DPSCD School Board - Regular Meeting - December 12, 2023
4:20PM Dec 13, 2023
Speakers:
Keywords:
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year
teachers
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hear
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social workers
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detroit
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Testing. Thank you Good evening
Okay, I got everybody's attention, I'm sure so Good evening. Today is Tuesday, December 12. And we're going to go ahead and call the meeting to order. We will again like to thank Principal Pitt and his entire staff for hosting us. This is our last board meeting of the year starting in January as we tried to move the board meetings across our city. The meetings will begin in January at ACE English village preference. I'm sorry. He's English village Preparatory Academy at Feeny. So Madam Secretary, can we have a roll call please?
I'm president Misha Stallworth,
Sonia mais,
Dr. Iris Taylor sharegate and yoga.
Latrice McClendon, Bishop Colette avant
Keith Anthony mirallas.
Michael West President,
Madam Chair, you may begin.
Thank you. So because we do not have a quorum, at the beginning of the meeting, we were moved through the agenda with all items that do not require a vote for those who were wondering, while we're beginning the meeting, we want to respect your time, meeting norms, we respect the the right of all persons to participate in this public meeting of the board and kindly request that everyone engages in behavior that supports the same in the event that any one engages in behavior that is not a supportive, that good request that you refrain from that behavior. During our moment of silence today. I wish we I wish we didn't have any names. But we do have some of our fallen dpscd family members. One we have Miss classy, Washington, clerical staff at Randolph Career Tech Center. We have Mr. Pierre Allen. It school technician. And we have young Mr. Sterlin minion Brown, Kenny gardener at John arcane. So during our moment of silence if we could remember the Washington, the Allen and the minyan Brown family
thank you, we will now move into our school presentations. And so today we have a color guard from Renaissance high school or Phoenix are here. And we have the Star Spangled Banner and Lift Every Voice and Sing being done by Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior High Schools creative crowned Crusaders, a mouthful. Creative crown Crusaders are here for the Star Spangled Banner Lift Every Voice and Sing so at this time if you could please stand
up Can we give a round of applause for our color gar from Renaissance High School and our creative crown crusaders from Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School. Thank you. Public comment registration has closed the time is 541 541. Public comment registration has closed. We will now move to item six, which is the chair remarks. And I will yield my chair remarks to our students, our student ambassadors for those who were unable to meet our student ambassadors last meeting. We want to welcome each one of our student ambassadors. I will let them welcome. I will let them introduce themselves to you. So I will turn it over to our stones.
Hello, everyone. My name is Keith Anthony Morales I senior at Frederick Douglass Good evening.
Good evening everyone. My name is Michael West and I'm a current junior at Cass Technical High School.
Thank you can we welcome Keith and mica so at this time, we will have a presentation from our student ambassadors, our student board ambassadors. Thank
you. First bulk up myself. I'd like to thank the board and the community for coming out tonight. Today both him myself be giving a report on the high schools per students who attend our Detroit executive Youth Council meeting on December eighth 2023. First starting off with Detroit Lions Academy who has seen an increase in student engagement especially in programs that benefit in educational manner, which improves the overall school environment. Detroit Lions Academy has expressed a need for instruments to support their band department within the school. Next, Crockett Midtown High School is excited to announce their increase in student engagement as well, especially in programs that benefit and educational manner. Henry Ford has implemented student mentor programs which allows upperclassmen students to guide underclassmen through high school experiences. Their sports team have also done amazing in the last couple months. They also report that their bathrooms are locked recently because of the presence of vaping and fighting. They are in need of Wi Fi and technology access also. Next Central High School has an increase in their enrollment but they're also struggling with the bathrooms being locked in they say it is causing them to use or lose valuable class time. Next, the School of Marygrove currently does not have a college advisor and has had to depend on English teachers to support seniors and attending college. This is caused teachers to work double time and they are stressed. Marigold was also experiencing lack of instruments which is the place their band program. Following Kodi High School has been able to host more student pyramid parent engagement events in order to keep their school family informed. These events include things such as FISA where parents and students talk about the need for things in the federal government financial aid program. Cody is also experiencing a loss of textbook and science supplies for missing classrooms which has put them at a disadvantage Summerland to Ben Carson Cody high schools need a building updates in order to ensure a safe and healthy place for students to learn.
Extinguish village has implemented a number of new after school extracurriculars including ways Give
me one second please Miss Morales Can you either come straight to the mic or Bob if we can turn his mic up? Okay, let's see now. Hello, okay.
Is English village has implemented East English village has implemented a number of new afterschool extracurriculars including ways for students to gain scholarship opportunities. Davis Aerospace has introduced a monthly program called Days of wellness which supports student mental health through different interactive activities that promote wellness and community within the school building. Students have also given back to their local community by hosting food and school drives. Frederick Douglass, students, students at this high school have a very strong bond and are able to create good relationships with one another. Fred D is eager to share the successes of their senior class and the work of introducing a new literacy program for grades K through six students. Similar to many high schools, Frederick Douglass is in need of updated technology didn't be High School. Students grades that didn't be high school have been steadily improving as well as increasing graduation rate, then be currently has a lack of security which is desperately needed right now. There has been reports of gang fights taking place on school grounds, and students wish for action to be taken immediately. Renaissance has been improving relationships across all across the building. Teachers and students are now working towards a common goal with less incidents happening in the building. Students noticed a lack of safety in the cafeteria when it comes to safe and clear labeling. with foods such as fish being served in the cafeteria, students really need for food to be clearly liable to prevent any accidents. Cass Technical High School has just successfully welcomed their national honor society scholars at a pinning ceremony. In addition, Cassie is excited to route some of their classmates on as they go to go to the DECA district competition later this month. Deca is an organization for students who are interested in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. students compete in competitive events in various areas. We hope these students will progress to the international career development conference. Similarly, to all the following schools they have experienced a rise in school flights. Last but not least, congrats to Parisian High School for having almost all of their CO 24 Being on
the DUI some members have a knowledge the most common factors that are holding us back from education and success. They include lack of attendance agents, nurses insecurity, the need for building updates, school supplies, including things like technology and fundraising for performing arts programs. The D yc. Members also acknowledged that we were missing student reports from the school of DIA, DSA King and Mumford due to not having a student representative present at the meeting on December 8 2023. Thank you. And that concludes our board report.
Thank you. Do we have any questions for our student ambassadors from the board? Thank you so much for the report out if you could just talk to us really quick and tell us so on your advisory council, you have representatives from each high school president who represent those particular schools. So what you mentioned is what they brought to you all. So going forward, we will love to hear some of the successes from the problems that you mentioned that they've been addressed by bringing them and rising them to this level. So we appreciate you and look forward to your continued engagement as you serve as student ambassadors on the board. Thank you. We will now move into the finance report from Mr. Medina.
Good evening, board members and community. Good evening.
