[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY.
IT'S NOW 6:00 PM AND WELCOME TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.
JOINT BOARD SIC MEETING, UH, SCHEDULED FOR SIX O'CLOCK TO SEVEN 30 THIS EVENING AT THE DISTRICT EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CENTER AND THE MEDIA CENTER.
UH, THERE WILL BE HYBRID VIDEO CONFERENCING AND THE MEETING WILL BE LIVE STREAMED ON THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
UM, I'D LIKE TO FIRST OF ALL, WELCOME EVERYBODY THAT CAME AND THANK YOU FOR COMING.
THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE HERE AND, UH, ON ZOOM, AND THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS IS THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA? SO MOVED.
SO, CHAIR, WE HAVEN'T MOVED IN SECOND.
DID, UH, TO APPROVE THE AGENDA, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION THERE BEING NO, NO.
UH, COMMENTS, UH, ASK FOR A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AGENDA, PLEASE, UH, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC OF WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL ON END.
IT HAS BEEN NOTIFIED, AND WE ARE ON, WE ARE STREAMING ON THE COUNTY CHANNEL, UH, INTRODUCTION.
UM, I APPRECIATE F FOLKS COMING.
WHAT WE DID WAS WE TOOK ALL THE COMMENTS FROM THE SICS OF ITEMS THAT THEY WISHED TO SPEAK ABOUT, AND WE HAD MORE COMMENTS THAN WE HAD TIME AVAILABLE.
SO WE, WE WILLOW DOWN TO THREE, THREE DIFFERENT TOPICS FOR THIS SESSION.
AND THE, THE TOPICS ARE IN-SCHOOL, CELL PHONE USE RECESS IN THE FORM OF INTRAMURALS TO HELP WITH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AND HALL MONITORS TO CIRCUMVENT C DISCIPLINE ISSUES FROM ESCALATING.
UM, WHAT I PROPOSE ON HOW WE CONDUCT THIS, UH, MEETING IS VERY INFORMAL.
WE WOULD START OFF WITH THE TOPIC AND THEN THE SIC MEMBERS WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO START BY, UH, EXPRESSING THEIR OPINIONS ON THE TOPIC.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE ABOUT THE TOPIC FROM THE, UH, SUPERINTENDENT OR FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS.
AND THEN IF THERE WERE JUST SUGGESTIONS, WE WOULD THEN ASK DR. RODRIGUEZ, UH, WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT THE SUGGESTIONS AND WHAT HE WOULD LIKE TO DO, OR, OR, OR HE'D LIKE TO GO WITH THAT.
AND THEN WHAT'D ASK THE BOARD MEMBERS INDIVIDUALLY IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE TOPIC AND WHEN THAT WAS ALL FINISHED.
AND THEN WE WOULD GO TO THE NEXT TOPIC AND DO THE SAME THING.
GLAD RESPONSE, BUT I'M, I'M NOT SATISFIED WITH THE RESPONSE.
UH, WHICH TOPIC IS THAT? THE RESET PROCESS OF CALENDAR DEVELOPMENT.
HOW, WHAT I THOUGHT WE'D DO IS THAT WE'LL GO THROUGH THE THREE AND TIME ALLOWS, WE'LL, WE'LL GO WITH THE REST.
AND IF, UH, TIME DOESN'T ALLOW, WE CAN DO, HAVE AN INFORMAL, IS THAT, IS THAT OKAY? THANK YOU.
UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS OR OTHER MEMBERS? OKAY.
LET'S START WITH THE CELL PHONE USE POLICY.
WHO, WHO WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN? AND MOLLY HERE HAS THE MICROPHONE.
I'M A LADIES ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, SIC CHAIR.
UM, I, AT SOME POINT I THINK THE BOARD NEEDS TO LOOK AT A, A REVISION OF POLICY ON CELL PHONES.
AND I'M STRICTLY SPEAKING ABOUT MIDDLE SCHOOL.
[00:05:01]
IT IS OVERTAKEN, UM, WHAT SHOULD BE GOING ON IN THE CLASSROOM.AND THAT IS LEARNING, UH, THE, THE, THE AMOUNT OF TIME TEACHERS SPEND DEALING WITH PHONES ISN'T RIGHT.
UM, AND WHAT I LOOKED OVER SOME OF THE THINGS THINKING ABOUT, I, I ALWAYS GO BACK TO WHAT WORKED, AND THAT'S SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT TONIGHT.
CELL PHONES IN THE CLASSROOM IS NOT WORKING, IS NOT WORKING.
THE DIS DISRUPTIONS, UH, THE AMOUNT OF TIME, UH, ON TEACHERS, STAFF BEING INVOLVED WITH THE CELL PHONE, UH, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A HARD LOOK AT IT AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE SOLVED TONIGHT.
BUT I CERTAINLY THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A WAY TO DEAL WITH IT, WHETHER IT'S THE POUCHES THAT THE DISTRICT CAN BUY AND STUDENTS, UM, IT'S A MAGNETIC PROCESS.
AND MAYBE WE NEED SOME TYPE OF AD HOC COMMITTEE TO LOOK INTO THIS.
MAYBE WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY WHERE THE STUDENTS CAN KEEP THEM, BUT THEY'RE NOT, THEY CANNOT BE USED.
THERE ARE MEDICAL EMERGENCIES.
UH, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS, BUT IF, IF WE ARE TRULY LOOKING AT INCREASING SCORES, I MEAN, WE, WE NEED TO WEIGH WHAT WE REALLY WANT THESE STUDENTS BEING WORKED ON IN, IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO I WOULD HOPE WE COULD TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THAT.
UH, AND, AND I, I JUST, THAT'S MY POINT ON IT AND I, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS SOMETHING TO DO.
WELL, IT'S NOT ONLY A PROBLEM IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THE HIGH SCHOOL.
IT'S DOWN IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
I'VE HAD AN ADMINISTRATOR TELL ME THAT SHE'S HAD PARENTS TELL HER THAT THEY TELL THEIR CHILD IF THEY GET IN TROUBLE IN CLASS, JUST STEP AWAY AND GIVE ME A CALL.
AND I DON'T, YOU KNOW, MEDICAL EMERGENCIES.
THEY DON'T NEED CELL PHONES IN THE CLASSROOM.
OTHER COMMENTS, MA'AM? RIGHT BACK THERE.
I'M SHEIKA, I'M REPRESENTING BROAD RIVER SCHOOL, AND WHEN WE HAD A MEETING BEFORE HERE, THAT CONVERSATION WAS BROUGHT UP BEFORE.
SO, UM, AND WHEN I WAS TO ANOTHER MEETING, THIS IS ONE THAT SAYS THAT, BUT YOU WROTE IT.
WHEN I WAS TO ANOTHER MEETING, I WAS, UM, THIS SAME CELL PHONE QUESTION CAME UP, BUT WE ALREADY HAD THE ANSWER FOR THAT.
THE SUPERINTENDENT, UM, RODRIGUEZ GAVE US THE ANSWER FOR THE CELL PHONE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING LIKE, IT'S NOT GONNA GET TAKEN AWAY BECAUSE THE KIDS AND THE PARENTS ARE DEPENDENT ON THAT.
EVEN WHEN THE SCHOOLS ARE ON A LOCKDOWN, THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE GONNA REACH OUT TO THE KIDS.
ARE Y'ALL OKAY? AND THEN THE TEACHERS, ONE OF THE TEACHERS HERE WHO SAID SOMETHING THAT IF THEY CAUGHT CATCH THEM WITH THEIR PHONE, THEY HAVE LIKE A, THEY CAN PUT IT IN THEIR, THEY GOT LIKE A BAG.
IF THEY GET CAUGHT IN THE CLASS WITH THEIR PHONES, THEY'RE GONNA PUT IT IN THE BAG UNTIL THE CLASS IS OUT.
SO I THINK WE ALREADY HAD AN ANSWER FOR THAT, FOR THAT CELL PHONE SITUATION IN SCHOOLS AND CLASSES.
BEFORE WE TURN TO DR. RODRIGUEZ, LET'S SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE, YES, MA'AM.
THE CONCERN ALSO, I'VE HAD IT AT HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL AS NOW AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THE OTHER CONCERN THAT I THINK YOU NEED TO BE LOOKING AT IS THE CHILDREN EMOTIONAL DEPENDENCY.
IT IS JUST OUTRAGEOUS WHEN YOU ASK THESE KIDS TO GIVE UP THEIR PHONES AND HOW EMOTIONALLY STRESSED THEY GET WHEN YOU TAKE THEIR PHONES AWAY FROM THEM.
AND NOTHING THAT THEY ARE PAYING FOR SHOULD CAUSE THEM THAT KIND OF STRESS.
AND THE OTHER THING IS ALONG THE LINES OF, UM, NOW THEY GOT THESE AIRBUS IN THE EARS.
SO THEY GOT THE AIRBUS ATTACHED TO THE PHONES.
THEY GOT THE AIRBUS ATTACHED TO A BLUE TUBE IN THE BOOK BAG.
UM, THAT'S ALSO CAUSING DISRUPTION.
UM, I HAD A LITTLE FELLA TODAY TELL ME THAT SOMEBODY HAD ATTACHED FROM THE DISTRICT SERVER OR SOME KIND OF WAY TO HIS COMPUTER.
AND I LOOKED AT THE COMPUTER, HE LOOKED AT IT, AND IT WAS A CONNECTION TO HIS COMPUTER.
AND I SAID, WELL, JUST REMOVE IT.
AND I WAS JUST, I'M LIKE, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THEY CAN GET ON THE DISTRICT SERVER AND ATTACH TO THE COMPUTER THAT CAUSED STRESS FOR OTHER CHILDREN.
BUT THE OTHER THING IS AROUND THE DIVISION, IT'S TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME ON CELL PHONES IS TOO MUCH.
WITH THE EARBUDS NOW IN THE EARS, THE OPTOMETRISTS AND THE AUDIOLOGISTS AND A FEW YEARS, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO HAVE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE.
AND THEY'RE ALREADY TAKING PICTURES OF WHAT'S ON THE BOARD AND BLOWING IT UP ON THE PHONE IN ORDER TO SEE WHAT'S WRITTEN ON THE BOARD.
[00:10:01]
AND ALL OF THIS HAS PLAYED INTO THE USE OF THE CELL PHONES.AND THE OTHER PIECE OF IT IS PARENTS, UM, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY UNDERSTAND PARENTS HAVE TO CONTACT THEM KNOWING THAT THEY ARE AT SCHOOL IN THE CLASSROOM.
BUT I HAVE KIDS TELLING ME, MY MOM IS TEXTING ME, MY DAD IS CALLING ME, MY GRANDMA IS CALLING ME.
AND I'M LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOUR CHILD LEFT HOME THIS MORNING WHERE THEY WERE COMING.
SO YOU GET THE SCHEDULE CALL DURING THE BREAKS CALL DURING LUNCH, BUT THEY CALL IN DURING THE, DURING THE CLASS TIME.
AND THAT'S INTERRUPTING THE LEARNING PROCESS.
UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YES, SIR.
I'M FROM BATTERY CREEK, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL.
UM, THE BRAIN RESEARCH THAT'S INVOLVED WITH CELL PHONES, UH, OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, UH, KIDS THAT ARE ON THE PHONE FROM 10 TO 12 HOURS EVERY DAY, THEIR BRAIN CHEMISTRY IS STARTING TO RESEMBLE PEOPLE WHO ARE ADDICTED TO COCAINE.
UM, THAT THE BRAIN CHEMISTRY, THEY'RE DOING MORE RESEARCH ON THIS.
BUT, UM, WHEN A CHILD IS REQUIRED TO USE THEIR COMPUTER OR HAVE TO TYPE, BECAUSE THE ITY OF TYPING, ONLY FOUR AREAS OF THE BRAIN ARE ACTIVATED WHEN THEY'RE DOING WORK, WHEN THEY HAVE TO HAND WRITE, WHEN THEY HAVE TO DO IT WITH PAPER AND PENCIL, 37 AREAS OF THE BRAIN ARE ACTIVATED.
SO THAT'S JUST THE LATEST RESEARCH OF WHAT WE'VE FOUND OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.
IMAGINE WHAT WE'RE GONNA FIND LATER.
SO JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
UM, BEING AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, I'VE BEEN IN THE CLASSROOM FOR 29 YEARS.
THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR DOING IT FULL TIME.
UM, IT IS, YEP, ALARMING, I GUESS IS THE BEST WAY TO SAY IT.
UM, WHEN I'M, WHEN I'M TALKING TO CHILDREN AND TRYING TO ADDRESS THEM, UH, THEY HAVE THEIR EARBUDS IN AND, AND I'M TRYING TO GET AHOLD OF THEM.
UM, TWO, THE STUDENTS THAT WERE KILLED DOWN AT MARJORIE DOUGLAS, UM, HAD THEIR EARBUDS IN AND THEY WERE SO LOUD THEY COULDN'T HEAR THE GUNSHOTS, AND THEY RAN RIGHT INTO THE GUNFIRE.
UM, AND I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, I'M NOT TRYING TO ALARM ANYBODY.
MY CONCERN IS THAT ANYTHING THAT TAKES AWAY FROM THE LEARNING OF THE STUDENT, I THINK MUST BE A PRIORITY, UH, FOR THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM.
WE NEED TO BE SETTING THE STANDARD.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND, I'M KIND OF A LITTLE BIASED HERE.
I I CHEER FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, BUT, UM, AND I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO BE SETTING THE STANDARD FOR HOW WE HANDLE THIS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, DR. RODRIGUEZ? UM, YEAH, THE, I MEAN, THIS IS A COMPLICATED ISSUE, RIGHT? I MEAN, UH, PARENTS WANT TO CONNECT WITH THEIR STUDENTS, BUT THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT IT IMPACTS, UH, UH, THE WORK AND SCHOOL, RIGHT? THAT, THAT, UH, EDUCATORS ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH IT AND THAT, UH, UM, THEY'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH IT ON AN ONGOING BASIS.
AND THAT, UM, UM, IT
AND IT DEFINITELY IMPACTS, UH, STUDENT LEARNING IF STUDENTS ARE SO ATTACHED TO IT THAT, UM, THAT IT CAUSES, UH, UH, AN EMOTIONAL OR VISCERAL RESPONSE, UH, IF IT'S, IF IT'S REMOVED.
UM, THERE ARE, UH, UH, INITIATIVES OUT THERE WHERE SCHOOLS HAVE, UH, REMOVED, UH, CELL PHONES OR DISTRICTS HAVE REMOVED CELL PHONES, UH, FROM, FROM SCHOOL AND EITHER THROUGH THOSE POUCHES OR, UH, UH, OTHER AVENUES.
AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW, HOW THAT RESULTS, UH, FROM IT.
BUT I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S THAT BALANCE THAT EXISTS, UH, FROM, FROM PARENTS WANTING TO CONNECT WITH THEIR CHILDREN, UH, WHEN THEY NEED TO CONNECT WITH THEIR CHILDREN IN TERMS OF, UH, AND I'M SPEAKING ABOUT SAFETY MOMENTS.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT, UH, REMEMBER WE HAVE A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT TODAY, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, RIGHT? UM, SO THERE'S, THERE'S THAT BALANCE TO CONSIDER.
I MEAN, I, IT, IT, IT'D BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW, HOW, UH, OVERALL, UH, EDUCATORS AND OVERALL THE COMMUNITY FEELS ABOUT THAT, UM, UH, THAT ISSUE,
[00:15:01]
YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE COULD PUT OUT A, A BANG THE TABLE, UH, COMPONENT FOR, FOR INPUT, UH, FROM A BROADER, BROADER AUDIENCE AND SEE HOW, HOW EVERYBODY, UH, SEE IT SEES IT AND, AND FEELS ABOUT IT.UH, BUT THERE IS AN IMPACT, THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
AND, AND, UH, I THINK THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S A, UH, KIND OF A BALANCE THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO FIND.
AND MAYBE, MAYBE THE BALANCE IS OF THOSE POUCHES, BUT THEN WE'RE GONNA BE POLICING THE POUCHES AND THE USE OF THE POUCHES TOO, RIGHT? SO IT'S A, IT'S A, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO EASY SOLUTION TO IT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO EASY SOLUTION TO IT.
AND, UH, I SPEAK TO STUDENTS THROUGH, UH, STUDENT ADVISORY MEETINGS THAT, THAT WE HAVE.
AND, UH, FROM TIME TO TIME WE TALK ABOUT THAT, ABOUT THAT ISSUE.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS, I DON'T HAVE SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT IT, SO I'M CALLING, I'M, I'M, I'M SAYING JUST FROM RECOLLECTION, BUT, UM, I THINK IF I READ THE ROOM RIGHT FROM STUDENTS, RIGHT, I THINK, UH, STUDENTS DON'T WANT TO LOSE ACCESS TO THEIR PHONE, BUT IN A WAY MIGHT FEEL RELIEVED IF IT WASN'T IN FRONT OF THEM, WHICH IS KIND OF AN INTERESTING, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKE ON THAT.
