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PUBLIC COMMENTS, PLEASE SIGN UP USING THE PUBLIC COMMENT FORM.
YOU CAN FIND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION PUBLIC COMMENT FORM ON OUR WEBSITE, HTTPS OR SLASH WWW BEAUFORT SCHOOLS.NET/ABOUT+SLASH BOARDED SLASH PUBLIC.
YOU'LL RECEIVE A CALL DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENTS WHERE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SPEAK AND ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE FOR A MAXIMUM, EXCUSE ME, OF THREE MINUTES ON ISSUES WITHIN THE COMMITTEE'S DOMAIN.
THE FORUM WILL BE LIMITED TO 15 MINUTES.
CITIZENS DESIRING TO PARTICIPATE IN PERSON MUST FILL OUT A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD THAT CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE BOARD CLERK UPON ARRIVAL.
THE MISSION OF THE BEAUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT THROUGH A PERSONALIZED LEARNING APPROACH WILL PREPARE GRADUATES WHO COMPETE AND SUCCEED IN AN EVER-CHANGING GLOBAL SOCIETY AND CAREER MARKETPLACE.
AND WITH THAT, IS THERE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA? I MAKE A MOTION THAT THE AGENDA IS APPROVED REMOVAL OF THE APRIL OF THE APRIL 11TH, 2025 COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES.
HELLO? I SO HAVE A MOTION I COULDN'T HEAR.
YES, THERE WAS A MOTION TO APPROVE.
DID YOU DO A SECOND? YES, PLEASE.
THEN WE'LL, MS. BOATRIGHT SHUT SHOULD BOATRIGHT SHUTTING THE DOOR.
THANK YOU MA'AM, PLEASE AND STAND.
JOIN ME AND STAND IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE C FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY FOR ALL.
UH, AND IS STATEMENT OF MEDIA NOTIFICATION? YES.
ARE THERE PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO.
IS THERE A, UH, MOTION APPROVAL? MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE APRIL 11TH? OH, THEY, WE DON'T HAVE THOSE, RIGHT? WE JUST TOOK THOSE OFF.
JUST REITERATING WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN THIS COMMITTEE IS TO BE PROACTIVE IN SEARCH, DISCOVER, DISCUSS, AND DECIDE.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE AS A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ARE CONTRIBUTING ACTIVELY FINDING THINGS THAT AFFECT PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND, UM, BE PROACTIVE IN, UM, TRYING TO TAKE STEPS THAT WILL, IN A VERY COOPERATIVE WAY, MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR THE, UH, PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS. SO, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM ANYONE ON BOARD ABOUT THAT? WE'VE DISCUSSED IT SEVERAL TIMES.
EVERYBODY GOOD? I HAVE, I'M SORRY.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE PROACTIVENESS IS A QUESTION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS WITH THE COMMITTEE.
DOES GENERAL, TRADITIONALLY THE BOARD HAS DIRECTED COMMITTEES, UM, AS FAR AS WHAT THINGS THEY WANT THEM TO LOOK AT.
SO IN THIS CASE, THE BOARD IS DIRECTING THE COMMITTEE TO KIND OF, IT'S JUST TO SORT OF BE INVOLVED IN LEGISLATIVE ISSUES, RIGHT? BUT WHAT I WONDER ABOUT WITH BEING PROACTIVE AND I, UM, WANNA SPECIFICALLY SAY IN THE DRAFT RESOLUTION THAT IS IN DILIGENT, IT SAYS THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FEELS, I DON'T HA I, SORRY, I APOLOGIZE.
I DON'T HAVE THE TEXT UP RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
BUT AS I RECALL, WE DIDN'T GET THAT FROM THE BOARD.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE ARE GOING TO BE TAKING THAT TO THE BOARD.
WOULD THAT BE AN ACCURATE ASSESSMENT? YEAH.
SO PART OF THE PROTOCOL IS THAT, UH, THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, AS WE DISCUSSED, AND LET ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE CONTEXT, WHICH MANY OF US KNOW WE HAD A, UM, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? REPRESENTATIVE, UH, WHO REPRESENTED US ADVOCATE, LEGAL ADVOCATE.
AND WE CHOSE TO DISCONTINUE THE LOGIC, DISCONTINUE THAT, BECAUSE TOO OFTEN WE WERE SURPRISED BY WHAT WAS GOING ON.
SO WE'VE TAKEN A POSITION THAT WE WANT TO, WITHIN OURSELVES, UH, SOLICITING INFORMATION FROM COLLEAGUES, BOARD MEMBERS, WHAT HAVE YOU READING, UH, THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY IDENTIFY THINGS THAT MAY BENEFIT, UH, PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND BE TAKE A PROACTIVE.
SO THAT'S THE CONTEXT IN WHICH WE WANTED TO USE THE WORD PROACTIVE.
WE DON'T WANNA BE SURPRISED, UH, AS WE WORK.
WE WERE SPENDING SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS TO DO THAT.
AND, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S PERFECT.
WHAT I DID WANNA POINT OUT IS THAT WE DO, UM, WE MAY NOT
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SPEAK OR ACT FOR THE BOARD UNLESS EXPLICITLY AUTHORIZED TO DO SO.SO JUST AS WE'RE LOOKING AT BEING PROACTIVE, WE STILL NEED TO TAKE DIRECTIVE FROM THE FULL BOARD.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE PROTOCOL IS THAT THINGS, AND WE'VE CHECKED THIS WITH OUR LEGAL PEOPLE AS WELL.
UH, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER COMMITTEE GOES THROUGH THIS PARTICULAR COMMITTEE, WE VOTE IN A MAJORITY.
AND IF THE MAJORITY SAYS YES, IT MOVES FORWARD.
IF THEY DON'T, WE DON'T MOVE IT FORWARD.
WE MIGHT DISCUSS IT, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE THE UR OF SAYING IT HAS LEGAL STANDING FROM THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
WE THEN WILL TAKE ALL TYPES SUCH TYPE, TYPE ACTIONS TO THE BOARD AS OTHER COMMITTEES DO.
AND AGAIN, THEY'LL GO THROUGH THAT, UH, E EXERCISE OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT THE BOARD IN THE MAJORITY SUPPORTS THAT.
SO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WHICH IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION, MS. BO, RIGHT? WE ARE VERY PARTICULAR AND PECULIAR ABOUT MAKING SURE WE DO THINGS WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF THE PROTOCOLS OF THE, UH, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND WHEN YOU SAY PROTOCOLS, ARE YOU REFERRING TO OUR COHERENT GOVERNANCE PROTOCOLS? COHERENT GOVERNANCE IS ONE ITEM, BUT ALSO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE, UH, ARE ACCEPTING GUIDANCE FROM THE BOARD IN TOTAL.
LIKE SOMETIMES YOU, YOU KNOW, NOT YOU, BUT THERE'LL BE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL FIND THINGS THAT WE SHOULD DO IT THIS WAY AND WE'RE WILLING TO CONSIDER THAT.
BUT AGAIN, NOT ONLY COHERENT GOVERNANCE, BUT THEIR BOARD POLICY.
UH, NOT ONLY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION, BUT FOR US.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'LL HAVE IN THE FUTURE CONVERSATION IS WE NEED ALL OF OUR MEMBERS TO ACTUALLY STUDY THE CURRENT BOARD POLICY.
SO WHEN WE'RE DOING THINGS, WE ARE WITHIN PROTOCOLS, AND THEN THERE MAY BE ROOM FOR US TO SUGGEST, UH, CHANGES.
AND I'M SORRY TO HANG ON THIS TOPIC FOR JUST A SECOND, BUT I, I'M GONNA HAVE TO GET OFF.
I CANNOT, I COULD NOT MOVE IT.
WHEN I READ THE DRAFT RESOLUTION DRAFT OF, UM, THE TESTING IN SCHOOLS OF JUNE, THE DRAFT RESOLUTION 6, 9, 20 25, IT STARTS OUT, HUH? CAN WE GO THROUGH THE REST OF IT? 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA GET TO THAT PRETTY QUICK AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE SURE.
I MEAN, IT FOLLOWS THE CONVERSATION, BUT I'LL WAIT.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE VERY QUICKLY.
WE'LL GET TO THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME LEGAL PEOPLE, UM, MS. COLLEGE, SO WE WON'T MOVE FORWARD.
BUT WE'LL HAVE YOU OUT HERE, OUT OF HERE BY, UH, 1 25.
ALRIGHT, SO WE, UH, HAVE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
HAS EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE? THEY'VE BEEN THE SAME.
THAT'S, SO THESE CAME FROM A RESPONSE, UH, SOLICITATION FROM ALL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AS TO WHAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON.
NOW, WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IS TO ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, A SESSION, MENTEE SESSION.
HOPEFULLY IT CAN BE AT A WORK SESSION SO IT'S NOT RUSHED, UH, BUT SIMILAR TO HOW THE STRATEGY WAS DONE.
AND WE CALL DIFFERENT ITEMS DOWN THAT, UH, WE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE SURE WE GET EVERYBODY'S INPUT.
SO, SO THIS IS GOING OUT SEVERAL TIMES.
YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO DO IT IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD.
UH, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THAT SECOND POINT IS THE ITEMS THAT WE HAVE ACTUALLY SUPPORTED OR, OR RECEIVED THINGS THAT PEOPLE SAID WE SHOULD COVER.
AND THEN DOWN BELOW YOU'LL SEE ADDITIONAL ITEMS. AND SO WITH THAT, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND IF THERE ARE ANYTHING YOU FEEL SHOULD BE ADDED, WE ARE OPEN TO, NOTHING IS CLOSED OFF MS. BOATWRIGHT.
AND DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE, UH, PRIORITIES THAT HAVE BEEN STATED SO FAR? NOPE.
I SAW THE TWO THAT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT FEATURED THERE, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, COLONEL GUYER, MASTER SERGEANT.
OKAY, SO THE MAIN THING IS TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WE'RE NOT CLOSING OFF ANYTHING WE ARE CONFERRING WITH.
MAKE SURE WE ARE IN PRO WITHIN PRO CONSTRAINTS OF PROTOCOLS.
THE OTHER ITEMS THAT WERE NOTED BELOW, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE PARTICIPANTS DOWNLOAD I APPS THAT MAKE THINGS LIKE THIS, THAT, AND TESTING THE PUBLIC THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE RESOLUTION.
UM, LIAM SMITH AND CHLOE GORDON ARE BOTH ONLINE AS WELL AS LEAH FRAZIER.
MS. UM, MR. SMITH COMMENTS? UH, NO.
I, I HAVE NO PROBLEMS. I'M, I'M IN LINE.
I'M IN LINE WITH WHAT, WITH WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON.
UM, I THINK IT'S, IT'S, THERE'S DEFINITELY A NEED AND, UM,
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I JUST APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD TO HELP, TO HELP, TO HELP OUT OUR DISTRICT.WHO'S THE THIRD PERSON ON CHLOE? MS. GORDON? NO, SHE'S DRIVING, SO SHE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO UNMUTE.
SO WE WILL DISCUSS THE PRIORITIES.
WE'LL SCHEDULE THAT JOURNAL WITH THE BOARD SESSION WORK SESSION, SO THERE CAN BE GOOD OPEN DIALOGUE ABOUT THAT.
UH, THEN THE, UH, JUST IN PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION ON FAIRNESS AND TESTING, UH, JUST TO TEE THIS UP BEFORE YOU, WE ACTUALLY GO TO THE RESOLUTION IS WHEN WE WENT THROUGH AND THE LISTED PRE-FILE PROGRAMS, WE SAW A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE RECOMMENDED, UM, AND HAVE MADE PROGRESS.
SOME OF THOSE RELATE TO THE FUNDING MECHANISMS THAT'S PASSED.
UM, AND I THINK YOU'LL, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY MUCH A
UH, AND WE LEARNED, UH, IN ONE OF OUR MEETINGS, UM, WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION, THAT THE REVENUE AND FISCAL AFFAIRS IS ALSO LOOKING AT, UH, WAYS TO MAKE SURE IT'S EQUITABLE.
UH, NOT NECESSARILY TO CHANGE, BUT AT LEAST GIVING IT THAT REVIEW PER THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
SO THAT'S THE TESTING, UH, TESTING FAIRNESS IDEA CAME FROM THAT.
AND THEN WHAT YOU'LL SEE ON THE LAST PAGE OF WHAT'S COVERED TODAY IS THE TESTING MANDATE FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
AND AT THIS POINT, WE SHOULD CALL, ALRIGHT? SO ONE OF THE, UH, EMAILS THAT WE GOT WAS THAT WE WERE WRITING LEGISLATION.
WE DON'T WRITE LEGISLATION, NOT EVEN CLOSE.
BUT WHAT WE DO IS TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS IF WE ARE GOING TO MOVE SOMETHING FORWARD THROUGH OUR SYSTEM.
AND OF COURSE, AS YOU'LL HEAR, UH, THAT'S BEEN REAFFIRMED.
THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT CAN WRITE A BILL, UH, IS THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
AND JUST LIKE ANY OTHER, UH, UH, COMMITTEE, YOU'LL SEE THERE'S A LOT OF WORK DONE BY STAFF WHO ARE INFORMED TO PREPARE, MAKE SURE IT FITS ALL THE REQUIREMENTS SO THAT WHEN IT'S OFFERED, WE DON'T GET PUSHBACK ON IT.
SO WITH THAT, UM, IS SHE ONLINE? OKAY.