All right, here we go. This evening we'll be reviewing the finances or financials through the month of October, beginning first with Detroit Public Schools. We continue to receive tax collections on the 13th and 18. Mills approximately 2.4 million on our capital debt 13 Mills, and another approximately $5 million on the 18 mills. Just to follow up from last month we did confirm there is a little less or approximately $170 million outstanding on the 18 mills. Again that will be repaid in 2026. The repayment timeline. On the 13 Mills, there is approximately $1.3 billion. The repayment timeline is remaining at 2042. Currently, there has been an increase in property values and so tax collections are running much higher than we had originally projected. This is keeping despite the higher interest rates, this is keeping the repayment timeline still at 2042. Regarding dpscd, local revenue was running slightly above forecasts primarily related to as I mentioned, interest income interest rates being higher than initially projected, as well as we had additional one time revenue in donations and from Wayne resa. For the month of October state funding was slightly below expectations, although this is because we were not yet receiving any categorical funding from the state that have started in November and will be updated in the next month. On the expenditure side, we were running in line with projections. personnel costs were slightly higher as the initial adopted budget did not include bonus payments that were approved in the CBAS. So this was running slightly higher. We still remain and continue to have available cash and project to be able to make another transfer to the facility master plan as part of budget amendment one, which will come to the board in January and February. That concludes my report.
Thank you Mr. perdido. Do we have any questions for the CFO? I know there is a finance meeting on this Friday. So Mr. Vito, we look forward to additional information share this Friday, as it relates to the activities. Thank you so much.
Thank you,
we will file that report for auditing purposes. And now move into the superintendents report.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Good evening, everyone, just to our student reps. If I could, we'll follow up and get a list of everything that you named. So I can follow up with staff at the individual schools and work with the principal first and then central office staff on the concerns that you're raising, and we'll give that back to you in writing. So my my presentation tonight will be brief. We don't have significant updates regarding our metrics. But I will review those that are moving or that have updated numbers as of December. So enrollment currently stands at 40,491. As a reminder, as I always say there's a difference between FTE and enrollment. Enrollment is the actual number of students that are enrolled in DPS ed as of late last week. So that 48,491 number is higher than it was during the count period. We're at about 40,200. And as I say, often our enrollment increases, and it's trending in that way right now, that after count is increasing and it should continue to increase. To spring, that number is higher than last year, at the end of the year. And the year before, our re enrollment rate, as of right now is about 69%, which is about point five less than it was last year. Our current average daily attendance for students is 40 84%, which is about three percentage points higher than it was last year. And then our chronic absenteeism rate right now, based on where we are in the school year is 57%, which is trending lower than where we ended last year at 66%. Teachers with excellent or moderate attendance is that 95%. As we know, as the year goes, that number, or percentage will decrease. No updates regarding surveys. Our schools are taking their interim survey right now, for students, and that allows schools just to check in regarding how students feel regarding being loved challenge and prepared. We have mid year testing right now with iReady. And a number of other assessments. We'll have those results back at the January February Board meeting so that these indicators will be updated at this at that point. The data that we have right now for these academic areas. Our baseline data that I've presented at the academic committee and the board meeting, are right now 58% of our juniors and seniors are enrolled in college and career courses, which is now back to where we were before the pandemic. And then lastly, right now we have 32 teacher vacancies and only 23 support staff vacancies. Those 23 vacancies are related to only two security guard vacancies to pre K pair of vacancies 13, ESC or special education vacancies. Currently, we only have three assistant principal vacancies, five counselor or social workers vacancies and only two academic interventionist vacancies are most significant significant challenges regarding staffing is in cafeteria staffing, where we have 75 vacancies. That sounds like a lot and it is, but just last year, we were at almost 200. So we are hiring more cafeteria staff with a higher salary are a higher hourly wage. And we'll continue to do that. Right now we have about 35 contracted custodian vacancies throughout the district. Those are not full time employed individuals but contracted services excited to report that more of our children are eating 59% 60%. If we round our eating breakfast daily and 81, nearly 82% are eating lunch
daily, which is an increase to last year. And we are now exceeding pre pandemic levels. And that's what we hope to do this year, mainly with the hiring of more staff. The only other thing that I'd like to report out today is just to review some data points related to love challenge and prepared. As a reminder, to those that are listening, we conduct what's called a panorama survey. And this is enables us to see through the students voice, how they're experiencing school. So students from grades three to 12. Take this survey at the end of the year. It's a research based survey. It allows us to at the student level, at the school level, and at individual grade levels and at individual schools. See how students are experiencing their school experience. So these are the questions that that they respond to. And then based on how they respond. They're considered love challenge are prepared based on the individual questions. So you can see in the area of loved which is a sense of belonging. We asked for example, how much support do adults at your school give you or how much respect do students in your school show you? For challenged this is about being in the classroom and being encouraged to perform at or above grade level. So the survey asked questions such as how often do your teachers make you explain your answers overall, how higher teachers expectations of you. And then lastly prepared and this determined self efficacy, perseverance and self management. So for example, we asked if you fail at an important goal how likely are you to try it again? Or how often do you get your work done right away? Instead of waiting until the last minute, these questions determine student feeling loved challenge prepared. These are the center point of a child centric environment that we are constantly trying to improve and work toward. I don't think anyone would say that we're satisfied with where we are and how all of our students feel at school. But we do have an objective third party way to determine through their own voice and their own perceptions, their own experiences, what's working, what's not, every summer, our principals take time to analyze this data, I think we've done a better job of communicating to our faculty about these questions and working toward them through our students. I'm constantly encouraging our principals, our leadership teams, our teachers to talk through these questions with the students, because through their voice still better understand whether their students feel loved challenge, and prepared. So based on last year's data, this would be the 20 to 23 student achievement data when you look specifically at M step, which is the state exam for literacy and math grades three to seven, the satps at grades nine through 11. And when you look at iReady result in literacy and math, there is a direct connection to students feeling loved, challenged, prepared and performing at a higher level academically, and being less likely to be chronically absent. So when we look at the probability of not being chronically absent, and you group students by gender, by age, by race, and at individual schools, you see a significant difference in that, and not being chronically absent. For example, if students score in such a way that they're determined to be loved, in fact, is a five percentage point difference, with all things controlled about students not being chronically absent, if they feel loved. There's a six percentage point improvement in probability if they feel challenged, five percentage point improvement and prepared. And then if you account for all three, it's a five percentage point improvement. So I talk about this because we often talk about well, how do we overcome chronically absent absenteeism in general, and certainly there are socio economic issues outside of the school, that the school itself cannot address or even the district sometimes is challenged to address. But there are factors in this school that we can control around students feeling loved, challenge and prepared. When we look at probability of re enrolling at the individual schools that they're at. If students feel loved, it's a three percentage point improvement and probability, a two percentage point improvement if they're challenged, and a two percentage point in and if they feel prepared and re enrolling at that school. And if all three are true than a three percentage point of improvement. So again, we also know that socio economic factors influence re enrollment rates. But but the data is also clear that if students feel more loved, individually challenged, prepared, and visually, all three, they're more likely to enroll the school that they were at the previous year. And then most importantly, as far as student achievement is concerned, when students in grades three to eight, feel challenged, therefore, four percentage points more likely in probability to be the show at least one year of growth, they're more likely to see one or more years of growth, with three percentage points more probability, six percentage points, more probable, to show one year of growth in math, and then three percentage points in one or more years of growth. And then the data is even stronger for prepared when you go down the chart. So when we survey our students, we're not just serving the checking a box, but we survey our students to better understand how they're perceiving their environment, which can improve enrollment rates can improve attendance rates, and definitely student achievement rates. And then lastly, we see this as well at the high school level. With the PSAT when you look at I'm showing one year of growth, or multiple years of growth. So I just thought it was important to share this information with all of you because it is one of the ways that we're problem solving, listening, hopefully changing the way we work with our students at the individual classroom level at the school level and district wide. Because again, if our students feel loved, challenged and prepared, we can raise student achievement and have students attend school more often. That concludes my presentation, Madam Chair, and I'll open it up to any questions that you
have. So we'll go through questions before we do our recognition is your Good. Any questions for the superintendent based on his report? Go ahead. Miss was.
