REMAINING QUIET, SO THAT EVERYONE IS ABLE TO HEAR THE PROCEEDINGS. THANK YOU. THANK
[1. Call to order]
[00:00:06]
YOU SERGEANT. THE TIME IS 6:01 P.M. AND THIS MEETING IS HEREBY CALLED TO ORDER. WE HAVE THE PRESENCE OF A QUORUM ATTENDING IN PERSON, AND NOTICE OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN POSTED ONLINE AND AT THE FORT BEND ISD ADMINISTRATION BUILDING FOR AT LEAST THREE BUSINESS DAYS. IF EVERYONE WILL PLEASE RISE FOR THE SINGING OF THE NATIONAL ANTHEM BY THE CRAWFORD HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR. AND REMAIN STANDING FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.OH, SAY, CAN YOU SEE. BY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT. WHAT SO PROUDLY WE HAILED. AT THE TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING? WHOSE BROAD STRIPES AND BRIGHT STARS. THROUGH THE PERILOUS FIGHT.
O'ER THE RAMPARTS WE WATCHED. WERE SO GALLANTLY STREAMING. AND THE ROCKETS RED GLARE, THE BOMBS BURSTING IN AIR. GAVE PROOF THROUGH THE NIGHT THAT OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE. OH, SAY DOES THAT STAR SPANGLED BANNER YET WAVE. O'ER THE LAND OF THE FREE. AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE. THANK YOU. WE INVITE EVERYONE TO JOIN US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND REFLECTION, IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE 2976 LIVES LOST ON NINE OVER 11. FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE EVERGREEN HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING IN COLORADO, AND FOLLOWING THE ASSASSINATION OF CHARLIE KIRK. FORT BEND ISD CONDEMNS ALL VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. YOU MAY BE SEATED. NEXT UP IS PUBLIC
[4. Public Comment ]
COMMENT. WE HAVE 11 SPEAKERS THIS EVENING. PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES. TIME WILL BE TAKEN BY OUR BOARD SECRETARY, DOCTOR GILLIAM, AND SHE WILL GIVE YOU A 32ND WARNING. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM MENTIONING STUDENT OR EMPLOYEES NAMES OR OTHER INFORMATION THAT ALLOWS A SPECIFIC STUDENT OR EMPLOYEE TO BE IDENTIFIED WHEN VOICING A CONCERN OR A COMPLAINT. FIRST UP THIS EVENING IS GINA TORY. OUT OF HERE? NEXT IS ELAINE BROOKS.GOOD EVENING, DOCTOR MARK SMITH. MADAM PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY AND TRUSTEES AND DISTINGUISHED GUESTS. MY NAME IS JOHN LOPEZ. I'M A BILINGUAL EDUCATIONAL DIAGNOSTICIAN IN FORT BEND ISD. I HAVE 20 YEARS OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE AND SIX YEARS OF BEING IN THIS ROLE. I ALSO VOLUNTEER IN TWO BOOSTER CLUBS, SPEAK THREE LANGUAGES, AND LIKE EVERY DIAGNOSTICIAN THAT'S HERE, LOVED THIS DISTRICT ENOUGH TO WORK NIGHTS, WEEKENDS, AND EVEN HOSPITAL WAITING ROOMS. MY GOAL FOR TODAY IS TO INFORM, EDUCATE ABOUT A PROBLEM, PRESENT DATA TO SUPPORT, AND TO COME UP WITH A VIABLE SOLUTION. LET ME START WITH A QUICK MATH. WE'RE ALL EDUCATORS. WE LOVE MATH, AND I WILL NOT BE A GOOD
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DIAGNOSTICIAN TO IF I DON'T SHOW YOU DATA. HENCE, YOU HAVE THOSE PAPERS IN FRONT OF YOU AS DIAGNOSTICIAN. WE ARE ALL ABOUT DATA. LAST YEAR, FORT BEND ISD DIAGNOSTICIAN COMPLETED 2500 REEVALUATION, 2000 PLUS READS, AND A THOUSAND INITIAL EVALUATIONS. THAT'S MORE THAN 6500 EVALUATIONS. NOW DIVIDE THAT BY THE NUMBER OF CAMPUSES CURRENTLY SHORT OF MISSING DIAGNOSTICIAN WERE ACTUALLY WE CHECKED THE NUMBERS IS ACTUALLY EIGHT TO BE EXACT. SCHOOLS WITHOUT DIAGNOSTICIANS E JONES, WILLOW RIDGE, PALMER, RICHMOND, ELC, AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL AND MEADOWS. AND ASK YOURSELF, HOW ARE WE GETTING THIS ALL DONE? BY THIS BY BY THE WAY, THIS HAS COME OUT BY FIVE. LAST YEAR WE ONLY HAD THREE OPEN POSITION. NOW WE HAVE EIGHT. SO WE HAVE GONE UP BY FIVE. THE ANSWER HOW WE'RE GETTING THIS DONE. BECAUSE WITH HEART AND HUSTLE I PERSONALLY HELD STAFFING MEETINGS WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS BEING PREPPED FOR SURGERY. AND WHEN HE WAS BEING OPERATED. I HAVE TESTED AND EVALUATED AFTER HOURS, SUNDAYS, SATURDAYS, HOLIDAYS AND EVEN VACATION AND EVEN MY CHILDREN'S BIRTHDAY. JUST LIKE ALL MY FELLOW EVALUATORS HERE. MY MOTHER JUST RECENTLY PASSED AWAY AND I HAVE YET TO FIND MY BEREAVEMENT BECAUSE THE SIMPLY, SIMPLY, THE WORK DOESN'T STOP. I'M ASKED. I'M NOT ASKING FOR SYMPATHY.I'M ASKING FOR A FAIRNESS AND DIGNITY. WHAT DO WE DO? PLEASE SHOW OF HANDS. IF YOU KNOW WHAT AN EDUCATIONAL DIAGNOSTICIAN DOES. DOES ANYBODY KNOW? ASIDE, MY FELLOW DIAGNOSTICIAN, PLEASE ALSO SHOW OF HANDS. IF OUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS LIPI SHAH.
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS LIPI SHAH AND I'M A JUNIOR AT CLEMENTS HIGH SCHOOL. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO BRING FORWARD A CONCERN THAT IS NOT ONLY AFFECTING MYSELF, BUT MORE THAN 100 OF MY PEERS. SORRY. ONE OF MY TEACHERS IS UNABLE TO RETURN TO YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES. I'M NOT AWARE OF. AND HIS ABSENCE HAS HAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC PROGRESS AS WELL AS HER MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. SINCE HIS DEPARTURE, WE'VE HAD FIVE DIFFERENT SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS. UNFORTUNATELY, SEVERAL OF THEM WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH THE SUPPORT THAT WE NEED. THE SUBJECT HE TEACHES REQUIRES SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE THAT MANY SUBSTITUTES SIMPLY DO NOT POSSESS. BECAUSE OF THIS, SOME STUDENTS, INCLUDING MYSELF, HAVE TAKEN ON RESPONSIBILITIES FAR BEYOND WHAT SHOULD BE EXPECTED OF US, SUCH AS DRAFTING LESSON PLANS AND TEACHING HIS OTHER CLASSES. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE STUDENTS. OUR ROLE IS TO LEARN NOT TO SERVE AS A REPLACEMENT FOR A TEACHER. FOR THIS REASON, I RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU TO TAKE ACTION TO ALLOW HIM TO RETURN TO THE CLASSROOM AND GIVE US THE EDUCATION WE DESERVE. ASSIGNING YET ANOTHER SUBSTITUTE TEACHER IS AN EFFECTIVE SOLUTION. THE FACT THAT WE'VE ALREADY HAD FIVE SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS SHOWS US THAT THEY'RE NOT AS HELPFUL AS YOU WOULD THINK. OTHER STUDENTS AND I HAVE WRITTEN TESTIMONIES, INCLUDING OUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH OUR TEACHER AND THE IMPACT HE HAS HAD ON US THROUGHOUT OUR TIME AT CLEMENTS. I'VE ALREADY EMAILED YOU ALL COPIES OF THESE LETTERS, AND I HAVE THEM WITH ME TODAY IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THEM. OUR TEACHER HAS CONSISTENTLY GONE BEYOND THE ROLE OF AN EDUCATOR. HE ISN'T JUST OUR TEACHER, HE'S ALSO OUR MENTOR AND OUR FRIEND.
HIS INFLUENCE HAS LEFT A MEANINGFUL AND LASTING IMPACT ON COUNTLESS LEARNERS OVER THE YEARS. IN HIS ABSENCE, THE QUALITY OF OUR LEARNING HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY DIMINISHED.
ALL I ASK IS ONE THING. WE JUST WANT OUR MENTOR BACK. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR CONSIDERING THE VOICES OF THE STUDENTS YOU SERVE. THANK YOU. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT GINA TORY HAS COME IN. OKAY. COME ON UP. THAT'S OKAY. YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK, AND DOCTOR GILLIAM WILL GIVE YOU A 32ND WARNING. I'LL STAY WITHIN TIME, SO THANK YOU. I'M GINA TORY. I AM THE SISTER OF LISA TORY SMITH. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, MY SISTER WAS KILLED WHILE
[00:10:04]
CROSSING THE STREET THROUGH A CROSSWALK WITH HER SON IN 2017 ON HER WAY TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.FIRST, I'D LIKE TO INVITE EVERYBODY HERE TO JOIN US AT THE FORT BEND COUNTY PEDESTRIAN FORUM, TAKING PLACE ON FRIDAY THE 19TH, ORGANIZED BY THE FORT BEND COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND CITIZENS FOR ROAD SAFETY. ONE OF THE SESSIONS WILL FOCUS ON WHY LEADERSHIP MATTERS, AND I'D LIKE TO BRING TWO ISSUES TO YOUR ATTENTION TODAY IN REGARD TO LEADERSHIP.
FIRST IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHERE THE PRINCIPAL, TIFFANY OGINA, AND LEADERSHIP ARE PRIORITIZING THE PERCEIVED SPREADING UP OF THE PICK UP AND DROP OFF LINE OVER THE SAFETY OF STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS. WALKING TO SCHOOL FROM AN AREA JUST THAT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION, THAT'S NEW. JUST BEHIND THE SCHOOL. HOW MANY PARENTS AND CHILDREN NEED TO DIE GETTING TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL? MY SISTER WAS ONE OF THEM. MY NEPHEW WAS CRITICALLY INJURED. WE NEED BETTER LEADERSHIP IN THAT REGARD. THE SECOND IS AN ISSUE RELATED TO THE LEADERSHIP OF THE FBISD CROSSING GUARDS. AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, WE ARE PARTNERING WITH WITH THE DA'S OFFICE TO GIVE TRAININGS ON THE NEW CROSSWALK LAW. AND EARLIER ON THIS YEAR, UNANNOUNCED AND UNINVITED, I RECEIVED AN AGGRESSIVE PHONE CALL FROM FBISD CROSSING GUARD STEPHANIE DENTON, WHO CALLED DEMANDING TO KNOW WHY WE WERE OFFERING CROSSING GUARD CROSSING CROSSWALK TRAININGS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, INCLUDING TO SCHOOLS AND TO COMMUNITY GROUPS. AND I TOLD HER WE WOULD LOVE TO GIVE CROSSWALK PRESENTATION TO THE FBISD CROSSING GUARDS. AND THE REPLY THAT I GOT BACK, I WAS TOLD, AND THIS IS A DIRECT QUOTE, BECAUSE THE FBISD CROSSING GUARDS, BACKGROUND AND COMPOSITION. IF WE TOLD THEM ABOUT THE CROSSING THE CROSSWALK LAW, THEY WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND IT. THEY WOULD ASSUME THAT BECAUSE THERE IS A LAW REQUIRING DRIVERS TO STOP, THAT SOMEHOW DRIVERS WOULD JUST AUTOMATICALLY STOP. I BELIEVE THAT THE FBISD CROSSING GUARDS ARE FULLY CAPABLE OF UNDERSTANDING THE CROSSWALK LAW. THEY KNOW THE DANGERS BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE, AND THE FACT THAT PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO STOP EVEN IF THERE IS A LAW. THIS KIND OF LANGUAGE AND ASSUMPTION IS USED THAT'S USED BY MISS DENTON, HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN THE SAME LANGUAGE USED TO KEEP PEOPLE IN BONDAGE. LANGUAGE USED BY OPPRESSORS. THIS IS THE REASON WHY JUNETEENTH EXISTS. SO IN ADDITION TO A DEFICIT, THE FBISD CROSSING GUARDS HAVE NOT RECEIVED A PAY INCREASE. AND THIS HAS BECOME DANGEROUS BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE LACK OF CROSSING GUARDS ENDANGERING STUDENTS EVERYWHERE ALL OVER FBISD. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS GRACE HUE. OKAY. HI. MY NAME IS GRACE HUE. I'M ALSO A STUDENT AT CLEMENTS HIGH SCHOOL, AND I WANTED TO OFFER A FOLLOW UP PERSPECTIVE ON LIPPY'S COVERAGE OF OUR TEACHER. SO I KIND OF JUST WANTED TO REITERATE SOME THINGS THAT I FOUND ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT, WHICH I HOPE YOU WILL ALL TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION. SO HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH IS SUCH A DEVELOPMENTAL AND CONFUSING TIME IN YOUR LIFE AS A STUDENT, I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT INFLUENCES ARE YOUR TEACHERS, AND I'VE BEEN WITH THE TEACHER IN QUESTION FOR FOUR YEARS NOW. I WOULDN'T HAVE CHOSEN TO TAKE HIS CLASS FOUR YEARS IN A ROW IF I DIDN'T BELIEVE IN HIM AS A TEACHER. SO I THINK THAT CAN ATTEST FOR HIS TEACHING QUALITY.