SO WITH THAT, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS THE TESTING MANDATE FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
AND A COUPLE OF THINGS I JUST WANT, UH, TO POINT OUT, UH, PRIVATE, RELIGIOUS AND HOME SCHOOLS DOES NOT MENTION CHARTERS WHO, WHO ACCEPTS SPENDING PUBLIC FUNDS FOR THE EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES.
AT FIRST, PEOPLE WERE SAYING, WELL, YOU SHOULD SAY IT'S ALL FEEDBACK WAS, ALL SCHOOLS SHOULD SAY IT, UH, THE REQUIRED, BUT YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THERE MAY BE PRIVATE SCHOOLS, HOMESCHOOL, RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS THAT SAY, NO, WE DON'T WANT STATE MONEY.
WE'RE NOT, AND THEY, WE SHOULD NOT BE ASKING THEM TO TAKE SOMETHING.
BECAUSE THE TRIGGER FOR THIS, IN TERMS OF FAIRNESS, IS THAT IF YOU'RE GETTING STATE MONEY, WE HAVE TO DO IT.
SO JUST IN TERMS OF FAIRNESS, AND WOULD NOT BE FAIR TO SAY, BECAUSE YOU ARE PRIVATE, RELIGIOUS OR HOMESCHOOLING, YOU SHOULD YOU CHOOSE SHOULD BE TESTED IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING STATE MONEY.
SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I'M GLAD WE MAKING THIS RIGOROUS PROCESS, UH, TO MAKE SURE WE WE DO THAT BETTER.
THE OTHER THING IS, YOU'LL NOTICE WE TALK ABOUT THE EXCEPTIONAL SOUTH CAROLINA EDUCATIONAL TRUST SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS. AND WE, WE BASICALLY ARE ARE SAYING WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING TOO BOLD, IS THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO WE'RE NOT CONTESTING THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE A DISTINCTION THAT'S MADE.
THE MAJORITY IN THE, UH, GENERAL ASSEMBLY HAS BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY IN SUPPORT.
AND WE NEED THOSE OTHER OPTIONS.
WE'RE JUST SAYING THAT IF THERE TO BE COMPLIANT WITH THE CONSTITUTION, IF THERE'S ACCEPTANCE OF PUBLIC MONEY, THEN HAVE THEM BE THE SAME STANDARD BEARER AS WE ARE.
SO THAT IS WHAT THIS WHOLE RESOLUTION WAS INTENDED TO ACCOMPLISH.
MS. BOATWRIGHT, I KNOW YOU HAVE TO GO, MA'AM.
UH, WE PROMISE TO HAVE YOU OUT, UH, 1 25.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS? I WOULD, AND I APPRECIATE YOU, UM, LETTING ME KIND OF SKIP AHEAD AND ALSO, UM, I APOLOGIZE FOR HAVING TO LEAVE.
UM, WHAT I AM WONDERING ABOUT, I THINK IT'S AN INTERESTING ISSUE IN THE WAY THAT THEY HAVE THIS STRUCTURE BECAUSE I THINK THE ARGUMENT'S GOING TO BE THAT THE MONEY IS NOT GIVEN TO THE SCHOOLS.
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STUDENTS WHO CAN THEN CHOOSE TO USE IT, HOW THEY CHOOSE.SO IF YOU, I, I'M NOT SURE OF ALL THE MECHANICS, BUT I BELIEVE IT IS A DIRECT, UH, VOUCHER TO, TO A STUDENT.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A HARD TIME, IF I'M CORRECT, I NEED MORE RESEARCH, UH, IN SAYING THAT THE STATES ARE TAKING PUBLIC FUNDING BECAUSE FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK IT'S 7,000 AND SOMETHING THAT'S NOT GONNA COVER MOST PRIVATE SCHOOLS TUITION.
IT WOULD JUST LIKE SUBSIDIZE IT.
BUT THE OTHER THING IS WHAT I GUESS I WAS BRINGING UP FROM THE OTHER, UH, PART OF IT IS IT STARTS OFF THE RESOLUTION, UM, SAYS BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD BELIEVES THAT.
I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD THAT DISCUSSION AT THE FULL BOARD.
AND WHAT I WORRY ABOUT WITH STARTING FROM THE COMMITTEE LEVEL, THAT THIS IS WHAT THE FULL BOARD BELIEVES WITHOUT EITHER HAVING A MOTION OR A DIRECTIVE FROM THE BOARD BACK TO THE COMMITTEE.
'CAUSE THAT'S HOW LEGISLATIVE, I KNOW WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE WE, UH, CHOSE NOT TO CONTINUE WITH OUR LOBBYIST.
SO I DO THINK YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT MANDATE THAN PREVIOUS LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES, BUT PRE PREVIOUSLY IT'D BE LIKE, HEY, WE WANT YOU TO TAKE ON THIS ISSUE.
SO MY HESITATION IS NOT ON THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE, BUT BEING, UH, CAREFUL THAT WE DO NOT SPEAK FOR THE FULL BOARD, THAT ALL WE CAN DO IS MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
SO I THINK OUT OF THIS CONVERSATION, IF IT CO EXCUSE ME, IF IT COMES OUT THAT YES, THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE IS RECOMMENDING THAT WE DRAFT THIS RESOLUTION, THEN IT GOES TO THE BOARD, AND THEN IF THE BOARD AGREES IT COMES IN WITH THAT LANGUAGE, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A BAD PRECEDENT TO SET TO START TO GO THAT WAY.
SO TO ME IT FEELS A LITTLE BIT, AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS INTENTIONAL, BUT IT FEELS A LITTLE BIT LIKE WE ARE, UM, SPEAKING FOR THE BOARD.
AND THAT IS VERY SPECIFICALLY, UM, UH, NOT THE WORD PROHIBITIVE IS TOO STRONG.
THAT IS VERY SPECIFICALLY CALLED OUT IN OUR POLICY MANUAL.
SO THAT'S WHAT I KIND OF WANTED TO, UM, BUT I THINK IT'S AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION.
I JUST WOULDN'T USE THAT, UH, THAT TERMINOLOGY RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE.
SO PART OF WHAT, UH, AS WE ALLUDED TO OTHER, WE ARE, WE'VE LOOKED AT THE PROTOCOLS.
MANY THINGS COME BEFORE A COMMITTEE AND THEN GO TO THE BOARD FOR ADJUDICATION AND VOTE.
IF WE DON'T GET A MAJORITY VOTE IN THE COMMITTEE, IT'S DEAD.
BUT YES, IF IT PASSES, IF IT PASSES, THEN IT GOES BEFORE THE FULL BOARD, ALL 11 MEMBERS AND THEY CAN VOTE IT UP OR DOWN JUST AS WE DO ON OTHER MAJOR TYPES OF EFFORTS.
UH, SO, BUT IT DOES SAY THAT YOU, SORRY, I CAN'T RECORD.
BUT AT THAT POINT, IF, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DECIDE THAT WE WANT TO CHANGE OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
BUT IF THIS GOES BEFORE THE BOARD AND THEY WILL PROVE IT, THEN THIS WOULD ACTUALLY GO BEFORE THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION SO THAT THE SCHOOL, BECAUSE VERY SENSITIVE TO US NOT CATCHING STRAYS BECAUSE WE ARE SO FAR OUT IN AHEAD OF OTHERS, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE ARE UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF ESTABLISHED INSTITUTIONS THAT I THINK HAVE ABOUT 25 OTHER RESOLUTIONS THAT IF IF OUR BOARD PASSES IT, THEN THEY WILL BE THE ONE THAT WILL BE PROFFERING THIS AND MOVING IT FORWARD.
AND WE CAN STAND IN THE BACKGROUND AND JUST BE, YOU KNOW, ANONYMOUS.
IT WON'T BE ANONYMOUS, BUT THAT WILL CHANGE BECAUSE IT WON'T HAVE, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IF THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION ACCEPTS IT.
AND MS. ELMORE'S ON THE PHONE NOW.
UM, MS. BOATRIGHT, MR. SMITH AND MS. FRAZIER, UH, AND MS. DEBBIE ELMORE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD IS ON THE, UH, PHONE WITH US RIGHT NOW, AND SHE'S THE LEGISLATIVE LIAISON FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD'S ASSOCIATION WORKS WITH US.
THANK YOU MS. SMORE FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.
MISS, CAN SHE HEAR US? CAN YOU HEAR US? AND WE CAN JUST A LITTLE BIT.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
SO MS, WE WERE JUST DISCUSSING THE RESOLUTION.
YEAH, MS. ELMORE, WE ARE, WE ARE HERE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY GOOD CONVERSATIONS SO FAR, SOME POINTS.
AND, UM, WE'RE TO THE POINT WHERE, CAN YOU TELL US IT WITH A PREFERENCE OF A, UM, A CAVEAT IF IT WINS HERE AND THEN IT GOES TO OUR BOARD AND IT WINS THERE.
CAN YOU SHARE HOW, IF WE MOVE IT TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION, HOW THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION WOULD REPRESENT THIS AND NOT THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL DISTRICT? CAN YOU SHARE WITH THAT? UM, YES.
SO WE, UM, STARTING IN MARCH, UM, WE INVITE, UH, SCHOOL, LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS TO SUBMIT RESOLUTIONS, UM, TO THE ASSOCIATION FOR CONSIDERATION LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTIONS, UM, EVENTUALLY ARE VOTED ON BY THE MEMBERSHIP, BUT THESE RESOLUTIONS ARE WHAT GUIDE, UM, YOUR LOBBYING STAFF TO KNOW WHETHER
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WE OPPOSE OR WE SUPPORT OR WE STAY OUT OF, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT LEGISLATION THAT'S FILED, UM, EVERY YEAR AT STATE HOUSE.SO WE, UM, INVITE LOCAL BOARDS THAT IF THEY HAVE A RESOLUTION THAT WE DO NOT HAVE.
I MEAN, WE HAVE, RIGHT NOW, THERE'S PROBABLY ABOUT 20 SOMETHING RESOLUTIONS THAT WE HAVE, UM, WHICH ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE.
THE MEMBERSHIP VOTES FOR THESE EVERY YEAR.
UM, SO I GUESS WHAT YOU ALL ARE CONSIDERING IS A DRAFT PROPOSED RESOLUTION THAT, UM, WOULD EVENTUALLY, IF APPROVED, BE VOTED ON BY THE MEMBERSHIP TO BE ADDED TO OUR LIST OF RESOLUTIONS, LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTIONS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, YOUR PROCESS LOCALLY AT BEAUFORT COUNTY IS THAT YOU, UM, IN ORDER TO, BECAUSE THIS, I THINK BEAUFORT HAS PROPOSED OTHER RESOLUTIONS AS WELL, UM, IN THE PAST.
SO APPARENTLY YOU GO THROUGH YOUR A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE AND THEN THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE THEN TAKES THEIR RECOMMENDATION TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.
UM, AND ONCE THAT IS APPROVED, NOW IT BECOMES A BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD RESOLUTION THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING FOR SSBA.
THEN THAT COMES TO US, UM, AND THOSE RESOLUTIONS THEN GO TO OUR LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WHICH WE'VE GOT A MEETING SCHEDULED IN EARLY JULY.
UM, AND THEN IF THEY APPROVE THAT, IT GOES TO OUR FULL BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN AUGUST.
UM, AND IF THAT'S APPROVED BY THAT BODY, THEN IT'S PRINTED IN THE DELEGATE ASSEMBLY HANDBOOK THAT GOES OUT EVERY SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER AND IS WHAT IS VOTED ON BY THE DELEGATE ASSEMBLY IN, IN DECEMBER.
SO THAT IS THE PROCESS THAT WE USE.
AND I IS THAT, THAT WAS YOUR QUESTION, I HOPE.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT? MS. BOATRIGHT? YOU STILL WITH US? MS. S AND CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE SCHOOL BOARD'S ASSOCIATION, UM, ADOPTS RESOLUTIONS? HOW DOES THE LEGISLATIVE GET LEGISLATION GET INTRODUCED TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND WHO DRAFTS IT? OKAY, SO WELL, OKAY.
SO, WENDY, THE LEGISLATION IS SEPARATE FROM A RESOLUTION, RIGHT? UM, LEGISLATION OR A BILL, IF YOU WILL, THAT IS NOT, WE DON'T, WE DO NOT DRAFT BILLS.
UM, WE JUST, WE, WE PRESENT, WE SUPPORT BILLS, WE OPPOSE BILLS, WE ASK FOR CERTAIN BILLS TO, TO BE INTRODUCED, BUT THOSE BILLS ARE DONE BY LEGISLATORS.
UM, SO THAT IS, THAT'S DIFFERENT.
ALL THE RESOLUTION DOES IS IT GUIDES THE LEGISL, THE LOBBYING STAFF OF THE ASSOCIATION TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT THIS LEGISLATION, WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO THIS OR ANY OTHER LEGISLATION THAT'S FILED, AND HOW WE APPROACH, UM, ANY BILLS THAT ARE, THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
AND THOSE BILLS WOULD BE DRAFTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS? YEAH, I GUESS, YEAH.
YEAH, LAWMAKERS, WE DO NOT DRAFT LEGISLATION.
UM, WE JUST PROPOSE IT, WE PROPOSE IT TO LAWMAKERS AND THEN THEY GET IT DRAFTED THROUGH, I GUESS.
LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS TYPICALLY WHO THEY, THEY GO, UM, THE SENATE, I BELIEVE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN, BUT, UM, EITHER WAY, YES.
BUT THAT'S A, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RESOLUTION AND A BILL.
AND WE DON'T, WE DON'T DRAFT LEGISLATION EITHER.
WE JUST WORK ON THE RESOLUTION CARD, SEND IT TO YOU, QUESTIONS COMMENT, EVERYBODY COMFORTABLE? UH, UM, MS. BOATRIGHT, YOU OKAY NOW WITH THE PROTOCOL PROCESS? SORRY, WAS THAT DIRECTED TO ME? I, I'M SORRY, I CAN'T HEAR.
NO, IT WAS, IT WAS DIRECTED TO ONE OF OUR MEMBERS AND SHE HAD IN KINDLY INFORMED US THAT, BUT SHE'S GONE.
YEAH, SHE HAD TO LEAVE THE, ONE OF THE MEMBERS HAD TO LEAVE THE MEETING.
SHE, UH, SHE, SHE'S A, A KEY EXECUTIVE IN ONE OF OUR MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS, AND SHE HAD DO SOME OTHER THINGS.
PASTOR GORDON, OH, I'M, I'M GOOD.
SHE ANSWERED EVERYTHING I HAD.
MS. UH, GORDON, ARE YOU OKAY WITH WHAT YOU'VE HEARD SO FAR? SHE'S MUTED.
YOU HAVE LIAM SMITH AND, UH, MS. FRAZIER ON MR. SMITH.
ARE YOU OKAY WITH WHAT YOU'VE HEARD SO FAR, SIR?
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I DID AS WELL.I'M HERE AND I KNOW YOU, I'M, IT'S VERY INFORMATIVE.
SO THE, UH, ASSOCIATION, HOW DOES THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION DECIDE WHICH RESOLUTIONS THEY'RE GONNA PICK UP AND MOVE FORWARD? MS. ELMORE, CAN YOU REVIEW THAT? SO HOW DOES IT DECIDE WHICH RESOLUTIONS THAT IT TAKES TO THE BOARD? IS THAT WHAT IT YEAH, YOU SAID THAT THE, THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION IS SITTING ON SOMETHING OVER 20 RESOLUTIONS RIGHT NOW.
HOW DOES THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION DECIDE WHAT RESOLUTIONS THEY'RE GONNA PRO OFFER TO THE, UH, LEGISLATIVE BODY AND HOPE THAT, UH, LEGISLATORS PICK 'EM UP? SO, UM, IN TERMS OF, SO IN TERMS OF THE RESOLUTIONS THAT WE HAVE, AGAIN, THEY'RE ON OUR WEBSITE.
THE MEMBERSHIP DOES IN DECEMBER.
UM, THAT, BUT IN TERMS OF HOW WE CHOOSE TO TAKE UP, WHICH RESOLUTIONS, IF A LOCAL BOARD, IT, IT, IT'S THE SAME PROCESS YOU'RE DOING NOW, THE LEGISLATURE, ONCE YOUR BOARD APPROVED IT OR, UH, THE RESOLUTION, UM, AND THEN NOW GOES TO OUR PROCESS, WHICH OUR LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, AGAIN, OUR LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, REVIEWS IT JUST LIKE YOU ARE DOING NOW.
IF THEY APPROVE IT, THEN IT GOES TO OUR FULL BOARD.
IF OUR FULL BOARD APPROVES IT, IT THEN GOES, UM, INTO THE MEETING HANDBOOK, OUR ANNUAL MEETING HANDBOOK, UM, AS A PROPOSED NEW RESOLUTION THAT THE MEMBERSHIP VOTES ON YOU AS THE MEMBERSHIP BEING THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS.
UM, IN TERMS OF HOW DO WE CHOOSE WHICH OF THOSE RESOLUTIONS WE THEN SUBMIT TO THE LEGISLATURE, WE PROVIDE A COPY OF ALL OUR RESOLUTIONS TO ALL, UM, SCHOOL, UH, ALL LAWMAKERS IN THE SENATE AND IN THE HOUSE EVERY YEAR, EVERY JANUARY IT'S SENT TO THEM.
IS THAT, DID I ANSWER THE QUESTION CORRECTLY? SURE.
BECAUSE I DIDN'T QUITE HEAR THE QUESTION, BUT I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU ASKED.
SO WHEN WE GO THERE, MR. NAY, UH, AS A, AS, AS PART OF THAT, THAT GROUP, UH, WE VOTE ON THEM ALL, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE THAT ARE QUALIFIED TO VOTE, AND THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE TERMS THEY USE.
AND IF IT DOESN'T WIN, IT DOESN'T MOVE FORWARD AND THEY DON'T EXPEND ANY RESOURCES IN IT.
SO THERE, AS YOU CAN SEE AS WE GO THROUGH IT, ABOUT FIVE OR SIX STEPS THAT IT, THAT IS ADJUDICATION OF, IS THIS WHAT WANT THE MAJORITY? AND IT MOVES FORWARD.
SO THOSE THINGS, A LOT OF THINGS GET WEEDED OUT.
UH, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
UM, WHEN THE BILL IS INTRODUCED, IS IT, IS IT INTRODUCED TO THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE THE SAME TIME, OR SEPARATE TIMES? OR WHO, WHO GETS IT FIRST? EACH, EACH HOUSE, EACH, UM, HOUSE AND SENATE WILL HAVE THEIR OWN MECHANISMS. SO A BILL CAN BE INTRODUCED IN THE HOUSE AT SOMEWHERE, AND THEN IT MAY NOT BE INTRODUCED IN THE SENATE.
SENATE CAN THEN CREATE THEIR OWN VERSION OF THE BILL.
THE HOUSE CAN ALSO SEND THEIR VERSION OVER AND WHAT THEY CALL, WHAT DO THEY CALL THAT? MS. UH, ELMORE, WHEN THE TWO, THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE, SENATE ARE TRYING TO RECONCILE A BILL, TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS, CONFERENCE COMMITTEE, THEIR CONFERENCE COMMITTEE'S APPOINTED.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT TO, UH, TO MYSELF AND PASTOR GORDON, PLEASE? SURE.
I MEAN, HIS ORIGINAL, YES, YOU CAN HAVE A BILL INTRODUCED BOTH IN THE HOUSE AND IN THE SENATE AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, BUT WHAT ULTIMATELY, UH, THE CHAIRS OF THE COMMITTEE CHOOSE TO TAKE UP.
I MEAN, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF BILLS THAT ARE FILED EVERY JANUARY HUNDREDS, UM, AND, AND EVEN MORE AS THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION GETS UNDERWAY, EVEN MORE BILLS GET FILED.
BUT WHAT ACTUALLY MOVES IS REALLY DECIDED UPON BY THE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN.
SO THERE'S A, THERE'S A HUNDREDS OF BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN SITTING THERE SINCE JANUARY, AND WE'LL PROBABLY SIT THERE NEXT YEAR AS WELL.
I MEAN, WHAT CHOOSES WHAT, WHAT MOVES.
BUT ONCE A BILL MOVES AND IT GOES THROUGH, SAY, ONE BODY OF THE HOUSE, UM, AND CHANGES ARE USUALLY MADE THERE, AND IT GOES TO THE SENATE.
AND THE SENATE, AGAIN, HAS TO CHOOSE TO EVEN TAKE THAT UP.
THEY MAY NOT EVEN TAKE IT UP, BUT IF THEY DO TAKE IT UP AND THEY MAKE CHANGES, THEY MAKE IT THEIR OWN, AND IT'S DIFFERENT FROM THE HOUSE, THEN THEY GO TO WHAT IS CALLED AN APPOINTED CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.
AND THAT COMMITTEE IS THE BODY THAT GOES TO WORK OUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WHAT THE HOUSE PASSED VERSUS WHAT THE SENATE PASSED.
AND WHATEVER THEY THEN DETERMINE AS THE ONE ALL THE EXCEPT WHATEVER CHANGES, THOSE, THOSE CHANGES THEN
[00:30:01]
GO BACK TO EACH BODY.SO IT'S KIND OF A LONG PROCESS.
BUT A BILL HAS TO BE, AGAIN, A BILL HAS TO BE INTRODUCED BY A LAWMAKER.
LAWMAKER HAS TO INTRODUCE THOSE BILL, FILE THOSE BILLS, AND INTRODUCE THEM.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. ELMORE.
UH, MR. SMITH, DO YOU HAVE ANY HAND, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE YOU, SIR.
I COULDN'T GET TO MY, MY, UH, MIC WAS ACTING UP, BUT, UM, I WAS GONNA SAY I DIDN'T HAVE ANY, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH WHAT, UH, WITH WHAT YOU WERE SAYING EARLIER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM ANYONE? ACTUALLY, UH, I JUST WANT, I, I, I DID WANNA COMMENT FOR, UH, ABOUT THE, UH, THE, THE, THE BILL.
UH, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE TO, UH, I JUST WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING TO THAT, THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT.
DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT NOW? YES, SIR.
BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE'LL MOVE FORWARD TO THE VOTE.
NOT ONLY THING I WAS GONNA SAY, WHEN IT, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO THE ACTUAL, ACTUAL BILL, UH, BILL, WHEN YOU, AND MS. BOATRIGHT WAS TALKING EARLIER, I JUST WANTED TO BRING THE ATTENTION THAT ANYTIME THAT YOU USE, UM, GOVERNMENT MONEY, THEN YOU THEN, THEN THE GOVERNMENT, UH, YOU HAVE TO SHOW THEM HOW YOU, HOW YOU MAKE A UTILIZATION OF IT AND ALL THAT IS ALL THAT'S PUBLIC.
SO I THINK EVERYONE TAKING A TEST WOULD, UH, WOULD, WOULD, WOULD ACTUALLY BE THE, THE TOOL TO DO THAT.
SO I JUST WANNA BRING THAT UP.
SO I, I, I THINK THAT THIS IS IT.
THAT, THAT THIS BILL WOULD BE A GREAT, UH, A GREAT MEASURE MEASURING STICK FOR, FOR THAT.
THAT'S WHAT I JUST WANTED TO PUT OUT THERE.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GETTING READY TO GO TO A VOTE, MA'AM.
AND UNLESS IF, UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE FOR US, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND, UH, ARRANGING YOUR SCHEDULE TO PARTICIPATE AND GIVE US SOME ACTUAL GUIDANCE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU WHY THIS IS NOT WORTH THE S**T.
WHICH PART? THE WHOLE PROCESS.
I'VE BEEN, I'VE DONE THIS MM-HMM
I'VE DONE THIS, THIS WITH MITCH MCCONNELL'S OFFICE.
HE WAS THE, HE WAS THE REPUBLICAN LEADER.
WHEN, WHEN I, I HAD A, AN EARMARK THAT I WANTED DONE WHO WROTE THAT? EARMARK.
IT WENT TO HIS CHIEF OF STAFF, CHIEF OF STAFF, PUT IT IN, SUBMITTED IT UNDER MCCONNELL'S NAME, AND IT GOT PASSED.
I DIDN'T SEND HIM A RESOLUTION.
I WROTE SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE NEEDED, THE MONEY THREE POINT, IT WAS $3.5 MILLION.
I, WHAT THE, SPECIFICALLY WHAT I NEEDED.
IF YOU THINK THAT OUR LEGISLATORS WHO DON'T HAVE A STAFF GET A BIG LIST OF REFER OF RESOLUTIONS, THAT THAT DOES ANYTHING.
SO WHAT, WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN? MM-HMM
IF THE BOARD SAYS THAT WE WANT TO HAVE THIS DONE, OUR LEGISLATIVE BODY, OUR, OUR BOARD SHOULD GO, IF THE BOARD APPROVES THIS, SHOULD GO TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE IN THE OUT SHANNON ERICKSON, AND GIVE HIM THE RESOLUTION AND GIVE THEM THE WORDING, THE DRAFT, BECAUSE SHE'S NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
AND IF YOU THINK SHE IS, YOU'RE SADLY MISTAKEN.
SO, I, I LIKE THE PROCESS, BUT GOING UP TO THE STATE IS NOT GOING BECAUSE WE HAVE, IN SIX YEARS, WE HAVE SUBMITTED THINGS TO THE STATE AND NOT ONE, NOT ONE HAS EVER MADE IT INTO EVEN BEEN SUBMITTED BECAUSE WE NEVER GAVE THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY NEEDED TO GIVE TO THEIR SECRETARY WHO COPIES
[00:35:01]
IT DOWN.THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY THIS WHOLE LOBBYIST THING TO ME WAS A WASTE OF MONEY.
BECAUSE SUPPOSED, YOU KNOW, REALLY, A GOOD LOBBYIST WOULD BE THE ONE WHO WOULD WRITE THAT FOR YOU AS WELL, AND WOULD HAVE THEIR BUDDY THEY KNOW AND SAY, LOOK, HERE'S, THIS IS A GOOD BILL AND MY CONSTITUENTS WANT THIS BILL.
I ALSO WOULD TELL YOU THAT THE RATIONALE NEEDS SOMETHING ADDED.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY THE A THE RATIONALE IS PARENTS CHOOSE THEIR SCHOOL BASED ON SCORES THAT ARE PUBLISHED IN THE PAPERS.
WHEN, WHEN A NEW PERSON COMES IN HERE AND THEY DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE, WHERE AM I GONNA SEND MY CHILD? A GOOD PARENT IS GONNA SAY, I WANNA SEE THE SCORES FOR THE SCHOOLS.
