[00:00:01] >> [NOISE] IT IS NOW 7:04, [3. RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION] AND THE BOARD IS BACK IN OPEN SESSION. OUR INVOCATION, PASTOR SHAWN PASCHAL, INGLEWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH, WILL LEAD OUR INVOCATION. >> LET'S PRAY TOGETHER. OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE ARE SO FIRST OF ALL GRATEFUL AS WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER TONIGHT TO DO BUSINESS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. FATHER, I PRAY TONIGHT FOR THE ADMINISTRATORS AND THE BOARD TO HAVE YOUR WISDOM TONIGHT AS THEY DISCUSS IMPORTANT ISSUES FOR GRAND PRAIRIE. FATHER, I WANT TO GIVE YOU THANKS FOR THE WAY THAT YOU HAVE PROTECTED US AND KEPT US SAFE, IN PARTICULAR THESE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT THE WAY THAT YOU'VE JUST WATCHED OVER EACH AND EVERY CAMPUS, EACH AND EVERY PRINCIPAL, EACH AND EVERY TEACHER, AND EVERY STUDENT, GOD. YOU HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL AND GOOD, AND FOR THAT, WE PRAISE YOU TONIGHT. FATHER, WE DESIRE, LORD, TO SEE YOU GLORIFIED AND TO SEE BEST PRACTICES, LORD. WE PRAY, GOD, THAT WE WOULD ALWAYS OPERATE IN A WAY THAT BRINGS YOU GLORY THROUGH OUR INTEGRITY. I PRAY THAT, AND I THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO SERVE IN THESE CAPACITIES AND FOR THIS BOARD. WE PRAISE YOU FOR THEM. WE THANK YOU FOR THE STUDENTS, THE CHILDREN, AND WE PRAY THAT YOU CONTINUE TO BLESS THEM AND HELP THEM TO LEARN EVERY DAY AS THEY ATTEND SCHOOL. FATHER, HELP THEM TO HAVE A VERY ENJOYABLE CHRISTMAS BREAK AND OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND TIME WITH THEIR FAMILY THAT YOU BLESS THEM THERE AS WELL. GOD, WE GIVE YOU PRAISE IN ALL THESE WAYS, AND WE PRAISE YOU IN THE NAME OF YOUR SON, JESUS CHRIST. AMEN. >> AMEN. >> THANK YOU. >> MR. HALL WILL LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE TO OUR NATION'S FLAG. >> >> YOU MAY BE SEATED. [NOISE] WE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE RECOGNITION OF SPECIAL GUEST, [6. RECOGNITION OF SPECIAL GUESTS] OUR PRESENTER, MR. SAM [INAUDIBLE]. [NOISE] >> THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT, MS. ELLIS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. TO BEGIN THIS EVENING, WE HAVE A SPECIAL HOLIDAY PERFORMANCE COURTESY OF THE GRAND PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL PERCUSSION SECTION UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MR. DOUG DEMENT. [APPLAUSE] [BACKGROUND]. >> OH, MY GOSH. >> I JUST LOVE GETTING KIDS BACK AT THESE MEETINGS. >> [LAUGHTER] SMILE FOR THE PICTURE. [LAUGHTER] WELL, THANK YOU, SCHOOL BOARD, FOR HAVING US. THANK YOU, AMY FRANCIS, AND THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT. WE'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE CHRISTMAS OFFERING TONIGHT. IT'S A LITTLE DANCE CALLED [INAUDIBLE]. I'LL GET IN POSITION, AND WE'LL START. [MUSIC] [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. [00:05:13] >> SO GOOD. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> GREAT JOB, TEAM. [APPLAUSE] >> GOOD JOB. >> I'LL DO IT FOR YOU ALL. >> BEAUTIFUL JOB. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> MERRY CHRISTMAS. >> MERRY CHRISTMAS. [BACKGROUND] [APPLAUSE] >> THIS YEAR, THE DISTRICT HELD ITS SECOND HOLIDAY CARD DESIGN CONTEST. THIS CONTEST NEVER FAILS TO DRAW OUT MANY TALENTED ARTISTS IN OUR DISTRICT. THIS YEAR'S CARD DESIGN WINNER WAS NATASHA MAHMOOD FROM THE SCHOOL FOR THE HIGHLY GIFTED. HER ARTWORK ADORNS THE CARD THAT WAS SENT OUT TO APPROXIMATELY 500 SENIOR GOLD CARD MEMBERS. WE WANT TO HONOR AND THANK NATASHA FOR SHARING HER TALENT WITH US AND WITH OUR SENIORS. IF I COULD ASK HER TO COME FORWARD. WE HAVE MOUNTED HER ARTWORK FOR HER. [APPLAUSE] [BACKGROUND] ALSO WITH HER TONIGHT IS HER HEADMASTER, CANDIS JONES, AND HER ART TEACHER, KELLY GESSNER. [APPLAUSE] [MUSIC] >> ALL READY? 1, 2, 3. >> [INAUDIBLE]. [LAUGHTER] >> HANG ON. >> CONGRATULATIONS. >> THANK YOU. >> [INAUDIBLE] >> ONE MORE. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> WE'D LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE TO PLEASE KEEP THEIR PHONES ON SILENT. [LAUGHTER] [BACKGROUND] >> [NOISE] THIS YEAR, BONHAM EARLY EDUCATION CENTER AND YOUNG WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY WERE INVITED TO APPLY TO BECOME AN APPLE-DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL IN THE SPRING OF THIS PAST YEAR. THEIR APPLICATION CONSISTED OF CAMPUS WALKTHROUGHS ALONG WITH ARTIFACTS THAT DEMONSTRATED STUDENT CREATIVITY, COLLABORATION, CRITICAL THINKING USING IPAD DEVICES. LEADERSHIP AT THE CAMPUS PLAYED A HUGE ROLE WITH AMAZING TEACHERS WHO ALLOWED THEIR STUDENTS TIME TO CREATE AND SHOW THEIR LEARNING. WE'RE EXTREMELY PROUD OF BOTH CAMPUSES WHO NOW JOIN GARNER FINE ARTS AND GRAND PRAIRIE FINE ARTS ACADEMY AS OUR FOUR APPLE-DISTINGUISHED SCHOOLS IN GRAND PRAIRIE ISD. THERE ARE CURRENTLY 690 SCHOOLS IN 36 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE. APPLE SAID THIS ABOUT OUR TWO NEW DISTINGUISHED SCHOOLS, "APPLE DISTINGUISHED SCHOOLS ARE CENTERS OF LEADERSHIP AND EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE THAT DEMONSTRATE APPLE'S VISION FOR LEARNING WITH TECHNOLOGY. THEY ARE SOME OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE SCHOOLS IN THE WORLD." CONGRATULATIONS TO RACHEL MENDOZA, THE PRINCIPAL OF BONHAM, AND JANNA BURNS, THE PRINCIPAL OF YWLA. IF I COULD ASK THEM TO COME FORWARD AT THIS TIME. [APPLAUSE] THEY COME BEARING THEIR OFFICIAL BANNERS. [BACKGROUND] [LAUGHTER] >> THE FUTURE'S SO BRIGHT WHEN YOU'RE WEARING SHADES. [LAUGHTER] >> DON'T DO THAT IN A BANK. [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE]. >> I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T INTRODUCE [INAUDIBLE], WHO IS A BIG PLAYER IN MAKING SURE [00:10:01] THAT THESE CAMPUSES [APPLAUSE]. ALL RIGHT. NEXT WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL RECOGNITION IN HONOR OF NATIONAL FAMILY ENGAGEMENT MONTH. WE'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE OUR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY LIAISONS. BUT FIRST