Thank you so much. My question is, if students are ranking low, what are the next steps taken by DPS our schools alerted parents alerted, etc?
Well, the data is should be shared district wide. Well, I shared district wide, but individual schools, principals should be sharing it with the entire student body. With the School advisory council with faculty and staff. We don't use to serve a to determine whether students need mental health support, we use the universal screener, which is a different assessment that students take at the beginning of the year. And based on the universal screener, which determined at risk child impact. So if students are exposed to violence, if students are separated from their parents, then those surveys are rated and then tagged for mental health support at the school level. So that's really the survey that's used to determine mental health support. Not this. This is more about climate and culture, not necessarily looking at the individual child with that said, teachers should be looking at the data because they can have I think the greatest impact on how students are perceiving their school experience in their individual classrooms. So that's the follow up from a mental health point of view for individual students is the universal screener, not the that the panorama sermon
DVD questions. So these aren't done, these surveys are done once a year. What are the three categories that we think? What are they used for in terms of when we serve a staff? So are we asking staff if they feel loved, challenged and prepared? Or what are we asking staff because as we try to raise student achievement, we also want to make sure that we address staffs, climate and culture.
Yeah, questions are different. But it's the same concept. So we survey at the end of the year, students now take an interim survey around this time. And that was a request of principals because they wanted to check in, not on all the questions, but some of the core questions for Love Challenge prepared, the questions for staff are different. But they're focused on the conditions that lead to retention. So resources, feedback through the evaluation, professional development, quality of curriculum. Those are the questions that they respond to, which are also research based. And similar to the responses that students give. Those are reviewed by district staff to determine trends of up and downs. And we problem solve with principals on what is at the core of the concerns that are raised with a survey to improve the climate and culture for staff as well.
Any more questions for superintendent? Yes, report? If not, go ahead and take no thank you.
I know briefly, you're talking about mental health. And I'm sorry, I'm coming in on the end of this, but just just coming straight from the airport, at the community parent meeting for Shavon. There was a gentleman there that spoke of an additional grant that I think was due on the 10th. I know that through the Chair, Dr. VD mentioned, meeting with the gentleman and our procurement process opens up again in January. So I want to make sure that that happened. But number two, Madam President, during our attendance to the conference in Council of Great City Schools, the event that DMC was a part of that platform have have we talked about have diminished to a share out on that platform. I just think, since I've been on the board. I continue to stress this, that the way that we we do behavioral health, mental health or access to it. I just I don't think it rises to the occasion of where we should be. And I would like to see something that is more user friendly assessable for students assessable for staffs, based on their desires and that still gives them a level of anonymity, which was at the the model that we saw you know, at the conference, so hopefully we can get something like that. I mean, since I've been here, I know we can't hire all the necessary staff. That is necessary for it. But it to me, it just always feels like it Like something that we have as an add on for a pamphlet versus something that is really, truly a priority for people to access for help. And
thank you for ever getting diagnosed. So Dr. BD, I know there has been some extensive conversation around what wellness looks like not only for students, but also for staff. So if you could just unpack that a little bit now, and then we can go deeper. And maybe there's a session specifically around that, because I think it was one of the key areas post COVID, that we came out of to say that that was something we wanted to continue to prioritize with the dollars. So if you could speak to that, please.
Sure, one request that the last board engagement session was a one pager. So I you might have it in front of you, I I emailed it to the board about an hour before the board meeting, because I know you were on your way in. But we took your advice and created a one pager so people, whether they're students parents would know how to gain access to mental health support through the district. And even outside if the school building was closed over the weekend, and immediate resources were named. So this is really just a draft, we printed them out for the day, but very much open to your feedback and the board's feedback on on how to enhance the one pager. But to answer our board chairs question, we do have mental health services provided to all of our schools. As indicated earlier, all of our students at the beginning of the year take a universal mental health screener, which determines at risk child impact. And based on how those questions are responded to, then those students are identified for tier two, or tier three support which would either be small group, or one on one mental health support through a specialist that's contracted out. Right now we have five mental health providers, we are looking to possibly expand that we did apply to that grant, those funds will be used for the current mental health support, expanded mental health support, and also to fund our nurses in our schools as well, which are contracted as well. So just give me feedback on this one pager. And we'll we'll make adjustments and, and continue to get the word out as far as the resources that are provided to our students.
So thank you, I think this just has an at a glance, this is a great start, I would just say in the world of technology, adding a QR code, so someone could just immediately access a request or whatever is necessary. And in this instance, I do mean to, you know, kick a dead horse beat a dead horse. And, and making sure that that model and I see our communications director there as well, just what they talked about is something that is immediately if if a child is at school right now and they felt suicidal, they should be able to text talk to somebody without having to go and I like what I like where we're starting. But I want to use me. Go ahead. Remember, I just want to make sure that what that was very innovative, and it seems like it brings the every move some of the steps. And I'm glad that that's there. And that's a really great start. But just the model that we looked at I was I was very impressed. Not that we had to take all aspects of it. But I'd like something like a bit of a teacher is is whatever they're going through at the moment, can access somebody that they can talk to, without having to go through the steps of an appointment. I just think that's rich. And I want to see us do something as innovative as that and I think we have time now going forward even for the new year.
Absolutely. Dr. Taylor, go ahead.
How does this integrate with the activity that is occurring with D when
we didn't hear your question?
So how does this integrate with the activity that are the services that are provided by D when?
By us activities?
How does this ensure
it Wayne internet Integrated Health Network, the program that's responsible for all mental health in Wayne County?
I don't know how they directly integrates with that. The the one pager is more about what the what are the services provided at schools. And then beyond that, if something happens on the weekend, just providing the suicide hotline and those resources we'd have to talk about how to better integrate what's happening in the Detroit Wayne County Health Network line is included on this one pager. So the hotline is there. That's what we were thinking about as a one stop but open to other ways that you're thinking about this.
