[00:00:20]
I CALL THE MEETING BACK TO ORDER.
MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE ANY ACTION AS NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE REGARDING MATTERS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION? YES.
WE HAVE TWO MOR MOTIONS COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD AUTHORIZED THE SUPERINTENDENT TO ISSUE AN AWARD TO MCMILLAN PSON SMITH OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND MOSLEY ARCHITECTS ALSO OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA FOR RENOVATION AND MODIFICATION PROJECTS.
THE BOARD AUTHORIZES THE SUPERINTENDENT TO NEGOTIATE THE ARCHITECTURAL CONTRACTS AND UPON SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATIONS, EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH EACH FIRM.
MR. SMITH? UH, IN TERMS OF THESE, UM, CONTRACTS, I JUST, UM, OF, OF HIRING A, OF, OF, OF HIRING A, UM, A, EXCUSE ME.
UM, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
ALL THOSE IN THE ROOM, UH, IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
AND, UH, ROOM AND DR. CARR, ARE YOU UP? YES.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? I CAN HEAR YOU.
I, I COULD, I COULD HEAR EVERYTHING I SAID.
CARRIE, DR. CARR SAID, AYE, VERBALLY, AND I SAID, A FOR HAY, BOTH UNMUTED, BUT YOU CAN'T HEAR THEM.
MS. HAY OR, OR DR. CARR, IF YOU COULD PUT IN CHAT.
MOTION CARRIES, UH, UNANIMOUSLY WITH, UH, THREE ABSENCE.
OUR SECOND MOTION IS I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER FIVE WITH TURNER AND TOWNSEND HEARING, WHICH AUTHORIZES A NOT TO EXCEED LIMIT FOR THE 20 20 26 STAFFING PLAN.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? IN THE ROOM, PLEASE, UH, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
AND, UH, MS. DR. CARR, SHE SAID I AND AYE.
UH, ANY OPPOSED? MR. SMITH? OKAY.
THAT IS ALL THE MOTIONS OUT OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
I MOVE THAT WE PRESENT THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
ANY DISCUSSION, MR. SMITH? YES, SIR.
I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, PULL OFF THE, UM, THE FUNERALS IN THE SCHOOLS BECAUSE, UM, I WAS NOT, I'M NOT PREPARED, I WAS NOT TOLD ABOUT THIS.
WHEN THIS BE GONNA BE PUT ON THE AGENDA, THE FUNERAL'S IN SCHOOL.
UH, TO A, UH, FOR A FURTHER, UM, TO A FURTHER AGENDA THAT WOULD REQUIRE A VOTE, BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SO YOU CAN'T PULL AN AGENDA ITEM WITHOUT A MAJORITY VOTE.
DO I HAVE, DO YOU HAVE MAKE A MOTION THEN, SIR? NO PROBLEM.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT, THAT WE, UH, WELL, ACTUALLY, IF THE, IF WE HAVE NOT, IF WE HAVE NOT VOTED ON THE, UH, IF WE HAVE NOT VOTED ON IT, THEN I, I, I BELIEVE IT CAN BE PULLED OUT.
IT'S FOIA BECAUSE IT'S BEEN PUBLISHED THAT IT'S GOING TO BE ON THE AGENDA.
SO YOU'RE CHANGING AGENDA ITEMS. SO THAT REQUIRES A VOTE.
I JUST REMEMBER US PULLING, PULLING THINGS IN THE PAST, BUT NO, NO, NO PROBLEM.
AT THIS TIME, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, THAT WE PULL THE TOPIC OF FUNERAL AND SCHOOLS OFF THE AGENDA A ANY SECOND.
HAVE A SECOND, SECOND BY, UM, PASTOR GORDON.
[00:05:04]
OKAY.AS, AS I, AS I STATED THAT I DIDN'T KNOW, I, I WAS NOT AWARE THAT WE WERE GOING TO, UH, JUST DISCUSS THIS TODAY.
SO I'M NOT PREPARED IF THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS THAT I NEED TO, UH, BRING WITH, BRING UP WITH THIS TOPIC.
I'M NOT PREPARED TO BRING THOSE THINGS FORWARD TODAY.
UH, WHEN WE BRING THIS, UH, TOPIC UP AGAIN, I COULD BE NOTIFIED ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE'VE CHANGED OUR STYLE AGENDA, SET OF AGENDA SETTING.
UH, FOR, FOR THE RECORD, IT, IT HAS BEEN, WAS POSTED IN THE, UH, IN DILIGENT AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE THAT WE HAD IT.
BUT I, I UNDERSTAND YOUR COMMENT.
IN 20, IN 20, IN 20, IN 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE DOES, IF, IF I, IF I'M TALKING TO OTHER PEOPLE, GETTING, UH, EXPERTISE, INFORMATION THAT RELATES TO THIS TOPIC DOES NOT GIVE THEM THE, THE TIME OF SCHEDULING THEIR TIME TO BE HERE TO ADDRESS THIS IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY HAVE THE CONCERNS OF AS WELL.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
AND, UH, ONLINE, ANYBODY? AYE, I MISS, UH, HAY AND DR. CARR.
AND THOSE, UH, AGAINST, AGAINST TAKING IT OFF THE AGENDA? YEAH.
I'M, I'M AGAINST TAKING IT OFF THE AGENDA TWO AND OF EPSTEIN.
EPSTEIN I'M AGAINST AND AGAINST AS WELL.
AND, UH, MR. SMITH, WE WILL PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE, UH, DECEMBER MEETING.
THE FIRST MEETING IN DECEMBER.
IT WILL BE THOUGH THAT, WHAT WAS THE FINAL COUNT? MOTION ON THE VOTES? THERE IS THREE.
I HAVE FIVE IN FAVOR OF REMOVING IT.
SO GOING ON WITH THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
IN THE ROOM PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
DR. CARR, MS. HAY, MS. HAY IS AN AYE.
NOW, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE RISE FOR A MOMENT OF SILENT AND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
AND THEN PLEASE REMAIN STANDING FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, LIBERTY, AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR COACH JOE STROMAN, A LEGENDARY FIGURE AT BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL, PASSED AWAY IN NOVEMBER, 2025.
HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL HALL OF FAME IN 2015 AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA COACHES ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME IN JULY, 2025.
THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY ARE MOURNING HIS LOSS AND CELEBRATING HIS LEGACY AS A COACH AND A MENTOR.
HAS THE MEDIA BEEN NOTIFIED, MA'AM? I'M SORRY, WHAT YOU SAY? THE MEDIA HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED? YES, SIR.
NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMENTS.
WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, MS. GWENDOLYN MC MCLENNAN.
AND HER TOPIC IS PROFESSIONALISM.
MA'AM, SHE WOULD COME UP TO THE SPEAKER, BUT SHE WAS ON ONLINE.
SO I'M SAYING WE'RE MISSING A VOTE.
I I DON'T THINK THE MAKE MIC IS TURNED ON.
I'M AN ARTIST, SO I SHOULD KNOW HOW TO CHECK A MICROPHONE.
[00:10:01]
JUST WANTED TO, AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, AGAIN, MY NAME IS GW LINDA KENNON.AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS THAT, UM, I REALIZED YOU GUYS HAVE A REALLY HARD JOB, UM, MAKING DECISIONS FOR OUR YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE NOT ALL GOING TO HAVE THE SAME OPINIONS.
UM, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS HOW YOU FEEL, BRING THE, YOU KNOW, YOUR PERSPECTIVE FOR WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE KIDS.
AND SO I WANTED TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL YOU THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO, AS WELL AS EXPRESS MY DISDAIN FOR THE INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED.
UM, LIVE IN THE MICROPHONE WHERE YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, UH, MADE A VERY DEROGATORY COMMENT IN REFERENCE TO MRS. SMITH.
EVERYBODY HAS TO, HAS A JOB TO DO HERE.
AND HOWEVER YOU MAY FEEL PERSONALLY SHOULD NOT COME INTO THIS SPACE.
WHATEVER ISSUES YOU MAY HAVE WITH A PERSON'S PERSONALITY, THERE'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENCES.
WE'RE ALL IN THIS WORLD TOGETHER, AND WE DON'T ALL THINK THE SAME.
SO WE HAVE TO CONDUCT OURSELVES IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER AT ALL TIMES IN THIS SETTING.
DID YOU ALL AGREE YOU DISAGREE? THAT WAS A QUESTION YOU COULD JUST NOD YOUR HEAD OR SOMETHING.
SO THEY CAN'T STICK THEIR HEADS OR ANYTHING? NO, MA'AM.
I DID GET SOME NODS ANYWAY,
BECAUSE WILL FIGHTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
HE FIGHTS FOR OUR KIDS, HE SHOWS UP IN IT, EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAVE GOING ON.
UH, HE'S ALWAYS THERE WHEN I'M NOT THERE AS MUCH.
AND WHEN I GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO PULL UP WILL'S THERE ALREADY.
SO HE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO COME INTO THIS SETTING TO FIGHT FOR OUR KIDS AND FEEL DISRESPECTED BY ANY PERSON.
NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS COHERENT GOVERNANCE, UH, BOARD GOVERNANCE AND EVALUATING INTERNAL BOARD PROCESSES.
THAT WAS PART OF, UH, FUTURE AGENDA TOPIC.
AND IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT, UH, OUR VICE CHAIR WENT TO A COHERENT GOVERNANCE CONFERENCE AND HE'S GOING TO, UH, BRIEF US ON WHAT HE LEARNED AND WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT OUR INTERNAL, UH, WAY THAT WE ARE EXECUTING OUR GOVERNMENT, UH, MODEL.
UH, THANK YOU BOARD FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC.
I DID ATTEND THE COHERENT GOVERNANCE, UH, CONFERENCE PUT ON BY, UH, THE A GI INSTITUTE WHO ARE THE ACQUIRERS AND OWNERS OF THE COHERENT GOVERNANCE, UM, TRADEMARK AND, AND, AND, UH, PROCESS.
OUR, WE HAD SEVERAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS THERE FROM ACROSS THE NATION FROM, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, FROM AS FAR AWAY AS, UH, THE WEST COAST, UH, THE UPPER MIDWEST, UM, SOUTH CAROLINA AS WELL.
I HAPPENED TO SIT AT A TABLE, UH, WITH A, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, HORRY COUNTY, WHICH IS ALSO AN, A PRACTITIONER OF COHERENT GOVERNANCE.
AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR SOME YEARS.
THEY HAD FIVE OF THEIR 11 BOARD MEMBERS THERE.
SO SOME VERY ROBUST CONVERSATIONS, UM, ABOUT HOW THEY COULD IMPROVE, EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE BEEN EXECUTING IT FOR SOME TIME.
AND THEIR SUPERINTENDENT WAS THERE.
SO YOU HAD THE SUPERINTENDENT AS WELL AS A MINORITY OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
AND SO PEOPLE COULD SPEAK FREELY AND THEY DID.
SO WHAT I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU IS BASICALLY A RECAP OF WHAT COHERENT GOVERNANCE IS, HOW IT SHOULD BE EXECUTED.
AND THEN I'VE TAKEN THE LIBERTY TO ACTUALLY PROPOSE ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN DIFFERENT ITEMS
[00:15:01]
THAT LOOKING AT OUR BOARD AND THE GOOD THINGS THAT THIS BOARD HAS DONE IN TURN AND THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT IN TERMS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THAT ONE OF THE THINGS, ONE OF THE PROMO, WELL, THE IDEAS WILL BE HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD IN TERMS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS FOR OUR BOARD.AND SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF INTERFACES AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, PLEASE, YOU'LL SEE IT SAYS, WHAT IS IT? IT'S A POLICY DRIVEN GOVERNANCE SYSTEM.
WE ALREADY HAVE POLICIES IN PLACE.
ONE OF THE KEY THINGS, AND WE'VE BEEN EXECUTING THIS SINCE 19, NOT 19, 20, 21, WHEN IT WAS FIRST ADOPTED BY THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND SINCE THAT TIME WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN UTILIZING IT HOWEVER, THE OPPORTUNITY IS, WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN EXECUTE IT EVEN WITH MORE FIDELITY AGAINST HOW IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE HANDLED.
AND SO THE MAIN THING IS IT SEPARATES GOVERNANCE FROM OPERATIONS.
WHEN I'VE TALKED, SPOKEN TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM OTHER PLACES IN SOUTH CAROLINA THROUGH THE SCHOOL SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT TENDS TO HAPPEN IS THAT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
WE'VE BEEN ELECTED BY PEOPLE IN OUR DISTRICT.
WE COME TO THE BOARD, WE EXPECT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AND THERE'S A SYSTEM THAT SAYS WE WANT TO RESPECT THE DELINEATION BETWEEN THE ROLE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE ROLE OF THE BOARD.
ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE LEARNED IS THAT THAT IS SOMETHING I NEED TO RESPECT BECAUSE IT HAS, IT CAN BE VERY CONFUSING TO THE STAFF OF THE SUPERINTENDENT AND COULD ACTUALLY CREATE SOME INERTIA IN TERMS OF SPEED OF EXECUTION, IDENTIFYING WHAT THE ISSUES ARE.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS ABOUT COHERENT GOVERNANCE.
AND THE SECOND THING, IT FOCUSES THE BOARD ON RESULTS AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND I HAVE TO APPLAUD THE RESULTS COMMITTEE OF OUR BOARD FOR THE DISCUSSION THAT THEY HAD RELATIVE TO RESULTS FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT, BECAUSE THAT ACTUALLY MOVED US FURTHER ALONG THE PATH OF HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE DELEGATE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT THOSE THINGS THAT ARE NEEDED FROM THE BOARD'S PERSPECTIVE WITHOUT INFRINGING ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S ABILITY TO DEVELOP STRATEGY TACTICS AND OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES.
SO THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE DID, AND THAT WAS VERY GOOD TO SEE.
SO IF YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, WHY GOVERNANCES REFORM IS NEEDED.
SOMETIMES THEY CAN BE ROLE AMBIGUITY, NOT INTENTIONALLY.
THAT WAS WHAT I HEARD FROM ALL OF THE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT WERE THERE.
WELL INTENTIONED GOING OUT AND SAY, IF I GO TO A SCHOOL AND I SUGGEST SOMETHING TO THAT PRINCIPLE, AND I'VE, AND SUGGESTED IN A WAY THAT THAT PRINCIPLE INTERPRETS THAT THAT'S A COMMAND THAT CAN CREATE ROLE AMBIGUITY BECAUSE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK AND GO OVER THAT AND SAY, OKAY, IS THIS WHAT I WANT TO DO? AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS AT, I MEAN, JUST REPEATEDLY STATED BY PARTICIPANTS AS WELL AS THE PRESENTERS, WAS, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE AS A BOARD WE ARE COMMUNICATING TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.
AND THAT ELIMINATES THE AMBIGUITY AND THE MICROMANAGEMENT TENDENCIES BECAUSE A BOARD IS DESIGNED TO BE VERY HIGH LEVEL AND STRATEGIC AND LOOKING FAR DOWN THE ROAD, AND I ALWAYS POSE THIS QUESTION IN THE 17 HUNDREDS WHEN PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WAS FIRST CREATED, WHY WERE THEY CREATED? THEY WERE NOT CREATED TO BUILD RECREATION CENTERS.
THEY WERE NOT CREATED TO DO A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO NOW OUT OF NECESSITY.
THEY WERE CREATED TO, TO BASICALLY EDUCATE THE POPULATION, WHICH WAS NOT WELL EDUCATED.
AND SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT WHY WAS IT CREATED, THAT IS IT.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE STICKING CLOSE BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE SCHOOL STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA JUDGES US ON, ANYBODY REMEMBER WHAT THE TWO NUMERICAL ITEMS ARE THAT WE'RE JUDGED ON MATH SCORES AND ELA SCORES.
SO YOU CREATED, AND THE LEGISLATURE HAS SAID, THIS IS WHAT'S IMPORTANT.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS A SUPPORT MECHANISM TO THAT.
SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE GIVING OUR LEADERSHIP ADMINISTRATION AS MUCH LATITUDE COULD COME UP WITH STRATEGIES THAT THEY BUY IN AND THEIR TEAM BUY INTO SO THAT THEY OWN IT AND THEY MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.
AND SO THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS.
[00:20:01]
SEE AN INCONSISTENT DECISION FRAMEWORK JUST EXECUTE WITH FIDELITY.OUR ROLE AS LEADERS, IF YOU MOVE FORWARD, THIS FIRST ONE SAYS ENDS POLICIES DON'T INTERPRET THAT AS THAT COHERENT GOVERNOR SAYS, NO POLICIES, EXACT OPPOSITE.
THERE WILL BE POLICIES, BUT WHAT IT SAYS IS POLICIES SHOULD BE IN REINFORCING WHAT THE END RESULT IS STRATEGICALLY HIGH LEVEL.
AND THE SUPERINTENDENT DECIDES HOW HE'S GOING, HE AND HIS TEAM OR HER TEAM IS GOING TO MOVE IT FORWARD.
AND IT TALKS ABOUT MONITORING VERSUS ASSUMPTIONS.
SO A LOT OF RIGOROUS ANALYSIS NEED TO BE PUT TOGETHER FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THE TIME I'VE BEEN HERE.
WE GET THAT TYPE OF ANALYSIS IN TERMS OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND A STRATEGY LAST YEAR THAT I THOUGHT THE WAY THE STRATEGY, UH, CULLING TOOK PLACE WAS VERY EFFECTIVE BECAUSE SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF CAME BACK WITH, HERE'S THE PLAN OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY EXECUTE, HOW WE'RE GOING TO ACHIEVE WHAT YOU'RE ASKING US TO DO.
AND THAT TYPE OF LATITUDE TENDS TO BE FERTILE GROUNDS FOR MORE POSITIVE MOTIVATION.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, WAS ALSO STRESS.
THE LAST ITEM ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE IS BOARD UNITY VERSUS FRAGMENTED GOVERNANCE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY DISCUSSED WITH SOME GINGER NESS ABOUT MAKING SURE WE'RE NOT MAKING ANYONE FEEL INDICTED IN THAT SESSION UP THERE, IS THAT DON'T TAKE VOTES PERSONAL.
YOU KNOW, EACH OF US WILL HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS.
WE COME WITH DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS IN TERMS OF RESEARCH.
AND SO WHAT WE END UP HAVING IS EACH OF US MAY COME IN WITH A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
ALL OF THAT IN THIS SESSION GETS MAILED TOGETHER BY THE MAJORITY VOTE.
WE JUST HAD ONE, SO EVERYONE GOT A CHANCE TO RAISE THEIR HAND, YAY OR NAY.
AND THEN COLLECTIVELY, ONCE THE MAJORITY WAS IDENTIFIED, WE MOVED FORWARD AND WE DROP IT.
THERE'S NO ANIMOSITY ABOUT HOW A PERSON VOTED.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO LEARN AND BRING THE BEST.
SO THOSE WERE THE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY, IT WAS A TWO AND A HALF DAY CONFERENCE, VERY INFORMATIVE.
A LOT OF INFORMAL CONVERSATIONS TOOK PLACE WHERE I LEARNED A LOT AND REALIZED WE'VE DONE WELL, BUT I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER.
AND SO WITH THAT, UH, IF YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT PAGE.
AND THIS IS THE ONE WHERE THE TWO SLIDES ARE BOARD DIRECTION.
SO REALLY IT BOILS DOWN TO TWO THINGS.
TWO RESPONSIBILITIES, CLUSTERS OF RESPONSIBILITIES.
ONE IS THE BOARD SETS DIRECTION, INFORMED DIRECTION.
WE VOTE ON IT, WE ASSIGN IT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.
AND THEN THE SUPERINTENDENT COMES UP WITH POLICY, WITH, UH, TACTICS, WITH STRATEGIES, WITH EXECUTION PLANS WITH INVESTMENT NEEDED TO SUPPORT IT, PERSONNEL DECISIONS NEEDED TO SUPPORT ACHIEVEMENT.
AND THAT IS WHAT THAT PERSON GETS JUDGED ON.
AND WE ACTUALLY ARE BEGINNING TO DO THAT MORE.
AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE RESULTS COMMITTEE BECAUSE THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE WENT TO A NEW MORE NUMERICAL SET OF METRICS AS OPPOSED TO SO STRONGLY PROJECT MANAGED ORIENTED.
NOW THE THING THAT CAME UP IS IF YOU DO, IF THE BOARD DOES REALLY, UH, PRECISE DELEGATIONS THAT DELEGATION, THAT PERSON WHO IS EXECUTING MAY ACHIEVE THAT.
BUT DOES IT MOVE THE ORGANIZATION TOWARDS THE LARGER END RESULTS, WHICH IS EDUCATING OUR KIDS? AND SO THAT CORRELATION NEEDS TO BE VERY CLEAR.
SO AS YOU GO THROUGH WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT VERY BRIEFLY FOR THE NEXT FEW MINUTES, PLEASE REMEMBER BOARD SETS DIRECTION UNDER THE COHERENT GOVERNANCE MODEL.
SUPERINTENDENT TAKES IT, SETS UP PLAN STRATEGIES, COMES BACK BOARD SAYS YES, AND WE MOVE FORWARD AND THEN WE JUDGE AND MONITOR, WHICH IS REALLY CRITICALLY IMPORTANT OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.
AND THEN DO THE END YEAR END REVIEW.
IF YOU'LL GO, OKAY, THANK YOU.
THE DELEGATION STRUCTURE IS WE DELEGATE THE BOARD DECIDES AND DELEGATES TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, AND THEN THE SUPERINTENDENT, HE OR SHE TAKES CONTROL AND THEY DELEGATE AN APPORTION TO THEIR STAFF AS THEY SEE FIT.
THEY MAY NEED TO INCREASE STAFF IN CERTAIN AREAS, THEY MAY NEED TO
[00:25:01]
DECREASE STAFF IN CERTAIN AREAS AND MOVE HUMAN TALENT WHERE IT'S MOST NEEDED.AND SO WHAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE HAPPENS IS THAT IN THE COURSE OF THAT, IT'S MOVING US TOWARDS IMPROVING THE SCORES FOR OUR STUDENTS, WHICH IS WHAT THE STATE IS REQUIRING OF US.
IF YOU'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT ONE, YOU'LL SEE WHAT IS THE POLICY ARCHITECTURE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WE HAVE BEEN, BEEN DOING PRETTY, PRETTY DOGGONE WELL ARE OPERATIONAL EXPECTATIONS.
WE REVIEW THOSE ON A REAL REGULAR BASIS.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE BOARD WILL BE USING.
THAT'S WHAT THEY USE TO ACTUALLY CONTROL THE PARAMETERS IN TERMS OF ETHICS, IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU DO OR DON'T, WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND THEN THE RESULTS, RESULTS, EMPIRICAL RESULTS OF HOW WE'RE MOVING THINGS FORWARD.
AND THAT IS THE GOVERNANCE PROCESS FOR COHERENT GOVERNANCE.
AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT AS BOARD MEMBERS, HOW DO WE SORT OF FACILITATE THIS? OKAY, NOW IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT CHART, ALL OF YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A TECHNOPHILE, I'M NOT TECHNOLOGICALLY ORIENTED, BUT I DID USE AI 'CAUSE SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WERE REALLY BEGINNING TO USE AI.
IT IS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO BEING STATISTICALLY VALID, WHICH MEANS IT GAVE US A VISUAL.
BUT IN TERMS OF RELYING ON IT TO TELL A MESSAGES JUST HERE TO SHOW I MADE AN EFFORT AND IT DIDN'T WORK, IT'S HERE.
BUT LEMME TELL YOU WHAT CAME ABOUT.
AS A RESULT OF THAT, THROUGH OUR NETWORK, WE WERE ABLE TO ACTUALLY CONTACT STATE DEPARTMENT OF, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
AND THE, UH, ONE OF THE KEY LEADERS IN THE, UH, OFFICE OF THIS SUPERINTENDENT OF SOUTH CAROLINA, THE ONE THAT I SPOKE TO, HAS A PHD IN MIT FROM MIT IN STATISTICAL ANALYSIS.
I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SERVE ON A BANK BOARD SITTING NEXT TO HER.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHE FEELS MAY HAVE SOME REAL IMPACT, NOT ONLY STATEWIDE, BUT ALSO NATIONALLY, TO ACTUALLY ESTABLISH SOME CORRELATIONS IF POSSIBLE, BETWEEN TYPE OF GOVERNANCE, TURNOVER, SCHOOL SCORES, IF THERE'S THAT CONNECTION.
SO THAT POTENTIAL IS GETTING ELEVATED QUITE HIGH JUST BECAUSE, NOT YOU, BUT I STUMBLED IN THE DARK WITH THIS CHART.
AND SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE WHAT ATTRACTS CEOS TO CO UH, COHERENT GOVERNANCE.
BASICALLY CEOS LIKE LATITUDE TO USE THEIR INGENUITY AND IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO DELIVER.
CEOS TEND TO, AS MOST OF US, NOT MOST OF ALL OF US SITTING IN THIS ROOM, WE WANT TO SUCCEED.
WE WANT 'EM BE POSITIVELY ADDING VALUE TO WHATEVER ORGANIZATION WE ARE A PART OF.
AND SO WITH THAT, THEY WANNA PROVIDE, PERFORM THE JOB WITH CREATIVITY, INCREASED PROFESSIONAL PRIDE, AUTHORITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, ALIGNED SYSTEM TO ACHIEVE RESULTS.
YOU GET BACK TO RESULTS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
TRUE FRAMEWORK FOR SITE MANAGEMENT.
AS YOU GO DOWN THE HIERARCHY, YOU'LL SEE THAT IF YOU'RE NOT OUT VISITING AND ENGAGING PEOPLE WHO ARE 2, 3, 4, 5 LEVELS DOWN FROM WHERE YOU SIT, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO PROJECT YOUR EMPATHY, YOUR PASSION AND SUPPORT FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE YOUR FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES, TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS, ALL THOSE PROFESSIONALS THAT HELP EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS.
AND THEN WE, WE ALSO, CEOS WANT TO NOT, WE CEOS WANNA PROFESSIONALLY INTERACT WITH THE BOARD AND MUTUAL SUPPORT BECAUSE THE BOARD HAS TO ALLOCATE RESOURCES AND MAKE SURE WE ARE SAYING WHAT CAN AND CANNOT BE DONE BASED ON THE REQUESTS.
NOW, WHAT ATTRACTS BOARDS TO C CG, THE BOARD IS ABLE TO EXERCISE LEADERSHIP AT A POLICY LEVEL.
AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE AND POLICY IS YOU HAVE TO STEP BACK AND HAVE SOME TIME TO REALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
WHAT ARE THE IMPEDIMENTS TO US ACHIEVING OUR TARGETS? IS IT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF OR ARE WE NOT PAYING ENOUGH? ARE WE NOT RECRUITING IN THE RIGHT PLACES? ARE WE NOT AS THIS LADY, UH, NOT THIS LADY, BUT SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE'VE GOTTEN IS WE NEED TO BE OUT THERE, WE NEED TO BE COMMUNICATING MORE.
THAT RIGHTFULLY SHOULD COME FROM A BOARD MEMBER AS FEEDBACK FROM THE PEOPLE WHO BASICALLY RULE US, WHICH ARE THE
[00:30:01]
CITIZENS THROUGH THE VOTE.SO OUR BEING ABLE TO FEED THAT INFORMATION BACK IS VITALLY, VITALLY IMPORTANT.
UH, WE ALSO TALK ABOUT, WE TALKED ABOUT INTRU TRUSTEESHIP, WHICH IS NOT REALLY OPERATIONAL.
IT'S MORE HIGHER, HIGHER, HIGHER LEVEL GUIDANCE.
AND THAT BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT PROVIDING FISCAL SUPPORT THROUGH THE BUDGETING PROCESS, APPROVING THAT, AND ON DIVISION OUTCOMES OR BENEFITS.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE VERY, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED REWARD SYSTEMS. SO WHAT TYPES OF REWARD SYSTEM IS IT SAYING HELLO AND THANK YOU TO OUR COLLEAGUES WHO ARE MORE FRONTLINE THAN WE ARE, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS AND CLARITY OF ROLES.
SO THAT WAS DEEP DISCUSSIONS, HEARTFELT.
UH, SOME PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN ON BOARDS FOR 20, 25 YEARS REALLY TALKED ABOUT THE DAYS WHEN THEY HAD A MORE DIRECT OPERATIONAL SYSTEM AND THEY WENT TO COHERENT GOVERNANCE AND IT MADE IT EASIER ON BOTH PARTIES.
WE DID HAVE ONE SUPERINTENDENT IN NO TWO SUPERINTENDENTS IN THE MIX, AND IT WAS VERY GOOD TO HEAR WHAT THEIR PERSPECTIVE WAS ABOUT WHAT MOTIVATES THEM TO, OF COURSE, THEY'RE COMMITTED TO DOING THE JOB, BUT WHAT MOTIVATES THEM EVEN MORE.
