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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY JOINED BOARD SIC MEETING, UH, WHICH IS HERE AT OAK, THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 63 CHERRY POINT ROAD IN BOSTON, SOUTH CAROLINA ON MARCH 12TH TO MEET THE, THIS IS A HYBRID VIDEO CONFERENCING IMMEDIATELY LIVE STREAM ON THE COUNTY CHANNEL IN ACCORDANCE WITH NEW SAFETY AND SECURITY GUIDELINES.
BAGS, BACKPACKS AND PURSES ARE PROHIBITED BY THE PUBLIC AT BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS.
AND IF YOU WILL JOIN ME AT, UH, WELL, OH, NO, LET ME GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL ON THE AGENDA.
IS THERE A SECOND? PROPERLY MOTION.
ANYONE ELSE? VOTE? RIGHT? AYE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE ON? OKAY.
WITH THAT, IF YOU KNOWN FOR THE LEDGE OF LEGAL, I PLEDGE TO, I DO NOT SEE A PRAYER.
AND YOU FOR WHAT YOU STANDS FOR, ONE ISSUE BY GOD IN JUSTICE MOMENT SOUND PLEASE.
AND THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL, OR ONE OF HIS DESIGNEES WILL LEAD US IN A RECAP OF THE ATTENDANCE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THOSE EFFORTS AND APPRECIATION FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED AND SHOWED UP AND GIVEN INSIGHT.
SO, SUPERINTENDENT RODRIGUEZ, CAN YOU HEAR ME? HOW THAT YOU CAN, GREAT.
UM, GOOD TO SEE YOU, YOU HERE THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR JOINING US AND FOR BEING HERE.
WE HAVE, UH, TAKEN ON, UH, UH, AND THE ATTENDANCE CHALLENGE THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE NATION ARE FACING, UH, PARTICULARLY AFTER COVID.
ATTENDANCE HAS, UH, REALLY BEEN AN ISSUE AT, AT SCHOOLS ACROSS THE NATION, NOT JUST AT HIGH SCHOOLS WHEN KIDS ARE OLDER AND SOMETIMES HAVE OTHER INTERESTS, UH, BESIDES SCHOOL, BUT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND EVEN IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
RIGHT? AND, AND WE KNOW THAT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, RIGHT? PARENTS ARE A PART OF THE EQUATION IN, IN GETTING STUDENTS, UH, TO SCHOOL AS WELL, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK THERE'S A REALLY IMPORTANT DIALOGUE AROUND IT AND AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN AND AN AWARENESS PIECE THAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE.
AND SO WE'VE, WE'VE MOVED AROUND THE COUNTY, UH, CLUSTER SITES HAVING CONVERSATIONS AROUND, UH, ATTENDANCE AND THE IMPACT THAT CHRONICALLY ABSENT STUDENTS HAVE, RIGHT? THEIR, WHAT, WHAT THE ATTENDANCE ISSUES IMPACT THEIR OUTCOMES IN SCHOOL.
AND THERE'S LOTS OF DATA AND LOTS OF RESEARCH AROUND THAT IMPACT.
AND SO, UH, OUR TEAM, UH, DR. COX AND, UH, MR. ARD AND MR. FRITZ HAVE BEEN A PART OF, OF GOING AROUND, UH, WE'VE HIT JUST ABOUT EVERY CLUSTER SITE NOW, AND WE'RE COMING BACK AT ONE OR TWO PARTICULAR SITES THAT WE WANT TO GET BACK TO AROUND, AROUND THIS ATTENDANCE PIECE.
UH, SO I'M GONNA LET THEM GET GOING AND LEAD US IN THE CONVERSATIONAL.
UM, SO THE TEAM THAT'S UP HERE, UH, MS. AZAR WORKS IN THE STUDENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE, AND THEN BRETT FRITZ WORKS IN THE DATA SERVICES DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS THE ISD INSTRUCTION SERVICE PART.
SO ON THE SURFACE, WHEN WE SAY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, IF YOU'RE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, YOU START THINKING BACK TO WHEN YOU WERE IN SCHOOL AND WHAT ATTENDANCE WAS LIKE.
SO TO GIVE YOU TO FRAME WHERE THIS WAS ROOTED IN, WE STARTED LOOKING AT OUR STRATEGIC GOALS AND THE GOALS THAT DR. RODRIGUEZ HAS SET FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE? ONE MORE TIME, RIGHT? SO IN ORDER TO, THIS WAS EARLY ON, AND WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING AS A SYSTEM TO DRIVE TO GET US TO THOSE GOALS, AND AS WE STARTED REALLY DIGGING INTO IT TO SEE WHAT WE COULD DO DIFFERENTLY TO STRETCH OURSELVES TO THAT, ATTENDANCE CAME TO MIND.
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UM, SO YOU ARE AWARE, AFTER COVID ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WE REALLY SAW CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY SKYROCKET TO LEVELS THAT WE'D NEVER SEEN BEFORE.UM, SO TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, WE STARTED FRAMING THE PROBLEM.
SO MYSELF, MISS ARD, UM, WE REALLY STARTED DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THE TOPIC, ON DIFFERENT STRATEGIES AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO DO, UM, TO IMPACT THAT.
SO SOME OF IT WAS HOW WE CODE THESE THINGS IN SCHOOLS, UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM BEFORE REALLY STARTED TO ATTACK IT.
AND AS WE BEGAN TO RESEARCH IT, OUR MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT HE WANTED US TO MAKE, TAKE US TO TAKE THIS AND MAKING A COMMUNITYWIDE CAMPAIGN.
UM, PART OF THAT CAMPAIGN IS NOT JUST GOING OUT AND TALKING ABOUT ATTENDANCE, AND WE'RE GONNA DO SOME OF THIS HERE IN A, A LITTLE BIT TONIGHT.
PART OF THAT CAMPAIGN WAS IDENTIFYING WHAT ARE THE LOCAL BARRIERS THAT WE HAVE TOWARDS SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
WELL, THAT RESEARCH LED US DOWN A WHOLE NOTHER PATH OF LEARNING AND DISCOVERING THINGS THAT WE HAD NEVER EVEN CONSIDERED AND THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T REALIZE.
AND SO PART OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TONIGHT IS TO EXPLAIN TO YOU KIND OF THE RESEARCH THAT WE FOUND, STATE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AT THE STATE LEVEL, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE LOCALLY, AND KIND OF FRAME THE IMPACT.
AND THEN THEY WILL HELP ME KIND OF EDUCATE YOU ON WHAT WE'RE GOING OUR NEXT STEPS AND WHERE WE ARE IN OUR TRAINING.
OKAY? UM, SO FIRST, WHEN WE SORT REALI RESEARCHING THE COMMUNITY CLUSTER MEETINGS, WE WERE GONNA HAVE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE KEENLY AWARE OF WAS THAT HOW ARE YOU GONNA GET PEOPLE TO COME TO MEETINGS AFTER SCHOOL HOURS THAT ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING TO GET TO SCHOOL ON A REGULAR BASIS, RIGHT? SO THE IDEA OF FOOD AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS, THE WHOLE INTENTION BEHIND THESE MEETINGS WAS TO BEGIN TO SET THE SEED, SET THE STAGE FOR WHAT WE WERE ABOUT TO DO AS THE SYSTEM.
IT WAS TO RAISE AWARENESS AND TO GET PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT IT, TO GET SCHOOLS TALKING ABOUT IT, TO GET PARENTS INFORMED ABOUT IT THROUGH THE RESEARCH THAT WE DID.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MS. LASAR FOUND, AND SHE WAS VERY, VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS PART, IS GOING TO BE OUR APPROACH TO FAMILIES.
OUR APPROACH TO FAMILIES THAT WE KNEW WASN'T GONNA BE EFFECTIVE AND SEEN IT ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS WE CAN'T JUST GO REALLY HARSH IN THESE KIND OF MEETINGS.
WE CAN'T GO HARSH THE FAMILIES THAT ARE STRUGGLING GETTING TO SCHOOL ON A REGULAR BASIS.
WE REALLY HAVE TO TAKE THE APPROACH OF EDUCATING FAMILIES ON WHAT IS THE VALUE OF COMING TO SCHOOL ON A REGULAR BASIS AND REALLY DEMONSTRATE THAT COMING ON A REGULAR BASIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN DO TO REALLY IMPROVE YOUR OUTCOMES THAT YOU, THAT YOU WANT FOR YOUR FAMILIES.
SO TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF SOME OF THE PROBLEMS, MS. AZAR, CAN YOU DEFINE FOR THEM WHAT, WHAT IS CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM? SO CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM IS WHEN YOU MISS 10% MORE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
SO THAT'S GONNA DIFFER FOR EACH CHILD.
A STUDENT THAT REGISTERS ON DAY ONE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS HOW MANY DAYS IN THEIR SCHOOL YEAR? 180.
SO HOW MANY DAYS WOULD MAKE THEM CHRONICALLY ABSENT? OKAY, ANOTHER STUDENT, IF THEY DON'T REGISTER UNTIL SECOND QUARTER BECAUSE THEY'RE NEW TO US, THEY WILL BECOME CHRONICALLY ABSENT QUICKER.
THEY'LL HAVE LESS DAYS THAT THEY CAN MISS TO BE CONSIDERED CHRONICALLY ABSENT.
SO IF YOU COME IN ON THE HUNDRED WITH 20 DAYS IN WITH ONLY 160 DAYS, HOW MANY DAYS COULD YOU MISS? YES.
SO WE, WE WANTED TO USE THE PLATFORM TO EDUCATE FAMILIES ON ONE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF YOU ARE CHRONICALLY ABSENT? AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT'S BOTH EXCUSED AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES BECAUSE YOU'RE STILL MISSING SCHOOL.
AND SO YOU'RE MISSING OUT ON THE OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR BUILDINGS.
SO TO FRAME THE PROBLEM, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THE, THE BIG TO DOWN TO OUR LOCAL AREA.
SO OUR STATE IS AROUND 24 TO 25% CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM.
THAT MEANS ONE IN FOUR CHILDREN, THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, IT'S MORE THAN 10% OR MORE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
ALRIGHT? WE WERE SITTING AT ABOUT LAST YEAR, WE WERE AT A 22% RATE.
WE MONITOR, WE HAVE TOOLS, DATA TOOLS NOW FROM OUR STATE DEPARTMENT THAT WE MONITOR CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM ON A DAILY BASIS.
SOMETHING THAT JUST BLOWS MY MIND WITH THIS TOPIC.
WE STARTED THESE MEETINGS, AND WITHIN THE COURSE, THE TIMEFRAME OF THOSE MEETINGS, OUR CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM RATE DROPPED ALMOST 3% IN A POSITIVE WAY.
JUST BY US GETTING OUT AND TALKING TO SCHOOLS AND TALKING TO FAMILIES ABOUT THOSE MEETINGS.
UM, BUT IN BEFOR COUNTY LAST YEAR, WE WERE, WE WERE JUST BELOW THE STATE AVERAGE.
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WE WERE SITTING AROUND 22% OF CHRONIC ABSENTEE RATE WHEN WE STARTED THESE MEETINGS.NOW WE'RE AROUND A 19.2% CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM BREAK.
BUT I WANNA GIVE YOU SOME, A LOCAL EXAMPLE.
ONE OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS GAVE US A POWERFUL EXAMPLE THAT WE'VE USED IN MANY OF OUR MEETINGS TO REALLY GET EVERYONE'S ATTENTION.
BECAUSE WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT IT, YOU'VE GOTTA SEE AN EXAMPLE THAT'S REALLY GONNA HIT THAT SHOCK FACTOR.
WE HAVE AN ELEMENTARY, WE HAVE SOME EL AN ELEMENTARY EXAMPLE WHERE YOU THINK ABOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR.
I WANT YOU TO THINK THROUGH THE LIFE OF A CHILD.
WE HAVE A FIFTH GRADE EXAMPLE TO WHERE FROM K TO FIVE HAS MISSED 180 DAYS OF SCHOOL.
IF YOU LET THAT SINK IN, THAT CHILD HAS MISSED THE EQUIVALENT OF ONE FULL SCHOOL YEAR OF INSTRUCTION.
AND IN ORDER TO, AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE FOUNDATIONS OF SCHOOL AND WHAT IT TAKES TO BE SUCCESSFUL, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME OTHER STATISTICS IN OUR COUNTRY, AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NO DIFFERENT HERE.
IT'S CHRONIC CASSITY IS A PROBLEM, BEGINS IN THOSE FOUNDATIONAL GRADES, K TO TWO.
IF WE TRACK PRACTICE TO OUR NONGRADUATES IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT WERE WITH US K TO 12, THEY'LL HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON THAT WERE CHRONICALLY ABSENT IN THAT K TO TWO RANGE.
SO DR. RODRIGUEZ AND MANY OF OUR SESSIONS PRESENTS OUT TO FAMILIES AND SHOWS THEM HOW IF YOU ARE CHRONICALLY ABSENT, YOU'RE FAR LESS LIKELY TO BE ON GRADE LEVEL AND PROFICIENT.
I MEAN, THE STATISTICS ARE, ARE JUST OVERWHELMING AT THE PROBLEM.
NOW, TO SHOW YOU NATIONWIDE, SOME OF OUR, SOME OF OUR STATES AROUND OUR COUNTRY, 42% CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM.
UM, SO YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF NATIONWIDE CAMPAIGNS, AND WHEN WE STARTED THIS, WE GOT THE ATTENTION OF THE EDUCATION OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE IN COLUMBIA.
SO THEY REACHED OUT AND WANTED TO KNOW, LIKE, HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? SO THEY CONNECTED WITH US AND THEY SENT US THE RESOURCES.