SO, UH, BOARD MEMBERS, I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT PARENTS HAS TO BE MORE RESPONSIBLE, AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
IT, IT IS NOT SO MUCH STUDENT, NO STUDENT.
WHEN YOU LEAVE HOME IN THE MORNING GOING TO SCHOOL, THE PARENTS KNOWS THAT UNLESS THERE'S AN EMERGENCY, THE PARENTS OR ANYBODY ELSE SHOULD BE CALLED IN THAT STUDENT PERIOD.
AS FAR AS BULLYING, MOST OF THE BULLYING IS HAPPENS AFTER SCHOOL ON THE WEEKENDS.
THAT'S WHEN MOST OF IT HAPPENED.
SO I THINK THAT THE DISTRICT HAS TO, AND THIS BOARD HAS TO DO SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THEY COME TO SCHOOL IN THE MORNING, THEY CANNOT USE THEIR PHONE DURING THE CLASSES, PERIOD.
I KNOW SOME PARENTS NOT GONNA LIKE THAT, BUT THAT'S TOUGH.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.
AND IF THEY DON'T WANNA TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, THEN WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.
UM, I, I'VE TRIED TO DO SOME RESEARCH BEFORE ALL THIS.
UH, I DIDN'T, UH, READ ANYTHING, UH, MEDICAL IN THAT WAY.
BUT, UH, UH, I, I WOULD AGREE.
AND I, I HAVE READ OTHER RESEARCH PREVIOUSLY, UM, IN DEALING WITH MY OWN CHILD, BY THE WAY, UH, ABOUT THE ADDICTION OF CELL PHONES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES, UH, AND TO INCLUDE WATCHES, THE APPLE WATCHES.
UH, I TEACH AT A PRIVATE SCHOOL, AND I HAD TO TAKE A WATCH AWAY FROM A KID TODAY, UH, BECAUSE THEY WERE USING IT TO INTERACT WITH THEIR PHONE AND NOT PAYING ATTENTION.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S EVERYTHING.
UM, IN, IN DOING MY RESEARCH TODAY, I WAS LOOKING AT OTHER SCHOOLS THAT HAD STARTED BANNING, AND IT'S GOING ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UM, SO FAR, EVERY SCHOOL THAT HAS BANNED THEIR, THEIR, THEIR CELL PHONE USAGE, EVERYONE HAS GONE THROUGH A ROUGH DETOX.
JUST LIKE ANY, ANY OTHER THREE STEP PROGRAM, UH, YOU HAVE TO DETOX AND IT'S ROUGH.
UH, BUT THEN ENGAGEMENT FLOURISHES, ACTIVITY AND FLOURISHES, SCORES IMPROVE.
EVERYTHING GETS BETTER BECAUSE KIDS ARE ENGAGED.
UH, AND PARENTS ARE GONNA HATE IT TOO.
UH, 'CAUSE PARENTS ARE JUST JACKED INTO THEIR KIDS AS THE KIDS ARE INTO THEIR PHONE.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
IT, SO IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S GONNA GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THAT, UH, AT OUR SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE, WE LISTENED TO, UH, UM, A SPEAKER, ONE OF THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS, UH, GAVE A PRESENTATION ON DISCIPLINE AND HOW PHONES WERE CONTRIBUTING TO THE LACK OF DISCIPLINE, HOW STUDENTS WERE VIDEOTAPING FIGHTS AND PASSING IT AROUND.
AND IT WAS BECOMING, UH, SUCH A DISTRACTION IN THAT WAY TOO.
UH, SO IT'S, UH, IT'S, UH, IT'S NOT GONNA BE AN EASY TOPIC TO WORK THROUGH.
UH, AND I, I THINK AS A BOARD, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO OFFEND THE LEAST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE OFFENDED.
KIDS ARE GONNA BE OFFENDED, PARENTS ARE GONNA BE OFFENDED.
HOW DO WE OFFEND THE LEAST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THROUGH THIS? THANK YOU.
UM, I'LL START OUT BY SAYING, LET'S ASK OURSELVES, WHY ARE SCHOOL DISTRICTS CREATED? WERE THEY CREATED TO CREATE A SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT SO KIDS CAN COME TO SCHOOL AND, AND CONTACT THEIR FRIENDS? NO, THEY WERE NOT.
THEY WERE CREATED TO ENSURE THAT WE PREPARE STUDENTS FOR WHAT LIES AHEAD.
AND BEING, YOU KNOW, SORT OF MELY MOUTH ABOUT IT AIN'T PREPARING THEM, JUST PUT IT IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA VERNACULAR.
[00:20:01]
I SAY, BLOCK THEM IN THE CLASSROOMS, PUT 'EM IN A POUCH, TAKE 'EM FROM 'EM, WHATEVER.BUT FOR ME, PERSONALLY, I WANT TEACHERS TO HAVE A STAPLE CLASSROOM WHERE THEY CAN CONVEY KNOWLEDGE AND CHALLENGE KIDS INTELLECTUALLY.
THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR ME.
ALL THIS OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA STUFF, WE ARE NOW FINDING THAT IT IS UNDERMINING SOCIETIES, NOT JUST INDIVIDUAL KIDS, BUT ENTIRE SOCIETIES.
AND WE ARE LOSING TOTAL CONTROL, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ARREST.
AND THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO START TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT MENTIONED.
I'LL SUGGEST THAT WE COULD CONSIDER AT SOME POINT IN TIME, SETTING UP A CONTACT MECHANISM WITHIN EACH SCHOOL.
MUL, ALMOST LIKE THE OLD PBX EXCHANGE, WHERE A A PARENT KNOWS THEY CAN ACTUALLY GET A MESSAGE TO THEIR KIDS.
IT MAY TAKE US A LITTLE WHILE, BUT I THINK SOME TYPE OF MECHANISM THAT SAYS, HEY, WE'RE TRYING TO LISTEN TO YOU AND ALLEVIATE SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTACT YOUR KID.
BUT I RAISE OWN DERA IS TO EDUCATE YOUR KIDS.
THE SECOND THING IS, UM, I'M GLAD SOMEONE BROUGHT THE DATA UP, THE DATA ON IMPACT, UH, BECAUSE I THINK RIGHT NOW, IF WE JUST SURVEYED THE PARENTS, IT'LL BE OVERWHELMING.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO PUT TOGETHER ALL THIS DATA AND RESEARCH THAT'S BEEN FOUND VARIOUS PLACES, CREATE A NARRATIVE AND HIT THE ROAD LIKE THE SUPERINTENDENT DID FOR THE SCHOOL REFERENDUM, WHICH WON OVERWHELMINGLY TWO TIMES.
AND SO I THINK THAT IS ONE WAY TO SORT OF ACCOMMODATE THE PUBLIC SO THAT THEY KNOW WE'RE TRYING TO HELP THEM.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS, LET'S TALK, LET'S START THINKING ABOUT EDUCATION AS BEING A COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WE NO LONGER ARE THE ONLY SOLUTION, AND NOT ALL THE OTHER SOLUTIONS HAVE THE SAME CONSTRAINTS THAT WE DO.
SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME TO GRIPS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE EDUCATING OUR KIDS IN A WAY, EXCUSE ME, IN A WAY THAT IS COMPETITIVE WITH THE BEST SCHOOLS ANYWHERE.
AND WE'RE DOING THAT, BUT WE ALSO GOT A MESSAGE THAT THAT'S OCCURRING.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING I'M PRETTY PASSIONATE ABOUT.
AM I GETTING FEEDBACK? UM, AS A PARENT AND SOMEONE WHO TALKS TO A LOT OF PARENTS, I CAN, I DISAGREE WITH, UH, MR. DALLAS.
I MAY BE IN A PARENTAL BUBBLE, AND I KNOW THERE ARE PARENTS WHO ARE VERY DEPENDENT ON CELL PHONES, BUT I THINK A LOT OF PARENTS ARE NOTICING, UH, ESPECIALLY POST COVID, THE NEGATIVE EFFECT THAT PHONES ARE HAVING ON STUDENTS.
JONATHAN HAIGHT IS A, UH, NEW YORK, UH, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY STERN, UH, UH, PSYCHOLOGIST WHO STUDIES EDUCATION.
AND HE HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK ON THAT AND HAS PUBLISHED A BOOK ABOUT ENDING PHONE-BASED CHILDHOODS.
AND HE WRITES THAT, UM, SINCE 2010, THE DEPRESSION IN THE UNITED STATES HAS INCREASED IN ADOLESCENTS, 50% SUICIDE RATES HAVE INCREASED 48% FOR THE ADOLESCENTS AGE, 10 TO 19.
AND FOR GIRLS AGE, 10 TO 14 SUICIDE HAS RAISED ROSEN 131%.
THAT'S NOT PHONES, IT'S PHONES AND SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT IT IS A COMBINATION OF THE TWO.
AND WHILE SCHOOLS ARE ABSOLUTELY, I DO THINK IT WOULD HELP WITH DISCIPLINE, I THINK IT WOULD HELP WITH ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.
BUT ONE OF THE GREAT BENEFITS OF SCHOOLS IS FOR KIDS TO LEARN HOW TO INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER, HOW TO GET ALONG WITH EACH OTHER, HOW TO WORK TOGETHER.
AND IF YOU'VE GOT YOUR FACE IN THE PHONE ALL THE TIME, THOSE THINGS AREN'T HAPPENING.
SO TO ME, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, RIGHT NOW, I KNOW IN NEW YORK THEY'RE DOING THIS.
THE KIDS COMPLAIN, UH, ABOUT IT.
BUT AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS, JUST LIKE AN ADDICTION, THEY START TO LOOK UP, LOOK AROUND, SEE THEIR FRIENDS, AND START HAVING THOSE FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATIONS.
THE EVIDENCE IS REALLY, REALLY SOLID RIGHT NOW THAT THE KIDS' USE OF THE PHONE ALL THE TIME IS CAUGHT HAVING LONG-TERM LIFELONG EFFECTS.
ON THE OTHER HAND, I UNDERSTAND WE CANNOT TAKE AWAY PHONES AND WE CANNOT MAKE TEACHERS THE ENFORCERS OF BASICALLY A PAPER PHONE POLICY, BECAUSE THAT WOULD MAKE TEACHERS' LIVES MISERABLE.
THERE IS TECHNOLOGY THAT EXISTS TO SHUT DOWN CELL PHONE USE WITHIN THE SCHOOL BUILDING.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ALL THESE SCHOOLS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ARE STARTING TO DO WITH GREAT SUCCESS.
AND I THINK THERE IS A BALANCE.
MY, UM, SON'S CAR KEY IS HIS PHONE, SO WE CAN'T SAY, YOU CAN'T BRING YOUR PHONE.
BUT I DO THINK WE CAN, AND WE SHOULD BE SAYING TO STUDENTS COMING UP WITH WAYS THAT WHILE YOU'RE IN THE SCHOOL BUILDING, OR WHILE YOU'RE IN THE SCHOOL CLASSROOM, YOU WILL NOT HAVE YOUR FACE IN THE PHONE.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO.
WHETHER IT'S A COM, WHETHER IT'S SOCIAL MEDIA OR THE U UBIQUITOUS OF THE PHONE IN THEIR HAND ALL THE TIME.
AND IT IS REALLY CONCERNING TO
[00:25:01]
ME, UM, AS A PARENT TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING TO MR. CAMPBELL'S POINT.IF THE PARENTS AREN'T CONSTANTLY ON TOP OF THEIR CHILDREN'S PHONE USE, IT CAN VERY EASILY GET OUTTA HAND.
BUT IT IS VERY DISCOURAGING TO WALK INTO MY DAUGHTER WHEN SHE WENT TO COLLEGE TO WALK INTO THE, YOU KNOW, THE STUDENT, UH, WHAT DO THEY CALL THE STUDENT HUB? THE STUDENT UNION TYPE BUILDING.
AND IT'S DEAD SILENT, AND EVERYONE'S GOT THEIR AIRPODS IN AND EVERYBODY'S IN THEIR PHONES.
THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE AS A PARENT.
SO I WOULD BE SURPRISED IF THERE WASN'T WIDESPREAD SUPPORT AMONG PARENTS FOR THE SCHOOLS PARTNERING WITH PARENTS AND TRYING TO ESTABLISH SOME, UM, SOME GUIDELINES AND SOME BOUNDARIES.
I, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, MA'AM.
I AM GOING TO FURTHER ECHO WHAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS SAID.
WITH MY BACKGROUND BEING IN MENTAL HEALTH AS WELL AS ADDICTION THERAPY, I HAVE RECOGNIZED IN ALL DIFFERENT REALMS THAT CHILDREN AND ADULTS ACTUALLY ARE BEHAVING IN ADDICTION, YOU KNOW, IN A FASHION OF ADDICTION WITH THEIR DEVICES, WHETHER THAT'S A COMPUTER, A CELL PHONE, SO ON.
UM, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOW STUDYING THE IMPACT, YOU KNOW, OF THE DEVICES, BUT ALSO HOW DEPENDENT PARENTS, SOME PARENTS HAVE BECOME ON THEIR CHILDREN, WHICH IS NOT HEALTHY EITHER.
UM, AND I REALLY THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AS A BOARD TO THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE ARE, DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE DO THAT BASED ON PEOPLE'S FEELINGS.
UM, WE NEED TO DO IT BASED ON FACTS SUCH AS THE ONES MRS. BOATWRIGHT BROUGHT UP, AND ALSO DR. LANE.
SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME AS WELL.
I DO SEE A HIGH CORRELATION BETWEEN DISCIPLINARY ISSUES, BULLYING.
SO IF THESE CHILDREN, NOT, IF THESE CHILDREN ARE SITTING ON THEIR PHONES IN SCHOOL AND THEY ARE ACTIVELY, YOU KNOW, SENDING MEMES ABOUT CLASSMATES SENDING FUNNY THINGS, YOU KNOW, TO DEPICT CLASSMATES.
AND AS AI GETS PRESENTED INTO EVERYTHING ELSE, IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE FROM HERE.
UM, SO I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF WHETHER IT'S A BOX IN EACH CLASSROOM THAT PHONES AND EARPODS GO INTO AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH DAY, WHETHER IT IS BLOCKERS PUT ON CAMPUSES, WHATEVER IT NEEDS TO BE, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, THIS IS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR CHILDREN'S HEALTH, BUT IT'S ALSO NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF EDUCATION.
SO IF WE WANT TO REALLY GO TO TASK ON THIS, PERHAPS WE TAKE IT UPON OURSELVES.
OR AS SOME PEOPLE, UM, SUGGESTED, COME UP WITH AN AD HOC TO ACTUALLY GO A BIT FURTHER AND EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK A LOT OF PARENTS UNDERSTAND THE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH BEHIND WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN TERMS OF CHILDREN AND TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA.
SO THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
BUT ALSO, SORRY, I JUST HAD MY LAST THOUGHT THAT I HAD WRITTEN DOWN, UM, IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY, I MEAN, SOMEHOW WE ALL MADE IT DECADES AND DECADES WITHOUT OUR PARENTS BEING ABLE TO REACH US AT EVERY MOMENT OF THE DAY.
OUR PARENTS KNEW TO CALL THE SCHOOL.
IF WE WERE SICK, THEY WOULD GET A CALL FROM A NURSE THAT STILL STANDS TRUE TODAY.
AND IN THE EVENT OF, LET'S SAY AN ACTIVE SHOOTER OR SOMETHING TERRIBLE, A FRANTIC PARENT REACHING OUT TO THEIR FRANTIC CHILD IS ONLY GOING TO ELEVATE A TERRIBLE SITUATION FURTHER.
IT IS NOT GOING TO ALLEVIATE ANYTHING.
SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
UH, MR. SMITH, YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? UH, YES, SIR.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE CELL PHONE POLICY, UH, I'M, UM, I, I BELIEVE A LADY IN THE ROOM SAID THAT I THINK WE'VE ALREADY, UH, VISITED THIS CELL PHONE AND WE ALREADY TALKED AROUND IT.
UM, AND AS OF RELATES TO THE CELL PHONES, I THINK FROM A, A SECURITY AND CON AND SAFETY CONCERN, UM, I, I, I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT THESE CELL PHONES ENTAIL WAY MORE THAN WHAT WE'RE SCRATCHING THE SURFACE OF.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT LEVELS TO THIS IN TERMS OF HAVING TEACHERS TO, YOU THINK THAT TEACHERS SPEND TIME NOW ASKING KIDS TO TAKE OUT THEIR CELL PHONES, NOW YOU'RE GONNA MAKE IT A TOTAL WAR IN TERMS OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS GETTING INTO IT ABOUT CELL PHONES AND HAVING TESTING ABOUT GIVING ME THE CELL PHONE.
