##VIDEO ID:1OuoJS5tfqs## here board member will Meyer here board member yeah he's up there okay uh board member Shane saki Gable here board member Dr kawhai telesford here board member Aon vadlamani here board member Caitlyn Whit letter here student representative uh ASA Glassman Oliver nessen all right please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance States the please take notice that adequate notice that this meeting has been provided in the following manner that written notice was sent from the office of the secretary of the board at 2:30 p.m. on January 5th 2024 that said said notice was sent via email to Maplewood and South Orange Township clerks in the Eder of the news record Star Ledger tap into to Som in the Village Green MO right whereas while the senator byon M Bear open public meetings Act njsa 10 col 4-6 requires all meetings of the South orang Maplewood Board of Education to be held in public njsa 10 col 4-12 sets forth nine types of matters that may lawfully be discussed in executive session without the public being permitted to attend and whereas the board has determined that one issue is permitted by njsa 10 4-12 to be discussed without the public in attendance and shall be discussed during an executive session to be held on Thursday December 19th 2024 at 6:30 p.m. and whereas the nine exceptions to open the public meetings outlined in njsa 10 10 2-4 are listed below and next to each exception is a box that will be marked when the issue to be privately discussed all within that exception and after each exception is a space where additional information that will disclose as much information about the discussion as possible without undermining the purpose of the exception shall be written any matter which by express provision of federal law state statute or rule of Court shall be rendered confidential or excluded from public discussion the nature of the matter describes as specifically as possible without undermining the need for confidentiality is attorney client privilege HIIT reporting and Personnel any collective bargaining agreement or the terms of conditions and which are proposed for inclusion in any collective bargaining agreement including the negotiation of terms and conditions with employees or representatives of of employees of that public body whereas the length of the executive session is estimated to be 45 minutes after which the public meeting of the board shall select shall adjourn or reconvene and proceed with business where formal action will be taken now therefore it be resolved that the South map Board of Education will go into executive session for the above stated reasons only and be it further resolve that the Board of Education here board hereby declares that its discussion of affir mentioned subjects will be made public at a time when the public interest in disclosure is greater than any private privacy or governmental Interest being protected from disclosure sorry with I like to make a motion to go into close session second thank you board m callah s Gable all in favor all right unanimous going to close session e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e one two whoever played it play you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] to [Music] w [Applause] Mar Harold Angel s [Music] [Music] one two [Applause] [Music] you [Music] oh [Music] h [Music] [Applause] add ready one two 3 [Music] h for [Music] [Applause] a [Music] [Applause] we have a special guest really quick it's Joe Campbell who graduated from Columbia last year [Applause] [Music] really soft really soft [Music] h [Music] [Applause] first last one first no well then then we'll let you guys get down to business [Applause] sure [Music] h [Music] so just to let you know this is the varsity Orchestra it's a combined Orchestra between Psalms and MMS we meet after school on Thursday for about an hour we've only had four rehearsals so far this year just heard to get going so yeah I I would like to just add because the board has helped us with this and I don't come over to the board because you have enough things to deal with um the help of having the free summer camp was huge how many of you guys did the summer camp your hands high yeah we are seeing such a huge difference in the freshman class this year and the classes behind because that summer camp be 105 kids come last year it was a huge deal so I want to thank you guys for three years at the summer camp that was a really big investment in us and thank you and merry Christmas happy H happy Quanza Happy New Year [Music] a picture of all with the board you want to get a picture of all with the board I hey guys get a picture of all you hey how are you e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e like to introduce coach Winston as we honor field hockey and girls volleyball [Applause] I'm a little short but this mic is short if I'm good evening everyone I would like to congratulate our Phil hockey team girls Phil hockey team for making an extraordinary uh season this year they um didn't finish first in our conference but I believe they finished second in our conference so and last I know this group um started together their freshman year they shared that they only won one game I believe their freshman year so I'm I'm new as the new athletic director so I'm remembering history for a second um but this year they had a historical record because they won over 10 games so that's a huge accomplishment and I know the coaches are not here but I would like to give a huge shout out to coach Rivera oh she's here oh sorry coach Rivera is here come on up coach of yes come on up uh she also has a coaching staff of uh coach mariss Marissa coach suner who's a our girls basketball oh he's here clap it up for him and Coach Isabelle all [Applause] right and without in addition to our coaches you have to have student athlete leadership uh they are the coaches on the field they have a significant role on the field and off the field and they this role is distinguished so we would like to recognize our student athlete captains starting off with our Junior Varity captains who will now be Varsity captains next year Rebecca weinfield [Applause] forier [Applause] scone Sonia [Applause] Lynch these are our Junior Ry captains now for our senior captains Daisy [Applause] Bennett Charlotte AKA Charlie [Applause] Drexler Ambu [Applause] Corell Violet [Applause] Jacobs Anna Elise van veric [Applause] thank you for being amazing leaders student athletes for Columbia High School this season [Applause] and for girls volleyball do we have any girls volleyball Sho athletes here I believe there was a conflict this evening so unfortunately they weren't able to make it but I would like to give a shout out to coach Juan and his coaching staff because for girls volleyball they went the furthest for Columbia High School in the state tournament they beat Wong Hills we didn't make it till the finals but we made it to the semi-finals it was a very competitive game so thank you coach Juan and our student athletes that participate on the this year's Vol girls volleyball varsity team [Applause] [Music] all right I'd like to make a motion for the approval of board meeting minutes for October 15th 2024 the executive session and regular meeting minutes for November 20th uh or special meeting minutes for November 20th uh 2024 the executive session and regular meeting minutes for November 21st 2024 do I have a second thank you board valani and board mayor Callahan all in favor all right looks unanimous all right we'll now move on to special board recognition and appreciation for board member service so I'll start with you nuia yeah yeah so the first um board member we're going to honor will be Caitlyn Whit L okay Kaitlyn it is an honor to recognize and celebrate the leadership and service of our former board president Caitlyn whtl I have tissues in case I cry I'm going to try not to um Caitlyn the board Legacy you leave behind has a trail of successes challenges triumphs and perseverance that continues to inspire me and many others today serving as your second vice president during my first year afforded me the privilege of witnessing your leadership behind the scenes you were elected president at a time when the community demanded change and you delivered on it you led with the utmost integrity and demonstrated the Relentless commitment and determination it takes to guide the board and drive meaningful progress your vision paired with your tenacity enabled the board and District to advance in critical areas that have brought us to where we are today so let's review some of the highlights of your term reinstated regular Municipal Partnerships committee meetings which greatly supported our efforts to increase transportation for elementary students advocated for changes to the ELA curriculum which resulted in the district launching a new program and adopting magnetic reading for for grades K through three which brought Focus to the phonics excuse me which brought Focus to phonics in the early years added a business administrator update to our board meetings which included ongoing updates on the long range facility plan the district conducted a long overdue hazardous root audit that resulted in a new policy with 12 hazardous Roots identified under your leadership policy 8600 was revised to increase access to Transportation which serves to strengthen the intentional integration initiative required that the district review and approve and improve athletic coach training practices which resulted in a districtwide sexual misconduct and harassment training plan for all coaches and activity leaders to ensure compliance with the black parents