##VIDEO ID:q-OgAI28rEc## good evening welcome to the Camden City School District Board of education's December 17th Advisory board meeting it is 5:34 p.m. the meeting is now called to order please join me for the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with libert and justice for all I will now conduct the roll call vice president Alvarez board member Wanda Garcia board member Cameron Hudson board member Danielle Jackson board member Karen Merck board president nanami Nelson board member Maria Perez we do have Quorum at our November 14th special board meeting and work session the Camden Advisory Board of Education in public interviewed 10 candidates to fill two vacated seats Wasim Muhammad seat was vacated on September 13th 2024 and Naima Gillespie's seat was vacated on September 23rd 2024 at that same November 14th special board meeting after deliberating an executive session The Advisory Board voted in public to appoint Mr Gabriel kamacho and Mr Derek gashaw to fill the two vacated seats please welcome Mr Gabriel kamacho to the podium at this time for the administration of the oath of office [Applause] congratulations please raise your right hand and repeat after me I need my G sheet right I state your name I Gabriel [Music] kamacha you can turn towards the camera I Gabriel kamacho affirm that I will support the Constitution affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of New Jersey of the United States and Constitution of the state of New Jersey and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and to the governments established in the United States and to the governments established in the United States and this state and this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people I state your name I Gabriel kamacho affirm that affirm that I am not disqualified as a voter I am not disqualified as a voter pursuant to rs19 colon 4-1 pursuant to rs1 19- colon 4-1 nor disqualified due to the conviction of a crime nor disqualified due to conviction of a crime or any off off listed or any offense listed in njsa 18a 12-1 and in NJ s18a colon 12-1 I state your name I Gabriel kamacho affirm that I possess the qualifications affirm that I possess the qualifications prescribed by law prescribed by law for the office of member of a board of education for the office of member of a board of education and that I will faithfully impartially and justly perform and that I will faithfully impartially and justly perform all the duties of that office all the duties of that office according to the best of my ability according to the best of my ability please give a round of applause for our newest board member Gabriel kamacho thank [Music] you congratulations oh four come on okay [Music] [Applause] thank you we will now have the student performance absolutely thank you SBA Taylor um the students from creative arts high school if you haven't seen it have been doing an amazing job in their pres presentation of mufaro's beautiful daughters and so the team um Dr coob Brockington along with the producers and directors Miss Shelton Mr Dickerson are going to give us a small snippet um of that production so that's how we're going to start off our meeting today so thank you sit back and relax and I turn it over into the capable hands of I hope the cast in crew all right thank you let's give them a round of [Applause] [Music] applause just go just go just go go [Music] go some people dream some people live some people take some people give for what we hold enough to fill our might and soul or is a drive for more a chase a score the only way we S I love my life with all my my soul my slice of pie it's not help but to got a problem every day got to solve them is the way a man we live still I wonder why do we dream do we do we all die move over happy happy happy mu happy mu I am muaro happy man most beautiful daughters in all the land I'm filled with riches not silver or gold I'm filled with family love spirit and soul Nasha menar the most beautiful daughters in all the land I am follow happy most beautiful daughters in all the I'm filled with riches not filled with orles I'm filled with family not spirit and I love my garden someday I'll be Queen I have daughters my daughters are beautiful I am move forward [Applause] [Music] oh I don't like that minara see how high up her nose is pretty is as pretty does you're right and the name ofar means ashamed she ought to be Basha it means Mercy I must go to to the Hut now my daughters be good minara of course father and my niasha take care good luck in the Hunt's father I am blessed to have two such beautiful daughters farewell farewell hurry back to us hurry back to us M I must go to work in my garden yes go hide your head in your sunflowers would you prefer me to stay with you no no please go run to your important work of course I will stay and talk with you let me braid your hair Sunday I will be a queen I will live in a a beautiful castle not in this crowded squalet Hut I will have ladies dress in finery to serve my every wish I will be dressed in robes made of golden thread and crested in jewels and diamonds people will bow when they see minara the most beautiful woman in all the land the king himself will fall at my feet worshiping me it's all sounds so gorgeous you have such a beautiful gift of imagination this is not a baby gamer pretend I tell you this will come to pass and you Nasha you will be a servant in my household if that shall come to pass I will be pleased to serve you of course you will be pleased to serve me you will be pleased to serve a beggar or a brute there is nothing that does not pleas sweet niasha why do you say such things when you say such things why do I speak my mind why am I not D out like you when y you are clever kind and beautiful why are you so unhappy because everyone talks about how kind you are they praise everything you do they praise you too did you hear what father said to me behave minara as if he had to remind me to behave myself I'm not the child he said the same to me no simple one you were mistaken to you father said take care niosha take care let nothing happen to my precious niosha I sure you have mistaken his words father meant nothing unkind I am certain that father loves you best but when I I am queen everyone will see that your silly kindness is a weakness call me evil call me mean say I'm selfish as can be when the time comes you will see I'm not spoiled just a queen people say I'm kind what really matters to me when my ancestors call want to be worthy you are clever stronger than me people know your beauty just let it be I am tired of this crowded little H one we call our own and keeps us not alone stop your silly kindness it is just a weakness why you talk this way you will be my servant father loves you only no he loves you too I am certain that my father loves you best so stop I'm your queen silly be aware a false Pride for it comes before a fall if your queen I'll proudly serve you at your call just you wait and you will see someday I will be your queen your hair is finished finally I'm going inside for a nap please don't disturb me