CAN YOU TELL 'EM ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY SENT US? WELL, WELL, THAT'S COMING FORWARD.
SO THE, THE STAT THAT'S REALLY, REALLY ALARMING AND AND REALLY GRABS YOU IS THAT A CHRONICALLY ABSENT CHILD IN KINDERGARTEN, FIRST GRADE OR SECOND GRADE, 64% OF THOSE CHILDREN ARE CHRONICALLY ABSENT, WILL BE BELOW GRADE LEVEL IN THIRD GRADE.
AND THEN IF YOU'RE CHRONICALLY ABSENT IN FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE, THAT TRANSLATES INTO BELOW GRADE LEVEL IN SIXTH GRADE.
AND IF YOU SEE THAT IN SEVENTH AND EIGHTH COMING INTO NINTH GRADE, YOU'RE BELOW GRADE LEVEL AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
BUT YOU'RE ALSO MORE LIKELY TO BE A HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT IF THAT CHRONIC ABSENCE CONTINUES IN THAT MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS.
RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S THE BAD NEWS ABOUT THE IMPACT.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT IT'S CORRECTABLE.
SO WHEN YOU START TO CHANGE AND ELIMINATE CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM, THEN A CHILD BEGINS TO LEARN AND TO QUICKLY BECOME ACCLIMATED TO THEIR GRADE AND THEN BEGINS THE TRAJECTORY OF GETTING BACK ON GRADE LOW.
AND IT'S POSSIBLE TO DO, BUT THE SOONER, OBVIOUSLY THE BETTER.
OKAY, THANK YOU, DR. RODRIGUEZ.
UM, SO THERE'S A COUPLE MATERIALS BEFORE I, I SPREAD OR SHARE THESE OUT.
UM, THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT EVENT.
PUT OUT THE SOUTH CAROLINA B PRESS CAMPAIGN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND INVITED SCHOOLS TO TAKE THE CHALLENGE.
UM, SO YOUR SCHOOL, NEXT TIME YOU GO INTO YOUR SCHOOL, UM, LOOK TO SEE IF THEY HAVE HUNG UP.
A LOT OF THE SCHOOLS HAVE, AS I GO VISITING DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, I SEE THEM.
SOME HAVE PUT THEIR LOGOS ON THE POSTERS, SOME HAVE ADDED DIFFERENT THINGS.
THEY HAD ONE GOING INTO THE HOLIDAYS WHERE IT SAID, FINISH THIS SEMESTER STRONG HERE AT OPD.
SO SCHOOLS HAVE TAKEN THOSE MATERIALS AND KIND OF TAILORED THEM TO THEIR SCOPE POPULATIONS, WHICH HAS BEEN GREAT.
THIS FIRST HANDOUT THAT WILL GIVE EVERYBODY A COPY, UM, DESCRIBES THAT CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM.
AND WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS ONE IS IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT TARDIES.
UM, ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WE HAVE AND WE SEE IS THAT WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT AREN'T ARRIVING LATE TO OR BEING DISMISSED EARLY.
AND THE IMPACT THAT THAT HAS ON THEIR LEARNING AS WELL, BECAUSE OVER TIME, THAT ADDS UP.
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IT DISRUPTS THE LEARNING FOR THAT STUDENT AND POTENTIALLY CAN INTERFERE WITH THE FLOW OF THE CLASSROOM AND INSTRUCTION.AND SO THAT THAT SEQUENCE OF LEARNING ISN'T AS SMOOTH AS IT COULD BE IF THEY ARRIVE ON TIME.
THAT IS ALSO, UM, PRINTED IN SPANISH AS WELL FOR OUR BILINGUAL FAMILIES.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE RESOURCES THEY HAD.
THEY, WE DIDN'T WANNA OVERWHELM FAMILIES, BUT WE WANTED TO GIVE THEM SOME FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE.
AS DR. COX SAID, IT'S A LOT THE ATTENDANCE LAW, THERE'S A LOT OF COMPONENTS TO IT.
AND SO WE WANTED TO TAKE, PLANT THE SEED AND THEN START THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
THE SECOND HANDOUT THAT WE WERE GIVING OUT TO FAMILIES THAT CAME TO THE SESSIONS,
UM, THIS VERY HANDY VISUAL FOR SOME PEOPLE, THEY'RE VISUAL LEARNERS.
AND ESPECIALLY WITH YOUR OLDER STUDENTS, THEY CAN LEARN TO TAKE MORE OWNERSHIP OF THEIR ATTENDANCE WHEN THEY CAN ACTUALLY TRACK WHEN THEY'RE IN SCHOOL AND WHEN THEY'RE NOT, SO THAT THEY CAN VISUALLY START TO SEE.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES IF YOU MISS A DAY EVERY OTHER WEEK, YOU DON'T REALIZE THAT THOSE ARE QUICKLY ADDING UP AND HAVING AN IMPACT ON YOUR EDUCATION.
WE OFTEN SOMETIMES WILL HEAR ABOUT A STUDENT WHO MISSES TWO OR THREE DAYS IN A ROW, AND THEN THE STUDENT THAT MISSES EVERY OTHER WEEK A DAY.
IT DOESN'T COME UP ON YOUR RADAR AS QUICKLY SOMETIMES.
UM, SO THIS TRACKER IS A GREAT VISUAL AND ORGANIZER, A WAY TO EXPLAIN IT.
UH, WE'RE GONNA ADAPT TO MAKE SOME OF OUR OWN MATERIALS NEXT YEAR FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO BREAK IT BY SEMESTERS AND MAKE A BILINGUAL, UM, VERSION AS WELL.
AND THEN THE LAST THING, UM, DR.
CO SHARED THAT THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WAS, UM, CURIOUS AS TO WHAT WE WERE DOING AND HOW WE WERE GOING ABOUT IT.
SO THEY SEND US, UM, A BOX OF POSTCARDS.
WE REALLY WERE TRYING TO TAKE THE APPROACH OF BEING POSITIVE, WELCOMING FAMILIES IN TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHAT CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS THEY WERE FACING.
AND SO EACH SCHOOL RECEIVED THIS LITTLE DESCRIPTION FROM THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, JUST KIND OF THANKING THEM FOR COMMITTING TO TRYING TO TACKLE ATTENDANCE, AND THEN PROVIDED US WITH A BUNCH OF CARDS.
AND THE SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN SO RECEPTIVE, THEY'VE STARTED DISTRIBUTING THEM.
AND IT'S JUST A WAY FOR THEM TO WRITE A WELCOME BACK MESSAGE WHEN A STUDENT RETURNS AFTER BEING ABSENT, WHERE THEY CAN GIVE 'EM TO THE STUDENTS.
AGAIN, BUILDING THAT RELATIONSHIP OF, WE WANT YOU HERE, WE MISSED YOU, AND HOW CAN WE FURTHER SUPPORT YOU? SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED.
UM, THE SCHOOLS HAVE RECEIVED THESE, THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED, UM, DISTRIBUTING THEM TO THE STUDENTS.
SO WE'RE VERY, VERY EXCITED AT THE RECEPTION OF EVERYBODY THAT'S PARTICIPATED SO FAR.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WHEN WE MET WITH THE EDUCATIONAL SITE COMMITTEE, WE STARTED GOING THROUGH THIS, UH, JOURNEY, WE REALIZED THAT IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT BASED ON THE WAY ATTENDANCE LAWS ARE WRITTEN IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA TO BREAK DOWN AND EXPLAIN TO FAMILIES.
UM, AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT SEEM TO BE CONFLICTING AT TIMES.
UM, SO WE'VE ASKED, THAT'S ONE OF THE CHARGES WE ASKED.
THEY ASKED, WHAT COULD WE HELP WITH? AND SO THEY'RE ENGAGING AT THE STATE LEVEL TO TRY TO SIMPLIFY THESE THINGS FOR FAMILIES.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING IS WE'RE GOING OUT AND WE'RE MEETING, WE'RE WE'RE LEARNING AS WE GO.
AND THERE'S THIS WHOLE OTHER CONCEPT IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND THAT THERE'S WHAT IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR FAMILIES THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE? AND THEN THERE'S THIS WHOLE NOTHER AVENUE WHEN THEY HIT NINTH GRADE.
ANY HIGH SCHOOL PARENTS IN THE ROOM, GRAND GRANDPARENT, HIGH SCHOOL PARENTS, HIGH SCHOOL KIDS HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS? SEAT TIME.
SO IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, YOU HAVE TO HAVE 120 HOURS TO GET, DO YOU HAVE TO BE COUNTED, PRESENT FOR 120 HOURS TO GET CREDIT FOR THE COURSE? IF YOU DON'T, YOU, YOU FAIL THAT COURSE DUE TO ABSENCES.
OKAY? TRYING TO EXPLAIN THAT ON TOP OF CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM, ON TOP OF WHAT IS AN EXCUSED ABSENCE VERSUS AN UNEXCUSED ABSENCE.
AND THE DIFFERENT CODING THAT GOES ALONG WITH IT HAS BEEN AN EXTREMELY, THE PRESENTATION THAT THE STATE GIVES OUT, IT'S A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION.
IT'S 122 SLIDES LONG, OKAY? SO OUR JOB IS TO TRY TO TAKE THAT AND CONDENSE IT IN A WAY THAT'S DELIVERABLE TO FAMILIES UNDERSTOOD BY FAMILIES AND SOMETHING THAT WE CAN BE ACTIONABLE.
SO JUST TO KIND OF TELL YOU ONE OF THE BARRIERS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY DETERMINED, AND THERE'S A REASON THAT MR. FRITZ
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IS STANDING UP HERE ABOUT TO ASK HIM TO TALK TO YOU GUYS.SO YOU'RE GONNA SMILE BIG AT HIM WHEN HE COMES UP.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE IDENTIFIED IS WE HAVE A DATA SYSTEM THAT PARENTS CAN SEE THEIR GRADES, POWERSCHOOL ON THE PARENT SIDE.
WE BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THAT MANY OF OUR PARENTS DO NOT HAVE ACCESS ON THEIR SIDE CALLED THE PARENT PORTAL.
AND SO AT THESE SESSIONS, WE WERE ASSISTING FAMILIES WITH GETTING LOGGED INTO PARENT PORTAL SO THEY COULD SEE THE UPDATES IN REAL TIME.
UM, NOT JUST ATTENDANCE, BUT THEIR ATTENDANCE AND THEIR GRADES.
UM, SO I'M JUST GONNA LET BRETT TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND, AND WHAT KIND OF, WHAT KIND OF PROCESSES FAMILIES HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO GET TO THAT.
SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POWER POWERSCHOOL AND PARENT AND STUDENT PORTAL, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS VERY SECURE THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO GIVE THEM AN ENCRYPTION, USERNAME AND PASSWORD TO SET IT UP AND THEN TURN AROUND.
THEN THEY COULD SET UP THEIR OWN USERNAME AND PASS.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, THEY JUST CAN'T HOP ON AND, YOU KNOW, GO TO THE STATE, YOU KNOW, OR DISTRICT SITE, FIND A LINK AND SIGN UP.
THEY HAVE TO BE GIVING US INFORMATION.
SO A LOT OF TIMES, IF THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT FIRST COUPLE WEEKS WE PASS IT OUT.
BUT IF YOU START AFTER A COUPLE WEEKS, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S, THEY'RE NOT DOING IT AS A GROUP.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS TOOL WAS OUT THERE.
AND WHAT WE DID WAS JUST KIND OF SHOW THEM WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
WE BROUGHT UP THE ADMINISTRATION SIDE AND THE PARENT SIDE, AND WE USED MY, MY SON AS AN EXAMPLE TO KIND OF LOOK AT IT AND SHOW THEM THAT IT LOOKS EXACTLY THE SAME.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LITTLE GRAPHICS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT THEY CAN SEE GRADES, CLICK ON IT AND SEE ATTENDANCE.
THOSE HIGH SCHOOL PARENTS COULD SEE THAT.
WELL, YEAH, THE KID, MY SON WAS THERE, BUT HE WASN'T IN FIRST BLOCK.
YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT WHERE THEY, THEY MIGHT NOT BE AWARE.
WHY WASN'T HE INVERSE BLOCK? SO GIVING THEM THAT INFORMATION IN REAL TIME HELPS.
WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE FACT THAT THERE IS A APP THAT THEY CAN DOWNLOAD WITH THE APP.
SO ANYTIME GRADES ARE CHANGED OR THINGS ARE MARKED, IT'LL LET YOU KNOW.
I DID WARN 'EM THAT YOU REALIZE HOW LATE TEACHERS PUT GRADES IN WHEN IT STARTS GOING OFF AT 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO KIND OF MONITOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT THIS WAY THEY, THEY CAN CONSTANTLY SEE THOSE THINGS.
SO IF THEY GO BACK AND LOOK, THEY CAN SEE, OH, THAT'S RIGHT, SHE HAD AN ORTHODONTIST APPOINTMENT AND I DIDN'T SEND IN A NOTE.
I'LL GET THAT ORTHODONTIST NOTE, I'LL GET THAT SENT IN.
THAT'S NOT GONNA HELP CHRONIC THAT ABSENTEEISM, BUT IT WILL HELP POSSIBLY BE OTHER TRUANCY ISSUES.
SO JUST EXPOSING THEM TO THAT, WORKING WITH THEM, SHOWING THEM HOW WE CAN GET, GET 'EM SET UP, AND ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO LOOK UP THE, THAT USERNAME AND PASSWORD AND GIVE THAT TO THEM.
WHEN THEY WALK OUT THAT DOOR, THEY NOW HAVE A, A LINE OF SIGHT.