Workshop settlement created a Fergus implementation committee now called ruter report implementation to provide oversight around the 20 more than 20 required recommendations and the list goes on Caitlyn you have done so much to Champion the students of our district if you ever question if you did enough during your tenure I want you to remember that all students no matter their background benefited from your leadership hold your head up high in addition to being proud to call you a board colleague I'm proud to call you a friend thank you for all that you've done I will miss you so much and I'm excited for your next chapter [Applause] I e um than okay um what people don't know about me but what my family knows very well is that these type of moments um I have trouble getting through so my goal is to get through this without crying um so good evening everyone as I prepare to step away from my role on the South Orange maplehood Board of Education I'm filled with both gratitude and SE and hope um I want to thank my family sorry Greta Nora Thomas and my husband Eric you've been on this journey with me through all the highs and lows I don't know if I could be able to read this thank you for your patience your big hugs your words of encouragement I'm so happy that you guys are here tonight I love you so much love you love thank you Thomas um to my fellow board colleagues past and present it has been an honor to serve alongside you thank you for the hard work and dedication you've put towards making SSD better every day Bill Regina and Nubia your leadership and friendship have meant the world to me and I am so grateful for each of you I also want to thank Vanessa Noah gwenith ASA and now Oliver our amazing student board Representatives that I had the privilege of serving with over the past three years as conduits to the student body your presentation and updates have helped to shap board priorities and have helped make me a better board member thank you to lyanna and Cassandra who work in the superintendent's office and to Keith and his technology team you helped make our meetings run smoothly among so much more I appreciate all of your hard work I also want to extend my heartful thanks to our students and teachers I am admittedly biased but I truly believe that we have the the most inspiring kids and teachers in this district and their voices have been essential to our board work and last but not least thank you to the community I have enjoyed Building Bridges of connection and partnership with you as we have worked hard to make progress in this District together I have met so many incredible people during my time on the board some are some of whom are here this evening and I am truly grateful to you all what has motivated me most over the past 3 years is the profound responsibility of ensuring that every child whether in the classroom in the cafeteria on the soccer field on stage performing or on their way to and from school has the resources and supports they need to thrive academically socially and emotionally the weight of a child being underserved or not being seen heard or cared for is something that has weighed heavily on me and I've worked hard to represent those needs throughout my term I'll never forget one of my earliest board meetings where we heard a family's testimony advocating for transportation for their child the discussion centered around a disagreement on 0.1 miles that vote was a pivotal moment for me it was a stark reminder that every decision we make as board members impacts a child's life suddenly I felt like I went from having three of my own children I was responsible for to almost 7,000 that perspective guided me throughout my my tenure pushing me to advocate for every child as if they were my own during my time on the board we have accomplished many things that I am proud of we introduced a phonics based curriculum in our elementary schools provided transportation to support the int intentional integration initiative and to meet the needs of our district families we followed through on some of the Rucker's recommendations to include the long outstanding introduction of inrs at our elementary schools we passed policies that improve the student EXP experience and we have begun a period of rebuilding within this District someone once told me that serving on the board of education is about passing the Baton you work hard to keep the district moving forward and to leave it better than when you started I believe we have done just that the district is on an upward trajectory and I am optimistic about the progress still to come as we look to the Future My Hope Is that under new leadership our district will establish clear and consistent operating procedures Foster open and transparent communication build and engage in a thorough and transparent budget process and most importantly always put the best interest of students first I hope that teachers and students will receive the support services that they need to Excel and that board agendas will align with the collective goals of our District's stakeholders we have laid a foundation but there is more to build to our community thank you for trusting me with this role your stories your advocacy and your passion have been the heart of my work as I step away way I do so with immense pride in our kids and optimism for the future of our schools happy holidays to everyone here and cheers to new and exciting Beginnings in [Applause] 2025 next School honor first vice president and board member VOD lmani all right so as we bid farewell to my board colleague first vice president and friend Arun vad lamani I want to take a moment to address you directly Arun it's truly an honor to speak about you tonight but before I begin just a friendly reminder run to please hold any objections until the end so when I first sat down to reflect on what I wanted to say tonight the answer came easily to me I knew exactly what was going to resonate with you so naturally I started drafting an epic roast but as it turns out the tone we're aiming for tonight is a little bit different and so instead I'm going to save that for another time and I'm going to focus on instead celebrating your incredible contributions here all jokes aside to know a run is to know someone who's tenacious opinionated honest yet incredibly warm caring and funny Arun served during a period of tremendous tumultuous times in our district tackling challenges with his characteristic pragmatism and unwavering focus on creating a secure and stable environment for students teachers and administrators as a new board member Jo joining during this challenging time I deeply appreciated Run's guidance direct approach and that pragmatic problem solving Arun has been an integral part of the fft committee throughout his three-year tenure serving as the chair in both 2022 and 2024 in 2022 he also served in the policy committee and act as a leaz on to the achieve foundation and the board of school estimate in 2023 Arun contributed to the BPW and OCR ad hoc committee and in 2024 he served in the Personnel negotiations committee while continuing as a onto the board of school estimate his involvement across these roles reflects his dedication and his versatility in addressing our District's unique needs arun's ability to refocus on what truly matters ensuring equity and maintaining a high expectations for all of our students is a vision that we both share and it was always evident in all the work that he did this was evident in his steadfast centering of student achievement and outcomes during discussions in committees his focus on stabilization and improvements for our largest School Columbia High School his advocacy for Equitable Playing Fields a new girls locker room and his advocacy for stabilizing and returning our high school principal Aron played a pivotal role in the hiring of superintendent Bing and he served as first price president this past year as part of a leadership team and board Collective whose efforts have led to a noticeable Improvement in board culture and the tone of our public discourse his thoughtful contributions helped to steer our district towards greater collaboration accountability and information sharing both internally and externally it's been an honor to serve alongside aun nudging him when needed engaging in Spirited debates when we disagreed but always being able to share laugh afterwards arun's positive impact on our district will be felt for years to come so on behalf of the board our community I extend my heartfelt thank you to Arun bad lamani for his service and my very best wishes as he embarks on the next chapter where I know has a long to-do list and hopefully more time with his beautiful family thanks [Applause] ER e too too too many things on the table here yeah so so thank you board member Kalan you know as a as a new subscriber to the Instagram group of CHS comits 2025 I see that our students have already broken all records for early ad missions receiving offers from prestigious colleges like Princeton Brown upen I mean upen that's pretty cool Trinity and vanderbelt I hope this hawkis graph continues over the next few years I would also love to see a decrease in chronic absenteeism an increase in graduation rates and an increase in all demographics taking the AP courses I've been fortunate to work with these wonderful board members over the last three years in moving the needle forward for our children and I look forward to our district being a positive force for all students Public Service is is very rewarding and I strongly recommend that everyone in our two towns participate we can only improve when we are all working together especially