SO IF YOU GO AND LOOK AT THE ONE HERE, UH, THIS IS ANOTHER WHERE I TRIED TO MAKE AN EDIT, BUT I MADE AN ERROR.
YOU'LL SEE I DUPLICATED THREE AND EIGHT.
SO JUST TAKE THAT ONE EIGHT OUT BECAUSE IT SAVES THE SAME AS THREE.
BUT THEY'RE COLOR, COLOR CODED FOR THE IMPACT.
SO IF YOU SEE THOSE FIRST FOUR UP TOP, THEY'RE YOUR HEAVIEST HITTERS.
WE'RE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE DISTRICT OWNERS, THE CITIZENS BOARD, NOT INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS, GOVERN THE DISTRICT BY MAJORITY VOTE MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY, DEFINE THE DESIRED RESULTS FOR THE STUDENTS AND REQUIRE THEIR ACHIEVEMENT, DEFINE ITS EXPECTATIONS AND DELEGATE THE EXECUTION.
SO THAT'S THE TOP LEVEL OF WHAT WE EXPECT THE BOARD UNDER CG TO DO.
AND AGAIN, I THINK WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT, BUT YOU'LL SEE WHAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE FOLLOWING THE BOARD GOVERNS BY POLICY UNDER NUMBER FOUR, NOT NECESSARILY BY APPROVALS OR RESOLUTIONS OR RANDOM DIRECTIVES.
SO IT NEEDS TO, AGAIN, COME BEFORE THE BOARD WITH RESEARCH.
WE STUDY IT, WE UNDERSTAND IT, UH, WE MAKE SURE WE HAVE TIME AS THIS BOARD ALLUDED A FEW MINUTES AGO TO REVIEW THOSE VARIOUS TOPICS AND THEN COME BACK WITH A VOTE.
THE NEXT THING YOU'LL SEE EMPOWERS THE SUPERINTENDENT OF NUMBER NINE AND NUMBER FIVE, EXPRESS POLICY IN BROAD BROADEST VALUES AND CONCERNS BEFORE DECIDING SMALLER, LESS IMPACTFUL ITEMS. AND THEN THE PERFORMANCE ON THE 10, THE PERFORMANCE OF THE DISTRICT AND THE, UH, AND THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT ARE IDENTICAL.
IF THE SUPERINTENDENT'S NOT SUCCESSFUL, WE'RE NOT SUCCESSFUL.
IF THE SUPERINTENDENT'S SUCCESSFUL, THEN WE ARE SUCCESSFUL IN IT BECAUSE IT'LL RESULT IN THE NUMERICAL VALUES.
SO AS WE GO THROUGH, YES, THE NEXT ONE, I THINK THIS IS ONE OF WHAT IMPORTANT SLIDES IN THE WHOLE DECK, BECAUSE I THINK VISUALLY THIS SHOWS YOU, YOU SEE THOSE FOUR ICONS UP TOP, THOSE ARE CITIZENS, THEY ELECT US.
IF THEY DON'T ELECT US, WE ARE NOT SITTING HERE, SO WE HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM.
BUT THEN YOU SEE WHERE IT GOES DOWN AND YOU SEE THE GAVEL BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE DECISIONS ARE MADE, UH, GOV UH, COHERENT GOVERNANCE POLICIES.
AND THEN YOU SEE THE TWO, THE LITTLE GRAY INNER BOX, HOW IT STRETCHES OUT, AND THEN IT GOES DOWN.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE ABSOLUTE BOTTOM, YOU'LL SEE THAT LITTLE GREEN WHERE IT SAYS OE POLICIES, THAT'S OPERATIONS.
AND WE HELP IDENTIFY WHAT THIS WANTED THERE THROUGH OOE, OUR EXPECTATIONS, RIGHT? BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE, YOU'LL SEE WHERE THE SUPERINTENDENT ALSO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR RESULTS.
SO THAT THERE'S THAT COMBINATION OF POLICY AND RESULTS.
POLICIES MAY SAY WE HAVE AN ETHIC, UH, POLICY ON ETHICS, SO THAT'S AS IMPORTANT AS RESULTS, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
IN THE MIDDLE, YOU SEE THE ERROR POINTING TO THE RED, UH, SUPERINTENDENT ICON AND THE BSR STANDS FOR BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT RELATIONS.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE ENSURING THAT WE MAINTAIN
[00:35:01]
ON A VERY, UH, SOUND BASIS, OPEN BASIS, WHAT HAVE YOU.AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, UH, SOLICITED SOME OF THE OTHER PARTICIPANTS AS TO WHAT DID THEY ENCOUNTER UPON FIRST UTILIZATION OF COHERENT GOVERNANCE, AND THEN WHAT WOULD THEY RECOMMEND? SO WHAT YOU HAVE HERE ARE THE ITEMS THAT WOULD RECOMMENDS NEXT SLIDE.
SO YOU SEE NUMBER ONE IS SELF-ASSESSMENT.
NOW, THE ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP, THEY HAVE THEIR FEEDBACK MECHANISMS AND THEY ARE CONDUCTED IN A WAY.
SO THERE'S BROAD FEEDBACK, BUT I CAN'T HAVE, I CAN'T IDENTIFY WHO SAID IT.
AND SO IT BECOMES, IT'S LESS OF AN INDICTMENT OF THE PERSON BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE 15 PEOPLE RESPONDING ABOUT ME AND I SEE ONE ITEM SAID BY EIGHT OR NINE OF THEM, THAT MEANS THAT'S WHAT I'M PROJECTING.
AND OR AT LEAST THAT'S HOW PEOPLE ARE INTERPRETING IT.
AND WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE MANAGING HOW WE PROJECT.
THAT'S A HUGE PART OF LEADERSHIP TO ENSURE WE ARE COMMUNICATING IN AN EFFECTIVE MANNER.
SO 360 FEEDBACK IS WHAT YOU KNOW IS PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE BOARDS SO THAT ALL OF US CAN GET FEEDBACK ON HOW WE HANDLE OURSELVES, HOW PEOPLE RECEIVE OUR EFFORTS, GOOD, BAD OR INDIFFERENT.
AND IT'S NOT WHERE CALLING IS TALKING ABOUT MICROPHONE AND SAYING THINGS LIKE THAT IN A VERY PERSONAL WAY.
TRY TO BE AS ANALYTICAL AND OBJECTIVE AS POSSIBLE.
WE ALSO WILL NEED COACHING ON COHERENT GOVERNANCE.
NOW, I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD THREE YEARS AND UNTIL THE CHAIR ASKED US ABOUT A RETREAT, I DON'T REMEMBER NOW, IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED BEFORE MY TENURE, BUT IN MY TENURE, I DON'T REMEMBER ANOTHER REQUEST FOR US TO SIT DOWN LIKE THE TOWNS DO AND THE COUNTY DO, AND HAVE A RETREAT WHERE THEY ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT THINGS AND IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
SO THE PUBLIC IS A PART OF IT.
AND THAT RETREAT AND COACHING AND INSTRUCTION ON COHERENT GOVERNORS SHOULD INCLUDE TEAM BUILDING RETREATS, UH, EXERCISE.
IF I MAY SHARE, ONE OF THE MOST INSIGHTFUL TRAINING SESSIONS I HAVE EVER BEEN IN WAS, AND THIS WAS LIKE 25 YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE ASKED, WHAT ABOUT YOU PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT YOU BELIEVE THEY WOULD BE SURPRISED ABOUT? AND STOP AND THINK ABOUT THAT AND I'LL SHARE YOU WHAT MINE WAS BECAUSE NO ONE COULD BELIEVE IT.
THE QUESTION WAS, AGAIN, CALL 'EM, WHAT ABOUT YOU WOULD NO ONE BELIEVED? AND THEY JUST DON'T THINK OF IT.
THE ANSWER WAS, MY RESPONSE WAS, I ACTUALLY FLEW A PLANE WHEN I WAS IN ROTC, AIR FORCE, ROTC, AND WE WERE GOING DOWN THE OAKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, NOT AT, UH, THE NAVAL STATION DOWN IN, UH, OUTSIDE OF, WE'RE GETTING PRACTICE UNDER F FOUR SIMULATOR.
AND SO GOING DOWN, WE WERE GOING INTO T 38, AND THEY LET EACH OF US CADETS TO ACTUALLY SIT BEHIND THERE WITH THE PILOT.
AND SO THE PILOT TOOK HIS HANDS OFF THE WHEEL AND I'M THERE.
AND THE CO-PILOT, I DIDN'T HAVE THE SENSITIVITY IN MY FINGERS TO REALIZE HOW SENSITIVE THAT IS.
SO I PULLED IT BACK, WHICH MEANT THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK OF THE PLANE WENT AIRBORNE.
THEY IMMEDIATELY TOOK ME OUT OF THE POLICY.
NOW, THAT WAS BEFORE I DISCOVERED I DIDN'T HAVE THE EYESIGHT TO BE A PILOT ANYWAY.
BUT IT'S THOSE TYPES OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY CAME FORWARD WITH AND WHERE WE CAN BETTER KNOW EACH OTHER AND APPRECIATE THE HUMANITY IN THE OTHER PERSON.
I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING REAL WONDERFUL, UH, THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO US.
UH, BEST PRACTICES, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, BOTH CG AND NON CG.
IF THE, UH, STATE INSTITUTION WILL PICK UP AND PERFORM A NATIONAL ANALYSIS, MY RECOMMENDATION TO THEM HAS BEEN TO DO COHERENT GOVERNANCE, OTHER TYPES OF GOVERNANCE.
SO YOU CAN GET SOMETHING THAT'S STATISTICALLY VALID.
AND YOU CAN SAY, IF YOU GO WITH THIS PARTICULAR FORM OF GOVERNANCE, THEN HERE'S WHAT WE'VE SEEN SO FAR, NOT ANECDOTAL, STATISTICALLY PROVEN.
AND THEN THE LAST PAGE, UH, I THINK WE'VE DONE ALL THOSE, RIGHT?
[00:40:02]
DID I SKIP A PAGE? YEAH, GO BACK.WE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN GENERAL COMMUNITY OF NON, UH, AND CGN, NON CG PARTICULAR FOCUS ON HANDLING CITIZEN EXP EXPECTATIONS BECAUSE WHEN CITIZENS COME TO US, THEY WANT IMMEDIATE, RIGHT? LIKE, YOU'RE A BOARD MEMBER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
BUT IT TAKES 11 FOR US TO ACTUALLY OFFICIALLY DO ANYTHING, TAKES SIX, UH, SIX OUT OF THE 11TH TAKES A VOTE, MAJORITY VOTE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS IS TO HELP TEACH US IN HOW DO WE RESPOND AND MODERATE ANY CITIZEN EXPECTATIONS SO THEY'RE NOT SORT OF SQUEEZING US WHEN WE OPERATING ON A DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP SYSTEM.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS CLEARLY, UH, VERY APPARENT.
THE OTHER THING I MENTIONED, THE STRATEGIC RETREAT, UH, TRAINING PROGRAMS, AND I'M TALKING, WE WERE TALKING, NOT ME, WE WERE TALKING IN THAT SESSION ABOUT WHAT OTHER SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN THROUGH, DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN THROUGH MM-HMM
UM, AND I, WHERE YOU SEE CD, LOL, YOU SEE NEXT, THAT'S NEXT TO COMPUTER SKILLS AND INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION.
SO I'M SAYING I GOT SOME DEFAULTS AND THINGS I NEED TO IMPROVE ON IN THAT AREA AS WELL.
BUT THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY ARE SUGGESTING THAT, UH, TAKES PLACE, UH, AS PART OF A MORE RIGOROUS EXECUTION OF COHERENT GOVERNANCE.
IT'S CLEARLY IS A PROGRAM FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN AND HEARD FROM OTHERS THAT TENDS TO, IT'S NOT PROVEN STATISTICALLY, BUT TENDS TO HELP STABILIZE AND REDUCE POTENTIALLY ETERNAL AT THE SUPERINTENDENT LEVEL BECAUSE IT APPEARS ANECDOTALLY THAT SUPERINTENDENTS ON THIS REGIME WILL TEND TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE LATITUDE TO TRULY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
SO WITH THAT, UH, MR. CHAIR, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, BREAK, BATS? ANYONE HAS ALRIGHT, DOORS OPEN, OPEN.
OH, ONE LAST THING, MR. CHAIR, PLEASE.
THIS LAST PAGE? YES, MS. UH, CUSH BERRY.
THIS, UH, FILE HERE HAS LIKE 30 DIFFERENT 25 DIFFERENT FILES.
AND I ENCOURAGE EACH AND EVERY BOARD MEMBER AND EVERYBODY WHO SEES THIS TO GO LOOK AT THOSE.
AND YOU BECOME THE EXPERT ON COHERENT GOVERNANCE.
SO THAT AT A FUTURE POINT, IF WE'RE GONNA SIT DOWN AND SAY, WELL, ARE THERE OTHER ALTERNATIVES, WHICH THERE ARE IN TERMS OF THE LEADERSHIP SYSTEM, WE KNOW WHAT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE.
AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL PUT THE SAME RIGOR INTO UNDERSTANDING OF THE ANY OTHER ALTERNATIVES.
SO AT THAT, MR. CHAIR, I'LL TURN IT OVER.
UH, I THINK IT WAS ABOUT A YEAR, MAYBE A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, UH, I BROUGHT UP IN PUBLIC SESSION ABOUT A SELF, A BOARD EVALUATION, HOW WE EVALUATE OURSELVES.
UH, AND WHEN I BROUGHT IT UP SOME TIME AGO, IT WAS GRUMBLE, GRUMBLE, RUBBLE.
WE USED TO DO ONE ONTO THE NEXT THING.
UM, AND, AND NOW YOU'RE BRINGING IT UP AGAIN.
SO, UH, I I THINK MAYBE, UH, WHEN I BROUGHT IT UP THE FIRST TIME, BECAUSE THERE WAS HESITANCE TO DO IT, MAYBE THAT'S THE PERFECT REASON TO DO IT.
UH, WE NEED TO FIND, I, I STILL BELIEVE STRONGLY THAT WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD HAVE SOME TYPE OF, UH, RUBRIC TO, UH, HOW ARE WE DOING? AND IF IT INVOLVES COMMUNITY INPUT, THEN LET IT INVOLVE COMMUNITY INPUT.
YOU KNOW, IF THE COMMUNITY FEELS LIKE WE'RE DOING OUR JOB, UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING HOME UNTIL THE BUSINESS IS DONE, THEN, THEN GREAT.
IF THE COMMUNITY FEELS LIKE WE'RE NOT DOING OUR JOB, THEN MAYBE WE NEED TO POINT THE FINGER.
YOU KNOW? UH, I WAS ALWAYS TOLD, UH, IF YOU POINT THE FINGER AT SOMEBODY, YOU ONLY GOT THREE POINTING BACK AT YOURSELF, RIGHT? SO, UH, AND, AND I MEAN, IF, IF THE SHOE FITS, UH, BUT I, I'D BE ALL ABOUT SUPPORTING SOME TYPE OF INTERNAL BOARD GOVERNANCE, UH, RUBRIC TO FIND OUT IF WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING WHAT WE'RE SAFE WE WANT TO DO, UH, WE HAVE A MISSION STATEMENT, BUT THAT'S NOT GUIDING, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT GOALS.
A MISSION STATEMENT ISN'T A GOAL, A MISSION STATEMENT TELLS US WHAT, WHERE OUR OVERARCHING THING IS.
BUT I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE EVER, OTHER THAN THE, THE BUDGET, UH, WHEN THE, THE SUPERINTENDENT COMES AND SAYS, HEY, UH, LET'S, LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW WE WANNA SPEND THE MONEY OR WHERE WE WANNA DIRECT THE MONEY, UH, FINANCIALLY TOWARDS THOSE OBJECTIVES.
UH, I THINK THAT'S THE CLOSEST THING THAT WE'VE GOT TO SAYING, THESE ARE WHAT OUR GOALS ARE.
BUT AS A BOARD, I DON'T BELIEVE, AND WE'VE EVER SAT DOWN AND SAID, THIS IS OUR GOAL.
AND THEN BECAUSE, BECAUSE IN, IN MY, IN MY OPINION, TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET BEFORE WE'VE ESTABLISHED GOLD IS PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, UH, WE, WE, WE'VE SAID, OKAY, YES, THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE WE BELIEVE THAT WE COULD HAVE THE BEST FISCAL INPUT, UH, OR THE BEST FISCAL IMPACT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, ON OUR STUDENTS.
BUT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY SAY THAT WE'VE HAD THE GOALS, UH, STATING OUR GOALS AND THEN FIGURING OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO FUND THEM, I BELIEVE IS THE WAY TO DO IT.
UH, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T RECALL EVER HAVING GOALS.
AND I THINK THAT'S, UH, THAT'S A HUGE SORT SIDEDNESS
[00:45:01]
OF OUR BOARD.AND THAT MIGHT COME OUT IF WE WERE ACTUALLY TO DO AN INTERNAL EVALUATION.
UM, FOLLOWING UP ON MY COLLEAGUE, MR. NAY, I THINK, UM, THE PROBLEM WITH COHERENT GOVERNANCE AS WE IMPLEMENTED, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BOARD WORK SESSIONS, WE, I MEAN BOARD RETREATS, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE 'EM OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
AND SO THEN IT'S, WHEN IS IT A WORK SESSION VERSUS A RETREAT? AND THERE WAS A LOT OF CONCERN AT THE TIME ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE FULLY TRANSPARENT AND WOULD WE HAVE TO BROADCAST IT BY TV, AND THEN IT KIND OF, SO WE JUST BASICALLY AS A BOARD DECIDED THAT WASN'T FEASIBLE.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, WE HAVE DONE, UH, BOARD, UH, SURVEYS.
I FILLED THEM OUT WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THE BOARD.
WE JUST NEVER DID ANYTHING WITH IT.
UM, I THINK THAT THE PROBLEMS THAT I THINK WE NEED TO ADDRESS WITH COHERENT GOVERNANCE ARE NUMBER ONE, THE THING THAT MAKES ALL SCHOOL BOARDS IN SOUTH CAROLINA THAT I KNOW ABOUT USE A POLICY-BASED GOVERNANCE.
UM, THEY USE YOU, MOST OF THEM USE THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION MODEL POLICY.
UM, SO WE DO IS WE DO A DIFFERENT FORM OF POLICY GOVERNANCE AND THE COHERENT GOVERNANCE.
AND YOU'VE GONE TO THE CONFERENCE AND YOU PROBABLY KNOW BETTER THAN I DO.
UM, BUT I'VE GONE DOWN A RABBIT HOLE ON COHERENT GOVERNANCE WHEN I WAS DOING THE RESULTS, UH, COMMITTEE, THE THING THAT DISTINGUISHES IT IS IT'S DRIVEN BY RESULTS.
SO THERE'S THIS WHOLE MONITORING OF RESULTS, POLICIES.
THERE IS, UM, IT IS THE NUMBER ONE THING.
IT IS THE THING FROM WHICH ALL THINGS COME OUT AND WE DON'T HAVE IT AND NEVER HAVE.
AND I'VE BROUGHT THAT UP ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS BECAUSE IN OUR OWN POLICY BOOKS, IT SAYS THAT WE BASE OUR, UH, EVALUATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT ON OUR RESULTS POLICIES, PARENTHESES, WE DO NOT HAVE THEM.
SO I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO COMMIT TO COHERENT GOVERNANCE, I LIKE COHERENT GOVERNANCE.
UM, I THINK BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THE DIFFERENT THINGS, WE HAVE TO MAKE EVERYONE BUY IN AND WE HAVE TO DECIDE TO ACTUALLY DO IT THE WAY IT WAS INTENDED TO BE DONE.
AND WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON THOSE THINGS, UM, BECAUSE WE TEND TO SORT OF DRIFT AWAY FROM THEM AS, UM, AND THEN WHAT YOU RUN INTO IS IF YOU'RE NOT REALLY LOCKED ONTO THESE RESULTS AND LOCKED ONTO THESE OES AND THESE POLICIES, IT GETS VERY HAREM SCARE 'EM.
AND WE CAN GET OFF THE RAILS PRETTY QUICKLY.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN INTERNAL BOARD PROCESS.
I THINK EVERYONE WE SHOULD VOTE ON IT AND WE SHOULD DO IT WITH FIDELITY.
I DO NOT AGREE WITH HIRING A CONSULTANT TO COME IN.
I DID NOT FIND IT USEFUL AGAIN, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK PEOPLE WERE REALLY ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
I THINK IF WE'RE GONNA DO IT, WE NEED TO COMMIT TO HAVING RESULTS POLICIES, AND WE NEED TO HAVE A POLICY COMMITTEE THAT ISN'T A PROCESS OF CONSTANTLY UPDATING.
WE SHOULD HAVE A STANDING POLICY COMMITTEE.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS ONCE WE GET THAT IN PLACE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT COHERENT GOVERNANCE DOES AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE COULD EXECUTE BETTER ON, WE HAVE TOO MANY COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
POLICY GOVERNANCE VERY MUCH SAYS, YOU KNOW, THE COMMITTEE SHOULD ONLY WORK ON THOSE THINGS THAT ARE IN OUR POLICY.
UM, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW WE JUST STRUCTURE THE WHOLE THING THAT CAN FOLLOW.
ONCE WE'VE COMMITTED, WE HAVE BUY-IN AND WE DECIDE TO REALLY DO COHERENT GOVERNANCE.
SO AGAIN, I THINK WE CAN, WE NEED RESULTS, POLICIES, AND THEN WE NEED BOARD INTERNAL MONITORING, AND WE NEED TO DO IT CONSISTENTLY AND, UM, AND NEED TO HAVE BUY-IN FROM ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS.
OTHER COMMENTS? MR. SMITH? YOU HAVE A COMMENT? PASTOR GORDON, MS. FRAZIER? I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE TO SEE MORE TRAINING ON COHERENT GOVERNANCE.
I'M SORRY I, WHETHER WE HAVE A TRAINING, WHETHER WE GO TO A SESSION, BUT WE DEFINITELY ALL NEED MORE TRAINING ON COHERENT GOVERNANCE AND DEFINITELY WHEN NEW BOARD MEMBERS COME IN, THAT TRAINEES TO HAPPEN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.
LET'S, UH, LET'S PASS THIS OUT.
COULD YOU, COULD YOU PASS, PASS IT OUT TO EVERYBODY? THIS IS THE LAST TIME BOARD GOALS WERE DEVELOPED TO PARDON? PASTOR GORDON? YEAH.
NO, UM, I SAID I DIDN'T HAVE A COMMENT, BUT I, I'M TOTALLY IN AGREEANCE THE COHERENT GOVERN.
WE REALLY NEED TO BE EDUCATED, AND I'M TALKING MAINLY ABOUT MYSELF BECAUSE JUST KIND OF, I'VE ALWAYS HEARD IT, BUT NEVER REALLY KNEW WHAT IT MEANT, YOU KNOW, UNTIL I STARTED HEARING EVERYBODY TALK ABOUT IT, SAID, NO, THE TRAINING IS, THAT SHOULD BE A TOP OF THE LIST HERE.
UM, I, I'M PRETTY SURE EVERYBODY GOT THE, THE BOOK RIGHT.
[00:50:01]
UH, WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THE BOARD, I WAS LIKE, OH, COOL, ANOTHER BOOK.UM, AND THEN, UH, LUCKILY, UM, SOMEBODY WAS LIKE, UH, AND I'LL SAY IT, THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS LIKE, UH, MAYBE YOU SHOULD, UH, READ THE BOOK.
AND SO I READ THE BOOK, UM, ABSOLUTELY A GREAT PLACE TO START.
I WAITED A YEAR TO, TO READ THE BOOK, BUT I READ THE BOOK.
UH, AND, UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M AS FAR AS DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE AS MRS. UH, BOATWRIGHT, BUT, UH, I'VE STARTED GOING DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE AS WELL.
UH, BUT DEFINITELY READ THE BOOK.
THERE'S ALL KINDS OF MATERIAL OUT THERE.
UH, MINE IS ACTUALLY TABBED ALSO AND HIGHLIGHTED.
THERE ALSO, THERE IS A SECOND BOOK CALLED IMPLEMENTING COHERENT GOVERNANCE THAT, UM, YOU CAN GET ON KINDLE.
BUT YEAH, I THINK THAT I'M NOT OPPOSED TO, I THINK TRAINING'S IMPORTANT AND I THINK WE NEED THE MATERIALS.
ONCE WE'VE ALL AGREED THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE ON THIS PROCESS AND EVERYONE'S BOUGHT IN AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO LEARNING THE MATERIALS AND FOLLOWING THROUGH, I THINK THAT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
WE DID HIRE A CONSULTANT AND MR. SMITH AND MR. UM, UH, COLONEL GEIER AND I WERE THE ONLY THREE BOARD MEMBERS LEFT WHO DID IT.
IF YOU'RE, THEY CAN HAVE A CONSULTANT TO COME IN TO ASSESS WHERE YOU ARE.
I THINK STEP ONE TRAINING IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT THING, UH, TO COME IN AND SAY, THIS IS HOW THE BOARD HAS THIS STRUCTURED.
I ALSO, FOR EVERYONE'S INFORMATION THAT'S NEW TO THE BOARD, AND COLONEL GUYER AND MR. SMITH CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WE BASICALLY TRIED TO SORT OF FOLLOW HORRY COUNTY'S MODEL BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR POLICY MANUAL IS LITERALLY CUT AND PASTE OUT OF HORRY COUNTY WITH SOME LIGHT MODIFICATIONS.
SO I THINK THAT, UM, GOING THROUGH OUR CURRENT POLICIES AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE RELEVANT FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, BUT AS I RECALL, I GOT ON AFTER, RIGHT AS THIS WAS BEING APPROVED, OUR POLICY MANUAL.
SO I DID END UP VOTING, BUT I WAS LIKE, IT WAS LIKE DAY 10 FOR ME.
I JUST KIND OF, I THINK I MIGHT'VE ABSTAINED.
UM, I KNOW IT WAS A LOT OF WORK TO GET THESE POLICIES DONE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I THINK IF WE DON'T COMMIT TO THE WHOLE FRAMEWORK THAT YOU'VE OUTLINED WITH RESULTS WITH, UM, DELEGATING AUTHORITY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, UM, AND, AND THAT SORT OF THING, THEN ALL THE TRAININGS IN THE WORLD AREN'T GONNA HELP US.
WELL, UH, F FIRST LEMME STOP BY SAYING THERE ARE OTHER GUIDING, UH, UH, PROGRAMS OUT THERE BESIDE, BESIDES THE, UM, BESIDES THIS GOVERNANCE.
THERE ARE OTHER GOVERNANCES OUT THERE.
UM, AND I WOULD STOP BY SAYING THAT I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE FAIR BEFORE WE JUST SIGN UP AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO GO WITH TO SEE WHAT ELSE, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ELSE TYPE OF OTHER GOVERNANCES OUT, OUT THERE, OUT THERE.
BECAUSE, UM, MY QUESTION IS HOW MANY SCHOOL BOARDS IN THE STATE GOVERNED BY, BY, BY COHERENT GOVERNANCE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT, THAT, THAT'S A QUESTION I THINK THAT WE OUGHT TO ASK OUR OURSELF, BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN WE DID HIRE THAT COMPANY AND, UH, SOME PEOPLE WERE WONDERING WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS IT FOR? AND, YOU KNOW, UM, SO FORTH AND WONDERING WERE THERE ANY OTHER GOVERNANCE OUT THERE? AND AT THAT TIME, I, I THINK IT WAS, MAYBE IT WAS MAYBE TWO OR THREE, TWO OR THREE OTHER, UH, SCHOOL BOARDS WHO MAY HAVE USED THAT GOVERNANCE OUT OF THE WHOLE STATE.
AND THAT MIGHT EVEN BE INCLUDING, UM, GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT, UH, THE KIND OF KIND OF COUNCILS, UH, TOO AS WELL.
UM, BUT I'M NOT SURE, DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT.
BUT MY QUESTION IS, HOW DOES THIS GOVERNANCE HELP US SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES TO THE BEST, TO TI THINK THERE'S OTHER, OTHER, OTHER THINGS THAT WE SHOULD WEIGH AN OPTION TO AND SEE WHICH GOVERNANCE BETTER, GIVE US THE BEST RESULTS THAT AS A BOARD THAT WE THINK ALIGN WITH, WITH WHERE WE WANNA GO WITH THIS DISTRICT.
AND SO, SO I, I JUST HAVE SOME CONCERN THAT JUST GOING AND PICKING WITH IT, BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN DOING SOMETHING FOR HOW MANY OTHER YEARS THAT THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT.
I MEAN, SO I, I THINK THAT WE OUGHT TO, BEFORE WE GO OUT AND HIRE ANYBODY OR BRING SOMEBODY IN, WE SHOULD WEIGH OUR OPTIONS AND SEE, YOU KNOW, I WANNA GET THE BEST BANG FOR MY BUCK.