I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S JUST, THAT, THAT'S JUST ONE, UM,
[00:30:01]
ASPECT OF IT, HAVING, HAVING THEM TO NOW POLICE ABOUT THE CELL PHONES.BUT THEN IT ALSO COMES DOWN TO THE QUESTION IS HAVE, HAVE OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR IN TERMS OF WHEN WE GET STUDENTS, HAVE THEY REALLY PUT A, A, A REAL SERIOUS, UH, EMPHASIS ABOUT RULES AND REGULATIONS OF WHAT'S ACCEPTED AND WHAT'S NOT ACCEPTED IN, IN BUILDINGS? BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME BUILDINGS WHERE I BELIEVE THAT THAT SELF, THAT CELL PHONE USE IS NOT THAT, UH, BIG OF A BIG OF A, A DEAL BECAUSE THE STUDENTS UNDERSTAND IT AND IT'S NO DIFFERENT, IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN SCHOOL UNIFORMS. UH, JUST, JUST, JUST BEYOND THAT THEY ACTUALLY PICK UP AND THEY ACTUALLY DO THINGS AND THEY, THEY, THEY ACTUALLY TALK TO SOMEONE.
BUT THE SAME WITH HOW WE ENFORCE SCHOOL, SCHOOL UNIFORMS IN SCHOOL, I THINK IT REFLECTS SOMETIME ON HOW WE ENFORCE SCHOOL, UH, UH, CELL PHONES.
BECAUSE AT THE BEGINNING YEAR, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WE'RE TOUGH ON IT.
AND AS TIME GO BY, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT THAT, THAT YOU MAY FOCUS ON.
WHEN YOU LOOK, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THESE ISSUES THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE SCHOOLS AND HOW THE ADMINISTRATORS, ADMINISTRATORS ARE SOLVING SOME OF THESE ISSUES, THEY GO, GUESS WHERE THEY GO AT? THEY GO TO THE STUDENT'S CELL PHONES AND, AND, AND, AND THEY GET INFORMATION OFF THE CELL PHONES.
IF WE, GOD FORBID IT, UH, IF WE HAVE A TRAGEDY SITUATION, THEY WILL PROBABLY ALSO, ONCE AGAIN, BE USE STUDENT CELL PHONES AND LISTEN TO STUDENT CALLS AND STUDENTS CALL AND, AND, AND TEND TELL THEM WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, BACK IN THE DAYS, I KNOW THEY, THEY, THAT THEY, I BELIEVE BACK IN A LONG, LONG TIME AGO, THEY USED TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE A, A BREAK WHERE THEY WOULD LET STUDENTS, UH, DO DIFFERENT THINGS.
I THINK MAYBE, MAYBE WE SHOULD LOOK TOWARDS HAVING A BREAK WHERE KIDS CAN USE CELL PHONE AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THERE ARE CERTAIN AREAS IN THE SCHOOL WHERE, WHERE KIDS COULD USE IT.
AND, AND YOU HAVE TO GET SOME BUY-IN, IN, IN, IN THE PROCESS OF UNDERSTANDING THIS, THIS WHOLE CELL PHONE THING.
FOR ME, I, I, I JUST THINK THAT, THAT, THAT WE, SOME, SOME, SOME PEOPLE SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON IT AND, AND SOME PEOPLE DON'T.
I THINK IT ALSO COMES DOWN A LITTLE BIT TOO, TO, UH, SOMETIMES THE CLASSROOM MAN, CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT.
SO I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S JUST THAT, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY SPIRIT ABOUT IT.
BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE BUILDINGS WHERE STUDENTS KNOW BETTER AND THE STUDENTS ARE NOT, ARE NOT DOING THAT.
AND, AND THEY'RE, AND THERE'S SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS ARE, ARE DOING IT MORE THAN OTHERS.
SO, AND WE CAN ENFORCE A SCHOOL UNIFORM POLICY OF WHAT YOU SHOULD BE IN FIRST THING IN THE MORNING.
THEN NOW THAT WE SHOULD GET THEM, WE CAN ENFORCE THAT STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE ON THEIR CELL PHONES DURING, DURING SCHOOL TIME AND, AND, AND CLASS TIME.
AND MAYBE WE MAY, MAY, MAY NEED TO GET THE PARENTS TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
I MEAN, BECAUSE THIS, THE ONCE, ONCE AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS A TOPIC THAT, THAT, THAT WE'VE ALREADY, UM, SPOKE UPON AND, AND, AND I, I JUST THINK THAT THERE, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH MORE, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A LOT MORE, MORE HERE THAN, THAN WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING THIS AFTERNOON.
I'M NOT GONNA PROLONG IT ANYMORE.
UM, DR. RODRIGUEZ, I THINK, UH, YOU AND THE BOARD HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO ON THIS TOPIC, AND IT ALSO SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE'VE GOTTA HAVE A PRETTY GOOD PRIORITY ON, BECAUSE I THINK MR. NA'S POINT, IT'S NOT GONNA GET ANY BETTER.
AND TIME IS NOT OUR, UH, OUR FRIEND IN THIS ISSUE.
SO NOW I'D LIKE TO, SIR, CAN I JUST RESPOND? YES, SIR.
FOR MR. SMITH? YES, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UH, MR. SMITH, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I, YOU MAY REMEMBER ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO WHEN WE STARTED THE POLICY OF SCHOOL UNIFORMS AT LADIES ISLAND MIDDLE.
WE WENT THROUGH SIC AND WE WENT THROUGH THE TEACHERS, AND THEN WE WENT, RIGHT, MS. DRAKE, AND WE, WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND WHEN WE, EVERY PARENT IN OUR FEEDER SCHOOL DISTRICT GOT A PIECE OF PAPER, DO YOU WANT IT? YES OR NO? IT WAS OVERWHELMINGLY, AND WE WENT TO THAT POLICY BECAUSE OF THE BAGGY CLOTHES IN THAT TIME, AND THEY WERE HIDING THINGS IN IT.
AND, UH, COMPARING THE UNIFORMS TO CELL PHONE IS DIFFERENT.
YOU CAN'T GO IN THERE AND TAKE THAT CELL PHONE OUT OF A CHILD'S BACK POCKET.
AT LEAST THE TEACHER CAN'T, STAFF MEMBER CAN'T.
IT IS A HUGE PROBLEM IN THE SCHOOLS.
AND, AND I THINK IT'S TIME WE STEP UP AND REALLY THINK HARD ABOUT IT.
I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, ANOTHER BOARD MEETING BACK IN THE FALL, UH, SIC BOARD MEETING.
BUT, UH, WE MAY NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, ONE TIME JUST DOESN'T DO IT.
THANK, UH, WE, WE, DO YOU HAVE OTHER TOPICS? IF IT COULD BE, IF IT COULD BE A QUICK COMMENT YES, PLEASE.
[00:35:03]
HAVE WE DONE SOME, LOOK AT SOME OF THE SCHOOLS AND ARE THERE ANY SCHOOLS THAT SAY, HEY, WE ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH OF A PROBLEM, AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN DISTRICT.I'M JUST CURIOUS, DR. RODRIGUEZ.
NO, WE HAVEN'T, UH, DONE TO, TO THAT DEGREE.
SO, SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO DO.
NEXT TOPIC IS, UH, UM, I THINK WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DRIVE ON, UH, AND IF, UH, UH, MS. HAY, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEND IN A, A CHAT IN THERE.
UH, WE CAN, WE CAN, UH, OH, IT'S MR. SMITH.
WELL LET, LET'S, LET'S DRIVE ON, UH, NEXT ITEM IS RECESS IN THE FORM OF INTRAMURALS TO HELP WITH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH.
SO ANYBODY FROM THE SICS WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON THAT TOPIC? I GUESS IT'S STILL KIND OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UH, ISSUES.
YEAH, I, I, I WILL TOO ON THAT ONE.
YOU KNOW, I, I GO BACK TO WORK 40 YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE AT OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE ONE OUT OF FOUR CHILDREN WHO WERE OBESE RIGHT NOW.
KIDS USED TO GET OUT AND PLAY.
WE SLOTTED TIME AND IT WASN'T JUST GOING OUT AND THROWING A BASKETBALL AND EVERYBODY RUNNING AROUND.
AND I MS. DRAKE, WE BACK AT THAT TIME, AND IT REALLY, IT, IT ALLOWED KIDS TO LOOK AT EACH OTHER AND PARTICIPATE.
WE'RE NOT GETTING THAT ANYMORE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S JUST AN IN-HOUSE DECISION OR, UH, AND I KNOW THERE'S SO MUCH THE, THE LIMITED TIME DURING THE DAY DUE TO THE TESTING AND, AND SO FORTH.
BUT, UH, I, I REALLY THINK SOME TYPE OF ORGANIZED SCHOOL DAY ACTIVITIES WILL HELP.
AND AGAIN, IT WORKED IN THE PAST AND, AND IT GETS THESE KIDS OUT INVOLVED IN, UH, WORKING WITH EACH OTHER.
OTHER COMMENTS, SIR? UM, AND I MEAN, THAT'S A GREAT POINT WITH THE EXERCISE THAT'S SO ESSENTIAL.
UM, BUT THERE'S THREE AREAS THERE.
SOME RESEARCH WAS DONE WITH GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS.
UH, THREE PREDICTORS OF GIFTED AND TALENTED SUCCESS.
ONE IS EARLY READING, UH, I MEAN PHYSICAL READING, NOT, NOT FACEBOOK OR ANYTHING.
UM, A LIMIT OR A DENIAL OF TECHNOLOGY.
AND THEN THE THIRD PREDICTOR, WHO OVERWHELMINGLY WAS UNRESTRICTED PLAY, UM, IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND NOT, AND I, I UNDERSTAND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INTRAMURALS, BUT, BUT CERTAINLY THE ABILITY TO COME UP WITH A, SOMETHING TO DO, BE ABLE TO THINK ABOUT IT, IT ENGAGES THE ACADEMIC AS WELL AS THE, THE, THE PLAY AND THE EXERCISE ASPECT OF THAT TO BE ABLE TO BE ORIGINAL, UM, REALLY IS, IS ONE OF THE MAIN PREDICTORS AND OF GIFTEDNESS WITH OUR STUDENTS.
OTHER COMMUNISTS FROM SIC MEMBERS, MA'AM.
SO WHAT I'M, DID YOU HOLD IT? WHAT I'M THINKING IS, YES, THANK YOU.
AS THE PRINCIPAL AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OF THE SCHOOLS, THEY SHOULD KNOW WHAT THEY STUDENTS NEED.
LIKE, YOU CAN'T COME TO MY HOUSE AND TELL ME WHAT MY DAUGHTER NEED IN THAT 30 MINUTE SESSION.
SO IF, LIKE YOU SAID, THEY NEED READING IN THAT 30 MINUTE SESSION OF RECESS, GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED.
SO EVERY HOUSE HAVE A OWN, UH, A, A LEAD.
THEY KNOW WHAT THEY STUDENTS NEED IN THAT TIME, WHETHER IT'S RECESS, WHETHER, WHETHER IT'S READING, WHETHER IT'S MATH, WHATEVER THEIR GOALS ARE.
I CAN'T GO TO BATTERY CREEK AND SET THEIR GOALS.
THEY, THERE'S A LEAD PERSON THERE AND THEY HAVE THEIR GOALS IN, FOR THEM TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR GOALS.
THEY HAVE TO FIND THE AREA TO TARGET AND WHAT TIME THEY GONNA USE IT TO TARGET.
SO THAT'S LIKE, I'M COMING TO BAT CREEK, I'M SHARING, BUT HE KNOWS WHAT HE NEEDS FOR HIS SCHOOL.
HE GOT HANDS ON EVIDENCE, AND THIS IS THE ONLY TIME THAT I HAVE TO PLAY WITH THE RECESS TIME.
WE GONNA TAKE THE RECESS FROM THEM.
WE KEEP ON SAYING WE FIGHTING FOR TEST SCORES.
THEY GO HOME AT THREE O'CLOCK, THREE 30 NOW, PLAY AT HOME, 30 MINUTES.
THE PARENTS MUST BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR SOME OF THESE ACTIONS.
YOU KNOW, THEY ARE THEIR PARENTS, BUT THEY'RE TEMPORARY FOR EIGHT HOURS.
LET THEM GO HOME AND GET THAT 30 MINUTES.
THEY CAN RUN FROM THE BUS STOP.
SO NOT KEEP ON PUTTING IT IN THE SCHOOL BASED SESSION THAT WE GOTTA CRAM ALL THESE IN ALL THIS INFORMATION INTO OUR KIDS IN THAT EIGHT HOURS.
BUT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT MUST BE DONE AFTER SCHOOL.
JUST VERY QUICKLY, UM, LAURA JACOBY, UM, REPRESENTING
[00:40:01]
AT MCCRACKEN MIDDLE AND MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL.SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS Y'ALL ARE JUST TALKING ABOUT IN REGARDS TO ELEMENTARY AGE.
UM, BUT I WILL SAY FOR, UM, THE SCHOOLS THAT I REPRESENT AT LEAST, UM, DEFINITELY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE, UM, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, THE OUT TIME SIDE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY LIKE TO CALL IT RECESS ONCE THEY GET, UM, BEYOND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, BUT SOME LEVEL OF OUTDOOR ENRICHMENT OR SOMETHING IS VITAL.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOU'VE GOT ESPECIALLY THE SIXTH AND SEVENTH GRADERS.
UM, I KNOW THAT IS, UM, PERSONALLY, MY, UH, SEVENTH GRADER WHEN HE WAS IN SIXTH GRADE, THEY ONLY GOT TO GO OUTSIDE TWICE A DAY, UH, EXCUSE ME, TWICE A DAY, TWICE A WEEK.
AND, UM, THAT WAS ON THE DAYS THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO HAVE SOME LEVEL OF PHYSICAL PLAY.
UM, IT WAS JUST NOT AS PRODUCTIVE AS A DAY.
THEIR BRAINS, UH, NEEDED A BREAK.
I DO COMPLETELY AGREE THAT, UM, THAT MIGHT NOT BE A DECISION THAT WE MAKE HERE, THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE DECISION THAT THE SCHOOL MAKES.
UM, ANOTHER SUGGESTION IS JUST TO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, ENRICHMENT TIME.
AND THAT'S, UM, FOR WHATEVER LEVEL OF ENRICHMENT.
IF, YOU KNOW, THOSE STUDENTS, JUST LIKE SHE SAID, NEED THE PHYSICAL TIME OR IF THEY NEED, UM, YOU KNOW, TUTORING TIME OR, OR WHATNOT.
BUT, UM, I AGREE THAT THE, THE PHYSICAL ASPECT IS CERTAINLY NEEDED EVEN UP INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL.
BUT, UM, I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT IT'S, UM, SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE DECIDED HERE.
OTHER COMMENTS FROM SIC? YES, MA'AM.
JUST, I CAN'T IGNORE THE, THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SCREEN TIME WE WERE TALKING ABOUT FIRST AND ONE OF THE TOP THREE PREDICTORS OF SUCCESS, ACADEMIC SUCCESS IS LESS SCREEN TIME.
DR. RODRIGUEZ, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT? ACTUALLY THINK, UM, THIS TOPIC IS NOT FAR RELATE FAR OFF FROM THE FIRST ONE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CELL PHONES, 'CAUSE, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ISSUES WITH CELL PHONES IS THAT, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT THEY, UH, STUDENTS END UP AND SO CONNECTED TO THAT, THEY COULD BE STANDING IN A CIRCLE, BUT NOT TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER INSTEAD TEXTING ONE ANOTHER, RIGHT? BUT, BUT WITH, UM, UM, UH, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, RIGHT? UM, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF, UH, PLAY SECOND FIDDLE TO THEIR DESIRE, UH, TO BE WITH THEIR CELL PHONE OR CONNECTED TO THEIR CELL PHONE.
NOW, UM, I THINK, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, RIGHT? RESET RECESS OR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TIME IS A REQUIREMENT BUILT INTO THE SCHEDULES FOR, UH, FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THOSE, THOSE ARE REQUIRED TIMES WHEN THEY GET OLDER AND THEY GET INTO MIDDLE SCHOOLS OR, OR, AND OBVIOUSLY HIGH SCHOOLS, UH, THAT THERE, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENCES THERE IN TERMS OF REQUIREMENT OR NOT, RIGHT? BUT, BUT AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
BUT IT'S DEFINITELY A REQUIREMENT AND IT CAN BE PART OF, UH, THAT PE TIME OR PE COMPONENT THAT EXISTS, UH, FOR, FOR STUDENTS THROUGH THAT AS WELL.
WOULD ANY BOARD MEMBER LIKE TO MR. NAY? UH, I, I GREW UP IN A TRAILER PARK IN FLORIDA, UH, AND, UH, I HAD ONE TOY AND IT WAS CALLED OUTSIDE.
UM, I WAS SAYING THAT FOR MANY YEARS, AND THEN I SAW IT ONLINE AND I SWEAR THAT PERSON STOLE IT FROM ME.
BUT, UH, AND I, I, I THINK, UM, I, AS ONE OF OUR, AS I SEE MEMBERS SAID THAT, UH, I, I THINK THERE IS DEFINITELY CORRELATION BETWEEN SCREEN TIME, UH, AND ACTIVITY.
UH, AND THEN I, I'M NOT EVEN ENTIRELY SURE THAT OUR BLOCK SCHEDULE'S HELPING EITHER.