I bring that up because they have also not only they have an obligation to serve as Wayne County Mental Health Services, but they have a integrated program for students specifically for youth. Anyway, I'm
the one pager, the Detroit Wayne integrated health network hotline, this year, there's a phone number that people can call, I think those other services. But beyond that, we'd have to discuss what you're thinking about, but at least add services provided on this one pager. And then the other follow up from the board engagement session is to try to develop a dashboard of some sort. So that we can start to track by school, no different than we're tracking, for example, with it request when you know, a computer doesn't work or a spark board doesn't work is a ticket that's submitted. So we want to try to replicate that for mental health services. So for example, if we're talking about Dixon, if the the universal screener indicates that 30 students should be receiving support, you know, what's the status of those 30 students receiving support? How often is it happening or if a parent at Dixon request services, it's in the in the queue, and so it's in the dashboard. So we can see that as well. So we plan to build that out in the upcoming year as well so that we can track responsiveness and need beyond what we're providing with our contractors. And we'll be able to hold our contractors more accountable as well, because then we can see how quickly they're responding and the quality as well. So all things that we're building based on the conversation we had at the board engagement session.
Madam Chair, Madam Chair, if I may follow up with a member Taylor, the lieutenant governor came down today, probably some of you saw it in the media and sign new behavior health legislation down in Eastern Market at my job. So we do need to unpack this a bit more because member Taylor I learned in going to work with where I work more about the laws that govern behavior health. And I mean, I really did not know that it the the wind does provide that level of services. And we need to maybe do a better job of highlighting what's available for our not just our students, but our parents and staff as well, because those are resources that are available. And oftentimes, people don't know where to start or how to access them. So it's good, it's listed on our sheet. But as we approach even the new renewal of a new contract, just making sure that we oversimplify the process to access to behavioral health services.
Thank you. And I'll just underscore to I don't think we can over communicate when we're talking about resources. For our staff in particular, are there services streamline to EAP programs? Or are they also able to access the resources that are available that we market through our district?
Now the resources that are indicated, and why anyone can call, for example, the suicide prevention hotline or integrated health, but a far is what the district provides. We rely on our employee referral process for that, and then there are services provided that way. But when we when we think about our contractors that are providing services to our students, that's limited to our students, not staff. But then again, we use the ERP process for employees that are referred or identified the need themselves.
Madam Chair, yes. Okay. Thank you, to our superintendent. Just to follow up with what what member gave in Nago has raised at our community meeting, we had a young man that raised that funding source. And I invited him to our curriculum meeting. And I just want to know, what was the follow up to that application for that funding?
The follow up was rather simple, which is there'll be an RFP in January, and they should submit an our proposal through the regular district process. Okay.
Thank you.
Any more questions or comments regarding the Superintendent's report? If not, we'll move to recognitions before we go back and approve now that we have a quorum the agenda and the items that require a vote. Miss Wilson
Thank you per chair to Night our core value that we will take in consideration is service, listen, empathize, respond own problems and help solve them. Nurse fails was made aware of a hardship of one of her students through the health hubs. A third grade diabetic student who was having issues with their medical supplies, including insulin testing strips and lancets as well as appropriate food supply. At home. Nurse fails connected the family to food resources and the supplies that the child our student needed to manage their diabetes so that they can continue in school. The mother of the student appreciated the love and care her quote for our time and nurse Phil's time in her time of need, and she appreciated the resources. She reached out to the media to help parents understand the importance of using the health hub. And to understand how dpscd Nurse fails helped her nurse fails exemplify the district core value of service. She listened, empathize and responded in a timely manner to the family who had challenge challenges. She owned the problem and she problem solved. On behalf of the district. Thank you nurse fales for your care and compassion for our students. And thank you for embodying our core value of service, please come up and accept your award give her a big round of applause.
Bite our board members to come up for a photo and our student members, you can step to the middle of the stage where you see the X our photographer is out in the audience. And he will take a photo thank you so much. Let's give her another round of applause.
Congratulations
if we can go back to item number three on the agenda approval of the agenda. Is there a motion to
approve Madam Chair? Before we have Dr. Taylor, Madam Chair, can we is it possible I make a motion to move the voting items
up can do you can just come to the mic. I remember getting taken over. Madam
chair before we approve the agenda. I would like to Motion to move the agenda items up to vote on those right to Motion to move the agenda items up that we are approving today.
The action items action. Thank you. So we would need to move up item number 1011 12 and 13. And move them in 14 for oh and for
secondary motion. And
we are moving them up to right before item number nine to take action right now to take action right. So there's a motion on the floor to move items number four, number 10 number 11 number 12 and number 13 to move them right before item number nine which would mean after the vote. We will take action on them now. Is there some there's been support the motion is on the floor by member gay dag Naugle to amend the agenda supported by Dr. Taylor. Any discussion on the motion? All those in favor of approving the amended agenda signify by saying Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. Thank you. Item number four approval of meeting minutes so we have items 4.01. The regular board meeting minutes from November the 14th 2023 4.02 regular board meeting closed session minutes from November 14 2023 4.03 academic committee meeting minutes from November 20 2023 4.0 for the policy committee meeting minutes from November 28 2023 4.056. Initial board meeting minutes from December the fifth 2023 4.06 special board meeting closed session minutes from December 5 2023. And finally 4.07. Finance Committee meeting minutes from December 7 2023. Is there a desire to tie bar items 4.01 through 4.07.
Items 4.0 to 4.07
is their support. It's been properly moved by Dr. Taylor to tie bar items 4.01 through 4.07 is properly supported by member Vaughn for the time are any discussion? The motion on the floor? If not, all those in favor signify by saying Aye. Any opposed? Motion carried the chair will now entertain a motion for the tie bar of items 4.0 A one through 4.07. Is there support properly moved by Dr. Taylor properly supported by member gates, ignoble any discussion of the motion on the floor? If not all those in favor of approving the motion of floor signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carry? Item number 10? Is there a desire to go into closed session based on the recommendation? Is there a desire to long closed session based on the recommendation? Thank you. Item number 11 11.01 is administrative terminations 11.0 to suspensions for cause? Is there a motion to approve items 11.01 11.02.
has been properly moved by Dr. Taylor, properly supported by member bishop on items 11.01 11.02 personnel actions, any discussion of motion on the floor? If not all those in favor of the motion on the floor signify by saying aye? Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. Thank you item number 12. This consent agenda items. So we have items 12.01 through 12.11. And all of these items have come before both the Finance Committee and the academic committee. So this is not the first time the committee is the board has seen these items they've had discussion. Is there a motion?
A motion to tie bar item 12.01? Through 12.06?
Yes, so their consent, so you can actually just do a motion for the consent agenda item
I make a motion to approve the Consent Agenda.