with your singing toing the land with words of school serving the BL with my G Sun Flower Tes and vegetables daddy said you always what you Mercy for Daddy cross you the heart is the best garden tool inch by inch row by row I'm going to make my garden grow it's VI by I'm going to make my gard grow what's that you say good day good day NE you L here you give away creatures SPO dat hey there my friend come on wo it's my it row by row I'm going to make my garden grow it's f it row by R I'm going mying Mercy for Daddy some say the heart the best must be sing anyone [Music] [Music] else go go go you're hoing please inch by inch row by row I'm going to make my garden grow in by inch row by row I told you don't disturb my R I think I got enough so after wait wait wait wait please please please don't sither away I'm sorry I frightened you there now what's that you say good day to you too little neoka nooka where are your sisters and brothers how come I have never seen them you must be lonely here without your family you want to know a Secrets I am lonely too well don't look so surprised sometimes sister going gets along I wish we did but the more I try to be friends with me the more she just pushes me away good thing I have you to talk to little ni Manara Nasha father I'm so glad you're back ah Nasha my beautiful Nasha and where is minara minara minara where' that minara get to minara where did she go hello father welcome back come give your father a hug what have you been doing on this sunny day I've been helping the as out on the garden I just popped inside to get a cool drink of water would you like one yes I would my throat is quite par from The Long Walk allow me to get it for you father it's a shame somebody needs to tell muo don't tell father foolish girl that sister of yours didn't do a thing all day acting all sweetie sweet she treats you like dirt please don't tell father he would be sad if he knew get around a messenger a messenger that hasn't been over here gather around gather around the city is so far away yes I am you may fetch me a seat I Dre going you might dream of going to heaven want assemble yes we are how pretty she is it is not I but the king who wants spouse The King The King has reached a proper age and needs a bride only the most worthy most wory and beautiful and beautiful dacts in the land are invited to appear before him that's me and he'll choose what to become what to become I am inara I'm sure the king will be pleased to me too yes he is handsome very then I'll be pleased to meet him too the honor is all his I'm sure wa you must beet my daughter's too I have daughters also with they're much too unattractive unattractive I suppose you call your girls pretty at least my dacts have all their teeth at least my dact bra yes come toop my family I please I will have the h give meet both of your family let go of me at once now you may lead the way R by I'm going to make who is that my garden grow what is your name Nasha Nasha what a beautiful name thank you it needs Mercy you know my father named me your father must be proud of you yes indeed father's proud of both his daughters I'm sure Well you certainly must come meet the king too I don't know first I must talk it over with Father talk it's over this is the King's invitation no one has ever turned it down no one turned it down sorry if I have not shown the proper respect but I must first show my father respect of seeking his permission you speak the truth very well then talk it's over with your father but I want your answer immediately what about me [Music] I now shall I see old doctors of whom I've heard so much of follow me no follow me minora Nasha what is it father heard what the messenger said the king is looking for the most worthy and beautiful daughter in other land my heart burs with joy that you two have been selected it's all so sudden yes isn't it I your friends and family and we leave as soon as the sunrises I'll have a wedding party oh Father dearest Yes minora dear sweet father it pains me so much to think of leaving you it pains me too I don't know what I would do without both of my girls I can't imagine leaving our Humble Home even to be wife to the king the garden I spent so many happy hours working the city is I've grown to love wait those are sunflowers Nasha would grief to death if she had to leave you it's true Nasha you're crying see Nasha we must obey the king and think about it he might choose you to be his bride your goal to love your husband I love him already it is the way I understand no no send me to the king and let poor Nasha stay here happy with you minara I know you're only trying to help but only a King can choose between two such beautiful daughters you both must [Music] go we shall see who will be [Music] Queen I have no home I have no bed wasn't at least get out of the path before are trying to walk I'm too tired to move another step I have not had a bite to eat all day don't touch me you're probably dirty I am dirty and have starved may please have some crust of bread or a slice of fruit I've only brought enough for myself oh but please I am so very hungry get out of my way boy don't you know tomorrow I will be your queen no ma'am I didn't well now you do congratulations on your engagement well we're not engaged yet but as soon as the king sees me tomorrow we will be what a lucky man yes he is now get out of my [Music] way man how do you know my name Manar quit calling my name I will give you some advice Manara advice is this a trick soon after you pass the place where the two pass crw you will meet a Grove of trees they will laugh at you you must not laugh in return laughing trees ridiculous whoever heard of such a thing later you will meet a man with his head under his arm you must be polite to him polite what kind of advice is this get nothing but an old woman very old well you ugly old woman how dare you advise your future Queen stand aside I am exhausted will I never reach the city when I am queen I won't walk anymore I will ride in a silver litter carried by six men wearing silver headdresses [Music] h e e e e e to be the first to baby for the king and the family seem to be a great to n h [Music] of many hour greed to be the first to appear before the King after traveling what s to be a great Men You're e e e [Music] e I love fet your trees so [Music] there the river if the river is up ahead that means the Cy is just on the other side I will be Queen I will be Queen [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] this good evening wow let's give it up wow I was ready for the next scene the next scene will be executive session the board will go into close session to discuss contract negotiations and safeguarding of public property the board will go into close session for approximately 30 minutes the board will reconvene into public session at 6:30 6:32 is there a motion to go into executive is there any abstentions thank you we are inclosed good evening I don't [Music] have good evening thank you for your patience it is now 6:41 is there a motion to reconvene in to public session thank you vice president Alvarez is there