UM, 90 MINUTE BLOCKS OF EDUCATION, THE TEACHERS TEACH FOR 40 TO 50 MINUTES, AND THEN THE KIDS ARE, OKAY, WORK ON THIS, AND THEY'RE ON THEIR SCREEN, EITHER ON THEIR PHONE OR THEY'RE ON THEIR COMPUTER.
UH, SO I I I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, UH, CONTRIBUTING OR NOT.
UM, BUT, UH, IT, I, THE OTHER ASPECT, UH, THAT I'LL TOUCH ON IS, UM, EVERYBODY CAN BE A JERK ONLINE WITHOUT REPERCUSSION.
UH, WHEN YOU PUT KIDS OUT ON THE PLAYGROUND, THEY HAVE TO RESOLVE CONFLICT.
UH, EVERYBODY HAS A PLAN UNTIL THEY GET PUNCHED IN THE FACE, RIGHT? SO, AND I'M NOT ADVOCATING VIOLENCE BY ANY STRETCH OF THE MEANS, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS THAT, UH, ANYBODY CAN ACT WITHOUT REPERCUSSION ONLINE.
UH, THEY, THEY SPREAD VIDEOS, THEY DO THIS, THEY DO THAT.
UM, LEARNING, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, FACE-TO-FACE
[00:45:01]
IS VITALLY IMPORTANT, VITALLY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE, WE'RE PREPARING THEM, UH, FOR WHAT'S COMING AHEAD.UH, SO, UH, IT'S, UH, THAT'S ALSO A, A TOUGH ONE.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE INTRAMURALS, IF WE'RE GONNA PUT TOGETHER LITTLE SOFTBALL TEAMS OR WHATEVER, UH, WHATEVER INTRAMURAL INVOLVES.
UH, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT, UH, UH, OUTSIDE ENGAGEMENT AS FAR AS, UH, BREAK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY IS IMPORTANT.
HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANNA SAY? I JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO SOMETHING I SAID BEFORE.
THE ISSUES, THREE ISSUES THAT ARE ON THIS THING RIGHT NOW, IT DEALS WITH THE PARENTS AND THE COMMUNITY IS NOT INVOLVED AND NOTHING'S GONNA CHANGE, BUT THE CELL PHONE, UM, AND ONCE THE CHILDREN GET OUTTA SCHOOL TO GO HOME, WHAT DO THEY DO? THEY EITHER SIT DOWN AND WATCH TV OR, UM, TEXT THEIR FRIENDS, OR AS FAR AS DISCIPLINE COME FROM OF YOUR COMMUNITY AND PARENTS, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WENT TO SCHOOL, YOU DID NOT ACT THE WAY I SEE THIS SHOULD ACT TODAY.
BECAUSE THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WOULD, COMMUNITY WOULD STRAIGHTEN YOU OUT.
SO YOU CANNOT BLAME THE CHILDREN FOR THE WAY THEY ACT, BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY THE DOG ARE ACTING TODAY.
UM, I THINK RECESS IS ESSENTIAL.
I REMEMBER GROWING UP AS A KID, UH, I WAS A LITTLE NERD AND, YOU KNOW, YOU GET PICKED ON.
UH, BUT THEN I COULD GO OUTSIDE AND I WAS PRETTY, PRETTY DECENT ATHLETE.
AND THAT GAVE ME CONFIDENCE TO GO BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM AND CONTINUE BEING A NERD.
SO I KNOW THAT THERE'S A FEELING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE AWAY, BUT I MEAN, YOU BECOME ENERGIZED.
YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU GO OUT AND YOU'RE RACING AGAINST SOME OTHER LITTLE KID WHO'S BEEN TALKING SMACK TO YOU AND YOU BEAT HIM IN A RACE.
NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU GOT SOME NOTORIETY AMONG YOUR PEERS.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS I THINK ARE NOT RECOGNIZED.
AND I GO BACK TO THOSE DAYS, IT REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE.
AND WE GOTTA TEACH OUR KIDS HOW TO BE CONFIDENT IN A SUPER COMPETITIVE WORLD.
I MEAN, THE REALITY IS ALL YOU GOTTA LOOK AT AT, IN, AFTER WORLD WAR II US WAS NUMBER ONE IN EDUCATION.
NOW, I CAN GIVE YOU A A ANECDOTAL ONE VERY QUICKLY.
MY SECRETARY LEFT SOUTH AFRICA TO GO TO TEACH ENGLISH IN SOUTH KOREA.
AND SHE CALLS BACK AND SHE SAYS, MR. DALLAS, YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THIS.
SHE SAYS, THESE KIDS GO TO SCHOOL EIGHT TO FIVE, FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
AND SHE SAID, BUT THAT'S NOT ALL.
THEY GO EIGHT TO 12 ON SATURDAYS.
AND THEN YOU, THEY COME HERE, FAMILIES MIGRATE HERE, AND THEY'RE KICKING OUR PETUNIAS ON THE SAT, THE A CT BEING RECRUITED FOR JOBS.
WE GOING TO HAVE TO AMP UP AND REALLY BE DISCIPLINED AND FOCUSED AND SAY SOMETIMES IT'S NOT EASY IN THE SHORT TERM, LONG TERM IS SUPER BENEFICIAL.
SO I'M ALL IN FAVOR OF WE NEED RECESS.
LISTENING TO MY COLLEAGUES AND, UH, MY SIC UH, MEMBERS HERE.
I AGREE WITH THE INTRAMURALS FOR, UM, RECESS FOR OUR CHILDREN.
IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT PLAY, BUT PLAY IS INVOLVED AND WE KNOW THAT.
BUT WE HAVE PE TEACHERS, PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS WHO CAN DEVELOP CURRICULUM TO GIVE OUR STUDENTS WHAT THEY NEED, UH, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, PLAYING SOFTBALL, OR YOU'VE GOT THIS ONE KID WHO THE ONLY TIME HE OR SHE GETS ANY ATTENTION IS WHEN THEY'RE OUTSIDE.
WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING INSIDE CELL PHONES, COMPUTERS, MAKE IT WHERE WE CAN JUST SIT INSIDE.
AND IF YOU SEE CHILDREN OUTSIDE, THEY'RE RUNNING, THEY'RE LAUGHING, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS, NOT JUST FOR THE CURRICULUM, BUT FOR THEMSELVES.
AND AS MR. DALTON SAID, WE HAVE GOT TO GET OUR CHILDREN TO THE POINT WHERE THEY 20 TO 10 NATIONALLY THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO OFFER OUR CHILDREN.
SO WE'RE NOT PLACING HIGHER IN THE ACADEMIC RANGE,
[00:50:01]
WE'RE SITTING HERE SAYING, WHY ARE THEY USING THE CELL PHONES JOBS? AND THE ONLY TIME SHE CAN GET SOME PEACE IS THAT LITTLE PETE IS ON THAT COMPUTER.
THEY CAN USE IT BETTER THAN WE CAN, BUT WE CAN HAVE THOSE TOOLS WHERE THEY CAN USE THAT TOOL TO RAISE THEIR ACADEMIC SCORES.
THEY BE DOING MATH AND NOT EVEN HAVE AN IDEA.
LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING TO OUR CHILDREN.
AND I'M SAYING THE ADULTS, CHILDREN NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CHILDREN UNTIL THEY BECOME ADULTS.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WHAT ARE WE DOING? WHAT ARE WE SAYING? ARE THE TEST SCORES THAT IMPORTANT? WE DOING SOMETHING ELSE TO GET THERE? I SAY, YOUR HAND IS UP.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I AGAIN ECHO WHAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE JUST SAID.
UM, I DO THINK THE TWO THINGS WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING ARE COMPLETELY INTERTWINED AND LINKED TO ONE ANOTHER.
WE LIVE IN ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES IN OUR COUNTRY, AND IT'S TRULY SAD THAT OUR STUDENTS AREN'T ABLE TO TAKE MORE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
UM, I DO THINK, AGAIN, TAKING AWAY CELL PHONES WOULD HELP OR BLOCKING THEM, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE SOLUTION IS THAT WE COME UP WITH WOULD HELP WITH NOT ONLY THE TEST SCORES, BUT GETTING OUTSIDE.
AND IF OUR KIDS COULD RAISE THEIR SCORES, WHICH I DO BELIEVE WOULD HAPPEN IF WE, AND I MEAN SCORES ON TESTS OR GRADES IN CLASS, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE DEVICES DISTRACTING OUR CHILDREN, I DO BELIEVE THE SCORES WOULD GO UP.
AND THEN THE QUESTION OF HOW TO HAVE OUTSIDE TIME WOULD BE A MOOT POINT BECAUSE WE WOULD WITHOUT A DOUBT, FIND THE TIME FOR OUTDOOR PLAY IF OUR, IF WE WERE GETTING THE PERFORMANCE WE'RE LOOKING FOR OR HOPING FOR, UM, TO THROW OUT AN ANECDOTAL STORY SIMILAR TO MR. DALLAS'S, YOU KNOW, AS A CHILD OR MR. NAYS, AS A CHILD, WE USED OUR IMAGINATION.
I MEAN, AS LONG AS THE DAY IS ABOUT THE FACT THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE ACTUALLY ALERT, UH, LOSING THEIR IMAGINATION DUE TO THEIR CELL PHONE USAGE.
IMAGINATION PLAYS SUCH A KEY ROLE AT ANY AGE IN HOW WE SOLVE PROBLEMS. WHETHER IT'S AN ART STUDENT, A, A MUSIC STUDENT, HOW TO CREATIVELY SOLVE A MATH PROBLEM.
I MEAN, HOW MANY OF US RUN OR OWN A BUSINESS OR HAVE WORKED AT ANY SORT OF BUSINESS WHERE WE HAVE TO USE OUR IMAGINATION? TEACHERS HAVE TO USE THEIR IMAGINATIONS FOR HOW TO ENGAGE STUDENTS.
SO IF OUR STUDENTS' IMAGINATIONS ARE BEING COMPLETELY BLOCKED BY CELL PHONES AND TIME INSIDE, INSTEAD OF BEING INSPIRED BY NATURE, THAT'S A HUGE PROBLEM.
AS A CHILD, I DIDN'T HAVE, OBVIOUSLY ANY DEVICES.
AND I RECALL PLAYING ON THE PLAYGROUND.
MY GIRLFRIENDS AND I WOULD RUN TO THE FURTHEST TREE BECAUSE IT HAD THE BIGGEST ROOTS IN THE GROUND.
AND WE WOULD PRETEND THAT THOSE ROOTS SEPARATED US INTO DIFFERENT ROOMS OF THE HOUSE.
AND WE WOULD USE BRANCHES TO SWEEP WITH, BECAUSE CLEARLY WE DIDN'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, HOUSEHOLD UTENSILS ON THE PLAYGROUND.
BUT OUR STUDENTS ARE DEEPLY MISSING THIS SENSE OF IMAGINATION.
AND SUNSHINE IS HUGE FOR PEOPLE'S MOODS.
UM, IF OUR CHILDREN WERE OUTSIDE PLAYING, RUNNING, PLAYING INTRAMURAL SPORTS, JUST SPORTS ALONE.
I MEAN, I WAS A DIVISION ONE ROWER IN COLLEGE.
THE ENDORPHINS YOU GET FROM PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CAN'T BE MATCHED BY MUCH ELSE.
UM, YOU'D SEE LOWER DEPRESSION RATES AND LOWER OBESITY.
SO WE'RE NOT DOING THE CHILDREN ANY FAVORS BY NOT GIVING THEM TIME OUTSIDE.
ALWAYS, AGAIN, STUDY AFTER STUDY ALWAYS NEED TO BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE IN ORDER TO ENGAGE IN PROPER LEARNING OR BUSINESS.
UM, ANOTHER THING IS THAT IF WE GIVE THE CHILDREN BETTER ACCESS TO
[00:55:01]
BEING PHYSICAL, THEY WILL LEARN CONFLICT RESOLUTION.THEY WILL LEARN HOW TO WORK AS A TEAM TOGETHER, AND THEY CAN TAKE DIRECTION FROM OTHERS, WHETHER IT'S A COACH OR ONE ANOTHER.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING COLLEGES DEEPLY LOOK AT.
SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE TRAJECTORY OF OUR STUDENTS AND WE CARE ABOUT THEIR FUTURE, GIVING THEM THE BACKING THAT THEY NEED TO BE ACTIVE ATHLETES, WHETHER IT'S JUST BEGINS AS AN INTERMURAL, BUT THEY MAY GO TO COLLEGE AND BE EXPOSED TO A SPORT THEY NEVER KNEW ABOUT, AND THEY WON'T QUESTION THEIR ABILITY TO TRY OUT FOR THAT TEAM.
AND COLLEGES REALLY DO LOOK AT THESE THINGS BECAUSE AGAIN, IT SHOWS A COLLEGE RECRUITER THAT THAT CHILD IS A TEAM PLAYER AND CAN TAKE DIRECTION AND SHOW UP AND GET SOME WORK DONE.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ON THIS TOPIC.
UM, MR. SMITH, YOUR HAND IS UP.
SO ONLY THING I HAD WAS THAT I WAS GONNA SAY THAT I KNOW THAT PLAYING, UM, IS DEFINITELY IMPORTANT.
AND ALSO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT KIDS BEING OBESITY, AND ALSO YOU TALK ABOUT, UH, IN, IN, IN TERMS OF US EATING HEALTHY AND CHANGING THE LUNCHES, I THINK ALL THIS STUFF GO HAND IN HAND.
AND ALSO I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD, THIS IS THIS ONE.
WE COULD ALSO LEAN TO OUR PARTNERS AT THE HEAD START BECAUSE ALSO PLAYING THE, WHEN IT'S, WHEN IT'S, WHEN IT'S INTENTIONAL, SOME OF IT IS ALSO TEACHER.
AND ALSO THE KIDS DO ALSO DO, THEY LEARN TO PLAY.
SO I, I THINK THAT RECESS IS A GOOD THING.
AND I THINK THAT ALSO HOW, HOW WE CAN EVEN SHARPEN SOME OF THAT UP IS TO ALSO, UH, LEAN TO OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR HEAD START TEAM THAT WE, WE HAVE WHO I KNOW THAT THAT IS ONE OF THEIR MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT THEY DO, IS THAT THEY TEACH KIDS, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH PLAY.
UH, AND SO I, I BELIEVE THAT HAVING RECESS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK THAT WE CAN ALSO, UH, IF WE WANT, IF LEARNING AS TO WHAT WE WANT, I THINK THAT WE CAN LEAN TO OUR PARTNERS TO GET SOME IDEAS AND, UM, UH, MAKE IT, UM, MAKE IT MORE MEANINGFUL.
THAT, THAT, THAT IS WHAT SOME PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR.
UH, I HAVE JUST A FEW MINUTES.
UH, BEFORE WE GO TO THE NEXT TOPIC.
I'M NOT A FAN OF BLOCK SCHEDULING.
I'M NOT A FAN OF, UH, HOUR AND 30 MINUTE CLASSES.
AND MR. CAMPBELL AND I ARE PROBABLY THE ONLY ONES HERE OF THE GENERATION THAT WE GREW UP.
ONE PERIOD WAS GENERALLY STUDY HALL AND ONE PERIOD EVERY DAY WAS THE GYM.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO BE, WE HAD TO BE TESTED BECAUSE WE WERE GONNA BE DRAFTED.
THAT THAT WAS WHY THAT WAS THERE.
I UNDERSTAND AS WE'RE NOT IN THAT SAME, UH, TIME NOW.
BUT I DID A QUICK, UH, STUDY OF, I TOOK A LOOK AT MY 1966 SENIOR, UH, YEARBOOK.
I GRADUATED FROM A LARGE PUBLIC SCHOOL, HAD OVER A THOUSAND STUDENTS IN MY CLASS.
AND I LOOKED, I COMPARED THAT YEARBOOK WITH MY GRANDSON WHO GRADUATED LAST SPRING FROM BEAUFORT HIGH.
I WENT DOWN AND LOOKED AT MY THOUSAND CLASSMATES AND SAID, WHO LOOKS OVERWEIGHT? WHO LOOKS GROSSLY OBESE? AND THERE WAS SOME, THERE WAS SOME BIG GUYS, YOU KNOW, FOOTBALL KIND OF GUYS, YOU KNOW, BIG GUYS, BUT THERE WASN'T ANYBODY THAT I COULD SEE WAS OVERWEIGHT.
NOW I LOOKED AT CARSON'S YEARBOOK FROM BEAUFORT HIGH, AND IT WAS ABOUT OVER 20% THAT I COULD TELL.
AND I SAID, WHAT ARE WE DOING? NOT ONLY DID WE NOT, WE LOSE, UM, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, BUT WE ALSO LOSE OTHER ACTIONS THAT WE USED TO.
WE USED TO BE HAVE CHOIR, WE HAD SHOP, WE HAD OTHER THINGS THAT OLD TESTED.
AND I DON'T WANNA GO INTO THAT BUGABOO THAT WE DON'T TEACH NOW, WE DON'T HAVE NOW.
AND WE ARE, ARE WE REALLY DEVELOPING WELL-ROUNDED INDIVIDUALS READY TO GO INTO SOCIETY? ARE WE TEACH JUST TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO TAKE A MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST? SO I HAVE, I HAVE SOME, I HAVE SOME SERIOUS ISSUES WITH THAT.
AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS ONE I'D LIKE TO MOVE NOW TO AN, UH, A VERY, I THINK, UH, EMOTIONAL TOPIC.
IT'S HALL MONITORS TO CIRCUMVENT DISCIPLINE ISSUES FROM ESCALATING.
WHO FROM THE SIC WOULD LIKE TO LEAD OFF ON THAT TOPIC.
I REPRESENT, UM, MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL AND H MCCRACKEN MIDDLE.
AND I WILL SPEAK AT LEAST FOR MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL.
[01:00:02]
IN THAT AREA.OUR PROBLEM IS JUST THERE ARE TOO MANY KIDS AND NOT ENOUGH ADULT BODIES TO SUPERVISE.
UM, THAT IS WHY THE, UM, QUESTION OF HOME MONITORS HAS COME UP IN OUR SCHOOL.
UM, THAT IF YOU WALK INTO THAT SCHOOL WHEN THEY ARE CHANGING CLASSES, AND I INVITE EVERY BOARD MEMBER TO DO THAT, IT IS A MADHOUSE.
UM, AND THERE, I MEAN, IF A TEACHER IS STANDING AT THEIR DOORWAY, THERE'S NO WAY THAT THEY CAN EVEN, AND THEY SEE SOMETHING GOING ON, BE ABLE TO GET THE ATTENTION OF SOMEONE, UM, ACROSS THE HALLWAY.
SO, UM, I KNOW THAT FOR OUR SCHOOL, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE REQUESTED.
UM, IT IS, I THINK, VERY NECESSARY.
UM, AND IT'S JUST A, FROM A NUMBERS STANDPOINT, IT IS NOT NECESSARILY, UH, I DON'T WANNA GO INTO THE, UM, DISCIPLINE ISSUES AND, 'CAUSE WE CAN TALK ALL DAY ABOUT HOW KIDS ARE DIFFERENT NOW THAN THEY WERE WHEN WE WERE IN SCHOOL.
THIS IS A GROWTH AND BODIES ISSUE.
UM, AND UNTIL WE CAN'T FIX, WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, RAPIDLY BUILD SCHOOLS AND ALL OF THAT, BUT WE CAN ADD SOME HOME MONITORS, UM, AND SOME MORE SECURITY OR SROS AND, UM, SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT.
OTHER COMMENTS FROM SIC MEMBERS? YES, SIR.
AND I, I THINK THEY'RE WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD AND, UH, THEY STOP THINGS FROM HAPPENING BEFORE THEY GET TO THE APS AND THE PRINCIPALS AND THE PARENTS STOPPED.
UH, WE HAD A GUY NAMED JOE HOFF MANY YEARS AGO.
HE, HE STOPPED THINGS HAPPENING BEFORE THEY WENT IN THE BATHROOM AND HE BECAME A REALLY A LIAISON FOR THE STUDENTS AND KIND OF HAD THEIR BACK, BUT MADE SURE THEY WERE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, UH, THE SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND THAT'S WHY IT KIND OF GOES BACK TO THE OTHER TWO.
IT, IT ALL, THIS IS OVERWHELMING AND A REALLY GOOD HALL MONITOR CAN IDENTIFY THAT AND CIRCUMVENT AND, AND I THINK THEY'RE REALLY, UH, UNDERVALUED BUT REALLY NEEDED BACK IN THE SCHOOLS.
OTHER COMMENTS FROM SI? YES MA'AM.
I'M REPRESENTING, UM, WILL BRANCH EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL.
PAUL IS A REALLY GOOD, UH, BUT THE RIGHT, AS SCOTT SAID, HAVING THE RIGHT PERSON WITH THE RIGHT KIND OF PERSONALITY IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
THAT PERSON GETTING THE RIGHT TRAINING AND IT ALL GOES BACK TO SOMETHING.
UM, MR. CAMPBELL KEEPS SAYING AS WELL, THE TRAINING, WHAT COMES FROM HOME AND WE TALK.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GIVING THEM TIME OFF, GIVING THEM TIME TO PLAY.
AND SOME FOLKS ARE AGAINST IT AND SOME ARE FOR THAT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT MY TWO GRAND.
I'VE GOT AN 18 MONTH OLD AND A 7-YEAR-OLD.
THE THING THAT THEY LIKE BEST WHEN THEY'RE WITH ME IS GOING OUTSIDE.
UH, MY 7-YEAR-OLD GRANDDAUGHTER, SHE JUST LOVES TO TAKE HER SCOOTER AND HER BIKE AND RIDE UP AND DOWN THE DRIVEWAY, YOU KNOW, SO PLAY IS JUST SO IMPORTANT.
AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING PLAY, WE'RE JUST NOT TALKING LIKE SOME OF YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT.
AND CIRCUMVENTING SOME OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE HALLS, IT STILL GOES BACK TO TEACHING THAT KID, THAT KID HAS THE RIGHT, UH, ATTITUDE.
KIDS DON'T PLAY THE USE THE WAY THEY USED TO.
KIDS DON'T FIGHT THE WAY THEY USED TO.
AND SO PUTTING BODIES THERE IS IMPORTANT, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, BUT PUT IMPORTANT.
BUT PUTTING THE RIGHT BODIES IN THE RIGHT PLACE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
'CAUSE I'VE SEEN GOOD HOME MONITORS AND I'VE SEEN SOME POOR ONES, ONES WHO HELP TO ESCALATE THE PROBLEM RATHER THAN DEESCALATE THE PROBLEM.
SO HAVING THE, HAVING THE IMPORTANT AND, UM, TRAINING, UM, AND HAVING THE RIGHT PERSON TO DO THAT TRAINING IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR THAT WHOLE MONITOR.
AND, UM, TEACHERS, OF COURSE, THEY NEED SOMEONE TO HAVE THEIR BACKS.
THEY DO, THEY NEED SOMEONE WHEN I CALL TO BE THERE IMMEDIATELY.
NOT SOMEONE THAT'S RUNNING AND HIDING IN A CORNER SOMEWHERE, OR THAT, YOU KNOW, UP THE HALL, JIGGING AND JAGGING WITH THE NEXT PERSON WHO HAS A FREE MOMENT.
SO HALL MONITORS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
YES, THEY CAN HELP, UM, CIRCUMVENT SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE HAVING.
BUT IT GOES BACK TO JUST GOOD HUMAN NATURE.
HOW DO WE TEACH THAT? I HEARD SOMETHING ON NPR THE OTHER DAY WHERE THERE
[01:05:01]
ARE A LIMITED NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ARE CHOOSING TO PUT THE CELL PHONES DOWN AND THEY'RE FINDING THAT THEY'RE FEELING BETTER ABOUT THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY HAVE CHOSEN TO TAKE THE TETHER OFF THEIR CELL PHONES.PARENTS DID NOT INITIATE THIS.
THEY INITIATED THAT ON THEIR OWN.
AND I'M THINKING ABOUT WILL BRANCH HIGH SCHOOL, CHAD, HAVE ANYONE TALKED TO THOSE KIDS? THEY CAN'T GET CELL SERVICE THEN UNLESS YOU'VE CHANGED THINGS THE SAME FROM MAY RIVER.
BUT THOSE KIDS ARE MANAGING, THEY'RE SURVIVING.
SO HOW DO WE DO, HOW DO WE LOOK AT THOSE TWO SCHOOLS AT, AS A RESEARCH, A POINT OF RESEARCH AND GET SOME DATA THERE? IF THEY'RE ACCEPTING THE FACT THAT I CAN'T GET CONNECTION TO MY FRIENDS, A CONNECTION TO MY BOYFRIEND OR GIRLFRIEND, AND I'M SURVIVING.
SO WHAT DO WE DO? WELL, WE TALK ABOUT IT AND CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT AND CONTINUE TO TALK BUTTON, CONTINUE TO TALK.
BUT WHAT DO WE DO? SO HOW DO WE USE THOSE SCHOOLS AS ROLE MODELS OR OTHER SCHOOL TO SEE WHAT THE EFFECT IS ON THOSE STUDENTS AS THEY ARE ON THE CELL PHONE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE, THAT THEY'RE THERE.
THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A PROBLEM, GUYS.
I DON'T CARE WHAT WE SAY, BUT WE DO HAVE TO UNTETHER THE CELL PHONES.
BUT THEN WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR ADULTS, WHAT DO WE DO? WE'RE TETHERED THROUGH THE CELL PHONES ALSO.
SO HOW DO WE FIX THAT? I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER.
AND IT'S A, YOU KNOW, COLLABORATIVE, COLLABORATIVE THING IN ORDER TO GET THE ANSWER.
BUT ALL STAKEHOLDERS ARE IMPORTANT.
UM, WHAT OUR POLICY HERE IN, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY, ARE PARENTS ALLOWED IN THE BUILDING ANYTIME THEY WANT TO COME AND SEE THEIR KIDS? IS THAT ALLOWED OR, OR NO? OKAY.
THIS IS THE FIRST DISTRICT I'VE BEEN IN THAT THAT'S BEEN THE CASE.
I'VE BEEN IN THREE STATES, UH, FLORIDA, NORTH, UH, NORTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA.
AND THERE ARE PARENTS EVERYWHERE.
AND THEY'D COME IN ANYTIME THEY WANT AND TAKE 'EM TO THE FRONT DOOR.
UM, I, WE HAD, WHEN I WAS IN ATHENS AND I, AND I JUST WAS AT A SCHOOL MONDAY IN GEORGIA, HAD 3,500 STUDENTS RAISED IN HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THERE ARE VOLUNTEERS ALL THROUGH THAT BUILDING.
THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ENOUGH PAID PERSONNEL, UH, TO COVER THOSE KIDS.
THEY HAVE
AND SO, UH, 'CAUSE I ASKED ABOUT IT.
I SAID, YOU KNOW, HOW DO, HOW DO WE COVER THE HALLS? I MEAN, THERE'S 12 APS, BUT, YOU KNOW, HOW IS THAT COVERED? AND THEY HAVE VOLUNTEERS AND THEY COME AND THERE'S PASTORS AND THERE ARE COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT COME IN AND THEY GO THROUGH A PROCESS, UH, A VETTING PROCESS.
UM, BUT, UH, ONCE THEY'VE DONE THAT, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY GET A LITTLE BADGE AND THEY COME IN AND THEY HAVE A PLACE THEY GO TO AND THEY MONITOR.
AND, UM, SO I MEAN, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S, THEY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON OR WHATEVER, BUT THIS IS, UM, BUT IT, IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING FOR THE PLACES I'VE BEEN AT THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
SO TO BE CLEAR, WE DO HAVE VOLUNTEERS IN BUILDINGS.
SO, BUT YEAH, I FORGOT TO SAY MY NAME.
JEANNIE BRANDER, UM, OSA, AND COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO MY COMMENT, MY PRINCIPAL WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY PRINCIPALS THAT ARE AT ANOTHER EVENT TONIGHT WITH STUDENTS.
SO THEY WOULD BE HERE, BUT THEY'RE AT THE MARITIME CENTER.
UM, AND YES, IF YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT MAYBE THE MONITORING SYSTEM COULD BE HELPED WITH PARENT VOLUNTEERS, OSA, ONE OF OUR GOALS THIS YEAR WAS TO INCREASE PARENT INVOLVEMENT.
AND IT DOES INVOLVE, THEY HAVE TO GET CERTIFIED, THEY HAVE TO GET, YOU KNOW, A BACKGROUND CHECK AND ALL OF THAT.
AND WE'RE SEEING SOME GROWTH IN THAT, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE.
UM, WE'RE ENCOURAGING THE PARENTS TO GET INVOLVED.
WE'RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH IDEAS TO GET THEM IN THE SCHOOL.
BUT IT WOULD, IT WOULD HELP WITH DISCIPLINE TOO.
PASTRY DEPARTMENT, THEY'VE DONE IT.
DR. RODRIGUEZ, WELL, ON THE TOPIC OF HALL MONITORS, UM, UH, PERSONAL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS ONE IN EVERY GROUP, RIGHT? SO I'LL BE THAT ONE, UH, UH, ON THIS TOPIC BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T NECESSARILY SEE IT THE SAME WAY, RIGHT? UM, I, I'VE, I'VE BEEN A PRINCIPAL AT A SCHOOL WHERE I HAD, UH, HALL MONITORS AND, UH, DIDN'T SEE THE IMPACT OF,
[01:10:01]
OF THE HALL MONITORS, UH, NECESSARILY IN THE WAY THAT I THINK WE WOULD WANT TO SEE THE IMPACT OF THE HALL MONITORS.UM, AND I THINK IN ADDITION, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UM, TWO
I WOULD RATHER SEE THAT, UH, UH, ATTRIBUTED TOWARDS A SECOND, SRO IN, UH, IN HIGH SCHOOLS, UH, UH, PERSONALLY, RIGHT? SO, SO THOSE ARE JUST THE, THE, UH, SOME THOUGHTS ON IT, UH, IS MY EXPERIENCE, WHAT I'VE SEEN.
UH, IT, IT, IT LEADS DOWN OTHER ROADS THAT DIDN'T, DIDN'T PLAY OUT WELL, UH, IN SCHOOLS.
UH, AND SO, WHICH I DON'T REALLY WANT TO GET INTO, BUT IT'S BEEN, THAT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE.
UM, SO, UM, IDEA OF EXTRA BODY, UH, IN, PARTICULARLY IN, IN LARGE SCHOOL.
'CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I GET THAT, UM, I'D RATHER SEE IT IN THE FORM OF, OF A SECOND SRO OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN INSTEAD OF, UH, A HALL MONITOR PIECE.
BUT REMEMBER, MR. CAMPBELL, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING, MR. NAY? MR. DALLAS? UM, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I'M NOT VERSED IN EDUCATION FOR MANY JUST MONTHS INSTEAD OF YEARS.
AND, UM, A LOT OF TIMES INNOVATION COMES FROM THE OUTLIERS.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF, UM, WITH THE LEADERSHIP, THE SUPERINTENDENT AND OTHERS, IF IT MIGHT BE WORTHWHILE TO TAKE A SCHOOL AND TRY SOME HALL MONITORS AND SEE IF THERE'S A EMPIRICAL IMPACT ON THE OUTCOME.
SO, UH, THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY, POSSIBLY COULD CONSIDER.
UM, I'VE HAVE SOME HEARTBURN ABOUT THE HALL MONITORS, BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN WE HAD HALL MONITORS IN OUR SCHOOLS, AND I KNOW THAT MS. DRAKE AND MR. BURNS AND DR. BROWN REMEMBER AS WELL, AND, AND A LOT OF YOU HERE, BUT I ALSO REMEMBER WHEN THEY TOOK HIM OUT.
AND SO WHAT I DID, I STARTED LOOKING AT HOW MY SCHOOL IS PERFORMING WITHOUT THE HALL MONITORS.
HOW ARE MY TEACHERS? HOW AM I, 'CAUSE I WAS AN AP AT THE TIME.
I SEE THE USE OF THE HALL MONITOR AND THE SRO, BUT I KNOW THE LIMITATIONS OF THE SRO.
HE'S NOT GONNA BE WALKING UP AND DOWN THE CORRIDORS EVERY DAY AND GOING INTO THE CLASSROOMS, OR, YOU KNOW, HAVING CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, WITH MIKE AND JERRY AND WHATEVER.
UH, AND, AND CIRCUMVENTING A LOT OF THE DISCIPLINE THAT IS PLACED ON ME OR MY PEERS.
SO I LOOKED AT THAT, AND THEN I LOOKED AT BEHAVIOR SPECIALISTS AND, AND, AND THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE USE OF OUR HALL MONITORS.
WELL BRANCH HIGH SCHOOL, AND YOU KNOW, HOW IT'S BUILT IN THE LAYERS AND, AND BATTERY CREEK AND SO ON.
UM, ARE YOU GONNA NEED 2, 3, 4 HALL MONITORS PER SCHOOL, OR ARE YOU JUST GONNA HAVE ONE? AND AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S A COST.
AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT AND PLAY OUT THEIR IMPACT POSITIVELY ON, ON THE KIDS.
AND I KNOW A LOT OF THEM HAD POSITIVE IMPACTS ON OUR CHILDREN BECAUSE OUR CHILDREN KNEW THEM.
THEY KNEW THEIR FAMILIES, BUT THEY ALSO, UH, BROUGHT TO US, UH, MAY WANNA SAY, I MEAN, JUST BEING BLUNT, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SOME ISSUES, BUT THERE ARE ALSO SOME POSITIVES.
AND SO I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW WE'RE GOING TO USE THE HALL MONITORS IF WE GET THEM BACK SO THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT SCHOOL NEEDS.
[01:15:01]
AND WE LOOK AT BRINGING IN ANOTHER SRO, THEN WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT THAT JOB ENCOMPASSES.SO I DON'T WANT THE HALL MONITORS FORMER AND FUTURE TO THINK THAT I AM NOT FOR HALL MONITORS, BUT I WANT A VERY GOOD PRODUCT.