AND I, I JUST AM NOT SURE AT THIS TIME THAT WHETHER THAT WE HAVE REALLY ACTUALLY WEIGHED OUR OPTIONS, YOU KNOW? SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT, PUT THAT OUT THERE AND, AND, UH, SHE, AND SHE'S RIGHT THAT, UH, WE DID HAVE, UH, MRS. UM, MS. BOATRIGHT IS CORRECT.
UM, WE DID HAVE, WE DID HAVE SOMEONE COME IN AND GAVE AND GAVE US, AND THAT AT THAT TIME, THE BOARD WAS STILL KIND OF IN THE, IN THE, IN THE MIDDLE ON IT.
UH, SO, UH, AND, AND, AND ACTUALLY THAT'S HOW I ENDED UP FINDING OUT THAT THEY WERE OF, THEY WERE OVERING OF A GO OF A DIFFERENT GOVERNANCE BECAUSE YOU HAD THE LEADERSHIP OF THE BOARD WHO WAS PUSHING THAT GOVERNANCE.
BUT TO BE HONEST, TO BE, UM, HONEST, WHEN I LOOK AT IT IN, IN HINDSIGHT OF WHAT WE, WHAT WE DO NOW AS A BOARD, I BELIEVE THAT FOR THE MOST PART THAT WE DO IN TERMS, UH, WE DO PASS, PASS THE TORCH TO THE, UH, SUPERINTENDENT
[00:55:01]
IN TERMS, IN TERMS, IN TERMS OF WHAT WE EXPECT.AND I MEAN, SO I, I, I THINK THE, IT COMES DOWN TO SOME, TO SOME OTHER THINGS, BUT I THINK THAT WE, UH, WE WE'RE OPERATING IN, IN THIS, IN THIS GOVERNMENT AS WE DID WHEN WE, WHEN WE FIRST GOT IT, BUT THERE'S JUST A COUPLE OF COMPONENTS THAT PEOPLE REALLY, REALLY, UH, EITHER DON'T AGREE WITH OR THEY JUST KIND OF IGNORE IT AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE GONNA KIND OF QUARTERBACK IT AS WE GO ALONG.
AND THAT PART IS, IS WHERE THE QUESTION COMES IN TO WHERE IT'S JUST REALLY THE GOVERNANCE THAT THIS BOARD WANT.
SO I JUST PUT, I JUST PUT THAT, YOU KNOW, PUT THAT, UH, I PUT THAT OUT THERE.
BUT I THINK IN, IN TERMS TERMS, IN TERMS OF SUPPORT, THIS GOVERNANCE REALLY SUPPORTS THE CEO.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS BOARD HAS REALLY SUPPORTED THE CEOS OR, OR SLASH SUPERINTENDENT.
UM, I, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S, THAT THERE HAS REALLY BEEN NOTHING THAT HAS, HAS BEEN ASKED FOR THAT HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN TO GIVE THE OUTCOMES THAT WE HAD THAT, THAT WE WANT.
LET'S, LET'S JUST BE, TECHNICALLY, I THINK THAT'S THE MORE OF THE LINE OF WHERE THIS GOVERNANCE IS, THAT THEY THEREFORE, THAT YOU'RE GIVING THE, THE CEO SLASH SUPERINTENDENT THE, THE, THE WHEREWITHAL AND THE, UH, TO ITY TO GO OUT AND DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND, AND, AND BRING IT BACK.
SO, I MEAN, SO, SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME, SOME QUESTIONS THAT I THINK THAT WE JUST KIND OF HAVE TO ANSWER AS A BOARD COLLECTIVELY.
AND I'LL JUST LEAVE THAT THERE.
COHERENT GOVERNANCE IS BASICALLY TRAINING US OR TEACHING US HOW TO WORK IN TOGETHER IN HARMONY.
UM, THE COHERENCE PART OF IT IS HOW WE MAKE DECISIONS OR HOW THE APPROACH WE MAKE TOWARD EVEN DISAGREEING THAT IS THAT THE VALUE OF COHERENT GOVERNANCE, BASICALLY.
SO IF, IF I MAY COHERENT GOVERNANCE BASICALLY A LOT.
COHERENT GOVERNANCE BASICALLY IS US STEPPING BACK FROM MORE OPERATIONAL ISSUES AND DELEGATING THAT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.
IT ALSO REQUIRES US TO ESTABLISH RESULTS, POLICIES, OR, UM, OPERATIONAL EXPECTATIONS AND ESTABLISH ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THOSE.
SO IT, IT, IT IS A SYSTEM THAT WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED, FROM WHAT I LEARNED, AND THERE WERE TWO SCHOOL DISTRICTS THERE THAT HAD HAD SOME REALLY AMAZING TURNAROUNDS.
UH, I THINK THEY ARE IN ONE OF THEM AT LEAST, IS IN YOUR, YOUR FOLDER.
AND SO IT'S ALL ABOUT MAKING SURE THERE'S CLARITY.
THERE'S A END POINT WHERE ALL OF US GET JUDGED.
SELF-ASSESSMENT, AS MS. BOATRIGHT IS TALKING ABOUT, UH, MR. NAY IS TALKING ABOUT COMING BACK AND SAYING, WELL CALL, YOU KNOW, YOU DIDN'T REALLY COMMUNICATE IN A WAY THAT MOTIVATED SOMEONE TO WANT TO DO AS A ONE OF 11, NOT A SINGLE IN PERSON, BUT AS ONE OF 11, YOU DIDN'T REALLY MOTIVATE THAT INDIVIDUAL TO FEEL COMPELLED TO GO OUT AND, YOU KNOW, JUST DRIVE HARD TO ACHIEVE.
AND SO COHERENT GOVERNANCE BASICALLY KEEPS ME AS ONE OF 11 FROM SORT OF MUDDYING THE WATERS IN TERMS OF DIRECTION, TIMELINES, WHEN YOU GOTTA DELIVER.
SO PEOPLE FEEL LIKE, YEAH, I I'M, THEY'RE SUPPORTING ME, I'M GOING FORWARD.
NOW WE HAVE THAT, UH, AS MR. SMITH AND OTHERS HAVE NOTED, MS. BOATRIGHT NOTED, MS. NAY TALKED ABOUT THE EFFORT TO TRAIN THROUGH THE BOOKLETS, RIGHT? WE HAVE THAT.
BUT WHAT I LEARNED, 'CAUSE I DIDN'T GO THROUGH THAT FIRST ITERATION OF INTRODUCTION, WHAT I LEARNED IS, YES, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS WE CAN DO AND WE PROBABLY WOULD BE EVEN BETTER AT EXECUTING IF WE DID THOSE, IF THAT HELPS.
MR NA, I, I'M, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO, UH, LOOKING AT OTHER GOVERNANCE MODELS.
UH, I THINK IF, UH, IF I LIKE, I LIKE THE COHERENCE GOVERNANCE MODELS.
I, I KNOW THERE'S LIKE INTELLECTUAL, THERE'S, THERE'S A BUNCH OF OTHER, UH, MODELS OUT THERE THAT I'VE KIND OF LOOKED INTO.
UH, BUT I THINK IF ANY BOARD MEMBER, UH, FEELS, UH, YOU KNOW, ONCE THEY GO DOWN THEIR OWN RABBIT HOLE, IF YOU FEEL LIKE, UH, YOU WANT TO MAKE A PRESENTATION ABOUT ANOTHER GOVERNANCE MODEL TO THE BOARD, I, I'D TOTALLY BE OKAY WITH THAT.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, TO, TO PRESENT SOME, SOME OTHER IDEAS.
UH, I SERVED ON A BOARD BEFORE A SCHOOL BOARD.
UH, IT WAS A SMALL, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IT HAD A HIGH SCHOOL, A MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, UH, TOTAL ABOUT 1500 STUDENTS.
THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS A AREA SUPERINTENDENT.
HE COVERED, UH, MY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
HE COVERED ANOTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT, ANOTHER ARMY BASE, UH, 150 MILES AWAY.
SO HE, HE, HE KIND OF BOUNCED BACK AND FORTH
[01:00:02]
AS A BOARD MEMBER THERE.FIRST OF ALL, WE WERE APPOINTED NOT, UH, UH, ELECTED.
SO, YOU KNOW, UH, WE GOT, IT WAS BASICALLY BY WHERE THE HOUSING AREA WAS, IS HOW YOU WERE APPOINTED.
WE WERE VERY, VERY INVOLVED IN THIS, THE DETAILS, THE DAY-TO-DAY DETAILS OF RUNNING THOSE THREE SCHOOLS.
UH, WE WERE EXPECTED TO TAKE FEEDBACK FROM OUR COMMUNITY, FROM PARENTS AND SO ON, AND GO RIGHT TO THE TEACHER OR RIGHT TO THE, TO THE PRINCIPAL AND DEAL WITH IT.
AND IN FACT, ALL STUDENT DISCIPLINE ISSUES CAME TO US.
WE WERE, WE WERE THE STUDENT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE KID WAS DOING BAD THINGS.
HE HAD TO COME TO US EITHER INDIVIDUALLY OR AS A GROUP.
AND SO WE WERE DOWN IN THE WEEDS COMING HERE AND SEEING THE SIZE AND SCOPE.
AND, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WHEN YOU GO TO THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION, AND YOU LOOK AT THE 70 SOME DISTRICTS, A LOT OF DISTRICTS ARE VERY SMALL DISTRICTS, AND THE SUPERINTENDENTS THAT THEY HAVE ARE GENERALLY PEOPLE FROM THE DISTRICT WHO WERE PRINCIPALS AND WERE THEN ELEVATED TO BE THE SUPERINTENDENT.
AND THEY DIDN'T DO A NATIONWIDE SEARCH AND, YOU KNOW, UH, FIND IT, IT WAS AN INTERNAL KIND OF THING.
SO THEY'RE VERY INTO A VERY POLICY DRIVEN RIGHT DOWN INTO THE DIRECTION OF, OF EACH OF THE, UH, SCHOOLS AND, AND THE TEACHERS AND SO ON.
HERE WE HAVE THE LARGEST COMPANY, THE LARGEST BUSINESS IN THE COUNTY.
WE HAVE 21,000 DEDICATED CUSTOMERS.
WE HAVE DOUBLE THAT NUMBER OF PARENTS THAT ARE INVESTED IN THESE, UH, THEIR STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENT.
WE HAVE A ANNUAL BUDGET OF $750 MILLION A YEAR, THREE QUARTERS OF A BILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR TO MANAGE, PARDON ME, 750 MILLION.
AND SO, UH, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO ACT LIKE A BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE AND GIVE OUR SUPERINTENDENT OUR CEO, THE AUTHORITY TO DO THE BUSINESS BECAUSE FRANKLY NONE OF US, AND HERE'S, HERE'S ONE OF THE DIFFERENCES THAT I ALSO SEE.
ONE OF THE DIFFERENCES IS IN A CORPORATE BOARD, YOU GENERALLY HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE SELECTED, YOU GET AN ATTORNEY, YOU GET A, UH, UH, ACCOUNTANT, YOU GET A HR PERSON.
YOU, YOU, YOU GET TALENT TO COME IN AND HELP YOU.
I'VE, I REPORTED TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITY BOARDS, AND THAT'S HOW THEY ARE, UH, CONFIGURED.
SO, BUT WHAT THEY ARE IS OVERSIGHT, BUT OVERSIGHT AND VERY SPECIFIC AREAS BASED ON THE EXPERTISE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE SELECTED AS AN ELECTED BOARD.
WE HAVE ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF, UH, EXPERIENCE LEVELS, LIFE EXPERIENCE, AND BUSINESS EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE.
NONE OF OUR EXPERIENCE OF ANY MEMBER OF THIS BOARD MATCHES THE EXPERIENCE OF DR. RODRIGUEZ.
SO, UH, WE HAVE TO TRUST AND GIVE GUIDANCE AND SAY, AND ESPECIALLY IN, IN THE DOLLARS AND CENTS, AND ESPECIALLY IN, IN HOW THE OVERALL SYSTEM RUNS.
BUT THE COHERENT GOVERNANCE ACT ACTUALLY USES A WAY OF, WITH THE RESULTS WE, YOU, YOU'RE LOOKED AT BY WHAT YOU ACHIEVE.
AND THEN WE'RE RESPONSIBLE TO DEAL WITH THE POL POLITICS TO DEAL WITH GETTING THE FUNDS AND, AND, AND INTERFACING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UN UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT I'VE FOUND HERE IS WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSING MORE ON DOWN IN THE ACTUAL OPERATIONS IN THE IF INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS AND, UH, A WHOLE LOT OF, WELL, YOU OUGHT HAVE THIS AND YOU OUGHT HAVE THAT, AND WE NEED THIS, AND WE NEED THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S BEYOND WHAT WE SHOULD FOCUS ON, GIVEN
[01:05:01]
THE AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITIES WE HAVE AND THE, AND THE AREAS OF EXPERTISE WE HAVE AND IN, IN THE AREAS HERE.AND SO I, I HAVE A, I I, I TRIED TO GET, WE, WE HAD A EVALUATION COM REPORT THAT WE DID.
AND HOW, HOW, HOW MANY QUESTIONS WAS IT? 50 SOME 50.
AND BASICALLY WE, THEY HANDED OUT A FORM AND SAID, JUDGE THE BOARD IN THESE AREAS.
AND IT WAS A ONE TO FIVE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AN AREA ONE BEING BAD, FOUR, FIVE BEING GOOD.
IT WAS SO FRAGMENTED THAT, THAT IT WAS JUST WORTHLESS.
UH, IT DIDN'T, DIDN'T REALLY SAY ANYTHING.
WE ASKED LAST YEAR TO HAVE AN OFFSITE TO COME IN AND GET TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER.
WHAT? 'CAUSE WE DON'T KNOW ONE ANOTHER UNFORTUNATELY.
AND HAVE A FRANK DISCUSSION OF HOW WE'RE GONNA ACT INDIVIDUALLY AND, AND, UH, CORPORATELY AS A BOARD.
UH, WE ASKED FOR PICK A SATURDAY.
WHAT SATURDAYS ARE YOU AVAILABLE? WE DIDN'T HEAR FROM MOST OF THE BOARD MEMBERS.
I, I THOUGHT, WELL, PEOPLE AREN'T EXCITED ABOUT IT OR, OR THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE TO SPEND BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'D HAVE TO DO.
WE'D HAVE, WE'D HAVE TO SPEND A SATURDAY AND GO SOMEPLACE AND IT, IT'D HAVE TO BE RECORDED BECAUSE WE WERE PUBLIC.
UH, BUT I THINK IT COULD BE DONE WITHOUT HAVING, I AGREE WITH INGRID.
WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE AN EXPERT, UH, ACCOUNTANT, I DON'T THINK, OR A, UH, UH, FACILITATOR.
I THINK, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO TALK ABOUT ONE ANOTHER, GET TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER AND GET AT LEAST SET UP A PLAN ON HOW WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.
WE WON'T SOLVE EVERYTHING IN THAT ONE SESSION, BUT AT LEAST WE COULD HAVE COME UP THERE WITH A PLAN, A MILESTONE PLAN OF THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TO GET BETTER.
SO THAT THAT'S, THAT'S MY THOUGHTS ON IT.
I THINK EVERYONE'S KIND OF ON THE SAME PAGE.
FOR ME, I LIKE COHERENT GOVERNANCE.
I THINK WE SHOULD STICK WITH COHERENT GOVERNANCE, UM, BECAUSE WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK ALREADY.
AND EITHER WAY YOU GO, YOU'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT A POLICY BASED THING.
I THINK THE THING THAT WE NEED TO REVISIT AS MUCH AS GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
BUT FOR ME, THERE'S TWO THINGS.
AND, AND THIS IS A, THE PROBLEM THAT THE REST OF THE WORLD'S HAVING IN EVERY INDUSTRY BECAUSE WE HAVE INFORMATION OVERLOAD.
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE TARGETED INFORMATION.
YOU GET TOO MUCH AND TOO LITTLE AT THE SAME TIME.
I GET 75 EMAILS A WEEK FROM MY CHURCH, BUT I MISSED THE ONE THAT SAID THAT THEY HAD CHANGED THE TIME OF THE SERVICE THAT SUNDAY.
RIGHT? SO I THINK THAT A LITTLE BIT, WHAT'S GOING ON ON THE BOARD IS THAT IF YOU JUST HAVE THIS CONSTANT NOISE OF 11 BOARD MEMBERS, AND WHAT I LOVE ABOUT, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS WE ARE A TREMENDOUSLY DIVERSE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND I DON'T, I MEAN, ECONOMICALLY, UH, GEO THE GEOGRAPHY'S DIFFERENT.
THE, THE, WE HAVE IN THE SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT RACIAL MAKEUPS, DIFFERENT, UH, INCOME LEVELS.
AND SO WE ARE SUCH A SLICE OF AMERICA AS A WHOLE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND I THINK THAT MAKES US A REALLY RICH COUNTY.
BUT WE CAN'T HAVE 11, WE ARE 11 BOARD MEMBERS, AND WE CAN'T HAVE EVERY SINGLE BOARD MEMBER BRING IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL THING THAT THEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE GONNA END UP WITH IS TOO MUCH INFORMATION AND YET NOT ENOUGH.
ACTUALLY FOCUSING ON THE THINGS THAT WE WERE ELECTED TO FOCUS ON, THE BUDGET, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, UM, PERSONNEL ISSUES, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
THOSE THINGS NEED TO BE CLEARLY LAID OUT.
AND THOSE THINGS NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON.
WE NEED TO DELEGATE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS STAFF THE OPERATION OF ALL THE POLICIES, WHICH I THINK SOMETIMES WE STRUGGLE WITH.
AND, AND THEN WE NEED TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE OUR MEETINGS MORE EFFECTIVE SO THAT WE'RE, WE KNOW WHEN WE WALK AWAY THAT WE HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THE BUSINESS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF AND MORE EFFICIENT.
AND I AM, OVER MY FIVE YEARS ON THE BOARD, I HAVE RISEN THE EFFICIENCY LEVEL OF OUR MEETINGS HIGHER AND HIGHER ON THE LIST OF CONCERNS I HAVE WITH THE BOARD BECAUSE THE MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS WE HAVE AND, AND THE NUMBER, THE LENGTH OF THE MEETINGS AND THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE ALL KIND OF CAN COMPLAIN ABOUT, IT TURNS OFF THE PUBLIC.
BECAUSE THE PUBLIC IS LIKE, I CAN'T TUNE INTO THIS MEETING BECAUSE A, WE'RE NOT, I WANNA HEAR ABOUT THE BUDGET, I WANNA HEAR ABOUT PERSONNEL, I WANNA HEAR ABOUT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.
BUT IF IT'S A FOUR HOUR MEETING, AND THAT'S ONLY BRUSHED UPON, WE FIND, I, MOST OF MY CONSTITUENTS DON'T WATCH OR LISTEN TO BOARD MEETINGS.
BUT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, A CERTAIN TOPIC KIND OF, YOU CAN KIND OF HEAR IT PERCOLATING THROUGH THE COMMUNITY AND IT COMES TO YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT SOMEONE'S
[01:10:01]
CONCERNED.I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY LIKE THE BOOK BANNING WAS A THING THAT EVERYONE WAS PAYING ATTENTION TO, BUT I THINK IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE COHERENT GOVERNANCE, UM, A REALLY STRONG POLICY THAT WE ALL AGREE ON THAT, I THINK WHAT WE'LL ALL FIND IS THAT WE FEEL BETTER ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE ARE, THAT ARE ACTUALLY ON THE AGENDA THAT WE'RE SPENDING TIME ON.
AND WE WILL HAVE A MORE ENGAGED COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY WILL KNOW, OH, I'M GONNA TUNE IN 'CAUSE I WANT TO HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON THE BOARD, NOT, I WANNA LISTEN FOR FOUR HOURS ABOUT THINGS THAT DON'T AFFECT ME.
SO I THINK THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT I THINK COHERENT GOVERNANCE IS VERY POISED TO DO THAT I THINK CHANGING INTO A DIFFERENT POLICY BASED THING IS AN OPTION.
BUT AGAIN, IT WOULD BE ANOTHER YEAR OF SORT OF REBUILDING FROM SCRATCH.
AND JUST SO PEOPLE THAT, UM, I WAS NEW TO THE BOARD IN WHAT YEAR? I THINK I TOOK OFFICE IN 2021, BUT I THINK I RAN IN 2020.
UM, COMING OUTTA THAT PERIOD WAS A VERY TURBULENT PERIOD FOR THE BOARD.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF ACRIMONY.
THERE WAS A LOT OF PUBLIC, UM, WHAT'S THE WORD I WANNA SAY, PUBLIC DISGUST WITH THE BOARD.
I THINK IN THE CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE, UH, YOU WOULD SEE THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT GETTING INVOLVED IN WHAT WAS GOING ON.
SO WE DON'T, WE, THIS WAS AN ATTEMPT TO ORGANIZE IT.
AND I THINK, UM, TO THE MEMBERS THAT WERE THERE AT THE TIME, AND YOU KNOW, THE TWO HERE, TO THEIR CREDIT, THEY GOT IT TOGETHER, PUT IN COHERENT GOVERNANCE.
THEY DID DO A LOT OF WORK, CAME UP WITH THIS MODEL, AND REALLY, AND WE WERE ABLE TO RECRUIT AN EXCELLENT SUPERINTENDENT.
WHAT I WORRY ABOUT IS IF WE START TO DRIFT OFF THE HARD WORK THAT WAS DONE FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO, OR TRY TO CHANGE COURSE MIDSTREAM, WE'RE GONNA END UP WITH A LOT OF ACRIMONY AND DYSFUNCTION.
SO MY RECOMMENDATION IS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF I NEED TO MAKE A MOTION OR HOW THE CHAIR WANTS TO PROCEED ON THIS, IS THAT WE RECOMMIT TO COHERENT GOVERNANCE.
WE CAN DO SOME INTERNAL TRAININGS BEFORE WE DECIDE WE'RE GONNA PAY A CONSULTANT.
BECAUSE LAST TIME SHE CAME DOWN AND WE HAD ALL THESE QUESTIONS, AND SHE DIDN'T KNOW THE QUESTIONS WE HAD.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT WAS NOT A GOOD USE OF TIME OR MONEY, BUT RECOMMIT HAVE SOME INTERNAL TRAININGS.
UM, CARLTON, UH, MR. DALLAS CAN BRING HIS MATERIALS.
THOSE OF US WHO'VE READ THE BOOK CAN TALK AND JUST SORT OF AGREE ON WHAT WE'RE DOING AND GET A MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE EFFECTIVE, UM, 2026.
I'M HAPPY TO MAKE THAT MOTION IF YOU THINK THAT'S NECESSARY.
MR. DALLAS HAS THE SUGGESTION.
I WOULD SUPPORT STRONGLY WHAT, UH, MADAM SECRETARY IS SAYING.
I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL CONVERSATION BECAUSE WHAT I'M HEARING IS THERE'S SOMETHING SALVAGEABLE IN WHAT WE'VE DONE AND WHAT WE'VE INVESTED SO FAR.
IT IS WORKING, BUT WE WANNA BE THE BEST AT EXECUTION OF IT ANYWHERE.
SO I THINK THAT'S GETTING EVERY BOARD MEMBER INVOLVED IS REALLY THE SOLUTION.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SELF-ASSESSMENT IS HOW DO WE HELP OURSELVES BECOME BETTER LEADERS AND USING THIS SYSTEM SINCE THERE'S SO MUCH INVESTED IN IT.
AND I, I JUST THINK THAT'S THE WAY TO GO.
SO IF SHE MAKES THAT MOTION, I'LL CYCLE IT.
UH, MR. SMITH FOR, SO ONCE AGAIN, I'VE SAT BACK AND I'VE, I'VE LISTENED TO MY COLLEAGUES AND, AND THERE'S STILL A COUPLE UNDERLY UNDERLYING QUESTIONS IN, IN TERMS OF EVEN, UH, MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS AND, AND ACTUALLY SHOPPING IT.
I ONCE AGAIN, KIND OF FEEL LIKE WE'RE KIND OF RUSH IT RUSHING THINGS, BECAUSE I WOULD ASK WHAT WOULD BE THE RUSH ON THIS.
BUT SO JUST A COUPLE, A COUPLE QUESTIONS THAT I WAS JUST THINKING.
UM, SO DO WE TREAT THIS LIKE IT'S A BUSINESS OR A BILLION DOLLAR CO UH, A BILLION, A BILLION DOLLAR, UH, COMPANY.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, UH, WE SAID, I JUST LISTENED ABOUT YOU ABOUT HOW WE TALK ABOUT THERE ARE OTHER SCHOOL BOARDS, AND I MEAN, THERE OTHER DIFFERENT, UH, BOARD STYLES, BUT THEY ALSO, UH, THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGER DISTRICTS, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO THEN THE, THE QUESTION WILL COME IN IS WHERE DO WE FIND THE, THE CULTURE? BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT, OH, ON ONE HAND TOO, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE LOSING STUDENTS TO SOME OF THESE CHARTER SCHOOLS.
AND THESE CHARTER SCHOOLS, WHEN I TALKED TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY AND ASK THEM, WHY ARE YOU LEAVING? BECAUSE THE SCHOOL BOARD TREAT THE TREAT, TREAT THE DIS UH, TREAT THE PARENTS AND TREAT THE, UH, THE STUDENTS LIKE IT'S A BUSINESS.
AND SO WHAT MY MIND TELLING ME FROM SOMEONE WHO TALKS TO THE COMMUNITY IS THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO TREAT US LIKE A BUSINESS, THEN WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO, TO LOSE, TO LOSE OUR, OUR STUDENTS.
AND IF YOU HAVE NO STUDENTS, THEN YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE NO REASON TO BE IN BUSINESS.
AND SO THEN THE NEXT QUESTION COMES TO ME, TO ME AS WELL, IS THAT WHERE, WHERE'S THE CULTURAL PEACE IN THIS? AND, AND, AND, AND, AND IN TERMS OF BUSINESS, WHERE, WHERE'S THE CULTURAL PIECE IN, IN TERMS OF IF YOU, IF YOU, IF YOU, IF YOU'RE TREATING A BILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS, THEN YOU'RE ABOUT NUMBERS AND CERTAIN THINGS.
YOU'RE NOT REALLY INTO THE CULTURE AND, AND DIFFERENT THINGS.
[01:15:01]
MY COLLEAGUES SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST DISTRICTS BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH DIFFERENT ATTRIBUTES OF, OF, OF THE COUNTRY, AND THAT WE HAVE A VERY DIVERSE DISTRICT AND ALL.BUT IF, IF, IF DIFFERENT AREAS HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS AND, AND, AND, AND, AND HOW THEY OPERATE OR WHAT OR, OR WHAT THEY, UH, HOW THEY, UH, INTERACT WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE TO GET DIFFERENT RESULTS, THEN WHAT I THINK THAT THIS GOVERNANCE A ALLOWS THAT, AND WE, WE TALK ABOUT YOUR, YOUR BOARD AND PRINCIPLE RELATIONSHIP AND, AND THINGS OF THAT, OF THAT NATURE.
I DON'T SEE WHERE THIS, WHERE THIS GOVERNANCE KIND OF, KIND OF, KIND OF CAN, UH, KIND OF ALLOWS THAT, THAT CAN BE, YOU KNOW, CAN BE DANGEROUS AS, AS WE SAID, YOU KNOW, VISITING SCHOOLS AND PEOPLE BRINGING DIFFERENT THINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, THOSE TO ME, THERE ARE, THERE ARE DEFINITELY CONCERNS WITH THIS GOVERNANCE AND, AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND THEN ANOTHER ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS TOO, IS WE ARE A MEMBER OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION.
WE PAY THEM AS, AS, AS, AS THIS BOARD PAID THEM A LOT OF MONEY.
WE PAY THEM A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY WITH BEING A PART OF THEM AND UNDERSTANDING THEM, AND, AND THEY'RE GIVING US THE LEADERSHIP AND, AND WE FOLLOW, WE FOLLOW, PRETTY MUCH, WE FOLLOW THEIR DIRECTION AS THEY A PAYING MEMBER.
WHAT ARE THEY, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THEY ADVISING? BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, A LOT OF THEIR MEMBERS AREN'T USING THIS GOVERNANCE.
SO
SO, SO WE CAN SERVE EACH AND EVERY KID EVERY DAY.
BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THIS GOVERNANCE ALLOW US TO SERVE EVERY KID EVERY DAY.
AND WE'RE SAYING THAT WE'RE LOSING OUR STUDENTS TO CHARTER TO SCHOOLS.
AND THE PARENTS IN THE COMMUNITY ARE SAYING, LOOK, UH, WE DON'T, WE, WE DON'T FEEL THAT THAT, THAT WE'RE CONNECTED TO THE DISTRICT.
SO TO ME, THIS GOVERNANCE IS MORE OF A CORPORATE IS, IS A, IS A CORPORATE, UH, STREAMLINE NUMBERS ASSOCIATED GOVERNANCE.