BUT ALSO, ARGUABLY, HE HAS HAD THE MOST IMPACT ON MY HIGH SCHOOL CAREER PLANS AND THEREFORE THE REST OF MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE. HIGH SCHOOL IS ALL ABOUT FINDING YOUR PASSION AND EXPLORING IT, AND I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE FOUND MY PASSION, WHICH MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME NOW IF I HADN'T. IF I HADN'T BEEN GUIDED AND HELPED BY HIM. SO A LOT OF WHO I AM TODAY REALLY TIES BACK INTO HIM. THAT'S ALSO WHY I HOPE TO BRING HIM BACK TO THE CLASSROOM. HIS POSITIVE INFLUENCE, WHICH I'VE EXPERIENCED FIRSTHAND, WILL HELP NURTURE A LOT OF STUDENTS LIKE ME WHO WANT TO CONSIDER THE CAREER PATH THAT I'M NOW GOING TO GO DOWN. SO IN ADDITION, LIPPY ALSO TOUCHED ON THIS BRIEFLY, BUT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN HIS ABSENCE SINCE THE CLASS IN THE SUBJECT ARE TAUGHT BY LIKE ARE MORE ON THE NICHE SIDE. WE DON'T HAVE ANY SUBSTITUTES OR TEACHERS THAT SPECIALIZE IN THAT FIELD. AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, I'VE BEEN STEPPING UP TO TAKE IN HIS ROLE. AND SO I SPENT EVERY WEEK AROUND LIKE 7 TO 8 HOURS ON LESSON PLANS FOR HIS TWO MAIN SUBJECT AREAS. AND I'M A STUDENT, I'M A SENIOR. SO COLLEGE APPLICATIONS ARE LIKE A BIG THING FOR ME RIGHT NOW. SO IT'S LIKE HARD HAVING SO MUCH ON MY PLATE. I DON'T THINK I'M A VERY I'M LIKE THE BEST CANDIDATE TO BE A TEACHER AND EITHER. SO I DON'T THINK I'M ABLE TO PROVIDE ALL OF THE STUDENTS WITH THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED TO SUCCEED IN THE CLASSROOM. I'M NOT ABLE TO TEACH STUDENTS THE TRUE WEALTH OF HIS KNOWLEDGE, AND THAT'S HURTING ALL OF THE PASSIONATE STUDENTS THAT ARE LOOKING TO EXPLORE THE FIELD. FOR ALL OF THESE REASONS, I URGE YOU TO CONSIDER BRINGING BACK MY TEACHER, EVEN THOUGH HE IS JUST ONE PERSON. I HOPE YOU REALIZE
[00:15:04]
HOW MANY LIVES HE CAN TOUCH. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT HE IS NEEDED HERE AT CLEMENTS, AND THAT WITHOUT HIM, FORT BEND IS MISSING OUT ON AN AMAZING TEACHER, MENTOR, AND SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS HECTOR PHAM. GOOD EVENING MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD. MY NAME IS HECTOR PHAM AND I'M THE FRESHMAN CLASS PRESIDENT AT STEPHEN F AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL. I'M HERE TONIGHT ON BEHALF OF ALL STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS WHO ARE FACING ONGOING CHALLENGES WITH OUR SCHOOLS, WIFI AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS, RELIABLE WI-FI IS NO LONGER A LUXURY. IT IS A NECESSITY IN TODAY'S DIGITAL AGE. NEARLY EVERY PART OF OUR EDUCATION DEPENDS ON STRONG, CONSISTENT INTERNET ACCESS, WHETHER IT'S RESEARCHING ASSIGNMENTS, PARTICIPATING IN LESSONS, OR TAKING EXAMS, RELIABLE WI-FI IS CRITICAL. UNFORTUNATELY, MANY OF US ARE EXPERIENCING FREQUENT DISRUPTIONS, FROM SLOW SPEEDS TO COMPLETE DISCONNECTIONS, WHICH SERIOUSLY HINDER OUR ABILITY TO LEARN AND PERFORM OUR BEST. BUT IT'S NOT JUST THE WIFI. WE'RE ALSO FACING UNCOMFORTABLE TEMPERATURES IN PARTS OF THE BUILDING DUE TO INCONSISTENT AIR CONDITIONING.WHEN CLASSROOMS GET TOO HOT, IT'S HARD TO FOCUS, STAY ENGAGED, OR DO OUR BEST WORK.
BOTH ISSUES, THE WIFI AND THE AC ARE AFFECTING STUDENTS ACROSS ALL GRADES, FROM FRESHMEN TO SENIORS. I UNDERSTAND THESE PROBLEMS CAN BE COMPLEX TO FIX, BUT THEY'VE BEEN ONGOING TOO FAR FOR FAR TOO LONG. IT'S TIME FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD TO PRIORITIZE LONG TERM SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE BOTH THE INTERNET AND THE AIR CONDITIONING ON CAMPUS. WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY AND THE RESOURCES. IT'S NOW ABOUT TAKING ACTION. IMPROVING THESE SYSTEMS WILL DIRECTLY ENHANCE THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYONE, GIVING US THE TOOLS AND COMFORT WE NEED TO SUCCEED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION TO THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES. WITH YOUR SUPPORT, I'M CONFIDENT WE CAN MAKE AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL A BETTER PLACE TO LEARN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS TANIKA CASHIER. TO CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THE EDUCATIONAL DIAGNOSTICIAN PAY INCREASE AND PICK UP WITH JAM LOPEZ LEFT OFF. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THAT EDUCATIONAL DIAGNOSTICIAN HOLDS A MASTER'S DEGREE, A VALID EDUCATIONAL DIAGNOSTICIAN CERTIFICATION, A VALID TEACHING CERTIFICATION, AND A THREE YEARS OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE IN ORDER TO BE HIRED. WE ALSO WHAT WE DO WE ASSESS, INTERPRET, GUIDE INSTRUCTION FOR MOST OF THE MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS. WE COORDINATE OUR COMMITTEE RIGHT LEGAL BONDING PAPERWORK AND ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL LAW. IN SHORT, WE KEEP THE DISTRICT IN COMPLIANCE AND THE STUDENT SERVICES RUNNING. TWO FUN FACTS ONE I CANNOT PRACTICE MY PROFESSION IF I DON'T HAVE MY TEACHING CERTIFICATE LICENSE AND MY EDUCATIONAL LICENSE AS WELL. THE SECOND ONE UNDER HOUSE BILL TWO BEGINNING IN 2025 2026 SCHOOL YEAR, TEXAS IS ESTABLISHING A SPECIAL EDUCATION FOR INDIVIDUAL INITIAL EVALUATION OF FIVE, WHICH WE CALL IT ALLOTMENT. THE SCHOOL RECEIVES $1,000 PER STUDENT FOR EACH INITIAL SPECIAL EDUCATION EVALUATION CONDUCTED. COMPARED TO THE COMPLIANCE CAMPUS COMPLIANCE COORDINATOR WE CALL THE C.C.C. THEIR MINIMUM REQUIREMENT IS A BACHELOR'S DEGREE AND THREE YEARS EXPERIENCE. KCS ARE ALREADY ON THE SCALE AT FORT BEND. RECOGNIZED THEIR AS RECOGNIZED THEIR EXPERIENCE AS THE TEACHERS PAY SCALE. SO THEY'RE BASICALLY ON THE TEACHER'S PAY SCALE, TEACHER'S PAY PLUS SCALE, WHICH WE'RE ASKING FOR. AND WE ARE NOT HOW SO? HOW WE'RE PAID? UNLIKE TEACHERS, DIAGNOSTICIANS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS, NON-TEACHING ROLES IN FORT BEND ARE NOT PLACED ON A STEP SCALE.
WE DON'T MOVE UP FOR YEARS OF SERVICE. WE DON'T RECEIVE RETENTION BONUSES LIKE OUR FELLOW FELLOW EVALUATORS, LIKE THE SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST AND THE SPEECH THERAPIST. WE DO NOT RECEIVE THOSE TYPE OF RETENTION BONUSES. OUR SALARIES ARE IN THE HANDS OF THE BOARD, AND OUR SALARIES IS ADJUSTED ONLY WHEN THE BOARD APPROVES A GENERAL PAY INCREASE, WHICH IS CALCULATED FROM THE MIDPOINT, NOT FROM OUR ACTUAL SERVICE RECORD. I LOVE TEACHERS AND I'M A TEACHER AS WELL. I'VE BEEN A TEACHER FOR MANY YEARS. I'VE BEEN A DIAC FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND TO TEACH SPECIAL EDUCATION KIDS. WE TEACH TEACHERS HOW TO TEACH SPECIAL EDUCATION KIDS, BASICALLY WITH OUR FIVES GUIDING IT WITH OUR FIVES. AND WE'RE PAID LESS THAN $2,000 THAN A TEACHER WITH ZERO EXPERIENCE WITH A BACHELOR'S DEGREE. WE WE'VE NOW GONE FOUR YEARS WITH NO STEP INCREASE, NO STIPEND, NO RETENTION BONUS. MEANWHILE, FORT BEND OFFERS A $5,000 SIGN ON BONUS TO NEW DOCTORS BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO FEEL. IT'S A HARD TO FILL POSITION. BUT THE DIAGNOSTICIANS WHO ALREADY STAYED, WHO'S TRAINED, MENTORED AND KEPT THE SYSTEM AFLOAT GETS NO RETENTION INCENTIVE. OKAY, SO I WILL BE FOLLOWED UP BY
[00:20:01]
GEORGE JOHN, BUT I WILL TRY TO CONTINUE IF I HAVE TIME. SO THE NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS, WE LOOK THAT INFORMATION UP. THE NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS LIKE LAMAR, ALVIN, HISD, THEY PLACE DIAGNOSTICIANS ON THE TEACHER SCALE OR THE TEACHER PLUS HONORING YEARS OF SERVICE AND ADVANCED DEGREES. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS JOYCE JOHN. PASSING PASADENA ISD, LAMAR ISD, ALVIN ISD AND HOUSTON ISD ADVERTISES DIAGNOSTICIAN SALARY SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN FORT BEND ISD FOR COMPARABLE CREDENTIALS. IN FACT, WE ARE THE FOURTH LOWEST PAYING DISTRICT IN GREATER HOUSTON, WHILE HAVING THE FOURTH HIGHEST NUMBER OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS 12,349. WE USED TO BE FIFTH LOWEST PAID. THIS IS CALCULATED WITH BONUSES AND RETENTIONS AT FBISD DON'T OFFER. AND SINCE ALIEF WENT TO THE BOARD, THEIR SALARY HAS CHANGED FROM 61,336 TO 63,536. OUR OWN TEACHERS RECEIVE STEP INCREASES, STIPENDS AND SPECIALIZED PAY.DIAGNOSTICIANS WITH A HIGHER ENTRY REQUIREMENTS DO NOT. THIS ISN'T JUST FAIR, IT IS A RECRUITING PROBLEM. HENCE THE REASON WHY WE HAVE EIGHT OPEN POSITIONS. OUR SURVEY OF 48 DIAGNOSTICIANS SHOWED 89% WON ALL THREE CHANGES PLACEMENT ON THE TEACHER SCALE, STIPEND AND RETENTION BONUSES. 79% WOULD CONSIDER LEAVING FOR ANOTHER DISTRICT. IF NOTHING CHANGES, 43% SAID THEY DID ATTEND A BOARD MEETING LIKE THIS ONE. AND HERE WE ARE. WHY THIS MATTERS EVERY TIME A CAMPUS GOES WITHOUT A DIAGNOSTICIAN, EVALUATION TIMELINE SLIPS, LEGAL RISK RISES, AND STUDENTS WAIT FOR SERVICES THEY ARE ENTITLED TO UNDER IDA, THE THAT UNDERMINES TRUST, COMPLIANCE AND OUTCOMES. PAYING DIAGNOSTICIANS FAIRLY IS NOT A PERK. IT IS A RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR THE DISTRICT AND A LIFELINE FOR OUR KIDS. OUR ASK.
WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT FORT BEND ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES PLACE EDUCATIONAL DIAGNOSTICIAN ON A TEACHER PLUS PAY SCALE, INCLUDING YEARS OF SERVICES, STEPS AND STIPENDS, AS DONE IN LAMAR ALVIN ISD, WHICH FORT BEND ISD ALSO DO FOR KCS, WHICH WE CALL CAMPUS COMPLIANCE COORDINATORS. PROVIDER RETENTION BONUS COMPARABLE TO SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS AND SPEECH AND LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST IN FBISD TO KEEP EXPERIENCED DIAGNOSTICIAN, SET A CLEAR TIMELINE. FOR EXAMPLE, BY NOVEMBER 1ST, 2025 TO IMPLEMENT THESE CHANGES OR PROPOSE AN ALTERNATIVE WITH OUR INPUT. THIS IS NOT AN EITHER OR. IT'S AN ALL OF THE ABOVE. IT'S ALSO WHAT OUR OWN INTERNAL SURVEY SHOWS DIAGNOSTICIANS OVERWHELMINGLY, OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT 30S. CLOSING WITH A SMILE, MADAM PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT, SECRETARY AND AND DISTINGUISHED GUEST. IF A DIAGNOSTICIANS CAN HANDLE 6500 EVALUATIONS A YEAR, MULTIPLE FEDERAL TIMELINES AND A BOOSTER CLUB BAKE SALE, SURELY THE DISTRICT CAN HANDLE PUTTING AS ON A FAIR PAY SCALE. I'M PROUD TO WORK HERE, PROUD TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS, AND PROUD TO STAND WITH MY COLLEAGUES TONIGHT. WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE FBISD. WE WANT TO STAY. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS DEREK DAWSON. TEST. OKAY. THANK YOU. BLESS YOU. GOOD EVENING. I'M ADDRESSING YOU BECAUSE OF THE VAST NUMBER OF CONCERNS FROM CONCERNED TEACHERS ACROSS THE DISTRICT THAT HAVE EXPRESSED STRESS, STRUGGLE AND ANXIETY AS IT RELATES TO MUTUAL RESPECT AND AUTHENTIC, GENUINE, PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR ADMINISTRATORS ON CAMPUS.
NUMBER ONE, COLLABORATION MATTERS WHEN PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS COLLABORATE, SHARING STRATEGIES AND ALIGNING GOALS, INSTRUCTION BECOMES MORE EFFECTIVE AND STUDENTS THRIVE.
RESPECT BUILDS TRUST, RESPECTING EACH OTHER'S EXPERTISE CREATES A CULTURE OF TRUST. TEACHERS FEEL VALUED, PRINCIPALS FEEL SUPPORTED, AND THE SCHOOL BECOMES STRONGER AS A RESULT. RELATIONSHIPS ENCOURAGE SHARED RESPONSIBILITY. OPEN, HONEST RELATIONSHIPS ALLOW PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS TOGETHER, CREATING A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR BOTH EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS. LASTLY, UNDERSTANDING IMPROVES OUTCOMES WHEN PRINCIPALS UNDERSTAND CLASSROOM REALITIES AND TEACHERS UNDERSTAND ADMINISTRATIVE CHALLENGES.
[00:25:01]
DECISIONS ARE SMARTER, POLICIES ARE PRACTICAL, AND STUDENT LEARNING IMPROVES.COLLABORATION IS CRITICAL, CRUCIAL, AND KEY TO SUCCESS IN THIS AREA. IN CLOSING, COLLABORATION, RESPECT, RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND UNDERSTANDING ARE NOT OPTIONAL.