There was a motion on the floor is there support? It's been properly moved by member Gades Agnolo. properly supported by Dr. Taylor to approve the consent agenda items, which would include 12.01 through 12.11. Any discussion? All those in favor of the motion on the floor signify by saying Aye. Any opposed? Motion carried. The next item item number 13. So 11.01 through 11.08 are secondary policies. So these came before the board at the November meeting, some members had and I actually took advantage of the opportunity to reach out to those on the policy committee for clarity on a couple of items. So we will be voting on items 11.01 through 11.08 as second reads, oh, I'm sorry. 13. Right. 13.01 through 13.08. Is there any discussion on any items 11 13.01? Through 13.08? So I only have one question on item 13.0 for policy two to six, six, and the question was in the section. So it would be the first page, the section that says this policy does not apply to sexual harassment that part. The question is, it mentions in the policy that this action is only for this policy only applies to actions on district? It doesn't apply to off site basically. And so I'm wondering, is there language that supports if such behavior occurs at like a field trip? So maybe on a field trip? Is there other language is there another policy that supports that we would protect individuals as it relates to off site activity of this manner? Miss Wayman Miss Mitchell for Bobby Can we get Miss Mitchell fours Mike, okay. The
policy does apply to off site school activities. Okay. It does not apply to off site non school activity.
Got it. Thank you. Okay. And one more on this policy under the sexual harassments section. letter A. It says board employee but should that's a district employee? Yes. Okay. So we'll change that to district employee, not board employee. Those are only two comments I have for 2266. Any more discussion from any of the board for 13 points or one through 13.08? If not, the Chair will entertain a motion to tie bar items 13.01 through 13.08 policies as second reads. Is there support? It's been properly moved by member gay dag nogal. properly supported by member Vaughn 13.01 through 13.08. Ty Bard, is there any discussion? The motion on the floor? If not all those in favor of the motion on the floor signify by saying Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. The chair will now entertain a motion for the tie bar of items 13.01 through 13.08. So moved. Is there a support? It's been properly moved by member Baum properly supported by member gay diagnostico. Any discussion for the motion on the floor? Not all those in favor of the motion on the floor signify by saying Aye. Any opposed? Motion carried. The next item first reads please read those if you haven't already. Is there anything at a high level that rises to this discussion tonight? If not, please make sure that you reach out to any member of the policy committee as it relates to amendments to policy 1435 amendments to policy 5610 amendment to policy 7510 and proposed policy TB in four two. We will now go into public comment.
Members of the public are welcome to address the board during public comment. Individuals wishing to address the board must register in person or virtually prior to the close of public comment registration. The chair will call the names of individuals registered in person to address the board in the order received. Please remain seated until your name is called. For those who are joining us virtually for virtual public comment, it will be facilitated through a zoom webinar. Individuals wishing to address the Board may do so by choosing one of the two options. One through your computer use, you can select the Raise Your Hand option on the screen or two through your telephone you can press star nine and that raises your hand on your telephone. The meeting administrator will select the individuals in order receipt. You will remain muted until it is your time to speak. All comments will be limited to three minutes. Excuse me, the superintendent will reply to questions or concerns raised today that do not violate ethical or legal standards. confidentiality, privacy of others or requires additional information to respond. If you will lack of direct response to your questions no concern. Excuse me please forward an email to the secretary the board Vanja more at Vanja dot more Detroit K twelve.org.
We will now we have both mics available. So we will now move into public comment at the first mic if we can have Dr. Macon at the next mic if we can have Charlotte Smith. Please know those who may be here. As a group. You can identify one person for your group to speak for your group if you have similar comments for the same topic. And that person will receive five minutes to speak versus three as they represent your entire group. So Dr. Macon and Charlotte Smith
Good evening. One
moment Dr. Macomb because I couldn't hear you. Let's try again. Good
evening. Yes. All right. My name is Dr. mekon. And I serve as the master math teacher at Denby High School. I'm here before my community and the board of Detroit Public Schools community district because fraud was committed against my professional record during the 2020 to 2023 school year through the evaluations process. This is all concerned because evaluations are not simply an academic exercise. They are part of state and federal law, and therefore they should be taken seriously. I've been rated highly effective since 2016. And the only aspect that changed was one rogue administrator who decided not to do her job. Here is my evidence and I'm simply reading what was uploaded on to frontline, which is the platform that Detroit Public Schools community District uses for evaluations name Ingrid mekon, building debie High School assigned administrator key. So Lewis submitted by he's a Louis data observation, April 21 2023. However, I have an email from Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Lynette Campbell Williams, which instructed master math teachers to report to Northwestern High School on Friday, April 21. So, it is documented that a an evaluation happened on a day when I was simply not in the building. So I do not understand how I can be at two places at the same time. Here are my notes from the master teacher meeting, and my attendance can be verified by the Office of mathematics. After five months of pulling my case for it, I received this reply. In short, we will be updating your record to show that a cycle to observation did not take place. But the overall evaluated evaluation rating will remain effective on the Michigan State platform for evaluations. As a result, you won't see a change in your overall rating, we will including a note on your cycle to observation to show that the record was voided and you will have a default effective rating. My question is did the dpscd board consider incidences of fraud when writing the policy to create the rating default effective? If that's the case, by district policy, every administrator can fabricate observations and there's no recourse for teachers? I doubt this is the precedent that the district wants to set. Does the school's office consider this to be a satisfactory outcome for me? Because in essence, a default effective rating is in agreement with a fraudulently submitted observation. This is not advantageous or fair to me as professional educator, President Peterson maybe I sent you an email you sent me a short reply I would like reply please. And Dr. Vidya I sent you an email and I received no reply. Good evening.
Thank you Dr. Macon. mekon we have Charlotte Smith at one and Teresa blossom at the other mic please.
We ready Charlotte Smith Cody High School. First of all I would like to think thank Dr. VD honorable board members, members of the community for being here tonight. My first order of agenda is to thank you all for approving our London trip. We are going to have a blast. We'll have a little press party, everybody's invited. And if anybody would like to donate we're taking donations on the Cody website. gotta plug that. Okay, now for the serious stuff. We simply need a new building now Cody is slated for a new building and 2027 We cannot wait. I'm inviting every board member in. Come on in we have Niagara Falls on one side of the building. That's the Canadian side. And we have the heatwave and the cold wave on the other side of the building. Water is literally leaking into the the lights and there is smoke in our stairway and it's from the lights not the hazard Yes, the smell is unbearable due to the mold that from the leaking whatever it is. And this also has increased our critter population. Because you know moist heat. You get the picture. The temperature in the building. We are either the first circle of hell or the Antarctic. You can be in one room on one one side of the hallway and you are sweating on the other side of the hallway we're freezing. So and our engineer is fantastic. Don't get me wrong. He is doing everything in his power to make sure that we're getting what we need but you know 9052 boiler What do you want? Our boiler does keep going down. We have had numerous days off thanks to no heat or a flood in the in the boiler area that threw everything out of commission. And because the temperature fluctuates so much and we have humidity we don't even have a pool functional pool to have the humidity out Our ceiling tiles are falling down. And few years ago they did a study and there's asbestos in the glue in the ceiling tiles. Merry Christmas. Everybody sounds like me. And the students wanted me to mention the lunch. Can we get something that is a little bit more appealing than 16 seconds? I have. I won't need it. It's horrible. Zero taste. And the kids does our kids deserve the salad bars and everything else that the suburban kids have.