WE'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU A SHORT VIDEO. >> OUR MISSION AT THE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT IS TO NURTURE AND FOSTER PARTNERSHIPS WITH ALL OF OUR FAMILIES. FAMILY ENGAGEMENT IS SUCH AN INTEGRAL PART OF A STUDENT'S ACADEMIC SUCCESS. IT IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY BETWEEN FAMILIES, EDUCATORS, AND COMMUNITY. HERE AT GPISD, OUR FAMILY ENGAGEMENT LIAISON AND SPECIALISTS WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE A QUALITY FAMILY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF OUR FAMILIES AND OUR CAMPUSES. AS THE STUDENTS FIRST TEACHER, WE VALUE AND RESPECT OUR PARENTS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THEY TRUSTED US WITH EDUCATING THEIR CHILDREN, AND FOR THAT REASON, WE NEED OUR GPISD PARENTS TO BE PART OF THE EDUCATION PROCESS. OUR FAMILY ENGAGEMENT TEAM ALSO PLANS AND FACILITATE PARENT WORKSHOPS. THESE WORKSHOPS ARE CATERED TO EMPOWER OUR FAMILIES WITH KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT WHEN EDUCATORS AND FAMILIES WORK TOGETHER, CHILDREN DO BETTER IN SCHOOL. THEY STAY IN SCHOOL LONGER, AND THEY ENJOY SCHOOL MORE. OUR GPISD FAMILY ENGAGEMENT TEAM IS READY TO LISTEN AND GUIDE OUR FAMILIES TO GO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO. WE ARE READY TO MEET YOU [MUSIC] [APPLAUSE]. >> RECENTLY, THE CITY HONORED THIS GROUP AS WELL, AND I'D LIKE TO READ A FEW OF THEIR AWARDS BEFORE I BRING UP MS. HERRERA. THE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT LIAISONS AND SPECIALISTS ARE A VITAL PART OF GRAND PRAIRIE ISD TO FACILITATE MEANINGFUL PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT, ENHANCE THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE HOME AND THE SCHOOL, AND TO HELP PARENTS IDENTIFY AND SECURE VALUABLE COMMUNITY IN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES. THEY ACT DEPENDABLY, CREATIVELY, AND COLLABORATIVELY TO ACCOMPLISH WHATEVER TASK THEY'RE ASSIGNED OR COMMIT THEMSELVES TO. THEY WORK TOGETHER ALONG WITH PARENTS, SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITIES IN PREPARING TODAY'S STUDENTS FOR TOMORROW'S WORLD. GOING TO BRING UP MISS HERRERA [APPLAUSE]. WE HAVE SOME FRAMED PROCLAMATIONS FOR OUR LIAISONS. MISS HERRERA WE'RE GOING TO HELP PASS THOSE OUT. IF THE LIAISONS COULD COME FORWARD AS WELL. [APPLAUSE] [LAUGHTER]. >> YOU CAN SEE THAT [APPLAUSE] [LAUGHTER] >> FINALLY, THIS EVENING WE WOULD LIKE TO SHINE THE GPISD SPOTLIGHT ON THE RAYBURN ELEMENTARY STEAM ACADEMY. [00:15:01] THEY FOSTER EACH STUDENTS IN A CURIOSITY, THEIR JOY OF DISCOVERY THROUGH SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ARTS, AND MATH. WE HAVE A VIDEO. >> ALL RIGHT. [MUSIC] >> WHEN I WALK THROUGH THE HALLS AT RAYBURN, THERE'S A POSITIVE ENERGY. WE'VE GOT KIDS EXCITED ABOUT LEARNING, TEACHERS ARE SMILING, CONVERSATIONS ARE ALL FOCUSED ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM. STUDENTS ARE BUILDING GAMES, MAKING THINGS, TAKING THINGS APART, PUTTING THINGS BACK TOGETHER. IT'S ABOUT DISCOVERY, AND IT'S ALL ABOUT LEARNING THAT MAKES THIS PLACE JUST A GREAT PLACE TO BE. >> HERE AT RAYBURN WE HAVE A LOT OF WONDERFUL THINGS, THINGS THAT MIGHT NOT BE SEEN AT OTHER CAMPUSES. LOT OF ROBOTICS, WE HAVE OUR OWN SET OF SPARROWS, EVEN A GREEN SCREEN WALL FOR VIDEO PRODUCTION. >> I LIKE WHEN WE HAVE FUN, EXCITING IN MY CLASS, AND WHEN WE GET TO DO FUN EXPERIENCE. >> I LIKE ABOUT RAYBURN IN THAT IT HAS A LOT OF PROJECTS. WE HAVE ART PROJECTS, WE HAVE SCIENCE PROJECT, ENGINEERING. >> [FOREIGN]. THEY WILL COME OUT OF YOUR HAVING KNOWN MORE ABOUT TECHNOLOGY THAN ANY NORMAL ADULTS. >> OUR TEACHERS WORK SO HARD TO STUDY, PROJECT DEEP INTO CURRICULUM. THEY WORK HARD AND SPEND MANY HOURS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT THE STUDENT NEED TO KNOW AND THE BEST WAY THAT WE CAN DELIVER INSTRUCTION. ANOTHER THING WE HAVE ON CAMPUS, WHICH IS UNIQUE TO RAYBURN IS OUR CHILDCARE PROGRAM. WE HAVE STUDENTS RANGING IN SEVERAL MONTHS OLD TO SEVERAL YEARS OLD. I HAPPEN TO BE THE PARENT OF A STUDENT THAT'S IN CHILDCARE. THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME AS A MOM. WE WANT STUDENTS TO GROW ACADEMICALLY, SOCIALLY, EMOTIONALLY, AND TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT IN THE WORLD AROUND US. AT SCHOOL AND IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL STUDENTS FEEL SAFE, VALUED, AND LOVED [MUSIC] [APPLAUSE]. >> THANK YOU. >> LOOK AT YOU. [BACKGROUND] [LAUGHTER] [NOISE] CONGRATULATIONS, FRIENDS. >> THANK YOU. >> CONGRATULATIONS. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> THAT WAS FUN. I'M SO PROUD. [BACKGROUND] >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [BACKGROUND] [LAUGHTER] >> I'M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THAT. [LAUGHTER] [00:20:01] >> WE ALREADY HAVE [OVERLAPPING]. >> WE GOT THAT ON CAMERA, RIGHT? [LAUGHTER]. >> YOU'RE TAKING IT OUT OF CONTEXT. >> I DON'T HAVE TO TAKE IT OUT. [LAUGHTER] >> IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, TERRY. [LAUGHTER] >> WHAT? [LAUGHTER] >> TERRY. >> THANK YOU, MR. BUCHMEYER, I'M OKAY. [LAUGHTER] >> SHUT UP. [LAUGHTER]. >> CREEPY. >> [LAUGHTER] THAT'S WHY I GOT HER HERE, OKAY? >> SHE CAN'T MOVE THAT FAST. [LAUGHTER]. >> I THINK IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON. >> I THINK SO. >> IN A HURRY. [LAUGHTER] >> WE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE OPEN FORUM OF THE AGENDA ITEMS. >> WE'RE HAVING FUN, THOUGH. [LAUGHTER] >> SHOULD I GAVEL? >> NO, YOU'RE GOOD. JUST KEEP GOING. >> OKAY. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY COMMUNICATION FROM THE CITIZENS REGARDING A PENDING AGENDA ITEM, AND WE HAVE NO ACTION AS A RESULT OF THOSE SESSIONS, SO WE WILL NOW MOVE TO OUR SUPERINTENDENT'S UPDATE. [9. SUPERINTENDENT UPDATE] THE PRESENTER, MS. ELLIS. >> THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. AS YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS START WITH GOOD THINGS, AND WE HAVE SO MANY GOOD THINGS TODAY. SAM? HEY, THANK YOU, FRIEND. THIS IS SO EXCITING FOR ME. SONNIA ORTEGA, WHO RUNS OUR CONNECTIONS PROGRAM, AND MRS. SUSANNA RAMIREZ DO AMAZING THINGS TO TAKE CARE OF OUR FAMILIES. IT NEVER ENDS. IT IS ONGOING, AND IT IS EXCEPTIONAL. IT IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY IN THIS COMMUNITY CAN HAVE SO MUCH PRIDE ABOUT, BUT THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE MS. ORTEGA REACHED OUT. WE HAD FAMILIES THAT NEEDED CHRISTMAS THINGS FOR THEIR CHILDREN. IT WAS GETTING CLOSE TO THE DEADLINE. I THINK TERI WILSON REACHED OUT AND SAID, "DO YOU HAVE ANY REMAINING FAMILIES?" IT CAME, TERI SENT IT TO THIS BUILDING, AND THE PEOPLE JUST CAME LIKE CRAZY SAYING, "WHO CAN I ADOPT? WHO CAN I GET CHRISTMAS FOR?" THIS WAS A PICTURE, PART OF IT ANYWAY, BUT IT FILLED THREE ROOMS, WHERE MRS. ORTEGA WAS ABLE TO TAKE THAT BACK, AND KEEP IT FOR OUR CHILDREN TO HAVE A GREAT CHRISTMAS IN THERE. I CAN'T THANK HER. I CAN'T THANK MRS. RAMIREZ ENOUGH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO FOR OUR CHILDREN AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND FOR THE PEOPLE IN THIS BUILDING THAT JUST RAN TO HELP. IT IS WHAT WE DO, AND IT WAS A GREAT REMINDER OF THE FUN OF GIVING. IT'S SUCH A GOOD THING. MOVING ON. WE HAD OUR ED SINGER HOLIDAY LUNCHEON. WE HAD OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES THAT WERE HERE TO SERVE. THIS IS A TRADITION THAT WE'VE DONE FOR MANY YEARS. WE HAD STUDENT GROUPS THAT CAME AND PERFORMED FOR THE EMPLOYEES IN THIS BUILDING. IT WAS GREAT FUN. [NOISE] THESE ARE PICTURES OF OUR RECENT JOB FAIR. AS YOU KNOW, EMPLOYMENT, WHETHER IT BE AN AUXILIARY, WHETHER IT BE PROFESSIONAL, PARAPROFESSIONAL, IT DOESN'T MATTER, EMPLOYMENT HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE, AND SO OUR HUMAN CAPITAL DEPARTMENT PUT TOGETHER A JOB FAIR, AND WE WERE ABLE TO RECRUIT SOME GREAT EMPLOYEES, A FEW GREAT EMPLOYEES, AND WE'LL TAKE A FEW GREAT EMPLOYEES, SO THAT'S THAT. A GREAT THING. MOVING ON, THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY STUDENT PERFORMANCES THROUGHOUT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. THIS HAPPENS TO BE BUOY, THEIR CHRISTMAS PROGRAM, THEY HAD A CHRISTMAS PROGRAM, BUT WHAT I WANT TO CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION, THOSE CHILDREN WITH THOSE GUITARS THEY'RE 14 CHILDREN, THEY'RE IN THE GUITAR CLUB. THEY PRACTICE ON MONDAY MORNINGS AT 7:15. NO ONE'S EVER BEEN LATE. >> WOW. >> WOW. >> THOSE KIDS ARE GOING TO BE ROCKSTARS. [LAUGHTER] YOU KNOW THAT THEY ARE. IT'S FUN. [NOISE] TO THE LEFT HERE, THIS WAS A MEETING THAT WE HAD. I KNOW THAT YOU'RE AWARE THAT GOVERNOR ABBOTT SIGNED INTO LAW THE BLUBAUGH ACT, WHICH WAS SPEARHEADED BY OUR OWN ASSISTANT CHIEF ROSS. WE MET WITH THE FAMILY, WE TALKED ABOUT THINGS IN WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AS A DISTRICT. WE'RE REQUIRED TO OFFER CURRICULUM FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE REGARDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, AND THAT WAS A GREAT MEETING THAT WE HAD WITH CHRISTINE BLUBAUGH'S FAMILY, HER MOTHER, CHRISTINE'S TWIN SISTER, SO THAT WAS A GREAT MEETING. >> NOCHE DE NAVIDAD. >> NOCHE DE NAVIDAD. [LAUGHTER] THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. WOW, I KNOW THAT MRS. CARRILLO WAS PROBABLY GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TALK WHAT SHE DOES. SHE SPEARHEADS THE WHOLE THING. SHE FINDS THE PEOPLE TO SUPPORT IT. SHE DOES THE OUTREACH FOR FAMILIES IN NEED OF FOOD, AND SHE CAN GET VOLUNTEERS TOGETHER LIKE I HAVE NEVER SEEN. WE HAD STUDENT VOLUNTEERS, OUR COMMUNITY, OUR PARENT LIAISONS. IT WAS SIMPLY AN AMAZING NIGHT, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT LATER, BUT I THINK OVER 280 FAMILIES ACTUALLY PICKED UP AMAZING OPPORTUNITY AND FOOD FOR THEIR FAMILY. IT WAS A GREAT EVENT. IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT JUST IS SPREADING JOY. [00:25:03] THEN IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT, THIS WAS ACTUALLY A ROTARY MEETING. MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT THE FRIDAY ROTARY HAS SUPPORTED DENTAL SAVINGS [NOISE] FOR OUR CHILDREN FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. DR. JANELLE BICKNELL IS THE ONE WHO DOES THAT. ROTARY SUPPORTS IT, AND THEY FUND IT, BUT DR. BICKNELL GIVES HER TIME TO DO THAT, SO WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HONOR HER HERE AT THE ROTARY CLUB. THAT WAS A GREAT THING. MOVING ON TO A LITTLE BIT OF DATA. [NOISE] AN UPDATE ON COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS. THIS IS 2020 DATA THAT THERE IS A ONE-YEAR LAG IN THE DATA THAT WE GET, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES KNOW AND OUR COMMUNITY KNOWS WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THIS STRATEGIC PARTNER, CONTIGO, TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT EVERY CHILD THAT GRADUATES LEAVES COLLEGE, CAREER, AND MILITARY-READY. AS OF 2020, WE HAD 65 PERCENT OF OUR 2020 GRADUATES WHO WERE ENROLLED IN COLLEGE OR GRADUATED WITH A CERTIFICATE. THIS IS A GREAT STATISTIC, THE NEXT ONE THAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU. BETWEEN 2015 AND 2020, WE HAD A 73 PERCENT INCREASE OF STUDENTS WHO TOOK AT LEAST ONE ADVANCED COURSE, MEANING ADVANCED PLACEMENT OR DUAL CREDIT, SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT. A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR 2020 GRADUATES HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE ACT, THE SAT, OR THE TSIA TEST TO DETERMINE THEIR READINESS FOR COLLEGE. THEN FINALLY, 55 PERCENT OF OUR 2020 GRADUATES MET CCMR [NOISE] BENCHMARKS. THAT'S A GOOD NUMBER, AND WE HAVE STRATEGIES IN PLACE TO MAKE THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT, SO WE'LL BE WORKING FORWARD WITH THAT, AND YOU'LL SEE MORE GOALS ABOUT THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD. THEN FINALLY, AN OPERATIONS UPDATE. AS YOU KNOW, OUR [NOISE] GROUP WHO WAS ON OUR ESSER STEERING COMMITTEE. WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO REPORT TO THEM EVERY SIX MONTHS. WE STARTED IN JUNE, WE WILL COMPLETE IN DECEMBER. IN THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY, WE WILL HAVE AN ESSER STEERING COMMITTEE IN WHICH WE WILL TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE SPENT ESSER FUNDING ON. THAT INCLUDES [NOISE] 55 NEW CLASSROOM TEACHERS. YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ME SAY THIS BEFORE, BUT WE PUT AN EMPHASIS ON OUR 1ST GRADE CLASSES. WE ADDED TEACHERS AT 1ST GRADE. WE ALSO ADDED TEACHERS FOR OUR END-OF-COURSE AT THE HOSPITAL, SO TYPICALLY NOT GRADE COURSES. WE HAVE HAD 43 STUDENTS. YOU'VE HEARD ME MENTION THIS. OUR GPISD COUNSELING CENTER THAT IS AT THE FAMILY SERVICE CENTER, IT ONLY OPENED ON OCTOBER THE 21ST, BUT WE'VE ALREADY HAD 43 FAMILIES THAT HAVE GONE THERE FOR HELP FOR COUNSELING FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS. I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT. WE CONTINUE TO WORK. YOU SEE THE DATA THERE ABOUT OUR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING LESSONS. WE WORK WITH OUR INSURANCE PROVIDER, AETNA. WE HAVE WELLNESS WEDNESDAY. WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS IN WHICH WE'RE TRYING TO SUPPORT ALL OF OUR STAFF TOWARD WELLNESS IN A VERY CHALLENGING YEAR. THEN ON THE OPERATION SIDE, IN THE BUILDING ENERGY MANAGEMENT, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF NEW ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CONTROLLERS. THE MORE IMPORTANT THING IS THE 2,800 PLUS BIPOLAR IONIZATION INSTALLATIONS. THERE HAVE BEEN HOLDUPS FOR THAT BECAUSE OF SHIPPING AND MANUFACTURING LICENSE, THAT SORT OF THING, BUT WE ARE ON IT. THEN THIS NEXT POINT I WANT TO MAKE, THE 3,243 NEW WIRELESS ACCESS POINTS. THIS BOARD OF TRUSTEES FUNDED THIS LAST YEAR. WE HAD PROBLEMS GETTING THE EQUIPMENT, BUT I'M VERY PROUD. DIANA DORA, ARE YOU HERE? >> YES, MA'AM. >> ALL RIGHT. >> THERE SHE IS. >> THIS WEEK, WE FINALLY, UNDER HER DIRECTION, GOT ONE SCHOOL FULLY RETROFIT AND READY TO GO COMPLETELY REDONE. WE'LL CONTINUE THAT, BUT THE EQUIPMENT IS HERE, AND WE'RE MOVING. DIANA DORA, I HAVE TO THANK YOU FOR STAYING ON THAT AND IN UPDATING ALL OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. THANK YOU. THAT'S IT FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT. >> THANK YOU, MS. ELLIS. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA, [10. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS] AND OUR PRESENTER, MS. ELLIS. >> MADAM PRESIDENT, THERE ARE FIVE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND I RECOMMEND THE BOARD OF PRAIRIE TO PRESENT IT. >> MADAM PRESIDENT, SO MOVED. >> WE HAVE A MOTION. >> SECOND. >> DO WE HAVE A SECOND? A MOTION, MR. AARON KING? >> SECOND, YEAH. >> WE HAVE A MOTION, AND WE HAVE A SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. >> AYE. [OVERLAPPING] >> AYE. >> ALL THOSE OPPOSED, SAY NO. MOTION PASSES, 6-0. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO ACTION AGENDA. [11.A. Out-of-State Student Travel] ACTION AGENDA ITEM A, OUT-OF-STATE STUDENT TRAVEL. PRESENTER WAS TO BE MS. AMY FRANCIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS. I BELIEVE THAT DR. ALEXANDER IS GOING TO MAKE THAT PRESENTATION. >> MADAM PRESIDENT, IF YOU WILL, WE DISCUSSED THIS, DR. ALEXANDER IS HERE FOR QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY, IF I HAVE NOT ANSWERED ANY OF YOUR CONCERNS. [00:30:01] >> MADAM PRESIDENT, IF YOU'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. >> YES, SIR. >> I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE OUT-OF-STATE TRAVEL FOR THE FINE ARTS ACADEMY. >> I SECOND IT. >> SECOND. >> WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND. >> [OVERLAPPING] MR. PARRA? >> I'LL DEFER TO THE VICE PRESIDENT. >> THAT IS OKAY. [LAUGHTER] >> MR. HALL, OKAY. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. >> AYE. [OVERLAPPING] >> AYE. >> ALL THOSE OPPOSED, NO. MOTION PASSES, 6-0. ACTION ITEM, OKAY. [NOISE] [11.B. 2022-2023 Academic Calendar] ITEM 11B, OUR ACADEMIC CALENDAR, MR. SAM BUCHMEYER. [NOISE] >> GIVE ME A SECOND. [NOISE] HERE WE GO. TO BEGIN, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO QUICKLY REVIEW OUR CALENDAR PROCESS. IF YOU REMEMBER, A DRAFT WAS TAKEN TO EIC, THEN TO THE TEACHER ADVISORY AND THAT WAS THE CALENDAR THAT WE REFERRED TO AS OPTION A. FROM THOSE MEETINGS CAME A SECOND DRAFT WHICH WE CALLED OPTION B. THOSE DRAFTS WERE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD LAST MONTH AS AN INFORMATION ITEM AND THEN THEY WERE TAKEN TO THE LEADERSHIP TEAM FOLLOWING THAT MEETING FOR THEIR REVIEW AND WE GOT SOME MORE SUGGESTIONS. AFTER WE COLLECTED ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, WE PUT THAT OUT TO ALL OF OUR PARENTS AND TO OUR STAFF AS WELL. I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU THE RESULTS OF THAT SURVEY. WE HAD 2,315 PARTICIPANTS THAT GENERATED 2,358 THOUGHTS AND OVER 33,000 RATINGS. THIS WAS A BREAKDOWN OF WHO TOOK THE SURVEY, 62 PERCENT WERE PARENTS, 38 PERCENT STAFF, AND A SMALL NUMBER THAT DR. STIGA WOULD TELL ME WERE STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT. THEN WE JUST FLAT-OUT ASKED THE QUESTION, WHICH CALENDAR OPTION DO YOU PREFER? THE TWO CALENDARS WERE EMBEDDED IN THAT SURVEY SO PEOPLE COULD LOOK AT THOSE AND COMPARE THE TWO. AS YOU CAN SEE, 28 PERCENT PREFERRED A, 72 PERCENT PREFERRED OPTION B. FROM THERE WE DUG DOWN JUST A LITTLE DEEPER SO THAT WE COULD LOOK AT WHO CHOSE WHICH OPTION. THE FIRST TWO COLUMNS YOU SEE THERE ARE PARENTS. THAT'S 397, THE PARENTS THAT CHOSE A, 861 THAT CHOSE B. FOR STAFF, 169 CHOSE A, 613 CHOSE B SO FROM THE PARTICIPANTS THAT DID TAKE THE SURVEY OVERWHELMINGLY, THE PREFERENCE WAS B. AS A RESULT, WE'RE BRINGING THAT FINAL DRAFT TO YOU FOR ACTION TONIGHT. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO AT THIS TIME IS QUICKLY HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THAT CALENDAR, THEN WE'RE GOING TO SWITCH OVER, PROBABLY. LET'S SEE IF I HAVE TO. WOO, AM I DOING SOMETHING WRONG HERE? >> [LAUGHTER] I'M SCARED, LET ME CALL THE CHILDREN, THEY CAN HELP. [NOISE] >> HERE WE GO. QUICKLY JUST TO HIT THESE HIGHLIGHTS, WE HAVE ADDED ADDITIONAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS RECOMMENDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR THERE IN AUGUST, WE HAVE A START DATE OF AUGUST 15TH. AS YOU CAN SEE, AS WE USUALLY HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, WE HAVE A FULL WEEK FOR THANKSGIVING IN NOVEMBER, WE HAVE TWO FULL WEEKS IN THE WINTER BREAK. LOOKING AT THAT FIRST PART OF THE SECOND SEMESTER, WE HAVE A HOLIDAY THAT CONTINUES TO THE 2ND OF JANUARY, THEN A WORKDAY FOR TEACHERS BEFORE KIDS COME BACK ON THE 4TH OF JANUARY. WE HAVE A SPRING BREAK OF MARCH 13TH THROUGH THE 17TH THAT SYNCS UP WITH OUR LOCAL DISTRICTS AROUND US AS WELL AS DALLAS COLLEGE. [NOISE] THEN AS YOU LOOK TOWARD THE VERY END OF THE YEAR, WE HAVE A LAST DAY OF SCHOOL ON MAY 25TH, A WORKDAY, AND THEN WE GET INTO THE GRADUATION SEASON. [00:35:03] THIS CALENDAR DOES CONTAIN ALL THE REQUIRED THINGS, THE 75,600 MINUTES. IN OUR CASE, IT ACTUALLY HAS 77,430 MINUTES AND OF COURSE 187 TEACHER DAYS. I'LL BE WILLING TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. >> [OVERLAPPING] EXCUSE ME. >> YES, SIR. >> I WASN'T GOING TO DISCUSS, I WAS GOING TO SEE IF YOU'D ENTERTAIN THE MOTION. >> ALL RIGHT. I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY SOME THINGS REALLY QUICKLY. I KNOW THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED THE HALF DAYS WHICH ARE HAPPENING THIS YEAR TO GIVE PEOPLE TIME OR TEACHERS TIME TO PLAN AND THAT SORT OF THING. THIS NEW CALENDAR TAKES THAT OUT BECAUSE I'M AWARE THAT SOME SECONDARY TEACHERS ARE JUST WASN'T WORKING, WHICH I COMPLETELY GET AND IN ITS PLACE WE'RE ADDING BACK IN STUFF DEVELOPMENT? >> YES, MA'AM. >> OKAY, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STILL HAVE SOME DAYS FOR OUR TEACHERS TO PLAN WHERE THERE'S NO MEETINGS, THERE'S NO TRAININGS, THERE'S NO WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE USED A HALF-DAY FOR, WORKED BACK INTO THIS CALENDAR AND I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO TELL ME THOSE ARE GOING TO BE THE WORKDAYS? >> YES, MA'AM. [NOISE] THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. MS. LEWIS AND THE AREA SUPERINTENDENTS ARE HERE, SO JUST KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO RESERVE TIME FOR TEACHERS TO DO THEIR PLANNING WITHOUT ANY INTERRUPTION THAT WILL COME. THERE WILL BE PRINCIPAL DESIGNATED DAYS, AND TEACHER PLANNING DAYS BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE TO PROVIDE SOME TERMS SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS. >> RIGHT. WHICH I APPRECIATE BECAUSE I KNOW IN TALKING WITH TEACHERS, THERE'S A LOT ON THEIR PLATE AND PLANNING HAS BEEN HARD TO DO ON CONTRACT TIME VERSUS AT HOME AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RESPECT THAT [NOISE] AND GIVE THEM SOME TIME ON CONTRACT HOURS TO DO WHICH I APPRECIATE, AND THINGS OF NOTE, GOING DOWN SIX DAYS ON THE CALENDAR SO THAT SHOULD MAKE PARENTS HAPPY. >> THAT'S GOING TO GIVE US SOME MORE PLANNING TIME. >> YES. >> THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK. GOOD JOB. >> THANK YOU, SAM. >> WELCOME. >> THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? YES, SIR. >> IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION I WILL AND IF YOU'LL ENTERTAIN THE MOTION. >> YES, I WILL. >> MOVE TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ADOPT CALENDAR B AS PRESENTED IN THAT. >> SECOND. >> WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT CALENDAR B, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? >> I SECOND IT. >> MISS LYON SECOND. THERE BEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE'LL CALL FOR THE VOTES. ALL IN FAVOR, AYE. >> AYE. >> AYE. >> ALL OPPOSED, NO. MOTION CARRIES 6-0. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO ACTION ITEM C, EMPLOYEE CONTRACTS. [11.C. Employee Contracts] THE PRESENTER, MS. ELLIS. >> MADAM PRESIDENT, THERE WAS NO ACTION REQUIRED ON ITEM C OR D. [11.D. Teacher Resignations/Contract Abandonment] >> OKAY. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO INFORMATION, IS THAT RIGHT? DISCUSSION ITEMS? >> I'M ON THE WRONG PAGE. >> YOU'RE ON THE WRONG PAGE. >> YES, MA'AM. INFORMATION ITEM 12A. >> YEAH. INFORMATION DISCUSSION ITEM 12A, [12.A. American Indian/Native Studies Course Update] AMERICAN INDIAN NATIVE STUDIES COURSE UPDATE. PRESENTER DR. ANGELA HERON, CHIEF TEACHING AND LEARNING OFFICER, AND LYNETTE AGUERO, SOCIAL STUDIES FACILITATORS. >> GOOD EVENING TO BOARD PRESIDENT, MS. CARRILLO, SUPERINTENDENT LINDA ELLIS, AND BOARD MEMBERS, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU OUR PRE-K THROUGH 12TH-GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES FACILITATOR, MS. LANETTE AGUERO, WHO HAS DONE A WONDERFUL JOB OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS DEVELOPING OUR AMERICAN INDIAN NATIVE STUDIES COURSE. >> THANK YOU, DR. HERREN. GOOD EVENING. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK SUPERINTENDENT ELLIS AND THE GPISD SCHOOL BOARD FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT TO HEAR OUR AMERICAN INDIAN NATIVE STUDIES COURSE UPDATE. WE STARTED OFFERING OUR AMERICAN INDIAN NATIVE STUDIES COURSE THIS FALL. AT GRAND PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL WE HAVE ONE SECTION. KIM RUMKOWSKI IS THE TEACHER AND SHE'S HERE TONIGHT. AT SOUTH GRAND PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL THERE'S ALSO ONE SECTION OF THE COURSE AND MICAH MALDONADO TEACHES IT. YOU CAN SEE IN THE PICTURE THERE'S A COUPLE OF SHOTS OF HER STUDENTS THERE. IT IS A SOCIAL STUDIES ELECTIVE COURSE, LIKE OTHER ETHNIC STUDIES COURSES. WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM MS. RAFOLSKI AND SOME QUOTES FROM HER STUDENTS ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF THE COURSE. >> HELLO. I WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS [00:40:01] AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW IT'S GOING, BUT ALSO SHARE SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM OUR STUDENTS AND HOW THEY'VE ENJOYED TAKING THE CLASS. AS THIS ONE QUOTE FROM JOEL, 11TH GRADER THAT WE HAVE, AS THE SCHOOL YEAR PROGRESSED, I BEGAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES THAT WAS NEVER TAUGHT IN OUR CORE HISTORY CLASSES. AS SOMEONE WHO HATES NOT KNOWING THE FULL STORY, THIS IS A GOOD WAY OF FILLING IN THE BLANKS IN THE