a second Garcia thank you very much all in favor any opposed any extensions motion carries I was planning to take the role for the student Representatives superintendent do you know if the uh the student representatives are in the house are not they are not okay sounds [Music] good we are on page four and we'll recognize our retirees okay superintendent we now um share our transition for her December report thank you so much at this time I'd like to invite the board to go down um again um to the first seats and uh hear a brief concise uh superintendent report for this evening e e so good evening everyone thank you for being in place and Welcome to our December Advisory board meeting uh for uh this year the last Advisory board meeting for this calendar year before we move right into um our uh presentation for this evening I would like to take the opportunity for a moment of silence uh and this moment of silence will be dedicated to two people uh to one person and to a group of people the first moment of silence actually we'll do it collectively but the first person we are acknowledging is Miss Angela Wilborn who worked for over 40 years in the Camden City school district she retired as the confidential clerk to the former superintendent Dr Charles Dawson we also want to have a moment of silence on the next slide for the school shooting victims uh just a couple of days ago in Madison Wisconsin we know that any child or any school Community I I'll say that goes through um a period of of tragedy and grief we want to make sure that we acknowledge that because we understand and are connected to what is important when it comes to educating our young people so it touches each of us in a very different way even though we may be distanced by Miles so for Miss Wilburn and as well as for that school community in Madison Wisconsin let's have a brief moment of silence thank you so we're going to shift gears a little bit um with an acknowledgement of some very special individuals um the Camden City school district has many reasons to celebrate as you can see we have amazing talent our young people are brilliant we saw that this evening with the performance of MAF Faro's beautiful daughters uh by the creative arts drama department but we also have amazing Educators as well so last spring Davis Family School nominated three outstanding teachers for the 2024 New Jersey exemplary Educators award I'm thrilled to share that the following amazing CCSD educators from Davis Family School have been recognized as three of the 160 Educators in the entire state of New Jersey to receive this prestigious award and those individuals are Miss Susan OBC Miss Andrea kek and Miss Amber bazis this award yes let's give them a round of applause before I bring them forward this award is provided Again by the New Jersey State Department of Education to teachers who exemplify what it means to be an outstanding educator so at this time I'd like to welcome to the stage Susan OBC Andrea kulak and Miss Amber bazis and the principal the very proud principal of Davis uh School Miss Danielle montigue and any other staff members who are here to support them let's give Davis a round of applause Round of Applause Round of Applause Round of Applause I'm going to ask Dr Walker if she will assist me in um passing out these certificates I'm going to ask Dr Walker if she'll assist me in passing out the um certificates come up come on up yes indeed they deserve this and then some [Applause] absolutely right so what they are receiving is a plaque and it says 2024 exemplary educator presented to the teachers's name to honor the contributions of being an outstanding educator in a New Jersey Public School the state of New Jersey Department of Education December 17th 2024 and they are also receiving a beautiful certificate as well from the Department of Education whoa that one's getting away from me thank you with a seal on it and this this uh certificate reads certificate of recognition presented by the New Jersey State Department of Education 2024 exemplary educator awarded to the individual for the contributions of being an outstanding educator in a New Jersey public school okay thank you so miss OBC you are and there should be a Camden certificate as well oh great awesome and yes awes this is the doe and then ours thank you and so we also have a camon city you're getting a lot you're getting one because you deserve it a camon city school district certificate of recognition um and it reads in recognition of their outstanding achievement as as a recipient of the 2024 New Jersey exemplary Educators award your dedication to education and commitment to Excellence Inspire our students colleagues and Community we commend your exemplary contributions to the success of Camden City school district right maybe go on that side okay okay who knows you're gonna come this way yes come this way you're welcome so we have Miss Susan Ock right yes congratulations Andrea indeed thank you so much thank you I appr you we're dancing up here I know I know I know tell me your name Andrea Kulik Andrea Kulik Miss Andrea Kulik Miss Amber right Miss Amber baz bazes thank you Miss bazes thank you superintendent thank you yes indeed and we want to ask our board uh president and board vice president if you don't mind joining us on the stage for this momentous occasion this wonderful picture and and I'm saying it um but I mean it when our Educators can be recognized by the New Jersey State Department of Education three out of60 that means a lot so we want to recognize our own and highlight and celebrate them thank you very [Applause] much yes [Applause] thank you for all you do thank you Dr W assist all right excellent so we're going to move right into our next topic um and that topic has to do with Cusack and I need to wait until Sheena can get to the back she's sprinting back there doing double duty um as with all board meetings tonight we are going to focus on some key topics to highlight during the December meeting and you can see the outline of the topics uh right on the uh slide before you so we're going to give a brief update with regard to qac last month we did provide um an update regarding qac and we want to also provide where we are today with regard to cusac uh and so again we can go to the next slide during the November 25th Advisory board meeting I share the district's most recent qac placement scores which appear before you on that next slide from the April 2024 full review based on our final scores the district has prepared a district Improvement plan for DPR areas instruction and program and fiscal management New Jersey qac requires a district to submit an improvement plan to address missed indicators in District performance review or DPR areas where the district received less than 80% of the eligible points as previously stated currently the district has to submit plans for two areas instruction and programming and fiscal instruction and programming which was at 70 at 57 and fiscal which was at 79 in the original um assessment dip our or District impr Improvement plan committee meetings were convened this