.
LOOK AT IT FROM THIS STANDPOINT, WHEN WE CALL AS AN EMPLOYER AND WE CALL AN EMPLOYEE IN TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM, AND THE EMPLOYEE SAYS, I'M NOT MEETING WITH YOU ON BEST.
THEN THAT MEANS THEY DON'T BELIEVE WE CAN WORK IT OUT.
AND WE CANNOT PUT OURSELVES IN A PLACE OF LIABILITY BY ME AS A NON-LEGAL MIND, DEALING WITH ILLEGAL, MAN.
SEE, WE DON'T SAY, BRING YOUR ATTORNEY WITH YOU.
THEY TELL US, I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU UNLESS I HAVE MY ATTORNEY WITH ME.
SO I'M GOING TO OBLIGE TO THEM AND SAY, THAT'S FINE, BUT THEN I'LL HAVE TO HAVE MY ATTORNEY WITH ME.
BECAUSE OUR GOAL IS TO WORK IT OUT.
THAT'S OUR ULTIMATE GOAL DUE PROCESS.
OUR NEXT P IS STAFF EVALUATIONS.
ALL ADMINISTRATORS, ALL TEACHERS ARE EVALUATED BY THE STATE MODELS.
ALL CERTIFIED OR CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES ARE EVALUATED BY MODELS THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED BY, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE RULES.
AND, UM, DISTRICT PROCEDURES ARE ON FILE.
ALL EMPLOYEES MUST BE EVALUATED AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR.
[01:10:05]
OUR NEXT P E ISAND IN THIS PE YOU'RE GOING TO WE'RE LISTING EVERYONE THAT WAS RECOGNIZED DURING THE YEAR BY THE SUPERINTENDENT OR AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP LAST YEAR DURING OUR DISCUSSION, AND YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER IT, THIS PE SAYS RECOGNIZE EXCELLENCE AND PROVIDE CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT AS APPROPRIATE.
WE RECOGNIZE THE EXCELLENCE LAST YEAR, BUT THIS YEAR WE WANT TO STEP FURTHER AND SUGGEST MAY SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS.
AND I'M GOING TO LET MATT TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT THAT WE TOOK ON LAST YEAR AND BEGAN THAT PROCESS PROCESS, BUT WAS CUT SHORT BY COVID MATT.
THANK YOU, MS. WALL NIGHT, I REALLY ENJOYED TALKING ABOUT THIS PART.
THIS GOES, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, TIES ALL OF THE WORK BACK TO JILL AT THE RECRUITING STAGE TOGETHER BECAUSE WE'VE, NOW, IF WE'VE RECRUITED THEM, WE'RE WORKING ON RETAINING THEM AND WHAT A BETTER WAY TO RETAIN THAN TO REINFORCE AND TO RECOGNIZE EXCELLENT PRACTICES IN THE DISTRICT.
SO IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THIS AT THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE SCHOOL LEVEL, UH, WHAT YOU SEE PICTURED HERE IS A TROPHY.
AND THIS TROPHY WAYS, I THINK 37 POUNDS, AND IT'S CREATED OUT OF STEEL AND METAL.
UM, IT WAS DESIGNED BY ART STUDENTS AT MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THEN IT WAS PUT TOGETHER BY THE WELDING DEPARTMENT.
AND WHAT IT SAYS ON THAT APPLE THAT HANGS FROM THE TREE, THERE IS SMART, SMART STANDS FOR SUPPORTING MENTORING AND RETAINING TEACHERS.
AND THEN AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THAT TROPHY, YOU CAN SEE THE OUTLINE OF BUFORD COUNTY.
AND WE HAVE THE, UH, THE CHILDREN WITH THE FLAG THAT SAYS WHERE LEARNING LEADS THE WAY, BECAUSE AGAIN, IN HUMAN RESOURCES, WE DON'T EVER WANT ANYBODY TO THINK THAT WE'RE HERE FOR THE ADULTS.
ONLY EVERYTHING WE DO SHOULD BEGIN AND END WITH OUR LEARNERS IN MIND.
AND SO WE ARE STUDENT DRIVEN AND THEN THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE I MENTIONED, WANTING TO RETAIN THE, UH, THE HIGHLY QUALIFIED WORK STAFF.
SO EACH MONTH WE RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE INDUCTION TEACHERS.