SO THANK SO WHAT WE, WHERE WE ARE IN THE NEXT STEPS AND WHY ARE WE TELLING ALL OF YOU THIS YEAR THAT THAT'S WHO WE'RE GONNA GO TO? SO AFTER THOSE MEETINGS FIRST, WE WE'RE DOING AFTER ACTION REVIEWS AS A GROUP TO LOOK AT THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'VE LEARNED A TON FROM.
SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS HAVE SOME AMAZING THINGS THEY'RE DOING, PARTICULARLY AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ON IT.
UM, SO WE'RE LEARNING SOME OF THOSE STRATEGIES SO THAT WE BEGIN TO SHARE OUT AS A SYSTEM.
NUMBER TWO, SQUARE IS OUR NEW COMMUNICATION APP.
AND IF YOU DOWNLOAD THE APP, THERE'S TWO WAY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE PARENT AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SO WHEN THEY GET THAT ALERT THAT THEY ARE ABSENT, THEY CAN IMMEDIATELY COMMUNICATE BACK TO THE SCHOOL.
UM, BUT NOW ANOTHER CHALLENGE IS MAKING SURE THAT ALL PARENTS DOWN, NOT JUST SIGN UP BUT DOWNLOAD THE APP SO THEY CAN HAVE THAT TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION PART AND THEN EDUCATING EVERYONE ON THE STRATEGIES.
BUT WE'VE DONE SIX CLUSTER SITE MEETINGS, SIX, NOT FIVE, SIX CLUSTER SITE MEETINGS.
WE'VE DONE ONE COMMUNITY MEETING WITH THE SHELTON TOWNSHIP AND THE WELL RANCH AREA.
WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT AGAIN TO OUR COMMUNITY AREAS.
THIS IS WHY WE'RE TALKING TO YOU.
WE WERE, WE'RE GOING TO ENGAGE WITH OUR PRINCIPALS ABOUT ENGAGING EVERY SIC IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ABOUT THIS TOPIC.
'CAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS WE QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE MADE DRASTIC IMPACTS ON CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM HAVE DONE SO THROUGH COMMUNITY EFFORT.
IT CANNOT BE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ALONE TRYING TO ATTACK AND ADDRESS THESE THINGS.
THE REASON I BRING THIS UP, THE CHURCHES ARE TELLING US THAT THEY'RE ATTEND, THEY'RE STRUGGLING CHURCH ATTENDANCE.
JUST LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
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TELLING US THAT THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE JUST LIKE THEY'RE SCHEDULING.WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.
SO THIS IS A TOPIC THAT HITS A LOT OF DIFFERENT PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT IF WE, IF WE DON'T ACT NOW, THIS IS GOING TO PLAGUE US FOR YEARS TO COME.
SO WE WANNA GO IN ACTIONABLE ITEMS TO ADDRESS THESE THINGS, TO TRY TO ATTACK IT GOING INTO NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, UM, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE ON THOSE THINGS.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW SEEMS SIMPLE.
IF WE THINK BACK TO WHEN WE WERE IN SCHOOL, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THIS WAS A MAJOR ISSUE BECAUSE IT WASN'T.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS A NEW PROBLEM FOR US IN THE LAST, SINCE COVID ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING WE HAVE SEEN BEFORE AT THIS LEVEL.
SO WE'VE GOTTA GO ABOUT IT DIFFERENTLY, DO ABOUT IT DIFFERENTLY.
SIMPLE THINGS LIKE THOSE CARDS, THE CHURCH FOLKS WERE LAUGHING AT US BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, WE, WE SEND THAT.
UM, AND SO WE WANTED TO ENGAGE YOU ON THAT.
I THINK ON THE SURFACE WHEN WE SAY TO PEOPLE, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE MATTERS, I THINK SOME PEOPLE HEAR THAT AND THINK IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL.
AND THEN YOU START GOING INTO THE DATA AND YOU START LOOKING AT THE OVERALL PROBLEM AND YOU REALIZE LIKE, UH, OH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE REALLY GOT TO BE STRATEGIC ABOUT WHAT WE DO WITH THIS.
SO WE WANTED JUST KIND OF EDUCATE YOU ON THE EFFORTS THAT WE'VE TAKEN, LOOKING AT THE NEXT STEPS, UM, AND JUST KIND OF GO ENGAGING YOU TO GO WITH US ON THIS JOURNEY AS WE TACKLE IT.
THIS IS THE EARLY PHASE OF SETTING THE SEED AND RAISING AWARENESS UNTIL WE REALLY START TO PUSH FORWARD ON NEXT.
I KIND OF WANT ALL OF OUR SESSIONS WITH DMA FAMILIES HAVE BEEN, AND EVEN WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS HAVE BEEN VERY INTERACTIVE.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT WHEN WE PRESENT TO COMMUNITY GROUPS, THEY ASK US THINGS LIKE, WELL, THE ONE COMMUNITY GROUP, THEY WERE REALLY UPSET THAT THIS WAS OCCURRING IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
WANTED US TO PROVIDE A LIST OF PARENTS' NAMES AND PHONE NUMBERS THAT THEY CAN START CALLING.
AND THAT WAS THE BACK AND FORTH.
WELL, YOU TOLD US IT'S A PROBLEM.
NO, BUT UM, I DO WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.
WE HAVE TRULY COLLECTED INFORMATION FROM EVERY TIME WE DO ONE OF THESE SESSIONS.
SO THEY'RE ALWAYS MEANT TO BE ENGAGING AND INTERACTIVE.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANOTHER MICROPHONE? YEAH.
UM, SO WHEN I'M SAYING THIS TO YOU, JUST REACTIONS OR THOUGHTS AND THERE'S NO THOUGHT THAT SOMETIMES YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON SOMETHING MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT.
UM, SO AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS AND TALKING THROUGH THIS WITH YOU GUYS, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE TALKED AT YOU NOW.
UM, SO ARE THERE THOUGHTS OR ANY SORT OF REFLECTIONS OR ANYTHING THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN REPRESENTING THIS TOPIC? YEP.
BEFORE, BEFORE COVID, WE WERE, SO THAT NUMBER'S GONNA CHANGE ANNUALLY.
SO WE WERE IN, UM, LOW, WE WERE, WE WERE ALWAYS GONNA BE AROUND 10%, 10 TO 12%.
AND NOW, AND THAT WAS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS WELL.
YOU, YOU WERE GOING TO SEE THIS IS, THIS IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION BECAUSE IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AND THEN WITH CERTAIN POCKETS OF OUR COUNTY, IT'S ALWAYS HISTORICALLY BEEN A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
LIKE STATES LIKE ALASKA, NOT THAT YOU CARE ABOUT ALASKA, BUT THERE'S A POINT TO IT.
THEY'RE AT LIKE 42% CHRONIC CAPS, BUT THEY WERE THE TWENTIES PRIOR TO COVID.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO WE WERE 10 TO 15 DEPENDING ON THE YEAR, AND THAT'S HOW MUCH IT'S INCREASED OVER TIME.
15 WOULD'VE BEEN A BAD YEAR FOR US.
'CAUSE THEY STARTED MEASURING THIS A LONG, A LONG TIME AGO.
SO THAT'S THE DRASTIC INCREASE THAT WE'VE SEEN.
UM, THERE ARE SOME CERTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE FORTIES RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S SUCH A BIG STATE BY THIS SHOOT.
I'M GLAD YOU MADE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN CHURCH AND WORK AND, AND SCHOOL BECAUSE WE SEE THAT AT OUR CHURCH TOO.
AND YOU KNOW, BOOMERS LIKE ME ARE GOING TO CHURCH STILL EVEN AFTER COVID.
YOU KNOW, WE WENT ONLINE WHILE IT WAS GOING ON.
BUT FAMILIES WITH, WITH YOUNG CHILDREN, THEY'VE CONTINUED TO HELP OTHER THINGS AND IT, IT'S LIKE OPTIONAL.
SO SCHOOL I THINK FITS IN THE SAME CATEGORY, TAKING VACATIONS.
SO SHE MAKES SUCH A CRITICAL POINT.
HISTORICALLY, THE, THE FAMILIES AND KIDS WERE CHRONICALLY ABSENT.
[00:30:01]
OF WHY CHRONIC, ABSENT CHRONIC MEDICAL ILLNESS, HIGH POVERTY, THOSE KIND OF THINGS, ISSUES IN THE HOME RIGHT NOW, IT'S CHEAPER TO VACATION DURING THIS TIMEFRAME.LIKE THINGS THAT WEREN'T HISTORICALLY DONE ARE DONE IN POCKETS OF LIKE, I THINK THERE WAS A MINDSET AFTER COVID OF LIKE, I COULD GO WHEN I WANT TO GO.
AND THAT'S STILL OCCURRING, UM, ALL OVER THE PLACE AND PEOPLE WILL MOVE.
WE USED TO MOVE, UM, MORE, UM, STABLE PATTERNS.
THEY MOVE PEOPLE ACROSS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
AND WE, WE LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE WE HAVE PEOPLE COME TO US FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE.
AND SO WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WHEN THEY WANT TO GO SEE FAMILY THAT'S NOT DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD TO YOUR GRANDMA'S HOUSE, THAT'S GOING BACK TO WHEREVER FOR X NUMBER OF DAYS, THAT CHUNK WILL HIT.
BUT WHEN YOU ALSO MISS TWO DAYS A MONTH, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU HIT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
YOU MISSED 16, 17, 18 DAYS OF SCHOOL.
AND THEN IN THAT MIDDLE YOU HIT A 10 DAY GAP WHERE YOU WENT BACK TO YOUR, TO NEW JERSEY, TO OHIO TO TO WHEREVER.
SO WHAT YOU JUST SAID IS A CRITICAL PROBLEM ALL OVER, BUT THAT IS A LOCAL ISSUE AS WELL.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S JUST AN ISSUE.
OTHER PLACES, UM, I'M LAURA FROM MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL.
I AM A MAY RIVER PARENT, SIC CHAIR.
BUT ALSO, UM, I AM THE MEDIA ASSISTANT.
SO ONE OF THE UNFORTUNATE PARTS OF MY JOB IS I GET TO SEE THE STUDENTS WHEN THEY'RE WITHDRAWING, UM, AT THE VERY KIND OF END WHEN THEY'RE TURNING IN THEIR DEVICES AND EVERYTHING.
SO I CAN SAY FROM THAT, ANOTHER KIND OF CARRYOVER FROM COVID, WHICH TAUGHT US VERY POSITIVE THINGS REGARDING VIRTUAL LEARNING.
HOWEVER, IT ALSO CARRIED WITH IT THE EASE OF VIRTUAL LEARNING.
UM, HOW EASY IT COULD BE FOR FAMILIES TECHNICALLY.
UM, AND SO WE ARE SEEING, UM, WHEN STUDENTS ARE WITHDRAWING, UM, FROM HIGH SCHOOL, IT IS, YOU KNOW, SOME IS FOR THEIR VARIETY OF REASONS, OBVIOUSLY, BUT QUITE A FEW, IT'S BECAUSE OF THEIR ABSENTEE ISSUE.
IT'S MUCH EASIER TO BALANCE THAT GOING TO VIRTUAL SCHOOL WHERE, YOU KNOW, UM, YOUR ATTENDANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY MEASURED IN THE SAME WAY.
AND SO THEY FEEL THAT THEY CAN STILL GET THAT SAME LEVEL OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN STILL GRADUATE WITH THAT DIPLOMA, BUT WITHOUT HAVING TO BE PHYSICALLY UM, IN SCHOOL.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING QUITE A LOT OF GOOD EVENING.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN PRIVY TO IS THAT WE HAVE ANYTIME THAT THERE'S A FAMILY WITH YOUNGER SIBLINGS AND OLDER SIBLINGS, IN SOME CASES, IF THERE'S A YOUNGER SIBLING THAT'S SICK SOMETIMES THAT CREATES A SECOND ABSENT FOR AN OLDER STUDENT TO STAY HOME.
SO MOM, DAD, GRANDMA, WHOEVER CAN, CAN GO TO WORK MM-HMM
UM, SO I THINK AN ABSENT THAT WASN'T NEEDED WAS NEEDED FOR CARE IN THE HOME.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED.
NOT JUST, UM, A COUPLE THINGS UNPACKING THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SHE'S RIGHT, BUT IN, IN A VARIETY OF REASONS.
MANY TIMES SOME OF OUR FAMILIES DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE FOR, FOR WHATEVER REASON.
UM, THE OTHER IS THAT CULTURALLY SOME FAMILIES BELIEVE IF ONE IS SICK, WE'RE GONNA KEEP 'EM ALL HOME SO WE DON'T GET OTHERS SICK.
SO SOME OF THOSE THINGS BEYOND COVID WHERE LIKE IF YOU REMEMBER THE MESSAGES AFTER COVID OF IF YOU'RE NOT FEELING WELL, STAY HOME.
THAT HAS STAYED WITH SOME FOLKS.
SO THEY, IF THEY THINK IF I GOT A RUNNY NOSE, AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS TRYING TO EDUCATE FAMILIES OF LIKE RUNNING THOSE DOESN'T MEAN YOU GOTTA STAY HOME.
UM, THE OTHER IS LIKE WHEN SOME FAMILIES AND KIDS ARE SICK WITH DOCUMENTING OF IT, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO THE DOCTOR.
UM, SO WE'VE GOT TO WORK TO TRY TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE TO ADDRESS THAT BECAUSE THAT IS THAT PROBLEM THAT SHE JUST SAID IS SOMETIMES LOCALLY IT HAPPENS MORE OFTEN THAN YOU THINK.
IF ONE CHILD IS SICK, THERE'S NO REASON IN A HOME FULL OF THREE OR FOUR KIDS THAT THEY ALL NEED TO STABLE.