month to review the dip and gather feedback from stakeholders the goal of the committee is to determine strategies for continued implementation and ensure we remain clear with our communication across schools departments and the district the following individuals serve as members of The District's overall District Improvement plan Committee in one way or another myself Dr Dana Walker Deputy superintendent hakha Taylor SBA Dr Tracy Thompson Deputy assistant superintendent Advisory Board member Karen Merck teaching and learning and student supports board committee chair Advisory Board member Wanda Garcia teaching and learning student and student and student student supports board Committee Member Pamela Clark cea president Elvin Martinez senior director of data analytics Danielle Dickinson senior lead educator for curriculum grades 9 through 12 Ela ly price Jones select a senior lead educator for curriculum or select to make it quick K to8 SC Math and Science Nicole almanar select for K to8 Ela Dr Karen walkinshaw select 9 through 12 Math and Science Tanya Wilson select special areas Miss Jennifer jenez Fishman senior director of Grants Danielle montue K Danielle monu k38 principal Dr Dita coob Brockington 9th through 12th principal Christina graffone teacher Karen Stanford teacher and Janine and jent jeie my apologies jeie quas teacher uh and on a as a final note with regard to the appeal that was submitted and just as a reminder the district did submit a formal appeal to the Department of Education in areas we believe the district should have been awarded more points based on the evidence provided for review if these points are awarded the district's Improvement plan will be revised and so we are still awaiting um the feedback from the Department as to whether or not our letter for reconsideration will be honored and once we find that information out we will of course share it with the board and the public so that that we're all aware and as I said if there are any changes we will upgrade update and revise the district's Improvement plan next slide open enrollment there are some important dates that have been um floating out through our social media but just as a reminder main round enrollment for the 2025 2026 school year officially began on November 26 if you missed our countdown on social media now is the time to explore the best fit schools for your child we're here to help you through this process so don't wait please spread the word secure your child's spot today for more information please visit our website or contact the solution Center at 856 966 2507 and we will provide you with the support needed in order to make sure your child seat is secure for the upcoming school year next slide as a district we are deeply committed to creating safe inclusive and supportive learning environments for all students and families particularly during these times when their safety and dignity are threatened recent discussions about potential Federal policies targeting immigrant families are deeply troubling and stand in direct opposition to the values of equity Justice and Humanity that Define both our dist district and the Camden Community in 2020 the Camden City school district reaffirmed this commitment through resolution number 165 sy1 19-20 which declared our dedication to creating a safe and supportive learning environment for all students regardless of immigration status today we stand firmly by that resolution ensuring that our schools continue to be sanctuaries where every child can learn grow and Thrive without fear regardless of their citizenship status we unequivocally reject any policies or actions that threaten the well-being of our students and families our district will not cooperate with immigration enforcement actions that compromise the safety or the stability of our school Community furthermore we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of our students and their families ensuring that no information will be shared with immigration authorities in anticipation of any potential changes at the federal level we are taking proactive steps to review and strengthen policies that uphold our promise to being a safe and welcoming district for all this work will ensure that our schools remain sanctuaries of Hope opportunity and security for every family we serve to to our immigrant families and all those who are concerned about the possibility of feeling targeted or marginalized we see you we value you and we stand with you your children belong here Camden's diversity is its greatest strength and we will continue to celebrate and protect it together we will work to ensure every student feels supported we will continue to do that that every student feels valued and that every student feels empowered to achieve their dreams we invite Our Community Partners local organizations and all who share our values to stand with us in defending the rights and dignity of every family by working together we can ensure Camden City school district remains a beacon of equity and inclusion thank you for your continued support and commitment to our shared mission of putting students first and that resolution which I will not read at this time but it is included in our board um genda documents that you will see online again we adopted this in 2020 but wanted to make sure we reminded everyone of this adoption at that time as we um prepare and as we hear about things that may happen when it at the federal level when it comes to the treatment of families um who may not have citizenship status or may be newly immigrated into the country we will continue to keep you updated we will continue to have workshops and parent opportunities um in order to make sure that our students and our families feel safe and supported and know that as a Camden City school district we are here to support all of our Learners and we underscore all next slide we wanted to provide some information on the new Eastside High School uh just a couple of slides with regard to the Target space program so District teams have been working with the schools development author schools Development Authority or SDA since the summer of 2024 on plans for the new Eastside High School based on a Target capacity of 805 students the grow square footage of the new Eastside High School is 172,000 square ft general education spaces are allocated at around 37,000 uh square fet and include classrooms for general education education science art and music CTE pathways are allocated at around 24,000 square ft and include spaces for existing CTE programs such as cosmetology Automotive CAD graphic arts business entrepreneurship educational Pathways jrc and Jag new programs planned for Eastside High include Advanced manufacturing welding Emergency Management Services marine biology and culinary arts next Slide the Camden count just as a reminder for the uh projected timeline I think I may have skipped a slide if you go back to the slide slide 13 my apologies I may have a slip yes um approximately 44,000 square feet will be used for shared spaces such as a media center which includes a classroom computer lab