Thank you, Miss Smith. We have Teresa blossom at one mic and Janice Smith at the next mic please. Miss Smith, we will address the Cody concerns. As blossom Good
evening, board members Dr. Vitti educators, students, and others here. I am the Community Relations Coordinator for the city of Detroit board of police commissioners, and I'm here tonight to bring sincere thanks to the district for your continuous support of the board. Over the years you have allowed us to hold meetings at your high schools and to engage with students many times on civilian oversight and community policing. I'm also here to express a deep appreciation and thanks to Dr. VD for recently expanding our collaboration after becoming one of the first leaders in Detroit to support police commissioners in working to start a Youth Advisory Panel and 2022. Dr. VD your immediate yes to working with us ensured a successful program launch over the last year. Thanks to you and the district we are going into 2024 with a maximum number of panel members in place and new grant support to ensure the success of the advisory panel and at 16 youth. Most of them students in this district are graduates of your schools. These youth ages 15 to 24. Make decisions and provide input on policies central to policing today, not just in Detroit, but around the world. Community surveillance, facial recognition, police use of force and much more. They are contributing very valuable things as advocates and leaders. And we certainly are excited about the next round of applications in September 2024. We will share a formal report with you and the public soon. But in closing, I just want to say thank you again and say how much we appreciate Dr. VD and the district as well as Angel Fox on your team and others who really helped us get out the word in the awareness of the program and have always been willing to work with the board of police commissioners, and we're contributing right now to the success of our youth advisory panel.
Thank you.
I yield my time.
Thank you Miss blossom. We have Janice Smith at one mic and Carmine Kuta at the other mic please.
Good evening Dr. VD board members and guests. My name is Janice Smith, a dedicated school social worker who was awarded school social worker for the entire state of Michigan by Ma SS W for year 2023. This award is not mine alone. It belongs to all 145 school social workers with the Detroit public schools. And I must add out of the 145 schools social workers 110 Our esc 35 Our title one and we have 18 vacancies. What does a week in the life of a DPS social worker look like? Well, coast caseload are excessive upwards to over 60 students per caseload that we have to serve as weekly or bi weekly, while addressing crisis completing evaluations, attending team meetings, parent meetings, completing suicide and homicidal assessments, making hospital referrals, providing community resources to parents and families completing Medicaid billing, signing plans of care while trying to sign in and out of an inadequate punch time system. school social workers are the first responders to the district. Any crisis that happens in the building school social workers are called upon first any crisis happening in the district. school social workers are called upon first school social workers coordinate all ei ASD The an Ohio evaluation so determined special education eligibility, and all these evaluations require school social work input. After servicing a student Medicaid is completed by social workers and all ancillary staff. school social workers give out hearty hugs and high fives while also providing grief counseling to students, families and staff. school social workers provide direct mental health therapy to students and parents over the last few years due to COVID and an increase in mental health concerns. school social work, job duties have increased which includes more intensive service coordinating and more evaluations. We are a member of the interdisciplinary evaluation planning team, which determines the educational support for needs of students with special needs. Social workers are working tirelessly, understaffed and it appears undervalue while supporting our students and families. As ancillary staff we are the medical arm of dpscd we protect dpscd every day from being out of compliance with federal and state laws. school social work a caseload cap is 40 however, we have social workers with case loads of 70 and do not receive an over case low pay. Although DPS does not recognize we are understaffed and have a critical shortage every mandated DPS professional development leaves a new duty for school social workers. We are the essential medical team
thank you thank you to our social workers. Miss Carmine CUDA and Isaac Possehl ski Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you for young Mr. Sterlin thank you so much, John are keen thank you to our social workers. Isaac Possehl ski at one mic please. And Lisa card at the other mic please.
Okay, go ahead. Okay. Hi, my name is Carmen CUDA. I'm a science teacher at Western International High School. I wanted to come tonight to share about the successes of our Outdoor Adventure Club thanks to a partnership with Detroit outdoors, partnerships and family and community engagement. Since the start of the school year, we have been able to do a field trip with 36 students to Belle Isle, where students got to learn more about local ecology and go canoeing. We've also done indoor rock climbing out down out dyno Detroit with eight students. On each of these trips. The majority of the students attending were newcomer English language learners. With 20 attending the canoe trip and five attending the rock climbing event. I asked students from the trips to share a little bit about their experiences, and wanted you all to be able to hear what they shared. I've translated lated what they wrote into English for ease of sharing in this capacity. Students shared things like going canoeing and rock climbing is something I had never experienced. It was really fun being able to be with other students who aren't in the newcomer program, and being able to talk with them, get to know them, listen to what they shared. I didn't even know rock climbing was a sport. I don't really do other sports. But now that I tried rock climbing, I feel like this is the kind of sport that I actually do. Like, I learned to overcome my fears by trying something scary. Anyways, I was very scared of heights when I came to rock climbing, and I still am a little bit. But I learned that working as a team, anything is possible. If it wasn't for my friend and my teacher there supporting me, I wouldn't have conquered that fear. So first and foremost, I want to say thank you. Thank you to those partnerships who have supported us in creating outdoor venture clubs, for those in Family and Community Engagement who have supported the trips. And for those on the school level who have helped with approving and supporting these trips. creating meaningful outdoor experiences for students is possible because of the support from different departments across the district working together. Since the success of our recent trips, we have held after school meetings with students to dream and plan what types of outdoor experiences they want to help lead. And based on the dreaming we have plans for a rock climbing club in the spring semester, a series of skiing and snowboarding trips in February and more student led student planned backpacking and other outdoor adventure trips. Students want to learn how to fish stargaze somewhere they can see the full night sky. Learn how to build a fire and cook a good meal over it. Go on a bike ride together, meet other students with similar interests who they can share these Ariane says with I'm very grateful for the support we've received so far in making these dreams a reality. And I'm asking for continued support as we look towards growing these opportunities for students in the future.
Thank you. Thank you, Carmine CUDA, we now have Isaac, pipe Rizal ski and Lisa card. And please correct the last pronunciation of your last name.