I DON'T WANNA SEE MY TEACHERS RUNNING BEHIND THE DOORS WAITING FOR THE HALL MONITOR TO COME.
I DON'T, AND WE'VE DONE SOME YEARS NOW WITHOUT HALL MONITORS WITHIN OUR WALLS.
SO WHY DO WE NEED THEM NOW? WHAT REALLY, HOW ARE WE GOING TO USE THE HARM MONITORS IN A WAY THAT OUR CHILDREN BENEFIT EVERY DAY? AND WE SEE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE THAT THEY'RE PUTTING OUT BACK TO OUR CHILDREN.
THEY'RE NOT JUST THERE TO MONITOR HALLS.
THEY'RE DEALING WITH OUR CHILDREN.
LET'S NOT FORGET THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR CHILDREN AND OUR TEACHERS BEING IMPACTED BY THESE HALL MONITORS.
SO WHATEVER WE DECIDE TO DO, UM, I'M NOT AGAINST THEM.
I WAS, WHEN THEY FIRST LEFT, I WAS LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT THEY LOST THEIR TIME.
YOU KNOW, I WAS TALKING TRASH.
I WAS, I WAS TALKING TRASH, BECAUSE NOW I HAD AN EXTRA JOB OF DEALING WITH THESE CHILDREN THAT I DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE, THAT I MANAGED.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, MANAGING, AND WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO MANAGE.
SO IF THERE IS A NEED FOR THEM, I SAY, LET'S DO IT.
BUT IF THERE'S NOT, AND WE CAN USE THE FUND SOMEWHERE ELSE, LET'S DO THAT TOO.
BUT I'M NOT, UM, OPPOSED TO WHAT MR. UH, DAWSON SAID ABOUT MAYBE GET, YEAH, GET A ONE OR TWO SCHOOLS AND, AND SEE HOW THAT WORKS.
THE, THE COST WOULD BE NOT AS MUCH AS TWO, THREE, $4 MILLION, BUT MAYBE WE CAN SEE IF WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE HALL MONITORS BACK.
THANK YOU, MS. HAY, YOUR HAND IS UP.
UM, I DO AGREE WITH DR. RODRIGUEZ.
I KNOW THAT SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS DO NEED AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL SRO.
UM, I'D ALSO REALLY ENCOURAGE EVERYONE, AND I CAN SEND INFORMATION TO THE BOARD IF IT'S DESIRED, TO LOOK INTO DADS ON DUTY, WHICH IS A PROGRAM THAT WAS, AS FAR AS I KNOW, PUT IN PLACE IN BOTH LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI, AND SAW GREAT RESULTS.
THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE PEOPLE, OBVIOUSLY FATHERS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE OBVIOUSLY A VESTED INTEREST IN THE OUTCOME OF THE STUDENTS, BECAUSE HOPEFULLY THEIR CHILDREN GO TO THE SCHOOLS.
EITHER, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE A DAD WITH AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KID WHO GETS ASSIGNED TO A MIDDLE SCHOOL, OR MAYBE HE GETS TO WORK IN HIS KID'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UM, BUT THAT COULD BE HUGELY BENEFICIAL.
I ALSO KNOW, STATISTICALLY SPEAKING, MORE THAN THE AMOUNT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE OF CHILDREN NO LONGER HAVE TWO PARENT HOMES.
FOR THE MOST PART, WE KNOW THAT THAT WEIGHT TYPICALLY FALLS ON MOTHERS, BUT THE CHILDREN STILL NEED A FATHER FIGURE.
AND FOR MANY CHILDREN, THAT MASCULINE ROLE MODEL IS MISSING WITHIN THEIR HOMES.
SO UTILIZING SOMETHING LIKE DAD'S ON DUTY COULD PLAY OUT IN MULTIPLE BENEFITS FOR OUR KIDS.
UM, I ALSO KNOW IT'S BEEN REPORTED TO ME ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS THAT CERTAIN STUDENTS OR GROUPS OF STUDENTS IN ALL DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS, WHETHER IT'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MIDDLE OR HIGH, CAN ACT OUT AT SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEIR PARENTS WILL NOT OR CANNOT COME ON SCHOOL GROUNDS OR INTO THEIR SCHOOL.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE INTRODUCING THAT DISCIPLINARY ISSUE.
ANOTHER IDEA THAT I'M THROWING OUT THERE IS WE UTILIZE, IMMEDIATELY WHEN I'M THINKING DOWN THE RABBIT TRAIL OF A PROGRAM SUCH AS DADS ON DUTY, I WOULD IMMEDIATELY THINK AS WELL, MILITARY BASES, THOSE MEN AND WOMEN, WOMEN AT MILITARY BASES LOVE TO SERVE.
THAT IS WHY THEY DO WHAT THEY DO.
SPEAKING AS A CHILD WHO GREW UP IN A MILITARY HOME, I KNOW SOCIETY TENDS TO CONSTANTLY PUSH THAT WOMEN, YOU KNOW, WE GET JOY AND FULFILLMENT FROM BEING MOTHERS, BUT IT'S
[01:20:01]
ALSO A FACT THAT MEN ALSO GET FULFILLMENT FROM BEING A FATHER, FATHER.BUT THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A FATHER TO A BIOLOGICAL CHILD.
THAT CAN ALSO BE ACTING IN A FATHERLY ROLE.
SO BEING A ROLE MODEL IN A SCHOOL, FOR EXAMPLE, COULD BENEFIT MEN, WHETHER IT'S A DAD ON DUTY OR A MAN FROM A MILITARY BASE.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS TIES INTO CELL PHONE ISSUE BECAUSE I TRULY, TRULY BELIEVE THAT IF WE REMOVED CELL PHONES OR BLOCKED THEM, WHATEVER THE MODE OF, YOU KNOW, THAT WE ALL END UP SETTLING ON, WE WOULD SEE SUCH A DECLINE IN THE ISSUES WE'RE SEEING DISCIPLINARY WISE, THAT SOME OF THESE THINGS MAY NO LONGER BE NEEDED IF WE WOULD REMOVE THE TECHNOLOGY.
I ALSO AGREE WITH WHAT MR. DALLAS SAID IN TERMS OF HAVING PERHAPS ONE SCHOOL THAT WE START WITH.
PERHAPS WE TAKE ONE SCHOOL AND WE PLACE CALL MONITORS THERE, BUT THEN WE TAKE ANOTHER SCHOOL AND PLACE DADS ON DUTY AND THEN COMPARE THE RESULTS OF EACH.
SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ON THE TOPIC.
AND THOSE AREN'T MY SUGGESTIONS.
AND I THINK I'M GOING TO BE ECHOING, UH, SEVERAL OF MY COLLEAGUES.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF HALL MONITORS IN THE SENSE THAT I THINK THAT ALL THREE OF THESE TOPICS REVOLVE AROUND DISCIPLINE.
I THINK DISCIPLINE IS A HUGE PROBLEM, WHETHER IT'S POST PANDEMIC, WHETHER IT'S SOCIETAL, WHATEVER IT IS.
I WAS, UM, SOMEWHAT POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA, NOT LOCALLY, BUT ON A, SOMETHING THAT THE, HE SAID, THIS IS WHY PEOPLE DON'T GO INTO EDUCATION.
AND HE HAD EMAILED, UH, THE PARENTS OF A STUDENT WHO HAD PUNCHED HIM IN THE FACE AND BROKEN HIS GLASSES.
AND THE PARENTS' RESPONSE WAS JUST SO THAT THEY WERE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
THEIR SOLUTION WAS TO GIVE THE CHILD A CALMING BANANA BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT HE WAS ACTING OUT DUE TO HUNGER AFTER THE BUS RIDE.
AND THAT THIS NEW ROUTINE, HE WOULD EAT A CALMING BANANA FIRST THING IN THE MORNING.
SO I THINK, OBVIOUSLY
AND I THINK PHONES ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM.
I THINK PHYSICAL EXERCISE, SELF-CONTROL, UH, INTERACTION WITH OTHER STUDENTS, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES.
THAT'S ALL PART OF THE PROCESS.
IN THE SHORT TERM, HOMEOWNERS SOUND LIKE A GREAT SOLUTION.
BUT IF YOU THINK THROUGH IT, REALISTICALLY, I HAVE A STUDENT AT HILTON HEAD HIGH.
I'VE HAD THREE STUDENTS THAT ARE TOTAL, THAT HIGH SCHOOL HAS, I THINK I CAN COUNT EIGHT HALLWAYS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO KEEP MONITORING.
AND THEN YOU'D HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHO WE HIRE AS HALL MONITORS AND HOW MUCH WE WOULD PAY THEM.
WE ALREADY STRUGGLED TO HIRE, UH, CUSTODIAL STAFF TEACHERS, UH, SPECIAL ED ASSISTANTS, UM, ARE PERPETUALLY, UM, IN SHORT SUPPLY.
SO WHO ARE WE GOING TO HIRE TO BE HALL MONITORS? AND THEN WE'RE GONNA CHARGE THEM WITH DISCIPLINE.
WHEN YOU CHARGE AN SRO WITH DISCIPLINE OR ONE OF OUR SSOS, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF, UH, DIFFERENT TRAININGS AND DIFFERENT CERTIFICATIONS.
CERTAINLY THE SRO AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
UM, AND THEY'RE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, I'M 99% SURE THEY'RE ARMED.
I MEAN, THERE, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME SERIOUS, UH, INCIDENTS THAT THEY'RE RESPONDING TO.
HEALTH, UH, MEDICAL INCIDENCES, UM, OVERDOSES, FIGHTS, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING A HOME MONITOR CAN HANDLE.
SO IF WE HIRE PEOPLE, WHAT ARE WE GONNA MAKE THEM IN CHARGE OF? 'CAUSE I COULD CERTAIN SEE PROBLEMS WHERE WE HIRE SOMEBODY TO BE A HOME MONITOR.
THEY AREN'T AS WELL TRAINED IN DEESCALATION TECHNIQUES AS AN SRO OR AN SSO.
AND NOW WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S ANOTHER SET OF BAD PROBLEMS BECAUSE THIS SITUATION WASN'T HANDLED WELL.
SO I DON'T THINK HOME MONITORS AS A SOLUTION.
I DO THINK THAT, UM, THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER TECHNOLOGY THE SCHOOLS DO ARE MONITORED BY CAMERAS, AND WE JUST UPGRADED ALL OF OUR SCHOOL'S TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE OUR CAMERA.
WE CAN LOOK AT THEM IN REAL TIME, DIGITAL, FAST FORWARD, REWIND.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE MUCH BETTER COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE SCHOOLS WHERE IF A TEACHER SEES SOMETHING OR SOMEONE AT THE SRO OFFICE, I KNOW THAT HAS A OFFICE RIGHT THERE AT THE FRONT, AT LEAST IN MY SON'S HIGH SCHOOL, AND HE SEES SOMETHING HAPPENING ON B HALL, HE CAN GET THERE IMMEDIATELY.
THERE'S COMMUNICATION, THERE'S, UM, THERE'S PROCESSES.
SO I, I THINK THAT THAT HOME MONITORS, UM, ARE SOMETHING THAT ARE JUST NOT A PRACTICAL APPLICATION.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I DON'T THINK THAT WHAT THIS BOARD'S GONNA HAVE TO REALLY LOOK AT AGGRESSIVELY IS HOW WE'RE GONNA HANDLE DISCIPLINE.
'CAUSE THAT GOES TO TEACHER RECRUITMENT, SCHOOL CULTURE, STUDENT SAFETY.
UM, AND THAT IS CLEARLY A PROBLEM.
AND EVERYTHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT, I THINK STEMS OUT OF THAT LARGER ISSUE.
UH, MR. SMITH, UM, LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION.
LISTEN TO SOME OF WHAT MY COLLEAGUES ARE SAYING.
[01:25:01]
I, IT ALMOST, UH, SOME OF IT, SOME OF IT'S DEPRESSING BECAUSE IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING THE PRISON TO SCHOOL PIPELINE.WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING MORE SROS.
AND ALSO WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT AN SRO DOES, BECAUSE ONCE YOU GET AN SRO INVOLVED, THEN THAT IS EVERYTHING IS OUTTA THE SCHOOL'S HANDS.
JUST, JUST, I JUST WANTED TO, BEFORE I GOT STARTED, I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST THAT WE'RE NOT WILLING THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN HAVE OUR KIDS IN SCHOOL MORE, MORE SAFE, UH, MORE SAFER.
JUST TO GIVE SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
THE FIRST OFF THE QUESTION, THE FIRST QUESTION COMES TO MIND IS WHO, WHERE, WHAT, WHEN, WHY, HOW WE HAD 'EM, WHY DID WE GET RID OF THEM? WE GOT RID OF THEM BECAUSE, UH, THERE WAS A SUPERINTENDENT WHO MADE SOME DECISIONS TO GET RID OF THEM, TO DO SOMETHING, TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.
ALSO, DID WE LOOK AT HOW THE BEHAVIOR CHANGED ONCE THEY WERE GONE? DID WE LOOK AT THE DATA INTO WHETHER IT WAS A GOOD THING OR A BAD THING? YOU KNOW? SO ONCE AGAIN, WHO, WHERE, WHAT, WHEN, WHY, AND HOW.
UH, UH, AND SECONDLY, MY EXPERIENCE WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, WE HAD HALL MINS.
WE TOLD THE HALL MINERS WHEN STUDENTS WERE ABOUT TO FIGHT BECAUSE WE TRUSTED THEM.
AND WE KNEW IF WE TELL THEM WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE SCHOOL, THAT HEY, WE, WE KNEW THAT I DIDN'T.
SO THEREFORE, THERE WAS A TRUST FACTOR AND THERE WAS A, THERE WAS RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.
SO, UH, THEY, THEY WEREN'T JUST, THEY WEREN'T JUST THERE TO WALK, WALK AROUND.
THEY COULDN'T GO ON LECTURE THEATER AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS OR, OR, OR SNEAK OFF CAMPUS HALL MONITORS HAD A, THEY HAD A REAL PRESENCE.
AND SOME OF THEM, THEY PUT THE GOD, THE GOD FAIRNESS.
SO, SO THEY, THEY WERE VERY EFFECTIVE.
AND THEN MY, MY, UH, ANOTHER, MY SECOND THING IS THIS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HAVING FIGHT SCHOOLS, UH, BI BIOLOGIST, IF A BIOLOGY, HE BREAKS UP, HE BREAKS UP THAT FIGHT, AND HE HURTS HIS ARM, FORBID.
NOW HE'S OUTTA SCHOOL FOR MAYBE A MONTH OR SO, AND NOW HE WORK, HE'S GONNA WORK BECAUSE HE UP A FIGHT.
BUT WE HAVE A MONITOR TRAINED AND DEVELOP YI THEY ARE TRAINED AND ALSO SAY, WELL, HOW WE HAVE BMS WHO ARE TRAINED TO GO IN THERE, AND THEY CREATE THEIR TEAM AND THEY BRING UP THOSE FIGHTS.
THEN THEY HAVE THE SAME JUST AMOUNT OF SAME TRAINING AS LAW ENFORCEMENT, EXCEPT FOR NOT THE GUN.
AND, AND BEING ABLE TO CALL MORE RESOURCES, BUT ARE TRAINED HOW TO GO IN THERE, HOW TO BREAK UP THE FIGHT TO PROTECT THE DISTRICT AND THEMSELVES.
SO THAT'S SOME INFORMATION, THAT'S SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES.
SOME PEOPLE IN THE TEAM MIGHT NOT KNOW.
UM, LA LASTLY, I DO AGREE THAT WE SHOULD PUT HALL BACK SCHOOL AND WE, AND WE COULDN'T ON HOW AFFECTED THEY'RE IN THE SCHOOLS.
BUT, BUT ALSO, LET'S FIGURE OUT WHY WE WENT AROUND TO TALK FOR THE STUDENT TALKING MORE STATES WITH HOME BACK IN THE SCHOOL, BECAUSE A HARMONIC RELATIONSHIP VERSUS THE SI RELATIONSHIPS, IT'S TWO DIFFERENT, IT'S TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
THEY SEE AN OFFICER WITH A GUN AND BADGE.
THEY FEEL THAT THEY CAN'T TELL HIM A MONITOR THEY TRUST, THEY FEEL THEY TELL HIM OR EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING ON.
SO THAT'S JUST PROOF OF ALSO, WHEN YOU ALSO, WHEN THE DISTRICT PAY FOR A-A-S-R-O, THAT'S PROBABLY ABOUT TWICE THE SALARY THAT, OR TRIPLE SALARY THAT THEY PAY FOR HALL MONITOR.
SO YOU'D RATHER HAVE 3, 3, 3 MORE, UH, THREE MORE BODIES OR, OR, OR, OR, OR ONE OR ONE MORE BODY.
BECAUSE WE PAY FOR, WE PAY HALF OF EVERY OFFICER'S SALARY.
SO THAT'S JUST SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN, IN THIS DISTRICT.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S WHAT I GOT IN TERMS OF, OF PAUL MINUS RELATIONSHIPS, TRUST.