meeting rooms as well as traditional Library stacks and a reading area Auditorium cafeteria kitchen main gymnasium aux gym and locker rooms offices and other administrative spaces have been allocated approximately at 8,000 square ft we look forward to engaging the community as the project progresses in the new year as we move into the concept design phase and that is something that we're really looking forward to this is just to let you know the work that's been done thus far with making sure that the square footages that um we have have been allotted and allocated in the manner that has been shared and the last slide I want to share just has to um do with uh reminding us of this timeline for the new Eastside High project so ccia or Camden County Improvement Authority awarded the contract for demolition of Eastside High to USA windsinger in November 20 24 the building will be turned over to the contractor as of December 31st 2024 work will begin in January 2025 with a batement and removal of the identified historical artifacts the public will begin to see the building come down in the late spring or early summer 2025 and we are in collaboration um with the Camden uh with Camden City in order to make sure that the proper notifications go out to Residents in the impacted neighborhood as well as to make sure that there are Community forums um that are presented so that if there are any questions that residents may have that are tied to the demolition aspect of this project that those questions can be answered and heard from uh a host of individuals externally um connected to the district so we will continue to keep everyone updated we are excited about the progress that's been made and we look forward to um this timeline as you can see in front of you um unfolding before our eyes and hopes that the new East Side High will be delivered before 2029 uh September 2029 but we're hoping to keep pushing um toward that end next slide and just a couple of updates when it comes to uh teaching and learning there yes there was a donation of science goggles uh the Buddhist zul Chi zul shei my apologies Foundation Mid-Atlantic region a branch of the zuo shei USA which is an international humanitarian organization whose mission is to relieve the suffering of those in need while creating a better world for all through compassion Love and Hope donated 400 pair of PPE Splash proof I goggles to the Camden City school district for use in grades 6- 12 science classrooms the zuo G Foundation has been a community partner of Davis Family school so we are definitely grateful and you can see the delivery being made um with our own um senior lead educator Lyn ly price Jones um who was instrumental in that donation and you can see that our students are very happy and appreciative and that helps us because that's money that we don't have to spend on those um items that can be diverted to other funds so again thank you very much for that donation we definitely do appreciate it let's give that organization a round of applause just in case they are watching or they take a look at the recording of this video we want them to know that the Camden City school district is appreciative and our students are very very happy next slide DTLR updates the division of talent and Labor Relations team is currently working to fill all remaining vacancies the primary focus is to continue strategizing to identify and hire qualified special education Spanish health and PE and science teachers these areas have been the most challenging to fill DTLR anticipates an additional 10 new teachers being on boarded within the next 30 days they continue to work around the clock even against a teacher shortage DTLR continues to offer sign on incentives to those with certifications and hard to fill areas and are planning for spring hiring events for school year 2526 the district is registered to attend various College fairs that include Rowan the College of New Jersey Temple and Stockton University DTLR is also planning to attend several diversity hiring events and we look forward to updating you on the progression of the work happening on that team District highlights which is our last portion for this evening today this morning I had the privilege of attending this year's pharmacy tech student graduation along with principal cha Dr Williams Senior director Tom Levy and our partners from Camden County College Dr Peter Peter pulio who's the resident pharmacist at Camden County College as well as Mr Taylor who's on the administrative team of Camden County College these hardworking students have completed rigorous coursework and apprenticeship hours the pharmacy technician program at brim Medical Arts High School is one of three certification Pathways included in the Allied Health program the program equips our students with skills and credentials needed for immediate entry into the healthcare Workforce or continued post secondary education we are so proud of each of our young people and we look forward to seeing more and more of our students able to tap into that program because they are able to earn a certification that will help them to make money now and regardless of their pathway they can have um a second option or something to help them as they're going along um through their even if they decide to go to college so again they're doing amazing things and they haven't even graduated high school yet next slide [Applause] the Ruckers Hill Family Center for college access Symposium as you can see from these beautiful vivid pictures this was an amazing day um right here at the uh Camden high campus so on Thursday over 300 Camden City school district Juniors and seniors attended the Ruckers Hill Family Center for college access Symposium where they had the opportunity to De demystify the college admissions process students participated in a dynamic panel discussion featuring current students and alumni from their own high schools including Camden high school Creative Arts High School Dr char Charles ebm Medical Arts High School Camden big picture Learning Academy High School and Eastside High School these students and alumni engaged in thought-provoking conversations with representatives from Ruckers University Camden Campus the University of Delaware Princeton University and Temple University and as you can see a picture is worth a thousand words there was so much engagement and so much Rich information that was shared with our young people as they are making decisions about their uh next phases in life next slide on a lighter note crossing guard and bus driver appreciation these are two um two uh categories of employment that don't always get um you know the Rah and all of the accolades but without them we would not be able to make sure that our students get back and forth to school safely as well as that they are on a on buses that um escort transport them back and back and forth to school as well so we appreciate our crossing guards as well as our amazing bus drivers they do a lot and they deserve all of those accolades and so on Friday we hosted our fourth annual holiday celebration to honor the