UM, ARE THERE ANY SCHOOLS THAT ARE ONE OF TWO STANDARD DEVIATIONS DOING REALLY
[00:35:01]
WELL AND WE COULD LOCALLY, WE COULD FIGURE OUT LET'S COPY THEM.SO THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT, UM, GLAD YOU SAID THAT.
'CAUSE WHEN WE WERE IN THE, UM, WHEN WE WERE IN THE ATTENDED SESSIONS, WE ACTUALLY GOT SPEND TIME WITH THE ADMINISTRATORS AT THE SCHOOLS TALKING ABOUT THIS VERY TOPIC.
UM, WE TOOK SOME OF THE STRATEGIES THAT, THAT WE HAVE THAT THEY HAVE USED IN THEIR SCHOOLS AND WE'RE TRYING TO REPLICATE IT ACROSS THE SYSTEM.
I WOULD SAY LOOKING AT IT BY LEVEL, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THE DATA IS ALL SCHOOL DEPENDENT, RIGHT? SO MIDDLE AND HIGH, IT'S A LITTLE HARDER.
I'M JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND, AND TAKE AS, AS THE KIDS GET OLDER, THAT THAT RESPONSIBILITY OF GETTING THERE AND GETTING THERE DAILY KIND OF TRANSITION FROM THE PARENT TO THE STUDENT.
UM, SO YES, WE HAVE LOOKED AT THAT VERY THING.
UM, WE'VE GOT SOME SHINING EXAMPLES.
WE'RE REALLY KNOCKING IT OUT THE PARK.
AND SO REALLY TRYING TO SHARE TO OUR OTHER SCHOOLS WHAT IS WORKING, WHAT TYPES OF STRATEGIES ARE WORKING.
AND WE HAVE EVEN SEEN SOME ENTIRE SCHOOL CLUSTERS COLLABORATING ON ATTENDANCE BECAUSE OF WHAT SHE SAID.
UM, 'CAUSE THERE'S AN ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND A HIGH.
SO THEIR FOLKS ARE TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER AND CREATING SYSTEMS TO TRACK IT.
AND I DON'T WANNA SAY, UM, OVERLY ENGAGED THE PARENTS WHEN THE KIDS AREN'T COMING TO SCHOOL ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SO YES, WE'RE FRAMING THOSE AND TRYING TO SPREAD THOSE ACROSS THE COUNTY.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING, WE'RE SETTING A TEAM.
THERE'S A SOUTH CAROLINA STATE DEPARTMENT, UM, SESSION AT THE END OF APRIL FOR SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT HOW DO WE SUPPORT ON TIME GRADUATION.
SO WE'LL BE SENDING A TEAM, UM, THE HIGH SCHOOL PREVENTION LIAISONS, WE'LL BE GOING AND THEN PER CLUSTER, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL WILL BE GOING.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO, UM, WE'LL HAVE A COUPLE PRE-MEETINGS TO DO SOME PLANNING, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE DATA AND SHARING THOSE BEST PRACTICES SO THAT WE CAN BE REALLY STRATEGIC AND INTENTIONAL GOING INTO NEXT YEAR WITH HOW WE CAN, YOU KNOW, REFINE SYSTEMS AND CELEBRATE THE, THE GOOD WORK THAT IS BEING DONE.
JUST SHARING MORE TO, TO GET IT MORE WIDESPREAD.
IT'S, IT'S CHANGING OUR APPROACH TO LOOKING AT IF WE WERE TO GET TO THAT 92% GRADUATION RATE, I KNOW IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE'RE FAR OFF RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S A LOT OF KIDS TO MOVE, TO PUSH US ABOVE THE 92% RATE.
WE ARE CHANGING OUR MINDSET TO LOOK AT GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL AS A K TO 12 INITIATIVE.
FOR YEARS IT WAS LOOKED AT THE HIGH SCHOOL'S RESPONSIBILITY TO GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL.
AND BASED ON THIS DATA, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S JUST NOT THE CASE.
WE HAVE TO, SO FOR THE, WHEN WE'RE, WE'VE GONE TO THESE DROPOUT PREVENTION CONFERENCES BEFORE, BUT WE'VE NEVER TAKEN THIS TYPE OF APPROACH OF ENGAGING OUR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE FOLKS.
BECAUSE IF WE'RE GONNA SAY IT'S A K TO 12 INITIATIVE, THEN WE GOTTA PUT, WE GOTTA PUT OUR MONEY IN OUR MOUTH.
SO OTHER COMMENTS? ANYTHING ELSE MS. YOU'D LOOK LIKE YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING? YOU SURE YOU DIDN'T WANNA SAY SOMETHING? NO, YOU JUST SMILE AT ME.
COULD YOU SHARE SOME OF THE THINGS OF THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE HAVING BETTER LUCK WITH ATTENDANCE, WHAT THEY'RE DOING? MM-HMM
SO SOME OF IT IS THEIR SYSTEMS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THEY'VE ESTABLISHED, UM, I'M THINKING OF ONE SCHOOL IN PARTICULAR.
THERE ABOUT 4% OF CHRONIC ABSENTISM RATE, WHICH IS LIKE, WHEN YOU SEE THAT, YOU'RE LIKE, OKAY, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU DO? UM, THEY HAVE SOME SYSTEMS WHERE THEY'RE, THEY HAVE A ONE STANDARD EMAIL FOR PARENTS TO BE ABLE TO SEND THEIR PARENT NOTES IN THEIR DOCTOR'S NOTES, THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
WHERE IT'S MOST EFFECTIVE IS WHEN THE TEACHERS REALLY ENGAGE IN THE SYSTEM AND THE TEACHERS START CALLING.
THE NOTHING REPLACES A PARENT PHONE CALL HOME FROM A TEACHER WHEN THE KIDS ARE ABSENT.
THAT IS BEING SEEN AS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES TO DO THAT.
SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS ALSO PLAN THINGS ON DATES THAT KIDS THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS BREAK, THEY'RE HAVING THE ASSEMBLY THAT KIDS WANT TO COME TO SO THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE THERE RIGHT BEFORE THE, THE BREAK ENDS.
BUT MOST OF IT IS LIKE THE SYSTEM OF LIKE AN IMMEDIATE REACH OUT, SOMETHING'S NOT GOING ON, ENGAGE 'EM WITH THE FAMILY AND WHEN THEY HAVE A TEAM APPROACH, SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS CALL THESE TEAMS DIFFERENT THINGS AND THEIR SCHOOLS, SO CALLED AN MTSS TEAM, WHICH IS MULTI-TIERED SYSTEM SUPPORT OR A STUDENT SERVICES TEAM.
AND THAT TEAM TRACKS AND MONITORS THEIR DATA WEEKLY.
AND AS THEY NOTICE KIDS STARTING TO MISS DAYS OF SCHOOL, THEY START SPLITTING IT UP, DIVIDING OUT AND REACHING OUT IN ADDITION TO THE TEACHER.
THAT PART OF THOSE SCHOOLS THAT ARE REALLY GETTING DOWN CLOSE IS WHEN THAT TEAM IS CONTACTING
[00:40:01]
AFTER THE TEACHER HAS ALREADY CALLED AND REALLY TRYING TO CONNECT WITH THE FAMILY TO SAY, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO TO ASSIST YOU TO DO THAT? THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN, SOME OF THE SYSTEMS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE THAT HAVE BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE AT SOME OF OUR SITES.ANYTHING ELSE? MR. HALL? YOU GOT ANYTHING GLOWING TO ADD BACK THERE? OKAY.
ANYTHING ELSE GUYS? WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, WE'LL BE HERE AFTERWARDS IF YOU HAVE OTHER THOUGHTS THAT YOU HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS.
IF YOU ASKED MY IDEAS, SUGGESTIONS, AND JUST KNOW THAT WHEN IT COMES BACK TO YOUR S UM, THIS IS ROOTED IN THE WHY.
AND SO THE LAST THING I'LL LEAD YOU WITH, IF YOU GOT A GROUP, A CHURCH GROUP ORGANIZATION THAT YOU'RE A PART OF THAT YOU WANT MY TEAM, UM, TO COME ENGAGE WITH, WE ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO DO SO.
SO WE'VE GOT SOME ALREADY SCHEDULED.
WE'VE GOT TWO ALREADY SCHEDULED.
UM, AND THEN SO WE'RE WILLING TO COME TO ANY ORGANIZATION SPEAK TO GET PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THIS CONVERSATION.
THANK YOU DR. COX AND THANK EVERYONE WHO ACTUALLY POSED A QUESTION AND WHO HAD EXPRESSIONS OF SUPPORT AND POSITIVE RESPONSES.
UH, AS I WAS LOOKING OUT INTO THE AUDIENCE, UH, AS MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW, BUT MOST OF YOU MOST WON'T KNOW, MY BACKGROUND IN EDUCATION IS VERY RECENT.
ONLY JOINING THE BOARD HAVE DID I EVER LEARN WHAT THE WORD PEDAGOGY IS AND HOW IMPORTANT IT'S, BUT ONE THING THAT I HAVE SEEN, I'VE ATTENDED FOUR OF THE SIX ATTENDANCE MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, MS. STONEY TWO THROUGH THE TRAVEL AND OTHER, OTHER REQUIREMENTS, SEEING HOW THE PARENTS THAT PLAY THERE, AS THEY LEARN HOW IMPORTANT THOSE EARLY YEARS ARE IN DETERMINING THE LEVEL OF SUCCESS OF THEIR KIDS, IT WAS LIKE A LIGHT BULB GOES ON ON.
SO IF YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE HUMANITY THAT ACTUALLY OCCURS WHEN THE, WHEN A PARENT SAYS, I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, THAT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
SO I JUST WANT TO ASK THAT IS, YOU FORM THIS FORCE THAT'S GOING TO GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR PARENTS OF YOUR, TEACH YOUR STUDENTS, PLEASE, UM, CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THIS WONDERFUL GROUP WHO'S BEEN LIKE REALLY GOING HARD AND HEAVY, UH, IN CONJUNCTION PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS.
IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE AND IT'S A PHYSICAL AWARENESS THAT OCCURS AMONG PARENTS.
IF YOU SAID THIS, WE SAW A BIG REACTION OF ONE THING I FORGOT TO MENTION WHEN FOLKS CAME AND OUR, AND I WOULD SAY THE SAME IMPACT ON SCHOOL LEVEL FOLKS AND OUR COMMUNITY FOLKS AND OUR KIDS HAD WALKED IN.
YOUR SUPERINTENDENT WAS THERE, DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT WAS THERE, AND YOUR SCHOOL BOARD WAS THERE.
SO WHEN FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS WALK IN AND SEE THAT, YOU GET A DIFFERENT REACTION.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY I, I APPRECIATED THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S AN EFFECTIVE, I THINK THAT REALLY GOT PEOPLE'S ATTENTION BECAUSE IT WASN'T JUST SOMEONE FROM THE DISTRICT OFFICE WHEN OUR FAMILIES COME IN, THEY KNEW WHO THE PROUD SUPERINTENDENT IS, RIGHT? AND SO THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
AND I JUST APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT, OUR DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT, DR. LEE, AND FROM THE BOARD.
THEY DIDN'T JUST SAY, GO DO THIS.
THEY CAME OUT ON THE GROUND AND HELPED US SUPPORT.
UM, THERE WERE A SERIES OF QUESTIONS THAT WERE SENT IN AS, AS TYPICALLY IS REQUESTED.
AND SO, UH, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THOSE QUESTIONS THAT CAME IN FROM SICS AND MAKE SURE WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TO ADDRESS THOSE.
SO THE FIRST ONE THAT'S ON THE LIST IS ABOUT STATE POLICIES AND LEGISLATION AND HOW IT AFFECTS, UH, BEAUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO, UH, WITH THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION, I THINK, UH, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S IN REFERENCE TO, UH, I'M READING EXACTLY HOW THE QUESTION CAME IN.
SO I'M ASSUMING THAT IS IN REFERENCE TO, UH, WHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF LEGISLATIVE CYCLE, RIGHT? AND THERE ARE A HOST OF LEGISLATIVE BILLS THAT ARE OUT THERE, UH, AND, AND CONSTANTLY, UH, BEING DRIVEN AT, AT THIS JUNCTURE IN THIS TIME.
SOME OF THOSE LEGISLATIVE BILLS ARE SORT OF HANGOVERS FROM THE LAST YEAR'S LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT, UH, HAVE LIKE A TWO YEAR LIFESPAN.
IF IT'S NOT PICKED UP THIS YEAR, IT SORT OF DIES AND STARTS ALL OVER AGAIN.
SO I THINK THE, THE REAL ANSWER TO THAT IS, AT THIS
[00:45:01]
JUNCTURE, BILLS THAT HAVE PASSED, UH, ONE SIDE, ONE, UH, ONE SIDE OR ONE LEGISLATIVE BODY ARE SITTING IN THE OTHER LEGISLATIVE BODY OF THE MOMENT.AND THOSE BILLS WHILE THEY'RE SITTING ON THE OTHER LEGISLATIVE, SO IF THEY PASS THE HOUSE, THEY'RE SITTING IN THE SENATE, THEY PASS THE SENATE, THEY'RE GONNA BE SITTING IN THE HOUSE, UH, FOR NOW, AND THOSE COMMITTEES AND THOSE GROUPS ARE GONNA TAKE THOSE ON.
AND AS THEY TAKE THOSE ON, THEY OFTEN CHANGE THAT LEGISLATION HERE AND THERE.
SOMETIMES A LITTLE BIT, SOMETIMES QUITE A BIT.
AND THEN IT GOES BACK TO THE OTHER HOUSE OR TO THE OTHER LEGISLATIVE BODY BEFORE IT GETS APPROVED, IT GETS SENT ON TO, UH, TO THE GOVERNOR, RIGHT, FOR A SIGNATURE AND ACTUALLY BECOME LAW.