for our children I wish the best to the students teachers administrators the incoming and the continuing board members and parents stay involved [Applause] thanks and then our final board member service M honoring is Mea we Tellis hey so I have the honor this evening to pay tribute to a friend and colleague board president Dr quawi telis for quawi you have served with distinction on our board of education for the past three years you have served on virtually everyone of our committees including fft cni policy and personnel as well as well as negotiations data and Technology Municipal Partnerships special education and Safety and Security ad hoc committees and the board of school estimate and of course you have served us as board president for the 2024 board you came to our board as an Alum of our school district and a proud graduate of Columbia High School I believe the first board president to have done so and perhaps most notably you have done all of this while bringing in into the world two young children who will be part of the next generation of South Orange Maplewood students you have brought to the board an intentional focus on datadriven decisions plac priority on high expectations and achievement and always demonstrated a strong commitment to the Equitable education of all of our district students as board president you oversaw a time of significant transition in the district under the interim leadership of Dr Gilbert and the hiring of superintendent Bing along with numerous other complex issues including of course the reinstatement of our high school principal Frank Sanchez you have shown yourself to be a person of strong unwavering principles and you have left our board and District in a strong and growth oriented posture your contributions will not go unnoticed and we extend our deepest gratitude for your service to our community and our students and we sure we're sure you're not going to stop serving our towns thank you so much quab [Applause] as I reflect on my board service over the past three years I ask myself what is a power of a board the way I see it a board of education does nothing to directly Advance education of children nor or should it we are not experts and in my experience when the board thinks it knows better than the Educators who have spent decades devoted to educating our children it only creates problems so what is our power our power is to support this codre of Educators and administrators who have one goal to improve student outcomes when I joined the board I had hopes of collaborating with my colleagues and our dedicated administrative team our Focus was simple we must improve the lives of all students in this District fast forward to today I can attest to joining a board that was relatively stable and watching as it descended into chaos that's when I realize the true power of a board beyond our good intentions we can derail forward progress that affects all students as I look at the important advances we've made in Workforce diversity student achievement in ela and increasing the accountability for educating our black and brown students I thankful we retain Dr Bean folks who continues to make substantial gains in student outcomes in equity for our students I also tip my hat to the work of Miss Bodner and Dr kareah for their Tyler's efforts in advancing the conversations around student achievement Decisions by the board are not what propelled these efforts forward it is their Dedication that has reformed our irrs practices across the school district better targeting our interventions of students facing challenges in classrooms improving our ability to identify gifted students and securing a data platform that will lead to further Improvement for our students these achievements remind me of the importance of stability which unfortunately we've learned all too well through the fols of a board and how it can negatively affect our high school when I was a student at CHS we had five principles that's right five reflecting on that time I'm glad to see today Colombia's helm by Frank Sanchez thinking about the last school year I realized how close we came to seeing our high school slip into the old patterns of disarray if not only I I'm not only happy to see principal Sanchez receive tenure but I also glad to attend the building one New Jersey a yearend celebration where principal Sanchez received the award for 2024 public servant of the year it was an honor to celebrate an educator who exemplifies courageous leadership Fearless advocacy and a commitment to inclusive and Equitable education again I ask what is the power of the board it is to ensure that the actions of Bad actors do not sty the progress of our school district this also underscores the immense power of a school board while we can support growth we also have the potential to thwart progress that is a sobering reality and a responsibility we must never take lightly I also grateful for Dr Gilbert who stepped up when the district needed him most his resolve and Devotion to ensuring Equity infuses every aspect of our District's work and serves as a testament to what we as a board in our community must continue demand in every decision we make I also want to thank my fellow board colleagues for the lessons I learned from them Liz you show me what it means to advocate fearlessly for Equity some may call it being too Equity driven but that's exactly what we need Regina you have taught me what it means to Center students in our work and ensure that is part of every conversation Nubia you taught me the importance of communication and what is essential for reaching our community bill you taught me what it means to be present and stepping up for a cause will I appreciate the depth you take in approaching a topic dissecting it thoroughly and seeking to understand every voice with an eye toward the broader picture Shana I think you embody everything that we need a board member one who has a wealth of experience but knows exactly how to use that experience to enhance and support the great work being done in our district and Caitlyn you told me what it really means to Galvanize a community finally I want to thank you Arun a few a few years ago we didn't know each other and despite having completely different backgrounds and approaches we often aligned on key topics it reminds me of that age-old claim that many board candidates say that I'm an independent thinker but you truly embody that and I'm proud to call you a friend after our board service after our board service ends I'm also grateful to have served alongside past board members like Susan Bergen thier Joshua Aaron ciders Courtney Wingfield and Johanna Wright you all serve doing an incredibly challenging time in our district but your leadership helped us navigate covid deliver one of the largest teacher salary increases in over a decade and advanced Equity plans despite immense adversity being a board member has taught me that our most important responsibility is is to think about every single student especially the most vulnerable it's not about appeasing the loudest voices or those with the resources to Sue it's about ensuring every student gets what they need to succeed our focus on Equity isn't just rhetoric it's about taking meaningful action even when it makes people uncomfortable progress often does above all else I want to thank my wife who is truly the unelected member of our board our committee meetings become her committee meetings and our long hours become her long hours I'm I'm deeply grateful for the time dedication and support she has given me every time I've sat down on this days while they call the school board a thankless job I believe it's crucial to acknowledge that it is our spouses who endure the most for the advancement of our students to my colleagues students Educators in this community thank you together we built something strong and I'm proud to have been part of it while the work may seem sometimes feel thankless the true reward is seeing our students Thrive this has always been and will always be about them thank [Applause] you and we'll take a little brief break and we'll take some pictures okay e e e e e e e e it is uh I'd like to begin by thanking Kaitlyn quae and Aron for your service uh working with you guys has been a privilege and you guys have been incredible Role Models uh for me to look up to so thank you so much um the recognitions begin with uh Miss Danielle Patterson uh teacher at Seth boen Elementary School as Seth at Seth boen Miss Danielle Peterson Patterson helped a group of 10 fourth grade students work together for a week to create a presentation about composting for the kindergarten classes they split into five pairs with each pair presenting to one of the five kindergarten classes the fourth graders did a great job explaining how the school composts food scraps and why it's good for the environment the kindergarteners enjoyed learning about it and asked a lot of great questions after the presentation the fourth grade decided to take action they made a plan to collect food scraps from the lunchroom and take them to the compost bin every day Mrs Patterson helped guide the students with their work this project was a wonderful example of teamwork and helping the environment the fourth grade students showed great leadership and made a positive impact at our school next I'd like to recognize Columbia High School chamber choir and Mr Nick Diaz congratulations to the CHS chamber choir and M and the music teacher Mr Nick Diaz for performing at the South Orange Performing Art Center with Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez this month in her home for the holiday show at soac Mandy