THEY ARE ESSENTIAL BY STRENGTHENING PRINCIPAL TEACHER PARTNERSHIPS, WE DIRECTLY STRENGTHEN STUDENT SUCCESS. LET'S COMMIT TO WORKING TOGETHER FOR OUR EDUCATORS AND FOR EVERY STUDENT ON OUR CAMPUS. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR FEEDBACK ON THESE ISSUES. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS MARISSA DURAN. HELLO. I WOULD LIKE TO JUST REITERATE WHY THE EDUCATIONAL DIAGNOSTICIANS ARE HERE TODAY. WE HAVE A FEW REQUESTS. ONE PLACE EDUCATIONAL DIAGNOSTICIANS ON THE TEACHER PLUS PAY SCALE. THIS INCLUDES YEARS OF SERVICE STEPS AND STIPENDS THAT OUR FELLOW SURROUNDING SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE ALREADY PLACED ON. LAMAR CONSOLIDATED ALVIN, HISD AND FORT BEND ISD, AND ALSO OUR COMPASS CAMPUS COMPLIANT COORDINATORS ARE ALSO ALREADY ON THE TEACHER PAY SCALE, PROVIDE A RETENTION BONUS, AND AND WE WOULD LIKE A CLEAR TIMELINE ON WHEN THESE CHANGES CAN BE IMPLEMENTED. WE'VE DID A SURVEY AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS A DIAGNOSTICIANS. WE ARE STANDING TOGETHER AND WE ARE REQUESTING FROM THE BOARD DUE TO THE PROBLEMATIC STRUCTURE OF THE PAY SCALE, I AM ONE OF THE MOST TENURED DIAGNOSTICIANS HERE IN FORT BEND, BUT PROBABLY THE LEAST PAID. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE FOR YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND FINALLY, MISS PRINCE.
CAN WE SORT. OKAY. THANK YOU. JUST TELL ME WHEN. NOW. OH, SORRY.
YES. GO AHEAD. SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE, PLEASE. THE 20, THE 20 2425 SCHOOL YEAR CULTURE AND CLIMATE SURVEY RESULTS HIGHLIGHTED NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS IN COMMUNICATION, ONLY TO HAVE FORT BEND ISD MOVE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION WITH DECISIONS TO BLOCK, DELAY, WEAKEN AND OBSCURE COMMUNICATIONS TO START THE 2526 SCHOOL YEAR FIRST. AT THE END OF LAST SCHOOL YEAR, FORT BEND ISD DECIDED TO STRIP THE DISTRICT'S COMMUNICATION PORTAL.
LET'S TALK OF MOST USEFUL FEATURES AND RENAME THE SKELETON. LET'S CONNECT NOW.
WHEN ONE SUBMITS A QUESTION OR COMMENT ONE, THERE IS NO LONGER AN AUTOMATIC REPLY EMAIL QUOTING THE STAKEHOLDERS ORIGINAL SUBMISSION TO CONFIRM DELIVERY TO MY EXPERIENCES ARE.
THE STAFF SENT A REPLY ONE FOURTH OF THE TIME, AND THREE THAT 25% WHO REPLIED DID NOT SHOW MY ORIGINAL COMMENT OR QUESTION, AND THUS WAS LESS LIKELY TO FULLY RESPOND TO MY ISSUE. I AM PERPLEXED THAT LESS TALKED WAS STRIPPED DOWN ON YOUR WATCH, MADAM PRESIDENT, CONSIDERING THAT IT WAS YOUR PREVIOUS TENURE WITH SUPERINTENDENT THAT URGED STAKEHOLDERS TO USE. LET'S TALK SPECIFICALLY FOR COMMUNICATION IMPROVEMENT. EVEN MORE DETRIMENTAL IS THE DECISION TO BLOCK, TO COMPLETELY BLOCK AND THEN STRIP DOWN SKYWARD NOTIFICATIONS. SKYWARD QUEUE IS NOT A NEW SYSTEM WITH TWO KNOWN SCHOOLS IN ILLINOIS USING IT SINCE 2014. SINCE SKYWARD SMS AND SKYWARD QUEUE WERE FUNDAMENTALLY THE SAME SYSTEM, SKYWARD BUSINESS RESOLVED THE NOTIFICATION ISSUES YEARS AGO. AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE VIDEO GUIDE SHOWING PARENTS HOW TO SET UP DAILY GRADING EMAILS AND PROGRESS REPORTS WAS ON YOUTUBE PRE COVID AND THE SKYWARD WEBSITE ITSELF FOR LONGER. FORT BEND ISD HAS THAT VIDEO POSTED ON HIS WEBSITE SHOWING HOW PARENTS CAN SET THEIR DAILY GRADING NOTIFICATIONS. SO WHY WOULD THE DISTRICT HAVE TO SOLVE A PROBLEM THAT SKYWARD RESOLVE? ALMOST A DECADE AGO, OUR NOTIFICATION SETTINGS FROM SMS SHOULD HAVE TRANSFERRED TO SKYWARD CUE AS PART OF THE FINAL STEP IN MIGRATION. AT A MINIMUM, WHY DID I NOT RECEIVE A PROGRESS REPORT CARD? FIRST PROGRESS REPORT EMAIL ON SEPTEMBER 3RD FOR MY ENROLLED STUDENT WHO IS NOT AN ATHLETE,
[00:30:01]
THE DISTRICT WHO THE DISTRICT HAS CHOSEN TO STRIP THE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM. REMOVE THE ABILITY OF PARENTS AND STUDENTS TO RECEIVE TIMELY GRADING NOTIFICATIONS VIA EMAIL, AND REMOVE THE ABILITY FOR STUDENT AND PARENTS TO SEE GRADING STATISTICS LIKE MEDIAN, HIGH AND LOW AND MEAN FOR ALL GRADES. AS IT STANDS, FORT BEND ISD IS TELLING PARENTS TO LOG INTO THEIR COMPUTERS MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY TO CHECK SKYWARD GRADES FOR SKYWARD FOR GRADES BECAUSE SOMEONE ON STAFF REPORTEDLY WANTED TO PROTECT PARENTS FROM RECEIVING TOO MANY EMAILS BY ELIMINATING ALL SKYWARD DATA NOTIFICATIONS FOR THEM. NEVER MIND THAT PARENTS HAVE TO OPT IN FOR THOSE NOTIFICATIONS. ACCORDING TO BOTH SKYWARD SMS AND SKYWARD CUE HELP GUIDES 30S, SO NO ISSUE FROM WHAT THAT PLATFORM CLAIMS IS THEIR STANDARD FOR OTHER DISTRICTS. WHY SPEND TIME DEVELOPING WAYS TO LIMIT PARENT AND STUDENT TIMELY AND EFFECTIVE PROGRESS MONITORING? WHY ARE WE LEVELING DOWN ON STUDENT PROGRESS TRACKING, STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS AND RECORDS ACCURACY? ONLY IN FORT BEND ISD, BIZARRO WORLD DOES A SO-CALLED UPGRADE TO SKYWARD CUE RESULT IN A DOWNGRADE FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS. THANK YOU.[5. Recognitions]
THANK YOU. NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA ARE RECOGNITIONS. I INVITE THE BOARD AND DOCTOR SMITH TO JOIN ME IN FRONT OF THE DAIS.SO. CAN YOU CLOSE THAT GAP? YOU CAN SCOOCH. THANK. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MADAM PRESIDENT. DOCTOR SMITH AND TRUSTEES, FIRST, WE WANT TO GIVE A BIG THANK YOU TO THIS EVENING'S NATIONAL ANTHEM PERFORMANCE CONDUCTED BY CRAWFORD HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR, LED BY CHOIR DIRECTOR JARED DEES. GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
YOU. AND I'M GOING TO HAVE HER SCOOT. I'M GOING TO HAVE MISS RUZBACHY IF YOU CAN STAND FORWARD. MISS BECKY CAN STEP FORWARD. STEP FORWARD, PLEASE. THANK YOU.
OKAY, DOCTOR SMITH, I CANNOT SEE YOU COMPLETELY. THANK YOU. CAN YOU SLIDE UP? FRONT THE WHITE? THE WHITE SHIRT. MISS BECKY, SCOOT FORWARD, PLEASE. THANK YOU. THERE YOU GO. SORRY.
ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO. CAN YOU SLIDE OVER THIS? EVERYBODY SLIDE OVER THIS. I'M SORRY. I'M TRYING TO ELIMINATE THAT TABLE RIGHT THERE. HERE WE GO. ONE, TWO THREE. ONE MORE, ONE MORE.
123. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. THIS EVENING WE HAVE TWO SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS. FIRST UP WE HAVE LAYLA INKY ABDUL MASIH SENIOR AT RIDGE POINT HIGH SCHOOL. INKY WAS NAMED A 2025
[00:35:06]
NATIONAL SSP WINNER FOR SOLO MUSICAL THEATER. INKY RECEIVED THIS INTERNATIONAL THESPIAN EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR HER HIGH LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT IN SCHOOL THEATER PERFORMANCE. WE ALSO GIVE A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO HER TEACHER, MR. BLAKE WEIR, FOR HIS SUPPORT.1231231 MORE. 123. THANK YOU. FOR OUR FINAL RECOGNITION. FORT BEND ISD EARNED EXEMPLARY LEVEL IN THE 2025 AWARD OF DISTINGUISHED PROGRAM FROM THE TEXAS EDUCATIONAL THEATER ASSOCIATION. THIS RECOGNITION HIGHLIGHTS SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHO DEMONSTRATE OUTSTANDING COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING THEATER EDUCATION AND ITS DEDICATION TO ADVANCING ARTS EDUCATION. THE DISTRICT HAS ALSO BEEN NAMED PREMIERE COMMUNITY FOR THEATER EDUCATION BY THE EDUCATIONAL THEATER ASSOCIATION. THIS RECOGNITION DEMONSTRATES THE DISTRICT'S ACHIEVEMENT AND EFFORTS TO PROVIDE THEATER ACCESS AND EDUCATION TO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS. MAY WE HAVE JIM DREW, DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS, AND JARED BERRY, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS, TO COME UP AND BE RECOGNIZED.
CONGRATULATIONS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THERE WE GO. STANDBY. 123123. ONE MORE. 123. THANK YOU. THIS CONCLUDES THIS EVENING'S RECOGNITIONS.
[6. Superintendent Update]
ALL RIGHT. NEXT UP ON OUR AGENDA IS OUR SUPERINTENDENT'S UPDATE, DOCTOR SMITH. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. THANK YOU FOR THOSE THAT ARE IN ATTENDANCE THIS EVENING AND THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING AT HOME, I HAVE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE IN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S UPDATE. THE FIRST IS TO HIGHLIGHT OUR NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS. VERY PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT FORT BEND ISD HAS 91 NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP FINALISTS THIS YEAR. LAST YEAR OUR DISTRICT HAD 80, SO WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE. SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT. THESE STUDENTS ARE AMONG 16,000 SEMIFINALISTS IN THE NATION, AND THE ACADEMICALLY TALENTED STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE THEIR COMPETITION AND TO WIN ONE OF THREE TYPES OF SCHOLARSHIPS THAT'S WORTHY OF NEARLY $26 MILLION COMBINED. AND SO THE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED NEXT SEMESTER. AND WE ARE BELIEVING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE STUDENTS ON THAT LIST TO RECEIVE THOSE SCHOLARSHIPS. IT'S A TREMENDOUS ACHIEVEMENT. IT'S A REFLECTION OF OUR STUDENTS HARD WORK, THE SUPPORT OF THEIR FAMILIES, AND THE DEDICATION OF THEIR TEACHERS.THE SECOND ITEM IS TO SHARE THE LAUNCH OF THE SUPERINTENDENT PODCAST. VERY EXCITED THAT WE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED SEASON TWO OF THE NATIONAL AWARD WINNING PODCAST TO DATE. IN REVIEWING THE ANALYTICS, THE PODCAST HAS REACHED MORE THAN 25,000 STAKEHOLDERS AND RECEIVED MORE THAN 3000 CLICKS. AND SO IT'S GETTING A LOT OF TRACTION OUT THERE. IT CONTINUES TO
[00:40:04]
HIGHLIGHT THE LEADERSHIP AND PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR OUR STAFF AND FOR OUR STUDENTS TO SHARE THEIR STORIES THAT MAKE FOR BEND ISD SPECIAL. ONE OF OUR MOST RECENT EPISODES HIGHLIGHTED OUR NEW POLICE CHIEF, MR. CHIEF SANDERS, AND HIS VISION AS A NEW LEADER IN OUR DISTRICT. AND WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT PRINCIPAL JAMIE GEISS. SHE'S PRINCIPAL AT SUGAR MILL ELEMENTARY. HER CAMPUS LEVELED UP THIS YEAR. THEY RECEIVED AN A RATING, HAD SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS. SO SHE HAD A CHANCE TO TELL HER LEADERSHIP STORY. STAKEHOLDERS CAN TUNE IN TO THE SUPERINTENDENT PODCAST ON YOUTUBE, SPOTIFY AND APPLE. SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO REALLY USE THIS AS A PLATFORM, REALLY TO TELL OUR STORY. AND FORT BEND ISD, THE NEXT ITEM IS CONNECTING WITH OUR COMMUNITY. SO THIS PAST WEEK, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO ATTEND THE FORT BEND EDUCATION BACK TO SCHOOL SCRAMBLE. IT WAS THE 26TH ANNUAL. THIS YEAR MARKED THE HIGHEST AMOUNT RAISED IN TOURNAMENT HISTORY. AND SO AS YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE FUNDS THAT ARE RAISED GO DIRECTLY TO BENEFIT FBISD THROUGH GRANTS THAT ARE FOR OUR TEACHERS AND OUR SCHOOLS. AND SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF WHAT OUR GOING E OPPORTUNITY TO DO WITH THE FUNDING. I ALSO HAD AN OPPORTUNITY LAST WEEK TO SHARE A DISTRICT UPDATE WITH THE SUGAR LAND ROTARY CLUB. OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THAT ALLOW ME TO BUILD STRONG RELATIONSHIPS, TO STRENGTHEN THOSE PARTNERSHIPS, TO SHARE THE GREAT WORK THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DISTRICT WITH THE BROADER COMMUNITY, AND JUST REALLY ENJOY THE OPPORTUNITY TO FELLOWSHIP WITH THE SUGAR LAND. ROTARY, AS YOU KNOW, IT IS FALL AND FALL SPORTS ARE OFF AND RUNNING VERY MUCH. ENJOY WATCHING OUR STUDENTS PERFORM AND COMPETE AND REPRESENT THE DISTRICT. AND SO ALL THE FALL SPORTS ARE OFFICIALLY UNDERWAY, WHETHER IT BE FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, TO VOLLEYBALL, TO TENNIS, CROSS COUNTRY. OUR STUDENT ATHLETES ARE REPRESENTING FORT BEND ISD WITH PRIDE, AND SOME OF OUR TEAMS ARE RANKED AT THE TOP THIS YEAR LOCALLY. SO REALLY BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THINGS FARE OFF AS THEY PROCEED DURING THE COURSE OF THE SEASON. BUT I'M I'M JUST VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, GETTING OFF TO A GREAT START, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO DOWNLOAD THE FORT BEND ISD ATHLETICS APP. THIS WILL KEEP YOU UP TO DATE ON SCHEDULES AND SCORES AND HIGHLIGHTS THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. ALSO WANT TO REMIND OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT 60 OF 62 AND UP TO APPLY FOR OUR GOLD CARD CLUB, AND THIS GRANTS THEM FREE ADMISSION TO ANY OF OUR ATHLETIC EVENTS, AS WELL AS OUR FINE ARTS EVENTS. AND THEN I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OR THE IT GROUP, AS WE LIKE TO SAY, TOMORROW IS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONALS DAY. AND SO I WANT TO SEND A SHOUT OUT TO OUR INCREDIBLE TECHNOLOGY TEAM. THEY'RE BEHIND THE SCENES WORK. IT KEEPS OUR SYSTEMS RUNNING SMOOTHLY, AND IT ENSURES THAT OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF HAVE THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO SUCCEED EACH AND EVERY DAY, WHETHER IT'S KEEPING THE WI-FI RUNNING OR RESETTING PASSWORDS AT LIGHTNING SPEED OR SECURING STUDENT DATA, MANAGING DEVICES ACROSS ALL CAMPUSES, SUPPORTING TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WITH TECH STUDENTS, THEY REALLY DO IT ALL WITH GREAT PATIENCE AND WITH GREAT DEDICATION. AND SO TOMORROW WE'LL BE IN THE DISTRICT CELEBRATING. HAPPY IT PROFESSIONALS DAY. AND SO I HAVE ONE LAST STATEMENT, MADAM PRESIDENT AND TRUSTEES, THAT I'D LIKE TO MAKE. AND THEN THAT WILL CONCLUDE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT. SO THIS STATEMENT IS FOR OUR STAFF, OUR PARENTS AND OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY, OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FAMILIES. THEY PLACE A GREAT DEAL OF TRUST IN FORT BEND ISD TO CREATE A SAFE AND RESPECTFUL AND WELCOMING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. AND THAT TRUST DEPENDS ON EVERY STAFF MEMBER MODELING PROFESSIONALISM IN PERSON AS WELL AS ONLINE. LAST WEEK, I SHARED A LETTER ADDRESSING THE INAPPROPRIATE AND OFFENSIVE SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY OF DISTRICT STAFF MEMBERS. IN THAT LETTER, I EMPHASIZED THE DISTRICT'S EXPECTATIONS THAT STAFF MEMBERS ADHERE TO PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS OF COMMUNICATION AND BEHAVIOR. AS OF LAST WEEK, STAFF MEMBERS FOUND, IN VIOLATION OF FORT BEND ISD, POLICIES AND STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONALISM HAVE BEEN PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE PENDING INVESTIGATION. THE DISTRICT CANNOT PROVIDE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON INDIVIDUAL PERSONNEL MATTERS, BUT WE WILL ADHERE TO ALL RELEVANT DISTRICT POLICIES AND DUE PROCESS CONSIDERATIONS AS[00:45:05]
WE DELIBERATE NEXT STEPS TO BE DIRECT. OUR POLICIES EXIST TO SUPPORT A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. STAFF MEMBERS WHO DO NOT FOLLOW DISTRICT POLICY WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE THROUGH THE APPROPRIATE MEASURES. WHILE WE HONOR THE RIGHTS OF OUR FACULTY AND STAFF TO REMAIN ENGAGED FOR BEND ISD DOES NOT CONDONE NOR TOLERATE SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY AND COMMENTS THAT PROMOTE VIOLENCE OR HATE FROM ANY DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE. I STAND FIRM THAT ANY BEHAVIOR THAT VIOLATES DISTRICT POLICIES COMPROMISES THE SAFETY AND THE WELL-BEING OF OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF, OR UNDERMINES THE PUBLIC'S TRUST WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED, FOR BEND ISD WILL BE COMPLYING WITH THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY'S REQUIREMENTS TO REPORT ALL INCIDENTS TO THE AGENCY'S MISCONDUCT REPORTING PORTAL. WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON PROVIDING AN EXCEPTIONAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR STUDENTS, WHILE UPHOLDING OUR COMMITMENT TO THE VALUES AND STANDARDS EXPECTED OF ALL FORT BEND ISD EMPLOYEES. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, DOCTOR SMITH, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR[7. Board Activity Report]
LEADERSHIP. NEXT UP IS OUR BOARD ACTIVITY REPORT, DOCTOR GILLIAM, AND GOOD EVENING. I HAVE THE PLEASURE TO SHARE OUR FORT BEND ISD SCHOOL BOARD AT WORK. THIS IS FROM BOARD MEETINGS STARTING SEPTEMBER 15TH 20, 2025. POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING. AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING TOUR ETERNAL GANDHI MUSEUM, HOUSTON GULF COAST AREA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS TRAINING 26TH ■ANNUAL FBF GOLF TOURNAMENT. STUDENT LEADERSHIP 102 SHACK COUNCIL MEETING TEXAS CON 2025 TASB DELEGATE ASSEMBLY 2025 STUDENT ASSOCIATION FOR STEM ADVOCACY CONFERENCE, ADULT SPELLING BEE, FORT BEND LITERACY COUNCIL AND NATIONAL RITA RITA BOOK DAY AT BOOKER[8.A. School Calendar Development Process]
ELEMENTARY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, DOCTOR GILLIAM. NEXT UP, OUR INFORMATION ITEMS. WE'LL START WITH OUR SCHOOL CALENDAR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. DOCTOR SMITH. YES, MA'AM. MISS STEPHANIE WILLIAMS WILL BE LEADING THAT PRESENTATION. THANK YOU.GOOD EVENING, DOCTOR SMITH, PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TONIGHT, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE 20 2627 SCHOOL CALENDAR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. I'LL OVERVIEW THE PROCESS, GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, RUN THROUGH SOME CALENDAR PARAMETERS AND THEIR IMPACT ON CALENDAR MATH, AND THEN CLOSE OUT WITH NEXT STEPS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CALENDAR. THIS GRAPHIC OUTLINES THE FIVE MONTH PROCESS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ANNUAL SCHOOL CALENDAR. WE LAUNCHED IN SEPTEMBER, AND WE DESIGNED OUR PROCESS. DESIGN MEANS LOOKING BACK ON FEEDBACK TO SEE HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THE PROCESS, AND WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO DIFFERENTLY TO ENGAGE MORE STAKEHOLDERS AND UNDERSTAND THEIR NEEDS. WE LOOK AT THE ACADEMIC PRIORITIES FIRST SO THAT WE CAN ALIGN THERE, AND THEN WE LOOK AT LEGAL AND POLICY CHANGES AND ESTABLISH A TIMELINE THAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU. AND THAT'S WHEN WE SOLICIT STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION THROUGH THE CENTRAL APPLICATION FOR STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT BEGINNING LATE SEPTEMBER. WE START WITH ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS TO UNDERSTAND, HELP THEM LEARN AND UNDERSTAND PRIORITIES. OUR PROCESS AND CALENDAR MATH, WHICH I'LL OUTLINE LATER. AND IN THOSE MEETINGS, STAKEHOLDERS CAN GIVE US FEEDBACK ON KEY DESIGN COMPONENTS. THE CORE OF THE CALENDAR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IS IN THE CENTER HERE. THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE, MADE UP OF 60 MEMBERS, WHICH ARE DISTRICT STAFF, CAMPUS STAFF, PARENTS, TEACHERS, STUDENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THEY ANALYZE FEEDBACK, SET THE GUIDELINES FOR THE PARAMETERS ON THE CALENDAR, AND IDENTIFY THE CALENDARS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. IN NOVEMBER, WE POST A SURVEY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT WHERE EVERY STAKEHOLDER HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE US THEIR FEELINGS AROUND 2 TO 3 DRAFT CALENDARS, AND THEN THE GOAL IS THAT BY JANUARY, WE WOULD PROPOSE A CALENDAR FOR REVIEW AND ADOPTION BY THE BOARD. SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE GOT FEEDBACK THAT WE NEEDED TO INITIATE A DISCUSSION WITH STAKEHOLDERS BEFORE WE DESIGNED CALENDARS. THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF FOCUS GROUPS. FOCUS GROUPS INCLUDE PARENTS, STAFF, AND STUDENTS. THIS YEAR, OVER 600 PEOPLE FILLED OUT THE APPLICATION TO BE PART OF FOCUS GROUPS, AND WE INVITED EVERYONE IN. ABOUT 160 SHOWED UP TO SIX
[00:50:04]
OPPORTUNITIES IN THOSE FOCUS GROUPS. THEY GAVE FEEDBACK ON THE DESIGN COMPONENTS OF THE CALENDAR. ANOTHER WAY TO SAY THAT ARE THE FEATURES THAT YOU GET THE MOST COMMENTS ON THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. SO THOSE ARE THOSE FEATURES. MOVING FROM FOCUS GROUPS, WE GO TO CORE TEAMS THAT ARE MADE UP OF CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF, TEACHER FORUM AND OUR CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS. THE ROLE OF THE CORE TEAM IS TO LOOK AT DATA, FOCUS GROUP INFORMATION AND TO SET GUIDELINES. RECOMMEND GUIDELINES TO THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE. I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT GUIDELINES IN A FEW MINUTES FROM THE CORE TEAM. WE WORK WITH OUR CALENDAR COMMITTEE, AND THEY'RE ULTIMATELY THE GROUP THAT OUTLINES THE GUIDELINES FOR DESIGN OF THE CALENDAR. THAT COMMITTEE MEETS ABOUT FIVE TIMES ACROSS THE FIVE MONTHS IN ORDER TO LOOK AT DATA, UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, AND MAKE DECISIONS ON THEIR WAY TO RECOMMENDING A CALENDAR TO ADMINISTRATION. AND THEN I'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE PUBLIC COMMENT SURVEY, WHICH IS THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS TO PROVIDE INPUT INTO THE CALENDAR PROCESS. AND THAT'S IN NOVEMBER. SO I'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT GUIDELINES, AND I THOUGHT THIS MIGHT HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, HELP EVERYONE IN THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND THAT. I KNOW THE BOARD'S BEEN DEALING WITH THIS FOR A WHILE. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT GUIDELINES ARE REALLY FOR AREAS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE STRONG OPINIONS ON THE CALENDAR. THE FIRST ONE IS HOW MUCH TIME IS OUT THERE FOR STUDENT LEARNING. THAT'S HOW MANY FULL DAYS OR HALF DAYS OF INSTRUCTION THAT WE HAVE THE TEACHER SUPPORTS. DO WE HAVE TEACHER PLANNING DAYS INCLUDED? IS THEIR JOB EMBEDDED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING? IS THERE A BALANCE OF THE LEARNING THAT COMES BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR? WE TALK A LOT ABOUT HOLIDAY OBSERVANCES, SO THE ONES THAT MIGHT ALIGN WITH OTHER DISTRICTS. AND THEN BECAUSE FORT BEND ISD IS SUCH A DIVERSE AREA, THE DIFFERENT RELIGIONS THAT MIGHT BE OBSERVED THROUGH A HOLIDAY IN THE CALENDAR, AND THEN WE SPEAK ABOUT STARTING AND ENDING SCHOOL DATES. AND REALLY OUT OF THE FOUR, THAT FOURTH ONE IS THE ONE THAT WE HEAR THE MOST COMMENTS ON. ALMOST EVERYBODY WANTS TO START LATE AND END EARLY, AND THAT MAKES IT KIND OF DIFFICULT WHEN YOU GET INTO CALENDAR MATH. SO I WANTED TO SHOW YOU HOW THAT INPUT SHAPED THE CALENDAR THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY LIVING. SO THERE WERE FOUR KEY AREAS THAT WERE GUIDELINES. ONE WAS A LATER START. AND BY THAT THEY MEANT LATER THAN THE FIRST WEEK IN AUGUST. AND WE STARTED THE SECOND WEEK IN AUGUST. CONTINUE TO INCLUDE TEACHER PLANNING AND JOB EMBEDDED PD. IF YOU LOOK AT THE CURRENT CALENDAR, YOU SEE ORANGE AND RED DAYS, AND THAT'S WHERE THOSE DAYS ARE INCLUDED.STAKEHOLDERS, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN PART OF THE CALENDAR, WE'RE OPEN TO ADJUSTING SPRING BREAK ONE WEEK AND NOT ALIGNING WITH OTHER DISTRICTS IN ORDER TO HAVE FEWER WEEKS WITHOUT A BREAK TOWARDS THE END OF SCHOOL. AND THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THAT THIRD WEEK IN MARCH IS OUR SPRING BREAK THIS YEAR, AND THEN LIKELY THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THE GUIDELINES, WE NEED TO MAXIMIZE TIME AND INSTRUCTION, BECAUSE THAT'S THE ROLE OF THE CALENDAR. AND THE WAY WE DID THAT IN THIS CALENDAR IS WE WENT FROM 21 FULL WEEKS OF INSTRUCTION IN 24, 25 TO 26 FULL WEEKS OF INSTRUCTION IN 25, 26. SO WE JUST FINISHED FOCUS GROUPS AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE YOU SAY THAT WE GO THROUGH THESE GUIDELINES TO GET TO DESIGN CALENDARS, AND THEN WE'RE ABLE TO TIE BACK TO THOSE PIECES THAT WE FIND IN THE CALENDAR. AND SO THAT BRINGS ME TO CALENDAR MATH. AND MANY OF YOU HAVE DONE CALENDAR MATH BEFORE. SO I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE TOO LONG. BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST TALKED ABOUT PIECES AND FOCUS GROUPS WITH STAKEHOLDERS. THEY SAY MORE PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS.
SO IF YOU'LL DRAW YOUR ATTENTION FIRST OF ALL TO THE TOP, IT SAYS 75,600 MINUTES.