BUT ONCE IT BECOMES LAW, THAT'S NOT REALLY THE END OF THE STORY BECAUSE MOST OF THOSE RIGHT, THEN END UP IN, UH, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR INTERPRETATION.
SO THEY THEN INTERPRET WHAT THAT LAW IS AND, AND WHAT THEY BELIEVE THE LEGISLATION, THE LEGISLATION IS REQUIRING OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
AND THEN THEY PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS ON THAT.
SO SOMETIMES YOU'LL SEE SOMETHING THAT GETS PASSED AND MOVES FORWARD, BUT DOESN'T ACTUALLY GET IMPLEMENTED, IMPLEMENTED FOR A YEAR DOWN THE ROAD OR SIX MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD.
PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT WAS, UH, THE CELL PHONE, RIGHT? UH, THAT CELL PHONE LEGISLATION PASSED, UH, EITHER EARLY SUMMER OR, OR, OR LATE SPRING.
AND, UM, IT WENT, THEN THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WENT THROUGH AN INTERPRETATION PROCESS OF THAT, THAT LASTED ALL THE WAY TILL, UH, ESSENTIALLY LATE NOVEMBER, EARLY DECEMBER.
AND ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION BEGAN IN DECEMBER AT ACROSS THE STATE.
THAT'S IN TERMS OF A REQUIREMENT.
WE STARTED IN AUGUST AND WE HAD OUR OWN INTERPRETATION, AND THEN WE HAD TO ADJUST A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE, BECAUSE THE STATE'S LEGISLATION TWEAKED IT A LITTLE MORE, RIGHT? SO, SO THAT'S A TOUGH ONE TO ANSWER AT THIS JUNCTURE BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO OFFICIALLY BE PASSED AND WE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER TWEAKS ARE BEING MADE IN THE OTHER LEGISLATIVE BODY AT, AT THIS JUNCTURE.
SO THAT'S REALLY A LONG WAY OF SAYING WE DON'T REALLY KNOW AT THIS TIME WHAT LEGISLATION IS, IS ULTIMATELY GONNA PASS AND LAND ON OUR TABLE TO DEAL WITH, RIGHT? BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT IS THAT WHATEVER LEGISLATION PASSES WE WILL ABIDE BY, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S THE LAW AND WE ARE REQUIRED TO ABIDE BY THAT.
AND SO THAT KIND OF LEADS ME TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THERE THAT I THINK, UH, YOU'LL SEE WHY I SAY THAT.
AND IT SAYS 10 COMMANDMENTS AND CHAPLAINS, RIGHT? AND THAT'S A LEGISLATION THAT'S SITTING OUT THERE THAT AT THE CURRENT MOMENT SAYS IT PASSED ONE HOUSE, UH, AND IS SITTING ON THE OTHER LEGISLATIVE BODY AND IT SAYS THAT THE 10 COMMANDMENTS WILL BE POSTED IN CLASSROOMS, RIGHT? WELL, IF IT PASSES THE OTHER HOUSE, THE OTHER LEGISLATIVE BODY AND IT GETS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR, WE CAN'T SAY TOO BAD WE LOVE IT OR WHATEVER OPINION WE HAVE, IT'S THE LAW AND WE WILL ABIDE RIGHT? UNTIL THAT THAT CHANGES, THERE'S NO, YOU KNOW, REQUIREMENTS.
SO I, I KIND OF TIED THOSE TWO TOGETHER BECAUSE ONCE IT PASSES, ONCE IT'S LEGISLATION, WE DO HAVE TO ABIDE WITH IT.
BUT, BUT IT, IT, IT BOGGLES THE MIND TO SEE THE AMOUNT OF LEGISLATION THAT IS SITTING OUT THERE, UH, FOR OR JUST EDUCATION FOR JUST EDUCATION.
SO THERE'S A LOT TO KEEP TRACK OF.
UH, I'M A MEMBER OF, UM, OF A SUPERINTENDENT'S ASSOCIATION, WHICH PROVIDES INFORMATION ON LEGISLATION ON, ON, ON A MONTHLY BASIS SO YOU CAN SEE HOW THINGS ARE TRACKING.
AND AS YOU GET CLOSER, THEN YOU START TO THINK ABOUT AND FORMULATE HOW THAT IS GONNA IMPACT US AND WHAT KIND OF THINGS WE HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO MANEUVER.
UM, I'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THAT BECAUSE IT'S GONNA COME UP LATER.
I'M NOT GONNA DIVE INTO IT RIGHT NOW, BUT, BUT AS AN EXAMPLE SAYS VOUCHERS, AND IT'S RELATED TO THE SCHOOL TRUST FUND ISSUES WHERE PARENTS CAN'T REQUEST
[00:50:01]
IF THEY, IF THEY'RE APPROVED IN THAT SYSTEM, THEN THEY CAN TAKE THEIR DOLLARS THAT THE STATE WOULD GIVE TO A SCHOOL SYSTEM AND USE THOSE DOLLARS ELSEWHERE, RIGHT? AND THAT TELLS YOU THAT THE EDU EDUCATIONAL LANDSCAPE IS CHANGING.IT'S CHANGING, RIGHT? IT'S BEEN CHANGING OVER TIME, BUT IT IS RAPIDLY CHANGING.
AND AS THAT HAPPENS, SCHOOL SYSTEMS HAVE TO EITHER ADAPT TO THOSE LEGISLATIVE CHANGES OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ADAPTING TO THOSE LEGISLATIVE CHANGES, RIGHT? AND SO THERE ARE WAYS THAT A TRADITIONAL SCHOOL SYSTEM CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE EDUCATION TRUST FUND DOLLARS THAT PARENTS CAN REQUEST CERTAIN THINGS FROM THE SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT IS ENGAGED IN THAT, AND THEN SORT OUT HOW, UH, HOW HOW THEY WANNA PAY USING THOSE DOLLARS FOR SERVICES FROM THEIR SCHOOL SYSTEM, RIGHT? AND SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN AND ARE LOOKING INTO TO SORT OUT HOW THAT IMPACTS US AND THAT POSSIBILITY OF TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT ALSO, UH, EXISTS.
SO, WELL, ONE THAT'S IN THE NEWS RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? PARENTS, UH, WHO WANNA GO TAKE THEIR CHILD TO HOMESCHOOL HAVE BEEN APPROVED TO USE THOSE DOLLARS AND PAY FOR THE HOMESCHOOLING OF THEIR CHILD, RIGHT? SO THERE'S A BIG DEBATE RIGHT NOW FROM A SENATOR REALLY, AND, AND, AND THE SENATE ASIDE SAYING, HEY, THAT'S NOT HOW WE INTENDED THESE DOLLARS TO BE USED, RIGHT? BECAUSE FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE PROVIDED A SERVICE TO HOMESCHOOL KIDS THROUGH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND THEY TECHNICALLY COULD PAY THE SCHOOL SYSTEM USING THOSE DOLLARS FOR HOMESCHOOL SERVICE, RIGHT? SO YOU, SO YOU DON'T LOSE THOSE STUDENTS TO HOMESCHOOL, YOU KEEP THEM THROUGH A HOMESCHOOL PROGRAM, WHETHER IT'S JUST SEE VIRTUAL, WHETHER WHAT THEIR IS, UH, WHATEVER OTHER FORMAT MIGHT BE OUT THERE THAT IS ALLOWABLE BY LAW YOU COULD DO.
SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF, OF ONE WAY.
BUT THAT HOMESCHOOL PIECE IS, IS CURRENTLY BECOME A VERY HOT TOPIC, WHICH WE'RE ALL WATCHING CLOSELY AND SEEING HOW, HOW THAT PLAYS OUT AND HOW THAT IMPACTS ANY OTHER MENU ITEM ON THAT, UH, UH, TRUST FUND DOLLARS OR WHATEVER IT'S CALLED, VOUCHER PROGRAM.
SO, UH, WELL WE TALK ABOUT VOUCHER, WE MIGHT AS WELL FINISH IT OFF AND CHECK IT OFF THE LIST, RIGHT?
THOSE ARE DOLLARS THAT ARE SITTING OUT THERE.
UM, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT UP TO US AS TO WHETHER ABUSE OF THOSE VOUCHERS, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE TAKING PLACE OR NOT.
THAT'S UP TO THE STATE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THAT'S HAPPENING OR NOT.
BUT, BUT THOSE VOUCHERS ARE IN PLAY ESSENTIALLY.
IT'D BE LIKE IF THE STATE, IF, IF STATE SAID, HEY, WE'RE GONNA PAY $7,500, IS THAT RIGHT TANYA? 7,500, THE $7,500 THAT WE WOULD GIVE TO A SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR A STUDENT, WE'RE GONNA GIVE THAT TO THE PARENT.
AND THEN THE PARENT CAN DECIDE, WELL, I WANT TO TAKE MY CHILD TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL AND USE THE $7,500 TO PAY FOR THAT TUITION OR A PART OF THAT TUITION, THEN I'LL PAY THE REST OF IT, RIGHT? OF, OF WHATEVER THAT COSTS MONEY BE.
THAT'S HOW THAT VOUCHER PROGRAM WORKS.
AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT THE SENATE IS HAVING WITH THAT HOMESCHOOL PIECE SAYING, HEY, WE DIDN'T INTEND IT FOR BE TO BE FOR HOMESCHOOL.
WE, WE INTENDED IT TO BE FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
THEY ALSO DIDN'T INTEND FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO RAISE THEIR TUITION BY EXACTLY.
I SAID THEY ALSO DID NOT INTEND FOR THE HOMES, UH, FOR THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO RAISE THEIR TUITION BY EXACTLY THAT $7,500.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY'RE GONNA LOOK INTO, RIGHT? I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, CERTAINLY NOT, UH, OUR SCHOOLS SOME FOR OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
[00:55:01]
UH, THERE'S ALSO THE CASE OF STUDENTS THAT ENROLL IN THOSE SCHOOLS AND THEN DON'T FINISH THAT SCHOOL YEAR THERE AND COME BACK TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BUT THAT FUNDING DOESN'T COME BACK GREAT.A HUNDRED PERCENT, RIGHT? SO, SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW LEGISLATION IMPACTS, UH,
UH, I, I THINK PERSONALLY THAT, UH, AND WE'VE SPOKEN ABOUT THIS IN SOME OF OUR, UH, COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND, AND I THINK IN OPEN BOARD TOO, UH, I THINK WE ARE IN THE OPENING SALVOS OF, UH, THE CHANGE IN LANDSCAPE OF EDUCATION.
UH, THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING GROWING PAINS OF WHAT IS LANDSCAPE OF EDUCATION GOING TO BE IN 10 YEARS, 15, 20 YEARS FROM NOW.
UM, THERE IS A REALLY GOOD CHANCE THAT SCHOOLS COULD JUST TURN INTO AN EDUCATION SERVICE PROVIDER.
AND WE OFFER EDUCATION THROUGH MULTIPLE AVENUES.
UM, AND IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO WATCH, UH, WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE LANDSCAPE OF EDUCATION OVER THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
UM, BUT THIS IS JUST A GROWING PIECE IS THE VERY FIRST GROWING PAIN OF HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THIS? HOW DO WE EASE, UM, SOCIETY OR CULTURE INTO TURNING OUR KIDS INTO VIRTUAL LEARNERS? I HOPE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
BUT IT'S, THERE'S, THERE'S, HOMESCHOOLERS CAN TAKE THEIR $7,500.
I, I I CRUNCH THE NUMBER, UH, THE NUMBERS.
UM, IF, IF, IF JOHNNY OR SUSIE WANT, UH, WANT TO DO HOMESCHOOL, BUT THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY, UH, WANT TO GO TO MAY RIVER AND TAKE THE, MAYBE THE THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE TRACK, UH, AND THEY SAY, HEY, I'M GONNA GO TO MAY RIVER.
AND I THINK, UH, MY NUMBERS WERE LIKE, JUST UNDER 2000, LIKE $1,900 THEY COULD PAY MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL $1,900 AND TAKE CRIMINAL ONE, TWO, AND THREE, UH, OVER THREE YEARS.
AND, AND, AND THAT'S ONE, THAT'S ONE WAY THAT WE STAY IN THE GAME OF ENGAGING OUR, THE KIDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GOING TO CHANGE.
IT'S NOT, IT'S, IT'S NOT WHEN OR HOW MUCH.
IT'S, IT'S LIKE HOW IT'S, IT'S GOING TO CHANGE.
UH, AND HOW ARE WE GONNA WEATHER? I I DON'T KNOW.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE SMARTER THAN ME ON THE BOARD.
UH, BUT, UH, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE AN INTERESTING TIME TO WATCH.
WELL, RESPECTFULLY, I DON'T THINK IT'S
AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA VOTE SOME PEOPLE OUT TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
I I DON'T THINK WE ARE IN THE THRONES OF CHANGE.
WE'RE THE FROZEN HAVE CHANGE, BUT OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IS NOT GONNA CHANGE LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, THAT'S TWO THREE OF THE ITEMS. I'M GONNA SLIDE OVER HERE.
STRADDLE, DO YOU WANT ME TO DO THIS OR DO YOU WANT FOLLOW? WHO'S NEXT? DO YOU WANT ME TO JUST KEEP GOING? NO, YOU CAN KEEP THEM GOING.
STRADDLES IS GONNA TOUCH BASE ON BOOK REVIEWS.
YOU TAKING ME BACK TO, UM, NINE, SIX TITLES, SIR, THAT HAPPENED IN THIS ROOM.
MAY I HAVE THE QUESTIONS, SIR? I REITERATE IT.