SO IS THAT, SO MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT WHAT WE REALLY WANNA STICK WITH MOVING FORWARD DOES? I MEAN, SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME THINGS THAT KIND OF GIVE ME A, A LITTLE, A LITTLE HESI HAD A LITTLE HESITANCY AND ACTUALLY THIS, THIS, THIS BOARD HAVE COME A LONG WAY.
AND ACTUALLY THIS BOARD HIRED DR. RODRIGUEZ UNDER THAT SAME, UH, UNDER THAT SAME REGIME THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WERE STILL MOVING, AND WE WERE STILL, WE, WE, WE, WE STILL MOVED SOME MOUNTAINS.
THIS, THE, THE SAME BOARD THAT WE, WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT IS THE SAME BOARD THAT PASSED THE BOND REFERENDUM THAT WASN'T PASSED.
SO, I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT WERE WE GETTING IT DONE? AND WHERE WE REALLY OPERATING IN, IN, IN, IN THIS, IN THIS, IN, IN THIS, UH, GOVERNANCE.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE DISCUSSING IT.
SO THAT'S JUST SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT IN TERMS OF RUSHING IT AND, AND MOVING IT FORWARD.
I CATEGORICALLY DISAGREE WITH MY ESTEEMED COLLEAGUE FROM THE THIRD DISTRICT.
UM, BUT SOMETHING ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP IS, UH, IN, IN, IN THE, IN THE FUTURE, WHEN ALL OF US ARE GONE, UH, AND AFTER DR. RODRIGUEZ HAS RETIRED FROM SUPERINTENDENT, UH, FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UM, WHAT TYPE OF GOVERNANCE, UM, UM, WHAT AM I, WHAT'S THE WORD? I'M LIKE, YEAH.
SO WHAT TYPE OF GOVERNANCE ATTRACTS, UH, A SUPERINTENDENT THESE DAYS? UM, AND, AND I'M NOT NECESSARILY NECESSARILY SAYING COHERENT GOVERNANCE, BUT WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, UH, WHAT TENETS, UH, OF, OF A GOOD GOVERNANCE POLICY IS ATTRACTIVE TO A SUPERINTENDENT? YES, SIR.
AS A SUPERINTENDENT, YOU NEED THE FREEDOM TO LEAD AND TO LEAD THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND TO MAKE THE OPERATIONAL DECISIONS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, THERE, THERE ARE 11 BOARD MEMBERS IN THIS PARTICULAR BOARD, UH, EACH ONE WITH, UH, VARYING PERSPECTIVES.
A LOT OF COMMONALITY ON, ON SOME THINGS, BUT, BUT SOME VARYING PERSPECTIVES.
AND, UH, AND SOMETIMES WHEN WE REACH DOWN INTO THE WORK OF STAFF, UH, TO TRY TO DELEGATE, TO TRY TO, UH, INFLUENCE, UH, THE WORK OF STAFF THAT BECOMES, THAT OFTENTIMES CAN CREATE DYSFUNCTION.
AND SO AS A SUPERINTENDENT, WHAT YOU WANNA DO IS YOU WANT TO TRY TO FIND, UH, THE BEST MATCH, UH, THAT GIVES YOU THE FREEDOM TO OPERATE AND THE FLEXIBILITY TO, UH, TO LEAD AND TO RUN THE OPERATIONAL MATTERS FOR THE DISTRICT.
UH, YOU UNDERSTAND ACCOUNTABILITY, YOU UNDERSTAND, UH, THE DESIRE FOR, UH, RESULTS IN DIFFERENT AREAS.
AND, AND YOU, YOU, YOU ASPIRE TO HIT THOSE, OKAY? UM, BUT TO DO IT, YOU,
[01:20:01]
YOU WANT TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY, UH, TO LEAD AND TO DO IT, UH, AND TO MANAGE YOUR TEAM THE WAY THAT YOU NEED TO DO THOSE THINGS.UH, AND THOSE DECISION MAKINGS, UH, ARE ATTRACTIVE TO ANY SUPERINTENDENT WHEN THEY DEC DECISION MAKING ABILITIES ARE ATTRACTIVE TO ANY SUPERINTENDENT.
UM, IT GIVES THEM THE FLEXIBILITY.
ONE OF THE FIRST SLIDES, UH, THAT YOU WENT THROUGH TALKED ABOUT, UM, UH, CREATIVITY, INNOVATION.
IT TALKED ABOUT, UH, UH, THE, THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE FLEXIBILITY, UH, TO, TO MANAGE AND LEAD ALL THE OPERATIONAL MATTERS.
UM, WHAT I THINK SUPERINTENDENTS, UH, DON'T NECESSARILY WANT IS, UM, THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO WAIT TWO WEEKS TO MAKE A DECISION BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD TO MAKE EVERY OPERATIONAL DECISION AND EVERY OPERATIONAL MATTER.
UH, THEY DON'T WANT, UH, TO OWN, UH, YOU KNOW, THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DECISIONS THAT THEY DID NOT MAKE OR WERE NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE.
UM, IF THE, IF, IF, IF THEY SEE SOMETHING, UH, THAT THEY WOULD WANT TO LEAD AND MANAGE IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, UH, THEY WANT THE FLEXIBILITY TO DO THAT, AND THE ACCOUNTABILITY COMES WITH IT, YOU KNOW? UM, BUT I THINK THAT'S, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UM, THE, THE FREEDOM TO MANAGE ALL THE OPERATIONAL MATTERS OF THE SYSTEM WITHIN, I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD TELL YOU WITHIN THE POLICIES OF THE BOARD.
I'D LIKE TO, UH OH, GO AHEAD, MR. MS. FRAZIER.
MY THOUGHT WITH THE COHERENT GOVERNANCE IS THAT AS BOARD MEMBERS, YOU NEED TO LEARN YOUR ROLE.
AND WHAT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AND WHAT IS THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY THINK.
SOMETIMES WE OVERREACH AND EXTEND OURSELVES INTO WHAT WE THINK WE CAN CONTROL AND THE GOVERNING POLICY AND WHY WE NEED TO GET MORE IN DEPTH IN IT IS 'CAUSE A FEW OF US NEED TO KNOW WHERE OUR ROLE IS, WHAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE, AND WHERE WE ACTUALLY SIT ON THIS BUS AS IT CONCERNS TO HELPING DRIVE THE DECISIONS IN THIS DISTRICT.
SO GETTING MORE DETAIL INTO CARING GOVERNANCE NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY SO THAT WE CAN FUNCTION BETTER, BUILD UPON WHAT THE OTHER BOARDS HAVE DONE INSTEAD OF TRYING TO TEAR IT DOWN AND MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
UM, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE CULTURE ISSUE.
UM, WHEN DR. RODRIGUEZ CAME IN, HE TOLD US RIGHT UP FRONT THAT HIS PRIORITY IS CULTURE SYSTEMS CLASSROOM.
AND I'VE, I, I'VE SEEN HOW THE CULTURE HAS CHANGED DISTRICT-WIDE SINCE DR. RODRIGUEZ HAS BEEN THE SUPERINTENDENT, HE HAS INITIATED THE SYSTEMS, UH, COLLECTING THE DATA TO UNDERSTAND WHERE, UH, THE FOCUS SHOULD BE, WHERE RESOURCES SHOULD BE APPLIED, AND THEN THE CLASSROOM.
I'VE SEEN THE EMPHASIS ON, UH, PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES, UH, THE EMPHASIS ON, UH, INSTRUCTIONAL REVIEWS INTO THE CLASSROOM.
AND WE HAVE WATCHED, WE, WE DIDN'T DRIVE THIS CULTURE, WE DIDN'T DRIVE THIS SYSTEM.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, SIR, MR. SMITH, WE STILL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY, I FEEL, AND, AND I KNOW YOU DO BECAUSE I'VE SEEN YOU DO THE SAME THING THAT I DO.
I DON'T VISIT ALL THE SCHOOLS UNLESS I'M INVITED TO GO TO THE SCHOOL.
BUT I AM, I ASK TO VISIT THE SCHOOLS IN MY DISTRICT EVERY FALL AND EVERY SPRING I SEND AN EMAIL TO THIS PRINCIPALS OF THE SCHOOLS IN MY DISTRICT SAYING, I'D LIKE TO COME AND, AND HAVE A CHAT WITH YOU ABOUT HOW THINGS ARE GOING.
WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU? AND SO ON.
I INFO COPY DR. RODRIGUEZ SAYING, YOU KNOW, AND THEN I SAY, YOU TELL ME WHEN IT'S AT YOUR CONVENIENCE, AND I'LL COME AND WE'LL SIT DOWN.
AND I JUST FINISHED DOING THAT WITH, UH, MY, MY SCHOOLS, UH, THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS.
AND I, AND I JUST ASK QUESTIONS, HOW'S IT GOING? HAVE YOU GOT THE RESOURCES? WHAT'S YOUR PLAN? WHAT, TELL, TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
[01:25:01]
SIC? WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY? AND I, I GET INFORMATION THAT I CAN COME BACK TO THE BOARD WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS OR MENTION ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR SCHOOL.I KNOW WHERE THEY'RE, DO I KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
IF, IF I HAVE A, IF I HAVE A CONCERN OR A COMPLAINT, I DON'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, THAT ANY NEGATIVE THING THAT I'VE GOT ABOUT THAT SCHOOL GOES TO DR. RODRIGUEZ.
BUT I, IF I CAN FEED HIM SOME SUGAR AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I WENT TO FORT ROYAL ELEMENTARY, YOU WENT, AND YOU'RE AN EXCELLENT SCHOOL FOR BEING A BELOW AVERAGE SCHOOL IN ONE GRADING YEAR.
AND SAY THAT TO THE STAFF THERE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S THE CULTURE.
AND I SEE YOU ALL THE TIME DOING THAT IN THE SCHOOLS.
SO THIS COHERENT GOVERNANCE DOESN'T STOP US FROM UNDERSTANDING.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS I, THAT EVERY SCHOOL HAS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT CULTURE AND SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAY OF DOING THINGS UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE DISTRICT CULTURE THAT, UH, DR. RODRIGUEZ HAS ESTABLISHED.
SO, COHERENT GOVERNANCE DOESN'T TAKE AWAY THAT THE BUSINESS PART, THOUGH, THE ACTUAL BUSINESS PART.
WHAT WE GET HAMMERED ON ALL THE TIME IS HOW MUCH TAXES THAT WE ARE CAUSING TO BE, UH, GATHERED IN OUR BEHALF.
AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO DO THAT, RIGHT? AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT WHAT, WHAT'S BEING PURCHASED ON THE REFERENDUM? THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE CAN GATHER FROM THAT COMMUNITY.
AND SO DO YOU, Y'ALL DO THAT? AND THAT'S, THAT'S OUR ROLE TO COME TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT I HEARD.
AND, AND I, I'VE COME TO THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR MY LITTLE VISITS, UH, WITH THESE SCHOOLS AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT I HEARD FROM EACH OF THE SCHOOLS.
AND FRANKLY, IT'S ALL PRETTY GOOD.
BUT THERE WERE A COUPLE THINGS THAT, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS SHORTAGE AND SO ON.
I DON'T, I DON'T FOLLOW THROUGH ON THAT, THAT'S HIS DECISION, BUT I, IT'S ANOTHER CONDUIT OF INFORMATION FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING, IS PROVIDING THAT.
WHEN YOU HEAR THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY, WHICH WE ALL DO, AND FROM PARENTS AND OTHERS, GIVE IT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, SO HE HEARS IT FROM A DIFFERENT SOURCE.
COHERENT GOVERNANCE DOESN'T STOP YOU FROM DOING THAT.
IN FACT, I, I THINK IT'S KIND OF MAIN PART OF OUR ROLE TO DO THAT.
NOW, DO WE, ARE WE INVOLVED IN THE BUSINESS? ABSOLUTELY.
BUT WE ALL WANT THE KIDS TO LEARN.
WE ALL WANT OUR TEACHERS TO STAY, THE TEACHERS TO EXCEL AND ACHIEVEMENT TO BE IMPROVED.
AND IT IS IMPROVING SOME, AND THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE STORIES THAT WE HAVE.
PEOPLE COME IN HERE AND THEY TELL US HOW BAD THIS IS, AND THEN WE HEAR THE, WE HEAR FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT THAT THIS GROUP IS IMPROVING FASTER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND THAT'S FOR US TO GO OUT TO THAT COMMUNITY TO SAY, WAIT A MINUTE.
YOU'VE COME IN AND, AND BEAT US UP ON THIS, BUT HERE ARE THE, HERE'S THE FACTS.
THE FACTS ARE THAT THAT COMMUNITY, THAT PARTICULAR DEMOGRAPHIC IS IMPROVING FASTER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE.
DO WE HAVE MORE TO DO? ABSOLUTELY.
WE'RE NOT SATISFIED, BUT THERE'S PROGRESS.
SO I, I, AND I, I THINK THE EMOTION WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY APPROPRIATE.
AND LET'S, LET'S FIGURE OUT, AND HERE'S ANOTHER PART OF WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT.
A YEAR FROM NOW, THERE COULD BE SEVEN NEW MEMBERS ON THIS BOARD.
WE NEED TO HAVE THIS LOCKED DOWN.
WE NEED TO HAVE THIS LOCKED DOWN BEFORE POTENTIALLY SEVEN NEW MEMBERS COME IN THERE.
SO IT'S REALLY A RESPONSIBILITY FOR US TO FIND THE TIME AND MAKE THE EFFORT TO GET THIS LOCKED DOWN.
SO, ADAM, SECRETARY, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD FORMALLY REAFFIRM ITS COMMITMENT TO THE COHERENT GOVERNANCE POLICY FRAMEWORK, AND THAT ALL GOVERNANCE ACTIONS, INCLUDING BOARD POLICY DEVELOPMENT, MONITORING, COMMITTEE
[01:30:01]
STRUCTURE, AND SUPERINTENDENT ACCOUNTABILITY BE CONDUCTED IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CURRENT GOVERNANCE MODEL AS ADOPTED BY THIS BOARD.SECOND, MR. DALLAS DISCUSSION? MR. SMITH? UH, FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, JUST TO, UH, STOP BY SAYING, UM, JUST TO AN ANSWER.
THE, UH, I MEAN, JUST TO RESPOND, I, ONE THING I'D LIKE TO SAY WE CAN ALSO BRAG ABOUT.
I THINK THAT EV I THINK THAT OUR STYLE HAS NOT STOPPED ANYONE OR ANY SUPERINTENDENT TO WANNA COME TO COME TO THIS BOARD, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT ONE THING WE CAN BRAG ABOUT IS THAT I BELIEVE THAT WE'VE GIVEN OUR SUPERINTENDENT EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE PRETTY MUCH BEEN ASKED FOR IN TERMS OF ACTUAL, WHEN, WHEN WE FIRST GOT HERE, WE NEVER HAD EDS.
THE, UH, IT WAS A HOST OF, THAT WAS LIKE A TECH THING OVER THERE.
WE HAVE TEXT HERE, NO FIREWALL.
LOOKS LIKE PEOPLE MAY BE WATCHING.
JUST TO NOTE THAT WE MAY, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE SOME, UH, NOISE THAT IS GOING OFF RIGHT NOW.
AM I HEARING IT? I KNOW IT'S BAD.
IT'S A WIRE THING, RIGHT? NO, SO THERE WERE, THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS THAT, POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE CREATED, AND THERE WERE IN, UH, EDS, THERE WERE, THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD PRIOR TO ARRIVAL.
AND I, AND I DON'T, I DON'T REMEMBER THIS BOARD SAYING, AND AT NEVER, AT NO TIME WHEN IT WAS EVER ASKED, HEY, I NEED THIS.
I, I ALWAYS HEARD THE BOARD SAY, GRANTED, GRANTED, GRANTED.
SO I, SO I DON'T THINK THE STYLE, ONCE AGAIN, THE STYLE OF HOW WE OPERATE SO MUCH SOLELY IS, IS A CATALYST OF WHETHER WE, UH, GET A SUPERINTENDENT OR NOT.
BECAUSE I THINK AS THE SUPERINTENDENT WANTS TO, OP WANTS TO HAVE FULLY, UH, FULL, FULL, UH, ORDER OF OPERATION.
I THINK THAT, THAT WE HAVE, THAT, WE'VE ALWAYS DONE THAT.
UH, SO, UH, WE ALWAYS HAVE THE, UH, THE OPTION OF, UH, CALLED THE EMERGENCY MEETING OF A DECISION NEEDS TO BE MADE.
AND WE HAVE DONE THAT IN THE PAST TOO, ON THIS BOARD HERE.
WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY OF THOSE MEETINGS.
UM, WE HADN'T HAD ANY EMERGENCY MEETINGS TOO, UH, FULFILL A OBLIGATION OR TO FULFILL SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE, UH, TO GET DONE.
WE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT.
BUT IN THE PAST, WE HAVE HAD THOSE, UM, IN PRIOR YEARS.
AND, AND ALSO, UM, AND, AND, AND ALSO ANOTHER, I'M, I'M NOT GONNA SUPPORT THIS MOTION TODAY'S, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO OUT TO THOSE SCHOOLS AND YOU ASK THOSE QUESTIONS, WHAT DO YOU NEED? WHAT THAT COULD BE LOOKED AT TOO, AS IN YOU ARE IN THE WEEDS.
WHEN, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU'RE SAYING, OH, YEAH, YOU'RE DOING THIS GOOD.
OKAY, WHAT, WHEN, SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PRINCIPAL SAY, WELL, WELL, WELL, WHAT ACTUALLY THE SAME QUESTION IN RETURN.
WELL, WHAT ARE YOU HEARING? AND, AND THEY, AND YOU TELL THEM SOMETHING THAT, THAT YOU, THAT YOU, THAT THEY DISAGREE WITH.
AND THEY GET MAD AND THEY SAY, OH, I DON'T, I DON'T LIKE THAT.
THE BOARD MEMBER WAS TALKING TO ME, AND THE BOARD MEMBER TOLD ME THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WAS SAID ABOUT THIS, AND THEN THEY GO TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.
AND SO NOW IT CAN BE, NOW YOU COULD BE FROWNED UPON BECAUSE YOU'RE SIMPLY HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH THE PRINCIPAL, EVEN EVEN A STAFF MEMBER.
SO SOMETIMES IT, IT, I MEAN, ALMOST COULD BE BANG IF YOU DIDN'T BANG IF YOU DID, IF YOU DO, DANG.
IF YOU DID, BANG, IF YOU DON'T.
SO I, I MEAN THAT TOO, STILL COULD BE LOOKED AT AS, AND YOU'RE IN, YOU'RE IN THE WEED WHEN YOU HAVING, WHEN WE, WE ARE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, TALKING TO THOSE PEOPLE, AND YOU, YOU TELL THEM WHAT THEY'RE DOING GOOD.
OR YOU ASK THEM, WHAT DO I NEED? AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, THIS, THE PERSON THAT CAME, THEY ASKED IS, IS THAT NORMAL? IS THAT YOU, YOU, SO, I MEAN, SO I MEAN, 'CAUSE I, I, I'VE, I'VE EXPERIENCED, OR I'VE HAD OTHER PEOPLE WHO'VE ASKED ME, OH, WAS SO AND SO BOARD MEMBER CAME BY AND SAID, IS THAT NORMAL? OR, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE, I'VE, I'VE, I'VE HAD THOSE THINGS.
SO I, SO I THINK TOO, THAT STILL DOES NOT ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
AND THAT COULD BE LOOKED AT TOO AS, AND REASON REVEREND, WE SAYING, HOW CAN I SUPPORT YOU? WELL, MY SUPPORT COMES FROM THE DISTRICT, FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS STAFF.
WHY DOES THE BOARD MEMBER NEED TO SUPPORT ME? TO ME, THAT'S A PART OF THAT CULTURE, THAT'S A PART OF THAT RELATIONSHIP, THAT'S A PART OF SITTING DOWN WITH THE, WITH THE PRINCIPAL.
AND ONE, ONE PLACE WHERE I LEARNED THIS WAS, UH, WHEN PRINCIPAL, UH, DAVINA COLEMAN WAS, BECAME, BECAME THE PRINCIPAL AT LADIES ISLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND ONE THING, AT FIRST I WAS HESITANT WHEN SHE ASKED TO SIT DOWN WITH ME AND SAID THAT I WANNA TALK OUT THE PLAN I WANT, SHE SAID, DO YOU KNOW MY PLAN? I SAID, NO.
[01:35:01]
AT THE TIME, MAYBE YOUR PLAN SHOULD BE TAKEN TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.AS MY BOARD MEMBER, IF YOU DON'T KNOW MY PLAN, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
AND AS A BOARD MEMBER, I WANNA KNOW WHAT YOUR PLAN IS, WHAT YOU EXPECT.
BUT THAT CONVERSATION COULD HAVE BEEN TWISTED IN, IN ANY WAY, IN, IN, IN ANY KIND OF WAY.
BUT THAT'S THE, THAT'S STILL A BOARD MEMBER AND A PRINCIPAL RELATIONSHIP UNDER THIS GOVERNANCE.
I DON'T THINK THAT THAT, THAT, THAT IS REALLY, TO SOME DEGREE, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT SHOULD BE HAD, BECAUSE THERE'S A GRAY AREA.
SO ON THE BASIS UPON THAT, I'M GONNA VOTE NO NEITHER COMMENTS, DISCUSSION BEFORE WE'RE READY TO VOTE.
MOTION HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
YOU WANNA READ THE, YOU WANNA READ THE MOTION AGAIN, PLEASE.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD FOR FORMALLY REAFFIRMS ITS COMMITMENT TO THE COHERENT GOVERNANCE POLICY FRAMEWORK.
AND THAT ALL GOVERNANCE ACTIONS, INCLUDING BOARD POLICY DEVELOPMENT, MONITORING COMMITTEE STRUCTURE, THE SUPERINTENDENT ACCOUNTABILITY BE CONDUCTED IN AN ALIGNMENT WITH THE COHERENT GOVERNANCE MODEL AS ADOPTED BY THIS BOARD.
OKAY? ALL THOSE IN THE ROOM, UH, THAT, UH, WANT TO APPROVE THIS, UH, MOTION, PLEASE, UH, RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY, AYE, AYE.
A SAYS, HEY, HEY, IS AYE DAVID CARR? IS AYE, OKAY.
THAT MEANS ALL THOSE OPPOSED MR. SMITH OPPOSES OPPOSED.
SO WANNA OPPOSE THE REST OF WITH, AYE.
NOW, NOW THAT WE'VE MADE THIS MOTION, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GONNA EXECUTE THIS MOTION.
AND SO WHEN ARE WE GONNA HAVE, WHEN ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO, UH, UH, COME UP WITH A, AT LEAST A MILESTONE OR SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT MR. CARLTON'S, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE EXCELLENT TO, UH, IMPLEMENT HERE? I THINK THAT WE NEED SOME SORT OF A BOARD RETREAT, AND IT CAN HAVE AN ELEMENT OF GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER, BUT TO FOCUS ON WHERE WE'RE AT, UM, AND, AND KIND OF LOOKING AT WHAT WE HAVE AND DOING ESSENTIALLY A TRAINING, UM, WITH THE MATERIALS, WE MAY MAKE SURE THAT THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS HAVE, I WOULD ACTUALLY RECOMMEND GIVING THEM BOTH BOOKS IF THEY DON'T HAVE BOTH OF THEM TO READ IN ADVANCE.
UM, AND THEN I WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND THAT WE, AT THAT MEETING, WE DEVELOP A, UH, EV ABOUT BOARD EVALUATION TOOL.
WHEN DO WE DO IT? UM, CAN YOU, AND ACTUALLY FOR LISTENING TO WHAT MR. SMITH WAS SAYING, MAYBE WE NEED TO START DEVELOPING A POLICY OF HOW THE BOARD INTERACTS WHEN THEY ACTUALLY GO INTO THE SCHOOLS AND WITH THE STAFF MEMBERS AS WELL.
SO THAT GRAY AREA MIGHT BE ELIMINATED AS WELL.
IF, IF WE COULD HAVE ABOUT 30 DAYS AFTER THE HOLIDAYS AFTER RIGHT AFTER THE HOLIDAYS, YEAH.
AND IF, IF IT'S OKAY, WE WILL SOLICITED FEEDBACK FROM ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS AND, UH, TAKE IT FROM THERE.
ANY OBJECTION TO, TO THAT DAVID CAR SAYS SOMETHING.
I WOULD SUGGEST LATE JANUARY OR EARLY FEBRUARY.
THAT SOUND, SOUND REASONABLE? I THINK SO.
IT'S PROBABLY A GOOD TIME FOR, UH, LET'S TAKE A 10 MINUTE BREAK.
THE NEXT ITEM IS THE BOARD MEETING 2026 BOARD MEETING CALENDAR.
Y'ALL SHOULD HAVE A COPY AND LET MS. BERRY KIND OF WALK THROUGH MONTH BY MONTH, UH, WITH YOU ALL SINCE SHE IS A FOUN OF ALL KNOWLEDGE OF, UH, A CALENDAR.
SO, MS. BERRY, UM, WE WILL START WITH JANUARY AND JANUARY 6TH WOULD BE OUR FIRST MEETING.
UM, AT THAT MEETING WE WOULD DO THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND HAVE IT AS A BOARD MEETING.
IT WAS ALSO SUGGESTED AT THAT MEETING THAT WE START THAT MEETING AT FIVE O'CLOCK, UM, INSTEAD OF SIX.
SO WE DON'T KNOW THE WILL OF THE BOARD, IF, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S PUSHING IT OR IF WE COULD, UM, SHOULD KEEP PUBLIC SESSION AT SIX.
ANY ANY ISSUES? CAN I MAKE A QUESTION? CAN I HAVE A QUESTION? MM-HMM
SO THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE, UH, ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDS, AND MOST
[01:40:01]
BOARDS DO THEIR EXEC EXECUTIVE SESSION AFTER THE MEETING.BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, A LOT OF TIMES WE GET HERE AT FOUR OR FOUR 30 AND THERE'S NOT ENOUGH AND OR THERE'S A BIG GAP OF TIME OR WE'RE KIND OF RUSHING THROUGH EXECUTIVE SESSION TO GET OUT HERE AT SIX.
COULD WE DO SOMETHING LIKE START THE PUBLIC SESSION EARLIER, SAY AT FIVE, WHICH IS WHEN MOST OF US ARE HERE, MOST OF US ARE HERE BY FIVE AT THE EARLIEST.
I MEAN SOMETIMES FOUR OR FOUR 30 DEPENDING ON WHAT'S ON EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND THEN DO OUR REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING.
AND AT THE END OF THE PUBLIC MEETING, THEN WE WOULD ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WHAT ABOUT THOSE ITEMS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION AND VOTE ON AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION? BUT THEY IS, THEY THEN RETURN BACK TO PUBLIC SESSION.
IT JUST ALLOWS A LITTLE BIT BETTER SCHEDULING AND A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE PUBLIC SESSION UPFRONT AND LESS OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE EXECUTIVE SESSION IF SOMEONE IS WAITING TO, BECAUSE, 'CAUSE THEY, THE PUBLIC CAN'T PARTICIPATE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO, UM, IF SOMEONE IS WAITING TO HEAR THE RESULTS, UM, OF AN EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTION, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO WAIT THE DURATION OF THE MEETING.
BUT I THINK THAT'S PRETTY RARE.
SO THAT IS ACTUALLY WHAT THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD'S BEST PRACTICES IS.
AND IT IS WHAT THE MAJORITY OF DISTRICTS DO.
AND I THINK IT WOULD MAKE A LOT BETTER USE OF STAFF TIME.
PUBLIC TIME DOESN'T REALLY IMPACT US 'CAUSE WE'RE HERE FOR THE DURATION.
GOT ANY COMMENTS? UH, SAY THAT, SAY THAT AGAIN.
SO WE WOULD RUN THROUGH THE PUBLIC PART OF THE MEETING AT THE END OF THE MEETING BEFORE A JOURNEY, WE WOULD ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO ADDRESS EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS. THEN WE WOULD RETURN TO PUBLIC SESSION TO VOTE ON EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THEN ADJOURN.
I THINK BECAUSE THE PUBLIC, IF, IF WE'RE BEING TRANSPARENT, THE PUBLIC IS WATCHING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING AND THE ACTUAL, UH, MOTIONS THAT THE ACT, THE ACTIONS THAT THE BOARD HAS TAKEN IS BEING UPFRONT, PUBLICLY.
SO I I I MEAN IT IS, IF IT'S NOT BROKE, WHY FIX IT? I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THOSE MOVES AGAIN, TO BE ABLE TO, UH, KEEP THE PUBLIC, UH, NOT INVOLVED.
AND WHERE I SEE THAT I, IF IT'S, ONCE AGAIN, IF IT'S NOT BROKE, DON'T FIX IT.