It's Pep chelski. Okay, thank you. Good evening board and to all the teachers and staff that are present. My name is Isaac kachelle ski, and I work for Detroit outdoors. And I'm here representing with Miss CUDA. To try out doors is a network of Detroit based institutions but including the Sierra Club, Detroit Parks and Rec and the YMCA bowling Gold program, all working to expand access to a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities for Detroit youth and families. To try it out doors has been partnering with schools to give students opportunities to get outside, explore nature and help them develop their identity and become leaders in their community. I'm here just to share and celebrate some of the successes of our work with dpscd students. This spring we hosted ski days at Mount Brighton, which 16 students attended and they all learn how to ski and snowboard. We ran a 12 week climbing club at the indoor climbing gym where over 40 students were paired with mentors to develop their skills. This summer, we led multi day backpacking and canoeing trips in northern Michigan, and to Indiana Dunes National Park were over 20 dpscd students through the golden gold YMCA program got to participate. And I'm going to call out Miss West that's up there was one of our participants on one of the trips and was a great, great addition to that. We just hosted 30 dpscd students at the climbing gym for a climbing night with families and students. And currently at the number of schools, there are outdoor adventure clubs that are meeting after school and building momentum. And students dream up ideas of what they'd like to do in the future. Our work is focused on helping students have additional spaces outside of the classroom to experience growth, to develop leadership skills, practice patients, overcome barriers of fear, become active and in health and improving their health, expand their self confidence and to help develop their own unique identity. We firmly believe that having experiences like the ones to try outdoors offers allows you to grow into exceptional students in and outside the classroom. I'm very grateful I can take this time to share what our collaboration has been up to, and the number of incredible positive experiences we have been able to accompany students on. I'm very excited for the future and plan to keep doing this good work. And we would love to continue to work with you to help strengthen the relationship between Detroit outdoors and the district and any staff or any schools. If you're interested and getting your students outdoors. Please come see me and have a conversation or you can go to our website Detroit outdoors.org. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you for your partnership. We have Lisa card at one mic and Tiffany Davis please to the other mic
Good evening, Lisa card Central High School. First I want to give a shout out to my fellow Mighty Mighty Mighty DFT members. And I am in here in support of the ancillary staff as well as the ESC staff. Please check your emails, honorary aren't honorable board members, Dr. VD I sent you guys an email a couple of days ago or maybe last week. Thank you, Sherry gay Danielle goes she was the only one that responded. We have been meeting the SAE committee of the DLT has been meeting for a couple of years now. But I stated you know only back to September. There are several concerns. As you see the ancillary staff had their list of concerns which my letter spoke to many of the things that they spoke about. And these concerns are growing and ongoing. One thing I wanted to mention, as well as the for ancillary staff, the safety there's a safety issue. You have ancillary staff that travels from building to building they should have access to get into the buildings they should not have to wait to get most of us have key cars and were able to get into our building. Why not give them a car where they have access to multiple buildings. All students made the beginning of the year where are promised a laptop. The parents had to fill out a survey. I know because I'm a parent, I filled out the survey. All students did not get a laptop. And I think there is. I don't know if there's preferential treatment, because our ESC students did not get laptops contain you excessive paperwork, I just got out of a meeting and it just sounds like more paperwork. I'm not saying that it's not a good program. It's just more paperwork. When we did the PD a couple of weeks ago. It was something else that was introduced, again, more paperwork.
Thank you. Quickly, I wanted to say I wonder if the ERISA etiquette class or something that can be given so that people respect DLT members, the FT is not going anywhere. We often hear people talk about they're not meeting with DFT DLTs here, and I think that people should respect that we are young don't speak of the ft of lead unless you are one of the meetings. Amen.
Thank you, Miss Carr.
That's an onboard.
Good afternoon, Miss Davis.
My daughter survived mother goes to run a bomb. And she's been bullied due to the teacher. Miss Davis accent her. Does she eat girl's vagina? So now the key is to speak so my daughter, she is suspended from school for five days. 10 days. I just had a Danmark meeting. Antoine Loman the superintendent came down to the meeting. And they said it wouldn't my daughter favor that they we actually who are xiety for her disability. My daughter at home right now I got her in therapy. She talked about killing herself. They got her on social media that Miss Davis, tomorrow she vagina. The third thing about it and my daughter called me November the 15th. I'm at work. I can't answer my phone on Amazon sent my daughter up there because she had an anxiety attack because they saying oh, they laughing I Miss Davis Claire. Oh, you eat bone up bone bone. And she told her you should have never did that. I know Miss Davis because we'd like family. You know, my stepfather has her knees and whatever. So now, Mr. Wagner, the system principal put my daughter out to build and November 15 at 10 o'clock in the morning by herself. She wandering around trying to get home. A stranger got my daughter Blanca to the house because she crying and upset. I couldn't find my daughter. I had to leave work. I couldn't find my daughter to two o'clock in the afternoon. She's in the closet. She's at home in the closet. Scary. She's still at home. Because I'm scared to send her to school. They told her to bring her back Monday. She scared could they be known her. The keys can even go in the door. They jumping on her, they just go out and send it home to me. She not getting into her IEP services, or anything at all principal has told me I'm sorry. I asked for maintenance. I sent you our emails several times. I don't know what to do my daughter and I get no education to the primary education and I want to file sexual harassment charges on Ms. Davis. And the late charges on my child. I've been therapy I'm going to do everything I can even I'm scared to send my daughter to school. She told me that therapy. I sent papers. They didn't even separate therapy papers. I had to go to so much to deal with that. She turned out there but she wants to harm herself. She got outside there because she couldn't get no social worker services on her IEP. Nothing. And these kids do they turn around in the killing they sell because the school is traumatizing these kids that listen to on, did they slow because they got an IEP? That's pushing them off. Are they bad? Send them home, missing a big school record. And I'm asking could they pick them suspension stop my school, my daughter's school record. She got 16 school records since September. She'd been out of school. She had no education she already behind.
Thank you Miss Davis. I know you and I have spoken so I think Miss Ashby is going to make her way to you. I know you had a meeting with Mrs. Norma as well. If somebody could come in address Miss Davis. If we can have Keisha McClendon and saw Tiana Gambro
Keisha Keisha McClendon Okay, right here. Hi. Hi.
Hello. I am DPS. I'm a teacher, alumni from Finney High School. My mom was a parent, I mean a teacher for 40 years. And I'm also a parent of a student at Burton and international. I'm here from Cody high school once again, to tell you guys, we need a new building immediately. Our students have lost several days of instructional time and lost some of those gains that we've made. We've increased test scores by 30%. It's moldy, smarmy, rodent infested, the heat is unregulated. We have a 1952 boat boiler as its tone. Last week, we missed a whole day. If you are a teacher, you know how hard it is to get our kids back into instruction. So our kids deserve to have a better environment. So worked in, and we do too. I mean, we don't deserve I mean, we have people who are dying from this moment and asbestos, at least 12 previous members of the staff died. We let me say I have a lot of stuff. How am I? Okay, oh, our kids. They told me to come here for this. They're exhausted by the testing. Over the past two weeks, we had science benchmark testing social studies. This week, they'll have horizon PSAT, which is not in alignment with the PSAT from the College Board. It's not at all to say, I'm sorry.
I think I might have to yield some time. But that's really Oh, our principal is wonderful. And my daughter's principal, Mr. Bell is wonderful and Burton, but it's very little he could do to make our kids feel better about what their work that they're doing. Because not only am I the English teacher, increasing the scores, I'm gonna newspaper, your yearbook, and a golf coach. So I'm there all day. I'm scared for my life. getting something out of that ceiling. It smells coming out the walls, the floors, the ceilings falling. We have to get out that building immediately. And I yield my time.