IF YOU PARTICIPATE IN A BOOK REVIEW, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND I MEAN THAT, MANY OF YOU DID IT MULTIPLE BOOK REVIEWS.
I'M NOT SURE OF THE DEPTH OF THE QUESTION, BUT WHAT I MAY SHARE WITH YOU THAT, KNOCK ON WOOD, WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY TITLE REQUESTS TO BE CHALLENGED SINCE WE FINISHED OUR LISTING.
WE DID HAVE SOME ITEMS THAT WERE OVERLOOKED AND PUSHED BACK TO THE SYSTEM, GOING BACK TO OUR BOARD AND OUR BOARD MADE DECISIONS.
WE STAND BY THE DECISIONS OF OUR BOARD, AND WE RECOGNIZE ALSO THE PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH AND THE DEPTH OF WORK THAT WENT THROUGH AT DEVELOPING THE PROCESS.
AGAIN, I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU WHO PARTICIPATED BECAUSE SOME OF YOU, MULTIPLE FOLKS, THANK YOU.
AND THAT IS FOR ANYWAY THAT YOU HAVE VOTED, BUT MOST OF ALL, A YOUNG LADY SUPPORTED THE WALL HAS LENT OUR SCHOOL TO US FOR MANY EVENINGS.
YOU KNOW, ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TIED TO BOOK REVIEW THAT I, I MAY NOT HAVE THE QUESTION, BUT I MAY BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU AN ANSWER.
IT MIGHT BE A, I COUNTED FAST
[01:00:01]
FORWARD.SHE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS CLASSROOM RECORDING, OR I'M ASSUMING THAT MEANS VIDEO RECORDING CAMERAS PLACED INSIDE CLASSROOM.
I'M ASSUMING THAT'S THE, I'M ASSUMING THAT AS WELL.
SO IT'S A CLASSROOM RECORDING AND, UH, RIGHT NOW WE DO NOT HAVE CAMERAS IN OUR CLASSROOM THAT OUR RECORDING, UM, IF THERE IS SOMETHING SPECIFIC OR A QUESTION, WE CAN ANSWER THAT, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE CAMERAS THROUGHOUT THE BEAVER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT ARE RECORDING INSTRUCTION IN THE CLASSROOM.
BUT I THINK THERE'S LEGISLATION THAT IT'S TALKING ABOUT.
THERE IS LEGISLATION THAT IS, THAT IS TALKING ABOUT THAT.
BUT THAT GOES BACK TO QUESTION NUMBER ONE ABOUT LEGISLATION AND WHERE WE ARE.
BUT RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, IF LEGISLATION COMES THROUGH, WE WILL FOLLOW.
IF IT GOES THROUGH, UM, WE WILL ABIDE BY THE LAW.
BUT RIGHT NOW THERE IS NOTHING THAT WE HAVE AND WE DON'T HAVE CAMERAS THAT ARE CLASSROOM.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? THE, THE, THE, THE CAMERA PIECE, THE ONE, IT'LL BE CERTAINLY AN EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION, UH, FOR EVERY SINGLE CLASSROOM IN, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY TO, TO RECEIVE A CLASS, UH, A CAMERA.
SO THAT'LL BE AN EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION.
UM, AND THEN IN ADDITION, I MEAN, THERE'S RESEARCH AND, UH, COMPONENT THAT ALSO SAYS THAT, UM, CAMERAS IN CLASSROOMS STIFLE DISCUSSIONS AND STIFLE DEBATE IN CLASSROOMS BECAUSE, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST PART OF WHAT THAT RESEARCH FINDING IS AS WELL.
SO, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S GONNA END UP, BUT WE ARE CERTAINLY GONNA KEEP OUR EYE ON, ON, UH, ANY LEGISLATION RELATED TO THAT.
RADS, YOUR BACK, THIS IS ANYTHING LABELED CURRICULUM TRANSPARENCY TO GO AFTER TEACHERS WHO MAY BE ENGAGING IN DEI INSTRUCTION AND DEI BEING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION TOOK AWAY MY HOOK, SIR.
SO, AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM, WE FOLLOW STATE STANDARDS.
OUR STATE STANDARDS DO NOT PROMOTE THE EDUCATION USE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION PRACTICE AS DEFINED.
I DON'T HAVE THE DEFINITION, BUT I WILL SAY AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM AS WELL AS OUR ADOPTED TEXT MATERIALS AND ANCILLARY MATERIALS, WE STAND BY WITH THE STATE STANDARDS WORK.
WE ADOPT MATERIALS THAT ARE TIED TO WHAT THE STATE GOES THROUGH A VETTING PROCESS.
OUR BOARD, WE PRESENT TO THE BOARD TO ASSURE THAT OUR BOARD IS MAKING THE PROPER DECISION.
AND OUR RUBICON AND ANCILLARY MATERIALS.
WE WORK TO BE IN ACCORDANCE OF 43 1 70, WHICH BACK TO BOOK REVIEWS, WE STAY IN ACCORDANCE TO THE PRACTICE OF WHAT WE SUPPORT COMING OUT OF OUR INSTRUCTIONAL DIVISION.
MANY PRINCIPLES ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
AND IN REGARD TO, LET'S SAY, ACCELERATED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES OR HIGHER LEVEL COURSES, OUR TEACHERS WORK WITH FAMILIES, FAMILIES ARE GIVEN ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW SYLLABUS AS PART OF THE TRANSPARENCY ACT.
SO TO DATE, AGAIN, KNOCK ON WOOD, WE ARE 100 PLUS SEVEN COMPLIANT.
I HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING REGARDING DISCIPLINE TO ANY OF OUR EDUCATORS AT ALL.
THE, THE NEXT ITEM IS CERTAINLY, UH, ONE OF THE GREATEST CHALLENGES SCHOOL DISTRICTS FACE, AND THAT IS, UH, AROUND THE SUBSTITUTE, UH, SUBSTITUTE ISSUE.
THAT'S NOT JUST A BEAUFORT COUNTY ISSUE.
I MEAN, WHERE I CAME FROM IN, UH, PALM BEACH COUNTY, WHICH HAD, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY SEVEN TIMES THE POPULATION SIDE, SO BEAUFORT COUNTY, RIGHT, WHICH MEANT MORE PEOPLE TO CHOOSE FROM, MORE LIKELY FOR SUBSTITUTES.
YOU STILL HAD SHORTAGES AND SIGNIFICANT SHORTAGES ON, ON, UH, SUBSTITUTES.
BUT, UM, BUT THERE'S A QUESTION IN HERE.
IT SAYS SUBSTITUTE SHORTAGES, AND IT SAYS, UH, MANY TEACHERS STILL USING THAT PLANNING PERIOD, UH, TO COVER OTHER CLASSES.
AND SO THAT CAME UP TWICE AND THAT CAME UP FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD AGAIN, AND IT SAID, UH, THE OTHER ONE JUST SAID SUBSTITUTE TEACHER SHORTAGE.
BUT THERE WERE SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, I THINK, COMMENTS ALONG, ALONG WITH THAT ONE.
AND I THINK, UH, MS. WALTON IS GOING TO, UH, TAKE SOME TIME TO ADDRESS TEACHER SHORTAGE AND, UH, SUBSTITUTES, NOT TEACHER SHORTAGE.
SO I LIKE TO DEAL WITH TEACHER SHORTAGE, SUBSTITUTE SHORTAGE, EXTRA CLASS PAY, ALL IN THE BIG BOTTLE BECAUSE THEY ALL RELATE TO EACH OTHER.
SO LET'S START OFF WITH SUBS AND HOW WE GET SUBS, HOW MANY SUBS WE HAVE AND WHERE
[01:05:01]
WE SEE OUR BIGGEST NEEDS.WE HAVE A GREAT PARTNER IN ESS AND THAT HAS VENDOR WHO PROVIDES SUBS FOR US.
WE FELL OFF THE RAIL IN 2019 DURING COVID BECAUSE TEACHERS WEREN'T WORKING AND WE MOVED BACK TO SCHOOL.
THOSE SUBS DID NOT WANNA COME INTO THE BUILDING.
SO IN 2020, WE HAD 179 SUBS ACROSS THE DISTRICT TO COVER FOR 1800 TEACHERS.
ESS WORK HAS WORKED VERY, VERY HARD TO BRING THAT NUMBER BACK UP TO A REASONABLE NUMBER.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE SITTING AT 475 SUBS.
THEY HAVE A ROBUST, UH, RECRUITING PROGRAM.
THEY HAVE A ROBUST, UH, REWARDS PROGRAM AND INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
THEY PAY SUBS MORE TO SUB ON MONDAYS AND FRIDAYS.
UH, IF SUBER, UH, SUB FOR SIX STRAIGHT DAYS OR 10 STRAIGHT DAYS, THERE'S EXTRA PAY.
SO THEY WORK VERY, VERY HARD TO KEEP THE SUBS IN PLACE.
SO IF WE HAVE 475 SUBS AND WE HAVE 500 TEACHERS OUT, THEN WE'RE GONNA BE SHORT SUBS.
SO THIS YEAR OUR NUMBERS FOR TEACHER VACANCIES WENT WAY DOWN.
WE STARTED SCHOOL LAST YEAR WITH ABOUT 75 VACANCIES.
THIS YEAR WE STARTED THE SCHOOL WITH 15 VACANCIES.
SO THAT COVERS A LOT, A WIDE RANGE OF CLASSES THAT DID NOT HAVE TO BE COVERED.
SO GO BACK TO THAT, UH, UH, COVID PERIOD WHEN WE HAD ONLY 179 SUBS AND WE HAD MONIES THAT CAME FROM COVID THAT WAS EXTRA BUNDLES OF MONEY.
TANYA HAD A BIG BAG LOAD OF MONEY.
SO WE DECIDED THAT BECAUSE IT WAS A STRUGGLE, BECAUSE WE HAD SO MANY TEACHERS OUT, WE WERE GOING TO PAY OUR TEACHERS FOR COVERING DURING THAT CLASS PERIOD.
MOST DISTRICTS IN THE STATE DID IT AT THE SAME TIME WE DID, BUT THEY DO, IT DID NOT DO IT TO THE EXTENT THAT WE DID IT.
WE PAID TEACHERS THEIR HOURLY RATE BASED ON THEIR SALARY FOR COVERING 90 MINUTES PER DAY.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, IF A TEACHER SUB FIVE DAYS A WEEK AND EXTRA 90 MINUTES, THAT ADDS LOT UP TO THE SALARY.
SO WE RAN THAT FOR AS LONG AS WE HAD COVID MONEY.
AND THEN AFTER THE COVID MONEY WENT AWAY, WE STILL DID THE BOOK AND CONTINUED TO PAY OUR TEACHERS EXTRA CLASS PAY.
OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE STATE STOPPED WHEN THE COVID WENT RAN OUT.
BEAUFORT COUNTY WAS THE ONLY DISTRICT IN THE STATE WHO CONTINUED TO PAY EXTRA CLASS PAY.
IN FACT, WHEN I WENT TO MY STATE MEETINGS OF PERSONNEL MANAGERS, THEY ALL WANTED TO KNOW HOW WE DID IT.
AND I JUST TOLD 'EM WE HAD A MAGICAL FINANCE DIRECTOR WHO FOUND THE MONEY OUT FROM OTHER BRONX TO PAY TEACHERS, BUT WE KNEW WE COULD NOT SUSTAIN IT.
THEN THE PROBLEM CAME WHEN CHARLESTON DECIDED THAT THEY'RE GONNA RAISE THEIR SALARIES.
SO WE NEEDED TO CHANGE OUR FOCUS FROM PAYING EXTRA CLASS PAY TO TAKING ALL OF THE FUNDS THAT WE HAD PUT IN THE TEACHER SALARY.
AND THE SCHOOL YEAR OF 19, 20 20, 20 19 AND 2020, OUR BEGINNING TEACHERS WAS EARNING $36,928.
THAT'S FIVE USEFUL I'LL BEGINNING TEACHERS THIS YEAR EARN 60,087 BUCKS.
BEGINNING TEACHERS, NO EXPERIENCE BACHELOR'S DEGREE.
SO IN FIVE YEARS WE HAVE INCREASED TEACHER SALARIES BY 63%.
2020 WAS EARNING HAS EARNED BETWEEN THAT TIME AND NOW 23,000 BUCKS.
SO THEY'VE GOTTEN A 23,000 RAISE IN FIVE YEARS.
[01:10:02]
EXTRA CLASS PAYMENT.BUT THE GOOD PART ABOUT THAT IS PRINCIPALS KNEW THAT THIS WAS COMING.
WE ASKED THEM TO COME UP WITH PLANS SO WHEN WE CUT OFF THE FLOW, TEACHERS WOULD NOT BE SO OVERWHELMED.
AND THEY HAVE DONE EXCELLENT JOB OF CREATING A PROGRAM WHERE YOU'RE NOT COVERING ALL THE TIME.
YOU ONLY TAKE IT A FEW DAYS A WEEK OR MONTH, AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY VACANCIES.
SO THAT IS AN EXCELLENT, SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE WITH SUBS SHORTAGE.
WE'RE NOT WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
WE NEED TO HAVE AT LEAST 550 TO 600 SUBS AND A POOL TO NEVER HAVE ANY UNCOVERED DAYS.
SO WE HAVE UNCOVERED DAYS THAT WE CAN'T FILL.
IT DEPENDS ON SEVERAL THINGS, THE TIME THE TEACHER CALLS IN.
SO IF THE TEACHER CALLS IN 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE, THERE'S A 90% RATE THAT THEY CAN, THEY WILL BE FILLED, THEIR CLASSES WILL BE FILLED.
IF THEY WAIT TO CALL IN AT SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, THAT DROPS TO ABOUT 70%.