Gonzalez sang holiday carols and hit songs from Broadway musical she's performed in including Hamilton Wicked and in the Heights we are proud of our High School singers and appreciate the opportunity from Mandy Gonzales to include our Columbia students as part of the experience next is Miss R Rami Lawson uh teacher at Seth boen elementary school thank you to miss Lawson from Seth boen Elementary School from for leading the affinity group mocha matter your dedication to inclusivity belonging cultural competency and diversity is unparalleled for students thank you for being a leader and an inspiration next I'd like to recognize Dr Donovan Smalls the assistant principal at South Orange Middle School Dr Smalls from SS presented at the National Alliance of black school Educators International Conference on Friday November 22nd in Atlanta Georgia his presentation included strategies for other Educators to navigate the dynamic challenges that come with educational leadership in schools next I'd like to recognize Miss Carrie wbel the director of access and Equity at the administrative offices MMS and Seth Bon are proud to recognize Miss Carrie wbel for her leadership in restorative circles training car's expertise and dedication have provided staff members with powerful tools to strengthen connections and Foster a compassionate inclusive School culture Miss yell organized an integrational learning experience with principal granau five MMS 7th graders and staff highlighting student voice Miss granau described it as an experience they won't soon forget her engaging presentations gave Seth boen and MMS staff with tools to strengthen connections and encourage restorative practices which changes High School culture with empathy both schools Express deep gratitude for her lasting impact next I'd like to recognize the CHS New Jersey honor band seven students musicians from Columbia High School have been selected as members of the 2024 to 2025 North Jersey honor bands their selection comes after months of diligent practice and they Ace their auditions on December 7th congratulations to Ryan gayowski EMT Simon Theo Abbott for making the Wind Ensemble congratulations to Julian kriat Luke wit Ella Levy and Max Ginsburg for being selected for the symphonic band William wheeler a brilliant Mallet percussion player also did amazingly last I'd like to recognize Chinese Honor Society congratulations to the CHS Chinese Honor Society Treasurer Sherry Chen for winning the president service award from the New Jersey Chinese Teachers Association this month she was nominated by her teacher Miss M who also received the New Jersey Chinese Teachers association's educator of the Year award hi everyone I hope your holiday season is going well ace and I have met with administrators and board members over the past month to discuss various solutions to issues in the district and future goals AI is one topic that has come up multiple times and the student reps and administrators are in agreement that it is a tool that is here to stay we have discussed possible uses in the classroom both by teachers and students and are excited about the opportunities that will be fulfilled through this growing technology that being said there are guidelines needed to protect the structure of education and policies created will ensure that these guidelines are followed and that the technology is not abused along with this education on digital literacy and safe usage of artificial intelligence will ensure its success since the last board meeting security coverage at Columbia has improved and IDs are now being checked consistently at all entrances to the building however we are still pushing to get scanners reinstalled at the entrances to maximize security we have continued discussions on priorities of guidance especially in the middle schools where we discussed having all incoming sixth graders meet with their counselors one-on-one at least once helping them build a stronger relationship with counselors and prepare for a successful transition finally I want to congratulate board members Aron quawi and kin on their final meetings with the board I recognize and deeply appreciate the immense work that all of you have put into improving this District those are all of the student remarks for the December meeting thank you and happy [Applause] holidays now we'll have the superintend update evening all uh I do want to wish everybody a happy holidays um you know we talked about this with our senior leadership team this week um you know when you reflect it is an everyday gift to work with people who deeply care about what they're doing and also care about uh our community's children which to me is is the greatest atet so I want to wish happy holidays to everyone in our district uh our communities uh especially our students uh B thanks to our CHS reps it's been a pleasure working with you guys I look forward to it in the new year um our teachers our support staff our administrators uh you named them from day one they have uh welcomed me with open arms and I I cannot be more thankful or grateful for that so personally that makes for a very good uh holiday season for myself so big thanks for this to this community and uh all its stakeholders um I do want to thank our three outgoing I don't want to use this word just just to remind everybody uh volunteers they volunteer to do this work to dedicate hours a week uh to come to our board meetings to advocate for our children uh to fight for for for issues when they need to be fought for not only at a local level also at a state level and also as a federal level uh this is going on my 15th year as a superintendent this is one of the more difficult positions you will hold uh in a community and it takes a lot of Courage uh it also takes a lot of kindness uh and it takes an effort often uh to be collaborative um I can say with all honesty from my first day in here uh I have greeted with kindness civil discourse and support I could not have asked for anything more uh especially from these three individuals um if I could have drawn out exactly how I wanted my entry into into a school district it it it would have been this so and I know these three have a large it's due in large part to these three so I thank you very very very much um very quickly do want to thank the public our our budget advisory committee applications our window closes I think today or tomorrow we have over 100 applicants uh so we'll be going over those over the next week or so and uh so excited that every that that uh individuals are going to take the time out of their schedules to to help with our budget so thank you thank you thank you uh I do also want to just read a memo that we we just put out uh in regards to uh the recent shooting in Madison Wisconsin um dear District families the recent strategy at Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin has affected many of us and our hearts go out to the families loved ones and survivors grappling with unimaginable loss this week events like this shake us to our core reminding us of the importance of our children's safety and well-being please be rest assured that the Safety and Security of our students and staff remain our top priority our district continually reviews and strengthens safety protocols to maintain a secure environment for everyone as we move into the long range facility planning a high focus will be placed on Safety and Security in the New Year please be on the lookout for the long range facility planning survey that will be shared with you your input is invaluable uh Guardians and caretakers should also be aware of the district's emergency situation guidelines for parents and Guardians regarding emergency preparedness and from our Safety and Security offices big thanks to Stanley valis in the event of an emergency South Orange B Bo school district will provide clear communication protocols that ensure timely accurate and reliable information is shared with parents First Responders staff and the community during during and after an emergency we do recognize that events like this can affect students emotionally even from a distance we encourage you to talk to your children about their emotions and reassure them of the measures we have in place to keep them safe please contact your child school if you feel additional support is needed to support them through this tragic event for additional support please see the talking to Children about violence tips for families and Educators resource uh that we provided via email this week I promise you that we remain committed to fostering a safe and supportive environment where all students can Thrive thank you for your continued support and I know the board thanks you for all of your support have a very very happy holiday thank you uh next we'll have our business administators update and that will include a construction update and this is our first regular board meeting for Mr ammani Moody so welcome thank you thank you thank you appreciate that um South Orange Maplewood School District construction update uh let's start with Seth Boyen School epic management closeout items to be addressed by APS we also have final architectural punch list reinspection uh that were issued and APS is addressing a handful of items there's a final change order review meeting and it's being conducted with spel epic and APS that's Seth boen Tuscan School epic management closeout items to be addressed by APS final architectural punch list reinspection were issued and APS is addressing a handful of items final change order review meetings are being conducted and spel epic APS are included and that's bin school next Marshall School the