I DON'T SEE A REASON TO MOVE IT BECAUSE THAT IS THE PUBLIC'S BUSINESS AND WE'RE DOING IT IN A TIME.
IF WE SAY THAT WHEN WE, THAT WE DO WANT PEOPLE TO COME AND SEE AND PEOPLE, UH, BUT BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE PUBLIC IS WATCHING AND THEY DO, THEY DO WANNA KNOW WHAT'S THE MOTION COMING IN AND OUTTA THE EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
UH, SO WHAT WOULD BE THE, WHAT WOULD BE THE REASON TO PUSH IT? THAT, WHAT WOULD MAKE IT SUCH A A, UH, WHAT WOULD BE THE REASON TO CHANGE HOW, HOW WE OPERATE? YEAH, THAT'S, UM, AND YOU WEREN'T HERE WHEN, WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT IT UP FRONT, I THINK THE PRO WE, IT'S BEEN SUGGESTED TO MOVE PUBLIC SESSION OR TO MOVE THE START TIME OF THE MEETINGS TILL FIVE.
SO THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ON THAT.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS, IS THAT WE GUESS HOW LONG EXECUTIVE SESSIONS GOING TO TAKE? SO SOMETIMES WE GET DONE REALLY EARLY AND THEN WE'RE JUST KIND OF MILLING AROUND FOR 45 MINUTES.
OTHER TIMES WE ARE RUSHING AND THAT'S MORE FREQUENT WHERE WE'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE GOTTA GET BACK TO PUBLIC SESSION.
SO IF WE MOVE IT TO THE END, WHICH IS WHAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS DO, AND WHAT IS RECOMMENDED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION, WE WOULD ELIMINATE THAT PROBLEM FOR, FOR RUSHING EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE OTHER THING IS EXECUTIVE SESSION BY NATURE IS NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
SO WHY WE WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PUBLIC WATCHING THE PART OF EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT HAPPENS IN A CLOSED ROOM OFF, OFF CAMERA.
I DON'T SEE THE BENEFIT OF THAT.
SO AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE EVER SET IT UP THIS WAY.
WE ARE THE ANOMALY, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
WE ARE DOING IT DIFFERENTLY THAN OTHER SCHOOL BOARDS AND DIFFERENTLY THAN IS RECOMMENDED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION.
I'M SURE THERE WAS A REASON TO DO THAT AT SOME POINT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE EX, UM, EXCUSE ME, THE PUBLIC PART BE LOADED UP TO THE FRONT AND THE PART THAT WE DO PRIVATELY LOADED TO THE END.
AND FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SEE THE OUTCOME, WHO WANT TO HEAR THE OUTCOME OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTIONS THAT WE VOTE ON, THEY WILL HAVE NO WITNESS TO THE DISCUSSION.
BUT IF THEY WANNA BE HERE WHEN WE ANNOUNCE THE MOTIONS, THEY CAN DO SO.
AND THEN WE COULD OFFER ANOTHER PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTIONS.
IF SOMEONE WANTED TO COMMENT ON THE MOTIONS COMING OUT.
CAN I ANS ANSWER WHY IT WAS DONE CHANGED THE WAY THAT IT, THAT I, THE REASON WHY THAT IT WAS CHANGED TO HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION FIRST IS BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS BOARDS DID NOT WANT TO STAY AS LATE BECAUSE THE BOARD MEETINGS IT THEMSELVES, REGULAR BOARD MEETINGS WERE ALREADY GOING TO 10 AND 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
SO THEREFORE THEY DID NOT WANT TO HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSIONS BECAUSE IN THE PAST WE HAVE HAD BOARD MEETINGS THAT LASTED TILL 1:00 AM IN THE MORNING.
SO IT WAS STARTED TO HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSIONS FIRST AT THE BEGINNING, UM, BECAUSE STAFF WAS, STAFF WAS INVOLVED.
SO THEY STARTED EARLY AND THE INTENTION
[01:45:01]
WAS TO GET THAT PART OF THE BUSINESS DONE SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE THERE TILL ONE AND TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, WHICH HAS HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY.BUT YOU DO, YEAH, WE DIDN'T HAVE COHERENT GOVERNANCE AT THE TIME.
IT WAS POLICY AND IT WAS CHANGED.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS IS, UM, EXCUSE ME.
THE FACT THAT THE STAFF PEOPLE COME AND THEY STAY.
UH, I THINK THE CORE ISSUE IS, IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO CONSOLIDATE THE LENGTH OF OUR MEETINGS? SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT PROTOCOLS MIGHT ENABLE US TO DO THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
SO WE HAVE AT THE END OF OUR AGENDA SAYING THAT THE MEETING, THERE WAS A BOARD MOTION THAT THE MEETINGS HAD TO END BY NO LATER THAN NINE 15 UNLESS THE VOTE IS TAKEN.
AND IF THE VOTE, IF THE MEETING HAD NOT ENDED BY NINE 15, THEN WE COME BACK THE NEXT DAY, START AT SIX O'CLOCK AND START THE MEETING AGAIN.
SO THAT WAS THE BOARD ACTION IS WHY THAT IS ON THE AGENDA.
SO THE BOARD MEETING IS TO END NO LATER THAN NINE 15 UNLESS THERE IS A VOTE TO EXTEND IT.
OTHERWISE YOU COME BACK THE VERY NEXT DAY, IT START AT SIX O'CLOCK TO CONTINUE THE MEETING.
RAZER DID YOU HAVE, SO OH NO, YOU WERE GONNA POINT OUT THE NINE 15.
ABOUT TO SAY ABOUT THE NINE 15
IF WE'RE NOT FINISHED WITH THE REGULAR MEETING AND HAVE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, THEN WE'LL JUST HAVE TO COME BACK THE NEXT DAY.
SO SOMEONE, SO, SO IS, SO WHAT'S THE, I MEAN, I'M, I I, I'VE HEARD WHAT WHAT SHE JUST SAID ABOUT, ABOUT THE, UM, ABOUT WANTING TO CHANGE IT.
SO I'M STILL NOT GRASPING NOW WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE, UH, THE, THE, THE PROBLEM IN TERMS, IN TERMS TO WHY WE, WHY WE WANT TO CHANGE IT? BECAUSE I THINK NOW WE ALSO, AT THERE TIMES, THERE ARE ALSO TIMES TOO WHERE WE HAVE, WE ENTERTAIN ATTORNEYS AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND IN MOST RECENT YEARS WE HAVE HADN'T, WE HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM WITH, UH, GETTING ATTORNEYS.
AND ACTUALLY ATTORNEYS HAVE COME, HAVE COME TO US AT A REASON, A REASON, A REASONABLE TIME.
AND SO THEREFORE WE HAVE HAD NOT TO ASK THEM TO COME LATER.
THIS WILL, WILL, WILL BRING THEM LATER.
I MAY, MAY, MAY, MAY NOT BE, UH, MAY, THIS MAY NOT BE CONDUCIVE BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIMES WHEN WE START, IT'S UH, DURING TIMES WHERE THEY ARE, WHERE THEY ACTUALLY ARE AVAILABLE, ARE AVAILABLE, AND, UH, NOT, AND NOT JUST ATTORNEYS, JUST OTHER DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND DID YOU SAY THAT Y'ALL WANTED TO START THE MEETING AT FIVE O'CLOCK BECAUSE AT FIVE O'CLOCK PEOPLE ARE STILL AT WORK? SO ONCE AGAIN, IF, IF THAT'S TRUE, WHY WOULD WE WANNA START THE MEETING AT FIVE O'CLOCK AND OUR NORMAL, OUR NORMAL TIME THAT WE NORMALLY START, WE START AT FOUR 30 AND FIVE O'CLOCK IN TERMS OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THAT'S, THAT'S MY POINT, OUR POINT FROM MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE STARTED THOSE TIMES AND A REGULAR MEETING STARTS AT SIX O'CLOCK WHEN PARENTS CAN GET OFF AND DO, WE DO HAVE PARENT, UH, STUDENT PERFORMANCES AND DIFFERENT THINGS WHEN PARENT ARE ABLE TO COME IN AND SEE THOSE THINGS.
SO, DID I MISS SOMETHING OR DID I, DID I MISS, UH, INTERPRET, INTERPRET SOMETHING SOMEWHERE? MY INTERPRETATION IS JUST THAT WE CHANGED IT TO, FOR THE BOARD'S CONVENIENCE BECAUSE BOARD MEMBERS DIDN'T WANNA STAY TILL 1:00 AM THAT'S WHY IT WAS CHANGED.
WE, WE ARE AN ANOMALY IN THE SOUTH CAR, THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, THIS IS HOW IT IS DONE EVERYWHERE ELSE.
NOW, AS FAR AS LIKE WORK TIMES, I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE CHALLENGES WITH PEOPLE GETTING TO WORK.
TRAFFIC'S A CHALLENGE IF THEY WANT TO COME SEE A STUDENT PERFORMANCE.
I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT WE NOW HAVE BOARD MEETINGS SOUTH ABROAD AND NORTH ABROAD BECAUSE IT'S BASICALLY NA POSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE NORTH ABROAD TO GET TO SOUTH ABROAD BY ANY PERIOD OF TIME.
SO, BUT I THINK THAT TO YOUR POINT, I THINK THAT THAT THOUGH OURS ARE POTENTIAL WRINKLES TO THAT, BUT THAT'S NOT WHY WE DO IT.
WE DID IT BECAUSE THE BOARD DIDN'T WANNA BE HERE LATE.
I THINK THAT WE SHOULD GET IN LINE.
I THINK IT'S BETTER FOR THE PUBLIC.
I THINK IT'S BETTER FOR STAFF.
I THINK THAT IT'S BETTER FOR THE BOARD IN THE LONG TERM BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE A, A POLICY IN PLACE THAT WE DON'T ALLOW MEETINGS TO GO PAST NINE 15.
WHEN I FIRST, MY FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT HAPPENED NOT INFREQUENTLY WHERE WE WOULD HAVE TO VOTE TO EXTEND THE MEETING.
THAT HAS GOTTEN TREMENDOUSLY BETTER.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T THINK YOU GUYS, I DON'T THINK HAVE HAD TO HAVE THAT VOTE SINCE YOU'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD.
UM, AND I WOULD SAY IT'S PROBABLY BEEN A GOOD TWO YEARS SINCE WE'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT.
BUT, UM, TO ME, WE FRONT LOAD THE MEETING WITH THE STUFF THAT THE PUBLIC ACTUALLY WITNESSES AND WE BACK LOAD THE MEETING WITH THE STUFF THAT THE BOARD HAS TO TAKE CARE OF PRIVATELY.
DR. RODRIGUEZ, WHAT IS YOUR, UH, FEELING AS FAR AS THE IMPACT ON THE STAFF? I MEAN, AS LONG AS OUR, OUR MEETINGS ARE EFFICIENT, YOU KNOW, UM, AND, AND
[01:50:01]
THEY'RE NOT RUNNING TILL, YOU KNOW, 12 OR ONE IN, IN THE MORNING OR 11, RIGHT? UM, IT, WE OFTEN FINISH MEETINGS AT, YOU KNOW, EIGHT 30 OR NINE O'CLOCK, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, I MEAN THAT, THAT'S PROBABLY FINE.THE STUDENT PERFORMANCE, UH, AND POINTS OF CELEBRATION MIGHT JUST BE SOMETHING WE MOVE BACK ON THE AGENDA INSTEAD OF HAVING IT AT THE BEGINNING.
SLIDE IT BACK A LITTLE BIT, UH, ON THE AGENDA, UH, BECAUSE, UH, TRANSPORTING STUDENTS, UH, FOR STUDENT PERFORMANCES, SOMETIMES, FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU'RE GOING FROM, FROM, YOU KNOW, WELL OUR SCHOOL HERE, UH, BUS ROUTES, UH, THAT ARE FINISHING UP, YOU KNOW, AT AT FIVE O'CLOCK, THEY MAY, THEY MAY, THAT MAY NOT BE A POSSIBILITY, BUT WE MAY NEED TO, UH, MOVE IT BACK ON THE AGENDA.
THAT'S A, THAT'S ONE WAY TO HANDLE THAT.
SO IF WE'RE SAYING THAT WE WANNA START THE BOARD MEETINGS AT FIVE O'CLOCK AND THE ACTUAL BUSINESS PART OF IT, I AM REALLY CONCERNED BECAUSE, AND, AND WE ARE MOVING, WE, AND WE'RE MOVING IN EXECUTIVE SE EXECUTIVE SESSION, LIKE THEN WE'RE SELLING THE COMMUNITY.
WE, WE DON'T WANT THEM, WE, WE DON'T WANT THEM HERE BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY DON'T GET OFF UNTIL FIVE O'CLOCK.
SO WE WOULD'VE REALLY, WE, WE WOULD REALLY BE REARRANGING OUR, OUR OUR WHOLE, OUR WHOLE, UM, A A AGENDA.
AND SO THAT WOULD ALSO MEAN TOO, THEN WE SHOULD, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE PEOPLE COME UP AND SAY THAT THAT, UH, WE WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING FIRST BECAUSE WE WANNA MOVE SOMEONE UP ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE THEY TRAVELED FROM COLUMBIA OR THEY TRAVELED FROM GREENVILLE AND RESPECT THEIR TIME.
THEN, THEN, THEN I WON'T BE WILLING TO DO THAT, TO DO THAT EITHER, BECAUSE THAT, I MEAN THAT, THAT WILL BE CONTRADICTING WHAT THE, WHAT THIS IS WHAT THE CHANGE IS IS MAKING.
ONCE AGAIN, MY QUESTION TOO IS IF IT'S, IF IT'S NOT BROKE, WHY FIX IT? I THINK THAT THIS IS, THAT THIS IS NOT A SMART MOVE ON THE, ON THE, ON THE, ON THE BOARDS.
IF WE WANT THE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE AND ALSO WE LIKE TO SAY, OH, WELL, WELL WE DON'T WANT, WELL, STAFF HAVE TO GO HOME AND TAKE CARE OF THEIR KIDS OUTSIDE AT SOME POINT IN TIMES.
I SEE WHERE DURING, DURING CERTAIN PARTS OF THE MEETING WHERE STAFF GETS DONE WITH THEIR PRESENTATIONS OR DIFFERENT THINGS OR THE EXECUTIVE SESSIONS WHERE, WHERE THEY, THEY GO HOME TO, THEY GO HOME TO CERTAIN STAFF.
IT'S NOT, SOME OF THE MEETINGS NOT TIED TO THEM THAT THEY GO HOME TO THEIR FAMILIES.
SO THIS RIGHT HERE CONTRADICT A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN SAYING AND, AND, AND I'M JUST REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE, BECAUSE SINCE I CAN EVER REMEMBER, WE'VE ALWAYS, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD EXECUTIVE SESSION FIRST.
AND THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY WE ALTER IT SO THAT WE CAN GET PEOPLE OUTTA HERE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY WE COME IN AS BOARD MEMBERS SOMETIMES AT FOUR O'CLOCK, FOUR 30, SO THAT WE CAN GO IN AND GET, AND GET THE ACTUAL BUSINESS OF THE BOARD DONE.
SO BY THE TIME SIX O'CLOCK COMES AROUND, WE ARE OUT OF THERE AND WE'RE READY TO START THE MEETING AT SIX O'CLOCK.
AND TO ME, THE MORE I HEAR BOARD MEMBERS WANTING TO CHANGE THE TIMES OF THE MEETING, AS ONE OF MY, UH, WAS ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES WOULD SAY, UH, FORMER COLLEAGUES WOULD SAY, AND THIS BOARD, IF YOU DON'T GOT THE TIME, GET OFF THE BOARD.
IF YOU DON'T WANT, IF YOU DON'T WANT COME TO THESE MEETINGS AND YOU DON'T WANNA PUT THE TIME IN AS A BOARD MEMBER TO SERVE YOUR COMMUNITY, THEN MAYBE THIS BOARD AIN'T FOR YOU.
BUT WHAT THIS BOARD IS NOT IS FOR US TO TREAT IT LIKE A, A COUNTRY CLUB.
AND IT SEEMS MORE AND MORE LIKE WE BEGINNING TO TREAT THIS BOARD LIKE A COUNTRY CLUB AND SAY, WE WANT TO CUT DOWN THE TIME EVERY TIME I LOOK OR WE WANT CUT THE MEETING DOWN, WE WANNA CUT THIS DOWN.
I'VE ALREADY BEEN QUIET ENOUGH AND WE'VE ALREADY BEEN, HAVE CUT DOWN SO MANY DIFFERENT TIMES OF MEETINGS AND WHERE WE'RE STARTING TO ANALYZE WHEN PEOPLE, WHEN PEOPLE SPEAK AND, AND, AND, AND HOW LONG THE MEETINGS ARE.
OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, WELL LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS AFTER THE MEETING'S OVER, OR LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS BEFORE THE MEETING.
SO WHAT'S THE POINT OF HAVING THE MEETINGS? I'M REALLY GETTING TIRED OF US TREATING, BEGINNING TO TREAT THIS THING IN SOME, IN SOME AREAS OF A, OF A COUNTRY CLUB.
IF YOU DON'T WANNA BE ON THE BOARD AND YOU DON'T HAVE TIME FOR IT, THEN DON'T BE ON THE BOARD.
RIGHT? I WASN'T ACTUALLY PLANNING ON SPEAKING ON THIS TODAY EXCEPT IT CAME UP AS CHANGING THE TIME.
AND WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE BECAUSE WHEN I WENT TO MY BOARD TRAINING, THEY SAID EXECUTIVE SESSIONS SHOULD BE HELD AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
AND I THINK THERE'S SOME REASONS TO DO IT THAT I BROUGHT FORWARD TO THE BOARD.
ONE OF WHICH IS WE DON'T, WE HAVE COMPRESSED TIME BECAUSE WE NEED TO GET OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION BY SIX.
SO WE QUITE FREQUENTLY ARE KIND OF RUSHING THROUGH THE END.
AND I THINK IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE THE BOARDS.
I THINK THERE COULD BE SOME PROS TO DOING IT.
AND AGAIN, IT'S WHAT EVERYONE ELSE DOES.
UM, THE THEORY HERE IS THAT PRIOR TO US CHANGING THE BOARD WE HAD THAT WE'VE INCREASED, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN THE BOARD, UH, BY CHANGING EXECUTIVE SESSION TO COMING BEFORE THE BOARD.
I WOULD DISPUTE THAT I DON'T SEE A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT'S COME OUTTA THAT CHANGE.
BUT WHAT I WANNA ADDRESS HERE IS WE HAD PUBLIC, WE HAD ONE PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY THAT SAID WE NEED TO RESPECT
[01:55:01]
EACH OTHER.WHEN I BRING FORWARD SOME IDEAS, AND I HAVE A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS ABOUT IT, AND IT'S DOCUMENTED WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARD.
I'M NOT OUT IN LEFT FIELD MAKING SOMETHING UP.
I'M JUST LIKE, LET'S CONSIDER THIS.
AND THE RESPONSE IS GET OFF THE BOARD.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S RESPECTFUL, MR. SMITH.
I KNOW YOU'RE RECORDING ME RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S RESPECTABLE EITHER.
BUT I'M SAYING THIS IS ALL PART OF WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT WITH COHERENT GOVERNANCE, RIGHT? I'M BRINGING FORWARD SOME IDEAS.
WE CAN VOTE ON IT, WE CAN TABLE, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO COME UP.
I THINK IT'S WORTH JUST TALKING ABOUT IT THIS MOMENT, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT MEANS I TREAT THE BOARD LIKE A COUNTRY CLUB, NOR DO I THINK IT TREATS THE BOARD LIKE I NEED TO GET OFF OF IT BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TIME.
I'M HERE AT PRETTY MUCH EVERY SINGLE MEETING.
AND SO I THINK WE DO NEED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE RESPECTFUL WHEN WE HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS.
THIS WAS NOT A PARTICULARLY INFLAMMATORY IDEA TO THROW OUT, AND MY GOAL IS TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR THE PUBLIC AND FOR THE STAFF.
FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, I'M GONNA BE HERE NO MATTER WHAT.
I'M GONNA BE HERE AT FOUR O'CLOCK WHEN WE HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I'LL BE HERE TILL 1:00 AM IF WE NEED TO, BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE THAT A COUPLE OF TIMES.
HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY TIME, BUT I REALLY DO NOT LIKE THE IDEA THAT SOMEONE WOULD TELL ME THAT WHEN I BRING FORWARD A PRETTY REASONABLE THING FOR DISCUSSION THAT I'M TOLD I DON'T HAVE THE TIME AND I SHOULD GET OFF THE BOARD.
LET'S, LET'S, UH, LET'S BRING IT TO A VOTE.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION.
YOU, I MEAN, I, I MEAN I I PLAN TO TABLE IT TILL LATER BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY HAVE ALL THAT MUCH I CARE ABOUT.
IT'S JUST, IT WAS BROUGHT UP BECAUSE OF THE FIVE O'CLOCK.
WELL, IS IF, IF THERE'S ANY, ANYBODY ELSE THAT WANTS TO MAKE A DECISION ON THIS TODAY, MS. FRAZIER, WHY, WHY WAS A CHANGE PUT TO THE TABLE TO CHANGE IT TO FIVE? UM, I THINK THE, THE REASON WHY IT WAS SUGGESTED IS FIVE IS TO START THE MEETING EARLIER AS SO THAT IT, WE WOULD RUN SO LATE IN THE EVENING, PARTICULARLY NOW THAT IT'S GETTING DARKER EARLIER.
SO THAT WAS WHAT, WHAT THE CHANGE WAS FOR AGREED.
AND IF, OH, MOST TIMES IN THE MEETINGS THERE ARE A LOT OF COMMENTS THAT DON'T NEED TO BE SAID.
AND IF WE'VE LEARNED THIS IN COHERENT GOVERNANCE, MAYBE OUR MEETINGS WILL BE A LOT MORE PRODUCTIVE THAN THEY ARE AS WELL.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? DO, DO WE, DO WE WANT YOU? WELL, IF YOU, YOU COULD MAKE A MOTION OR YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE YOU DISCUSS THIS FOR 20 MINUTES NOW UNNECESSARILY.
LET'S MAKE THE MOTION, LET'S BE PRODUCTIVE ABOUT IT.
SO MAKE THE MOTION TO START PUBLIC SESSION AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
OKAY? I MAKE A MOTION TO START PUBLIC SESSION AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
ANY MORE DISCUSSION? OKAY, I THINK WE'VE DISCUSSED ENOUGH.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION HERE IN THE ROOM.
UH, ONLINE, MS. HAY DAVID CARR IS AN AYE.
AND OPPOSED MRS. MR. OPPOSES MR. OPPOSED? I I OPPOSED THIS.
SO LET'S, UH, SO MY, MY QUESTION IS, IS, IS EXECUTIVE SESSION, SO LET ME, THE PUBLIC SESSION STARTS AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
EXECUTIVE SESSION STARTS BEFORE THE MEETING.
YOU WANNA GO AHEAD? WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
I'M, I'M, I'M A, I'M, I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING THAT.
IF EXECUTIVE SESSION, THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE, ALL OF THE CONVERSATION WAS AROUND STARTING EXECUTIVE SESSION AT THE END OF THE MEETING WAS THE, THE CONVERSATION.
SO, UH, SO MS. CUSHEN BEAR HAS A POINT, SO NO, NOW WE NEED TO DISCUSS WHEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION BECAUSE THE, WE'RE, IF THE, BECAUSE THE MEETING ALREADY START FROM, WE ALREADY CHANGED THE MEETING TIME FROM FOUR 30, FROM TO FIVE 30 AT TIMES BECAUSE BASICALLY AS LONG AS IT IS IT OUT, THE TIME THE AGENDA TIME IS OUT AT EITHER FOUR OR FOUR 30 OR FOUR O'CLOCK OR FIVE O'CLOCK, BASED UPON WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN EXECUTIVE SESSION HAVE BEEN THE PAST PRACTICES.
IF TODAY THE, THE QUESTION CAME ABOUT OF MOVING EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE SESSION TO THE END OF THE MEETING, THEN WHY DID WE JUST TAKE THAT VOTE RIGHT THERE? OKAY, SO I MEAN, SO, SO, SO, SO THAT, SO, SO I MEAN THAT, THAT, THAT'S, I GOT IT, SIR.
SO LET'S MAKE AN ADDITIONAL MOTION.
NO, I DON'T WANNA MAKE AN ADDITIONAL MOTION.
ALL I SAID WAS IF WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THE TIME OF THE MEETING, WE COULD CONSIDER GOING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL POLICY OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
BUT HONESTLY, I WASN'T PREPARED.
I JUST WANTED TO THROW IT OUT AND SEE IF PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO DISCUSS IT ANYMORE TO MS. FRAZIER'S POINT.
[02:00:02]
THE QUESTION WAS STARTING THE PUBLIC SESSION AT FIVE O'CLOCK, WHICH WE CAN DO AND THEN FIGURE OUT EXECUTIVE SESSION ANOTHER TIME.MS. MS. FRAZIER, ARE YOU SURE WE DO NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO MOVE ON.
WE CAN ALSO SAY WHETHER WE WANT TO DO EXECUTIVE SESSION BEFORE OR AFTER THE MEETING THAT WE ARE HERE NOW TO DISCUSS IT.
WE HAVE DELVED INTO IT FOR 20 MINUTES NOW, SO LET'S MAKE IT PRODUCTIVE AND MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER WE ARE GOING TO DO A EXECUTIVE SESSION BEFORE OR AFTER.
AND JUST TO MAKE IT CLEAR, I, I AGREE WITH YOU.
I'M LIKE SAYING I DID NOT MEAN TO WADE INTO 20 MINUTES OF DISCUSSION ON THIS.
SO I MAKE A MOVE TO, UH, CHANGE EXECUTIVE SESSION TO OCCUR AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED ANY MORE DISCUSSION.
I THINK WE'VE DISCUSSED IT ENOUGH.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THAT MOTION SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ONLINE, DAVID CARR IS AYE MS. HAY? MS. HAY IS AYE MS. HAY IS AYE AND NO, MS. SMITH IS A NO, IS NO.
SO EXECUTIVE SESSION WILL BE SESSION AFTER THE END OF THE, AT THE END OF THE MEETING ON THE AGENDA.
OKAY, LET'S GO ON THE JANUARY 14TH BOARD BOOK.
SO, UM, JANUARY 14TH AND THE 21ST, UH, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT HAS, WE'RE MOVING UP BUDGET INFORMATION, UM, BUDGET REPORTS AND BUDGET DISCUSSION.
SO INSTEAD OF IN MAY WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE THE BUDGET PUBLIC FORM, THEY HAVE MOVED IT UP TO JANUARY.
SO, SO, SO THAT'D BE ONE BE NORTH OF THE BROAD ONE.
JANUARY 14TH WILL BE HELD AT BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL.
JANUARY 21ST IS AT BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL.
BECAUSE OF A PREVIOUS BOARD, UM, MOTION OF MOVING, HAVING THE MEETINGS BEING EQUAL ON BOTH SIDES, THE MONTHS THAT WE HAVE WORK SESSIONS.
THEN, UM, THE FOLLOWING MONTHS WE WOULD MOVE THE MEETINGS OVER INTO HILTON HEAD.
SO IN JANUARY, JANUARY 30TH, WE HAVE A WORK SESSION AND THAT'S WHERE THE BOARD WOULD DISCUSS THEIR BUDGET PRIORITIES WOULD BE ONE OF, ONE OF THE ITEMS. SO THAT WOULD START BE JANUARY 30TH.
SO WE, IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT WHEN WE GO TO BUDGET PRIORITIES, WE WILL HAVE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC CORRECT.
BEFORE, BEFORE WE GO INTO THAT BUDGET PRIORITIES.
UM, THEY WILL HAVE, THEY WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY ON THE 14TH AND THE 21ST AS WELL AS I BELIEVE FINANCE WILL ALSO HAVE ONLINE, UH, SURVEYS THAT WOULD BE PUT OUT AS WELL.
ANYBODY GOT PROBLEMS WITH THAT? NO, NO PROBLEM.
JUST WANNA SHARE A LITTLE TIDBIT.
THE, THE INTENT IS TO BURN THE, UH, BUDGET PROCESS SO THAT YOU'RE COLLECTING INFORMATION FROM THE CAMPUSES BUILD UP.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE BOARD, IT HAS A DEGREE OF FINALITY, IT'S BEEN VETTED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT.
SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S MM-HMM
MR. SMITH? YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION.
SO ARE, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT ALTERNATING DA ALTERNATING TIMES WITH, ARE, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT ALTERNATE ALTERING? I WAS READING, UH, MR SOME COMMENT MR. CAR PUT ON THE, UH, SCREEN, BUT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT ALTERNATING, UH, THE PLACES WHERE WE'RE HAVING THE MEETINGS AT RIGHT NOW? OR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT ALTERNATING AS IN TERMS OF, UH, WHERE WE HAVING, WHERE WE HAVING THE BUDGET, THE, THE BUDGET, UH, FORMS AT? IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? THAT'S BUDGET FORM.