SO IT'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO THIS BIG PICTURE, BUT I, I GUESS THE BIGGEST THING THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON NOW IS TEACHER.
HEY, WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE? YES, MA'AM.
UM, THE SUB-ISSUE WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WAS, UM, PRESENTED TO ME BY, UM, OUR SIC COMMITTEE.
AND SO I'LL JUST ASK YOU A COUPLE OF, UM, THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT TIE WITH THAT.
UM, NUMBER ONE, IT UH, SEEMS THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT POLICIES IN PLACE AT DIFFERENT SCHOOLS POTENTIALLY.
UH, AND AGAIN, I'M JUST READING THIS, SO I DON'T KNOW ALL BACKGROUNDS THAT, UM, AS YOU SAID, SCHOOLS ARE TASKED AT HOW THEY HANDLE IT, BUT SOME ARE PAYING TEACHERS FOR, UH, COVERING CLASSES.
ANOTHER THING THAT, UM, BEING, UH, THAT'S BEEN AN ISSUE IS THAT TEACHERS ARE BEING PULLED FOR DISTRICTS, UM, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOP, EXCUSE ME, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DURING REGULAR SCHOOL DAYS, WHICH ADDS TO THE PROBLEM POTENTIALLY.
UM, MAYBE WE COULD LOOK AT RESCHEDULING THOSE TO ALREADY SLATED, UM, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS.
UM, AND THEN, UM, ALSO JUST, UM, I KNOW YOU STATED A LOT ABOUT THE WHERE THE SUB, UM, CLASS COVERAGE PAYMENT WENT, BUT EVEN, UM, PAYING TEACHERS NOT AT THEIR REGULAR HOUR PAYS SALARY, BUT, UM, THE SUB RATE TO COVER CLASSES ESSENTIAL.
SO THOSE WERE THE THINGS THAT WERE PRESENTED TO ME AND ASK FOR ME TO PRESENT TO YOU ALL.
LET ME SEE IF I CAN REMEMBER ALL THE QUESTIONS.
I GUESS ONE, UM, DIFFERENT POLICIES AT DIFFERENT SCHOOLS TO BASE UP.
SOME TEACHERS ARE BEING PAID AND SOME TEACHERS ARE NOT.
IF YOU KNOW OF A SCHOOL PARTICULARLY THAT'S PAYING A TEACHER FOR EXTRA CLASS PAY ON A DAILY BASIS, THAT SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.
AND SCHOOLS CAN'T PAY TEACHERS.
THAT HAS TO COME THROUGH THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
SO I DON'T KNOW OF ANY SCHOOL THAT'S REQUESTING A TEACHER TO BE PAID FOR A ONE A DAY SUB.
WHAT YOU MIGHT BE HEARING IS IF WE HAVE A VACANT CLASS, HARD FIELD, SAY CHEMISTRY CLASS, AND WE CANNOT FIND A TEACHER, IF THERE IS A TEACHER IN THAT BUILDING WHO CAN COVER A CLASS FOR ONE PERIOD FOR THE ENTIRE SEMESTER, THEN THAT BECOMES AN EXTRA SALARY FOR THAT TEACHER BECAUSE THAT TEACHER DOES GIVE UP THEIR PLAN A PERIOD.
SO IT'S NOT A DAILY BREAK FOR SOMEONE WHO'S JUST ABSENT.
THAT IS THE VACANT POSITION SO THAT WE CAN KEEP A CERTIFIED TEACHER AND NOT HAVE A SON IN THAT CLASSROOM.
SO THAT MIGHT BE WHAT TEACHERS ARE HEARING.
SOMETIMES IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO PULL TEACHERS OUTTA CLASS BECAUSE
[01:15:01]
THEY NEED TO BE TRAINED.YOU HAVE INITIATIVES, YOU HAVE CHANGES.
SO WE ONLY TRY TO PULL THEM OUT WHEN IT'S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.
NOW, WE DO PULL INDUCTION TEACHERS OUT FOUR TIMES A YEAR FOR THEIR TRAINING.
AND THAT THOSE ARE INDUCTION YOU MEET, THOSE ARE NEW TEACHERS.
THAT'S BRAND NEW TEACHERS YEAR ONE, YEAR TWO AND YEAR THREE.
AND WE PULLED 'EM OUT FOUR TIMES FOR ONE SOLID DAY BECAUSE THEY GET MORE OUT OF IT IF IT CONTINUES.
WE USED TO DO IT BACK IN THE DAY WHEN WE WERE CALLING IT AFTER SCHOOL.
WE WOULD HAVE INDUCTION MEETINGS.
WE AT FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON, THEY'RE TIRED, THEY WANNA GO HOME.
AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE COULD HAVE TO BRING THEM IN, BUY THE PIZZA, AND THEY WOULD TAKE EVERY PIECE OF PIZZA LEFT HOME BECAUSE IT WAS THE END OF THE WEEK.
THEY'RE RUNNING OUTTA MONEY FROM THAT 36,000
SO WE DECIDED TO BRING THEM IN ALL IN ONE DAY.
THEY GET SO MUCH OUT OF IT BECAUSE THEY CAME IN, COLLABORATE WITH OTHER TEACHERS FROM ACROSS THE DISTRICT THEY MONTH.
AND I BELIEVE PRINCIPALS LIKE IT, BUT JUST, RIGHT.
SO WE KNOW THE DATES, RIGHT? THE DATES WERE ALL SHARED WITH US AND THE DATES WERE ALSO SHARED WITH ESS.
SO ESS KNEW WHEN THOSE DAYS WERE GONNA FALL AND KNEW THAT THERE WERE GONNA BE A HIGHER MANAGER SUBSTITUTES ON THE DAY.
SO WE CAN TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE SCHEDULING WELL FOR SUBSTANCES ON, IF I CAN, UH, ADD ALSO, UH, THERE ARE SOME STATE MANDATED TRAININGS AND INITIATIVES.
LETTERS, UH, IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND, AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 10 DAYS WORTH TRAINING, UH, FOR LETTERS PROGRAM, I THINK OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT FIVE AND FIVE, SO TO SPEAK.
THERE'S NO WAY AROUND THOSE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S A NEW INITIATIVE.
IT IMPACTS THE READING PROGRAM AND THE READING CURRICULUM AND INITIATIVE ACROSS, ACROSS THE STATE.
AND, AND THAT ROLLOUT UTILIZES, UH, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY ABOUT 10 DAYS OF, UH, OF, OF PERSONAL TIME.
I THINK YOU HAD NO, I DIDN'T HAVE A QUESTION.
I WAS JUST GONNA ADD TO ABOUT THE INDUCTION PIECE OF IT.
JUST THE FEEDBACK I'VE GOTTEN FROM THE INDUCTION TEACHERS LAST YEAR, THIS YEAR IS THAT THEY REALLY APPRECIATE HAVING THOSE FULL DAYS VERSUS GOING IN THEN THE AFTERNOON AT THE END OF A LONG DAY.
AND I KNOW BIG, ANOTHER BIG INITIATIVE OF COURSE, IS MAKING SURE WE'RE, HAVE THOSE TEACHING POSITIONS FILLED, IS RETAINING TEACHERS AND THEY'RE WILLING TO STAY AROUND FOR THAT.
DOES IT CAUSE A LITTLE BIT OF STRAIN ON THOSE FOUR DAYS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR THE SCHOOLS? YEAH, BUT LIKE MR. PAUL SAID, WE KNOW WHEN IT'S COMING, SO WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF GO AHEAD AND PLAN AROUND THAT.
UH, BUT OVERALL, THE FEEDBACK I'VE GOTTEN FROM THE INDUCTION TEACHERS LAST YEAR, THIS YEAR IS THAT IT'S BEEN WELL, VERY WELL RECEIVED.
THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF, UH, OF A TEACHER, UH, AND IN, IN EDUCATION ARE EXTREMELY CHALLENGING.
I MEAN, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRYING TO KEEP THEIR HEAD ABOVE WATER, UH, FOR, FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
SO WHEN THEY GET THAT, WHEN THEY ACTUALLY GET DAYS LIKE THAT, THEY GET A CHANCE TO BREATHE.
THEY GET A CHANCE TO COLLABORATE, UH, A LITTLE BIT.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE PROBABLY HEARING, UH, FROM THOSE THAT KIND OF
UH, AFTER THAT I'M FINISH ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION, UM, AS I'M SURE, AS BEST AS I CAN EXPLAIN IT TO TEACHERS.
SO I WAS AN INDUCTION TEACHER COMING IN HERE, AND I HAD THE AFTERSCHOOL AND DEFINITELY WISH I WOULD'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE FULL DAY.
UM, ONCE YOU GET INTO THAT MOMENTUM AND THE COLLABORATION, IT'S HARD TO DO THAT AFTER SCHOOL.
AND IT'S HARD TO DO IT FOR AN HOUR AND THEN HAVE TO LEAVE OR TWO HOURS.
UM, SO I DO THINK IT IS A BENEFIT.
DO WE KNOW, UM, HOW I, I KNOW THE RANGE OF INDUCTION TEACHERS AT EACH SCHOOL VARIES? YES.
DO WE KNOW THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF INDUCTION TEACHERS IN ONE BUILDING? UM, RIGHT NOW, I THINK IT'S ABOUT SEVEN IN ONE BUILDING.
WHEN WE GET SEVEN INDUCTION TEACHERS IN A BUILDING, WE ASSIGN ONE DISTRICT MENTOR TO THAT DISTRICT FOR SUPPORT, PLUS THEY HAVE THEIR SCHOOL MENTORS.
THAT'S WHAT THAT PART BY, BY THE WAY.
THAT'S, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE RETENTION EQUATION.
THE RETENTION OF TEACHERS EQUATION IN THE SYSTEM.
[01:20:01]
HAVE, UH, MR. SMITH IS ON THE LINE.HE HAS A QUESTION THAT HE'D LIKE POSE MR. SMITH.
GO AHEAD WITH YOUR QUESTION, PLEASE.
NO, ACTUALLY, I, I ACTUALLY, I WAS GONNA HAVE A COMMENT, BUT, UM, ACTUALLY THEY, SHE GOT AROUND TO IT BECAUSE I WAS GONNA SAY THAT, BUT ACTUALLY, UH, SHE CORRECTED IT TOO.
UH, ALSO I KNOW THAT WE, THAT WE DID PAY TEACHERS, UH, TO, UH, HELP OUT, HELP OUT SUBS, BUT YEAH, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT NOW.
BUT ANYWAYS, BUT YEAH, SHE, MRS. WALTON, UH, SHE HIT IT.
THAT'S WHY I PUT MY HAND DOWN BECAUSE SHE HAD ALREADY HIT HIT THE, HIT THE QUESTION.
I WAS GONNA, I MEAN, THE COMMENT I WAS GONNA SAY IN TERMS OF SUBS THAT WE HAD BUILDING BACKUP.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? I DIDN'T HAVE A QUESTION.
I JUST WAS GONNA SAY, UM, FOR THE INDUCTION TEACHERS, JUST ONE MORE THING.
I KNOW ESS ALSO KNEW THE DATES, AND THEY EVEN DID INCENTIVES TO ENSURE THAT THEY COULD GET AS MANY SUBS PLANNED AHEAD OF TIME.
UM, THEY WERE WONDERFUL OVER EVEN REACHING OUT THE SCHOOLS, BUT THE TEACHERS CAME BACK INVIGORATED AND EXCITED BECAUSE THEY HAD ACCESS TO WONDERFUL MENTORS, NOT JUST FOR THE CLASSROOM, BUT FOR MLP STUDENTS, OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS.
SO THEY WERE ABLE TO REALLY DIVE IN DEEPLY, NOT JUST WITH THE CURRICULUM OR THE PEDAGOGY, UM,
AND THAT CONNECTION AND THE COLLABORATION IS SUCH A POWERFUL THING WHEN YOU ARE IN OUR PROFESSION.
AND SO I THINK THE FEEDBACK WITH THAT IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, MY NAME, THEY DO WHO I AM BECOME, THEY VOLUNTEER IN MY ROOM.
AND THAT CONNECTION WITHIN THE SCHOOL AND THE STUDENTS BENEFITS ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
AND JUST, UM, TOOK ONE LAST THING ABOUT INDUCTION TEACHERS.
THAT'S ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE THINGS THAT THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY ASK OUR RECRUITERS.
WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT DO YOU HAVE? THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA MANDATES ONE YEAR OF INDUCTION.
ONE AFTER THAT ONE YEAR, THEY CAN GO ON TO TAKE THEIR FORMAL EVALUATION.
SO THAT'S TWO YEARS OF SUPPORT THAT THEY'RE NOT STRUGGLING TO TRY TO PASS FORMAL EVALUATION BECAUSE REALLY WHEN THEY COME INTO US, THEY'VE ONLY BEEN OUT OF SCHOOL FOR TWO MONTHS, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT LIKE THAT.
SO WE MANDATE THAT THEY GO THROUGH TWO YEARS AND WE WILL GIVE THEM A THIRD YEAR ONLY IF THE PRINCIPAL SEES THAT THEY NEED MORE SUPPORT AND THEY CAN MAKE IT AS THAT THIRD YEAR.
AND IT IS A BIG, BIG GREEN TOOL, MS. WAL, WE HAVE A, AS FAR AS THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOES, I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST IN DISTRICT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
WE HAVE OUR TEACHERS TO GO FOR CAREER PROGRESSION DEVELOPMENT ALSO.
LIKE ALL THE, EACH, LIKE I KNOW I'M A BAND DIRECTOR, SO THERE EACH EDUCATORS CONFERENCES IN THE, UH, COLUMBIA ONCE A YEAR, UH, AND OUR ROBOTIC ROBOTICS PLACES GO, THEY GO IN.