THERE'S NO SCORE FOR THE, FOR THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
AND THERE WON'T BE A SCORE FOR THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
BUT IF THEY GET A DIME OF STATE MONEY, THEY SHOULD HAVE TO PUBLISH THEIR SCORES TAKING THAT SAME TEST.
OTHERWISE, IT'S, IT'S LIKE COMPETITION WITHOUT PERFECT MARKET KNOWLEDGE, YOU NEED TO HAVE PERFECT KNOWLEDGE TO MAKE A DECISION THAT HAS, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REALLY ASKING FOR.
NOW, IT'S GOTTA BE LAID OUT BECAUSE IT SAYS, AS YOU POINTED OUT VERY CORRECTLY, THE MONEY'S GOING TO THE PARENT.
AND THE PARENT IS THE ONE THAT GIVES THE MONEY TO THE SCHOOL.
SO YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT, THAT AS IT GOES TO THE PARENT, BUT IF IT GOES TO A SCHOOL, THAT SCHOOL HAS TO NOTIFY THE STATE THAT THEY RECEIVED STATE MONEY.
IT'S NOT PARENTS' MONEY ANYMORE, IT'S STATE MONEY.
BUT IF THAT'S NOT, IF THAT'S NOT LISTED IN HERE ABOUT WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT, SCHOOL CHOICE IS THE BUZZWORD.
PARENTS WANT SCHOOL CHOICE, BUT THE SCHOOL CHOICE SHOULD BE BASED ON PERFECT MARKET KNOWLEDGE.
KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT THE SCHOOLS PRODUCE, JUST LIKE YOU DO WHEN YOU RESEARCH WHAT YOU'RE GONNA BUY.
AND, AND SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT THE, THE PROBLEM WITH THIS, THIS, THIS IS SO KEY TO US.
AND WE'VE GOTTA HAVE A GOOD RATIONALE.
AND THAT RATIONALE NEEDS TO, TO GO WITH THE RESOLUTION.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST PROPOSED LANGUAGE FOR THE, UH, FOR THE BILL AND GIVEN TO SHANNON ERICKSON.
YOU KNOW, WE COULD GIVE IT TO OTHER ONE, OTHER FOLKS.
BUT WHAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE, AND AS, AS SHE SAID, THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE DETERMINES WHAT GOES FORWARD.
SO JUST, IT'S FRUSTRATING TO ME BECAUSE WE'VE SPUN OUR WHEELS ON THIS.
SO LET ME RESPOND TO SOME OF YOUR POINTS.
THIS IS NOT, THIS IS NOT GOING TO THE LEGISLATION RS THIS IS GOING TO THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION.
SO THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION IS A SEVERAL MILLIONS OF DOLLAR ORGANIZATION, AND THEY HAVE GOTTEN THINGS PASSED, AND MAYBE NOT WHAT WE'VE SENT AS BEAUFORT COUNTY BEFORE, BUT THEY HAVE A TRACK RECORD OF MOVING THINGS FORWARD.
UH, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF LOBBY THAT GOES ON TO GIVE YOU A RECENT EXAMPLE, AS THIS DISTRICT SENT ANYBODY WHO'S HAD A, A COLLECTION OF SUPERINTENDENTS AND BOARD MEMBERS TO MEET WITH THE SECRETARY, I MEAN THE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION, AND TO GIVE US THE RECEPTION THAT ME AND MR. GORDON RECEIVED, I DON'T THINK SO.
SO THAT'S THE TYPE OF THING, BECAUSE WE PERSONALLY HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS, HAS THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT BEFORE HAD ANY REPRESENTATION THAT GOES TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA, COMPETES, SOUTH CAROLINA COMPETITIVENESS COUNCIL.
AND THEN THEY INVITE US TO GO TO THEIR ROUTINE, THEIR SOCIAL, THEIR, UH, CONFERENCE UP IN, UH, CHARLESTON PRO BONO.
SO THERE HAS NOT BEEN THIS TYPE OF OUTREACH.
[00:40:01]
TO JUST IDENTIFY THAT'S DIFFERENT.THE SECOND THING IS SPECIFIC ADDRESS, SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSING TESTING WAS IN THAT.
AND SO IT WAS IN THAT YOU ALSO, WE SOFTENED THE MESSAGING AROUND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT COMBATING PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
WE'RE TALKING EQUITY, WHICH IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SO WE HAD PUSHBACK, SAID, WOW, YOU KNOW, SHANNON ERICKSON, OUR ENTIRE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION BILL IS GOING TO PUSH BACK AGAINST THAT.
SO WE'VE TRIED TO MANEUVER AROUND THEN.
SO THAT'S ALREADY BEEN AN EDIT.
THAT WASN'T, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS NOT WHAT IT INITIALLY SAID.
IT WAS MUCH MORE SPECIFIC, MUCH MORE GRAPHIC, AND MUCH MORE POINTED.
UH, AND AGAIN, THE RECIPIENT IS THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION.
THEY HAVE A, A VERY EFFECTIVE LOBBY ENTITY.
AND THE THING THAT I HEAR DISCUSSED NOW, AND I'VE BEEN SAYING THIS AS WELL, THE 700,000 PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, IF YOU PROJECT AND SAY EACH STUDENT DOESN'T HAVE TWO PARENTS, BIOLOGICALLY, WE KNOW WHAT THEY DO.
YOU HAD 350, THAT'S 1,000,050 PEOPLE WHO ARE AFFECTED BY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WE HAVEN'T DONE JACK S**T TO GET THOSE PEOPLE MOTIVATED AND THE PARENTS AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING TO YOUR PRIVATE, TO YOUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WHEN WE GO ACROSS THOSE DOGGONE STAGES AND YOU SEE ALL THOSE KIDS THAT ARE IN WHEELCHAIRS, THESE LITTLE OPTIONS AREN'T TAKING THOSE PEOPLE MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS, ONLY THE, THOSE WHO ARE SUPERBLY TALENTED IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET IT ACROSS THE LINE.
AND SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE BOARD, IF YOU WOULD BE AN ADVOCATE FOR SAYING WE SHOULD ADD THOSE THINGS SO THAT WE CAN DO THAT, OR EITHER WE VOTE ON THAT TODAY, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, BUT WE, UM, WE THINK THIS IS A WAY TO GO.
WE HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES THAT ARE BEHIND US THIS TIME.
AND YOU'RE NOT PAYING $40,000 TO GET THERE.
CAN I, CAN I JUST PUT IN, WE HAD TO REMEMBER OUR LANGUAGE.
NO, TELL, TELL NORTH CAROLINA SWAMP DOG TO SPEAK.
THEY TAKE, THEY TAKE CREDIT FOR LEGISLATION THAT GETS PASSED MM-HMM
I WENT TO A MEETING TO DISCUSS LOBBYING BY THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION.
AND THIS IS WHAT WAS TOLD TO US.
TINA GUUS AND I BOTH ATTENDED THAT, AND THEY SAID, IF YOU WANT SOMETHING PASSED, YOU SHOULD HIRE YOUR OWN LEGISLATIVE LOBBYIST, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE, WE HAVE TOO BROAD A SCOPE.
THIS IS NO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN WITH OTHER GROUPS LIKE THIS ASSOCIATIONS ASSOCIATION, UNITED STATES ARMY RETIRED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION AND EVERYTHING.
THEY TAKE MONEY, THEY HAVE CONFERENCES, THEY SUBMIT PROPOSALS.
AND IF YOU CHECK YES, SOME OF THEM GET THERE.
BUT IF YOU REALLY GO IN AND LOOK TO WHO SUBMITTED IT AND HOW IT WAS DONE, IT'S NOT THESE FOLKS, THEY TAKE CREDIT FOR SOMETHING THAT JUST HAPPENSTANCE THEIR TRACK RECORD IS POOR.
AND WHO YOU SEE WHO ACTUALLY MAKES THINGS HAPPEN.
IT'S SOMEBODY WHO HAS THEIR ARM AROUND A LEGISLATURE, A LEGISLATOR, AND CONVINCES THAT PERSON THAT THEY NEED TO SPONSOR THIS BILL.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WELCOME, I WILL, I WILL NEVER SAY ANYTHING AGAINST IT.
I WOULDN'T SAY ANYTHING WHEN SHE'S ON THERE.
I UNDERSTAND YOU DIDN'T, I WON'T SAY ANYTHING IN, IN, IN A FULL BOARD MEETING, BUT IN MY HUMBLE OF BELIEF, YOU'RE SPINNING YOUR WHEELS.
SO THE THING THAT HAS NOT REALLY SAID IS THAT IT HAS TO BE COMBINED WITH A GRASSROOTS EFFORT DIRECTED TOWARD THOSE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO WHEN YOU WENT AND YOU GAVE A WONDERFUL SPEECH AT ALAN A AND ME AS THE PASTOR GORDON, WE HAD 15 BINDERS THERE, WE CAME BACK AND WE GOT A REQUEST FOR 40 ADDITIONAL BOND FROM PEOPLE THAT ATTENDED.
[00:45:01]
IDEA WHAT ELECTED OFFICIALS WERE SUGGESTING AND WHO'S PROPOSING WHAT.SO WHEN YOU SEE ME BOUNCING AROUND ALL AND OTHERS, NOT JUST ME, YOU, I'M TRYING TO CATCH UP TO YOU, BUT I HAVEN'T DONE SO YET IN TERMS OF HOW MANY PLACES YOU GO AND ATTEND AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
WHEN YOU SEE US OUT THERE, EVERY TIME WE HAVE A MEETING LIKE THAT, AND WE CARRY A MATERIAL, WE ARE CONVERTING SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE COMBINED WITH IT.
BUT THIS IS THE TOP, THE AERIAL.
WE GOTTA HAVE THAT GROUND GAME.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE SAID ABOUT BEING PROACTIVE AND YOUR POINT ABOUT CHANGING COMPENSATION SO THAT WE GET REMUNERATED FOR GOING MASTER STROKE.
SO I'M NOT DISAGREEING WITH YOUR PASSION ABOUT IT, JUST LIKE I HAVE PASSION, LET'S GET SOMETHING MOVING.
UM, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE AT ODDS ON IT.
IT'S WORTH, IT'S WORTH A SHOT HERE, BUT I'LL MAKE IT BET.
SO I HEARD WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SO IS, UH, DO YOU WANT US TO MAKE A MOTION? YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION TO BRING IT TO THE BOARD.
I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE MEMBERS THAT ARE SO YES.
WHO ELSE IS THAT UPPER? THAT'S IT.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY YOUR OWN COMMITTEE MEMBERS HERE IS, UH, GORDON, PASTOR GORDON.
SO, SO YOU WOULD, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION? WOULD YOU LIKE TO FRAME WHAT YOU JUST SAID, COLONEL, SO WE COULD INCORPORATE THE VERBIAGE? NO, NO, I THINK, I THINK GO WITH THAT.
WELL, WE, WE TOOK I TOOK NOTES ON WHAT YOU SAID.
THAT MEANS ARE GOOD TO ME, SIR.
I, I, I HEARD THE, UH, CONVERSATION COMING IN AND I LISTENED TO BOTH YOUR POINTS.
AND THIS, AND, AND THIS IS, AND THIS IS WHERE I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO GO TO BED THE BABY OUT WITH BATH WATER.
I THINK WHAT WE COULD DO IS POSSIBLY, BECAUSE WE'VE SAID WE'VE INVITED THIS, THIS SAME BODY HAS INVITED, UH, THE OFFICIALS HERE, WE'VE INVITED THEM.
THEY HADN'T CAME, THAT THEY HADN'T SHOWN US THAT THEY ARE WORTH OR THAT WE ARE WORTH THEIR ATTENTION SOMETIMES.
AND I, AND I DON'T CARE WHO WATCHES THIS, THIS IS COMING FROM WILLIAM SMITH'S MOUTH.
MY FEELING IS BECAUSE I MAKE A SACRIFICE.
'CAUSE WHAT I SIGN UP FOR, I TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY AND ALL MY CONSTITUENTS RUBBER, NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, I WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND I LISTEN TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, RIGHT OR WRONG OR DIFFERENT.
AND BY SAYING THAT, WHAT ARE YOU SAYING, WILLIAM? I'M SAYING THAT WE'VE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WE'VE HAD B LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST AND A LOT OF TIMES SHOWED UP.
SO WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? WELL, WE CAN DO BOTH.
THEY CAN COME ON THIS COMMITTEE AND WE CAN SEND IT TO SEND TO THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION, AND WE CAN PUT, WE CAN PUT A COPY IN EACH OF THEIR HANDS IN HAND.
AGAIN, OUR BOARD, WE STAND A HUNDRED PERCENT BEHIND, OR WE STAND 75% BEHIND BOARD STAND BEHIND.
WE PUT A BOARD VOTE EVEN PAST FAIL.
SO I BELIEVE WE CAN DO TWO, DO BOTH OF THEM AND SEE, AND SEE WHICH ONES GIVES, GIVE US THE BEST BANG FOR OUR BOOK POINT BLANK PERIOD.
I, I MEAN, I, I HEAR WHAT BOTH OF YOU'RE SAYING.
AND I'M, AND I'M ALSO SPEAKING FROM SOMEONE WHO WAS, I WAS THE, UH, THE GREAT HONORABLE, UH, REVEREND HODGES, UH, PAGE.