boilers are operational however control wiring work is being finalized BMS system programming to be completed bms's building management system architectural punch list items are also to be completed uh next up Monro School the boilers are operational however they're still working on some operational issues the building management system programming is to be completed the architectural punch list uh is also to be completed finally Columbia High School this is a longer list the d-wing the new science rooms uh finishes are ongoing also on the d-ring laboratory case work and plumbing is completed awing second floor floor underlayment completed rooms in b-wing are also completed setting of VV uh the vertical upright uh vent is completed piping for several remaining rooms to be worked on during the Christmas break and that's ongoing new boilers at D andb are on controls wiring is ongoing awaiting an IP drops to complete Work Media Center working on cour uh case work and installation of lighting Media Center uh completed framing walls and sheetrock and also installing hard ceilings painting is underway common area uh common area railings are completed sound panels completed Furniture installation is underway common area wall panels are installed uh started carpet Rubber and vinyl floors completed common area painting completed roofs coating is underway at b-wing areas and that's continuing awing science room work is underway wall framing and sheetrock is underway abatement of existing guidance is completed began demolition of old HVAC system installation of new cassette units underway d-ring rough HVAC piping and duct work installation uh controls are completed awaiting on IP address to be provided to complete Dewing inspections underway as required rooms adjacent to the media center were completed it to make reconnections office floor completed auxiliary gym and roof parapet wall coating completed new ramp area entrance to Media Center completed railing completed completed sidewalk Restoration in Courtyard area and also Paving an existing teachers parking lot by the big gym on to Maplewood Middle School Boiler Room completed I'm sorry Boiler Room continued troubleshooting the low water cut off shutdowns and continued insulating piping the repaired distribution piping steamed leaks open system isolation valves and troubleshooting existing conditions continued steam pipe insulation in classrooms continued installation of thermostatic valves or radiators throughout the building continued routing and connecting of VV first and second floor AC uh condensate lines started up until started up all 39 VVS addressing PA system add-ons and punch list I.E the clocks all gender rest rooms completed and final inspections underway privacy room on the first floor needs waist line connected for final inspections balanced 50% completed UVS and Bennett will provide documentation once completed ATS building automation systems wiring for field equipment continues continued coating of the auditorium roof completion delayed by temperature temperature rain and Dew the replacement of two smaller flat roofs and is nearing completion started planning for the electrical switch over of Legacy loads looking to perform switch over during the winter break starting on Monday the 23rd of December South Orange Maplewood Middle School electronic or electric service Bennett we need to continue installing overhead conduits on second shift will shift normal working hours during winter break and Bennett coordinate taking down on the ceilings over the brake for overhead duct measurements Bennett to block off one window for running seven conduits to exterior switchboard due to the revised delivery date of the late December benet's now targeting completion by the end of January and finally South Orange middle school waiting for the building permit should be issued in the next week we set up sight trailers shutting or starting demolition for two new bathrooms and Order materials and that that completes the construction update all right we'll move into the board president's update which um I think I already read my speech so that's my update um I'll move into the board president statement the school board meeting is a business meeting in public and not a meeting with the public often times it may appear to our to members of our audience that the Border Board of Education takes action with very little comment and in many cases unanimous vote before a matter is placed on the agenda at a public meeting the Administration has thoroughly reviewed the matter with the superintendent if the superintendent is satisfied that the matter is ready to be presented to the Board of Education it is then referred to the appropriate board committee the members of the board committee work with the administration and the superintendent to ensure that the members fully understand the matter after the committee discusses the matter it is then shared with the other board members for consideration only then is it placed on the agenda for board discussion and action at a public meeting thanks have our hearing of individuals and delegations thank you for coming in person and dialing in by phone this evening the South orang Maplewood Board of Education certainly respects that you've taken the time out of your busy day to to address the board at tonight's meeting we value public involvement in our school district and we are eager to hear what you have to say the board does have time limits by policy and it will be enforcing those to enable as many people to speak as possible this evening each individual will be given 3 minutes to speak please do your best to stay within the time afforded to you the first public comment period is usually limited to 1 hour the second public comment period may be limited to 30 minutes all input shared with the board of education is taken very seriously and will inform future deliberations and work by the Board of Education and his committees first i' like to invite Nicole jossi hello okay um good evening my name is Nicole Josie I'm co-president of president's Council mom of two one who attends Psalms and one who is out of District I'm here speaking on behalf of any parent that has had similar out of District transportation issues as myself on September 9th my son was left at school for an hour after dismissal on November 27th my son was left at school for almost 2 hours after dis missile and on Friday December the 13th my son was attacked by an 80-year-old student on his van on the way to school my son is 8 years old when I received that devastating phone call I left in the middle of my work conference to run to my son's school these are just three very specific events we have been through five bus drivers three bus AIDS two early pickups very late pickups unprofessional staff and an unprofessional owner I have written countless emails gone to meetings took off of work to transport my son myself and my husband and the list goes on my ask has been simple we want another bus company nothing has been done and what that shows me is that this school district does not value my son or his safety as his mother that is unacceptable I refuse to sit aside and watch as my son and other kids like him are treated without without regard let me remind you of the stories of other school districts who decided to go with substandard bus companies where children were left in parking lots injured and even worse died you guys spend so much time counting dollars and cents which you have not been successful in or else we wouldn't have been in a deficit last year I have spent the last seven years of my life volunteering on various PTA boards CPAC Etc partnering with the district believing in the best of this District but this district is failing my family and families like mine my son may be an ID number to you but to me he is my world I feel like nothing will be done until something happens to him and I refuse to let it get to that point I will continue to push against this third- party process you use in vetting bus companies I will not be quiet about this because if it is affecting me that is then it is affecting other families in our district this District's inability to provide him with the education he deserves is not his fault the least you can do is transport him to a school that can safely with without me having to worry as his mother every day thank [Music] you next we have Richard fishbine test test hi everyone I'm Richard fishbine from South Orange I'm here about Underhill the plan to lock the general public out of the entire Sports Complex during school days from 88 to 3p I believe this plan is due to go to into effect within the next week and a half or so if this plan is implemented it will be a real shame a lot of people use the track the running track during school hours Runners and Walkers a lot of senior citizens it's the safest place for us to walk and run and school hours is the safest time for us to be on the track there's this story that people using the track have been confronting and harassing students and staff from the Clinton school when they used the turf field for gym class for fette class when did that ever happened it has never happened I did hear about one episode earlier this year when a school administrator from Clinton walked over to the field while fizzed class was going on on the turf and she saw a Walker walking on the track and she ordered the runner off the track and the guy was told you can't be on the track because there's children on the field it's too dangerous for them this is a plan why why is has this plan been made it to me it seems like it's a solution in search of a problem people have been