SO RIGHT NOW, THE 14TH AND THE 21ST IS THE PUBLIC BUDGET FORM.
SO ON THE 14TH, THAT'S GONNA BE HELD NORTH OF THE BROAD AT BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL AND SOUTH OF THE BROAD AT BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL.
SO THOSE ARE THE BUDGET PUBLIC FORMS, THOSE AREN'T REGULAR BOARD MEETINGS.
AND BECAUSE I'M, AND I'M JUST, I'M JUST ASKING BECAUSE I KNOW LIKE THE LA LIKE THE LAST, LIKE THE LAST FOUR BOARD MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD, AND I JUST REALIZED THAT ON THE NEXT BOARD MEETING WE'RE GOING BACK TO HILTON HEAD.
SO LIKE THE LAST THREE BOARD MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD, HAS HAVE, HAVE HAD THE LAST TWO, EXCUSE ME, THE LAST TWO BOARD MEETINGS WE'VE HAD, HAVE BEEN ON HILTON HEAD, AND THEN WE COME BACK HERE TODAY FOR A WORK SESSION.
AND THEN, AND THEN WE GO BACK TO HILTON HEAD FOR A, FOR THE, FOR, FOR ANOTHER, UH, BOARD MEETING.
TO ME THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, MR. SMITH, IT'S NOT A, THIS IS NOT A MEETING, THIS IS A FORUM.
I NO, I, I GET THAT, BUT I, I'M, I'M JUST, I'M JUST SAYING THAT, I'M SAYING THAT THAT IS WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
BECAUSE TO ME, THAT IS NOT, THAT, THAT IS THEN LINED UP.
BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THE LAST TWO MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD WERE AT THE HILTON HEAD AS IT WAS AT HILTON HEAD.
AND THEN WE COME HERE FOR THE WORK, FOR THE WORK, FOR THE WORK, UH, WORK SESSION.
SO I CONNECT THEN WE GO BACK TO, AND THEN WE GO BACK TO, OKAY, GO AHEAD.
THE REASON WHY THAT HAS HAPPENED IS BECAUSE ALL OF THE WORK SESSIONS WILL BE HELD HERE AT THE
[02:05:01]
DISTRICT OFFICE.WE'RE NOT HAVING WORK SESSIONS SOUTH OF THE BROAD.
SO BECAUSE ALL OF THE WORK SESSIONS ARE HELD HERE AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE, AND BECAUSE OF A PREVIOUS BOARD VOTE OF MAKING THE MEETINGS BEING EQUAL NORTH OF THE BROAD AND THE SOUTH OF THE BROAD, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME OF THE MEETINGS SOUTH OF THE BROAD BACK TO BACK SO THAT THEY CAN BE E BECAUSE OF YOU ALL'S ACTIONS, THEY HAVE TO BE EQUAL.
WE'RE NOT MOVING ANY OF THE WORK SESSIONS SOUTH OF THE BROAD.
SO WHEN WE HAVE A WORK SESSION ON HERE AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE, THE NEXT MEETINGS HAVE TO BE SOUTH OF THE BROAD IE IN FEBRUARY.
BECAUSE WHAT, BOTH MEETINGS IN FEBRUARY, IF YOU SEE THE SCHEDULE WILL BE HELD SOUTH OF THE BROAD, BECAUSE WE HAVE A WORK SESSION HERE IN MARCH.
SO THAT MEETING WILL BE OVER ON THIS SIDE AND NOT SOUTH OF THE BROAD THAT WAS FROM YOUR BOARD.
SO YOU ALL WOULD NEED TO CHANGE IF THAT'S NOT HOW YOU ALL WANTED IT TO WORK.
AND, AND, AND, AND I DO HAVE A, I DO TAKE ISSUE WITH THAT.
IF, IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN WE, I THINK THAT WE CAN FIND ONE-ON-ONE PLACE TO SOLVE THE BROAD TO MAYBE HAVE A, A WORK SESSION BECAUSE, UH, BE GOING OVER THERE.
OUR SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK FOR THE STAFF.
SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE ALL THE WORK SESSIONS OVER HERE.
WELL, THEN IT, IT SEEMS LIKE THEN, TO ME, IT SEEMS LIKE THEN IF WE, IF WE ARE BEING UNDERSTANDABLE, THEN, THEN IF THE WORK SESSIONS HAVE TO TAKE PLACE HERE, THEN WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND IF WE'RE STILL, IF WE'RE, IF WE ARE STILL OPERATING IN TERMS OF WE'RE HAVING ONE BEING ON THE NORTH AND ONE BEING ON THE SOUTH END.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT, THAT'S JUST, THAT, THAT'S JUST THE REALITY OF IT.
BECAUSE, BECAUSE THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE PRIMARY OFFICE HERE, THEN, THEN, UH, TO ME THAT, THAT'S JUST, IS THAT CORRECT ME? UM, I HAVE A SUGGESTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL BE SATISFACTORY, BUT I'M GOING TO, UH, PUT IT OUT THERE.
UM, FIRST CLARIFICATION, COLONEL, JANUARY 6TH, UM, AND THE REST OF THE BOARD, JANUARY 6TH SAYS ELECTION OF BOARD OFFICERS.
GENERALLY, THAT'S THE MEETING, RIGHT? UH, IT'S, IT'S GENERALLY A MEETING FOR THE PURPOSE OF ELECTING THE BOARD OFFICERS.
THERE REALLY ISN'T ANY OTHER BUSINESS ACTION THAT TYPICALLY IS HANDLED AT THAT MEETING.
UM, IN YEARS WHERE IT'S NOT A ELECTION OF INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS, THAT'S WHERE IT'S ONLY A ME.
THAT'S WHEN IT'S ONLY A, A MEETING WHEN THEY'RE SWEARING IN.
WHEN THEY'RE SWEARING IN THE, IT'S JUST THAT MEETING.
IT IS BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT'S A BUSINESS MEETING.
OTHERWISE, OTHERWISE IT'S A BUSINESS MEETING, SIR.
MY, MY, WHAT MY RECOMMENDATION WAS GOING TO BE, UH, WAS TO TREAT THE WORK SESSION OF JANUARY 30TH AS THE FIRST MEETING.
AND THEN THE FEBRUARY, UH, MEETING, YOU WOULD HAVE ONE ON HILTON HEAD AND ONE ON, UH, ON, ON THIS END.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT FALLS BACK IN LINE WITH 1 1 1 1 1 1.
SO THE ONLY QUESTION WOULD BE FEBRUARY IF ONE, ONE OF THOSE DATES CHANGED.
THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY RECOMMENDATION I WOULD MAKE.
OTHER THAN THAT, UM, IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE IT EACH MONTH THERE'S ONE-ON-ONE.
ANY ANYBODY HAVE OBJECTION TO, UH, TO HAVING IT THAT WAY? SO I THINK THAT GOES THAT, TRY TO SATISFY WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT TO SOME DEGREE.
UH, SO WITH THE JANUARY 6TH MEETING, WILL WE CONTINUE TO BE A BUSINESS SESSION? BECAUSE YOUR ONLY BUSINESS SESSION WOULD HAVE HAPPENED DECEMBER 9TH.
YOU WOULD NOT HAVE HAD A BUSINESS SESSION.
AND THEN THE NEXT BUSINESS SESSION FOR THE BOARD WON'T BE UNTIL FEBRUARY 3RD.
THAT'S WHY JANUARY 6TH WAS CONSIDERED A BUSINESS SESSION.
UH, SO SHOULD I MOVE IT TO HILTON HEAD FOR THE JANUARY 6TH? I SAY KEEP IT AS PRINTED.
UH, WE MAKE A PRETTY CONCERTED EFFORT TO TRY TO DIVIDE AND, AND HERE'S ONE CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE IT'S NOT PRACTICAL.
DO WE NEED A VOTE OR, OR DO WE HAVE CONSENSUS? ALRIGHT, LET'S MOVE ON.
THERE WE GOT, UH, FEBRUARY AT BOTH OF 'EM AT, UH, HILTON HEAD MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, AND THEN, THEN RIGHT TO HILTON HEAD.
BECAUSE IN MARCH YOU'RE AT HILTON HEAD, SO YOU'LL BE AT HILTON HEAD THREE MEETINGS IN A ROW.
UM, YOU HAVE THE SIC COMMITTEE MEETING, AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE A WORK SESSION,
[02:10:01]
UM, AT THE END OF MARCH.SO WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE JOINT MEETING'S GOING TO BE YET.
UM, THE JOINT MEETING, WE TRY VERY HARD TO MAKE IT, UM, CENTRALLY LOCATED.
SO LIKE THE DECEMBER 4TH, UH, JOINT MEETING WILL BE HELD AT
SO NO, WE DON'T HAVE A PLACE YET FOR THE MARCH 12TH, BUT WE COULD DO IT AT OKT.
WE HAVE TO SEE THEIR SCHEDULE.
UH, WHAT'S GOING ON AT, UM, THIS AVAILABILITY? OT IS OUR MOST CENTRAL SCHOOL.
AND, AND THAT WOULD SEEM TO BE THE BEST PLACE TO DO IT, UH, BECAUSE WE REALLY WANNA HAVE, WE'D RATHER NOT HAVE A NORTH OF THE BROAD AND SOUTH OF THE BROAD AT JOINT S COORDINATING, CORRECT? MM-HMM
KIND OF HAVE ONE IN THE MIDDLE, SIR.
BUT I THOUGHT WE MOVED IT FROM THERE BECAUSE THAT, THAT WAS NOT BE FITTING.
UH, UH, WE, WE MOVED IT FROM OKT, UH, IF I MEMORY SERVING ME CORRECTLY.
WE USED TO HAVE IT AT OKT, BUT WE, WE MOVED IT FROM THERE.
UH, WE HAVE IT AT VARIOUS DIFFERENT PLACES.
IT'S WHOEVER SCHEDULES AVAILABLE AT THE TIME FOR OUR MEETING.
SO WE'VE HA WE'VE HAD OUR JOINT SIC AT HILTON HEAD, WE'VE HAD IT AT BLUFFTON.
THE LAST JOINT SIC MEETING THAT WE HAD WAS AT BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT PRIOR TO THAT, I REMEMBER WE WERE MOVING IT BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE WERE HAVING, UH, WE, WE STARTED DOING IT LIKE, UH, IN ROOMS THAT WE STARTED DOING HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL.
SO THERE WERE, THERE WERE TALKS ABOUT, UH, IN THE, AND THE CHANGE OF IT, IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY, BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE AT OKER T AND THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A REASON WHY WE WERE NOT AT OKER T.
UH, SO I, I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE TOO.
I, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A REASON WHY WE LEFT OKER T THERE.
UM, WE DID, WE DID NOT JUST HAVE IT AT OKER T WE HAD IT AT VARIOUS DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
WE HAD IT IN MCCRACKEN WHERE WE HAD IT AT, UH, WHEN WE WERE DOING BREAKOUTS IN DIFFERENT ROOMS. WE HAD, WE HAD, WE MOVE IT TO KEEP IT, TRIED TO KEEP IT CENTRALLY LOCATED, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE IT JUST AT OTTE BECAUSE THAT WAS JUST WHERE WE HAD IT.
WE'VE HAD IT AT VARIOUS DIFFERENT SCHOOLS WHERE WE WOULD HAVE BREAKOUT SESSIONS.
WE DO IT BASED OFF OF THE SCHOOL'S CALENDAR AND THEIR AVAILABILITY.
IT'S NOT THAT BECAUSE WE JUST MOVED IT FROM MOCA TI.
MR. UH, DR. RODRIGUEZ, I DO HAVE A REQUEST THAT I SEE ON THE CALENDAR, UH, UH, FOR AN ADJUSTMENT, IF IT'S POSSIBLE.
UH, AND YOU ALL CHOOSE TO JANUARY 30TH WORK SESSION, I WOULD PROPOSE THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER MOVING THAT TO JANUARY 23RD, UH, BECAUSE YOU SEE FEBRUARY 3RD IS A BOARD MEETING RIGHT AWAY.
SO STAFF IS PREPARING FOR THE 30TH AND THEN TURNING AROUND AND PREPARING FOR THE THIRD.
UH, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, OF THAT, YOU SEE THE, THE SHORT TIMELINE.
ANYBODY HAVE OBJECTION TO MAKING IT 23RD? OKAY.
NOW WE, WE STILL GOTTA TALK ABOUT THIS.
SIC, UH, I, I DON'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH HAVING THIS ONE AT OKA T IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE.
UH, WE, IF, IF LET'S, LET'S DO A COORDINATION AND SEE IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE, IF THEY'RE NOT.
LET'S LOOK AT PERHAPS DOING IT AT ACE.
SO LET'S, LET'S LOOK AT ONE OF THOSE TWO.
I'D LIKE TO JUST KEEP THE TRAFFIC.
UH, 'CAUSE IF YOU HAVE IT ONE SIDE OF THE BROAD, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BROAD, WE, WE HAVE BIG PROBLEMS. UH, IF WE PUT IT AT A CENTRAL LOCATION, IT'S JUST A LOT EASIER TO GET MORE PARTICIPATION.
UH, 27TH IS, THAT'S DEBT DEBT DAY, RIGHT? THE, THE, UH, THE 24TH.
HEY, I TALKING MARCH 20, UH, MARCH, MARCH 27TH IS DEAD DAY.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? ALL RIGHT.
ROBIN, CAN YOU SCROLL THE, UH, WHAT'S ON THE SCREEN? APRIL? APRIL'S FINE.
THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER WORK SESSION ON THE 24TH.
ANY ISSUES? HEARING NONE? MAY WE HAVE A BUSINESS SESSION HERE AT THE, AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE? IT'S THE 5TH OF MAY.
AND THEN CERTIFY, THE BUDGET WILL BE AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND ON THE 19TH, BECAUSE ON THE 26TH, WE HAVE TO HAVE THE FIRST BUDGET READING, UH, AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL.
27TH OF MAY, WE HAVE GRADUATION.
[02:15:01]
BOTH, ALL THOSE AT 7:00 PM JUNE 1ST GRADUATION AT 7:00 PM JUNE 2ND GRADUATION, 7:00 PM JUNE 3RD, 17:00 PM SO WE'RE NOT HAVING TO DO ANY GRADUATION.WE HAVE TWO IN ONE IN ONE DAY, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.
THE ONLY THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS THE POTENTIAL MAKEUP DAY.
THAT WOULD BE A, THAT COULD POSSIBLY, IF YOU HAVE A MAKEUP, BE A, THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE A TWO TO TWO A DAY.
ANY, ANY ISSUES WITH THAT? ALL RIGHT.
SECOND PUBLIC READING ON THE 8TH OF MAY.
AND, UH, I, I'D LIKE TO OFFER A POSSIBILITY INSTEAD OF HAVING OUR REGULAR, UH, BOARD MEETING HERE ON THE JUNE 9TH, WE USED TO ALWAYS HAVE IT AT THE NEW, AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL, AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THEIR COUNTY COUNCIL THING DONE BY THAT.
WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU MIND HAVING THAT MEETING THERE? JUST AT THE, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL FOR THAT ONE MEETING A YEAR? IS THERE ANY, ANY PROBLEM? AND THEY'RE CHECKING THE AVAILABILITY OF THE DATE FOR US CURRENTLY.
SO THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GET BACK WITH US.
IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, THEN WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK AT DOING THAT.
WE HAVE, WE'RE BACK AT THE, FOR THE THIRD MEETING ON, UH, THE JOINT MEETING.
IT'S A, THE READING AT THE PUBLIC, UH, FORUM OF THE CHAMBER OF COM OR COUNCIL COUNTY COUNCIL HILTON HEAD MIDDLE SCHOOL BUSINESS SECTION ON MAY 23RD.
THAT'S OUR ONE MEETING IN JULY, WILL BE HERE AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE ON THE 14TH, AUGUST 4TH, MIDDLE HILTON HEAD MIDDLE SCHOOL AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE ON THE 21ST.
AND NOW, NOW WE'RE BASICALLY BACK EVERY ALTERNATING TIME THROUGH TILL THE 1ST OF DECEMBER.
I JUST WANNA ASK, IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET OUR BADGE TO BE ABLE TO JUST COME INSIDE OF THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL, THAT SECOND DOOR? I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT THEY WERE SET UP FOR THAT.
AND IF YOURS IS NOT WORKING, WE MIGHT NEED TO LOOK AT, BECAUSE THEY GET TURNED OFF.
IF, IF THERE'S, IF YOU'RE NOT USING IT AT A, UM, AT A CERTAIN TIME, IF YOU, THEN WE NEED TO KNOW.
SO THAT, SO THAT IT CAN BE TURNED ON.
'CAUSE YOUR, ALL YOUR, ALL YOUR BADGES ARE SET UP SO THAT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET INTO THE SCOPE.
WE'LL HAVE SOMEONE CHECK ON YOURS TODAY, PLEASE.
AND I KNOW I'LL, IS THERE ANY OTHER ONE? YEAH.
BE I, I HAVE A, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
IN, IN TERMS OF, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A POLICY THAT FOR, FOR, FOR BOARD BADGES TO ONLY BE TURNED ON FOR THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
WE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A POLICY.
SO IF IT'S TURNED ON, THEN HOW DID IT GET TURNED ON? AND, AND, AND WHO MADE THAT DECISION? BECAUSE WE HAVE A BOARD, WE HAVE A BOARD POLICY, A BOARD VOTE THAT SAID THAT BADGES ARE BADGES ARE ONLY TO BE TURNED ON FOR DISTRICT OFFICE.
SO, SO I NEED, SO, SO I'LL JUST, SO IT WAS TURNED ON BECAUSE YOUR BOARD MEETING IS BEING HELD.
THEY WERE TURNED ON TO WHERE YOUR BOARD MEETING IS BEING HELD.
SO IT WAS TURNED ON FOR HILTON HEAD, MIDDLE.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE OUR BOARD MEETINGS AT.
BUT THAT TO ME, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE CAME BEFORE, BEFORE THE BOARD, BECAUSE WE HAD A BOARD HAPPY TO CAN, CAN I, CAN I FINISH? SURE.
THAT SAME THING ABOUT, ABOUT THESE OTHER, ABOUT POLICIES.
AND WE, WE WE'RE BEING GOVERNED BY, SO I MEAN, WHEN IT'S CONVENIENT, THE, THE BOARD VOTED STRICTLY THAT THE ONLY PLACES, AND THAT'S WHY I'VE NEVER, I'VE NEVER ASKED THAT THE ONLY PLACES OUR BADGES ARE TO WORK IS THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
AND SO IF WE HAVE BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAD BADGES THAT ARE WORKING IN OTHER PLACES, THAT GOES AGAINST, THAT GOES AGAINST THE BOARD POLICY BECAUSE WE, WE TOOK A FORMAL VOTE ON THAT.
AND SO IF THAT'S HAPPENING, THEN, THEN THAT MEAN THAT THAT'S OUT, THAT'S OUT OF THE WORLD OF, OF THE BOARD.
NOW THE BOARD WANT TO MAKE A VOTE FOR THAT.
BUT WE TOOK, TOOK THE, UH, THE NEED TO MAKE A BOARD VOTE TO HA TO, TO HAVE TO HAVE THAT HAPPEN.
TO HAVE THAT ACTION, TO HAVE THE ACTION REVERSED.
BECAUSE, BECAUSE IT IS, IT IS, IT IS, IT IS VERY ALARMING TO ME BECAUSE, UH, I'M SURE
[02:22:41]
MOTION TO MAKE, UH, THE, I HAVEN'T HAD MIDDLE SCHOOL AVAILABLE TO BOARD MEMBERS.DO WE JUST TAKE A RECESS FOR A MOMENT? LET THEM REPEAT AUDIO.
[02:25:48]
WELL, BUT WE NEED TO GET IT UN GARBLED FOR COUNTY CHANNEL.
HEAR, BUT IT'S JUST YOUTUBE IT CHANNEL.
UM, I WENT TO TEXT, SO THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, BUT THEY THINK IT MIGHT BE A CORD.
AND SHE SAYS CORDS CAN'T LIVE WITH THEM.
THAT'S
DO YOU FEEL INTERESTED READING THAT?
I HAD TROUBLE WITH MY NETWORK EARLIER IN THE WEEK.
STOPPED ON THE AGENDA IS A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE BRAINSTORMING SESSION LED BY
[02:30:01]
OUR DISTINGUISHED VICE CHAIR.SIR, YOU'RE ON, YOU'RE ON STAGE.
UM, WE, THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE HAS GONE THROUGH A COUPLE OF EXERCISES THAT WE CALL IDEATION SESSIONS.
AND AS YOU KNOW, WITH IDEATION SESSIONS, THERE ARE NO CONSTRAINTS.
AND WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE COULD BRING UP INNOVATIVE IDEAS, UH, WITHOUT THOSE IDEAS BEING CHALLENGED.
AND THEN WE COLLATED THEM OVER TWO SESSIONS.
I THINK WE GOT ABOUT 29 REALLY, REALLY GOOD IDEAS.
UM, AND SO NOW WE GO INTO THE CULLING PROCESS.
AND THE CULLING IS WE WANT TO GIVE THE BOARD US THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE DIGITALLY AND SO WE CAN PRIORITIZE WHICH ONES WE SHOULD BE DEVOTING OUR ATTENTION AND FOCUSING THE ENERGY TO.
NOW, THE FIRST TIME I SAW THIS PARTICULAR SOFTWARE USED WAS LED BY OUR SUPERINTENDENT DOING THE CULLING OF THE STRATEGIES.
AND THAT WAS VERY EFFICIENT, VERY EFFECTIVE.
AND SO WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT THOSE 29 ITEMS THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THROUGH ANYONE COULD PROVIDE ANY INPUT, UH, THAT WE GO THROUGH THOSE AND THEN SEE EXACTLY WHAT THE WILL OF THE MAJORITY IS HERE.
SO THOSE WILL BE RANKED BY YOUR VOTES FOR ANYTHING THAT'S NOT ALREADY BEEN INCLUDED.
IS THAT HOW I SOUND
SO, SO ANYTHING THAT'S NOT, NOT BEEN INCLUDED, WE ARE GONNA, AND YOU, YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INCLUDE THAT FOR OUR NEXT LEGISLATIVE MEETING, WHICH WILL BE OCCURRING IN EARLY DECEMBER.
SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THAT PROCESS, CAPTURING IDEAS.
WE WANT ALL PEOPLE TO FEEL WELCOME TO SUBMIT THOSE IDEAS.
AND SO IF THIS IS OKAY, THEN WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR SUPERINTENDENT WHO HAS LED US THROUGH THE STRATEGY, UH, MENTEE SESSION ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
AND HE'S AGREED TO ALSO LEAD US THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
LET ME SHARE MY SCREEN HERE FOR A SECOND.
SO, UM, WHAT I DID WAS I TOOK THE MATERIALS THAT YOU ALL HAD COME UP WITH, AND, UH, OUT OF THOSE 29, A COUPLE OF THEM, UH, WERE VERY SIMILAR TO ANOTHER ONE.
SO I JUST COMBINED THOSE INTO ONE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, CONTINUED THROUGH THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING IT AND, UH, MET WITH, UH, MR. DALLAS AFTER HE ASKED ME TO DO THAT.
AND, UM, JUST SORT OF, UH, FINE TUNED IT IN TERMS OF WHAT'S COMING, UH, BEFORE YOU TODAY.
SO, UM, WHAT I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO DO, YOU CAN DO IT ONE OF TWO WAYS.
YOU CAN, UM, USE THE QR CODE THAT'S THERE, OR YOU CAN GO TO MENTEE.COM AND USE THE CODE.
THERE'S GONNA BE ONE SLIDE IN WHICH IS INTERACTIVE, UH, FOR YOU TO DO A RANKING.
THE OTHER, UH, SLIDES ARE JUST MORE OF A PROGRESSION, UH, WITH THE PROCESS.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE THUMBS UP.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE, UH, UH, GUEST WIFI PASSWORD HERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, IF YOU, I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHO'S IN.
LEMME SEE IF IT TELL, IT WON'T, NO, IT DOESN'T TELL ME.
BUT I KNOW THERE'S SEVEN OF YOU IN YEAH, THE, THE, UH YEP.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TWO ONLINE.
[02:35:16]
AND ONCE YOU'RE ON, YOU GIVE IT A SECOND.IT TAKES A LITTLE SECOND TO, UH, TRANSITION IN.
DO YOU WANT FROM NOW THE CAMERA? YEP.
AND THEN IT'LL JUST SIT THERE FOR A WHILE TILL I CHANGE IT.
YEAH, I HAVE TO BE ON THE LINE.
UM, MR. CARR, UH, IF YOU'RE ON AND YOU WANT TO USE YOUR OFF OF THIS, YOUR PHONE AND, UH, USE THE QR CODE ON THE SCREEN, UM, THAT WILL GET YOU INTO THE SYSTEM.
IF YOU'LL LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE, UH, WHEN YOU'VE CONNECTED.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO, AS, UH, MR. CARLTON MENTIONED, THIS IS PART OF THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE'S WORK.
WE MET IN AUGUST AND IN SEPTEMBER AND WENT THROUGH, I CALLED THEIR BRAINSTORMING PROCESS, UH, TO IDENTIFY THE AREAS OF INTEREST TO PURSUE, UH, UH, REGARDING ANY LEGISLATION WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD'S ASSOCIATION.
ULTIMATELY, AS I MENTIONED, WE COMBINED LIKE ITEMS, SO WE ENDED UP WITH 22 ITEMS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED.
I WENT FURTHER, UH, AND LOOKED AT THOSE ITEMS AND SUBDIVIDED THOSE ITEMS INTO THREE POSSIBLE CATEGORIES.
ONE, WHAT ARE THINGS THAT ARE LISTED ON THERE THAT ARE REALLY OPERATIONAL ITEMS? NOT THINGS THAT, UH, NECESSARILY NEED LEGISLATION, BUT THEY'RE OPERATIONAL ITEMS. THINGS THAT ARE BOARD ITEMS THAT ARE THINGS FOR YOU AS A BOARD TO CONSIDER WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, NOT NOT NECESSARILY LEGISLATIVE ITEMS, AND THEN LANDED ON POSSIBLE LEGISLATIVE ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION IN RANKING.
SO ON TERMS OF THE OPERATIONAL ITEMS, MOST OF THE ITEMS, I THINK THERE WERE 12 OUT OF 22 THAT REALLY WERE OPERATIONAL ITEMS. AND, AND WITH THIS IS THE LIST OF THOSE THINGS THAT LANDED IN OPERATIONAL ITEMS, UM, THAT ARE REALLY MORE FOR, FOR US TO LOOK AT AS A SYSTEM THAT, FOR ME AND MY TEAM TO, TO WORK ON SEVERAL OF THESE, UH, WE ALREADY DO, WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE.
NOW, IT MAY NOT BE IN PLACE IN EVERY SCHOOL, BUT IN, IN SEVERAL SCHOOLS, UH, DO DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF THIS.
THERE'S A SECOND SLIDE ON OPERATIONAL ITEMS. AND THESE ARE OTHER, UH, OPERATIONAL ITEMS. I THINK, UH, UH, IN TERMS OF, OF WHAT I SAW ON THAT LIST, AND I'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH IS, UH, BOARD ITEMS. THESE ARE SOME THINGS THAT CAME UP.
I'M NOT SURE IT REALLY REQUIRES LEGISLATION, SO THAT'S WHY I PUT IT IN THIS SLIDE.
BUT IT'S JUST THINGS FOR YOU ALL AS A BOARD TO CONSIDER.
WHICH THEN BRINGS US TO THE SIX ITEMS THAT REALLY ARE THINGS THAT WOULD PROBABLY REQUIRE LEGISLATION IF ANYTHING WAS, WAS GONNA BE DONE.
AND SO THESE ARE, UH, WELL, I BROKE IT UP INTO TWO SLIDES FOR RIGHT NOW, WE'RE NOT RANKING YET.
UM, AND I ALSO PROVIDED YOU WITH A SHEET THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS IN YOUR MATERIALS BECAUSE YOU SEE THE LENGTH OF EACH OF THOSE ITEMS
[02:40:01]
ON THERE, THAT'S TOO LENGTHY FOR MINTY METER.SO I CAPTURED THE ESSENCE OF IT AND I HIGHLIGHTED IT IN YELLOW.
AND THAT WHAT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW IS WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE WHEN WE GET TO THE RANKING PART.
AND YOU'LL USE THAT TO RANK, BUT IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION, YOU HAVE ALL OF IT, THE, ALL OF IT THERE IN TERMS OF WHAT THE INTENT WAS OF WHAT CAME UP.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE IS THE THREE OTHER LEGISLATIVE ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION IN RANKING.
AND THEN THAT TAKES US TO THE ACTUAL SLIDE WHERE WE WILL, WHERE YOU WILL BEGIN RANKING, WHICH ARE THE ONES THAT YOU BELIEVE ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT.