incredible crossing guards and bus drivers who ensure our students get to and from school safely every day the event was filled with music food dancing games and lots of appreciation as you can see and this is just a small token of our immense gratitude for all they do to keep our schools running smoothly and our students protected to our crossing guards and bus drivers we can't thank you enough for your hard work and dedication you are truly the backbone of our district and we are so proud to C celebrate you and this is something that happens on an annual basis next slide something else that happened that was really incredible um this month is our eighth grade enrollment tour so last week we hosted over 250 Camden City school district e8th graders right here at the Camden high campus and we will be doing the same thing at Eastside High students were greeted by myself our en energetic Camden high cheer squad and they enjoyed performance by our talented creative art students and toward all fourmies to learn about the amazing opportunities that are available to them as they prepare to go into high school they even got to share lunch with our high schoolers just to get a true feel for Campus Life open enrollment is now in session as I mentioned before we encourage all Rising ninth graders to apply today and secure their spot for the upcoming school year at one of our amazing high schools again for assistance please contact our Solution Center at 856 966 2507 and we will help walk you through the process to secure your spot in one of our um incredible high schools next slide and it is a season of giving and we were able to um experience that in a a very powerful way very recently here in the district so the Camden City school district and part parnership with the city of Camden Camden City Council and the culate culate of the Dominican Republic of New Jersey is excited to announce a special donation to support students in the Dominican Republic items no longer needed from the old Eastside High School building will be donated to deserving students abroad these materials originally marked for disposal during preparations for the construction of the new Eastside High School while now have a second life helping to meet the educational needs of others and um as you can see it was a wonderful day it was a very cold day but it was very warm on the inside and we're looking forward to seeing those items that we we're going to discard these are items that um we can't use so we've already used all of the items that we can from Eastside High School these were going to just be demolished and so instead of having these old desks and chairs and other um equipment in that in that vein demolished we were able to work very closely as has been listed with many individuals to make sure those items can support children of color not only here but in other places in the world so we're grateful to have been able to be a part of such a wonderful opportunity and just two to three upcoming events that we want to make sure we highlight tonight next SL yep that's the slide as a reminder we want to share some upcoming prek flu vaccination events children must be accompanied by a parent or Guardian your child must receive a flu influenza immunization as soon as possible if they have not already done so New Jersey state law states that all prek students must have a flu immunization by December 31st 2024 this is um nothing new this happens every year but we also want to support our families to make sure you have everything you need in order to make sure our students um instruction is not interrupted students who are not in compliance will be excluded from school on January 2nd 2025 until the School receives written documentation from a health care provider that they receive the flu influenza immunization so if you scan the QR code that's on the screen a copy of the flyer that's uh on the screen as well um and it's also available on available on our website you'll be able to access that we also have hard copies in the hallway if you want to get more information but we don't want any of our young people excluded and we also don't want to be fined by the health department so each year we work diligently to make sure and this year is no exception that our students have and families have the support they need to get those immunizations and finally before we trans transtion back to the stage just a few um dates to remember um as we go into the holiday season for the month of January January 1st is New Year's Day of course um we won't be in session January 6th is our celebration of Three Kings Day and also January 20th uh Dr Martin Luther King day so there will be no school for staff and students on these dates so please keep these um these I want to say announcements they're not only announcements this information and these announcements in mind and we will transition back to the stage where the board president or his design will acknowledge our wonderful retirees thank you so much for your attention to those brief um updates we are so excited um our second board member to be sworn in Mr Derek gashaw is here and we are going to turn it over to our school business administrator board secretary Miss aesha Taylor to swear him in also hello how are you oh you have a mic yes he needs one though can he use your absolutely how are we doing once again as a reminder at our no November 14th special board meeting and work session the Camden ad Advisory Board of Education in public interviewed 10 candidates to fill two vacated seats while Muhammad's seat was vacated on September 13th 2024 and Naima Gillespie's seat was vacated on September 23rd 2024 at that same November 14th special board meeting after deliberating an executive session The Advisory Board voted in public to appoint Mr Gabriel kamacho who's been sworn in and Mr Derek gashaw to fill the two vacated seats let's give him a round of applause congratulations I'll now administer the oath of office if you raise your right hand and repeat after me I state your name I I Derek [Music] galaw affirm that affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States I will support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of New Jersey and the constitution of the state of New Jersey and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same and I was born bear bear true faith and allegiance to the same aliance to the same and to the governments established and the governments established in the united states in the United States and this state and this state under the authority of the people under the authority of the people I state your name I Derek gashaw a affirm that I am not disqualified affirm that I am not disqualified as a voter as a voter pursuant to pursuant to rs19 rs19 4-1 4-1 nor disqualified due to conviction nor disqualified due to conviction of a crime or any offense of a crime or any offense listed in listed in njsa njsa 18a 18a 12-1 12-1 I state your name I Derek gashaw affirm that I possess the qualifications affirm that I possess the qualifications prescribed by law prescribed by law for the office of member