using the track during school hours for at least 40 years I know that from personal experience and probably they've been using it during school hours for decades before that what I'd like to know is what were the people who developed and approve this plan thinking can you the school board please provide some oversight on this matter thank you next we have Yakov shinefeld uh Board of Education um first of all I would like to open my 3 minutes with an apology I was here about a month ago and some members were frightened by me it was not my intention never has been and I'm not a violet person I apologize I really do but the gravity of the situation is such that it's uncomprehensible to me that that in our school district such things like what happened to my daughter happened so after this uh brief if I'm allowed to read from the paper because when I don't I go over the 3 minutes so I would like to read and I have some uh some things I'm going to leave on the table if I'm allowed am I allowed yeah okay Board of Education I apologize for making some board members threatened by me it was not my intention at all my only aim is for you to understand the full impact of some of your policies I know of at least three students from Columbia High School who committed suicide I mean died yes am I clear about that who committed suicide at different stages of the transgender ideology that took over a school district this awful journey I lost sopia and I'd like you to allow me to show some pictures of her my dear Sophia so that you attach a face to her I'm sorry I'm going to try not to lose my temper this was a I like see her she was 27 I loved her very much we all did but at age 177 she started this journey a picture of sfia does she look like a man to you this is where s is now she's dead this is very hard for me if anyone cares this is her death certificate Mr Seinfeld your time is up but I'll give you another 30 seconds huh your time is up but I want to give you another 30 seconds 30 seconds thank you for telling me I would ask you to read this amazing book that I brought here it's written by one of the most amazing authors in the United States irreversible damage the transgender craze seducing ad daughters Abigail shrier cuz I can't talk enough about it I'm not an expert I am a grieving father that's all I am I would ask you to read this amazing accur book that describes what is really going on in our schools and the country we all love I wish for you to read it I beg you to read it the Board of Ed has managed somehow to bring a trojan horse into the school and when I say it I mean it I'm not here to um to threaten any anyone I'm the last person who is at all all right um thank you Mr but I lost a child that adopted this ideology in this building 300 yards from here okay thank you it was not wait a one give me one second it please yeah just just finish your last sentence then thank you thank you thank you I have a little more to say but all I'm going to say is remember the road to hell is paved with good intentions so I have more to say I would like to meet all of you for like half an hour with experts but I'm not going to do that now because I ran my three minutes all right thank you Mr shinefeld can I do this here [Music] now like to call Rosio Lopez Rio Lopez um s president south or is called this hell you see I don't even know what I'm saying I'm sorry I just got a little bit off with what just happened um Columbia High School teacher May resident um I'm just here today to give you farewell to the three people that you have been serving of the Bo On The Board I know as sua leader we have to have moments where we have ups and downs is the nature of the job but I would like to thank you um as a community member for your service the service that you do it's for free people should know it's volunteer sometimes we might agree sometimes we might disagree but at the end of the day the point is that we're all here trying to get the same job to have the best school district that we can right um so we bought you a little presents from Soma for all of you um we got you shirts because you know this year we don't have so much money but it doesn't mean that we can't do it uh I rather you pick the sizes and I'm going to let Aron pick the first because remember the last time what happened last year with the sweaters that you told me they give you the biggest one or something so you pick the first um for the holidays um so of course happy holidays and we wish you a new happy year we have a little something for the super oh he thought we weren't going to bring [Music] anything hopefully you use it once we get a contract it's just champagne that's why um and I have a a little present for aard remember um that did something very special for us she actually listened to us when we needed the most we were suffering and we I don't know if we were being believed but we needed a change and you made it for us so Kaylin thank you so much we you have some you are allowed in one week I believe I don't know you have to ask you have your own rules so I don't know but I hope you can wear your SAA shirts at least one day even if you call it SAA day for the board or something uh because they're pretty comfy um if not you can always use it for pajamas okay but we wanted to have a little something for you because at the end of the day um in times like this like holidays it's all about us coming back and being human and forgetting a little bit about the work that we have to do every person has good on them and they do the things for the right reasons and even if we disagree we have moment you know I thank you all for putting the time for the kids okay thank you have a good [Applause] one all right thank you now'll do our committee reports all right I'm going to start with our special services committee we met on December 17th we began at 6:30 we adjourned at 9:10 it was myself board member Meyer and whtl superintendent Bing Dr Gilbert and Mrs Jess Maria were all in attendance um prior to the meeting on December 12th I sent a meeting reminder and request for any questions with a link to our internal tracker to the full board and earlier today because it was a tight turnaround I made sure to send the notes out to the full board as well so we started our meeting with a check-in with the CPAC representative this month we talked about uh feedback uh positive feedback from our um inclusive schools week where videos showing and sharing about disability awareness were shown um there was a positive impact in some empathetic conversations afterwards we also addressed concerns culture and climate impacts in the Middle School on inclusion um we provided an update on compensatory service and pullout replacement at South Mountain School and we had a discussion about public notice for Resolutions and policies this month our committee was lucky enough to welcome our director of early childhood education Mr Johnson as we have moved into becoming a prek through 12 district and as a parent of one of those prek students I want to recognize the importance of hearing about our prek program as it grows and develops so Mr Johnson provided overview which included the structured process for registration and placement um our commitment to curriculum Fidelity with tools of the mind um intervention systems to support all students including those with disabilities we discussed how the program is growing capacity how they plan out for inclusion classrooms for our students with IEPs and their proactive approach to referrals and training They Also earlier this month had an NJ doe monitor which highlighted um that we do in fact have strong Fidelity to the curriculum that we are using and indicated that we should be out of our P prek program so congrats to the prek team it was really exciting to hear from them this month we also centered our topics around uh District goal number one which centers College and Career Readiness and for the purposes of special education we are highlighting work being done regarding par professionals and professional development for staff so we talked through the on-site ESF ESS representative Miss agula who is working closely with supervisors like Miss puneri regularly visiting schools and classrooms to address concerns or train and management issues with par professionals this ongoing effort aims to improve our engagement and support of par professionals across the district and as we Implement new processes for par professional assignment and tracking the goal is to take a data driven approach that ensures students needs are met while fostering uh greater Independence so it's important to note that this does not involve wholesale removal of par professionals but rather reflecting a shift towards that improved databased monitoring having conversations and looking at Trends um and really likely that one toone par professionals would shift to support based on a shared par professional instead the second thing we reviewed um was going through a goal around standard operating procedures so the goal is that by June um we will it will be under development and we had one of our quarterly progress check-ins around that um in January January we will review a draft that will include things like the general referral process compliance timelines expectations for parents um and additionally we are using the special service audit um to drive our professional development planning um and we'll be reviewing that in January as well with a focus on addressing behavior issues and co- teing strategies collaborations are also underway to schedule Dr Ross Green for professional development with training for principles and our mtss teams um And