THAT'S THE REQUIREMENT BY T FOR A SCHOOL CALENDAR. AT THE BOTTOM YOU SEE A WEEK MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY. AND I WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU AS I TALK THROUGH THESE PARAMETERS, TO TRY TO GUESS HOW MANY MINUTES WE ACCUMULATE EACH DAY. SO THAT FIRST DAY IS A TEACHER WORK DAY WITH NO STUDENTS. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY ARE FULL DAYS OF SCHOOL. BELL TO BELL. THURSDAY IS AN EARLY RELEASE DAY AND FRIDAY IS A STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY. NOW, THIS IS NOT A WEEK THAT WE WOULD CREATE. IT'S JUST CREATED FOR YOUR PURPOSES OF CALENDAR MATH. SO AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE A DISTRICT OF INNOVATION. AND WHAT THAT DOES IS IT REQUIRES US. IT ALLOWS US FLEXIBILITY IN WHEN WE START SCHOOL, THE STATE SAYS THAT WE MUST HAVE 840 ADDITIONAL MINUTES. THEY WILL NO LONGER GRANT WAIVERS FOR SITUATIONS LIKE BAD WEATHER OR SCHOOL CLOSURES. SO WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE THAN THAT. 75,600 A FULL DAY OF INSTRUCTION BELL TO BELL IN FORT BEND ISD IS 440 MINUTES. AN EARLY RELEASE DAY IS APPROXIMATELY 240 MINUTES. A STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY. WE ACCOUNT 390 MINUTES, AND THOSE MINUTES COUNT WHEN THEY FALL BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THE LAST DAY OF INSTRUCTION, AND WE CAN ACCUMULATE UP TO 2100 MINUTES A YEAR AND THEN A TEACHER WORK DAY. THAT'S ZERO MINUTES, BECAUSE THAT'S LIKE A CONTRACT DAY WHERE THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF THE WORK OF TEACHING THAT THAT CONTRACT IS 187 DAYS. SO IF YOU PUT THAT DOWN, YOU CAN SEE HERE WHAT EACH DAY ACCOUNTED FOR. AND THAT'S A TOTAL OF 1510 MINUTES. BUT THERE WERE 2200 MINUTES AVAILABLE TO US IF WE WENT TO
[00:55:06]
SCHOOL ALL DAY, EVERY DAY IN THIS CALENDAR. AND SO YOU CAN SEE, THE CHALLENGE IS, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF DAY THAT WE ALLOCATE, THE MINUTES ADJUST. BUT WE'RE STILL USING A TEACHER CONTRACT DAY FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE DAYS. SO TO BRING IT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER HOME FOR YOU ON CALENDAR MATH, ON THE LEFT SIDE HERE, YOU SEE THIS YEAR'S SCHOOL CALENDAR WITH THOSE TWO MOST TALKED ABOUT COMPONENTS, THE START AND THE END OF SCHOOL. THE YELLOW HIGHLIGHT IS THE FIRST DAY FOR TEACHERS ON AUGUST 31ST. I'M SORRY, JULY 31ST AND THE LAST DAY FOR TEACHERS ON MAY 29TH. IN GREEN. YOU SEE THE FIRST DAY FOR STUDENTS ON AUGUST 12TH AND THE LAST DAY FOR STUDENTS ON MAY 28TH. WHAT DO PEOPLE WANT TO DO? THEY WANT TO SAY, LET'S GET OUT BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY. SO LET'S TAKE OUT THOSE FOUR DAYS AND X'S THERE. SO IF WE DID THAT, THAT WOULD BE MOVING THE END DATE FOR STUDENTS TO THE 21ST OF MAY, WHICH WOULD BUMP UP THE END DATE FOR TEACHERS TO THE 22ND OF MAY. AND YOU CAN'T STOP THERE. YOU HAVE TO GO BACK AND FIND THOSE FOUR DAYS OF INSTRUCTION. SO THAT MEANS WE WOULD HAVE TO START ON AUGUST 6TH, AND THAT WOULD HAVE BROUGHT OUR TEACHERS IN ON JULY 25TH. AND SO THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW WHEN YOU MAKE DESIGN COMPONENT CHANGES IN A CALENDAR, IT ADJUSTS THE DESIGN OF THE CALENDAR THAT YOU HAVE SO THAT YOU MEET YOUR MINUTES. SO I STARTED BY TELLING YOU THE DESIGN PROCESS. I WANT TO MAKE SURE I TELL YOU WHAT'S NEXT. SO WE ARE ABOUT TO CONVENE OUR CALENDAR COMMITTEE, AND I WANT TO THANK MISS BECKY. YOU'LL BE ON THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE THIS YEAR. THANK YOU FOR AGREEING TO THAT. I THINK WE START THIS WEDNESDAY WITH OUR FIRST MEETING, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE FIVE SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS. WE'LL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE OUR STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, OUR CORE TEAMS TEACHER FORUM. AND THEN IN NOVEMBER WE WILL POST A SET OF CALENDARS, USUALLY 2 OR 3, FOR PUBLIC COMMENT PRIOR TO RECOMMENDING ONE FOR ADOPTION.THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, MISS WILLIAMS. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE TRUSTEES? DOCTOR GILLIAM? WELL, STEPHANIE, YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK THAT YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL WITH THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR EXPLANATION AND YOUR HARD WORK IN DOING THIS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MISS WILLIAMS. WE APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
[8.B. Academic Calendar Timeline]
YES, MA'AM. OKAY. NEXT UP IS OUR ACADEMIC CALENDAR TIMELINE, DOCTOR SMITH. YES, MA'AM.DOCTOR STEPHENS, OUR CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER, WILL BE PROVIDING INFORMATION ON THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR TIMELINE. SO WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO DOCTOR STEPHENS. GOOD EVENING, DOCTOR SMITH. MADAM PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE WITH YOU GUYS TONIGHT. IT IS THE ONE OF MY FAVORITE TIMES OF THE YEAR. IT'S THE START OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR. SO THAT MEANS WE GET TO STAND IN FRONT OF YOU AND JUST SHARE WHAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AS OUR PROGRESS MARKERS FOR THE YEAR. SO WE START RIGHT INTO IT, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER. WE GET AFTER IT ASSESSING STUDENTS. AND SO WE HAVE TWO BUCKETS THAT WE LOOK AT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT STUDENTS ASSESSMENTS. SO ONE IS OUR MAP GROWTH ASSESSMENT. SO THAT'S AN ASSESSMENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BRING TO YOU GUYS SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR. THAT'S ALSO THE ASSESSMENT THAT WE USE AS WE MOVE DOWN THE ROAD FOR THE TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT. SO THAT'S THE ASSESSMENT THAT STUDENTS TAKE. AND IT TELLS US WHERE THE STUDENTS START THE YEAR. AND THEN WITH MINIMUM INSTRUCTIONS WHERE THOSE STUDENTS SHOULD END UP. SO I'M EXCITED BECAUSE NEXT MONTH I'LL BE BACK IN FRONT OF YOU AND I'LL BE SHARING WITH YOU THE RESULTS FROM OUR BEGINNING OF THE YEAR MAP ASSESSMENT. SO IN ADDITION TO THE STANDARD MAP ASSESSMENT MAP GROWTH, WE ALSO HAVE MAP READING FLUENCY. SO THIS IS ONE OF OUR ADAPTIVE ASSESSMENTS THAT WE USE FOR PHONICS. IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO FROM OUR VARIOUS HOUSE AND SENATE BILLS. AND SO WE LEVERAGE A PORTION OF THIS FOR OUR DYSLEXIA SCREENER. WE ALSO LEVERAGE A PORTION OF THIS TO MEASURE OUR FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS FOR OUR STUDENTS. AND SO AGAIN, THESE ARE THINGS THAT AS WE'VE GOTTEN TO THE SCHOOL YEAR, WE GOT RIGHT TO WORK ON THESE. SO THAT BRINGS US TO FALL PROGRESS MONITORING. SO WE'LL BE WE WILL COME TO YOU IN OCTOBER AND WE'LL SHARE THE RESULTS OF MAP. AND THEN WE'LL CIRCLE RIGHT BACK INTO NOVEMBER. WE'LL CONTINUE THOSE PROGRESS MONITORING CHECKS FOR OUR STUDENTS IN KINDER FIRST AND SECOND GRADE. THAT JUST REALLY TELLS US HOW WELL THOSE STUDENTS ARE DOING ON FLUENCY.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER, WHEN I CAME TO YOU LAST YEAR, WE TALKED ABOUT THOSE STUDENTS THAT WERE ROUTING UP TO READING. THAT'S THE KIND OF INFORMATION THAT THAT THAT WE'LL GET AT THOSE TIMES. AND THAT JUST REALLY LETS OUR TEACHERS HONE IN AND SEE WHERE THEY NEED TO JUST PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND WHAT STUDENTS ARE READY TO, TO BEGIN READING. SO THEN WE'LL COME TO YOU ON DECEMBER, JANUARY TIME FRAME. THAT'S WHEN WE DO OUR MIDDLE OF THE YEAR ASSESSMENT. THAT REALLY GIVES US THAT HIGH WATERMARK THAT SAYS, HEY, HOW IS OUR ASSESSMENT BEEN DOING? ARE THERE AREAS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR OUR STUDENTS? AND SO THAT'S WHEN WE GET THAT MIDDLE OF THE YEAR DATA. WE'LL
[01:00:01]
COME TO YOU. WE'LL HAVE MAP GROWTH THAT SAYS THESE STUDENTS STARTED THE YEAR HERE. THEY GOT THIS INSTRUCTION. SO THEY'RE PERFORMING AS GOOD OR BETTER THAN THEIR PEERS. AND THEY'LL ALSO HAVE THE MAP ACHIEVEMENT DATA, WHICH SAYS, HEY, THIS STUDENT'S IN THE 56 PERCENTILE AND THIS CAMPUS IS IN THIS PERCENTILE. SO WE'RE EXCITED TO BRING THAT DATA BACK. WE'LL COME BACK AGAIN. WE'LL HAVE MORE DATA TO SHARE IN APRIL. WE'LL CONTINUE WITH OUR MAP GROWTH AND OUR MAP READING ASSESSMENTS. AND AT THE END OF THE YEAR AFTER THE STAR CENSUS, WE WILL CLOSE OUT OUR OUR EOAI MAP DATA. SO THAT WILL GIVE US A SENSE OF HOW WELL OUR INSTRUCTION DID AND WHERE THOSE EXTRA OPPORTUNITIES WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO TIGHTEN UP AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED, AND WE WANTED TO JUST PROVIDE YOU WITH KIND OF A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT YOU'LL BE RECEIVING FROM US. SO WE'LL BE BACK IN FRONT OF YOU NEXT MONTH TO GIVE YOU A BUOY MAP UPDATE. WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU IN DECEMBER WITH OUR CTE UPDATE.THEY JUST PASSED LEGISLATION THAT WE ARE NOW REQUIRED TO ANNUALLY PRESENT TO YOU A SPECIAL EDUCATION PUBLIC HEARING, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO WITH THE TAPER. SO THAT'S ON THE CALENDAR FOR DECEMBER. WE'LL COME BACK IN JANUARY, GIVE SOME PSAT DATA, COME BACK IN FEBRUARY FOR SOME MAP DATA. WE'LL HAVE OUR TAPER PUBLIC HEARING IN MARCH, A SPECIAL EDUCATION UPDATE IN MAY. WE'LL CLOSE OUT THE YEAR WITH THE GT SPECIAL EDUCATION AND A MAP UPDATE, AND THEN BE BACK IN JULY TO BRING YOU OUR START DATE. SO THAT IS A BRIEF HIGHLIGHT OF THE INFORMATION ITEMS REGARDING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE FROM US THIS YEAR. THANK YOU, DOCTOR STEVENS. DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BY THE TRUSTEES, MISS HANNON THANK YOU, MISS TOWSON. THANK YOU, DOCTOR STEVENS. I APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION AND I APPRECIATE THIS BEING AN INFORMATION ITEM FOR THE BOARD AND FOR PARENTS WHO ARE WATCHING. AND SO I HELD A QUESTION ON THE THE CALENDAR, THE PREVIOUS ITEM, BECAUSE THERE IT WAS, I HAD A DOUBLE DOSE OF QUESTIONS. AND SO THANK YOU, MISS WILLIAMS, FOR ALWAYS GIVING US A REFRESHER ON THE MAGIC OF CALENDAR MATH. MISS WIERZBICKA IS NOW OUR LIAISON, BUT I HAPPEN TO AND I APPRECIATE HER DOING THAT. AND I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE THE SHACK. TODAY I HAPPENED TO WATCH PART OF THE SHACK FROM FROM THE LAST MEETING WHEN THERE WAS A SPEAKER ON NO PLACE FOR HATE. AND SHE WAS SHE WAS AN EXCELLENT SPEAKER, AND SHE TOOK SOME QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE. AND THEN SOME STUDENTS BRAVELY ASKED SOME QUESTIONS, AND THEY HAPPENED TO BOTH BE THERE WERE TWO STUDENTS AND THEY WERE SURROUNDING CALENDAR. AND IT WAS IT WAS KIND OF BOTH. SO THEY WERE ASKING ABOUT THE, THE THE ACTUAL CALENDAR AND HOLIDAYS, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN CALENDAR DAYS FALL ON A HOLIDAY. BUT THEY ALSO ALSO ASK ABOUT ASSESSMENT FALLING ON A CERTAIN HOLIDAY. AND EVEN THOUGH THAT PARTICULAR SPEAKER WASN'T AN EMPLOYEE, SHOULDN'T EXCEPTIONAL PROFESSIONAL AND AND RESPECTFUL ANSWER TO THEM. BUT IT BROUGHT IT. WHEN I WATCHED IT, I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS ITEM AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY ABOUT PRIORITY ONE, RIGHT? IT'S ENHANCING INSTRUCTION, BUT IT'S ALSO PRIORITY TWO. IT'S ABOUT THAT COMMUNICATION AND MAKING SURE OUR STUDENTS REALLY UNDERSTAND BECAUSE WHAT IT DID, IT IT IT SHOWED ME THAT MAYBE OUR STUDENTS THERE ARE SOME STUDENTS. THESE WERE THE STUDENT WELLNESS COALITION STUDENTS. THEY REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY THE CALENDAR AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND KIND OF THE ASSESSMENT PIECE WHERE AN ASSESSMENT MIGHT FALL. I MEAN, THE STATE SAYS WE CAN'T HAVE LIKE STAR RIGHT ON, ON, ON A HOLIDAY THAT'S ON A CERTAIN LIST. BUT I GUESS THIS IS JUST AN ASK FOR DOCTOR SMITH IN THINKING ABOUT HOW WE COMMUNICATE SOME OF THIS INFORMATION TO SOME OF OUR STUDENTS, BECAUSE I THINK THAT KNOWLEDGE TO THEM WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO ALL OF US, TO THE ADULTS, THE MORE THEY UNDERSTAND THINGS THEN REALLY SOME OF THEM CAN EXPLAIN IT TO THEIR PARENTS. AND I'M NOT SAYING TAKE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME, BUT FOR GROUPS LIKE SWIC OR LEADERSHIP 101 OR 102 WHERE WHERE WE COULD FIT THAT IN. I'M NOT SURE THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF ON YOU AND YOUR JOB, BUT IT THEY WERE THEY WERE INTERESTING QUESTIONS AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND THEN ONE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ASK IS BECAUSE I NOTICED THAT OUR THE CALENDARS YOU SHARED WITH US, I THINK, WERE THESE THESE WERE ALSO, I GUESS, IN THE PUBLIC AGENDA. WE DON'T HAVE A JUNIOR, WE DON'T HAVE A 11TH GRADE LIST OF AN ASSESSMENT CALENDAR FOR THEM. IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN LEFT OFF OKAY, BECAUSE IT GOES UP TO GRADE TEN. AND I JUST DON'T WANT ANY OF OUR PARENTS TO THINK THAT THEIR THEIR KIDS ARE OFF THE HOOK BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE HAVE PSAT FOR MERIT FINALIST AND THE FALL, AND THEN WE HAVE THE SAT FOR THEM. AND THOSE ARE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT. AND THEN MY LAST KIND OF ASK FOR DOCTOR SMITH IS