SO, UH, AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE, AND I'LL USE IT AS AN EXAMPLE WHERE IT SAYS, CURBING THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCREEN TIME LEGISLATION.
IF YOU LOOK AT NUMBER ONE ON THIS PAPER THAT I GAVE YOU, YOU SEE THAT THAT'S THE ITEM THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW THE, THE LANGUAGE THAT MATCHES WHAT'S ON THE BOARD, UH, UH, ON THE, ON THE SCREEN, SO THAT IT'S EASY FOR YOU TO FOLLOW.
BUT IF YOU WANTED MORE INFORMATION, THIS IS THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED, THAT HELPS.
AND SO WHAT YOU WOULD DO IS YOU WOULD CLICK ON, UH, ON THE ONE THAT YOU WANT TO, UH, PUT A RANKING ON, AND YOU WOULD TAKE IT, SLIDE IT UP FIRST.
AS YOU SLIDE ALL OF THESE INTO THE, UH, THE ACTUAL RANKING SYSTEM, YOU THEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO READJUST BEFORE YOU FINALIZE YOUR VOTE.
AND AS YOU, AS YOU RANK THEM, I RANK THE NUMBER 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, RIGHT? SIX, NUMBER ONE BEING THE HIGHEST, THE ONE OF THE MOST INTEREST, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
NUMBER TWO, THE NEXT MOST, NUMBER THREE, THE NEXT MOST, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AND YOU, YOU PICK IT AND YOU SLIDE IT INTO THAT GRAY BOX.
UH, AND, AND IT'LL LAND UP TOP.
AND THEN YOU CAN READJUST THEM.
I HAVE A QUESTION AND IT WILL, UM, IT WILL BEGIN, UH, LANDING AND SHOWING YOU ALL THE VOTES SHAKEN OUT.
AND RANKINGS, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? LIKE FROM LEAST TO BEST IN TERMS OF THEIR, THE ONE THAT YOU'RE RANKING, THE ONE THAT YOU WANT, THE BOARD, YOU WANT THE BOARD, UH, TO DETERMINE IS, IS, IS WHAT YOU WANNA FOCUS ON TO SEND TO THE SCORES? YEAH, EXACTLY.
THANK YOU FOR SAYING YOU SHOULD HAVE OTHER, OKAY.
I DON'T, SO I GET IT TO SUBMIT WHEN YOU'RE READY, YOU SAY NO.
I MEAN, SAY YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT.
YOU GO, THAT'S WHY MATT, YOU HAVE TO DO THAT.
QUESTION LEGISLATIVE OR THESE HAVE
CAME AND THEN THERE MAY BE A, IS THERE A SUBMIT BUTTON? SO WHEN YOU'RE DONE, THEY, YOU WANT SUBMIT I THEM WHEN THEY OH, WHICH GOING UP HERE CHANGE AS AS MINE? YEAH.
AS OTHERS ARE KNOW AND THEY SUBMIT, IT'LL CHANGE.
MINE, MY, MY SUMMARY SUBMITTED.
THAT'S WHAT CHANGED IN THE SCREEN.
I'M MISSING THE SUBMIT BUTTON.
ARE YOU ON YOUR CELL PHONE OR ARE YOU ON A LAPTOP? I'M ON A LAPTOP.
ANYBODY ELSE DOING IT ON A LAPTOP?
[02:45:01]
YEAH, I'VE, I'VE BEEN ON IT, BUT IT'S ALREADY DONE.THAT'S NOT LAPTOP, THAT'S IPADS.
YEAH, BUT I DON'T, THE ONES I'M INTERESTED AREN'T ON HERE.
AND I ACTUALLY DISAGREE WITH A COUPLE OF THESE, LIKE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF TECHNOLOGY
SO YOU DIDN'T, YOU DIDN'T WRITE? I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T PUT ANYTHING.
I'M GONNA, I MEAN, I WILL BE HAPPY TO EXPLAIN.
THIS MAKES SUBSUMES A LOT OF STUFF UP FRONT, RIGHT? SO STATE FUNDING OF EARLY LEARNING CENTERS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT CONSTITUTES AN EARLY LEARNING CENTER? THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH THAT SHOWS THAT A THROUGH THREE OR YOU WORKED THROUGH THREE SHOULD NOT BE IN A STATE SPONSORED SCHOOL.
UM, THERE'S JUST A RECENT, YOU KNOW, RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COST OF, HANG ON ONE SECOND, MR. CAR.
STATE PENALTIES FOR GUN REQUIRE LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR TRUANCY ACTION.
WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES THEN? YOU, YOU, YOU HAD NONE THAT YOU COULD, YOU COULD PUT, PUT IN AS NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
NO, KIRING THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCREEN TIMES.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT ANY OF THESE THINGS TO ME.
SO, AND I'M HAPPY TO PUT THIS TO SALE AWAY.
I MEAN, MR. CAR, UM, UH, WHEN I SEE IT ON A LAPTOP HERE, UH, YOU WOULD CLICK ON IT, YOU DRAG IT UP TO THE TOP, UH, AND THEN, OKAY, UH, ALRIGHT.
AT THE VERY BOTTOM IN BLUE WITH WHITE LETTERS, THERE'S THIS THING THAT THERE SHOULD BE A BUTTON THAT SAYS SUBMIT NOT ON MINE.
UH, MAYBE IT TAKE A PICTURE POP OFF IF I, IF I ARRANGE 'EM.
YOU PICK THE, YOU GET THAT FIRST ONE UP THERE AND THEN YOU JUST HIT THE NEXT ONE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO MOVE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO MOVE.
ALL SECOND OF THEM NEED TO BE ARRANGED BEFORE YOU CAN SUBMIT.
I PLAY DRUMS. WHAT DO YOU WANT? OKAY, I CLICKED ON ALL OF 'EM, BUT THERE'S NO SUBMIT BUTTON.
SO I'M ASSUMING THIS IS THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
MAYBE MY ACCOUNT HAS ALREADY GONE IN.
DO DO YOU SEE THE, UH, THUMBS UP BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM? YEP.
ABOVE THAT YOU SEE A RESET BUTTON? NOPE.
SO ALL I HAVE IS GO AHEAD, MS.
NO, NO, I I THOUGHT YOU WERE DONE.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST FOOLING WITH IT.
I, I JUST, MY CONCERN WITH DOING IT THIS WAY IS I DON'T HAVE ANY OPTION TO NOT RANK THESE THINGS.
I CAN'T SUBMIT TO THE NEXT SECTION UNLESS I PUT SOMETHING IN THERE.
AND I, I DON'T, I DON'T UNDERSTAND ENOUGH ABOUT THESE THINGS TO SAY I WOULD WANT THE LEGISLATURE TO FOCUS ON IT.
I DON'T WANT THE LEGISLATURE FOR ME TO SAY THAT I WANT THEM TO FOCUS ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COST OF JUVENILE'S DETENTION, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LEGISLATION WOULD LOOK LIKE.
ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, UH, I THINK IS PART OF THIS, CURRENTLY WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT TAKES A STUDENT TO JUVENILE DETENTION, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IS PAYING THE COST OF TRANSPORTING THAT STUDENT, THAT, THAT, THAT INDIVIDUAL, THEY'RE PAYING THE COST OF, I THINK IT'S LIKE $75 A DAY FOR THAT PERSON TO BE THERE.
AND THEN THEY'RE PAYING THE COST OF GOING BACK TO PICK 'EM UP WHEN THEY'RE RELEASED AND BRINGING 'EM BACK.
RIGHT? AND SO, SO, UM, OR SOME NOT BEING TRANSPORTED, UH, BECAUSE OF THOSE COSTS.
AND SO THIS, AS I SAW IN SOME OF THE DOCUMENTATION SAYS PARENTS WOULD BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY OF TRANSPORTING THE COSTS.
I, I THINK THAT'S THE, IS THAT LEGISLATION THAT'S ACTUALLY UP? NO, THERE'S NO LEGISLATION THAT'S UP.
BECAUSE MY THING IS, I MEAN, WHAT DID, WHAT WOULD THAT EVEN LOOK LIKE? LIKE AS FAR? SO THAT'S JUST WHY I'M CONCERNED.
I JUST WANT, DON'T WANNA GET INTO IT.
SO I'M HAPPY TO GO TO THE NEXT SCREEN, BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S NO OTHER SCREEN.
THIS IS WHERE, OH, THIS END FOR YOU ALL TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.
YOU DIDN'T SUBMIT, SUBMIT, SUBMIT, SUBMIT TO YOU.
UH, I'M, I'VE GOT IT ON AS WELL.
IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, I ALREADY SUBMITTED MINE.
[02:50:05]
ALL RIGHT.SO THAT'S EVERYBODY WHO WAS GONNA PARTICIPATE.
WHICH IS TOTALLY ALLOWED, TOTALLY WITHIN CARE.
SO THE WAY YOU WOULD LOOK AT THIS IS THAT IN TERMS OF THESE ITEMS THAT CAME BEFORE YOU, AND ONLY THESE ITEMS THAT CAME BEFORE YOU
SOME, UH, NE THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA WAS, NUMBER ONE, CURBING THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCREEN TIME.
TWO, STATE FUNDING OF EARLY LEARNING CENTERS IS THREE.
UH, AND IN THAT ORDER, 1, 2, 3, AND THEN 4, 5, 6.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S THE TASK I WAS GIVEN.
I'M GONNA RETURN THE FLOOR, UH, TO YOU ALL.
AND IF YOU, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU HAVE SOME DISCUSSION AROUND THIS AND I WOULD RECOMMEND, UM, SOUNDS LIKE THERE MAY BE SOME ITEMS THAT, UH, UH, WITHOUT AN OTHER BUTTON ON HERE, UH, CAN'T BE ACCOUNTED FOR.
SO IT'S OPPORTUNITY TO, TO LAY YOUR THOUGHTS OUT THERE.
SO LET ME, LET ME LAY THE INTENT OUT.
WE, WE'LL MAKE A PEOPLE COMMENT
SO THE INTENT WAS TO HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF DISCIPLINE ABOUT PROVIDING ANYBODY TO BRING ANY IDEA THROUGH THOSE TWO SESSIONS.
AND THOSE IDEAS WILL BE INCLUDED.
THE SECOND THING WAS TO GO THROUGH AS, AS, UM, A DIGITAL PROCESS AS WITH AS MUCH DISCIPLINE AS WE CAN SO THAT WE ARE RANKING THEM.
AND IT'S NOT SO MUCH A BACK AND FORTH, IT'S JUST SAYING FROM WHAT YOU UNDERSTAND AND INTERPRET, HERE ARE THE, HERE'S THE RANKING OF THOSE THAT BASICALLY CLEARLY MIGHT WARRANT LEGISLATIVE ACTION FOR ANYTHING THAT HAS COME IN AFTER THE SEPTEMBER MEETING.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER LEGISLATIVE MEETING.
I THINK IT'S THE FIRST WEEK IN DECEMBER 3RD AT 1130.
SO ANYTHING THAT IS STILL IN YOUR HEART, IN YOUR MIND, JUST BRING THAT FORWARD.
BUT WE WANT IT TO BE BEGIN PROSPECTING, THOSE THAT ARE THE HIGHEST LEADING ONES RIGHT HERE.
SO IT'S VERY ANALYTICAL AND IS, WE TRY TO KEEP IT AS MUCH IN TERMS OF WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE INITIALLY.
SO THIS IS WHAT WE TRIED TO BASICALLY EXIT WITH.
AND FOR THOSE THAT WENT THROUGH THE STRATEGY SESSION ALMOST A YEAR AGO, THIS IS HOW WE WERE ABLE TO NARROW THE STRATEGIES DOWN SO QUICKLY.
SO DON'T THINK YOU'RE LEFT OUT ANY OF YOUR IDEAS.
WE STILL ARE COLLECTING THOSE, BUT WE WANTED TO HAVE A STARTING POINT SO WE COULD BEGIN ACTIONING AND SORT OF PROSPECTING THESE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, UH, THE MEETINGS THAT ARE AT ONE 30 ARE PROHIBITIVE TO SOME OF US.
I TEACH, UH, EVERY DAY DURING THE WEEK.
UH, SO, UM, SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO SET OFF YOUR SIRI THERE.
UH, UH, BUT, UH, I, THE FINANCE, LEGISLATIVE ACADEMICS ALL MEET DURING THE DAY AND I, I, I CAN'T ATTEND THOSE.
I CAN'T EVEN ZOOM IN 'CAUSE I'M, I'M TEACHING AT THAT TIME.
SO, UH, IF, IF WE COULD HAVE MEETINGS WHERE EVERYBODY IS IN INCLUDED OR COULD BE INCLUDED, THAT'D GREAT.
BUT I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME OF US AT WORK THAT, THAT IS PROHIBITIVE.
UM, SECOND OF ALL IS, ARE THESE, ARE THESE TOPICS, TOPICS THAT ARE ALREADY IN LEGISLATION THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DECIDE IF WE WANT TO SUPPORT OR, UH, UH, OPPOSE OR ARE WE TRYING TO PROPOSE THINGS? ARE THESE TOPICS THAT WE WANT TO PROPOSE? BOTH.
SO WE HAVEN'T SCRUBBED THESE TO SAY ALL THE, IF YOU RECALL THE BOOKLET THAT WE GAVE OUT, LIKE A YEAR, I RECALL NINE MONTHS, THERE WERE OVER 1400 BILLS THAT HAD BEEN ALREADY PROFITED.
THOSE BILLS THAT DIDN'T PASS ARE HELD IN A ADVANCE UNTIL JANUARY.
THEY'LL BE ACTIVE AGAIN, POTENTIALLY IF THERE'S SUPPORT.
BUT WHAT WE WANTED TO DO AT THE DECEMBER 6TH AND SEVENTH SCHOOL BOARD, UM, ADVOCACY IS THIS LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE HAS ALREADY PASSED ONE THROUGH COMMITTEE THROUGHOUT BOARD, AND IT WAS ALL UNANIMOUS UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION.
SO THAT WILL BE GIVEN FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION TO VOTE
[02:55:01]
IF THEY VOTE POSITIVELY.AND THAT BECOMES, THAT JOINS ALL THE OTHER 50 OR SO ITEMS THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION IS SUPPORTING.
SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TO GIVE OUR ENTIRE BODY HERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, WITHOUT ANY CONSTRAINTS, SAY, HERE ARE THE ONES THAT WE ARE THINKING ABOUT.
SO THERE MAY BE SOME THAT MIGHT BE IN CAPTURED OR DISCUSSED IN SOME SMALL BIT OF LEGISLATION, BUT WE HAVEN'T SCRUBBED THAT.
WE'LL FIND IT OUT AS WE MOVE THESE FORWARD AND START ASKING PEOPLE, HERE ARE THE SIX TOPICS AND ARE, IS THERE ANY EXISTING LEGISLATION? SO THAT'S THE FIRST ONE.
IF IT'S, IF THAT, UH, ANYTHING THAT'S NEW, WE START FROM SCRATCH.
LIKE WE DID THE FAIRNESS IN TESTING, WHICH LIKE I SAID, RE RECEIVE UNANIMOUS SUPPORT GOING FORWARD FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION.
THERE MAY BE OTHERS, BUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS MAKE SURE WE HAVE AT LEAST SOME THAT ARE GOING TO BE AVAILABLE FOR VOTING ON DECEMBER 6TH AND SEVENTH.
I THINK THE SHORTCOMING FOR ME ON THE MENTIMETER, I UNDERSTAND THE IDEA, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT LIKE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT'S NOT SO MUCH PROPOSED LEGISLATION.
WE SAY HAVE THE LEGISLATURE FOCUS ON IT.
IN WHAT WAY? LIKE THAT TO ME, I, I MEAN MAYBE I'M TOO CAUGHT UP IN THE DETAILS AND NOT, UH, PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION.
DO I THINK SOCIAL MEDIA HAS HAD A NEGATIVE IMPACT? I DO
UM, BUT WHAT WOULD BE THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION THAT WOULD COME OUT FROM THAT? BECAUSE I AM AS A CARD CARRYING MEMBER OF FIRE, WHICH IS A FOUNDATION FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND EXPRESS IN EDUCATION, UM, OPPOSED TO GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION AND CENSORSHIP OF SOCIAL MEDIA.
SO I WOULD BE, THAT'S WHY I'M HESITANT TO PUT THAT IN THERE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT EXACTLY I'M RANKING.
SO IF WE'RE GONNA PROPOSE LEGISLATION THAT SAYS, UH, WE WANT THE LEGISL, THE SOUTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE TO TAKE UP CENSORSHIP, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF LAWSUITS OUT THERE THAT ARE TRYING TO SUE, UM, AND THEY'RE TRYING TO GET SCHOOL BOARDS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS INVOLVED.
UM, BUT IT WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME TO SEE WHAT KIND OF LEGISLATION'S GETTING PROPOSED.
SO IT'S HARD FOR ME TO SAY, I THINK WE SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON THAT.
'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.
SO IT'S NOT A CRITICISM OF THESE ITEMS. I JUST, WHEN I STARTED LOOKING AT IT, I JUST HAD THIS QUESTION OF WHAT EXACTLY AM I SAYING AS FROM A LEGISLATIVE STANDPOINT, I DO THINK THAT NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ARE AN ISSUE FOR SCHOOL AGED KIDS.
AND I THINK THAT THE DISTRICT'S DONE A GOOD JOB IN TERMS OF, UM, REMOVING PHONES.
UM, BUT I DON'T, I I WOULD HAVE TO KNOW, BASICALLY I'D HAVE TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE BEFORE I COULD RANK SOME OF THESE THINGS.
THAT WAS JUST SORT OF MY FEEDBACK ON IT FOR NEXT TIME MAYBE.
AND WE CERTAINLY CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT NEXT TIME.
UH, THE INTENT IS ONCE YOU START LEGISLATION, YOU REALLY KNOW, DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S ULTIMATELY GOING TO END UP.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN IT.
IT BECOMES THE POLITICAL WILL AND STRENGTH OF THOSE FOUR VERSUS THOSE AGAINST.
BUT THE INTENT HERE IS JUST TO SAY THIS IS AN ISSUE.
UH, SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, CANNOT BE REGULATED UNLESS THERE'S REVOCATION OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1996, SECTION 2 3 0, WHICH INDEMNIFIED SOCIAL MEDIA AGAINST SLANDER AND LIBEL.
SO PRO NEWSPAPERS, IF YOU PRINT SOMETHING OR SAY SOMETHING THAT'S NOT TRUE, I CAN SUE YOU.
I CANNOT DO THAT IN SOCIAL MEDIA, THE UM, EU HAS TAKEN A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
EU HAS PASSED THE GLOBAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATIONS, WHICH AFFECTS ALL THE COUNTRIES THAT ARE IN THE EU.
AND THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE GOOGLE AND META LOSING BILLION DOLLAR LAWSUITS BECAUSE THEY HAVE PROVEN IN A EU COURT OF LAW THAT THERE'S DAMAGE.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
WE WANT TO HAVE THIS ELEVATED AS A TOPIC FOR RESEARCH BY OUR LEGISLATURES, LEGISLATORS IF POSSIBLE.
SO WE CAN COME TOGETHER WITH A POINT OF VIEW.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE PROVED APPROVED BY OUR LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, OUR BOARD GOING FORWARD.
BUT THIS IS TO DO MORE RESEARCH AND INSTEAD OF US JUST TAKING A WHILE, THROW AT IT TO ACTUALLY SAY THIS IS WHERE THE HIGHEST RANKING WAS AND THEN GO SEQUENTIALLY OVER THE SIX, IF THAT HELPS ANY OTHERS.
UM, WHEN DR. RODRIGUEZ RETURNS, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND THERE ARE TWO OTHER BUCKETS WE WANT YOU TO HELP US PRIORITIZE AS WELL, DR. RODRIGUEZ.
SO NO FURTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE.
WE'VE EXPLAINED THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE ON THIS.
THIS IS JUST THE EMBRYONIC STAGES AND WE'LL MOVE IT FORWARD AND KEEP IT BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
ALRIGHT, NOW WE CAN GO TO THE OTHER BUCKETS IF THAT'S OKAY.
[03:00:02]
NO, THAT'S THE ONLY BUCKET THAT'S OH, OKAY.THE OTHER ONE FELL THE OPERATIONAL, UH, MATTERS AND THE OTHER.
AND THEN THE OTHER BUCKET WAS, UH, JUST THINGS FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER, WHICH WE ALREADY WENT THROUGH.
SO WITH THAT THEN WE ARE GOING TO TEE UP IN THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
HOW DO WE BEGIN TO MOVE THESE SIX FORWARD WITH, UH, APPROPRIATE AMOUNTS OF WORK BASED ON WHERE THE RANKING IS? ANYTHING ELSE? PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO SUBMIT.
WE ARE TRYING TO BE VERY DILIGENT ABOUT NOT POO-POOING ANYTHING THAT'S SUBMITTED BY ANYONE.
WE JUST WANNA DO SOME RESEARCH AND, AND SEE HOW TO TAKE IT FORWARD IF EVERYONE'S OKAY WITH THAT.
SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO FORWARD, UH, THE, TO DECEMBER 3RD, 1130.
ANY IDEAS? UH, SO WE REOPEN IT AND WE'LL START WORKING 'CAUSE WE GOT A WHOLE YEAR TO WORK ON THAT GOING FORWARD.
AND IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE, UM, MORNING.
UH, NOW IT'S TIME FOR MS. CROSBY TO SHINE PRELIMINARY BUDGET DISCUSSION.
WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT, MR. CHAIR, CAN I RESPOND TO SOMETHING? YEAH, GO AHEAD.
UM, MR. NAY, UM, FOR THE, FOR THE FINANCE AND LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, WE UNDERSTAND IT'S PROBLEMATICAL FOR SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING.
UH, AND, AND WE'RE NOT TRYING TO KEEP THOSE PEOPLE FROM PARTICIPATING.
WE ASK THE MEMBERS OF THOSE TWO COMMITTEES WHAT WERE TIMES THAT WORKED FOR THEM AND STAFF.
AND SO THE MIDDAY TIMES CAME OUT BEST.
UH, SO WE, THAT'S WHAT WE TRIED TO ACCOMMODATE.
BUT ANYTIME WE'RE GOING, YOU KNOW, CHAIR OF A COMMITTEE, WE'RE GOING TO ASK THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS FIRST, AND THEN WE, HOPEFULLY WE CAN ARRANGE IT IF THEY HAVE LATITUDE SO THAT ANYONE WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE CAN COME.
SOME OF US WORK IN THE EVENINGS.
SO THERE'S ALWAYS THAT BALANCING.
SO WE, WE DO THE BEST WE CAN THOUGH.
OKAY, GO AHEAD MS. CROSBY, INTRODUCE THIS TOPIC.
YEAH, WELL, IT'S EASY INTRODUCTION.
UH, THERE'S BEEN JUST A TREMENDOUS, UM, POLITE, REALLY EFFECTIVE, UM, MODIFICATION IN THE SEQUENCING OF THE BUDGET PROCESS.
AND IT IS MORE, UH, CONSISTENT WITH CAPTURING WIDESPREAD, WIDELY DISPERSED POINTS.
WIDESPREAD, WIDELY DISPERSED POINTS OF VIEW.
AND THEN ROLL THEM UP SO THAT WHEN THEY GET TO THE BOARD, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF VETTING THROUGH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS, UH, TEAM CITIZENS, ET CETERA.
AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN REDUCE THE RECYCLE TIME.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT, AND SHE AND HER TEAM HAVE JUST DONE A WONDERFUL JOB OF GETTING THIS OUT AND STARTED.
CFO, UM, I WAS LOOKING, UH, MS. KATE, KATIE ABAR.
UH, I'M GONNA GIVE HER ALL OF THE CREDIT FOR, UH, THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AND REARRANGING, UH, REALLY THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK THAT WE ARE DOING, UH, STAFF FEEDBACK AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
UM, SO, UH, OUR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, UH, DIRECTOR, EXCUSE ME, OUR DIRECTOR OF BUDGETING IS KATIE ABAR.
AND SHE MAY CAME UP WITH SOME VERY GOOD SUGGESTIONS.
SHE'S BEEN WITH THE DISTRICT FOR SEVERAL YEARS, UH, AND HAS BEEN IN THE BUDGET DEPARTMENT, UH, AS AN ANALYST AND, UH, HAD SOME REALLY FRESH IDEAS THIS YEAR, UM, WHICH WE ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF, WHICH WILL, UH, MAKE THINGS MUCH SMOOTHER.
SO THE FEEDBACK APPROACH THAT WE'RE TAKING IS THAT WE'RE REALLY FLIP-FLOPPING, UH, THE TIMELINES, UH, BUT TYPICALLY WE DO THE COMMUNITY FORUMS IN THE FIRST WEEK OF MAY, BUT WE BRING THE BUDGET TO THE BOARD ON APRIL 22ND OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO DO THAT MUCH EARLIER.
AND IT, UH, OFFERS US THE FLEXIBILITY TO FOCUS MORE ON COMPILING THE INFORMATION, ANALYZING TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE INFORMATION IS ACCURATE AND COMPLETE IN THE BUDGET.
AND THEN PREPARING FOR, UM, MORE, UM, FOR BOARD CERTIFICATION, BOARD MEETINGS, AND THEN COUNTY COUNCIL PRESENTATIONS AS WELL.
SO THIS YEAR WE ARE BEGINNING, WE ACTUALLY HAVE ALREADY BEGUN THE BUDGET.
UM, SO THERE WAS ALSO, UM, WE HAD SOME FEEDBACK FROM PRINCIPALS THAT THEY WANTED TO
[03:05:01]
BE MORE INVOLVED IN THE BUDGET PROCESS AS WELL.AND EARLIER ON AND, AND THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS.
SO WE TOOK AN, AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, WORKING WITH OUR, UH, SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAMS. WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE SOME NEEDS, A NEEDS ASSESSMENT CREATED.
SO WE BEGAN OUR BUDGET FOR THE 26TH, 27TH SCHOOL YEAR IN OCTOBER OF 25.
UM, SO, UH, THAT'S PRETTY HISTORIC FOR US.
AND, UM, SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WORKED WITH OUR PRINCIPALS JUST AFTER THEY RECEIVED THEIR RESULTS FROM THE STATE, UH, AND TO BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN AND REALLY THINK ABOUT AND WORK WITH THEIR STAFF, UH, TO DEVELOP WHAT THE NEEDS WERE FOR THEIR SCHOOLS, WHAT ARE THE PROBLEM AREAS, AND WHAT THINGS COULD BE USED TO AS A RESULT OF, TO IMPROVE THOSE AREAS.
SO NOT ONLY DID THEY HAVE DISCUSSIONS IN OCTOBER, BUT THEN THEY HAD SOME HOMEWORK TO DO, UH, UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING IN NOVEMBER AND THEN BROUGHT THAT DATA BACK.
UM, SO WHAT WAS REALLY, UH, NEW FOR US THIS YEAR IS THAT OUR, UH, OUR TEAM TOOK THAT DATA FROM 32 SCHOOLS, UH, SEPARATED IT INTO ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE KA, AND HIGH SCHOOLS, AND THEN PUT THEM ALL INTO AI AND SUMMARIZED THEM.
AND, UH, SO, AND THEN WE TOOK, THEY FORWARDED THAT TO US IN THE BUDGET OFFICE, OUR, OUR, OUR INSTRUCTIONAL TEAMS. AND WE SUMMARIZED IT AGAIN INTO BUDGET PRIORITIES.
AND SO IT WAS A PRETTY NEAT, UH, AND VERY FAST ENDEAVOR.
UM, WITHIN THE SAME DAY THAT WE RECEIVED THE ITEMS, WE HAD BUDGET PRIORITIES, UM, SO, OR THE, UH, NEEDS ASSESSMENTS.
SO IT WAS VERY, VERY, UM, THOROUGH WORK, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO COMPILE IT VERY, VERY QUICKLY WITH USE OF AI.
SO, UM, SO, UH, IN SO NOVEMBER THROUGH, ACTUALLY OCTOBER THROUGH JANUARY, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING NEEDS ASSESSMENTS AND PUBLIC FORUMS. SO THE NEXT THING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING IS TO, UH, HAVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH PARENTS, STUDENTS, AND STAKEHOLDERS.
WE'VE ALREADY PUT AN ONLINE SURVEY OUT THAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST.
WE'VE DONE IT EARLIER THIS YEAR.
UH, IT'S USUALLY NOT DONE UNTIL FEBRUARY OR MARCH.
AND WE'VE DONE THAT, UH, THIS PAST WEEK.
OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM WORKED WITH US, UH, TO PUT SOME QUESTIONS OUT THERE, WHICH WILL ALSO BE COMMUNICATED TO PRINCIPALS TO ENCOURAGE PARENTS THROUGH, UH, OUR, OUR COMMUNICATION CHANNELS FROM PRINCIPALS AND, UH, SCHOOLS TO PARENTS THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO, UH, UH, PROVIDE SOME FEEDBACK ON THOSE SURVEYS RIGHT AWAY AS WELL.