AND THE FEEDBACK IS VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT HOW THEY'RE BEING SUPPORTED IN THEIR BUILDING, UM, WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE MEETING WITH THEIR BUILDING MENTORS.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT FEEDBACK, WE HAVE A COMMITTEE THAT, UM, TAKES THE FEEDBACK FROM THE TEACHERS.
AND WE LOOK AT WHICH SCHOOLS ARE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB IN GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND IN SUPPORTING MENTORING AND RETAINING TEACHERS.
AND SO THIS TROPHY THEN GETS PRESENTED AT PRINCIPALS MEETINGS IN, UH, EACH MONTH, UM, FROM ONE SCHOOL TO THE NEXT.
SO THEY KIND OF HANDED OFF WHEN WE MAKE A LITTLE CEREMONY OUT OF IT, WHERE ONE PRINCIPAL WILL HAND OFF THE, UH, THE TROPHY TO THE PERCEIVING SCHOOL.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE DO AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL IS THAT WE RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUAL MENTORS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO IS WE HAVE A CEREMONY THAT WE, UM, CONTACT THE BUILDING PRINCIPAL AHEAD OF TIME AND LET THEM KNOW WE'RE GOING TO BE VISITING.
WE'VE CREATED THESE MAGNETIC DOOR STRIPS THAT GO ACROSS THE DOOR THAT SAY A MENTOR OF THE MONTH, 20, 19, 2020.
AND FOR THIS YEAR, IT WILL BE 20, 20 AND 2021 AND BELOW YOU CAN SEE THE CHART THAT REPRESENTS THE RECIPIENTS OF THE, THE, UH, EXCELLENCE IN MENTORING AWARD AT THE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
THIS IS AN INITIATIVE THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE INTO THIS YEAR.
OBVIOUSLY THE CHART ONLY GOES TO MARCH, 2020, AND THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE, UH, THE SHUTDOWNS THAT THEN TOOK PLACE THEREAFTER.
UM, ANOTHER THING THAT WE DID AS A HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT IS WE COLLECTED THE YEARS OF SERVICE FOR EACH EMPLOYEE IN THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, EVERYBODY FROM CUSTODIANS TO FOOD SERVICE, TO BUS DRIVERS, TEACHERS, CLASSROOM, UM, ASSISTANCE CERTIFIED CLASSIFIED.
AND WE, UM, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF AWARDING AND RECOGNIZING INDIVIDUAL YEARS OF SERVICE, THE REWARDS THAT WE WERE GOING TO MAKE SURE EVERY SCHOOL GOT WERE INTERRUPTED BECAUSE THERE WAS AN INTERFERENCE WITH THE SUPPLY CHAIN WITH OUR VENDORS.
AND SO WE WERE NOT ABLE TO DELIVER ON THAT LAST SCHOOL YEAR, UM, AGAIN, AND THAT HAD TO DO WITH THE, UH, THE S THE COVID SHUTDOWN.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, UH, THE WAYS THAT WE'VE GONE TO RECOGNIZE AND REWARD AND REINFORCE, UM, EXCELLENT PRACTICES, BUT ALSO HAVE A CALENDAR OF THE DIFFERENT
[01:15:01]
AWARDS, UM, AND DIFFERENT HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR THAT TOOK PLACE WITHIN THE 1920, UH, 2020 SCHOOL YEAR.AND LAST, I WANT TO ADDRESS THE CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT THAT THE PE ADDRESSES SOME OF THE CONSTRUCTIVE IMPROVEMENTS INVOLVE OFTENTIMES GIVING TEACHERS A VOICE, GIVING EMPLOYEES A VOICE IN WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND FROM THE INDUCTION AND MENTORING AND WORKING WITH NEW TEACHERS AND RETENTION.
WE HAVE ESTABLISHED AN INDUCTION ADVISORY COUNCIL WHERE WE SIT AND WE TALK WITH THE TEACHERS ABOUT, UM, THE GETTING FEEDBACK ON WHAT WE NEED TO DO MOVING FORWARD, WHAT WORKED, WHAT DIDN'T WORK, AND HOW CAN WE MAKE THE PROGRAM BETTER.
WE DO THE SAME THING WITH A MENTOR ADVISORY COUNCIL.
UM, AND SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE DID THIS YEAR IN THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT IS WHEN ANY TIME THAT THERE'S A PRINCIPAL VACANCY, WE'VE CREATED A SURVEY BASED ON THE NINE ADEPT STANDARDS THAT PRINCIPALS ARE EVALUATED BY.