SO I WAS STATE HOUSE AS, AS, AS, AS, AS, AS A PAGE.
SO WITH THAT, HE SAID, I GIVE TO BOTH AT THIS PAST, AT, AT, AT THIS, UH, AT THIS STAGE IN THE GAME.
I THINK, I THINK COLONEL GAJI IS SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY GRACEFUL.
HE, HE PARTICIPATED IN THE CONVERSATION WITH VIGOR AND CLARITY AND DIRECTNESS, WHICH WE LIKE, RIGHT.
BUT AT THE END, HE SAID, IF THE COMMITTEE WANTS TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS, WE CAN DO IT.
SO HE, UH, HE GAVE THAT SUPPORT, BUT HE DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, SORT OF SHADE THE EDGES ON WHAT HE TRULY FEELS.
AND I RESPECT THAT WITH THAT IN MIND.
SO THE QUESTION FOR ME IS, DO WE MOVE IT FORWARD AS IS, OR MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO EDIT IT NOW COMING FROM ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS? OR DO WE SORT OF MOVE IT FORWARD CONTINUOUSLY AND DO THE SAME THINGS HE'S TALKING ABOUT, WHICH WE AS A COMMITTEE HAVE TO GET ENGAGED WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS? I DO NOT.
I CONTRIBUTE TO GOD AND EVERYBODY.
BECAUSE WHEN I CALL, I WANT THEM PICK UP THE DOG HOME.
AND THAT ONLY TWO THINGS MATTER IN TERMS OF JUST PHENOMENAL CHANGE IN AMERICA.
[00:50:01]
SO WE AIN'T VOTING, AND WE GOTTA MAKE SURE OUR PEOPLE KNOW WHO'S DOING WHAT IN A POLITE WAY THAT'S NOT ATTACKING OUR ELECTED OFFICIAL.I'M VERY GOOD COLLEGIAL ENGAGEMENTS WITH ALL OF THEM.
WELL, WELL THEN I WOULD SAY TO, UH, TO THE POINTS ABOUT ADDING WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT.
AND, AND IN TERMS OF AS, AS YOU, AS YOU SAID, YOU SAID, UM, ABOUT YOU TALKING ABOUT THAT, ABOUT TESTING, ABOUT, RIGHT, ABOUT TESTING PARENT CHOICE.
SO WHEN PARENT, WE CAN ADD THAT, ADD THAT TO IT, BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD CATCH THEIR ATTENTION BECAUSE I'M SURE THAT WE ALL WANT THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST SCHOOLS FOR OUR CHILDREN.
AND SO THAT WILL SHOW THEM, OH, HEY, THIS IS THIS, THIS IS WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT THIS SCHOOL HERE HAS STUDENTS THAT ARE, ARE, ARE PASSING AND THEY HAVE HIGHER SCORES.
SO THAT'S MUCH MORE PRODUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT I WOULD WANT MY KID IN.
SO I, SO I, I DO, I I DO AGREE WITH THAT.
WE CAN ADD, I THINK THAT THAT VERBIAGE WOULD, UH, WOULD BE SUFFICE FOR TO, UH, TO BE ADDED TO, TO LET SAY TO THE CURRENT, UH, DRAFT THAT, THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE.
I, THAT WOULD DEFINITELY BE, BE SUCCESS POINT.
SO WE ARE, WE'RE SORT OF COALESCING AT A CENTER POINT HERE.
SO FOR THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, YOU HEARD WHAT THE COLONEL SAID ABOUT CONTESTING THAT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL DOC DRAFT, BUT I DON'T WANNA BE CONTENTIOUS, SO I STOOD IT BACK A LITTLE BIT.
BUT THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED TO SAY.
AND NOT, BUT WE LEFT IT VAGUE ENOUGH SO THAT AS IT GOES TO THE NEXT LEVEL, WHOEVER'S GOING TO CRAFT ACTUAL BILL, IF IT IS CONSIDERED, WOULD BE ABLE TO ADD THOSE THINGS.
BUT US MAKING OUR POINT CLEAR IS ALSO VERY VALID.
SO BETWEEN YOU, MR. GO, PASTOR GORDON, UH, MS. GORDON, EITHER OF YOU GOT A RECOMMENDATION.
UM, I'VE BEEN LISTENING IN THE CAR, IN, IN HERE AND, AND WELL, YOU CAME TO A LIVE ONE TODAY.
AND, UH, I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE TEST SCHOOLS, I DO.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, UM, THE CHILDREN WHO ATTEND PRIVATE SCHOOLS, OKAY, A LOT OF THAT IS LEGACY.
MY MAMA WENT, MY GRANDMA WENT, MY AUNTIE WENT, MY BROTHER, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS IS A CHOICE THAT THEY HAVE MADE FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
YOU'RE NOT PARTICULARLY LOOKING AT THE TEST SCORES BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEIR CHILDREN, UH, WHEN THEY APPLY FOR A COLLEGE, THEY'LL GET INTO A COLLEGE.
THEY'RE GONNA GET INTO A COLLEGE.
I KNOW BECAUSE MY TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS ATTEND PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
MY OLDEST GRANDDAUGHTER JUST GRADUATED FROM, UM, AN ALL GIRL, UH, PRIVATE SCHOOL.
SO SHE WAS COMPETING AMONG THE BEST AND HER TEST SCORES AND, AND HER SCHOOLS.
SO AS AN AVERAGE PARENT, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT SENDING OUR KIDS TO SCHOOL, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT TEST SCHOOLS.
BUT WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE BATTERY CREEK AREA, THE MAIN, MAIN RIVER AREA OR BUPA HIGH, YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE AREA IN WHICH YOUR CHILD IS GOING TO SCHOOL AND WHAT THAT SCHOOL CAN PRODUCE FOR YOU AS A PARENT, YOU'RE LOOKING AT LOGISTICS.
HOW DID SCHOOL RELATIONSHIPS WITH TEACHERS, YOU'RE LOOKING AT, AT THE END OF THE 12 YEARS OF THAT CHILD WALKING ACROSS STAGE, WHICH SCHOOL IS GOING TO GIVE THAT TO YOU.
AND ALONG THE WAY, IF YOUR CHILD DECIDES TO GO TO COLLEGE AND THEY HAVE APPLIED THE GUIDANCE COUNSELORS AND EVERYONE ELSE, INCLUDING THE PARENTS HAVE DONE WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, AND THAT CHILD HAS DONE WHAT HE OR SHE NEEDS TO DO, THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT A COLLEGE FOR THAT CHILD.
I DON'T THINK THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PARENTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT COLLEGE, AT THE END OF THE DAY THEIR KID IS GOING TO, WILL THEY GRADUATE? WILL THEY BE PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS? WILL THEY HAVE THE MEANS BY WHICH THEY NEED TO BE PRODUCTIVE? HAVE OUR SCHOOLS GIVEN THEM THE
[00:55:01]
ABCS AND THE ONE TWO THREES.BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU, I WENT OUT TO HELP MY DAUGHTER WITH HER GIRLS WHEN THEY WERE OUT FOR THE PANDEMIC.
NOW, I WAS GOOGLING BECAUSE THEY DON'T DO MATH THE WAY WE DID MATH.
THEY DON'T ADD THE WAY WE USED TO ADD PEOPLE.
WHY ARE THIS GOING TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS? DIFFERENT THINGS.
IT'S NOT, WHY ARE KIDS GOING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS? WHY DO WE SEE THEM AS, UH, A CONTENTION? YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TAKING OUR KIDS AWAY FROM US.
THEY'RE NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM US.
THEIR PARENTS HAVE MADE THE CHOICE TO SEND THEM TO THAT PARTICULAR SCHOOL.
WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING BETTER, BETTER TO ENTICE THEM TO COME TO OUR SCHOOL.
SO I'M SAYING WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT, AT, AT, AT THIS LEGISLATION, AVERAGE PARENT IS NOT GONNA CARE THAT 95% OF THE STUDENTS AT, WELL, BRANCH ELEMENTARY, SCORED HIGH IN EACH.
AND WASN'T THAT, THAT THEY SCORED HIGH IN ENGLISH, THE KIDS AT THEIR SCHOOL, PARENTS WILL CARE.
SOME PARENTS MAY MOVE TO THAT AREA BECAUSE OF THAT.
BUT I DON'T THINK ENOUGH WILL MOVE TO THAT AREA FOR THAT.
I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO BUILD HERE IS A STRONG EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR OUR CHILDREN.
SO THAT WHEN PARENTS MOVE HERE, BE IT MILITARY, BE IT JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY USED TO LIVE HERE 20 YEARS AGO AND THEY CAME BACK HOME, THAT THEY WANT THEIR KIDS TO GO TO BLUFFTON HIGH OR THEY WANT THEM TO GO BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY SOLID SCHOOL.
I KNOW LAST NIGHT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT CEILINGS AND, AND UH, REPLACING THE CEILINGS AND AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT ARE WE REPLACING THE CORE EDUCATION CURRICULUM THAT OUR PARENTS CAN FOLLOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR KIDS GET WHAT THEY NEED? SO I, FOR THIS, WE'RE JUST ONE OF 72 SCHOOLS.
THAT WILL BE, UH, WEIGHING IN ON THIS ONE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO, I'M SORRY.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS, WHERE'S THE BEEF? REMEMBER THAT? MM-HMM
WHERE'S THE BEEF? CAN I, CAN I SAY THAT WHEN PARENTS, MS. RAZER CAN, ARE YOU FINISHED MS. GORDON? SHE CAN GO AHEAD.
SO I'M GONNA LISTEN TO WHAT MS. GORDON'S SAYING.
AND I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT WHEN PARENTS ARE LOOKING FOR A SCHOOL TO PUT THEIR CHILD IN, THE FIRST THING THEY DO IS GO ON THAT STATE WEBSITE AND LOOK AT SCORES.
IT, IT REALLY IS, DOES MAKE AN IMPACT ON PARENT CHOICES.
THAT'S WHY THE CHOICE PROGRAM IS SUCH A GOOD, A GOOD OPTION FOR PARENTS.
THEY ARE CHOOSING TO TAKE THEIR KIDS FROM ONE HIGH SCHOOL TO ANOTHER BECAUSE OF THIS OR 'CAUSE OF THAT.
AND IT IS BECAUSE OF THE TEACHERS AND THE REPUTATIONS OF THE SCHOOL AS WELL.
AND THE TEST FORCE, I, IF I COULD MM-HMM
I DEAL WITH THE MILITARY FOLKS COME IN HERE.
SCORES I DEAL WITH IN THE CLUBS THAT I BELONG TO.
NOW, I FULLY AGREE WITH YOUR POINT FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE AND GRANDMA WENT TO BEAUFORT ACADEMY, GRANDPA, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA GO TO BEAUFORT ACADEMY.
[01:00:01]
BUT THEY'RE A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING IN NOW.AND THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING IN NOW DON'T KNOW.
SO AS
AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT THE, THE MILITARY FOLKS THAT I DEAL WITH, THEY LOOK AT THE STATISTICS AND, AND THE NEW FOLKS THAT HAVE COME IN THAT COME MY NEIGHBORHOOD KNOW I'M ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, WHERE SHOULD I SEND MY KID TO SCHOOL? I SAID, WELL, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? ARE YOU LOOKING, YOU KNOW, I, YOU, YOU WANNA, I'VE GOT MORE PROGRAMS IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
IF YOU WANT, IF YOU WANT AN ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP, YOU BETTER GO TO ONE OF THE PRIVATE, THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
'CAUSE YOU WON'T GET AN ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP FROM ONE OF THE PRI THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
DO YOU WANT TO GO TO A IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL? DO YOU WANNA GO TO THE, THE MILITARY ACADEMY? YOU BETTER GO TO BEAUFORT HIGH BECAUSE, EXACTLY.
BUT ISN'T THAT WHAT WE SHOULD BE PUSHING ADVERTISING TO THE PARENTS? LETTING THEM KNOW.
BUT YOU SEE, WHEN, WHEN I TALKED TO, WHEN I TALKED TO SHANNON ERICKSON ABOUT THIS VERY SAME THING, I SAID, SHANNON, IT'S NOT FAIR.
HE SAID, WELL, THEY HAVE TEST SCORES.
YES, THEY DO HAVE TEST SCORES.
THEY HAVE THEIR PRIVATE SCHOOL TEST SCORES, THEY HAVE THIS TEST SCORES THAT IS RUN BY THE, THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE.
BUT THOSE TESTS ARE NOT OUR TEST.
AND FRANK RODRIGUEZ SAYS ALL THE TIME, HE SAID, YOU KNOW, I'LL TAKE THE, THE, THE CATHOLIC SCHOOL DIAGNOSTIC TEST, IF THAT'S, IF SO IS ONE TEST, BUT THEY'RE NOT, THERE'S TWO TESTS, THREE TESTS BECAUSE THEY, THEY HAVE TO GET ACCREDITED AT YOUR POINT, THEY HAVE TO GET ACCREDITED.
SO THEY HAVE TO HAVE SOME TESTS, BUT THE TESTS AREN'T THE SAME.
AND SHE SAID, WELL, WELL THE, MY CONSTITUENTS THAT I SAID, WELL, YEAH, THE CATHOLIC PEOPLE ARE SENDING THEM TO JOHN PAUL AND, AND TO UH, YOU KNOW, THE UH, TRINITY AND OTHER, OTHER PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS AND ARE SAYING THAT TO HER.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE TO OVERCOME IS, SHOULD BE ONE TEST.