AND WHILE THAT'S ALL GOING ON, UH, WE PLAN TO GO TO THREE DIFFERENT, UH, PUBLIC FORUMS THIS YEAR.
UH, THE JOINT BOARD AND SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL MEETING, THAT'S IN DECEMBER, WE INTEND TO ATTEND AND WOULD LIKE AN AGENDA ITEM ON THE BUDGET TO GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM THAT GROUP.
UH, I BELIEVE IT'S ONE, IT'S PROBABLY HELD IN THE OKA T AREA.
AND THEN ON JANUARY 14TH, WE'RE SCHEDULED FOR BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, WE'VE BEEN AT BEAVER HIGH FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW, SO WE'RE GONNA SWITCH OVER TO, UH, BATTERY CREEK THIS YEAR.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO REMAIN CENTRALLY LOCATED, UH, AT LOUGHTON HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL ON JANUARY 21ST.
UH, AND THEN ON JANUARY 30TH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BOARD WORK SESSION.
YOU'LL, YOU'LL HAVE A BOARD WORK SESSION, AND WE'D LIKE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION OF BUDGET PRIORITIES.
WE'LL BRING SOME INFORMATION BACK THAT WE'VE GATHERED FROM ALL OF THOSE GROUPS, NARROW IT DOWN TO A, A LIST AND HAVE AN EXERCISE WHERE THE BOARD CAN HAVE DISCUSSION AND PERHAPS SOME RANKINGS OF BUDGET ITEMS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN DEVELOPED BY THE COMMUNITY, THE PARENTS, THE TEACHERS, THE STAFF, THE PRINCIPALS, ALL OF THOSE GROUPS.
AND I THINK THAT'LL BE VERY VALUABLE.
UM, SO, AND THEN WE WILL, IN FEBRUARY THROUGH APRIL, WE'LL BE COMP, THE STAFF WILL BE COMPILING THE BUDGET.
WE'LL HAVE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS TWO, OR TH THERE'LL BE AT LEAST THREE BOARD MEETINGS FOR THE BUDGET TO BE DISCUSSED WITH A CERTIFICATION SCHEDULED FOR MAY 19TH AS USUAL.
AND SO THE REST OF THE SCHEDULE IS REALLY ON TARGET WITH THE PREVIOUS YEARS.
UH, WE JUST WON'T HAVE THOSE PUBLIC FORUMS LATE IN THE YEAR.
AND THEN WE, OF COURSE, WE GO TO COUNTY COUNCIL FOR THREE READINGS WITH THE FINAL ONE BEING JUNE 22ND.
AND FINALLY THE EARLY FO EARLY FOCUS AREAS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED.
UH, WERE PARTICULARLY IN MATHEMATICS, MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS, SPECIAL EDUCATION SUPPORTS AND ATTENDANCE FOR SOME, BUT WE HAVE A WAYS TO GO.
SO WE'LL HAVE OTHER PRIORITIES AS WELL AND CATEGORIES FOR THOSE INITIATIVES.
[03:10:01]
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU AN UPDATE AND OFFER ANY, UH, CHANCES FOR COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION, ANY DISCUSSION, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS.OKAY, WE'RE AT THE CHAIR'S REPORT.
I'VE GOT A COUPLE THINGS I NEED TO INFORM YOU ABOUT, AND I GOT A COMMENT, UH, AT THE END.
UH, LAST MONDAY, UH, ALICE HOWARD COUNTY COUNCIL AND MYSELF WERE INVITED TO COME TO PORT ROYAL, UH, CITY HALL FOR A BRIEFING WITH THE MAYOR, ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF, UH, SAFE HARBOR.
UH, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE COMPANY THAT BOUGHT THE LAND THAT WAS OWNED BY THE STATE.
WELL, I HAVE TO GO BACK EVEN FARTHER.
THAT'S WHAT THE DISCUSSION WAS.
AND THE DISCUSSION WAS, WAS OUR CURRENT TIFF THAT WE HAVE WITH THEM, AND YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW THIS, BUT WE HAVE ENGAGED, UH, 13 YEARS AGO WITH THE CITY OF PORT ROYAL TO PROVIDE FUNDING THROUGH A TAX INCREMENT FINANCING SCHEME.
IT'S, UH, AN AN AUTHORIZED WAY FOR ENTITIES TO RAISE MONEY, UH, FOR PRIMARILY TO PROVIDE INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE SIDEWALKS, ROADS, STREETLIGHTS, STORM WATER, THAT TYPE OF THING.
AND THE WAY IT, THE WAY IT WORKS IS YOU TAKE THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE THAT DEVELOPMENT OF A PROPERTY WOULD ACHIEVE WHEN YOU START TO SELL IT AND USE IT, OR IN A DEVELOPMENTAL WAY.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU GOT A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANY TAX REVENUE FROM.
AND SOME WAY, AND I'LL DESCRIBE WHAT THE WAY IS SOME WAY NOW THIS PROPERTY HAS VALUE AND TAX REVENUE THAT DERIVES FROM THAT VALUE.
OKAY, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SPECIFICS IN PORT ROYAL.
THE PORT OF PORT ROYAL RUNS ALL THE WAY AROUND THIS, THE BATTERY CREEK FROM, BASICALLY FROM, UH, PARIS ISLAND GATEWAY ALL THE WAY AROUND TO THE SANDS BEACH.
AND IT'S THERE, THERE WAS A BIG DOCK, BIG CEMENT, UH, DOCK OUT IN FRONT THAT THEY TORE DOWN.
AND IT WAS OWNED BY THE STATE.
THE STATE OWNED A PROPERTY, SO IT WAS PROVIDING NO REVENUE TO THE COUNTY, THE CITY, OR TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IT HAD BEEN ABANDONED FOR YEARS.
AND THE STATE FINALLY GOT A DEAL TO SELL IT TO A CONSORTIUM AT PORT ROYAL.
AND THAT WAS AT, THAT WAS, UH, 14 YEARS AGO.
THE CITY CAME BACK AND SAID, YOU KNOW, NOW, NOW THAT THEY OWN THAT, IT'S A PRIVATE COMPANY THAT WAS A CONSORTIUM OF, OF, UH, DEVELOPERS THAT BOUGHT IT.
NOW THAT YOU GOT THAT, NOW WE CAN, WE CAN TAX THAT.
WE, THE CITY CAN TAX IT, THE COUNTY CAN TAX IT, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CAN TAX IT.
SO WHAT PORT ROYAL CAME TO US AND SAID, OKAY, LOOK, WE ARE GONNA GAIN X NUMBER OF DOLLARS IN TAX REVENUE AND WE CAN PROPORTION THAT TAX REVENUE AND GIVE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THEIR, THEIR PART, BUT WE WOULD RATHER HAVE A TIFF AND TAKE THAT EXTRA REVENUE THAT, THAT YOU WOULD GET AND PUT IT INTO, UH, A BOND THAT YOU WOULD SELL TO, UH, A BANK FOR A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO GO IN AND PUT IN ROADS, LIGHTS, STORM WATER, RETENTION AND SO ON, WHICH INCREASES EVEN MORE THE VALUE OF THAT PROPERTY BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THERE WASN'T ANY OF THAT ACCESS.
AND SO 14, UH, YEAH, 13 YEARS AGO, THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT SIGNED UP FOR IT.
AND I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO THE THE DETAILS BECAUSE I WANT THAT TO GO TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE FINANCE COMMITTEE CAN GET, GET INTO THE DETAILS OF HOW MUCH AND WHEN,
[03:15:01]
BUT FUNDAMENTALLY IT'S, IT'S CAN BE NO MORE THAN $300,000 A YEAR.CAN THEY SIPHON OFF REVENUE THAT WE WOULDN'T OTHERWISE GET? SO, SO WHAT THEY CALLED US IN TO SHOW US IS, LISTEN, WE NOW HAVE A DIFFERENT DEVELOPER WHO HAS PURCHASED THE PROPERTY AND WHEN THEY PURCHASED IT, IT WAS FOR EVEN A HIGHER PRICE, EVEN THOUGH NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE JUST BECAUSE OF INFLATION AND EVERYTHING.
AND INSTEAD OF A LOCAL, UH, CONSORTIUM, UH, BUTLER CHRYSLER BUTLER MARINE, THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIG GUYS THAT, UH, THAT WAS BEHIND IT, THIS IS NOW BY SAFE HARBOR.
SAFE HARBOR IS A NATIONWIDE, UH, PORT.
THEY, THEY DEVELOP MARINAS ALL OVER THE NATION, BIG TIME, BIG CAPITAL.
AND THEY'VE BEEN BOUGHT OUT BY AN EVEN BIGGER EQUITY FIRM.
SO THEY'VE GOT DEEP POCKETS AND YOU WOULD THINK THAT THEY WOULD START WORKING ON PUTTING IN THIS, THE INFRASTRUCTURES TO SUPPORT THIS.
BUT THE CITY WAS NOT ABLE TO GET SAFE HARBOR TO AGREE WITH THEIR VISION OF WHAT THIS DEVELOPMENT AROUND THE PORT SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
AND SO THEY'VE BEEN IN NEGOTIATIONS, THEY'VE BEEN, IT'S BEEN VERY BAD, BUT NOW THEY HAVE FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO START THE PROJECT AND THEY WANT TO SELL THE BONDS.
PROBLEM IS WHEN WE SOLD, WHEN WE PUT IN THE TIFF, UH, 13 YEARS AGO, THE TIFF WAS FOR 20 YEARS AND THEY NEVER BORROWED THE MONEY AND STARTED CONSTRUCTION BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY COULD DO WITH THE DEVELOPER.
SO ABOUT, WAS IT THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO, OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR TOLD US, HEY, LISTEN, THEY'VE BEEN TAKING SIPHONING OFF THIS MONEY.
THEY DIDN'T GET A BOND, THEY WEREN'T MAKING ANY PAYMENTS, AN INTEREST IN PRINCIPLE IN THAT BOND.
WE NEED THAT BOND, THAT MONEY BACK.
AND SO WE GOT HOW MANY, A MILLION DOLLARS, A MILLION DOLLARS CAME BACK TO US.
AND SO WE GRATEFULLY TOOK THE MILLION DOLLARS AND WE USED IT, UH, IN OUR AS REVENUE, UH, WHEN IT CAME IN, BUT NOW THEY WANT TO BOND IT.
THEY WANNA GO OUT AND BORROW THE MONEY.
WELL, THEY CAN'T BORROW THE MONEY FOR SEVEN YEARS AND MAKE IT WORK.
AND THAT'S HOW MUCH LONGER THE TIFF WOULD GO BECAUSE IT'S ONLY ONLY LASTS FOR 20 YEARS.
AND THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT FOR 13.
SO THEY BROUGHT, UH, ALICE AND I IN, AND THEY SHOWED US THE, THE DRAWINGS AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS GONNA BE DONE.
AND THEY'RE GONNA PUT ROADS AND STREETLIGHTS AND, AND, AND THE CITY PARK ALONG THE WATERFRONT AND THEY'RE READY TO GO.
THEY, THEY HAVE A CONCEPT THAT THE, THAT THE CITY AGREES WITH AND SAFE HARBOR AGREES WITH IT.
NOW THEY NEED TO GET EXACTLY WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WHAT'S GOING TO, WHAT WOULD'VE COST 13 YEARS AGO AND WHAT IT COSTS NOW IS DIFFERENT.
SO THEY HAVE COME TO US AND THE COUNTY, 'CAUSE THE COUNTY'S ALSO IN THIS AND UH, PROVIDING PART OF THE FUNDING, THEY'RE, THEY'RE COMING INTO US AND SAYING, WOULD YOU CONSIDER EITHER A NEW TIFF FOR 20 YEARS OR AN EXTENSION ON THE EXISTING TIFF FOR AN ADDITIONAL SO MANY YEARS? SO I SAID, I'LL, I DON'T KNOW, I I, I NEED THE DETAILS, I'VE GOT THE DETAILS.
I WANNA GIVE IT TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHAT YOU ALL THINK ABOUT EITHER LETTING IT JUST RUN OUT.
'CAUSE WE ARE COMMITTED, WE'RE COMMITTED FOR SEVEN MORE YEARS, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
BUT THEY WON'T GENERATE ENOUGH TO PROBABLY DO MUCH.
THEY MIGHT HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A DIFFERENT WAY OF FINANCING IT IF, IF WE DON'T EXTEND IT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TO CONSIDER.
I JUST WANTED TO LET THE BOARD KNOW THAT THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
AND, BUT ALICE HOWARD CAME TO ME AND SAID MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE A JOINT COUNTY COUNCIL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING ONCE WE GET THE TOTAL, UH, COST AND WHAT WE WOULD BE, UH, RESPONSIBLE FOR IN JANUARY FEBRUARY TO DISCUSS THIS.
AND I SAID I WOULD BRING THAT, UH, BACK TO THE BOARD AND TO SEE
[03:20:01]
WHAT THE INTEREST IS.UM, SO I, I GUESS A LITTLE, LITTLE FEEDBACK ON JUST GENERALLY WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT EITHER EXTENDING IT, CANCELING IT, OR JUST WALKING AWAY FROM IT.
THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT, UH, WHAT WE COULD DO.
SO ANY, ANY IDEAS AS CHAIR OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, I LIKE TO ALLOW MY OTHER COLLEAGUES SPEAK FIRST, BUT I DO HAVE SOME IDEAS ABOUT IT.
SO I'LL DEFER ANY OTHER COMMENTS AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
ONE SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE THREE OPTIONS.
CANCEL, EXTEND, I FORGOT THE THIRD ONE IS CANCEL, EXTEND OR, OR, OR JUST LEAVE OR LET IT RUN OUT.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW FROM OUR FINANCE TEAM, WHETHER THAT'S THE COMMITTEE OR TANYA'S TEAM, WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE GIVEN THOSE THREE OPTIONS.
NUMBER TWO, PHILOSOPHICALLY I'M BEGINNING TO REALLY OPPOSE THESE SORTS OF ARRANGEMENTS.
AND THE REASON IS, MAYBE 13 YEARS AGO THINGS WERE DIFFERENT.
THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT LIKE SAND SHARK ARENA.
THERE IS THIS, IF WE DON'T, THE THINGS WE NEED TO INVEST IN TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES HERE AND TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF, UH, LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS IS LOWER THE COST OF LIVING SCHOOLS AND HEALTHCARE, AND IF WE'RE FUNNELING MONEY OUT OF THE SCHOOLS TO DO THAT AND TO PUT IN PARKS AND OTHER AMENITIES.
RIGHT? NOW, I TALKED TO A MEDICAL RECRUITER WHO SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY HARD TO GET HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS TO COME TO BEAUFORT COUNTY 'CAUSE OF THE COST OF LIVING.
NUMBER ONE, MAKING SURE, YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOLS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE.
THEY WANT, YOU KNOW, IN GOOD SHAPE SCHOOLS, BUT THEY ARE HAVING A REALLY HARD TIME.
WE HAVE A 70%, ROUGHLY OF BEAVER COUNTY'S POPULATION IS MEDICARE, 30% NON-MEDICARE.
THAT IS NOT A GOOD PAYER MIX FOR ANY KIND OF HEALTHCARE PERSON.
SO WE NEED TO, IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT I GUESS I'M DRIVING AT SOME OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS, I THINK WILL BENEFIT PEOPLE THAT HAVE RETIRED HERE THAT ENJOY THE LIFESTYLE, BUT THEY'RE NOT AS GOOD FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK HERE.
AND I THINK SOME OF THESE, SO FUNDAMENTALLY ON A PHILOSOPHICAL LEVEL, I THINK THE SCHOOL DISTRICT NEEDS TO GET AWAY FROM GETTING INVOLVED OR TAX MONEY'S DIVERTED FROM THE SCHOOLS.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN I'M AGAINST THIS PROJECT.
I WANNA KNOW THE ANSWERS TO THOSE, EACH OF THOSE THREE ONES.
BUT WE JUST, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE HEARING MORE AND MORE ABOUT THESE SORTS OF THINGS AS A TOOL FOR INVESTMENT.
AND IF YOU DON'T INVEST IN THE SCHOOLS, IT JUST, YOU KNOW, REVERBERATES DOWN.
AND ANY OTHER COMMENTS FOR, OKAY.
UM, I'M ALMOST PERFECTLY ALIGNED WITH, UM, MY COLLEAGUE MS. BOATWRIGHT, UM,
IT IS NOT FOR US TO BUILD SIDEWALKS UNLESS IT'S IN FRONT OF OUR SCHOOL.
IT IS NOT FOR US TO BUILD RECREATION CENTERS UNLESS IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS CONNECTED TO OUR ATHLETIC PROGRAMS. IT IS REALLY TO EDUCATE THE STUDENTS THAT GO THROUGH OUR SCHOOLS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE STATE IS HOLDING US TIGHTLY ACCOUNTABLE FOR, IT IS MATH SCORES, ELA SCORES, AND THEN THE COMPLIANCE WITH ALL THE LEGISLATIVE THINGS THAT COME OUT.
PRIVATE INVESTORS, I'M A PRIVATE INVESTOR.
IF YOU'RE A PRIVATE INVESTOR, YOU KNOW HOW TO RAISE MONEY AND SPEND IT WHERE IT'S BEST, MOST LIKELY RETURNED FOR YOU.
BUT THERE'S BECOME THIS IDEA THAT EVERYBODY WANTS, THEY WANTS TO DEMONIZE THE GOVERNMENT, THEN THEY WANT TO GO TO THE GOVERNMENT AND SAY, BAIL ME OUT.
AND WITH ALL THE PRESSURE THAT'S ON THE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS, I CANNOT SEE US DIVERTING MONEY TOWARDS THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM.
NOW, IN TERMS OF AN ANALYSIS, WE GOTTA GO THROUGH ALL THE OPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN NOTED SO FAR.
RIGHT? AND THERE'S ALWAYS A DO NOTHING OPTION.
SO THAT WILL BE A FOURTH OPTION.
BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE IMPACT THAT WILL HAVE ON OUR CASH FLOW, OUR ABILITY TO ACTUALLY PAY FOR WHAT WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO INVEST IN OUR SCHOOLS TO HELP RAISE OUR PERFORMANCE.
SO I KNOW THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF PRIVATE INVESTORS ARE COMING AND SAYING, OH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS 370 SOME MILLION DOLLARS OPERATING BUDGET AND 439 CAPITAL OVER FIVE YEARS, THEY GOT MONEY.
I'VE HAD ELECTED OFFICIALS APPROACH THIS AND USE THOSE, ALMOST EXACT SAME WORDS, BUT WE HAVE SOME TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITIES BECAUSE WHEN THE US PUBLIC EDUCATION AFTER WORLD WAR, I WAS NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD.
WE'RE IN THE TWENTIES NOW, AND PEOPLE GOING TO SCHOOL IN COUNTRIES THAT DON'T EVEN HAVE BUILDINGS OR ARE PERFORMING US.
SO I, I WANNA FOCUS ON THAT, UH, WOULD BE MY, MY SUGGESTION.
HOWEVER, HAVING SAID THAT, WE WILL DEFINITELY REVIEW IT.
UH, WITH COLD ANALYTICAL IMPARTIALITY TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.
AND, UH, WE'LL COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION.
THERE'S A BACKGROUND, UH, AS REPRESENTATIVE
[03:25:01]
FOR THAT DISTRICT, I WILL TELL YOU WHY IT MAY BE IN OUR INTEREST, UH, MAY BE FIRST OF ALL, THESE BUSINESSES AND THINGS THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING ARE GONNA BE BUSINESSES THAT ARE GOING TO BRING US IN MORE 6% REVENUE.SO BY INVESTING IN THIS, WE ARE INVESTING IN FUTURE REVENUE.
SECONDLY, THAT IS PHASE ONE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE NOT LOOKING AT US PROVIDING ANY SUPPORT RIGHT NOW FOR PHASE TWO.
NOW, ONE OF THE BIG PROBLEMS THEY HAD IN TRYING TO GET IT SOLVED IS THAT SAFE HARBOR TURNED THE HOUSING PART OF THAT PROPERTY.
AND IT'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF, OF PROPERTY FOR HOUSING THAT'S RIGHT ALONG THE WATER, UH, UP INTO, UH, TO THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL ITSELF.
THE ORIGINAL IDEA WAS TO PUT RENTAL PROPERTIES IN THERE.
AND THE TOWN SAID, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
THEY DO NOT WANT RENTAL PROPERTIES.
THEN THEY SAID, WELL, WE'LL HAVE THIS GREAT WATERFRONT, WE'LL HAVE SOME MILLION DOLLAR HOMES, UH, GATED KIND OF FACILITY CITY SAID, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
WHAT WE WANT IS AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING THERE IN THAT AREA.
SO THE, THE PRICE POINT FOR THE HOUSES THAT THEY REQUIRED IN THERE ARE IN THE 300, $400,000 RANGE, NO MORE THAN THAT.
AND THAT WOULD GENERATE STUDENTS AND PORT ROYAL ELEMENTARY RIGHT NOW AS A LOT OF CAPACITY.
AND WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT GROWTH IN THE AREA IN NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY, IT'S NICE TO HAVE GROWTH WHERE KIDS CAN WALK TO SCHOOL RATHER THAN OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE AND HAVE TO BE BUSED TO SCHOOL.
SO THAT'S THE, THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA HEAR FROM THEM.
AND I'M JUST, AND I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
I UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO TALK DOLLARS AND CENTS MM-HMM
AND, AND THAT'S GOTTA TAKE PRIORITY FOR US.
AND I'VE GIVEN YOU ALL THE, THE BACKGROUND DATA THERE, SO WE CAN BRING THAT IN.
IF THERE'S NO OTHER, I'LL GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE.
ON OUR NEXT MEETING IN, UH, DECEMBER 9TH, WE'RE GOING TO BE EVALUATING FIVE BOOKS.
IS IT DR. RODRIGUEZ? FIVE BOOKS.
AND WE'LL BE DOING IT THE SAME WAY WE DID IT THE LAST TIME.
I HOPE MS. BERRY, WE CAN GET FROM, UH, ISD THE SCORE SHEETS FROM THOSE FIVE BOOKS.
AND SO WE HAVE A PACKET AND WE CAN GET IT OUT TO THE BOARD MEMBERS WELL BEFORE THE MEETING.
SO YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO CONTACT MS. SAI.
I, I THINK WE JUST DID, TO, UH, HAVE HER BE THERE THE WAY WE'LL DO IT LIKE WE DID LAST TIME.
AND SHE WILL COME UP AS THE AGGRIEVED PARTY, SO TO SPEAK, AND SAY WHY SHE THINKS THE BOOK SHOULD NOT BE, UH, IN THE LIBRARY.
A PERSON FROM THE COMMITTEE WHO SAID THE LI THAT THE BOOK SHOULD RE BE RETAINED SHOULD GO THERE, BE, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO AND SPEAK, WHY THEY THINK THAT.
AND MS.
BUT DO THAT FOR ALL FIVE BOOKS.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A VOTE AFTER WE HEAR.
AND THERE'S ONE OF THREE THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN.
THE BOOKS JUST STAYS IN THE LIBRARY.
THE BOOKS REMOVED IN THE LIBRARY OR THE BOOKS RESTRICTED IN THE LIBRARY.
THAT WAS THE THREE WAYS WE DID IT.
THAT'S WHAT THE STATE WANTS US TO DO.
AND THEY SEEM TO LIKE THE WAY WE DID IT BEFORE
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT? OKAY.
ALSO, I, I TRIED TO CONTACT, UH, MS. GORDON AND SHE'S IN THE HOSPITAL.
I'M GONNA TRY TO GO BY AND SEE HER THERE THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, DR. CARR MENTIONED TO ME IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL COUPLE MEMBERS TO SERVE ON THAT ACADEMIC COMMITTEE.
UH, YOU'D LIKE TO GO FROM THREE MEMBERS TO FIVE MEMBERS, UH, VOTING MEMBERS.
IS THERE ANYBODY THAT'S WILLING TO, UH, SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE AS WELL? YEAH, I'LL DO IT.
THE TWO, IS THAT, IS THAT FINE?
[03:30:02]
WE WON'T, WE WON'T HAVE ANY.SO, SO, SO IT, SO IT'LL BE, UH, AFTER THE FIRST YEAR THEN.
SO THEN WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE CARE OF IT.
I JUST TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD, UH, I WOULD BRING IT UP.
UH, WE HAD A PUBLIC COMMENT, AND I DON'T NORMALLY RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I DIDN'T KNOW THIS PUBLIC COMMENT WAS COMING, 'CAUSE I HAD PLANNED TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
ANYWAY, AT THE END, UH, AND THIS IS THE HOT MIC INCIDENT OF THE LAST BOARD MEETING.
UH, AS I WAS DRIVING HOME, I GOT A CALL FROM DR. RODRIGUEZ AND SAID, UH, TOLD ME WHAT HAPPENED.
AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED.
UM, AND THE VIDEO WENT OFF, BUT THE SOUND DID NOT.
AND WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, I SAID, OH, I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
HE SAID, WELL, HE SAID THAT THE MIKE PICKED UP ME SAYING THAT I'M GONNA PUT THIS IN A BODY CAVITY RATHER THAN THE, I WAS IN THE, ON THE WAY TO THE GARBAGE CAN.
I, I LEFT THE, UH, DESK WHERE I WAS AT AND MOVED TOWARD, UH, MS. BERRY WHERE SHE WAS AT.
I HAD A PIECE OF PAPER THAT I CRUMPLED UP AND, AND AN ASIDE, NOT AN LOUD VOICE, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS.
I THREW IT AS I THREW IT INTO THE GARBAGE CAN.
I SAID WHAT I SAID, AND I RECEIVED EMAILS FROM PEOPLE SAYING THAT I DISRESPECTED A BOARD MEMBER.
I DID NOT DISRESPECT A BOARD MEMBER.
I DID NOT NAME ANYBODY WHEN I SAID THAT.
I JUST SAID THIS, I'M GOING TO, I'D LIKE TO PUT THIS UP A BODY CAVITY.
AND WHAT IT WAS, WAS A PIECE OF PAPER LIKE THIS CRUMPLED UP, THROWN IN THERE, BUT THERE'S NO VIDEO BECAUSE THE VIDEO WASN'T SHOWN.
SO I, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM A REPORTER FROM THE, UH, CHARLESTON, UH, NEWSPAPER WANTING ME TO TALK ABOUT IT.
AND I SAID, TOLD HIM, I SAID, I JUST TOLD HIM WHAT I JUST TOLD YOU.
AND THEY SAID, WELL, IT WAS, WHO WAS IT REFERRING TO? I SAID, WELL, I'M NOT GONNA SAY WHO IT'S GONNA REF WAS REFERRING TO, BUT I WILL SAY THAT IT WAS NOT A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD.
IT WAS NOT DIRECTED TO A MEMBER.
IT WAS DIRECTED TO A GARBAGE CAN.
IT WAS AFTER THE MEETING WAS OVER.
I WAS NOT ON RECORD, SO TO SPEAK.
IT WAS NOT DONE IN A LOUD VOICE.
AND THE, THE REPORT SAID, WELL, WHO WAS IT? WHO WAS IT THAT YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO? I SAID, WELL, I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I DON'T HAVE TO SAY THAT.
I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT, BUT IT, I WILL TELL YOU WHO IT WASN'T.
IT WASN'T A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD.
AND I, I GOT A EMAIL FROM A PERSON SAYING THAT I WAS REFERRING TO A GAVEL THAT SUPPOSEDLY WAS WHERE THE WOULD GO INTO THE BODY CAVITY.
AND HAD THERE BEEN VIDEO, IT WOULD'VE SHOWN THAT.
SO IF I SAID SOMETHING TO SOMEBODY, I WOULD APOLOGIZE.
I SAID IT TO THE GARBAGE CAN IN PASSING.
I'M AN OLD SOLDIER AND I MUMBLE, I MUER TO MYSELF AS I GO BY, BUT I MEANT NO DISRESPECT.
AND IF I DISRESPECTED ANYBODY, I WOULD APOLOGIZE.
BUT I DIDN'T DO THIS TOWARD ANY MEMBER OF THIS BOARD, PERIOD.
SO I WANTED TO CLEAR THE AIR THAT YOU TELL ME MY SIDE OF IT, AND, UH, TAKE IT FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH.
NOW THAT'S THE LAST AGENDA ITEM.
DO, UH, WITHOUT, UH, ANY OBJECTIONS, WE WILL, UH, ADJOURN UNDER UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA.
DO YOU SEE THE WHOLE BOARD? YEP.
IF YOU JUST SEND IT, SEND IT TO US.
ANYTHING ELSE? ANY OTHER OBJECTION? ALL RIGHT, THEN WE'RE ADJOURNED.
[03:35:25]
THANKS FOR WATCHING BUFORD COUNTY TV.