discussing the potential for grant funding through the achieve Foundation which is very exciting uh we talked through and got an update on our corrective action plan derived from federal monitoring which Focus focused on progress and addressing our areas of non-compliance a professional development session with Mrs spear who's the federal monitor was rescheduled for January after her December visit was canceled so she will conduct four training sessions over two days in mid January and we are working on the necessary documentation for the remaining areas of noncompliance um and planning for her return finally we had a robust discussion that focused on inclusion classrooms evidence-based reading practices and academic interventions we explored how upcoming changes will be clearly articulated with a comprehensive scope and sequence that includes professional development training Staffing models and other key components to ensure Clarity of implementation this will help to establish clear goals for special services and ensure that both the board and the community are well informed and aligned as we move forward with those changes and then lastly as we shared and passed last month the district has moved forward with a long anticipated and advocated for need the expansion of programming to meet the support needs of our students with emotional regulation impairments in our district following this meetings were held with both cpac's president Beth centino and the parents of students in the ERI program those were attended by myself Mr Bing and Miss J Maria these discussions were highly productive and we deeply appreciate the advocacy openness and collaborative spirit that was shared by all participants as we work to expand the program offerings for students we also want to again acknowledge the invaluable work of Mr wiio in laying a strong foundation in creating a safe supportive learning environment for students and families and look forward to continuing these produ Partnerships and expanding the program with our new highly experienced ER teacher for the students and families in our district who will benefit from it our next meeting is TBD for January 2025 and at this time I turn it over to the board for any questions they might have going once twice all right thank you all right uh first I'd like to extend a warm welcome to our new business administrator Mr Moody already two meetings right back to back to kick off your tenure here um the Personnel committee met on Monday December 16th in attendance were board members Deval Wilson bot lamman and myself alongside Mr Bing Mr adid doyan and Dr Gilbert as usual much of what was discussed is confidential however you can read the public facing information on the website for uh for any updates a couple of things I just wanted to highlight um we did review as usual the uh vacancy information um we did have a conversation around leave Replacements and you know one of our our board members came to me with a question around the recruiting process specific to staff members going on planned longer term leaves um these leave replacement vacancies tend to be a pretty decent percentage of the overall number often times more than half of them and it's a little bit of a crossover into cni but while the committee understands that these positions are harder to fill as their length often varies there were some concerns around the lack of proactive Communications to students and parents to really help them understand the coverage and instructional plan so the committee requested that HR work with cni to establish a process for notifying students and Families around teacher leaves and the coverage and instructional plans moving forward Mr adido provided an update on the five-year Workforce diversity plan which she also discussed at last night's Rutter's implementation committee meeting we review data provided by cni regarding staff performance evaluations and Status at this time the committee is not overly concerned however reinforce the importance of working with a building Administration to to staying on schedule to meet the deadlines especially in consideration of some of the points we lost in the recent husack audit uh Mr Idan led the continued conversation around allowing new teachers to have their CH child or children attend s SMSD schools as a recruiting tool both Dr Gilbert and Mr adido believe this can help fill some tough positions bring in more teachers of color based on the feedback they've received as a Next Step the committee is open to furthering discussions however we really need to understand what that Financial impact is and Dr Gilbert and Mr ad Doan will be working with the ba office to put together an analysis for hopefully our next committee meeting next meeting date is TBD as we await to finalize the 2025 committees with the incoming board members any questions all right thank you the fft committee met on December 11th and everyone was there and a warm welcome to the business and a fully filled business offer Mr Moody and the assistant ba Mr Zaba so first I want to talk about a very important information for current 8th grade parents and students all students will have to re-register for n9th grade beginning in Spring of 2025 this is a best practice across many districts like ours so just know that you'll be getting more information starting you know January February or up done with that the second thing is MMS will have a partial re roof replacement this is outside of the long range facilities plan and this is the right thing to do because the rest of the roof is being built anyway and it'll you know work well for the next 20 years the money will come from the maintenance reserve the the board was presented with a preliminary budget calendar you know we be looking at that and we'll have to kind of follow up with that uh we have finally arrived in the 21st century and we now have electronic pay ups for all staff and just quoting Mr Bing I mean we're thrilled to announce a new Innovative step forward in streamlining a payroll process starting with the next P Cycle on Jan 15th and the district will begin offering electronic space STS which is cool it's it's good yeah uh all detailed minutes are available on the website so please go there to check out everything else that I have not mentioned here thanks and questions uh stepping in for chair policy chair will Meyers um the policy and governance committee met on Tuesday December 3rd in attendance was board members Meyer gford sack Gable and Whit lter in addition to superintendent Bing uh Miss garia and Dr Gilbert up for second read tonight is policy 8420 on emergency in crisis situations as noted in our last meeting this policy puts into place numerous statutory protections for students with disabilities and other circumstances during security drills we also included within this policy several additional protections of Our Own including notification at the beginning of the drill intentional protections for students caught in hallways or other areas outside of the classroom during a drill an opportunity after the drill for students to debrief with their teacher and ample explanation of the nature of a drill to parents so that they can discuss the drill with their children the committee addressed updated policy language for school volunteers and athletic coaches to ensure adequate oversight and training as well as proposed polic policy on acceptable use of generative artificial intelligence policies that are being reviewed in other committees now the board discussed the adoption of an updated policy 4217 on corporal punishment restrictions for support staff to align with the language and policy 3217 regarding corporal punishment restrictions on teachers and that will be reviewed by the Personnel committee finally the board discussed the ongoing development of governance handbook for our board as well as adoption procedures to streamline uh this the efficiency of board operations and board meetings additional information on all of these is available as always in our minutes on the website okay think we're good okay so the cni committee curriculum and instruction met on Tuesday December 10th at 5:30 p.m. and um I was there along with board members Callahan gford um our administrative liaison Mr Bing Miss Bodner Dr karea Dr Gilbert Miss weel and I think that was it for this month um we focused we centered our conversations around our district goals one two and four that are related to cni I um most notably um and again all of the notes are on the district website but just want to highlight that we had a comprehensive presentation from Mr Sanchez and Miss Banner who I noticed is up for um a new position tonight as CHS um assistant principal uh so they presented on student attendance interventions that have successfully reduced student cuts of classes also known as Hall wander ing which is more of an accurate description so um they shared a lot of insight it was a very thorough presentation and it is linked in the minutes as I shared last month to promote transparency and accountability the district shared a month-by-month timeline of actions related to the CHS schedule which we review in cni regularly as part of our oversight Rule and Report out so for December the district successfully complet the scheduled actions of um two of them the program of studies is on track to being finalized this month and supervisors are examining class siiz reports and determining best ways to promote current classes that have low enrollment and we as far as policy goes we had a robust discussion about the AI policy that board member gford mentioned and it was great to have input from Oliver thank you