[01:05:05]
THIS THIS IS A LOT RIGHT? THIS THIS IS A LOT FOR A PARENT TO TO DIGEST AND TO UNDERSTAND THE FEEDBACK THAT THAT SHOULD BE COMING TO THEM. AND SO ONE OF MY ASKS IS, I KNOW LAST YEAR WE MADE SURE THAT THE, THE MAP EXPLANATION THAT WENT OUT TO PARENTS WAS MORE. HELPFUL. BUT I, I JUST WANT TO ASK DOCTOR SMITH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOW WE'RE IN OUR SECOND YEAR. DO ALL OF OUR PARENTS TRULY UNDERSTAND THAT BOY MOAI EEUW DATA THAT'S COMING TO THEM OTHER THAN JUST THE THE REPORT THEY RECEIVE, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S STILL PUSHED OUT IN SKYWARD. Q OR HOWEVER THAT IS. SO I'M NOT SURE HOW ELSE WE CAN HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THAT FEEDBACK, BECAUSE I THINK FEEDBACK IS SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR PARENTS TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO HELP THEIR KIDS, BECAUSE THIS IS A LOT. THIS IS A LOT FOR A PARENT TO UNDERSTAND. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE CREATED, AND WE'RE GOING TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU ALL VIA THE BOARD UPDATE THIS WEEK, BUT IT'S ALSO FOR OUR WEBSITE. IT'S JUST REALLY SIMPLE. WHAT IS MAP? SO MY KIDS TAKING THE COGAT, WHAT IS COGAT OR I KNOW THAT MY SON OR DAUGHTER NEEDS TO TAKE TELL US WHAT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN. SO IT'S JUST A A SIMPLE EXPLAINER THAT WE CAN PUSH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY TO HELP THEM BETTER UNDERSTAND. AND THEN WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK TO REFINE OUR PARENTAL COMMUNICATION AROUND MAP RESULTS. SO PARENTS REALLY FEEL COMFORTABLE REVIEWING THAT DOCUMENT, REVIEWING THAT DATA, AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING THAT DATA. AND I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT TRANSPARENCY. LONG, LONG AGO, THEY WOULDN'T EVEN TELL YOU IT WAS A COGAT, AND THEY CERTAINLY WOULDN'T TELL YOU WHAT IT WAS.SO I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE DOING THAT FOR PARENTS SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND ACTUALLY WHAT THEIR KIDS ARE ENGAGING IN. THANK YOU, DOCTOR SMITH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR ADAMS. THANK YOU, MISS HANNON. MR. OH, SORRY, I WAS DOING THAT ONE. MY BAD. OKAY, SO JUST AS A FOLLOW UP TO WHAT ANGIE JUST ASKED, I KNOW WE JUST IMPLEMENTED MAP JUST LAST YEAR, RIGHT? AND I KNOW WHEN YOU PRESENTED, I THINK IT WAS LAST MONTH OR THE MONTH BEFORE, LIKE ALL OF THE DATA FROM BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, MID-YEAR, END OF THE YEAR. AND I KNOW THERE WAS A COMMENT THAT THIS WAS NEW, AND TEACHERS WERE ALSO KIND OF FIGURING OUT HOW TO, YOU KNOW, USE THAT DATA, INTERPRET AND THEN KIND OF USE IT TO WORK WITH WITH THE STUDENTS. ARE WE IN A IN A MUCH BETTER POSITION WITH THE TEACHERS FEEL, YOU KNOW, FULLY COMFORTABLE AND FULLY TRAINED UP, AND ESPECIALLY THE NEW TEACHERS WHICH HAVE COME INTO THE DISTRICT TO TAKE THAT DATA AND BE ABLE TO INTERPRET THAT AND APPLY IT WITH THE ASSESSMENT THAT WE ARE IN FOR YEAR TWO, WE'RE PROBABLY RIGHT WHERE WE NEED TO BE. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME EQUIPPING OUR TEACHERS AND OUR PRINCIPALS TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE DATA AND USE THAT DATA TO MEET OUR STUDENTS NEEDS. AND I WILL TELL YOU, JUST ANECDOTALLY, WE RECEIVED FAR FEWER HELPDESK QUESTIONS ABOUT TEST. YOU KNOW, I RESET MY TEST OR MY TEST FROZE ON ME. SO I WOULD I WOULD SAY ANECDOTALLY WHY WE WHY WE AWAIT THE RESULTS OF THE DATA. I DO FEEL LIKE WE ARE BETTER POSITIONED TO MEET OUR STUDENT'S NEEDS. OKAY, GOOD. THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU, MR. CHARANIA. MY ONLY ASK WE HEARD FROM OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION DIAGNOSTICIANS EARLIER THIS EVENING AND I HAD MENTIONED TO DOCTOR SMITH I'D LIKE TO SEE IN AN IN AN UPDATE, BUT ALSO AS PART OF OUR, AS PART OF OUR ACADEMIC CALENDAR. IF WE CAN GET AN UPDATE ON NOT JUST THE STATUS OF THE EVALUATIONS, WHICH I, I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB AND THANKS TO ALL OF THOSE. I MEAN, WHO WE HEARD, THEY WORKED TIRELESSLY TO GET IT DONE AND IT TRULY IMPACTS THESE STUDENTS, WHICH I KNOW FIRSTHAND. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHERE WE ARE IN THAT CONTEXT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION. SO IF YOU GUYS CAN PLEASE PROVIDE THAT TO US. I KNOW WE JUST HAD THE COMPENSATION STUDY, BUT I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT HOLISTICALLY AND BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OUR KIDS AND, AND AS WELL AS OUR EMPLOYEES. SO FROM A CALENDAR PERSPECTIVE, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING GETTING THAT PLEASE, DOCTOR SMITH OKAY. THANK YOU. DOCTOR STEVENS APPRECIATE THE
[8.C. Bond Oversight Committee Annual Update]
PRESENTATION. NEXT UP IS OUR BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ANNUAL UPDATE PRESENTED BY OUR THE PRESIDENT RASHEED COKER. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. MR. COKER. WE APPRECIATE YOU. OUR NORMAL GUIDELINE FOR INFORMATION ITEMS IS EIGHT SLIDES, EIGHT MINUTES. AND ADMINISTRATION TELLS ME YOU HAVE TEN SLIDES, WHICH IS PERFECTLY FINE. SO TEN SLIDES, TEN MINUTES I'M GOING TO GO OVER. NO. AND DOCTOR GILLIAM WILL KEEP TALKING. NO. I'M TEASING. I'M TEASING YOU. THANK[01:10:06]
YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND FOR THE SERVICE OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. GO AHEAD WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. WELL, I'M. HERE WE GO. OKAY. WE ARE READY NOW. THANK YOU. MA'AM. MADAM. MADAM PRESIDENT, AND OF COURSE, THE TRUSTEE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND DOCTOR SMITH FOR HAVING ME HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE BOC. WELL, THE BOC MAY NOT BE BOC PRETTY SOON, BUT THAT'S THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY. SO MY NAME IS RASHEED COKER. AS THE LADY SAID, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CURRENTLY SERVING THE COMMUNITY ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS. THIS IS A LIST OF ALL THE NAMES THAT ARE THERE. MOST OF THEM, WELL, SOME OF THEM DO NOT SHOW UP. OF COURSE, THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY. BUT OF COURSE WE AND ALSO I HAVE PUT ON THE EXPERTISE AREAS FOR THOSE PEOPLE. OKAY. ON AUGUST 30TH, I SENT A NOTE TO ALL THE BOC MEMBERS TO PROVIDE ME CONCERNS, QUESTIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE THAT WE CAN DISCUSS IT WITHIN THE FORT BEND ISD FOLKS AND ALSO THE BOT, BECAUSE I WAS ANTICIPATING THAT WE'LL HAVE THIS THIS DISCUSSION. THEIR CONCERNS ARE ALL THERE. THESE ARE A LOT OF THERE ARE A LOT OF NUMBERS HERE. THESE ARE A LOT OF SENTENCES HERE. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT YOU WILL YOU HAVE THEY ALREADY RECEIVED THE. OKAY. SO YOU CAN YOU CAN READ IT MORE CAREFULLY LATER ON. BUT REALLY THERE ARE THERE ARE A LOT OF THESE THINGS THERE. BUT ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT I HAVE PUT THEM ALL THERE WITHOUT ANY EDITING DONE. THESE ARE THE RAW, MOST SENTENCES THAT I RECEIVED ON MY EMAIL RESPONSE. SO I ASKED THE CHATGPT TO TRY TO DO THE WORK FOR ME. I'M I'M A LAZY PERSON, YOU KNOW, I TAUGHT CLASSES A LOT OF TIME FOR COMPUTER CLASSES, AND I'VE ALREADY ALWAYS TOLD THEM BE LAZY BECAUSE WHEN YOU ARE LAZY, YOU LET THE COMPUTER DO THE WORK. SO ANYHOW, I, I SAW THAT AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS HOW THE CHATGPT WAS ABLE TO GROUP THEM ALL TOGETHER. OKAY, SO WE WILL WE CAN TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE MORE APPARENT CONCERNS, IMMEDIATE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE. NOW, AS I JUST MENTIONED A LITTLE WHILE AGO, WE ARE CHANGING THE NAME FROM THE BOC TO BACK. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? THAT IS ONE OF THE MAIN QUESTIONS THAT WE ALL HAVE, AND WE ARE ALL WAITING TO HEAR ABOUT THAT. NOW. THE MOST OF THE DETAILS WILL COME OUT, OF COURSE. WHAT DOES THE NAME CHANGE MEAN? ALL THESE THINGS ARE DETAILS, BUT REALLY THE NEW CHARTER IS WHAT IS NEEDED. THIS IS MY THIRD YEAR, THIRD TIME THAT I'M ADDRESSING YOU ALL, AND I HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO TELL YOU ALL THAT THE BOC CHARTER NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED WHEN 2014. I THINK IN 2014, WHEN THE THE BOC STARTED, I WAS. I HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF BOC FOR ALL THESE YEARS AND AT THAT TIME IT WAS REALLY OVERSIGHT IN THE SENSE THAT ONLY AFTER THE ELECTIONS WERE DONE AND THE BOND WAS APPROVED. WHERE WE COME INTO PLAY, HOWEVER, ON THE LAST 2023 BOND ELECTION, WE WERE WORKING WITH THE WITH THE FORT BEND ISD MANAGEMENT TO TRY TO COME UP WITH THE BETTER WAYS TO PRESENT THE INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC. SO THE CHARTER MUST BE CHANGED. THERE IS NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.AND I THINK THERE IS A CHARTER DRAFT IS IN THE WORKS TOO, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND THAT NOW, THE COMMITTEE ASKS ARE AND THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DWELL ON, THAT REQUEST FOR BOARD REPRESENTATION ON THE COMMITTEE VIA LIAISON. APPOINTMENT OF BOC MEMBER OR MEMBERS, WHICHEVER YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH. NOW, I KNOW THERE IS A TOMAR RULES THAT TOMAR RULES THAT ALLOW YOU NOT TO HAVE MORE THAN. I GUESS FOUR PEOPLE CANNOT ATTEND THE MEETING, BUT THREE PEOPLE CERTAINLY CAN. SO WE CAN HAVE AND YOU KNOW, SO THIS THIS WILL BE A VERY GOOD THING BECAUSE THE BOT, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE FROM THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED BY THE PEOPLE ON THE BOC, THE BIGGEST ISSUE HAS BEEN WHAT IS GOING ON, THE PROCEDURES AND ALL THAT STUFF
[01:15:05]
THAT IS, THAT IS THAT MAKES UP THE, THE, THE CONDUCTING OF THE MEETINGS AND THE BOC MEETINGS AND ALL THAT. NOW, ALSO, STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR THE DISTRICT GOALS ALSO HAS TO BE ALIGNED WITH THE BOC, WITH THE SOON TO BE BACK, ALLOW THE SHARING OF DATA DASHBOARD AND SHARE THE PSC BACK PROPOSED CHARTER BEFORE VOTING ON IT. THAT IS ANOTHER CRITICAL THING BECAUSE WITHOUT THE BOC INPUT, THE CHARTER MAY HAVE SOME LACKS THAT WE WE WILL BE DEBATING ABOUT AGAIN. SO IF WE CAN HAVE THE CHARTER BE SHARED WITH THE BOC FOLKS, THEN IT WILL BECOME A REALLY GOOD WAY FOR US TO PROVIDE YOU ALL A FEEDBACK AND INPUT ON THAT. NOW, I KNOW THERE MAY BE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, SO I HAVE CUT DOWN ALL OF MY STATEMENTS AND I'M GOING TO GO AND ASK AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS. NOW, PLEASE. I AM TRYING TO STAY WITHIN THE EIGHT MINUTE FRAME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE THAT AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS FROM THE TRUSTEES? I'M NOT SEEING ANY AT THIS TIME. WOW, I DID SUCH A GOOD JOB. YOU DID SUCH A GOOD JOB. AND THIS IS THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION AND FOR GIVING IT TO US IN WRITTEN FORM SO WE CAN TAKE IT AND DIGEST IT. THAT THAT. THAT'S WHY I MANY THANKS TO KATHLEEN AND OF COURSE, ALL THE FORT BEND ISD FOLKS THAT WERE HELPING WITH ME ON THAT.