AND, AND WE SAID THAT WOULD BE THE END OF THE TIME, BUT I KNOW, UH, YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE CALENDAR PROCESS AND, UH, I MAY BE WILLING TO STAY LONGER AND, AND TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND WE, WE CAN, WE CAN HAVE A, A CONVERSATION, BUT, UM, I DON'T WANNA KEEP PEOPLE HERE LONGER THAN WHAT WE HAD SCHEDULED.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE SOME, WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO HERE AT THE DISTRICT.
[01:30:01]
VERY GOOD POINTS.I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE A, A, A, A EXTENDED CONVERSATION AND TALK ABOUT OPTIONS ON ALL THREE OF THESE ISSUES.
AND, UH, I THINK WE OWE IT TO YOU TO GIVE YOU SOME FEEDBACK OF WHAT WE'VE DECIDED TO DO.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN, HOW LONG THAT'S GONNA TAKE.
IT'S NOT GONNA TAKE OVERNIGHT, BUT I THINK IT'S, UH, IT'S A, AN OBLIGATION, UH, THAT I WOULD SPEAK FOR THE BOARD.
THAT, THAT WE NEED TO GET BACK TO YOU SO THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT JUST COMING AND YOUR WORDS JUST FLY OVER OUR HEADS AND WE DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO IT.
AND SO WE, WE WILL, WE WILL GET BACK WITH YOU AND, AND WITH THE, THE SIC MEMBERS THAT ARE NOT HERE TONIGHT, TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT, UH, WAS DISCUSSED AND WHAT WAS DECIDED.
AND IT MAY BE, UH, WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT IT LONGER OR LOOK AT SOMETHING ELSE OR ALTERNATIVE WAYS.
AGUS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANNA SAY IN ENDING? NO, JUST THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE AND FOR PROVIDING INPUT.
I MEAN, IT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCESS FOR US.
AND, AND SO JUST THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND FOR BEING WILLING TO PROVIDE INPUT TONIGHT.
AND YOU WANNA COME BY AND TALK ABOUT, UH, THE CALENDAR? ADJOURN? YES.
IT'S JUST, UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? UH, WITH THE UNANIMOUS CONSENT? WE ARE ADJOURNED.
PORT FREMONT CLOSES OUT A 350 YEAR LEGACY OF COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS IN PORT ROYAL SOUND, BEGINNING IN THE MID 16TH CENTURY.
IT ALSO REPRESENTS THE CLOSING CHAPTER OF AMERICA'S COASTAL DEFENSE SYSTEM BEFORE THE DAWN OF AIR POWER.
PORT FREMONT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE MOST ADVANCED MILITARY TECHNOLOGY OF ITS TIME.
IT WOULD PARALLEL THE B 17 AND AIRCRAFT CARRIER OF WORLD WAR II, THE F 35 OF TODAY.
FORT FREMONT WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE BEAUFORT CULTURE, VERY SIMILAR TO PARIS ISLAND AND THE MARINE CORPS AIR BASE.
TODAY IN 1525, THE SPANIARDS NAMED THIS SOUND AND THIS HARBOR, SANTA ELENA, THEY CALLED THE NAVIGATIONAL POINT, LA PUNTE DE ELENA, THE POINT OF SANTA ELENA.
AND WHAT THE SPANISH EXPLORERS DISCOVERED IS THAT PORT ROYAL SOUND IS A UNIQUE PIECE OF GEOGRAPHY.
IT'S THE DEEPEST NATURAL HARBOR SOUTH OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, POSSIBLY SOUTH OF NEW YORK, THE CHANNEL INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
THIS, I FIND A REMARKABLE GEOLOGICAL FACT.
THE CHANNEL HA, UH, HAS NOT CHANGED FOR 500 YEARS.
THERE'S NO INLET ON THE SOUTHERN COAST THAT HASN'T SHIFTED ENTIRELY IN 500 YEARS, EXCEPT PORT ROYAL SOUND.
THERE'S SOMETHING GEOLOGICALLY DIFFERENT, OR ONE MIGHT SAY MAGICAL ABOUT PORT ROYAL SOUND.
SO SPANISH SAILORS BEING THE BEST IN THE WORLD IN THEIR TIME, FOUND THIS PLACE VERY EARLY, KNEW THAT FOR THE SPANISH EXPLORATIONS OF THE AMERICAN SOUTHEAST, THIS WOULD BE THE ENTRADA, THE ENTRANCE.
AND SO THEY BUILT A CITY ACROSS THE RIVER, UH, ACROSS THE SOUND FROM WHERE WE ARE ON PARAS ISLAND THAT BECAME THE FIRST CAPITAL OF FLORIDA.
AND THEY EXPLORED THE BACK COUNTRY FROM THIS LOCATION FOR, UH, MORE THAN A CENTURY, WITH THE OBJECT OF BUILDING A HIGHWAY FROM THIS MAGNIFICENT HARBOR TO MEXICO CITY.
SO THE SOUND WAS KNOWN TO THE SPANIARDS, IT WAS KNOWN TO THE FRENCH WHO ACTUALLY GOT HERE FIRST AND FOLLOWED AND CREATED THE FIRST PROTESTANT COLONY IN THE NEW WORLD ON PARIS ISLAND OVER MY SHOULDER.
UM, AND THAT COLONY WAS A FAILURE.
IT WAS PART OF SPANISH, FLORIDA WHEN THE ENGLISH ARRIVED 150 YEARS LATER.
AND THIS WAS BECAME, AS A CONSEQUENCE, A BATTLEGROUND IN THE 18TH CENTURY BETWEEN SPANISH INTERESTS IN FLORIDA AND ST.
AUGUSTINE, AND THE ENGLISH COLONY IN CAROLINA AND IN CHARLESTON AND
[01:35:01]
BACK AND FORTH.THESE WARS WENT, MANY OF THEM NAVAL WARS, MANY OF THEM EMPLOYING, AS ALL THE SAILORS KNEW BY THEN, THE MAGIC OF PORT ROYAL SOUND.
WHEN THE CIVIL WAR CAME, CONFEDERATES DEFENDED THE, UH, HARBOR, BUT IT WAS BASICALLY INDEFENSIBLE AGAINST, UH, LARGE NAVAL FORCES.
SO THE US NAVY MADE IT THEIR PRINCIPLE TARGET DURING THE BE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL WAR, AND SENT THE LARGEST FLOTILLA OF SHIPS, UM, ASSEMBLED BY THE UNITED STATES NAVY IN THE 19TH CENTURY INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
ON NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER 7TH, 1861.
IN A FOUR HOUR CANNON AID, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN DEAFENING FROM WHERE WE'RE SITTING, WAS HEARD FROM MILES FROM SAVANNAH, NEARLY TO CHARLESTON.
IT WAS CALLED THE DAY OF THE BIG GUN SHOOT.
DURING THE CIVIL WAR, THIS HARBOR THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WAS FILLED WITH SHIPS.
IT WOULD BE HUNDREDS OF SHIPS IN THIS HARBOR.
THERE WAS A THOUSAND FOOT, UH, DOCK WITH A RAILROAD ON TOP OFF OF HILTON HEAD.
UM, THE MILITARY INSTALLATION WAS MAMMOTH.
THERE WERE 13,000 US SOLDIERS ON HILTON HEAD, WHICH WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LARGEST POPULATION ON HILTON HEAD UNTIL 1974.
SO THIS WAS A MAJOR US GOVERNMENT INSTALLATION IN THE HEART OF THE SOUTH.
IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE US ARMY DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY, SOUTH ATLANTIC BLOCKADING SQUADRON.
BUT THE BIGGEST SHIPS IN THE NAVY WERE HERE.
AND, UM, SO IT, IT BECAME, AND, AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE STORY OF FREIGHT.
FORT FREMONT STARTS WITH THAT HUGE CIVIL WAR MILITARY, UH, OPERATIONS AND INSTALLATIONS, UM, ON HILTON HEAD, ON ST.
HELENA ISLAND, ON PARIS ISLAND.
AND IN BEAUTIFUL AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WE'RE GONNA SEE A MASSIVE CHANGE IN TECHNOLOGY THAT'S GONNA REVOLUTIONIZE THE MILITARY.
DURING THE CIVIL WAR, WE HAD IRONCLAD SHIPS, WE HAD RIFLE CANNONS, BUT THEY WERE ALL MADE OUT OF IRON, AND THEY WERE NOT TERRIBLY EFFECTIVE.
BUT IT'S TECHNOLOGY'S GONNA CHANGE.
AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WE'RE GONNA SEE STEEL PRODUCED, AND STEEL IS MUCH HARDER.
SO NOW WE HAVE A NEW MATERIAL, UH, TO MAKE ARMOR OUT OF FOR SHIPS.
SO WE CAN HAVE THESE ARMORED SHIPS MADE WITH STEEL IN A MUCH MORE RESISTANCE TO A SHOT.
AND BECAUSE I HAVE STEEL, I CAN MAKE, UH, STRONGER BARRELS FOR MY GUNS.
UH, I CAN RIFLE AND MACHINE THESE MUCH BETTER.
AND THE RIFLING IS THE SPIRALS THAT ARE CUTTING THE BARREL THAT ALLOWS IT TO SHOOT FURTHER WITH MORE ACCURACY.
AND WE CAN ALSO NOW HAVE BREACH LOADING GUNS THAT CAN LOCK FROM BEHIND.
SO I CAN LOAD MY GUN FROM BEHIND.
I DON'T HAVE TO GO HAVE THE OLD BLACK POWDER MUZZLE LOADING CANNON AHEAD BEFORE NOW.
IF I COMPARE THE GUN OF, UH, 1890 TO THE GUNS OF 1860, UH, FOR THE SAME CALIBER, THE SAME DIAMETER GUN, UH, THE 1890 GUN WILL BE ABLE TO FIRE PROJECTILE AS FOUR TIMES HEAVIER, CAN SHOOT IT THREE TIMES FURTHER, CAN PUT IT IN WITH GREATER PRECISION, AND CAN PUT IT THROUGH MUCH MORE ARMOR THAN ANYTHING.
WE HAD IN 1860S WORLD DIFFERENCE.
A MILITARY HISTORIAN, ER LEWIS, WOULD SAY THAT THE CHANGE BETWEEN THE CIVIL WAR IN 1890 AND ARTILLERY TECHNOLOGY WAS THE GREATEST THAT WOULD BE SEEN SINCE INVENTION OF ARTILLERY IN THE 14TH CENTURY, TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NUCLEAR PROJECTILE IN THE 1950S.
SO THERE'S BEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN GUN TECHNOLOGY AT THE SAME TIME.
IT'S NOT JUST THE STEEL, BUT ALSO THE POWDER THAT FIRES THESE GUNS IS DIFFERENT.
WE'RE HAVING NEW CHEMICAL MAKEUP.
AND SO, LIKE CORDITE IS INVENTED NOW, AND IT'S STILL A WIDELY USED MILITARY EXPLOSIVE.
SMOKELESS POWDER IS INVENTED DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, AND IT'S NOT JUST CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, BUT IT'S THE DETAILS OF HOW YOU MAKE THE GRAIN, HOW FAST THEY BURN.
SO MUCH LIKE THE SKILL OF FIRING A SOLID ROCKET, UM, SOLID FUEL, UM, ROCKET.
IT'S THAT SAME KIND OF TECHNOLOGY THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED IN THESE, UH, GUNPOWDER, IN THIS NEW POWDER.
SO OUR WEAPONS OF THIS DAY ARE, ARE MUCH, MUCH GREATER.
UM, THEY WOULD BE THE GREAT KILLING MACHINES IN WORLD WAR I.
MOST OF THE CASUALTIES ON THE BATTLEFIELDS WORLD WAR I WOULD COME FROM ARTILLERY.
SO THE WORLD HAS SEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN ARTILLERY, AND THAT'S TIED INTO CHANGES IN SHIPS.
WE NOW HAVE STEEL ARMORED SHIPS.
THEY'RE ALL, UH, STEAM POWERED.
THEY ARE NOW EQUIPPED WITH THESE FINE LONG RANGE GUNS, AND THEY NOW BECOME THE DOMINANT THREAT OF THE LATE 19TH, EARLY 20TH CENTURY.
THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH WOULD BOMBARD CITIES LIKE CAIRO AND REDUCE 'EM TO RUBBLE BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DEFEND THEM.
SO THIS IS HOW THE WORLD WAS SEEING THE THREAT FROM THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY, BIG BATTLESHIPS, OR THE THREAT OF THE ERA.
AND NEW GUNS AND FORTIFICATIONS ON, UH, THE GROUND ARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO DEFEND AGAINST THEM.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND FIRST THINGS THAT HAPPENED AFTER THE CIVIL WAR
[01:40:01]
IS THEY BUILT A RAILROAD TO PORT ROYAL SOUND, WHICH DIDN'T EXIST.IT WAS THE FIRST CONNECTION OF THE SEA ISLANDS TO THE MAINLAND.
AND THE ADVANTAGE OF THAT RAILROAD IS IT BROUGHT COAL TO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
SO WHEN THE COAL WAS DELIVERED, THE NAVY FOLLOWED IN 1872, ROBERT SMALLS WAS IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE, AND HE PUSHED THROUGH A RESOLUTION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR CALLING FOR THEM TO PUT A NAVY STATION ON PARIS ISLAND.
AND EVENTUALLY HE WOULD GO ON TO CONGRESS WHERE HE WOULD CONTINUE HIS SUPPORT FOR A NAVY STATION HERE IN THE BEAUFORT FORT ROYAL AREA.
THEY EVENTUALLY OPENED A NAVY STATION HERE AND A COALING STATION THEY CREATED IN THE 1890S ON PARAS ISLAND, THE LARGEST DRY DOCK IN THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS THE PERIOD WHEN THE US NAVY WAS SWITCHING FROM SAIL TO STEAM.
ALL THE NAVIES OF THE WORLD NEED COALING STATION.
THIS WAS THE PRINCIPLE COALING STATION BECAUSE OF THE RAILROAD FOR THE CARIBBEAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN US FLEETS, THIS WOULD BE THE BIGGEST DRY DOCK SOUTH OF NORFOLK.
IN FACT, IT IS THE ONLY DRY DOCK SOUTH OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, THAT'S CAPABLE OF TAKING THESE NEW MODERN BATTLESHIPS IN THESE NEW MODERN ARMORED CRUISERS.
SO THIS BECOMES, AT THIS POINT, A STRATEGIC NAVY BASIN, THAT IT PROVIDES COAL AND IT PROVIDES, UH, TOP LINE SUPPORT TO THE SHIPS, AND THEY CAN REPAIR THE HULL OF EVEN THE BIGGEST SHIPS IN THE US NAVY.
FOLLOWING THE CIVIL WAR, NATIONAL STRATEGY AND EMPHASIS IN THE UNITED STATES SHIFTED FROM TO RECOVERY FROM WAR, AND ALL OF OUR COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS WENT INTO NEGLECT.
THE MILITARY WAS BUSY TAMING THE WEST, AND COASTAL DEFENSES, UH, BECAME SOMETHING THAT WAS NO LONGER IMPORTANT.
AND THE REST OF THE WORLD, TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING FORWARD, AND THEY'RE DEVELOPING THESE BATTLESHIPS.
THEY'RE DEVELOPING NEW, UH, HIGH QUALITY ARTILLERY.
AND THIS IS GOING ON, UM, WORLDWIDE.
AND IN 1885, PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND APPOINTED ENDICOTT BOARD, THIS WAS SEC HEADED BY SECRETARY WAR ENDICOTT, WILLIAM ENDICOTT.
AND THE BOARD WOULD MEET AND ISSUE A REPORT IN 1886.
AND THEY SAID THE CONDITIONS OF OUR COASTAL DEFENSES WERE JUST UNBEARABLE.
THEY CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STAY LIKE THAT.
AND THEY MADE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FORTIFICATION AND IMPROVEMENTS.
IDENTIFIED 29 PLACES THAT NEEDED FORTIFICATION, AND 11 OF WHICH WERE CRITICAL IN THAT LIST OF 29.
SAVANNAH AND CHARLESTON ARE ON THE LIST, BUT BUFORT IS NOT ON THE LIST.
IT'LL TAKE INTERNATIONAL EVENTS TO BRING BUFORT INTO THE PLAY OF, OF MODERN FORT TECHNOLOGY.
SO THE USS MAINE WAS HERE ON PATROL AND IN THE HARBOR, AND WHILE THEY WERE IN THE HARBOR, SEVERAL TIMES, THEY ENTERTAINED THE LOCAL POPULATION.
SO THE MERCHANTS AND THE SOCIAL LEADERS AND THE POLITICAL LEADERS OF BEAUFORT WERE INVITED TO COME HAVE LUNCH WITH THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP CAPTAIN SIGS BE.
AND THE OFFICERS GOT TO KNOW THE PEOPLE.
THE PEOPLE GOT TO KNOW THE OFFICERS, THE CREW, WHICH WAS LARGE, WOULD GO ASHORE ON PAYDAY AND MAKE FRIENDS WITH EVERYBODY IN TOWN.