COUNTRY'S HISTORY. FROM ONE OF OUR 12TH GRADERS, ISABELLA, SHE SAYS, "I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE TAUGHT THROUGHOUT OTHER SCHOOLS BECAUSE THE INFORMATION IS VALUABLE AND CAN BE INSPIRING. IT HAS TAUGHT ME ABOUT STEREOTYPES IN THE WORLD AND HOW MUCH HISTORY IS UNTOLD." FROM LINDSAY, A 10TH GRADER IN OUR CLASS, NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY SHOULD BE TAUGHT. LIGHT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO THEIR HISTORY. I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH IN THIS CLASS AND EVEN THOUGH THE TRUTH IS NOT ALWAYS PRETTY, IT STILL NEEDS TO BE MENTIONED. IT'S BEEN OVERLOOKED FOR TOO LONG. NATIVE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE STILL HERE. I THINK THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT. WANT TO GIVE YOU GUYS THE OPPORTUNITY IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. KIDS HAVE LOVED LEARNING THE HISTORY ABOUT BLOOD QUANTUM, ABOUT STEREOTYPES. THE BOARDING SCHOOLS WAS A REALLY HIGHLIGHT, BUT ALSO MODERN DAY, ALL OF OUR BEAUTIFUL CULTURE IN THIS COUNTRY. WE'VE SHARED A LOT OF JOY AND IT'S BEEN A REALLY AMAZING EXPERIENCE. THANK YOU. >> MS. ELSA, I WANTED TO ASK WHAT THE COUNT WAS FOR THOSE TWO SECTIONS. >> OKAY. WELL, WE HAVE AT GRAND PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL, I BELIEVE KIM, DO YOU HAVE 14? >> FOURTEEN. >> THEN MICAH, I THINK HAS 13 AT SOUTH, SO 27 STUDENTS TOTAL RIGHT NOW. BUT THAT'S A START. EVERY YEAR WE'VE SEEN IN OUR ETHNIC STUDIES COURSES THE NUMBERS GROW AND GROW AS MORE STUDENTS HEAR ABOUT IT AND WANT TO GET INVOLVED. >> WHY AN AMERICAN INDIAN NATIVE STUDIES COURSE? WELL, WE WERE GOING TO HAVE STEPHEN SILVA COME TONIGHT AND SPEAK FROM HIS HEART ABOUT THAT, BUT HE HAD A FAMILY EMERGENCY AND CANNOT MAKE IT. BUT HE DID GIVE ME A STATEMENT OF WHAT HE WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU AND I'M GOING TO READ THAT TO YOU. THIS WAS WRITTEN BY STEPHEN. HELLO BOARD. I'M SORRY THAT I'M NOT ABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETING IN PERSON. LAST NIGHT, MY GRANDMOTHER, ELEANOR BRAVE SILVA, WHO IS THE ONLY FLUENT LAKOTA LANGUAGE SPEAKER IN DFW MADE HER JOURNEY INTO THE SPIRIT WORLD. SHE WAS BORN ON THE ROSEBUD RESERVATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA IN 1941. SHE ATTENDED ST. FRANCIS MISSION INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOL FROM THE TIME SHE WAS FIVE UNTIL SHE GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL IN 1959. THAT WAS THE SAME YEAR THAT SHE MOVED TO DALLAS AS PART OF THE INDIAN RELOCATION. SHE HAS BEEN A GRAND PRAIRIE RESIDENT SINCE 2006. THE KEY EVENTS IN MY MOTHER'S LIFE LIKE LOSS OF LANGUAGES, RESERVATIONS, BOARDING SCHOOLS, ASSIMILATION, AND RELOCATION ARE ALL THINGS THAT AFFECT THE LIVES OF ALL NATIVE AMERICANS. HOWEVER, IN MOST HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE SOCIAL STUDIES COURSES, THEY ARE ONLY BRIEFLY MENTIONED. IF THEY ARE MENTIONED, IT IS DIFFICULT TO SHOW THAT THESE THINGS ARE NOT JUST THINGS OF THE PAST, BUT THEY DIRECTLY AFFECT THE NEARLY 10 MILLION AMERICAN INDIANS WHO ARE LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY. THE REASON WHY THE AMERICAN INDIAN NATIVE STUDIES COURSES ARE SO IMPORTANT IS THAT IT SHOWS THAT WE AS AMERICAN INDIANS ARE NOT RELICS OF THE PAST. WE ARE NOT CARICATURES OR MASCOTS. WE ARE ALIVE TODAY. WE ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS. MY KIDS AND NEPHEWS ATTEND GRAND PRAIRIE SCHOOLS. THIS TYPE OF COURSE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US TO BE SEEN. ETHNIC STUDIES COURSES ARE NOT SIMPLY HISTORY COURSES. THEY TEACH OF OUR CURRENT CONTRIBUTIONS AND OUR CURRENT CULTURE AS WELL AS HISTORICAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND EVENTS. I AM EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO THE BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENT ELLIS FOR ALLOWING GRAND PRAIRIE ISD TO BE THE PILOT DISTRICT FOR THIS WONDERFUL COURSE. WHEN I TALKED TO OTHERS IN DFW NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITY, I'M EXTREMELY PROUD TO SAY THAT I LIVE IN A CITY AND SEND MY KIDS TO SCHOOLS THAT SUPPORT INNOVATION AND PROGRESS. WHILE I SEE OTHER DISTRICTS TAKING STEPS BACK, I SEE GPISD CONTINUING TO PROMOTE INCLUSION AND TEACHING OUR STUDENTS TO EMBRACE OTHER CULTURES. THIS COURSE AND OTHER ETHNIC STUDIES COURSES GO A LONG WAY IN MAKING PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF AND MY CHILDREN FEEL INCLUDED AND EMBRACED. AS A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN COMMUNITY IN GRAND PRAIRIE, I ASK THAT YOU ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH PRESENTING THIS COURSE TO THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY AND THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION SO I CAN CONTINUE TO PROUDLY SAY THAT GRAND PRAIRIE ISD IS AN ALLY OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITY. ONCE AGAIN, I WISH I COULD BE THERE IN PERSON, [00:45:02] HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON, AND THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT. STEPHEN SILVA BRAVE. MONICA SMITH, WHO WAS OUR AMERICAN INDIAN EDUCATION PROGRAM COORDINATOR ALSO COULD NOT BE HERE TONIGHT DUE TO A DEATH IN THE FAMILY. BUT SHE DOES HAVE INFORMATION TO SHARE. WE HAVE 18 AMERICAN INDIAN NATIONS REPRESENTED IN GPISD AND APPROXIMATELY 45 STUDENTS THAT ARE AMERICAN INDIAN IN OUR AMERICAN INDIAN EDUCATION PROGRAM. THESE ARE STUDENTS THAT ARE OFFICIALLY ENROLLED IN AN AMERICAN INDIAN COMMUNITY, BUT MORE OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE INDIGENOUS BACKGROUNDS. OUT OF OUR 67 PERCENT HISPANIC POPULATION IN GPISD, MANY OF THEM HAVE INDIGENOUS ROOTS. OUR COURSE INCLUDES THE STRANDS OF SOCIAL STUDIES, THOSE MAIN STRANDS. WE HAVE CULTURE, WE HAVE STANDARDS ABOUT GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY, ECONOMICS, GOVERNMENT, CITIZENSHIP, AND SOCIAL STUDIES SKILLS. THIS IS TO PROVIDE A RICH AND BALANCED SOCIAL STUDIES COURSE SET THAT INCLUDES THOSE SKILLS TO EXPLORE IMPORTANT PRIMARY SOURCES OF INFORMATION. OUR COMMITTEE HAS ALSO CREATED