AND THAT SURVEY GOES TO ALL STAKEHOLDERS.
IT GOES TO THE TEACHING STAFF AND THE, UH, THE CLASSIFIED STAFF.
AND IT GOES TO, UM, PARENTS AND THEY IDENTIFY WHAT THE NEEDS OF THE BUILDING ARE.
AND THEY ALSO OFFER SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT AND UP ON THE EXIT INTERVIEW FOR THE ERAWAN, LET ME NOT SAY EXIT INTERVIEW.
I DON'T WANT TO CONFUSE THIS WHEN PRINCIPAL CANDIDATES ARE INTERVIEWED.
PART OF THAT INTERVIEW IS A SELF-ASSESSMENT.
AND SO WHAT WE LOOK TO FIND IS AN ALIGNMENT BETWEEN WHAT THE PRINCIPAL CANDIDATE CAN BRING TO THE SCHOOL AND WHAT THE SCHOOL STAKEHOLDERS ARE SAYING THEY NEED.
SO WE HAVE IN EFFECT, GIVEN VOICES, UM, SO THAT, UH, THAT LENDS ITSELF TO THE CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT PROCESS.
I JUST, THERE WAS ONE MORE PAGE.
I THINK, ROBIN, UM, WHERE WE CONTINUE AT THE NEXT PAGE.
I GOT TOO AHEAD OF MYSELF THERE.
AND TH THE NEXT ONE IS OUR LAST PE AND IT IS PE BY POINT C 0.4 AND RECOGNITION OF SUPPORT STAFF AND TEACHER OF THE YEAR.
AND WE HAVE LISTED FOR YOU ALL, UM, UM, RESPECTIVE WINNERS THIS YEAR OF BOTH TEACHER OF THE YEAR AND SUPPORT STAFF OF THE YEAR.
AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR REPORT, MR. CHAIRMAN.
THIS IS ALWAYS, ALWAYS A GREAT REPORT TO SEE EACH YEAR.
AND MY IMPRESSION IS THAT WE'RE ONE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, UM, ON JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING, ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY SUPPORTING THE TEACHERS AND GIVING THEM A CHANNEL FOR FEEDBACK, UM, WHICH IS AS YOU KNOW, MY EMPHASIS, IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE WE'RE MAKING GREAT STRIDES.
SO I APPRECIATE ALL OF Y'ALL DONE MR. SMITH.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A MOTION, I BELIEVE, TO SEND THIS FORWARD TO THE FULL BOARD.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE SEND THESE PEAS TOWARDS THE FULL BOARD.
ONE MORE TO COVER, WHICH IS WHAT
AND THAT IS COMMUNICATIONS AND CANDACE IS NOT OKAY.
SO WE WILL PUSH THAT OFF UNTIL THE NEXT WEEK, SO THAT SLIPS FROM CHEETAH H FUTURE TOPICS, UM, AND THAT WOULD, THAT'LL BE A FUTURE TOPIC.
SO I ALWAYS SEND THAT EMAIL OUT AND I LOOKED FOR FEEDBACK, UH, ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE WE HAVE THESE MEETINGS TO TRY TO GET, YOU KNOW, THE AGENDA, UM, ASSEMBLED BY INPUT WITH INPUT FROM EVERYBODY.
SO, SO KEEP YOUR EYE OUT FOR THAT ON FUTURE TOPICS.
UH, MR. CAMPBELL, ANYTHING MR. GAMBLE? UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, MAYBE IN YOUR NEXT MEETING, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DAVIS ELEMENTARY.
WHAT, WHAT IS GOING TO BE DONE WITH A ROOF AND CHECK FOR, UH, MORE, YEAH.
[01:20:01]
WE'RE WORKING ON, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION DESIGN OF THAT RIGHT NOW.SO I CAN BRING THAT AND ON THAT AS PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE, LET'S JUST MAKE SURE WE INCLUDE THE CONSTRUCTION UPDATE IN THE NEXT AGENDA, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT GETS COVERED.
THE ONLY REASON WE DIDN'T DO IT THIS TIME IS BECAUSE WE JUST HAD THE CLOCK UPDATE, RIGHT? YEAH.
NOW THE WINDOW'S ALWAYS OPEN FOR THOSE TOPICS.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE TO THINK RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE MOVE TO ADJOURN, MR. SMITH, UM, UNIVERSAL AGREEMENT ON THAT ONE.