SO IT WAS A VERY SOCIAL, UM, ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWNS, PORT ROYAL AND BEAUFORD, AND THE SHIP.
SO THE MAIN LEFT HERE, IT WENT AND REPROVISION, IT REFUELED IN KEY WEST, AND THEN WENT THE 90 MILES ACROSS TO HAVANA INTO THE HARBOR AND BLEW UP THIS INFLAMED, THE ALREADY, UH, HOT PASSIONS BOTH IN CUBA AND HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
AT THAT POINT, SOMEBODY IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT REALIZED THAT WE HAD THIS BIG DRY DOCK, THE ONLY DRY DOCK IN THE SOUTH THAT COULD HAVE TAKE ON AND REPAIR THESE BIG CAPITAL SHIPS THAT WERE IN OUR NAVY.
WE WERE GOING TO START OPERATIONS AGAINST A POWER IN THE CARIBBEAN.
AND THIS FORT WAS TOTALLY UNDEFENDED, AND THAT'S WHAT PUT FORT FREMONT ON THE MAP.
WE HAD TO HAVE A FORT HERE TO DEFEND THE COALING STATION, AND ESPECIALLY THIS BIG DRY DOCK, AS WELL AS THIS FINE HARBOR THAT'S HERE.
AND OF COURSE, THAT EVENT, WHICH KILLED 300 OR MORE SAILORS ON THE SHIP, UM, WAS VERY MUCH FOLLOWED BY THE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA AND VERY MUCH LAMENTED BY THE MANY FRIENDS THAT THE CREW HAD MADE HERE.
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE USS MAINE WAS A PERSONAL MATTER TO BEAUFORT AND TO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
UM, AND OF COURSE, IT WAS THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR AND THE ATTEMPT TO DEFEND THIS HARBOR AGAIN, WHICH LED TO THE, THE CREATION OF FORT FREELAND.
THE UNITED STATES DECLARED WAR ON SPAIN IN, IN APRIL, 1898.
AND BY EARLY MAY, WE HAD TEMPORARY BATTERIES IN PLACE HERE, SUBMARINE MINES WERE IN PLACE, AND IN THE SUMMER, THEY WOULD ACTUALLY PLACE THE MINES ACROSS THE BEAUFORT RIVER.
[01:45:01]
TEMPORARY BATTERIES WERE A TEMPORARY EXPEDIENT.THEY WERE LOCATED TO MY LEFT ABOUT A THOUSAND YARDS.
THEY IMMEDIATELY BEGAN CONSTRUCTION OF WHAT WOULD BECOME FORT FREMONT.
THE LARGE BATTERIES WOULD HOUSE THE LARGE GUNS BATTERY FOR THE RAPID FIRE GUNS.
THE SMALLER BATTERY WAS COMPLETED BY JUNE OF 1898.
IN THE 1898, EVERYBODY IN TOWN WENT TO WAR.
UM, THEY HAD A NAVAL MILITIA UNIT, SOUTH CAROLINA NAVAL MILITIA UNIT, AND THEY WERE ABSORBED BY THE NAVY.
UH, MANY OF THEM RAN TUGBOATS FROM HERE TO NEW YORK TO KEY WEST, WHICH WAS THE PRINCIPAL SUPPORT BASE, TAMPA AND KEY WEST FOR THE US ARMY OPERATIONS IN CUBA.
PEACE WAS DECLARED BY THE END OF 1898, AND THE, UH, REMAINDER OF FORT FREMONT WOULD NOT BE FINISHED UNTIL EARLY 1899, AND THE FIRST SOLDIERS WOULD ARRIVE FROM THE REGULAR ARMY AT THAT POINT IN MARCH, 1899.
WELL, FORT FREMONT WAS NAMED FOR, UH, MAJOR GENERAL JOHN FREMONT.
UH, HE WAS ACTUALLY A LOCAL BOY, SO TO SPEAK.
UH, HE WAS BORN AND GREW UP IN, UH, SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, JUST, UH, SOUTH OF US.
AND, UH, WENT TO, UH, COLLEGE IN THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON, UH, UP JUST NORTH OF US IN CHARLESTON.
HE SERVED IN THE ARMY AND, UH, PRIMARILY INITIALLY AS A, UM, EXPLORER, AS ARMY FORTS WERE GENERALLY NAMED FOR ARMY OFFICERS.
UH, AND HE WAS, UH, CONNECTED LOCALLY.
UH, THIS IS, UH, MORE THAN LIKELY WHY THE FORT WAS NAMED FOR HIM.
THE FORT WAS CONSTRUCTED ON A SITE, UH, DIRECTLY ACROSS THE RIVER FROM, UH, THE PARIS ISLAND, UH, UH, NAVAL STATION.
AND THE SITE SELECTED WAS 170 ACRES, WHICH INCLUDED THE TWO, UH, ARTILLERY, UH, BATTERIES, UH, FORT, UH, FOR FREMONT, OF COURSE, HAD BATTERY FOREIGNNESS AND BATTERY JESSUP.
UH, BUT THEN ADJACENT TO THE BATTERY SITE WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE QUADRANGLE, A VERY TYPICAL MILITARY TYPE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE SQUARE.
UH, WE ARE SITTING IN THE NUMBER THREE GUN POSITION OF A THREE GUN BATTERY BATTERY JESSUP, WHICH HAD THREE 10 INCH DISAPPEARING CARRIAGE, LARGE CALIBER GUNS BREACH LOADING GUNS.
THEIR PURPOSE WAS TO, UH, ENGAGE THE WARSHIPS THAT MIGHT, UH, BE ENTERING THE HARBOR, UH, AND FORT ROYAL SOUND.
WE'RE HERE NOW AT THE SECOND BATTERY, UH, THAT WAS PART OF FORT FREMONT.
THIS IS BATTERY FOR NANCE, UH, WAS NAMED FOR A ARMY OFFICER, UH, THAT WAS ACTUALLY KILLED DURING THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR.
UH, DURING THE BATTLE OF SAN JUAN HILL, UH, BATTERY FORMANCE MOUNTED TWO, UH, BRITISH MADE 4.72 INCH ARMSTRONG QUICKFIRE GUNS.
UH, THEY WERE CALLED QUICKFIRE BECAUSE THEY LOADED, UH, WERE LOADED WITH A COMPLETE CARTRIDGE, AND IT, UH, IN TIME OF ACTION, THEY COULD FIRE FOUR TO SIX ROUNDS PER MINUTE.
THE PURPOSE OF BATTERY ANCE WAS TO DEFEND THE MINEFIELD, WHICH WAS THE OTHER COMPONENT OF THE ENDICOTT COAST ARTILLERY OR OR COAST DEFENSE SYSTEM.
UH, A MINEFIELD, UH, WITH CONTROLLED MINES.
CONTROLLED MEANING THAT THEY WERE CONNECTED ELECTRICALLY TO SHORE AND COULD BE FIRED ON COMMAND FROM SHORE.
THAT, UH, CONTROL STATION WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, PROBABLY SHARED WITH THE PLOTTING ROOM.
AND IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE MINEFIELD, OBVIOUSLY AN ENEMY WOULD WANT TO INTERFERE WITH THAT.
MIGHT SEND VESSELS, UH, SMALL SHIPS IN HERE AT NIGHT TO TRY TO INTERFERE.
AND THIS BATTERY WOULD TAKE THOSE VESSELS UNDER FIRE IF THERE WAS SOME, UH, THERE WAS SUSPECTED THAT, UH, UH, THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING TO INTERFERE WITH THE MINES, SUCH AS, UH, PULLING UP THE CABLES AND CUTTING THOSE.
THE INGO ERA ERA OF FORT WAS A FORMIDABLE TECHNOLOGY.
IT REPRESENTED STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY, DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY OF ITS TIME AGAINST THE STATE-OF-THE-ART THREAT, WHICH WOULD BE THE BATTLESHIP.
THE LIFE FOR THE SOLDIERS AT FORT FREMONT WAS DISCIPLINED AND REGIMENTED.
THEY EVEN HAD MEALTIMES WERE SPECIFIED LENGTHS OF TIME, 15 MINUTES FOR LUNCH, 15 MINUTES AT BREAKFAST, 20 MINUTES AT SUPPER.
[01:50:01]
PRACTICE THEIR SKILLS.THEY WERE TRAINING AND DOING MAINTENANCE CONSTANTLY, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH THESE BIG GUNS.
THEY HAD TO HAVE SKILLS IN, IN PRACTICE SKILLS, IN ARTILLERY MIND, LAYING SIGNALING, WHICH INVOLVED IN OUR CASE AT FORT FREMONT, THE USE OF THE FIRE CONTROL TOWER, WHICH WAS A PRETTY SOPHISTICATED AND, UM, ADVANCED SIGNALING TECHNIQUE.
THEN THEY ALSO HAD TO, UM, PRACTICE THE TYPICAL MILITARY SKILLS, MARCHING AND, UH, DRILLING SMALL ARMS, FIRE, FIRST AID, AND SO FORTH.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY ALSO, UM, HAD AT, PARTICIPATED IN ATHLETICS.
THEY HAD PHYSICAL TRAINING, PT, AND THEY ALSO HAD SPORTS TEAMS. SO THIS WAS TO KEEP THEM PHYSICALLY FIT SO THAT THEY COULD CONTINUE THEIR, THEIR DUTIES, BECAUSE THEY WERE, IT WAS PRETTY RIGOROUS AT FORT FREMONT.
WHEN EVENTUALLY THE DECISION WAS MADE TO MOVE A DRY DOCK AND THE COALING STATION AND THE NAVY STATION UP TO CHARLESTON, THEN THIS FORT NO LONGER BECAME SIGNIFICANT.
THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT HERE THAT WAS TO BE PROTECTED.
AND AT THAT POINT, 1911, THE LAST TROOPS WERE TRANSFERRED OUT, AND FORT WAS CLOSED IN 1901, THE MAYOR OF CHARLESTON AND THE UNITED STATES SENATOR PITCHFORK, BEN TILLMAN FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, WANTED THIS TO MOVE FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY TO CHARLESTON COUNTY 'CAUSE THERE ARE MORE VOTES IN CHARLESTON COUNTY.
AND THE MAYOR WANTED THE US CORPS OF ENGINEERS IN, IN THE NAVY TO DREDGE THE HARBOR IN CHARLESTON.
'CAUSE BATTLESHIPS IN THOSE DAYS REQUIRED 26 FEET OF WATER.
CHARLESTON'S NATURAL HARBOR IS 15 FEET OF WATER.
PORT ROYAL IS 30 FEET OF WATER.
IN ORDER FOR CHARLESTON TO SUSTAIN ITS PORT, ITS COMMERCIAL PORT, IT HAD TO DREDGE THE HARBOR.
WELL, IF THEY COULD GET THE NAVY UP THERE, THEY GET THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO DREDGE THE HARBOR.
AND THE, THE PLAY FOR PITCHFORK, BEN TILLMAN, THE US SENATOR IN 1900, WAS THAT HE'D GET A WHOLE LOT MORE WORK FROM VOTES FROM THE LARGEST CITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO IT WAS A POLITICAL COMMERCIAL OPERATION, AND THEY MOVED THE NATION AND IT WAS DONE, BOOM, LIKE THAT.
THE FORT DID ITS JOB, THE DETERRENT FOR ANYBODY THAT WISHED TO ATTACK THESE.
IN FACT, THE WHOLE INDICO SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH NEVER CHALLENGED IN, UH, THIS ERA HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, PROVIDED SOME 300 MAJOR GUNS, COASTAL GUNS, TO PRO, UH, PROTECT MAJOR AREAS, AND LEFT THE UNITED STATES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY WITH AS WELL DEFENDED, UH, COASTLINE AS ANY PLACE IN, IN THE WORLD.
BUT I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT IT'S A MAGNIFICENT ARTIFACT OF AN ERA, AND IT'S AN ERA THAT HAS BEEN NEGLECTED, UH, THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY, UM, THE NAVAL STATION ACROSS THE RIVER HERE.
AND, UM, SO IT'S A, IT'S A PIECE OF HISTORY THAT'S DISAPPEARING, AND THE FRIENDS OF FORT FREMONT AND BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE PRESERVED IT FOR THE USE OF THE PUBLIC.
AND, UH, AS A MEMORIAL TO THAT MOMENT IN HISTORY, FORT FREMONT CLOSES A 350 YEAR STORY OF HOMELAND SECURITY ADDRESSING EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM IN THE 19TH CENTURY.
IT'S A TALE OF HOW GEOGRAPHY, TECHNOLOGY, AND NATIONAL SECURITY CREATES A TRANSITION FOR AMERICA TO BECOME A GLOBAL POWER.
IT'S ALSO A WONDERFUL SNAPSHOT OF AMERICA.
IN THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY, THE FRIENDS OF FORT FREMONT AND BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE A VALUED PARTNERSHIP WORKING IN TANDEM TO PRESERVE THE FORT'S INTEGRITY AND PROMOTE THE HISTORICAL, NATURAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS OF THE FORK.
MOST IMPORTANT, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR CREATIVE WAYS TO ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE.
[01:55:24]
HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY TODAY.WE WERE CELEBRATING OUR ELECTION WORKERS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THE BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION, THE ELECTION, UM, THOUGHT THAT IT WAS TIME TO RECOGNIZE THOSE PEOPLE WHO MAKE OUR ELECTIONS POSSIBLE.
THESE ARE THE FOLKS WHO ARE OUT THERE IN THE FIELD ON THE ELECTION DAY, WORKING 14, 15 HOURS A DAY, UM, PREPARING, UM, MACHINES, DELIVERING MACHINES TO, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO.
SO WHAT WE DID TODAY WAS WE ORGANIZED AN EVENT, WE CALL IT AN APPRECIATION, AND WE ALSO HAD BEST PRACTICE FORUM.
AND THAT WAS A LITTLE PANEL THAT ANSWERED QUESTIONS OFF CONCERN, UM, FROM SOME OF THE POLL WORKERS.
WE KNOW THAT TWO COWORKER WILL NEED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO A VOTER IF THEY POSTPONE.
WE JUST WANTED THEM TO KNOW HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE WHAT THEY DO.
SO WE PROVIDED, UH, AN APPRECIATION CERTIFICATE ALONG WITH BUTTONS THAT THEY CAN WEAR OUT IN THE PUBLIC SAYING THAT THEY ARE THE BEST POLL WORKER IN BUFORD COUNTY OR IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
WE HAD SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE, WE HAD PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE THAT'S BEEN DOING ELECTION WORK FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
WE HAD SOME THAT WERE ONLY DOING IT FOR A YEAR.
SO IT WAS A NICE MIXTURE OF FOLKS COMING TOGETHER, SHARING STORIES.
AND WE HAVE, WE GOT A COUPLE OF OUR COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO CAME OUT AND HELPED SERVE OUR LITTLE SNACKS THAT WE HAD.
WHAT WE DID IS ALL OF THE ELECTION WORKERS THAT CAME IN TODAY, WE, UM, TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS AND WE HOPE TO DISPLAY THEM, UM, ON OUR WEBSITE, UM, MAYBE EVEN ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGES, JUST TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT THESE ARE HUMAN BEINGS.
MAYBE SOME OF THEM LIVE IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOU MAY RECOGNIZE THEM AND MAY WANT TO ASK SOME QUESTION AS TO, OH, MAYBE I WANT TO DO THAT.
SO, UM, THE PHOTOGRAPHS THAT WE TOOK TODAY, AND THEY WERE ALL EXCITED ABOUT IT, AND I WAS HAPPY THAT THEY WERE, AND THEY WERE WILLING, AND WE TOOK THE PHOTOS AND WE WILL DISPLAY THEM AND, UM, HOPEFULLY WE CAN USE IT AS A RECRUITING TOOL AS WELL.
SO IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW OLD YOU ARE, IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW YOUNG YOU ARE, UNLESS YOU KNOW YOU GOTTA BE AT LEAST 18, UM, TO BE A, A, A REGISTERED VOTER, BUT YOU REALLY, UM, WE START WORKING WITH OUR KIDS WHEN THEY'RE 16 AND 17-YEAR-OLD, WHICH THE LAW DOES ALLOW THAT THEY CAN WORK IN ELECTIONS AND WE START TRAINING THEM FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
AND, UM, WE HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT'S BEEN HERE FOR OVER 40 YEARS THAT'S BEEN DOING THIS WORK.
YOU CAN APPLY ANYTIME TO BECOME A POLL WORKER.
UM, ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS CALL OUR OFFICE, GO ON OUR WEBSITE AND SAY, I'M INTERESTED IN BECOMING A POLL WORKER.
WE ADVERTISE PERIODICALLY TO LET YOU KNOW WHERE THE TRAINING IS, AND, UM, OR YOU CAN JUST GIVE US A CALL AND WE WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TRAINING.
THE PHONE NUMBER IS (843) 255-6900.
JUST CALL THAT NUMBER AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE PLACED ON A LIST AND WE WILL NOTIFY YOU WHEN THE TRAININGS ARE AVAILABLE.
AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING.
YOU MY HERO AND MY, AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.