for for attending um and hopefully ASA at some point you'll be able to join us too but um it was a great discussion and Oliver having your Insight really reminded us that when we develop these policies and we talk about um teachers and all of the Educators right bringing information to students that oftentimes students are ahead of the adults and can often um be the teachers when it comes to AI use and Tech use in the classroom so thank you um and I just want to thank the cni committee for a productive year and I look forward to seeing how the work continues to progress in 2025 thank you any questions all right now we move on to the action portion of the meeting right consideration uh resolutions 4696 through 4707 we're now in discussion on these items are there any sever no okay B okay money um so I'll first start with a disclaim but I'm not speaking on behalf of board only the board Bo president can and I want to bring to attention personal resolution 4696 G as in golf we cannot take names as a personal matter still I pleased to see that this particular teacher returns from administrative lead it has been a while to write a wrong at least in my opinion but the ark has been pent correctly I hope that all involved in this matter resolve differences as soon as possible and the teacher can return to positively impacting the children again pan yeah I wanted to highlight resolution 4707 which is a commencement of social media litigation for the 2024 2025 school year um by voting yes tonight on this resolution our district will join Over 800 school districts Across the Nation in supporting a lawsuit against social media companies like Facebook and Tik Tok these platforms have contributed to a growing Mental Health crisis among kids and teenagers marked by Rising levels of anxiety depression thoughts of self harm and the toll of social media extends Beyond just mental health but it contributes to lower academic performance increase School avoidance higher rates of substance abuse and behavioral issues and these challenges strain our resources and hinder our ability to fulfill our educational Mission as an educator I see those detrimental impacts that the research Bears out firsthand and I'm deeply committed to advocating on this issue not just professionally but as a parent and a board member locally we've seen sign significant momentum and parent L advocacy around addressing this crisis including efforts by team on screen and discussions here on the board of education our district has also taken proactive measures like piloting the Yonder program at Maplewood Middle School to minimize distractions and negative impact of social media and students social emotional well-being in the learning environment I have and will continue to advocate for strengthening our policies and implementation of cell phone policies throughout the district this lawsuit represents an opportunity for us to join in holding social media companies like accountable for prioritizing profits over the welfare of kids by participating we advocate for systemic change to protect students and reaffirm our commitment to fostering a safe healthy and focused learning environment I am proud to support this resolution and I urge my colleagues to do the same tonight thank you all right I guess we'll close discussion and move to vote yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes all right uh it looks like uh the eyes happen what's that oh yeah yeah we're on to that next yeah um also thank you we have a hand carry uh resolution that I'll pass around for [Music] we can't discuss this matter so I guess we'll just go straight to a vote yes member dval Wilson yes board member eard yes board member gford yes board member Meyer board member sacki Gable yes board president telesford yes board member vadlamani yes board member member Whit letter yes all right the eyes okay now we'll move on to our second hearing of individuals and delegations all right now we'll move on to new business anyone one more okay come on up like to call kadesia White I'm sorry Dr White is it on yeah okay okay so first like policy 8420 sucks kind of guys I mean I don't like coming here too often because I feel like there's this like weird woke anti-woke thing going on in the US and I'm on the wrong wokish side of it um but I will say that like those policies should be led not just by like law enforcement but they should also be led by like School psychologists social workers nurses teachers and parents and students and there was a commitment from the board several years back that parents and students and teachers would be involved with security stuff going on in the district um because when you when we weren't there were kids who were afraid to go to the water fountains there were kids who were afraid to go to the bathroom there were kids who were going to the doctors because they had headaches they weren't drinking all day because they were afraid of the drills and the board didn't know it um and the only time they knew it was when parents had to start coming so that was why the policy was supposed to involve us that was there's supposed to be a team effort um in community as a partnership in that policy to see it be taken out is surprising to me especially because I think all of you have run on involving parents and teachers and community members more in these kinds of things um and there's basic stuff like Texas California New York uh like places that actually have shootings like Florida and Parkland they give advanced notice because they know that parents will see police police officers outside of schools and get afraid that kids will see police officers during drills and get afraid so like there's some like Common Sense stuff um superintendent being today you mentioned the National Association of school psychologist in your piece they have a lot of directives one of them is like not mandating the drills they're suggesting to give advaned notice um so I feel like there's a piece missing and I hope that I'm not too woke to suggest that or recommend that for the future and I hope that despite my wokish you guys will take advantage of people who have like expert opinions okay so that's aside I'm going to take a little hopefully you won't kick me out I'm going to take one more minute um even though I don't have it Dr telesford quawi um I wanted to come here with an anecdote about you uh from high school sitting in English class um while I kind of messed with the English teacher and you just kind of laugh in the background uh you have always been one of the kindest most thoughtful most compassionate smartest people I've ever met um and I've met a lot of smart people uh and I am so impressed with your constant generosity to this community and to your colleagues on this board I just want you to know that as we enter the the new Trump era I feel a lot of trepidation about what comes next because for the community to not understand the kind of resource they had in you scares me um but I'm also kind of relieved for you that you don't have to deal with this nonsense anymore so I can come and hang out and cuddle your adorable baby and you have more time to cuddle your adorable baby um you're amazing uh and I'm not just saying that because I was your classmate I'm saying that because you're the guy who told me about the kid in our class who got killed in the Iraq War um and was it Afghanistan or was Iraq it was Iraq yeah um right after we graduated and about how you guys bonded in the swimming pool and how precious of a space that was for you and for many of us because of that and I'm not dropping the pool because I care about the pool I'm dropping the pool because talking to you about it made me realize how much of an experience you had in this school system and how important that has been and everything that's guided your leadership and your presence so I had to come and say that because I don't know if people understand what they're losing here um and I don't think they understand what they've had so thank you for your service I truly value you um I hope you get some rest and that on every Thursday night you take a drink that you are not here um and I feel the same for you around so happy holidays Happy New Year's everybody I will keep my wokish self mostly from the board me room but I do hope that in the future you kind of I don't know we've got to be more of a community here and uh I don't know what that looks like other than to say that hopefully we all can work together on behalf of the kids here bye thank [Applause] you all right now we'll move on to our new business anybody have any new business okay I'll read a final paragraph then the Board of Education will meet in public session and hold its annual reorganization meeting on Thursday January 2nd 2025 at 6:30 p.m. in the district meeting room at 5:25 Academy Street in Maple New Jersey as well as using the online video conference platform the Board of Education will adjourn to close session in the superintendent's office to discuss personnel and legal issues negotiations and other matters should be announced at a later date immediately following the closed session the Board of Education will return to public session at 7:30 p.m. the community can view the meeting by following the steps which will be listed on the agenda if there are members of the community who would like to attend the meeting in person please note that mass and social distancing are suggested in accordance with the guidance received from the local do and the CDC action will be taken all right like to make a motion to adjourn a second thank you pmer Callahan all in favor all right it's unanimous we are adjourned at 9:25 p.m.