A STANDARDS CLARIFICATION DOCUMENT TO HELP TEACHERS DEFINE OUR STANDARDS AND BE ABLE TO LOCATE NATIVE APPROVED RESOURCES. WHAT WE'VE DONE LAST DECEMBER, WE PRESENTED OUR PLAN IN CREATING OUR COURSE. SINCE THEN WE ADDED THE COURSE TO OUR COURSE SELECTION GUIDE, COMMUNICATED WITH THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION THROUGH AN AMAZING VIDEO ABOUT OUR JOURNEY, HOSTED A WONDERFUL TEACHER TRAINING ON JUNE 7TH OF 2021, WHERE TEACHERS HEARD FROM OUR NATIVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND STARTED TO TEACH THE COURSE AT GRAND PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL AND SOUTH GRAND PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL. WE HAVE SOME ONGOING ACTIVITIES LIKE REFINING THE STANDARDS, IDENTIFYING RESOURCES, AND DEVELOPING FUTURE TRAININGS WHICH WE WANT TO HOLD A REGIONALLY, BUT ALSO MAYBE STATEWIDE, MAYBE USING OUR NEW VIRTUAL TOOLS AS WELL. WE ARE SO PROUD TO OFFER THIS COURSE IN GRAND PRAIRIE ISD. TONIGHT I'M HERE TO INFORM YOU OF OUR INTENT TO APPLY FOR AS A TEA INNOVATIVE COURSE. THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN OPENING OUR COURSE TO BECOME A COURSE THAT'S OFFERED STATEWIDE AND FOR STATE CREDIT. WE WANT TO SHARE OUR CONTENT AND RESOURCES WITH OTHERS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS SO OTHER STUDENTS CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR AMERICAN INDIAN AND NATIVE COMMUNITIES IN THE STATE. IN JANUARY, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION [LAUGHTER] IF WE CAN APPLY FOR INNOVATIVE COURSE STATUS. THANKS AGAIN TO OUR AMERICAN INDIAN NATIVE STUDIES COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO WERE A TRUE COLLABORATION OF TRIBES AND NATIONS ACROSS THE STATE. ALSO UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE PROFESSORS, TEACHERS, AND GPISD PARENTS, WE ARE SO PROUD THAT THESE STANDARDS THAT WE'VE CREATED TRULY REFLECT THE AMERICAN INDIAN NATIVE VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITIES. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE]. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT WAS A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. DR. HERREN AND MS. AGUERO. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION FROM OUR BOARD MEMBERS? >> MADAM PRESIDENT, I JUST HAVE TO SAY I JUST LEARNED SOMETHING COMPLETELY THAT I WOULD HAVE NEVER EXPECTED. EIGHTEEN DIFFERENT NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURES IN GPISD THAT IS A LARGE AMOUNT. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT INFORMATION. >> THANK YOU, MONICAH GAVE IT TO ME. [LAUGHTER] >> I'M REALLY PROUD OF ALL OF OUR ETHNIC STUDIES AND REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE. I HAD MY DNA CHECKED. IT WAS A CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR LAST YEAR, I'M 37 PERCENT AMERICAN INDIAN. I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS, SO THANK YOU. ANYBODY? WE WILL NOW MOVE TO INFORMATION DISCUSSION, AGENDA ITEM B, POLICY UPDATES 11H PRESENTER, [12.B. Policy Update 118] DR. MELISSA KATES, OUR CURRENT COUNCIL. >> GOOD EVENING MADAM PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, AND SUPERINTENDENT ELLIS. WE HAVE UPDATE 118 BEFORE YOU FOR AN INFORMATION ITEM TONIGHT. THIS IS THE FIRST REALLY BIG POLICY UPDATE AFTER THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. WE HAVE A LOT OF LEGAL POLICIES IN THERE, [00:50:03] BUT FOR THE BOARD WE HAVE 11 LOCAL POLICIES. THESE WILL BE THE POLICIES THAT WILL BRING BACK TO THE BOARD NEXT MONTH FOR ADOPTION. I WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE. OKAY. >> THANK YOU FOR THE DISCUSSION. >> YEAH. [BACKGROUND] >> THANK YOU, DR. CATES. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO OUR INFORMATION DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM C, [12.C. Review of the Board Agenda Calendar] OUR REVIEW OF OUR BOARD AGENDA, CALENDAR, AND MS. ELLIS. >> THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. WE'D LIKE TO REMIND EVERYBODY, TOMORROW IS AN EARLY RELEASE DAY AND WE BEGIN THE WINTER HOLIDAYS. WE WILL BE ON WINTER BREAK BEGINNING TOMORROW, AFTER SCHOOL TOMORROW AND THROUGH JANUARY THE 3RD. WE LOOK FORWARD TO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS RETURNING SAFELY, ALL OF OUR STAFF RETURNING SAFELY ON JANUARY THE 4TH. THAT'S IT. >> THANK YOU. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO OUR OPEN FORUM FOR NON-AGENDA ITEMS AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WE HAD ANY SPEAKERS. IS THAT CORRECT, MR. BURKBIRE? WE'LL GO TO OUR COMMENTS FROM OUR INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS. [14. COMMENTS FROM INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS] I'M GOING TO START WITH MR. BURKE. >> MYSELF? WELL, I WOULD JUST SAY, FIRST OF ALL, I CANNOT TELL YOU ALL HOW MUCH IT WARMED MY HEART TO GET KIDS BACK IN HERE. MAN, I KNOW WE HAD IT LAST MONTH BUT MY GOODNESS JUST REALLY CHANGES MY VIEW OF THE WORK WE DO UP HERE WHEN WE GET TO SEE THE KIDS. THAT'S GREAT. OBVIOUSLY, I WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A SAFE HOLIDAYS. MY PRAYER FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY IS THAT YOU ALL JUST ARE SAFE, GET WELL RESTED AND ALL THE CHILDREN OF GRAND PRAIRIE GET THEIR HEARTS FILLED WITH WONDERFUL THINGS THIS YEAR. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THIS COMMUNITY THAT ALLOWS ME TO SIT IN THIS CHAIR. IT'S AN HONOR TO SERVE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. MR. KING. >> THANKS MADAM PRESIDENT. YES, LIKE MR. HALL JUST SAID, MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE AND STAFF AND STUDENTS. YOU'LL HAVE FUN, BE SAFE. COME BACK TOO SAFELY AND ENJOY YOURSELVES AND ENJOY YOUR FAMILIES AND LOVE ON EACH OTHER. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, MR. KING. MS. LILES. >> THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THAT GREAT PERFORMANCE FROM GRAND PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL BAND. AS A BAND MOM, I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THOSE KIDDOS PUT IN SO IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THEM HERE TONIGHT AND I AGREE, IT'S FANTASTIC AND WE HAVE KIDS IN THE BUILDING AND WE GOT TO GO READ TO SOME KIDS TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWO YEARS WHICH WAS FANTASTIC DAY. [LAUGHTER] ECHO THE SAME SENTIMENTS, IT'S BEEN A HARDER YEAR THIS YEAR I THINK THAN WE THOUGHT AND SO I HOPE THAT THE STAFF AND THE TEACHERS AND THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE STUDENTS AND THE PARENTS GET TO REST, RELAX, RECHARGE, COME BACK TO A SAFE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, ENJOY YOUR FAMILIES OVER THE HOLIDAY BREAK. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SIT IN THE CHAIR. IT'S AN HONOR TO SERVE. THANKS. >> THANK YOU. MR. BROOKS. >> YES, MA'AM. FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO SAY FOR THOSE, I WON'T SAY OLD TOWN GRAND PRAIRIE DEBBIE. [LAUGHTER] >> OH, GOODNESS. >> I WILL SAY, WHAT WOULD BE, SENIOR? NO, THAT'S NOT A GOOD ONE. ANYWAY, LONG-TERM GRAND PRAIRIE. >> NOT GOOD WITH YOUR WORDS, TERRY. >> FEEL FREE TO DEAL WITH HIM AFTERWARDS. [LAUGHTER] >> ANYWAY, IT SENDS ME THE AMOUNTS, AND MOST OF YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW THIS, MS. KIRK, MS. LEONARD WENT TO SCHOOL WITH ME AT CROCKETT AND LEE AND WE HAD A COACH NAMED GRAY ERGEL. GRAY ERGEL PASSED AWAY LAST WEEK, I BELIEVE, AND HE WAS COACH WHEN DEBBIE AND I WERE THERE BUT HE WENT ON TO BE PRINCIPAL AND A FEW OTHER THINGS AND SO ANYWAYS, KEEP HIS FAMILY IN YOUR PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS. AGAIN, AS THE OTHER SAID BEFORE ME, IT SADDENS MY HEART THAT IF MS. LINDA ELLIS HAS TO SEND A TEXT OUT THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ONE OF OUR WONDERFUL EMPLOYEES SO PLEASE BE SAFE, HAVE FUN. TAKE YOUR TIME GETTING THERE AND TAKE YOUR TIME GETTING BACK WHEREVER YOU MAY BE GOING. JUST COME BACK TO US BECAUSE WE NEED YOU SO BAD AND YOU'RE TRULY PART OF THIS FAMILY. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND WE WILL SEE YOU NEXT YEAR. >> MR. PARRA. >> YES, MA'AM. I WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A SAFE HOLIDAY SEASON. I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT-OUT TO OUR FOOTBALL TEAMS THAT MADE IT TO THE PLAYOFFS. AMAZING RUN. SHOUT OUT TO THE STUDENT ATHLETES THAT HAVE [00:55:02] COMMITTED AND ARE MAKING THE DECISION TO PERFORM AT THE NEXT LEVEL. >> WHERE IS SHAVAAN GOING? >> HE IS GOING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS. [LAUGHTER] VERY PROUD OF ALL OUR STUDENTS. I SUPPORT HIGHER EDUCATION WHEREVER IT MAY BE. [LAUGHTER] >> IF YOU ALL KNEW. [LAUGHTER] >> I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OUR STAFF AND EMPLOYEES, OUR TEACHERS, OUR STAFF. THIS IS PRACTICALLY THE HALFWAY POINT. IT'S NOT EASY TO BE IN EDUCATION RIGHT NOW. TAKE THIS TIME TO RECHARGE AND RELAX, COME FOCUSED AND I'M EXCITED TO SUPPORT YOU IN ANY WAY THAT I CAN. THANK YOU. >> JUST SO YOU ALL KNOW, HE'S A GOOD MAN AND HE IS A VERY BIG PROPONENT OF ALL EDUCATION. BUT ME AND HIM HAVE JUST A LITTLE SIDE JOKE ABOUT. >> THAT HE WEARS MAROON. >> ABOUT TEXAS AND TEXAS A&M. >> I THOUGHT IT WAS A DR. PEPPER SUIT. [LAUGHTER] >> IT DID NOT HAPPEN. >> NO MISUNDERSTANDING, I LOVE THIS GUY. [INAUDIBLE] >> I JUST WANT TO THANK THE BOARD FOR ALLOWING ME TO SERVE AS YOUR PRESIDENT. IT'S BEEN EXCITING, IT'S BEEN CHALLENGING. I'VE BEEN IN THIS POSITION FOR SIX MONTHS AND IT REALLY HAS ALLOWED ME TO GET TO KNOW EACH AND EVERYBODY THAT IS ON THIS BOARD. IT'S ALLOWED ME TO GET TO KNOW THEM MORE AND ALLOWED ME TO WORK WITH THEM FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COMMUNITY, SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE IN THIS POSITION. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR FAMILY ENGAGEMENT LIAISONS, THOSE PEOPLE FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT WORKED WITH US ON DECEMBER THE 9TH AT DOMUS MORTON'S ELEMENTARY, THEY WERE 100 VOLUNTEERS THAT WERE THERE, IT WAS INCREDIBLE. WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE OVER 280 FAMILIES BETWEEN 85-95 POUNDS OF FOOD AND IT WAS EXCITING TO SEE THEM LOADING THE FOOD, SORTING THE FOOD, GIVING OUT GIFTS, IT WAS EXCITING. SONNIA ORTEGA, WHAT AN INCREDIBLE JOB SHE HAS DONE FOR OUR DISTRICT. [APPLAUSE] I WAS IN HER OFFICE, I WAS ABLE TO BE IN HER OFFICE YESTERDAY AND THERE ARE THREE ROOMS THAT ARE STACKED UP TO THE CEILING WITH GIFTS. THERE WILL BE OVER 800-1,000 CHILDREN THAT WILL BE RECEIVING GIFTS. I KNOW THAT THE DISTRICT EMPLOYEES GOT TOGETHER AND I PUT OUT A FACEBOOK LISTING TODAY OF EVERYBODY THAT HELPED US AND I KNOW I'VE MISSED SOME. BUT I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU THAT HELPED US BECAUSE IT'S AN INCREDIBLE EVENT AND I WANT TO THANK YOU. GETTING BACK TO A&M. [LAUGHTER] THIS EVENING IN MY PACKAGE, I RECEIVED AN INVITATION TO A GRADUATION AT A&M FROM BIANCA GARA WHO RECEIVED ONE OF OUR CINCO DE MAYO SCHOLARSHIPS THREE YEARS AGO AND SHE GRADUATED, WANTED TO LET ME KNOW. [APPLAUSE] I ALSO WANT TO WISH ALL OF YOU A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY. CHRISTMAS IS MY SEASON. I LOVE CHRISTMAS AND I'M SO EXCITED THAT I GET TO BE WITH ALL OF MY FAMILY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SIX YEARS SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT CHRISTMAS. I WANT TO WISH ALL OF YOU A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY WITH YOUR FAMILIES. IF YOU'RE TRAVELING, BE SAFE AND COME BACK TO US, WE NEED YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MS. ELLIS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS? >> I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THAT AMAZING GRAND PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL DRUMLINE, BOY, YOU BROUGHT JOY TO THIS BOARD MEETING TONIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. GOD BLESS YOU ALL. THANKFUL FOR EVERYONE. THANKFUL FOR A GREAT BOARD MEETING TONIGHT, SO THANK YOU, BE SAFE. WE'LL SEE YOU IN JANUARY. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS. ELLIS, AND THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. >> MERRY CHRISTMAS. >> WE'RE OUT OF HERE. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.