BECAUSE PEOPLE DO LOOK AT THAT, ESPECIALLY IN NEW PEOPLE COMING IN.
BUT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT THAT? AND I WEIGH, YES.
UM, BUT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS REALLY A BIFURCATED DISTRICT, RIGHT.
WE GOT, WE GOT, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHICS IN ONE AREA AND, AND ANOTHER TYPE OF DEMOGRAPHICS IN ANOTHER, THOSE PARENTS THAT HAVE FINANCIAL WHEREWITHAL, THEY CAN SEND THEIR KIDS ANYWHERE.
THEY LOOK AT TEST SCORES AND THEY'RE HEARING TEST SCORES FROM PRIVATE OPTIONS AND RELIGIOUS OPTIONS.
THEY'RE COMPARING EMPIRICALLY VALID TEST SCORES THAT WE PRODUCE.
ALL WE'RE SAYING IS LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD.
UM, I, THE PEOPLE THAT I INTERACT WITH, UH, IN ALL BOTH SIDES OF THE, OF THE COUNTY IS IF YOU, IF IF I WERE IN MY HOMETOWN, IT WOULDN'T MATTER BECAUSE THE UH, FAMILY STRUCTURE, THERE COULD BE THREE GENERATIONS OF A HOUSE.
YOU'RE GOING TO GET INDOCTRINATION FROM YOUR PARENTS, YOUR GRANDPARENTS, AND THEY'RE GONNA TELL 'EM IF YOU'RE NOT COMPLIANT, THAT'S DIFFERENT.
NOW THEY LOOK AT WHAT TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT DOES MY KID ACTUALLY GET TO LEARN IN.
SO IN ADDITION TO TESTING, WHICH IS THE FIRST THING WE GOT, HOPEFULLY WE CAN LOOK AT, UH, ALL WE ARE ASKING IS THAT
AND THAT'S GONNA BE ADJUDICATED.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE INSIGHT, MY PERSPECTIVE ON THAT, THAT CAN BE ADJUDICATED EVENTUALLY.
'CAUSE WE HAVE A NEW COMPOSITION OF THE SUPREME COURT AND THE GENTLEMAN WHO VOTED TO OPPOSE THE VOUCHER PROGRAM, EDUCATIONAL TRUST PROGRAM TURNED OUT YOU GOT A NEW PERSON WHO CLEARLY IS IN SUPPORT OF IT.
SO IT WILL PASS IF IT GOES TO THE COURT SYSTEM, RIGHT.
BUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS BEING ABLE TO SAY, COMPARE US, I MEAN VERY, VERY STRINGENT BUT COM, MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S GENERATING THE SAME DATA AS COLONEL GUYER SAYING THAT I WOULD ATTEST THAT OTHERS USE IS SOMETHING I TOOK WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL YEARS AGO.
THAT'S NOT THE NATIONAL OR THE FEDERAL TEST THAT, I MEAN THE FEDERAL OR THE STATE TEST THAT OUR KIDS ARE TAKING.
[01:05:01]
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.AND WE DELIBERATELY TOOK OUT TESTING.
BUT I THINK THE CURRENT IS RIGHT.
THAT SORT OF MAKES PEOPLE LOOK AT BALANCE.
AND WE'RE NOT SAYING GIVE US SOME OTHERS.
JUST SAYING, SPREAD IT AROUND SO THAT WE CAN BE COMPARED FAVORABLY.
AND NOT ONLY JUST THE TEST SCORES, BUT THE COMPOSITION OF THE STUDENT BODY.
SO LOOK AT THE PERCENTAGE OF SPED STUDENTS THAT OUR SCHOOLS HAVE VERSUS PRIVACY AND RELIGIOUS.
SO NOW SHOWING, NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN A PERSON CAN LOOK AT IT AND OUR SCORES MAY BE LOWER.
SO THEY HAVE DIFFERENT POPULATION, BUT AT LEAST THEY CAN SAY, OH YEAH, THEY GOT A HEAVIER LIFT THAN, YOU KNOW, MY SCHOOL DOES THE ONE THAT I WANT TO GO TO.
SO THAT'S ALL WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT WITHOUT BASICALLY ATTACKING ANYBODY.
BUT I DO AGREE TESTING WAS REALLY THE, THE THRUST OF IT.
THE TITLE WAS FAIRNESS AND TESTING.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
SO WITH THAT IS FROM THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, OR EITHER ONE OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THIS.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE FOLLOW A COLONEL DYER'S POINT AND ADD SOMETHING IN HERE ON TESTING BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHERE IT SORT OF MAKES IT EVIL.
THIS MAY HAVE BEEN TOO GENERIC HERE.
THOUGHTS FROM THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS? I AGREE WITH THAT TESTING, THAT'S, THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT NEED TO BE IN IT.
BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF PARENTS AND LOT DEALING WITH PEOPLE COME IN, EVEN WITH MY CHURCH COMING WITH PEOPLE, PEOPLE COME INTO THIS AREA.
RIGHT? THAT'S THE FIRST THING.
OH, YOU NOW, IT'S LIKE, OH, YOU ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO I SEND MY KID? YOU KNOW? WHAT'S THE BEST SCHOOL THOUGH? HOW DO I START THE RESEARCH THOUGH? SCHOOL IS, YEAH.
THERE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT'S COMING IN.
BEEN HERE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, BUT PEOPLE COMING IN HERE AND, AND NOW WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE COMING IN THAN, THAN A LOT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING IN.
AND THERE, THERE'S ANOTHER ISSUE ON THIS.
OTHER STATES HAVE DONE THIS AND THIS, THE DATA ON THIS IS VERY CLEAR.
THE DATA SHOWS THAT WHEN A STATE INSTITUTES THIS, THAT 70 TO 90% OF THE PARENTS THAT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS ARE PARENTS WHO HAVE KIDS ALREADY ENROLLED IN THESE PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
AND SO BASICALLY YOU'RE GIVING THEM A DISCOUNT.
YOU'RE GIVING THEM, INSTEAD OF PAYING $12,000 A YEAR, THIS, THIS IS LOOKING AT PAYING $7,500.
YOU'RE GIVING SOMEBODY WHO CAN ALREADY AFFORD TO SEND 'EM TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL, 7,500 BACK.
THAT TO ME IS A, IS A SUBSIDY FOR THE RICH FOLKS.
AND I, I HAVE A PROB I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT WHEN I LOOK AT THAT DATA.
THE OTHER PART, I'LL TELL YOU A CONVERSATION I HAD WITH ANOTHER LEGISLATOR, LOCAL LEGISLATOR AND I, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS AND I SAID, I BELIEVE IN SCHOOL CHOICE.
I SAID, BUT WHAT I DON'T BELIEVE IN IS DEFACTO SEGREGATION.
AND LET'S BE HONEST, WHY IS BUFORT ACADEMY THERE? OH, IT WAS FORMED.
'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T, PARENTS DIDN'T WANT TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO AN INTEGRATED SCHOOL.
I HAVE A, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH GOING, TURNING IT BACK MM-HMM
AND SAYING THAT WE COULD GO BACK TO A SEGREGATED SCHOOL.
THAT'S WHY I, I TOLD HIM, I SAID, I LIKE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH RIVERVIEW CHARTER SCHOOL.
AND RIVERVIEW CHARTER SCHOOL HAS TO HAVE THE SAME DEMOGRAPHICS AS THE, AS THE, UH, DISTRICT AS A WHOLE.
AND THAT'S WHY THEY RUN A LOTTERY.
THAT'S WHY MY TWO GRANDSONS COULDN'T GET INTO RIVERVIEW CHARTER SCHOOL OVER THREE YEARS OF CRYING BECAUSE THEY WERE WHITE.
AND, AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.
I DON'T WANNA GO BACK TO DE FACTO SEGREGATION.
THAT THAT'S WHY I HAVE THIS PASSION FOR THIS, THIS ISSUE HERE.
[01:10:01]
YOU SAID ADD TESTING BACK.THE COLONEL HAS RECOMMENDED THAT EACH OF YOU HAVE THIS.
AND JUST TO MAKE IT VERY BRIEF, CAN YOU GO DOWN, UH, TO THE FOURTH LINE FROM THE BOTTOM BEGINNING, THE EDUCATIONAL SETTING.
SAY SETTING, RECEIVE A QUALITY EDUCATION.
UH, IT ACTUALLY STARTS WITH, IT'S THE FOURTH LINE, BUT IT STARTS WITH EQUITABLE APPLICATIONS, TESTING REQUIREMENTS.
AND WHAT I'LL SUGGEST TO CAPTURE TESTING, UM, UH, UH, TESTING REQUIREMENTS, UM, AND WE SHOULD STATE, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, PRIVATES AND RELIGIOUS, IF THEY, AND WE'VE SAID IT BEFORE OF OF ALL, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO REPEAT IT, BUT THE INTENT IS, SO THAT VERY CLEAR, EQUITABLE APPLICATION OF TESTING REQUIREMENTS AND SHARING OF STUDENT POPULATION COMPOSITIONS.
SO THAT GETS AT, IF ONE SCHOOL HAS 25% MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS AND ANOTHER HAS 1%, NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT'S A HEAVIER LOAD FOR THAT POPULATION.
THAT'S 25% MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS, AS YOU SAW LAST NIGHT, NOT HOLDING ASPERSIONS AGAINST THEM BECAUSE THEY, WE GOTTA TEACH EVERYBODY.
RIGHT? SO THAT WOULD CAPTURE THE TESTING AND IT, LET ME READ IT AGAIN.
EQUITABLE APPLICATION OF TESTING REQUIREMENTS AND SHARING OF STUDENT POPULATION COMPOSITION WOULD PROMOTE FAIRNESS, PROVIDE A UNIFORM MEASURE OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND SO FORTH.
SO I'LL READ IT AGAIN JUST TO MAKE EVERYBODY SEE WHERE I'M, SEE WHERE THE LINE STARTS WITH EQUITABLE.
SO EQUITABLE APP APPLICATION OF TESTING REQUIRING WOULD, AND SHARING OF STUDENT POPULATION COMPOSITIONS WOULD PROMOTE FAIRNESS, PROVIDE A UNIFORM, AND THEN IT GOES ON.
AND, AND, AND I WAS ASKED ONE FREE.
SEE, I HAD IT MEANT PROVIDE THAT WOULD, WOULD PROVIDE PARENTS INFORMATION TO MAKE SCHOOL CHOICE BASED ON EMPIRICAL DATA.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT, THAT'S REALLY, IF YOU WANNA LOOK WHAT THE BOTTOM LINE IS.
THIS WHOLE THING IS SCHOOL CHOICE.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE WORD IN THERE, SCHOOL CHOICE, IT STRENGTHENS IT, IT NEEDS, IT NEEDS, IT NEEDS TO GO THERE.
YOU'RE MAKING CHOICE BASED ON STANDARDIZED EMPIRICAL DATA.
DO WE HAVE THAT SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY PULL IT UP AND EDIT IT? I'M TRYING TO SEE IF YOU HAD IT WORD.
IF YOU, HOW YOU SENT IT TO ME SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN SEE IT.
YOU SENT IT FROM YOUR PERSONAL COMPUTER, DIDN'T YOU EMAIL BECAUSE IT'S NOT SHOWING.
DO YOU HAVE THE DOCUMENT, MS. GARS? I FORWARD IF IT'S, UM, OH, I KNOW.
KEEP THEM CLEAR BY, UH, NO, I SENT IT TO THEM.
THEM EVERYTHING ELSE WAS SENT IN.
CHANGING BY EQUITABLE APPLICATION OF TESTING REQUIREMENTS
[01:15:01]
AND SHARING OF STUDENT COM STUDENT POPULATION COMPOSITION.AND THEN, UM, WHAT ANYBODY CAPTURE WHAT COLONEL GEIER SAID? WE PROMOTE FAIRNESS, PROVIDE UNIFORM MEASURE, ACADEMICS ACHIEVEMENT AND DATA ICAL DATA.
CAN YOU SORT OF APPLICATION TESTING REQUIREMENTS SHARING STUDENT POPULATION COMPOSITION.
WOULD PRO WOULD PROVIDE DATA FOR SCHOOL CHOICE, OR WOULD PROVIDE DATA FOR SCHOOL CHOICE, IMPROVE OR PROMOTE FAIRNESS, NOT IMPROVE.
AND THEN THE REST OF THAT SENTENCE,
AND THEN YOU ENTER, YOU WOULD IN INJECT AND SHARINGS STUDENT POPULATION.
STUDENT POPULATION COMPOSITION.
COMPOSITION WOULD PROVIDE DATA FOR SCHOOL CHOICE.
PROMOTE FAIRNESS, UNIFORM AND AND SO FORTH.
UH, THAT'S WHAT IT IS UP THERE.
EVERYBODY SEE THAT EQUITABLE APPLICATION OF TESTING REQUIREMENTS, ENSURING STUDENT POPULATION COMES DATE OF SCHOOL CHOICE MORE FOR YEAH, BUT, BUT COMMA AFTER CHOICE.
MR. NATE, I HAVE SEVERAL COMMENTS.
I GONNA WAIT THE DISCUSSION AFTER THE MOTION AND AFTER THE VOTE.
I, I, I MEAN, WHEN YOU OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION AFTER THE VOTE, I WAS GOING MAKE, OR I CAN MAKE COMMENTS NOW.
WHENEVER YOU THINK'S APPROPRIATE, WE'LL GO THROUGH AND GET THE VOTED.