SO YEAH, IF, IF, IF YOU IF YOU CAN GO OVER IT, MAYBE WE NEED TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING WITH THE BOT AND BOC OR THE BOT LIAISON REPRESENTATIVES BE PRESENT THERE. THAT WILL DO
[9. Consent Agenda]
PRETTY GOOD. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING. THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT UP IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA. DO WE HAVE ANYTHING TO BE REMOVED FROM CONSENT? OKAY. HEARING.HOLD ON, B AND J. I'M SORRY. CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? NINE B AND 9J9B. AND NINE J. OKAY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA EXCLUDING ITEMS NINE B AND NINE J? YES. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEMS NINE B AND 9JI. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION BY MISS HANNAN AND A SECOND BY DOCTOR GILLIAM. DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. MAY I HAVE A MOTION FOR ITEM NINE B? YES,
[9.B. 2025-26 Fiscal and Budgetary Strategy Review: Consideration and approval of the District’s Fiscal and Budgetary Strategy. ]
I MOVED TO APPROVE THE 20 2526 FISCAL AND BUDGETARY STRATEGY AS PRESENTED. DO I HAVE A SECOND? I CAN SECOND IT. WE HAVE A MOTION BY MISS HANNAN AND A SECOND BY MISS CHARANIA.DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES FIVE ONE. MAY I HAVE A
[9.J. 2025 Property Tax Roll Resolution: Consideration and approval of a resolution approving the 2025 property tax roll, based on the certified property values from Fort Bend County Tax Appraisal District. ]
MOTION FOR ITEM NINE J YES, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE 2025 PROPERTY TAX ROLL RESOLUTION AS PRESENTED. I CAN SECOND IT. WE HAVE A MOTION BY MISS HANNAN AND A SECOND BY MISS CHARANIA.DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES FIVE ONE. WE WILL NOW
[10. Convene in closed session under Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 551 under the following sections: 551.071 - For the purpose of a private consultation with the Board's attorney on any or all subjects or matters authorized by law; Section 551.072 - Consider purchase, exchange, lease, or value of real property, Section 551.074 - Personnel matters, Section 551.076 - Security matters, Section 551.082 - Student discipline matter or complaint, or Section 551.0821 - Personally identifiable information about public school student ]
CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION UNDER THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, CHAPTER 551. UNDER THOSE SECTIONS LISTED IN THE AGENDA AND FOR THE PURPOSE OF A PRIVATE CONSULTATION WITH THE BOARD'S ATTORNEY ON ANY OR ALL SUBJECTS OR MATTERS AUTHORIZED BY LAW.THE TIME IS 7:20 TASER. DON'T TASE ME, BRO. THIS IS THE LAST ONE, RIGHT? I THINK SO,
[11. Reconvene in Open Session ]
YES, YES. THAT'S LAST. ALL RIGHT. THE TIME IS 7:59 P.M. AND WE ARE NOW RECONVENED IN[12. Consider Action on Closed Session Items ]
OPEN SESSION. WE WILL NOW CONSIDER ACTION ON CLOSED SESSION ITEMS, MISS VICKI. ITEM TEN A I'M JUST READING HERE. I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ASSIGN THE LEVEL THREE EMPLOYEE[01:20:08]
GRIEVANCE APPEAL OF DOCTOR THOMAS BO KNIGHT TO THE BOARD'S DESIGNATED HEARING OFFICER UNDER BOARD POLICY B, A LOCAL A SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION BY MISS WIERZBICKA AND A SECOND BY DOCTOR GILLIAM. DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. PLEASE VOTE. OKAY. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT, MISS HANNON. YES. I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ASSIGN THE LEVEL THREE EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE APPEAL OF ANNE GIBBS TO THE BOARD'S DESIGNATED HEARING OFFICER UNDER BOARD POLICY B G B A LOCAL I. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION BY MISS HANNON AND A SECOND BY DOCTOR GILLIAM. DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM TEN C MISS TIRANA, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ASSIGN THE LEVEL THREE EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE APPEAL OF EMILY ROSE TO THE BOARD'S DESIGNATED HEARING OFFICER UNDER BOARD POLICY DBA LOCAL I. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION BY MISS TIRANA AND A SECOND BY DOCTOR GILLIAM. DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM TEN D DOCTOR GILLIAM, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ASSIGN THE LEVEL THREE EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE APPEAL OF MCGUIRE HARDY TO THE BOARD'S DESIGNATED HEARING OFFICER UNDER BOARD POLICY DBA LOCAL. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION BY DOCTOR GILLIAM AND A SECOND BY MISS HANNON. DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM TEN E, MR. SHOAF. I MOVE THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, ACCEPT THE HEARING OFFICER'S RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING THE LEVEL THREE DBA GRIEVANCE AGAINST KATINA COVINGTON. A SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION BY MR. SHOAF AND A SECOND BY DOCTOR GILLIAM. DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. PLEASE VOTE. DO WE CLEAR OUT THE LAST VOTE? IT WAS STILL ON THE SCREEN. YOU HAVE TO VOTE AGAIN TO PUT IT AGAIN. ALL RIGHT. PLEASE VOTE AGAIN.MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM TEN F. MISS HANNON, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ASSIGN THE LEVEL THREE F AND G PARENT COMPLAINT OF LARRY G TO THE BOARD'S DESIGNATED HEARING OFFICER UNDER BOARD POLICY F ING LOCAL I SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION BY MISS HANNON AND A SECOND BY MR. SHOAF. DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM TEN G. MISS TIRANA, I MOVE TO ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AND THE SCHOOLS DISTRICT ATTORNEY, AND TO DIRECT THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SCHOOL OF DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO PROCEED, AS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION, TO EXECUTE THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND ANY OTHER STEPS NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE. SAME IN THE MATTER. STYLED DOROTHEA LANGE WALKER VERSUS FOUR D ET AL. NUMBER FOUR COLON TWO FOUR CV DASH 05035. FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS HOUSTON DIVISION.
SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION BY MR. RAINEY AND A SECOND BY MISS HANNON. DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. ITEM TEN H. MR. SHOAF, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES PROPOSED TO TERMINATE THE TERM EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT OF DAVID CLAYTON FOR GOOD CAUSE, AND AUTHORIZE THE SUPERINTENDENT TO PROVIDE NOTICE TO DAVID CLAYTON OF THE BOARD'S ACTIONS. I SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION BY MR. SHOAF AND A SECOND BY DOCTOR GILLIAM. DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE
[13.A. Adoption of 2025 Ad Valorem Tax Rate: Consideration and approval of a resolution adopting the combined Ad Valorem tax rate of $1.0569 per $100 of valuation for the Fort Bend Independent School District for the 2025 tax year. The proposed tax rate includes the Maintenance and Operations (M&O) rate of $0.7869, which covers the district's operational expenses, and an Interest and Sinking (I&S) rate of $0.2700, which is designated for the repayment of bonds issued by the district. The adoption of the recommended tax rate ensures that the district can continue to meet its financial obligations while providing necessary services and maintaining its infrastructure. ]
[01:25:05]
NOW HAVE ACTION ITEMS. ITEM 13 A MISS HANNON. OH, I'M SORRY, WE DIDN'T HAVE I. I WAS TAKEN OFF. YEAH. THAT'S OKAY. YES. I MOVE THAT THE PROPERTY TAX RATE BE INCREASED BY THE ADOPTION OF A TAX RATE OF $1 .0569, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY 4.33% INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE. I MOVE THAT THE 2025 TOTAL TAX RATE OF OF $1 .0569 BE ADOPTED WITH 0.7869 FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION AND 0.27 FOR DEBT SERVICE. I SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION BY MISS HANNON AND A SECOND BY DOCTOR GILLIAM. DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION, MISS HANNON? YES. AND SO MY APOLOGIES TO TRUSTEE OR TO MISS LAWSON EARLIER WHEN WE HAD THE INFORMATION ITEM ON THE TAX RATE, I WANTED TO MAKE COMMENTS. I'LL MAKE THOSE. NOW. BACK WHEN WE APPROVED THE. COMPENSATION FOR TEACHERS THIS YEAR, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WERE REQUIRED TO OR IT WOULD BE OF NECESSITY TO USE THE SEVEN DISASTER PENNIES. AND AT THAT TIME, I CERTAINLY SUPPORTED OUR TEACHERS WITH THE COMPENSATION PLAN THAT WE PRESENTED OR THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD, RATHER. AND. I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE THE SLIDES NECESSARILY UP, BUT THERE THERE WERE JUST SOME THINGS THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO COMMENT ON AND FORGIVE ME. NOW I'M FLIPPING BACK TO MY MY NOTES.THE SLIDES TELL A STORY AND AND I WANT TO I KNOW THAT WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, BUT I REALLY WANT TO PIGGYBACK SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT MISS THOMPSON TALKED ABOUT. I KNOW THAT THIS IS ALL VERY CONFUSING, AND IT WAS CONFUSING TO ME BEFORE I WAS ON THE BOARD, AND SOME OF IT IS STILL CONFUSING TO ME BECAUSE IT'S IT'S VERY HARD TO UNDERSTAND, BUT ONE IN PARTICULAR IS ABOUT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT. AND SO JUST, YOU KNOW, TAKING MY OWN HOUSE WHEN I BOUGHT IT, IT'S IT'S VALUE IS 200,000 MORE THAN IT WAS WHEN I BOUGHT IT 20 PLUS YEARS AGO. AND THAT INCREASE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT IT HAD EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR I, I, MY HUSBAND AND I, WE, YOU KNOW, SUBMITTED WHERE WE DIDN'T THINK OUR HOME WAS VALUED, HOW THEY VALUED IT. RIGHT. SO WE GOT IT DECREASED JUST A LITTLE BIT. BUT I DO THINK THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TALK ABOUT THAT. AND MR. GWEN, IF YOU DO HAVE THE THE FIRST ONE I WANT TO SHOW AGAIN IS THE WHERE WE STAND WITH OUR PEERS AND OUR TAX RATE. SO I, I WOULD LABEL MYSELF I'M GOING TO USE A DIFFERENT TERM MAYBE THAN MR. LAWSON SAID. BUT I DO THINK I AM A VERY FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE TRUSTEE, AND THAT I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK AT THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SLIGHTLY BELOW WHERE EVERYONE ELSE IS ON OUR NEW TEACHER PAY RIGHT THERE. THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE WE CAN'T DO. AND I UNDERSTAND WE'RE GOING TO BE TIGHTENING OUR BELT WITH LOOKING AT SOME OF THE COMPENSATION STUDY AND SOME OF THE FEEDBACK FROM THE AUDITS THAT WE HAVE. BUT I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE LOOK AT THIS SLIDE, LOOK AT THE SLIDE, BECAUSE I KNOW HOUSTON ISD, WHICH IS WAY, WAY DOWN THERE, THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT TAX BASE BECAUSE OF ALL OF THEIR BUSINESSES. AND THEY JUST LOOK VERY DIFFERENT. SO THEY'RE ABLE TO DO THE 0.8 $0.05. AND SO WE ALL LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT. RIGHT. BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS I LOOK AT THIS AND WITH THIS THIS INCLUDES THE $0.07. IS THAT CORRECT, MR. GWEN? YES, MA'AM. THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. SO TEMPORARILY FOR A YEAR AND I KNOW WE'VE CHARGED DOCTOR SMITH WITH, YOU KNOW, THE TEMPORARY BAND-AID.