for the office of member of a board of education the Board of Education and that I will faithfully and I will faithfully impartially impartially and justly perform and justly perform all the duties of that office all the duties of that office according to the best of my according to the best of my abilities congratulations welcome to our newest board member do we want to take a couple of photos if the board can join us on the stage we'll take a picture thank you thank you get in the middle congratulations the middle [Applause] [Music] one second DK when you get a chance okay we will now turn the meeting over I believe for public comment is that right superintendent interim general counsel good evening everyone the Camden City school district welcomes the attendance and comments from all members of the public we are going to acknowledge our retirees before we get to public comment thank you so much okay first we' like to congratulate nari n uh uh she was a teacher and special aded for 21 years and one month thank you so very much for your service bernardet strong par profession and special ed 27 years and two months congratulations and Tammy Watson Wilkins a teacher in special ad 30 years and five 5 months congratulations Miss [Applause] W all right now we're going to do public comment the Camden City school district welcomes the attendance and comments from all members of the public at its meetings this public comment period is your time to present your comments to the board and the state district superintendent each person who signed up to comment will have 3 minutes to speak you will be notified when your 3 minutes are up and you cannot yield your time to another person when it is your turn to speak please state your name and address for the record please address all of your comments to myself or the state district superintendent please be courteous to your fellow community members and keep your comments within the time allotted so that everyone has the opportunity to speak at the end of the 3 minutes the microphone will be silenced and your comments will have concluded please conduct yourself in a respectful manner the first amendment is not absolute and the board can prohibit language that is inappropriate in accordance with board policy 1121 we may interrupt warn or terminate your statement question or inquiry when it is too lengthy if a member of the public speaks about a staff member Interruption may be necessary to caution the speaker of the danger of slander for anyone whose comments or actions harass intimidate or threaten the safety of any person we will provide you with a warning or immediately end your comment time we may request any person to leave the meeting when that person does not observe reasonable deorum we may request the assistance of law enforcement officers in the removal of a disorderly person when that person prevents or disrupts a meeting with an act that obstructs or interferes with a meeting we may call for a recess or an adjournment to another time when the lack of public decorum interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting and finally we may wave any of the rules when necessary for the protection of privacy or to maintain an orderly operation of the board meeting after the public comment period is closed the state district superintendent or her designate will address your questions to the extent provided by law so it looks like we have five speakers this evening first is VA Neil she's still here okay next up is Gary Frasier is Gary still here okay next up is Jose Delgado after him will be Theo Spencer [Applause] start Mr Delgado just wait until she gets the timer up on the start sorry oh you're good now yep wow what a production uh good afternoon I'd like to speak to The Advisory board at the November meeting I reminded The Advisory Board of the Eastside High School student representative who complained about Kramer being too small I proceeded to provide evidence that supported his observation the school and most classrooms not mate square footage requirements and it lacks critical specialized spaces Kramer was not designed to meet the developmental emotional social and academic needs of high school Stu students filling the parking lot with trailers doesn't change that reality on behalf of the students I pleaded with the advisory were to help initiate a community dialogue you fail you failed to do anything even though that at the same meeting the super superintendent said the following quote I agree that our students should not be at Kramer for 5 years I agree 100% we 100% we said the same thing when we went to the State Department of Education and the State Department of Education also believes that that means that the superintendent and the department of Ed education knew from the very beginning that Kramer was inadequate instead of sharing this important information instead of encouraging discussion and debate they went dark they purposely kept this critical information from stakeholders so here we are at last everyone agreeing that high school students don't belong in Kramer efforts to ship the blame to the school development agency just won't cut it the department and the Department of Education not the SDA identified Kramer as the swing space and despite knowing that it was inadequate the SDA did not withhold information the SDA encourages informed Community uh participation and even provides an appeal process in her remarks the superintendent at the same meeting had the audacity to question the motives of those asking for dialogue characterized ing us as being quote self-serving close quote actors playing a game of quote bait and switch close coat at one point she yelled don't be used don't be used don't be used don't be used that is why the active involvement of The Advisory Board in this and other matters is crucial please don't continue to assist this type of conspiracy by remaining silent i' like to dedicate my remaining time to the board of education so they can listen to [Music] [Applause] silence okay thank you Theo Spencer and after you is Miss Karen Luke yes Theo Spencer um so uh I want to address a letter that had been circulating in the community uh in regards to the superintendent's tenure uh over Camden City Public Schools uh it's interesting that we're here tonight um to replace uh former board member Wasim Muhammad because I I seem to remember when the community was asking the board to make a statement about um Mr Muhammad after the lawsuit that cost a district $2 million the board was silent didn't say anything couldn't figure out what to say now all of a sudden the board knows exactly what to say to undermine the superintendent it doesn't make any sense I mean it's crazy to me that you knew what to say about the superintendent but you didn't know what to say about a board member in a position that has no power whatsoever I mean the the other thing is when you put out a letter like that you're not only undermining this superintendent you're undermining anybody who want to come in and work in the district because basically what it says is that you're not going to support