UH, MS. FRA, YOU SEE WHAT'S WRITTEN? HE GONE.
THEN WHAT'S WRITTEN HERE? THAT THE EDITS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED, BUT EITHER YOU, EITHER OF YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION FOR CONSIDERATION FOR APPROVAL.
I JUST HAVE TO MAKE THE MOTION AND READ.
UM, WHERE IT SAYS EQUITABLE APPLICATION.
IS THAT HOW THE DOCUMENT NOW? SO THIS IS WHAT WILL BE IN THERE.
YOU, I MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT.
OH, I MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT.
ALL ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND.
PASSES IS UNANIMOUSLY WITH THOSE AVAILABLE.
UM, THERE, THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES.
I, I THINK THAT WE WE'RE KIND OF LIKE SKIRTING AROUND, UH, FIRST OF ALL, IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE, THE, THE RESOLUTION, UM, KIND OF ASSUMES THAT GIVEN THE CHOICE EVERYBODY WOULD GO TO PRIVATE SCHOOL.
AND I, I DON'T, I, THAT'S KIND OF THE FEELING I GET FROM IT.
AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE CASE.
UM, I MEAN THE, THE, THE SCHOOL CHOICE FUNDING, WE'RE TALKING 7,000, 70 508,000, DEPENDING ON WHICH, WHICH, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE READING.
UM, THAT, THAT, THAT'S A VERY SMALL MARGIN OF PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BECAUSE IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO SEND YOUR KIDS TO PRIVATE SCHOOL, YOU'RE SENDING YOUR KIDS TO PRIVATE SCHOOL.
IF YOU CAN'T, YOU'RE NOT, THERE IS A VERY SMALL, VERY, VERY SMALL MARGIN RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE THAT IF THEY HAVE THAT $7,000 TO $7,500, THEY WOULD CONSIDER SENDING THEIR KIDS TO PRIVATE SCHOOL LEAVE.
SO I I, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT A VERY, VERY SMALL SLIVER, A VERY SMALL SEGMENT OF OUR, OF OUR SOCIETY, AT LEAST IN THE STATE.
ANYWAYS, UM, THE OTHER THING IS, IS AS FAR AS TESTING GOES, TEST SCORES DO MATTER TO PARENTS.
I COULD TELL YOU THAT WHEN WE CAME INTO THE AREA, WE LOOKED AT TEST SCORES, UH, AND THAT'S WHY WE SETTLED IN, UH, THE BLUFFTON AREA BECAUSE OF RIVER RIDGE AND MAY, MAY RIVER.
UM, BUT WHEN PEOPLE WANT TO SEND THEIR KIDS TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS, THOSE PEOPLE THAT DO WANT TO SEND THEIR KIDS TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS, UH, AS MRS. BOARD POINTED OUT, IT'S NOT THAT IMPORTANT.
UH, WE HAVE TRINITY, WE HAVE JOHN PAUL TWO, WE HAVE HILTON HEAD, CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, AND CROSS PEOPLE.
AND THOSE ARE, ARE HOW MANY OF OUR PRIVATE SCHOOLS WE HAVE IN THE DISTRICT THAT ARE, UH, OUTSIDE OF THOSE THAT AREN'T RELIGIOUS? TWO OR THREE BRIDGES.
[01:20:01]
WHO ELSE? BRIDGES IS CHARTER.UH, THE ONE, WELL, NOT IN OUR DISTRICT, OUTSIDE OF OUR DISTRICT.
SO, SO, SO AT THE POOL BOARD, THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT.
THE WHAT'S IN OUR PURVIEW, WHAT'S IN OUR, UH, AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY, SO TO SPEAK.
UH, AND, UH, I CAN TELL YOU THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SENDING THEIR KIDS TO THESE CHRISTIAN BASED PRIVATE SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY WANT A CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE FOR THEIR CHILD, AND I CAN TELL YOU A LOT OF THEM IS BECAUSE THEY'RE DISAPPOINTED WITH THE DISCIPLINE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I, I, I, UM, SO, UH, I, I SAY THAT TO SAY, IF THIS RESOLUTION WAS POWERFUL ENOUGH, I THINK AS, AS A, AS A SCHOOL AND A BOARD OR A COMMITTEE AND A BOARD, IT SHOULD BE ABLE TO STAND ON ITS OWN INSTEAD OF HAVING TO MASSAGE IT WORDS HERE, PUT THE VERBIAGE IN THERE, ADD, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE WE DEFINE THIS.
I MEAN, IF, IF IT'S POWERFUL ENOUGH THAT, THAT, UH, UH, UH, THE HOUSE OR THE SENATE OR THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION OR ANYBODY OUTSIDE OF OUR BOARD WANNA TAKE IT UP, THEN THEY'LL TAKE IT UP.
I MEAN, IF IT WAS POWERFUL ENOUGH MESSAGE, I'M SURE THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE SAYING IT WITH THIS.
WE CAN'T BE THE ONLY SCHOOL BOARD THAT IS CONCERNED ABOUT SCHOOL CHOICE AND FUNDING, UH, FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS COMING FROM TAXPAYERS.
I, I, I, I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT WE'RE THE ONLY SCHOOL BOARD FIGHTING ABOUT THIS.
BUT IF IT WAS IMPORTANT ENOUGH, WE WOULD KNOW ABOUT IT ON, ON AT LEAST THE STATE, IF NOT A NATIONAL LEVEL.
THE OTHER THING I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS THERE'S A LOT OF DISAGREEMENT ON, ON, ON THE BOARD BETWEEN ALL OF THIS.
UH, I MADE IT OUTTA COMMITTEE.
UH, I'M NOT REAL SURE IT'S GONNA GO PAST THE BOARD MUCH, UH, BECAUSE I, I, I MEAN THE, THE BOARD DID NOT DIRECT THE COMMITTEE TO DO THIS.
UM, THERE'S DISAGREEMENT, UH, ABOUT THE METHOD OF HOW WE DO IT.
WE TAKE IT STRAIGHT TO THE HOUSE OR, AND THE SENATE, OR WE TAKE IT THROUGH THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION.
SO THERE WAS DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT MR. MR. DALLAS, I DON'T MEAN TO CALL YOU OUT OR ANYTHING, BUT YOU ARE THE FIRST DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION.
SO IF WE'RE GOING TO TAKE IT TO THAT, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU BEING THE CHAIR OF THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE AND BEING A PART OF THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION AS BOARD MEMBER, AS A, THE FIRST DISTRICT CHAIRMAN, THAT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S SOME CONFLICT OF INTEREST THERE.
IF, IF WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS TO GO TO THE, THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION.
'CAUSE ARE YOU ACTING ON THEIR BEHALF OR ARE YOU ACTING ON OUR BEHALF? BECAUSE THE SCHOOL BOARD DID NOT DIRECT YOU TO DO THIS, BUT SO ARE YOU DOING THIS ON BEHALF OF THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION? ON OUR BEHALF OF THE BOARD? SO, I DON'T KNOW.
UM, I'LL ANSWER WHEN YOU FINISH.
UH, SO, BUT THE, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE OUT THERE FLOATING AROUND.
UH, SO I, I'M NOT REAL SURE THAT WE'RE READY FOR THIS TO LEAVE THE SCHOOL BOARD, MUCH LESS, UH, TAKE IT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION OR DIRECTLY TO, UH, TO OUR, OUR, OUR STATE DELEGATES.
SO I'M ACTING AS THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR, WHICH FROM ALMOST DAY ONE, WE STATED WE WANTED TO BE PROACTIVE AND DEFEND PUBLIC SCHOOL INSTEAD.
AND THAT'S ALL THIS IS, UH, I CAN VOTE ON THIS OR SOME OTHER DISTRICT CAN BRING THIS FORWARD AND I COULD VOTE ON SO THAT THE DISTRICT GOVERNMENT, I GET A SAYING WHEN IT COMES UP, I DON'T HAVE TO RECUSE THIS, BUT HEARING ABOUT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BECAUSE TEST SCORES ARE USED AGAINST US.
450 STUDENTS FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR.
AND WHAT PEOPLE, UH, SORT OF POINT OUT TO US, WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING, AND YOU'VE HEARD IT SUBTLY, IS DISCIPLINE.
WE HAVE TO GET MORES CONS STRINGENT ON DISCIPLINE, BECAUSE THAT IS AN ACHILLES HEEL.
AND AGAIN, THE OTHERS DON'T HAVE THAT SAME OPTION.
SO WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT WITHOUT PUSHING KIDS OFF AND NOT GIVING THEM THE BEST CHAIN.
SO ONE, I DON'T HAVE TO EXCUSE MYSELF.
UM, EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, I TRY TO, IS TO MAKE SURE IT'S WITHIN POLICY, PROCEDURES, PROTOCOLS.
NO ONE HAS EVER LAID A CLAIM AGAINST ME FOR ANYTHING THAT'S NOT BEHAVIOR.
AND I'M NOT, AND I'M NOT LAYING ANYTHING.
I, I KNOW, I KNOW, BUT I'M JUST SAYING, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S OUT THERE.
'CAUSE OTHERS ARE SAYING IT, AND I HEAR IT.
I HAVE PEOPLE IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL, AND THEY TELL ME, CALL ME.
HERE'S WHAT'S GOING ON, EXCEPT SO I RESPECT YOU AND YOU KNOW THAT, UH, SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU SHARED THAT.
BUT WE GOTTA LEVEL THE PLAN THIS BECAUSE WE DON'T, THAT PEOPLE ARE USING OUR INFORMATION AGAINST US AND WE CAN'T USE ANYTHING AGAINST THEM.
THAT'S ALL THIS, LET ME JUST SAY, I THINK IT WAS LAST YEAR OF MY FIRST YEAR ON THE, ON THE BOARD.
I WAS ON THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
UH, I THINK WE MET, I DON'T REMEMBER.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS HAVING MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE, UH, LOOKING AT, UM, ISSUES TO BRING BEFORE THE, THE BOARD,
[01:25:01]
UH, REPORT COMMUNITY, UH, LOOKING AT, UM, LEGISLATION THAT WAS GOING FORWARD, UM, WE DID NOTHING.SO, UH, THIS YEAR, UH, WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT, UH, THIS LEGISLATION AND, UH, LEGISLATION IATION AND WE'RE EDUCATORS, WE ARE BOARD MEMBERS OF AN EDUCATIONAL ENTITY AND WE CAN'T FIX ANYTHING.
AND WE DON'T AGREE ON ALL THE THINGS SCHOOLS, BUT AT LEAST IF WE CAN GET SOME FOOTING ON WHAT IS GONNA SERVE OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS, UM, TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS THAT THEY CAN MAKE, AND SENDING THEIR KIDS TO OUR SCHOOLS, THEIR SCHOOLS, I DON'T CARE THOSE SCHOOLS, AS LONG AS THE KIDS GET A, A VERY GOOD EDUCATION AND THAT OUR LEADERS THAT HAVE BEEN ELECTED ARE DOING THE VERY BEST THAT THEY CAN TO DO THAT.
SO I APPRECIATE WHAT MR. UH, CARLTON IS BRINGING, UH, COLLECTIVELY, COLLECTIVELY, COLLECTIVELY.
NO, I'M JUST SAYING, UH, BECAUSE YOU, YOU WILL CALL ME AND REMIND ME THAT WE HAVE A MEETING AND, AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
I'M JUST SAYING, UH, HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE I AM ON THIS COMMITTEE AND THAT I CAN SAY THESE THINGS AND, AND, AND, UH, MR. NA CAN SAY WHAT HE FEELS.
UH, I DO NOT FEEL THAT THERE'S A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD HERE, UM, THAT YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT YOU SAY TO US.
BUT I DO, UM, AND I DID HEAR WHAT MS. BOATWRIGHT SAID EARLIER AND, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE NOT SPEAKING FOR THE BOARD, BUT WE'RE GONNA TAKE THINGS BACK TO THE BOARD.
AND THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO HEAR HER SAY THAT.
AND FOR US TO BE, YOU KNOW, REMINDED THAT WE'RE COMMITTED AND, UH, WE'RE MAKING SUGGESTIONS OR, UH, TO THE BOARD AND TO OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND, UH, AND WE'RE, I THINK, UH, AS BEST WE CAN, UH, SAYING WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR US SAY AND UH, AND THEN FILLING THAT OUT AND TRYING TO DO THE BEST THAT WE, SO, UH, I HEAR YOU, MR.
BUT I THINK THAT THIS, FOR ME, UH, THE LAST TWO YEARS, THIS IS THE MOST I HAVE SEEN MM-HMM
WE, I HAVE THIS KIND, CAN'T AFFORD, THIS IS BEST.
THIS IS THE BEST, THE, THIS IS THE BEST, UH, CON CONVERSATION IN TERMS OF LEGISLATION COMMUNITY, WE HAVE, WE, WE, WE'VE HAD THE DEEPEST AND YES, I, AT THIS MEETING HERE WAS, I WAS GONNA SAY, UH, WELL, YEAH, I WOULD SAY THAT THIS, I THINK THAT THIS MEETING HERE WAS, UH, WAS, WAS EVEN, WAS EVEN MORE IN DEPTH IN TERMS IN TERMS OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS THAN HALF OF, THAN EVEN SOME OF OUR BOARD.
I MEAN, BECAUSE WE, WE, WE TALK ABOUT IT A LOT.