SO UNITS, WE'RE ALSO ALLOWING TEACHERS TO GO DO THAT TOO, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT, I MEAN, THAT, THAT PLAYS BIG INTO OUR RETENTION.
ALSO, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A, A COMMENT ABOUT RECRUITING.
AND IT'S BEEN DONE BY, UH, THE GREAT FOLKS AT THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, BUT THE WORK'S NOT DONE.
WE GAVE YOU THE STATISTICS OF WHAT THE STARTING SALARY WAS, AND IT IS NOW, WE'RE NOT DONE.
I RECENTLY ATTENDED A CONFERENCE BY THE, UH, REAL ESTATE FOLKS THAT GAVE TO THE COUNTY ABOUT THE AVERAGE SALARY.
THE, THE NEED SALARY FOR A FAMILY IN BEFORD COUNTY IS $75,000 A YEAR.
WE ARE PAYING OUT SIX, JUST JUST OVER 60,000.
WE ARE IN COMPETITION WITH CHARLESTON COUNTY.
CHARLESTON COUNTY HAS TWO ADVANTAGES.
ONE, THEY GOT A BIGGER TAX BASE, AND VERY IMPORTANTLY, THEY HAVE MORE TO DO FOR YOUNG TEACHERS.
WHERE DO OUR YOUNG TEACHERS SPEND THEIR WEEKENDS TO COME IN? THERE'S NOT MUCH AVAILABLE HERE IN BEFORD COUNTY.
THEY GO TO SAVANNAH, THEY GO TO CHARLESTON.
SAVANNAH PAYS LESS, CHARLESTON PAYS MORE,
[01:25:01]
AND THERE ARE MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AVAILABLE IN CHARLESTON.SO WE ARE IN A LABOR MARKET AND WE HAVE TO COMPETE IN THAT MARKET.
AND LABOR ECONOMICS TELLS YOU IT'S SUPPLY AND DEMAND.
SO WE ARE STARTING OUR BUDGET CYCLE NOW, AND WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING AT THE BOARD ABOUT WHAT OUR SALARIES ARE GOING TO BE.
I, FOR ONE, WANT TO BE COMPETITIVE.
I CAN'T GET, WE CAN'T GET TO 75,000 NEXT YEAR, BUT WE'VE GOTTA BE ON THE TRUCK TO GET THERE.
BUT THERE'S ONE THING THAT THE SICS CAN HELP US WITH, AND THAT IS SOCIALIZATION OF OUR NEW TEACHERS.
IF THE ICS CAN PUT THEIR ARMS AROUND THESE FOLKS, IT'S LIKE ONE TEACHER GOING, I WANNA BE A GUY.
I CAN'T, I PERSONALLY CAN'T HELP HER.
BUT AN SIC FROM THE COMMUNITY WHO CAN INVITE THEM HOME, CAN INVITE THEM TO MEET SOME GUYS, TO BE, UH, TO HELP US KEEP THESE GREAT YOUNG TEACHERS.
YOU KNOW, UH, OFTEN BEEN SAID THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UH, TAKE ON A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITIES THAT SOCIETY KNOWS WE ARE NOT TAKING THAT ONE OUT, BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP THAT OUT.
WE HAVE HAD SOME MARRIAGES, WE HAD PEOPLE MEET EACH OTHER.
AND JUDGE, BEFORE YOU EXIT STAGE LEFT, WE HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION FROM OUR BOARD COLLEAGUE, MR. SMITH.
UH, UM, ACT ACTUALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD THE COMMENT THAT, THAT, UH, MY CO MY OTHER COLLEAGUE, UH, HAS, HAS MADE, UH, IN, IN, IN, IN TURN IN TERMS OF, OF, UH, BEING IN COMPETITION WITH CHARLESTON AND OTHER COUNTIES.
I THINK THIS IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GREAT THING TO BRING UP THAT SIDE C BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO AS BOARD MEMBERS, THIS IS SOMETHING TOO THAT NEEDS TO BE BOUGHT UP.
WHEN WE, WHEN WE, WHEN WE ARE HAVING A MEETING WITH COUNTY COUNCIL AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BRINGING OTHER BUSINESSES, BRINGING DIFFERENT BUSINESS, UH, BUSINESSES AND DIFFERENT VENUES, UH, VENUES TO BEAUFORT COUNTY, I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE CAN HELP, UH, UH, ATTACK AND HELP, UM, PROMOTE AS WELL, UH, NEEDS VERSUS WANTS.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT MY, MY COLLEAGUES AND I ALSO CAN BE SPEAKING TO COUNTY COUNCIL IN DIFFERENT AND, AND DIFFERENT, UM, UH, NOT JUST THE COUNTY, BUT, BUT THE, UH, THE CITY OF BEAUFORT TO, UH, TOWN OF BLUFFING TO, AND TO DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES ABOUT THIS AS WELL.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I I, IT IS GOOD FOR US TO HAVE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, BUT I'M JUST, W WE, WE TALK ABOUT IT SO MUCH AND WE TALK ABOUT MOVING TEACHER'S SALARY SOMETIMES I THINK IT'S A LITTLE MORE THAN JUST MOVING TEACHER'S SALARY.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT FOR IT.
I'M DEFINITELY, I'M DEFINITELY SUPPORT OF IT.
BUT I THINK THERE, THERE ARE, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS OUT THERE THAT ARE, THAT ARE DRIVING FORCES IN TERMS OF WHY, OF, OF, UH, KEEPING TEACHERS AND RETAINING TEACHERS AS WELL.
SO I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I, I, I, I, I SAID, LIKE I SAID, I HEAR WHAT WAS SAID, BUT I THINK THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THAT.
AND I THINK THAT ALSO WE'VE BEEN STICKING THIS OUT FOR A LONG TIME NOW.
SO I THINK IT'S TIME FOR US ALSO AS BOARD MEMBERS TO STOP SPEAKING AND TALKING AND TO THOSE, UH, THOSE THINGS INTO EXISTENCE AND NOT JUST ALSO ALONG WITH US WHEN WE'RE PUSHING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE'RE ALSO PUSHING MORE OPPORTUNITIES AND BEFOR FOR, FOR, FOR, FOR NEW TEACHERS AND THEIR FAMILIES TO BE ABLE TO DO FOR, PUT THAT OUT.
ALRIGHT, SO, SO ANY OTHER COMMENTS REGARDING THIS TOPIC? AND I DO WANT TO POSE A QUESTION.
IT IS SEVEN 30 AND WE DEFINITELY TRY TO ECONOMIZE TIME.
AND SO BEFORE WE MOVE ON, WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 13 TOPICS, SOME OF WHICH HAVE BEEN ON THE LIST FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
ONE, MAKE SURE WE CLEAR THOSE ALL SO THAT THE PUBLIC AND THE STAFF AND THE LEADERSHIP OF THE DISTRICT UNDERSTAND WE ARE MAKING A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO BE RESPONSIVE AND GIVE YOU ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
WE DO THESE SIC AND BOARD MEETINGS TWICE A YEAR, AND HOPEFULLY YOU ARE FEELING THAT THE CON WHAT HAS STARTED PRIOR YEARS AND BOARDS CONTINUES IN TERMS OF BEING, MAKING A VERY SERIOUS EFFORT TO BE AVAILABLE, TO GET OUT THERE, TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING, TO APPRECIATE THE CHALLENGES YOU HAVE AND OVERCOME.
BUT PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO PROVIDE THOSE QUESTIONS TO US.
SO MY QUESTION IS, IS SEVEN 30, WE WANNA BE RESPECTFUL
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OF YOUR TIME, YOUR FAMILY COMMITMENTS.DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE? WE HAVE FOUR MORE TOPICS.
WE CAN EASILY ROLL THEM OVER TO THE NEXT TIME, BUT IF WE HAVE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE READY TO GIVE YOU ANSWERS, DEPENDING ON WHAT YOUR WILL IS, FEEDBACK CONTINUE.
OKAY, MR. THAT WE DO HAVE SECOND.
SO THEN, UH, MY COLLEAGUE HAS TAUGHT ME THIS, UH, BARRING ANY OBJECTIONS IS THERE EMOTIONALLY FOR AJOUR? UNANIMOUS BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT.
THE COUNTY IS ONE OF THE OLDEST FORMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE UNITED STATES.
EARLY SETTLERS FROM ENGLAND BROUGHT THE TRADITION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO AMERICA.
TODAY, MORE THAN 3000 COUNTY GOVERNMENTS PROVIDE SERVICES THAT AFFECT ALMOST EVERY CITIZEN'S LIFE.
SOUTH CAROLINA'S 46 COUNTIES ARE VERY REPRESENTATIVE OF HOW COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAS EVOLVED NATIONALLY.
THE COUNTY UNIT IN SOUTH CAROLINA WAS REGARDED AS A LOCAL EXTENSION OF STATE GOVERNMENT, BUT A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM MOVEMENT IN THE EARLY 1970S LED TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY, PASSING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAW, ALSO KNOWN AS THE HOME RULE ACT.
IN 1975, THE HOME RULE ACT GREATLY EXPANDED COUNTY AUTHORITY AND CHANGED THE NATURE OF COUNTY ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION TO WHAT WE KNOW TODAY.
BEAUFORT COUNTY WENT FROM HAVING A BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO A COUNTY COUNCIL.
MEMBERS OF THE 1975 COUNCIL INCLUDED CHAIRMAN ARTHUR HORN, VICE CHAIRMAN, GRADY THAMES, LEROY BROWN, GARY FORDHAM, WILLIAM GRANT, HARRIET, KAISER LING, DAVID JONES, BILL MCBRIDE, AND BOOKER WASHINGTON.
AS THE NEW COUNCIL SOUGHT TO DISTINGUISH ITSELF, COUNCIL MEMBERS DESIRED AN OFFICIAL SYMBOL THAT WOULD REPRESENT THE JURISDICTION'S IDENTITY.
IN UNIQUE CHARACTER COUNCIL APPOINTED AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO UNDERTAKE THE TASK AND CARRY OUT A CONTEST FOR THE BEST COUNTY SEAL DESIGN.
HARRIET KLIN WAS A MEMBER OF COUNTY COUNCIL, AND IT WAS HER IDEA BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT COULD SIGNIFICANTLY CURRENTLY IDENTIFY OUR BEAUTIFUL BEAUFORD COUNTY.
WE MET THEN UP AT, UH, I THINK IT WAS A CAROLINA BANK AND SOME YEARS AGO, BACK THERE ON WEST STREET, AND THEN WE PUT 'EM IN PILES, YOU KNOW, LIKE, GOOD, BAD MAYBE UNTIL WE FINALLY GOT IT DOWN TO THE ONE THAT WE NOW USE.
COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVED THE SEAL COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION, WHICH REFLECTED THE COUNTY'S HISTORY, TRADITIONS, AND NATURAL BEAUTY.
THE SEAL'S COLORS OF BLUE AND GREEN REPRESENT THE COLORS OF THE COUNTY'S OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT WITH ITS MANY WATERWAYS, MARSHLANDS, AND MARITIME FOREST.
THE FIVE IMAGES WITHIN THE SEAL DEPICT SOME OF THE COUNTY'S DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.
ANCIENT LIVE OAK TREES, THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY, RICH NATURAL RESOURCES, AND RARE MARINE ECOLOGY, LOW COUNTRY ARCHITECTURE, AND MILES OF RIVERS, CREEKS, AND INLETS.
I THOUGHT IT ENCOMPASSED WHAT THE, WHAT WE AS A BODY WERE LOOKING FOR A SEAL.
IT WOULD, WHEN YOU LOOKED AT IT AND JUST THOUGHT ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, IT REALLY COVERS THE ASPECTS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO HE DID A GOOD JOB OF BRINGING TOGETHER THE THINGS THAT WE, UH, WHOLE, SO DEAR AND WHAT WE REALLY LIKE ABOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY.
COUNCILMAN BILL MCBRIDE WAS IN OFFICE WHEN THE CONTEST WAS
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HELD AND WAS PRESENT WHEN THE COMMITTEE REVEALED THE WINNING DESIGN.I THINK COUNCIL WAS ECSTATIC ABOUT IT.
UH, WE THOUGHT THAT THE, THE SIMS ON THE SEAL REPRESENTED, UM, ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANGE IN THE ORIGINAL, UM, DRAFT THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US WHERE YOU HAVE THE SHRIMP BOAT TODAY.
INITIALLY, THAT WAS A PLEASURE CRAFT, A SAILBOAT YACHT TYPE BOAT.
AND, UH, IT WAS CHANGED BY COUNTY COUNCIL BECAUSE WE FELT THAT THE SHRIMP BOAT WAS A BETTER REPRESENTATION, UM, OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, ASPECT OF BE COUNTY LIFE BECAUSE YOU HAD OTHER THINGS ON THE SEAL THAT REPRESENT THE PLEASURE AND RECREATION, THE FISHING AND THE BEACH.
SO THEY THOUGHT THE SHRIMP BOAT, WHICH WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF BE COUNTY CULTURE SHRIMPING, ESPECIALLY AT THAT TIME, WOULD BE REFLECTED ON THE SEAL.
THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST WAS AN ARTIST FROM HILTON HEAD ISLAND, THE LATE LEE PAYNE, WHOSE DESIGN WAS SELECTED FROM MORE THAN 126 CENTURIES SUBMITTED FROM AS FAR AWAY AS INDIANA AND TENNESSEE.
HE WAS AWARDED $250 FOR HIS DESIGN.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE CAPTURED THE LEGACY OF OUTDOOR BEAUTY, CULTURE, AND HISTORY THAT HELPED TO DEFINE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.