it now you could have taken time in a letter and wrote written the commissioner education about how this state takeover model is a failure it's been a failure everywhere it's been but you didn't take any time to say anything about that instead you took time to just you know do whatever you did it's really unfortunate because there's a lot of people and students that depend on uh the board to be coherent and to represent their interests and time and time again you guys fail to do that so you know as we move forward you know one of the things that I like to see this board do is well if you think that the district is moving in the in the wrong direction come up with a solution um and present it to the district like this letter got circulated and people had to beg and put in Opa requests to even find out what the letter said now how is a public body or you guys claim to be a public body can you do something like that totally negate the public and then have people think people are going to have respect for you one of the only responsibilities of The Advisory Board is to to publicly evaluate the superintendent and to make a report like once or twice a year you didn't even do that so you the the one thing that you can do you didn't do to even give yourself the ammunition to undermine the superintendent or ask for a replacement of the superintendent I'm not here to support the superintendent today cuz honestly I think there's been a lot of failures in terms of Camden and the the uh the model the superintendent whether it's this superintendent or payman who was for her there's a lot of things that need to change and this board is one of them thank you and our final speaker will be Karen Luke good evening Karen belli Luke teacher educator health and phid so I've been coming to the board since last last year April speaking about uh collaboration a voice at the table for a health andys teacher not necessarily me but somebody from east side so that they can be heard and that they can use their expertise um that's why they went to school got their certificate and their content specialist at the table in moving forward talking about space and what the and there has not been any discussion in fact we as a department find out when the Mass finds out what we're supposed to do and we're supposed to plan and have lesson plans and unit plans and everything else and we can't plan accordingly and it's not fair to us it's not fair to the students and it's definitely not fair to their grades that depend on meeting the standards in order to meet the state mandates in order to meet graduation requirements all of which we are not included at so again one more time it's like the almost 12 months please put somebody at the table thank you at this time the superintendent will now address your issues and concerns share during public comment thank you so much I'd like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who um took the time out to come to the meeting today and to share their comments and concerns um Mr Delgado Mr Spencer and Miss Luke thank you for your input we will take that into consideration I'm I'll turn it over to the board secretary thank you are there any questions on tonight tonight's board agenda December board agenda I know we had work session last week as well any questions on tonight's board agenda so at this time I would uh like to open it up to any board members that have any comments board member Jackson good evening everyone um thank you you all for coming out Mr Delgado left okay um I will say that um Kramer is a swing space it is it is what it is we've reiterated this a number of times um we can say the same thing that we've said over and over again um the same way you guys repeat things we get a little bit repetitive as well but it you got to have to kind of go through the crushing in order to get the oil and Camden high high didn't come to be because they stayed at Camden high while the construction was being done they had to go to hatch it was uncomfortable for everyone you have to go through a little bit of uncomfortability to get to where it is that we're trying to get to which is the actual space for our kids to thrive and grow and learn um Mr Spencer I would like to have a conversation he's not here either there he left all right um Miss berelli Luke I will say again to you um we hear what you're saying month after month but there's never anything proactive um there aren't any solutions that come with some of the issues that you bring to light um and so some of them are repetitive and we hear you saying seat at the table but this is this is the open platform to kind of tell us what it is that you're looking for so what are those ideas that you have in mind or what are what are the proactive routes that you're taking understood yes in 3 minutes um also yet again the whole thing with Kramer it's a small school you guys came last month and you complained about the parking and different things like that and it's like okay you guys are being accommodated through shuttles and things like that but our students have to walk through that same neighborhood so although you're being shuttled through it our students have to walk through it um last month gotcha all right public comment is closed at this time so [Music] let's are there any other board members that have anything board member Hudson thank you board president I just want to first thank everybody for coming out um wish you all happy holidays and also welcome the new board members um very excited to work with you thank you board oh and one more thing um I just wanted to shout out the you know the board the superintendent and our team uh once again for the qack scores the progress uh I was looking at the scores from about two years I think 2022 and I was like wow you know it's been significant Improvement so you know thank you for all your hard work thank you board member Hudson any other board members board member vice president Alvarez thank you board president um I would like to First congratulate um our new board members uh welcome aboard I am excited to work with both of you um I also want to thank creative arts for embracing us with their presence and for also um presenting us with their beautiful um performance that was very well done and I would like to finish by wishing everyone a happy and a healthy holiday and New Year thank you thank you board member Alvarez any other board members so I Echo um congratulations board member kamacho board board member gashaw for joining the team we look forward to working with you um and collectively so thank you turn it back over to you superintendent part thank you thank you all right thank you so much at this time in accordance with powers vested in the state district superintendent according to NJ saaa 18a uh 7 a-35 I hereby certify all December 177 2024 board agenda items if nothing more board secretary Taylor please call for a motion to adjourn the meeting is there a motion to adjourn Garcia is there a second Kam Ono thank you so much any in um all in favor any opposed any extensions have a wonderful evening and happy holidays for