WE TALK ABOUT A LOT HERE, A LOT OF EMOTIONS.
YOU CAN TELL A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE A, HAVE A LOT, HAVE A LOT OF INTEREST IN WHAT AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND FOR A COMMITTED FOR US TO BECOME A COMMITTEE LEVEL MEETING, AND FOR IT TO BRING OUT AS MUCH PEOPLE AS AS AS IT DID INTO GO IN DEPTH OF THINGS, UH, UH, AND THE DEPTH OF THINGS THAT, UH, WERE SAID TODAY.
IT, IT, IT SHOWS THAT EVERYONE AND EVERYONE HAS A PASSION THIS BUSINESS OR, OR, OR, OR DEFINITELY ONE, ONE TO ONE TO THAT HAVE THIS SIDE.
BUT, UM, THERE WAS JUST A COUPLE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO, UH, TO, TO, UH, TO, UH, TO, TO ADDRESS.
UH, ACTUALLY FOR ME, UH, I'M SURE CURRENT GUY HAS PROBABLY HEARD TOO, ACTUALLY, THAT'S NOT TRUE IN TERMS OF, UM, AND I WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
UH, AND, AND THE DIFFERENT, UH, IN, IN, IN TERMS OF PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT IT NOT BEING FAIR.
AND ACTUALLY THE STATE, THE, THE BOARD, THE STATE BOARD ASSOCIATION SENT OUT LETTERS AND HAD US CALLING OUR LEGISLATORS.
THEN WHEN IT, WHEN, WHEN IT FIRST WAS COMING ABOUT THE MONEY BEING GIVEN TO CHARTER AND PUBLIC SCHOOL ENTITIES, WE HAD A WHOLE MEETING DRAFT A DAY.
I, I THINK IT MIGHT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A DAY AT THE STATE COUNCIL AROUND ABOUT THE SERIOUSNESS AND THE SEVERITY OF HOW IT'S GOING TO IMPACT, UH, PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION.
[01:30:01]
FROM THE ASSOCIATION THAT CAME FROM SEVERAL BOARDS BECAUSE SEVERAL BOARDS EVEN EVEN EMAILED AND TALKED TO ME.I AL I ALSO SAID ON, ON THE, ON THE, ON THE CAUCUS, I ALSO THE CAUCUS.
THAT WAS A CONVERSATION IN THE CAUCUS.
AND, AND DURING THE MEETING IN THE HALLS, IF, IF YOU GO, IF YOU GO TO THESE, THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO GO TO, TO THESE, TO THESE CONFERENCES WHEN WE HAVE THEM.
BECAUSE THESE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED.
AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT, THAT ARE BEING DISCUSSED WHEREVER YOU'RE WALKING IN THE HALLS, WHETHER YOU AT DINNER, WHEREVER, WHEREVER YOU THAT YOU'RE DOWNTIME, WHEREVER YOU'RE DOWNSTAIRS TALKING, PASSING EACH OTHER.
HEY, WHAT DO YOU GOT? HOW'S THAT GONNA AFFECT Y'ALL? HOW BIG ARE Y'ALL LADIES FROM HAMPTON COUNTY? HOW IS THAT GONNA AFFECT Y'ALL WHEN, WHEN THEY START GIVING OUT THOSE PUBLIC DOLLARS? SO THIS CONVERSATION HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
NOW, THIS HAS BEEN A BIG BALL WITH A TARGET ON IT.
AND THIS HAS BEEN THE CONVERSATION EVERYONE IS HAVING.
SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT HAVE IT 'CAUSE IT DOESN'T AFFECT THEM AND THEIR FAMILY OR THEIR AREA VERSUS SOME MORE THAN OTHERS.
BUT THIS IS A, THIS HAS NOT, THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING CONVERSATION.
SO IT IS NO WAY, AND IT IS KIND OF FAR FRESH TO SAY IT IS ONE PERSON, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT TRUE.
IF YOU CHECK YOUR EMAILS, THEY STILL SEND DIFFERENT THINGS HERE AND THERE ABOUT THIS, ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN ALSO THE BEHAVIOR STUFF THAT, THAT WE, THAT THAT WAS, THAT'S BEING TALKED ABOUT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, ONCE AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF SOME OF Y'ALL KNEW PEOPLE ON THE BOARD YET.
I, I DON'T THINK, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT Y'ALL TOO.
BUT ANYWAYS, UM, WE DID CHANGE THE MATRIX OF, OF, UH, AND WE HAVE, WE HAD A, WE DID HAVE A HEAVY HA WHATEVER HAD HAD, WE HAD A, A, A STRICT MATRIX OF POLICY OF BEHAVIOR.
THE STATE CAME IN AND TOLD US, HEY, LISTEN, YOU HAVE TO DO THIS STEP, THIS STEP AND THAT STEP FIRST.
YOU CAN'T JUST PUT KIDS OUT OF THE, SO WE GOT SPANK FOR THAT.
AND, AND, AND, AND, AND IF I'M WRONG, I I, I CAN BE CORRECTED, BUT I REMEMBER IT'S BECAUSE THE BOARD, WE HAD THIS, WE HAD THIS ON THE DICE BEFORE.
SO IT'S NOT, ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLICS AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ABOUT CHARTER.
SOME CHARTER SCHOOLS AND SOME, SOME SCHOOLS STILL HISPANIC STUDENTS.
W WE, WE CANNOT PUT OUR HANDS ON STUDENTS OR, OR, OR THEY HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF, OF HOW, HOW THEY DEAL WITH STUDENTS.
SO ONCE AGAIN, THEIR MATRIX OF HOW THEY SUSPEND STUDENTS AND HOW THEY DISCIPLINE STUDENTS IS DIFFERENT FROM OUR MATRIX.
SO THERE'S SOME, SOME OF THOSE ENTITIES CAN DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY THAN HOW WE DO THINGS.
AND WE WAS TOLD, YOU CANNOT DO THAT AND YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THIS, YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THIS, YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THAT.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LEVELS FROM THE STATE OF WHAT A STUDENT CAN REALLY DO, EVEN IN TERMS OF, OF PULLING, PULLING THE FIRE ALONG, THAT, THAT IS A DIFFERENT LEVEL UPON, UH, UPON LEVEL ONE AND LEVEL TWO THAT MAY PUT A KID DIRECTLY OUT OF THE SCHOOL THAT VERSUS, UH, VERSUS SAYING, HEY, THIS IS A LEVEL ONE OR A LEVEL TWO OFFENSE WHERE YOU CAN, YOU GO HOME 'CAUSE YOU PULL THE FIRE ALARM.
SO I, I JUST SAY THAT TO GIVE A LITTLE INSIGHT TO PEOPLE WHO ARE LISTENING OR TO MY COLLEAGUES TO UNDERSTAND THAT LISTEN, ROME ONE BUILDING A DAY.
BUT THEY ARE, THERE ARE DIFFERENT PROTOCOLS AND THERE ARE SOME, SOME, SOME, SOME, SOME, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE THAT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO PUT YOUR RESEARCH IN IT AND GO, THEN GO CHECK UPON OR ASK, LET'S HAVE CONVERSATION, LET'S HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IT.
THEN PEOPLE DON'T HAVE CONVERSATION.
HEY, I'M, I'M NOT HARD DEFINED.
I'M ALWAYS OPEN AND I'M ALWAYS WILLING.
SO THOSE ARE JUST, THAT'S JUST SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT WHEN WE START, YOU KNOW, ALLOWING PEOPLE TO SAY THINGS THAT YOU KNOW, THAT THEY AREN'T, AREN'T SURE.
LET'S JUST CHECK WITH EACH OTHER AND UNDERSTAND WHAT'S WHAT.
AND LET'S BE, LET'S HELP EACH OTHER OUT.
BECAUSE THIS WAS A GREAT MEETING OF EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM.
I APPRECIATE EVERY, EVERY, EVERYONE'S A, UH, INPUT.
SOME STUFF I, I LOOKED NOT TO.
I I MAY NEED GO RESEARCH THAT I'VE HEARD, BUT I APPRECIATE IT AND I THANK EACH SHOULD EVERY ONE OF Y'ALL.
BUT I JUST, I JUST WANNA PUT SOME OF THOSE, I JUST WANNA PUT DIFFERENT RESPECT AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS OUT THERE.
AND THEN IF I SAID THE INTERNAL DOCTOR, PLEASE CORRECT ME.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THOSE TWO THINGS FOR SURE, THAT MAYBE YOU, YOU CAN, YOU CAN ATTEST.
UH, THAT, THAT WAS AN INSTANCE WHERE WE DID MAKE A TEMPORARY FIX ON THE FUNDING THING.
AND, AND THAT EVERYBODY WAS ENERGIZED.
AND, AND PEOPLE, WE DID GET THE FUNDING TEMPORARILY.
'CAUSE THEY WERE GONNA PULL MORE STATE FUNDS AWAY FROM US.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU, YOU, YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY HAD TO SUPERINTENDENT'S ASSOCIATION AND, AND WE ALL CALLED AND, AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND, AND SO I, I, I WILL GRANT THAT, THAT THAT THAT HAPPEN.
[01:35:01]
IN FACT, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE MOST, I I THINK THAT'S THE MOST WE EVER DID HEAR FROM THAT.UM, FROM, FROM THE, UH,
THE LO THAT'S SUPPOSED, WE HAD HEARD FROM THE LOBBYIST AT THAT, THAT TIME.
HEY, CALL, CALL, CALL, CALL, CALL.
I I JUST WANNA SAY ONE THING I REALLY APPRECIATE COMRADERY THE WHOLE CONVERSATION.
LIKE WE JUST HAD, IT'S LIKE A MARRIAGE, A RELATIONSHIP.
YOU GOTTA, YOU GOTTA KNOW TO BE HONEST.
AND THE RELATIONSHIP IS NOT SHATTER.
AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS.
AND THE COLONEL SAYS SOMETHING, UH, TO ME A FEW DAYS AGO WHEN I WAS COMPLIMENTING THE INTERACTIONS AMONG THE BOARD.
WE CAN HAVE VERY DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW, BUT WE EXPRESS 'EM AND WE MOVE ON.
AND THAT IS, HE MENTIONED THAT, I THINK YOU SAID WE HAVE A VERY COLLEGIAL BOARD.
SO WE ACTUALLY JOKE AND LAUGH AND PLAY WITH EACH OTHER.
AND THAT MEANS WHENEVER I GET TOO PASSIONATE.
AND JUST ALONG THOSE LINES, THE YOUTH MILITARY, UH, TURNER COLONEL GUY AND MASTER SERGEANT, UH, DEAD ON THE PROPHET CITY, ME TO THE BRIDGE,
IT'S SO REWARDING TO ME THAT WE CAN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
AND YOU ALL KNOW, YOU SAID WHAT YOU FELT IS NOT HELD AGAINST YOU.
BEST PERFORMING TEAMS ARE HIGH.
SO WITH THAT, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? IF NOT, I HAVE TWO COMMON, UH, DISCIPLINE IS AN ISSUE.
AND WHAT I HEARD LAST NIGHT REALLY HIT MY RADAR WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT AVA AND HOW DISCIPLINE ADDED A DISCIPLINE.
THE DISCIPLINE PROBLEM WENT DOWN AND THOSE KIDS WERE BETTER ENGAGED.
SO IT'S NOT JUST PUNITIVE DISCIPLINE, IT'S, IT'S ABOUT HOW DO WE GET THESE KIDS ENGAGED SO THAT THEY PAY ATTENTION AND THEY WANT TO EXCEL.
THAT'S, THAT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
SO THE OTHER THING, LONGER TERM AND VERY SENSITIVE, BUT THE 29 MONTHS OR 30 MONTHS I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, ONE OF THE THINGS I HAVE REALLY RESEARCHED IS FAMILY STRUCTURE AND THE IMPACT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF KIDS THAT ARE BROUGHT UP IN VARIOUS FAMILY STRUCTURES.
AND WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT A WAY TO INFORM PARENTS.
LIKE PARENTS, THERE'S TEACHERS PROGRAM.
IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT THERE, PLEASE GO AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
WE'VE HAD TWO TEACHERS WENT NATIONAL AWARDS FOR IT.
ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS GO TO LADIES OUT, MIDDLE SCHOOL, THAT LITTLE HOUSE RIGHT THERE BY THE COLOR PINK HOUSE.
THE PINK HOUSE HOUSE BY THE PINK HOUSE, PINK HOUSE HOUSE, PINK HOUSE.
AND TALK TO THEM AND TALK AND HAVE THEM SHARE WITH YOU WHAT THEY DO AND HOW THEY DO IT.
AND WE, THIRD THING IS WE, WHEN YOU HAVE AN ADVANTAGE, YOU GOTTA PROMOTE YOUR ADVANTAGE.
YOU CANNOT BE AFRAID TO ENGAGE BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA GET SOMEONE ELSE POD YOU KNOW, YOU JUST GOTTA BE COMFORTABLE DOING THAT.
ALRIGHT, SO WITH THAT, UH, ANY COMMENTS FROM ANY OF YOU FURTHER? THE NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 13TH AT ONE O'CLOCK, JULY, AUGUST.
SO THE NEXT MEETING WOULD BE SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 13TH.
ANY, ANYTHING ELSE? WHO'S ON THE FLY? NOBODY ELSE IS ON.
WELL, UM, UNLESS THERE IS SOMETHING FURTHER TO BE DISCUSSED FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER, WE ARE DISMISSED.