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO NEXT YEAR SO THAT WE CAN REALIZE THAT THOSE THAT THOSE COMPENSATION ELEMENTS THAT WE GAVE TO TEACHER, THAT WAS A TWO YEAR PROMISE, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FUND THAT. BUT I JUST WANT I REALLY WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND. AND I HEAR THE CONCERNS AND I, I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE VALUATION OF MY HOME GOING UP IN A WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T SEE THE INSIDE OF MY HOME AND THEY DON'T KNOW
[01:30:02]
WHAT I, WHAT KIND OF WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE. BUT STILL, THERE IS NOT A TRUSTEE UP HERE. THAT PROVIDES THE VALUATION OF ANYONE'S HOME. AND SO I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. I KNOW THAT OUR, OUR COMMUNITY SUPPORTED US WITH A VAT. THEY SUPPORTED US WITH A BOND BECAUSE BECAUSE THEY KNOW WE HAVE TO HAVE FUNDS. ONE FOR BUILDINGS, TWO FOR PAYING FOR THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, OUR TEACHER DIFFERENTIATED PAY SCALE THAT WE PUT INTO EFFECT OR THE SORT OF VERY LIMITED FUNDING MANDATE THAT WE GOT WITH OUR SECURITY OFFICER REQUIREMENT. AND SO EVEN THOUGH THE STATE KICKED IN, I THINK $10 MORE ON THE SECURITY PIECE, WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. AND SO AND IT MAY BE THAT SOME OF OUR DISTRICTS SURROUNDING US THAT ARE ABOVE THE DOLLAR NINE, OR WHEN WE DROP BACK DOWN WHEN THE $0.07 DISAPPEARS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ABLE TO DO SOME, SOME THINGS WE CAN'T DO BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING. AND SO AS SOMEONE WHO DOES FEEL VERY FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE I PAY TAXES ON MY HOME JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE DOES, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK AT THIS INFORMATION AND WE REALIZE AND WE TAKE A REALLY HARD LOOK AT WHERE WE SIT HERE AND WHERE WE NEED TO SIT IN THE FUTURE ON OUR LOCAL TAX RATE. SO WITH THAT SAID, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME AND I SUPPORT THIS ITEM AS PRESENTED IN FRONT OF US. THANK YOU, MISS HANNAN. MR. RANIA, THANK YOU, MR. GWYNNE. I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM THE $0.07. THAT'S THE INCREASE FOR ONE YEAR. ONLY THE FULL $0.07 IS NOT GOING TOWARDS COMPENSATION. CORRECT OF THE. AND I'M GOING TO SKIP BACK A SLIDE. THERE IS 30.7 MILLION OF THE TOTAL BEING GENERATED IS GOING TOWARDS COMPENSATION. THERE'S ROUGHLY 5 MILLION. THAT IS ENSURING THAT WE MAINTAIN OUR 90 DAY OPERATING RESERVE AS REQUIRED BY POLICY. OKAY. SO HALF OF IT IS GOING TOWARDS COMPENSATION. THE OTHER HALF IS NOT. WELL 30.7 MILLION IS GOING TOWARDS COMPENSATION, 5 MILLION IS GOING TOWARDS ENSURING WE MAINTAIN A 90 DAY OPERATING RESERVE. AND WHEN I SAY COMPENSATION TO CLARIFY THAT WOULD BE COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS OKAY. GOT IT. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU, MISS TORONTO MR. SHOAF. SO I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF THIS. WE ARE AMONG THE HIGHEST TAXED COUNTIES IN THE ENTIRE NATION, AND WE DON'T LIVE NEAR MOUNTAINS AND BEACHES OR BUDGET HAS INCREASED BY 8% TWO YEARS IN A ROW DESPITE A COUPLE MEETINGS AGO. YOU SAYING THAT WE'VE HAD A DECREASE IN STUDENT POPULATION 40 MILLION ABOVE THE. NO NEW REVENUE RATE AND I THIS 56.2 BILLION TAXABLE PROPERTY THAT KATY ISD HAS WITH 17,000 MORE STUDENTS. IT'S IT'S JUST NOT ADDING UP. I THINK THERE'S I THINK THERE'S PLACES IN THE BUDGET THAT WE CAN PROBABLY WORK AND WE CAN DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO THE TAXPAYERS AND TRY TO MAKE THINGS A LITTLE MORE COST EFFECTIVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. SHOAF. ALL RIGHT. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES FIVE[13.B. TASB Compensation Study Findings: Consideration and approval to accept the TASB HR Compensation Study and authorize the development of a phased implementation plan to address the identified priorities, including internal equity adjustments, market alignment strategies, and stipend structure updates. ]
ONE. NEXT UP IS ITEM 13. B MISS WAS BECKY. I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE THE THE TASB COMPENSATION STUDY FINDINGS AS PRESENTED. I SECOND WE HAVE A MOTION BY MISS BECKY AND A SECOND BY DOCTOR GILLIAM. DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM, MISS HANNAN? YES. AND SO MY COMMENTS ARE FOR DOCTOR SMITH. AND AS WE ACCEPT THE COMPENSATION FINDINGS FROM THE AUDIT THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO US, WAS THAT JUST LAST WEEK? OH MY GOSH. OKAY. YEAH, I REALLY WANT I REALLY HOPE THE STRATEGIES DO COME BACK TO THE BOARD. KIND OF LIKE IN IN OTHER AUDITS, WE GET TO SEE THE THE ADMINISTRATION'S RESPONSE TO SOME OF THOSE. AND SOME OF THOSE MIGHT BE ITEMS THAT WE COULDN'T REALLY SEE LINE BY LINE WITH ITEMS SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HEARD TONIGHT WITH WITH SOME OF THE DIAGNOSTICIAN FEEDBACK AND THE OTHER THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE STRATEGIES RESPONSE THAT YOU PROVIDE TO THE BOARD IS. EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS VERY DIFFERENT, AND I UNDERSTAND[01:35:06]
THAT THEY WERE REALLY LOOKING AT MARKET VALUE, AND I REALLY LIKE TO THINK THAT FORT BEND ISD. OUR DIVERSITY BRINGS US A LOT OF UNIQUENESS IN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT OUR PARENTS AND OUR STUDENTS ARE WANTING IN OFFERINGS. AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVEN THOUGH WE MIGHT BE AT MARKET VALUE WITH SOME AREAS, AND MAYBE WE CAN TALK OFFLINE ABOUT SOME THAT I HAVE, YOU KNOW, THAT I THINK ABOUT, WE MAY HAVE SOME DEMAND IN SOME AREAS THAT ARE LESS IN DEMAND IN OTHER AREAS. AND I THINK IF WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR STAFF WHO MAY BE RECEIVING STIPENDS IN THOSE AREAS, AND WHILE THEY'RE AT MARKET VALUE, THEY MAY BE SERVING A WHOLE LOT MORE STUDENTS THAN SOME OF OUR PEERS. AND SO I HOPE THAT IS MAKING SENSE TO YOU, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IT REALLY POINTED OUT ATHLETICS. AND I THINK WE SHOULD BRING PARITY TO TO THOSE THAT ARE ARE FAR OUTSIDE OF THE MARKET VALUE STUDY. BUT I DO WANT US TO REALLY CONSIDER KIND OF THE DEMAND. AND AS WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL BOUNDARIES, THERE'S THERE'S LOTS OF OTHER ELEMENTS. SO ANYWAY, I JUST ASK THAT FOR YOU WHEN YOU COME BACK WITH THE STRATEGIES ON ON PAY COMPENSATION, THAT IT'S NOT JUST MAYBE NECESSARILY THOSE PEOPLE THAT SHOWED NOT AT MARKET VALUE, IF I MAY, I'D LIKE TO HAVE MISS BROWN JUST KIND OF SHARE WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE AND MAKE SOME REMINDERS FROM THE REVIEW MEETING. YES. THANK YOU, DOCTOR SMITH. AND THANK YOU, TRUSTEE HANNON. ABSOLUTELY. WE WE SHARE THAT THAT THOSE SENTIMENTS AS WELL. WE KNOW THAT FORT BEND ISD IS DIFFERENT FROM EVERY OTHER DISTRICT. AND SO ALTHOUGH WE'VE GONE THROUGH THAT AUDIT AND THE COMPENSATION STUDY PROCESS WITH HR SERVICES, THOSE THINGS THAT YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO SEE ARE THOSE THINGS THAT WE DEFINITELY WILL BE WORKING ON, LOOKING AT SPECIFIC PAY GROUPS AND DOWN TO THE POSITION AND THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE AS A DISTRICT OVERALL, AND MAKING SURE THAT WHEN WE BRING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS BACK THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THOSE THINGS, LIKE SOME OF THE THINGS WE HEARD TONIGHT FROM OUR DIETS, THAT'S WORK THAT THE TEAM HAS ALREADY STARTED LOOKING ON PRIOR, LOOKING AT PRIOR TO THE STUDY, AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING THAT INFORMATION BACK IN A COMPREHENSIVE WAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MISS BROWN. THANK YOU, MISS BROWN AND MISS HANNON. ALL RIGHT. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. NEXT UP.[13.C. Appointment of Trustee: Consideration and approval of appointment of Addie Heyliger to fill the vacancy in Trustee Position No. 5. ]
ITEM, ITEM 13 C APPOINTMENT OF NEW TRUSTEE DOCTOR GILLIAM. I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPOINT ADDIE HAGER TO POSITION NUMBER FIVE. SECONDED. WE HAVE A MOTION BY DOCTOR GILLIAM AND A SECOND BY MISS HANNAN. DO WE HAVE DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. PLEASE VOTE. MOTION PASSES FIVE[14. Administer Oath of Office to Newly-Appointed Trustee ]
ONE. NEXT UP IS OUR ADMINISTRATION OF THE OATH OF OFFICE TO OUR NEWLY APPOINTED TRUSTEE, ADDIE HEYLIGER, AND TO ADMINISTER THE OATH THIS EVENING IS JUDGE TONY WALLACE.PLEASE COME ON UP. DO WE HAVE DO WE HAVE MICS FOR THEM? THANK YOU. YOU'RE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE.
COME ON OVER. THEY'RE GOING TO BRING MIKE RIGHT HERE. OKAY. THEY'RE BOTH GOOD SIDES RIGHT NOW. BOTH GOOD SIDES. I WAS LIKE, I WASN'T PREPARED FOR THIS. YOU CAN ADJUST MINE TO YOU. I'M TALL. I IDENTIFY AS TALL. TWO SHORT DOES NOT IDENTIFY DOES NOT. HE IS FINE.
ALL RIGHT. YES OKAY. ARE YOU READY? ALL RIGHT. I JUST WANT TO TAKE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE AND JUST SAY HOW PROUD I AM OF MISS HAGER. SHE HAS HAD A TUMULTUOUS YEAR, AND SO WE ARE SO PROUD. AND WE SEND CONGRATULATIONS TO HER. AND WE KNOW THAT ALEX IS LOOKING DOWN
[01:40:07]
ON YOU WITH LOVE. AND HE IS PROUD OF YOU AS WELL. ADDIE AND HER FIRST ROLE AS THE TRUSTEE, AS ONE OF THE TRUSTEES, DID AMAZING THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT ADDIE BOOK DAY AT WHATEVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YOU DECIDE TO BLESS WITH THAT EVENT, BECAUSE IT WAS ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO COME AND READ TO THE KIDS AT THOSE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WANT TO ADMINISTER THE OATH OF OFFICE FOR YOU. IF YOU WILL. MISS HAGER, PLEASE REPEAT AFTER ME. I, ADEOLA HAGER I, ADEOLA HAGER, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR OR AFFIRM, SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF FORT BEND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TRUSTEE, POSITION FIVE, FORT BEND INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, TRUSTEE NUMBER FIVE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND WILL, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, PRESERVE, PROTECT AND DEFEND, PRESERVE, PROTECT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES AND OF THIS STATE. SO HELP ME GOD. CONGRATULATIONS. YEAH. TAKE SOME PICTURES. SO WE'RE GOING TO WE'LL, WE'LL WE'LL TAKE A BRIEF RECESS TO ALLOW FOR THERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE OUT OF RECESS. IT'S 8:25 P.M. BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, I'M GOING TO GIVE MISS HEYLIGER A FEW MINUTES TO SAY A COUPLE WORDS.GO AHEAD. THIS IS A NEW SYSTEM. OKAY, OKAY. IT TOOK ME A WHILE. ALRIGHT. SO GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I SIT HERE BEFORE YOU TODAY WITH A DEEP GRATITUDE AND A RENEWED SENSE OF PURPOSE. I WANT TO SINCERELY THANK THE CURRENT SITTING BOARD MEMBERS FOR ENTRUSTING ME WITH THIS APPOINTMENT TO SERVE ONCE AGAIN AS A FORT BEND ISD TRUSTEE AFTER SIX YEARS OF PRIOR SERVICE AND FOUR YEARS AWAY. RETURNING TO THIS ROLE FEELS LIKE COMING HOME TO A MISSION, A COMMUNITY, AND A CALLING THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN CLOSE TO MY HEART. THIS MOMENT IS NOT ONLY PROFESSIONAL, IT IS PROFOUNDLY PERSONAL. LAST YEAR, MY FAMILY AND I EXPERIENCED THE HEARTBREAKING LOSS OF MY BELOVED SON, ALEX. IN THAT SEASON OF GRIEF, THE OUTPOURING OF LOVE AND SUPPORT FROM THIS COMMUNITY WAS OVERWHELMING. YOUR PRAYERS, YOUR MESSAGE, YOUR PRESENCE EACH GESTURE REMINDED ME THAT FORT BEND ISD IS MORE THAN A DISTRICT AND I CARE. IT IS A FAMILY AND I CARRY THAT LOVE WITH ME INTO THIS NEXT CHAPTER OF SERVICE.
DURING MY PREVIOUS TENURE, I LEARNED THAT LEADERSHIP AND EDUCATION IS NOT JUST ABOUT POLICY, IT'S ABOUT PEOPLE. IT'S ABOUT LISTENING TO FAMILIES, EMPOWERING EDUCATORS, AND MAKING DECISIONS THAT REFLECT BOTH COURAGE AND COMPASSION. AND WHILE THE LANDSCAPE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION CONTINUES TO EVOLVE, MY COMMITMENT REMAINS UNCHANGED. TO ADVOCATE FIERCELY, TO SERVE WITH INTEGRITY, AND TO HONOR THE TRUST PLACED IN ME. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE INCREDIBLE WORK MY FELLOW TRUSTEES, PAST AND PRESENT, WHOSE DEDICATION INSPIRES ME TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PARENTS, AND STUDENTS WHO CONTINUE TO RAISE THEIR VOICES AND SHARE THEIR HOPES. THANK YOU. YOU ARE THE HEARTBEAT OF THIS DISTRICT. AS I STEP INTO THIS ROLE ONCE AGAIN, I DO SO WITH CLARITY, CONVICTION, AND COLLABORATION IN MIND. TOGETHER, WE WILL CONTINUE BUILDING A DISTRICT THAT REFLECTS THE EXCELLENCE, EQUITY AND EMPATHY OUR STUDENTS DESERVE. A TEAM OF EIGHT WORKING TOGETHER FOR FORT BEND ISD. THANK YOU FOR WELCOMING ME BACK, MADAM PRESIDENT. I'M READY TO WORK. THANK YOU, MISS HELLINGER. WE SERVED TOGETHER
[01:45:03]
FOR MANY YEARS, SO WELCOME BACK. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT FORMER TRUSTEE NOW MISS JONES IS SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE WHOSE PLACE YOU TAKE. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO FORT BEND ISD. AND WE WILL BE PLANNING A TIME OF RECOGNITION FOR YOU. SO THANK[15. Future Meeting Discussion]
YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING AS THE BATON IS PASSED TO MISS HEYLIGER. SO TO THE LAST BUSINESS OF THE EVENING, WE HAVE OUR FUTURE MEETING DISCUSSION. DOCTOR SMITH. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. ALSO, JUST CONGRATULATIONS, MISS HEYLIGER. SO EXCITED ABOUT YOU JOINING THE TEAM AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU. SO WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING FUTURE ITEMS THAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THOSE THAT ARE HERE IN PERSON. SO NEXT MONTH IN OCTOBER, WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION. ITEMS THAT WE WILL BE ADDRESSING.WE'LL BE PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON THE BOY THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR ASSESSMENT UPDATE, AS WAS PRESENTED A LITTLE EARLIER TONIGHT, WE HAVE A SERIES OF ASSESSMENTS. WE'LL BE PROVIDING UPDATES ON WHERE OUR STUDENTS LANDED ON THAT ASSESSMENT. WE ALSO WILL BE PROVIDING A BOND UPDATE. WE HAVE SEVERAL PROJECTS AND ITEMS THAT WE WANT TO UPDATE THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY ON. AND THEN WE'LL HAVE OUR INTRUDER DETECTION REPORT. AND THEN FOR POSSIBLE ACTION, THE NOMINATION TO THE 2026 HOUSTON-GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL GENERAL ASSEMBLY. WE'LL ALSO HAVE OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLANS AND OUR CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT PLANS THAT WILL BE BRINGING FORWARD AS WE TRANSITION TO NOVEMBER. THE THINGS THAT I SHARE TO LOOK FORWARD TO INFORMATION ITEMS ON OUR LONG RANGE BOUNDARY PLANNING IN THE WORKSHOP THAT WE HAVE PLANNED. BY THAT TIME, WE WILL HAVE HAD A SERIES OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS, AND THERE'LL BE A LOT OF FEEDBACK, OF COURSE, THAT WE WILL PROVIDE THE BOARD AND AS WE MAP OUT OUR NEXT STEPS WITH THE LONG RANGE BOUNDARY, WE HAVE A LITERARY LITERACY AND CURRICULUM AUDIT.
LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING THAT WITH THE TRUSTEES. BEEN WORKING ON THAT FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW.
AND SO WE'LL BE PROVIDING THE CURRICULUM AUDIT AND THE IMPACT OF WHAT THAT AUDIT SHARES WITH US AND WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS WOULD BE. AND THEN OUR ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, WE WILL BE PROVIDING THAT AS AN ACTION ITEM. AND THEN JUST FINALLY JUST UPCOMING REPORTS AND MAJOR AGENDA ITEMS. WE GOT THE CTE, THE CAREER TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION UPDATE. AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, WE HAVE THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PUBLIC HEARING. WE HAVE THE 2627 STAFFING FOR OPENING OF AMY COLEMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL. WE HAVE OUR DISTRICT NETWORK SECURITY AND OUR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICE MANAGEMENT. SO THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS ARE INCREDIBLY BUSY, BUT THAT'S JUST A LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT WE HAVE COMING.
THANK YOU, DOCTOR SMITH. MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED ADJOURN. THE TIME IS
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.