Thank you, Miss McClendon. Thank you. We have Miss Kimbrough. And then Teresa. I won't even attempt the last name. You can correct that when you come to the mic, please. Hi, hi, Miss Canberra. How
are how Hello board to all the boards. I'm sorry. You have received my numerous emails. Some of them have been I'm sorry. My name is Sultana. Gambro and I've been a teacher for 25 years. Some of you have received my personal emails but you have also received emails that have been forwarded to us from teachers from Ronald brown because they are afraid to send you all anything because of being put into teacher jail. I just got out there are seven teachers from Ronald brown in the teacher jail, inhumane process. I have been a teacher for 25 years, I have raised two academically strong young ladies in the in the area of medicine and scientists. I come to work at 640 I do my job I've worked for face. I have never had an allegation of me leaving kids in a room with an active shooter and nor have I ever bullied any my members. Mr. Pitts has been my principal for the last three years before we got the principal with the dog Miss hunt. Then we had Miss Jones you all the board never heard from me. You never heard from me talking about Dr. Pitts. You never heard from me to talk about Mr. Miss Jones. But when she comes and treats us inhumane messes up our professional reputation. Why would a grown woman who's educated and a scholar come to a job to bully someone that I worked with? Where's Dr. VT? Because I need him to understand that when he called me back to that building at Ronald Brown, I was the only one that came back doing the COVID Not only that, we took a field trip 2022 when they sent us out to the village, Greenfield Village, they had nobody to wash the kids. They saved me from the summer program with 50 kids in two other adults. There was no mention of bullying. There was no mention of bullying on face. So all of a sudden we get a principal with a doll and all these teachers have all All these issues, all of us been put in jail. All of us have been lied on all of us has been cheated. I want the stuff out of my file. I'm writing to the state I'm not doing. I'm writing to the state because I know I'm a quality I give my kids I put on a black history program that I took time out of my time and in prep to train kids. And I ask of you, I'm not just speaking for myself. I want my colleagues out of that dead, cheated, whatever y'all call it. Teacher jail is inhumane. Those are professionals. Those are nice people. We are kind people. You know what they told me when they sent me to the new school. She's from the teacher jail. How embarrassing and traumatic is that? I've always listened to you Dr. VT. I followed you when you see it come back from COVID. I've been there I've been a good supporter. So now we have this principle that has taken us all down. You have 67 schools but seven in prison for Ronald Brown.
We ask of you to please.
Thank you, Miss Gambro. There is a meeting happening tomorrow over our Ronald Brown at Dr. V. Vt will be facilitating with staff. We have Teresa and you can pronounce her last name and then Michelle. Awesome. So the other mic please.
Hello, my name is Teresa kowski. I am a licensed registered occupational therapist. I have been employed with dpscd for a total of 14 years. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak with you tonight to tell you what OT is and how our therapy is vital and necessary component in the education of our most vulnerable students those with special needs. Occupational therapy is an ESC ancillary discipline, a part of the medical arm of the district. We work in partnership with all teachers to service our students. OT focuses on the things you want and need to do in your daily life. OT intervention uses everyday life activities, occupations, to promote health, well being and your ability to participate in the important activities in life. In school. That means focusing on academics, play and leisure, social participation, self care, and transition work skills. OT is also an intricate service to our Early Intervention babies focusing on developmental milestones play skills and human interaction. We address a multitude of skill development no matter the age, including fine motor coordination, manual dexterity, range of motion and strength, bilateral hand coordination, visual perception, visual motor integration, self care, sensory processing and regulation, and executive functioning skills. If a student presents with delays in any of these core performance skills, they will struggle to effectively reach critical milestones, access the curriculum, succeed in the school environment, and or gain independence skills for adulthood. We look at the whole child to improve student abilities, modify tasks, modify the learning environment, educating parents and guardians and be active team members with the entire building of educators and administrators. As you can see, occupational therapy is essential and best best practices for OT is to provide direct one on one therapy. However, because we are a critical shortage discipline, as well as the expansive list of job responsibilities, most OTS are currently unable to provide that one on one direct therapy. Instead, because of our oversized caseload, we are mostly doing larger groups as high as four to six students at a time. A typical week can include direct therapy, consultative services, evaluations, Medicaid documentation, multitude of scheduled and unscheduled meetings, crisis, intervention assistance for struggling students, ordering evaluating and training on equipment and adaptive devices, sensory innovations interventions to the ESC and general education classrooms. Each and every discipline in the ESC ancillary department contributes their own unique and specialized services for the students. I am asking the school board to look hard at what we do for our children and search for ways to retain and recruit highly qualified OTS so that our children can access their education and participate in the important activities of their life. Thank you. Thank
you. Thank you. We have Michelle awesome and Rebecca Davis.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to me today. Honorable commissioners. My name is Michelle awesome, and I first had the privilege of working with dpscd students in 2011. I am part of a group of medical professionals who serve our children and we are known as ancillary service providers. We are a village in Detroit public schools and our ancillary service providers are also a village each of us bring something unique and special to our children. As a speech language pathologist or SLP. I usually encourage others to speak and keep my mouth shut while quietly doing the right thing for the kids. Now I need to speak up on behalf of our kids, many of whom I have worked with over the years at 11 dpscd. Schools had starts and public service schools, I usually serve about three schools each year. As an SLP. I have had the awesome experience of watching children in our district grow from preschool to high school, when our kids receive their necessary speech therapy services, and it's the most joyful work I've ever heard of being a dpscd speech language pathologist is my calling, but there are not as many of us as there used to be. Many of my colleagues have left the district for better pay. Speech Language Pathologists helps children with unclear speech, dyslexia, language impairments and people who stutter. The absolute maximum caseload for an SLP should be 60 students I know of an SLP at a school with 120 students needing speech therapy and she's the only speech therapist there. I currently know of 73 students as of November 30, who need my support at my three schools. Even with a large caseload in the last year, I was able to get over 50 robust, high tech communication devices into the hands of nonverbal and minimally verbal students at no cost to their families. I come here today because the beautiful amazing children I work with have a right to communicate so their God given potential children who just need a little bit of help from a speech language pathologist to achieve grade level standards cannot afford to go without speech therapy. children, teenagers and young adults who are not speaking at all yet cannot afford to go without speech therapy. Preschoolers who can avoid learning disabilities by accessing speech therapy early cannot afford to go without speech therapy. We as dpscd speech language pathologists are powerless to do more on our own because there are no longer enough of us and it breaks my heart. I am asking the school board to do anything you can to recruit and retain excellent speech language pathologists, so all of our children can access their education. And as a result of that participate meaningfully in all aspects of life. We are a village at Detroit Public Schools and each member of our ancillary village has a unique and special contribution. Please consider all of our contributions and concerns related to what we see in our unique positions. All ancillary staff are united and equal in importance for our children. Thank you so much.
Thank you. Thank you.
We have Rebecca Davis, and Richard Clements. Good evening.
I'm here to try to to provide a brief description of what occupational therapists do. We are also known as OTs, we are the third part of the central medical team that serves Detroit Public School community district ESC students. We also consult with ESC teachers and general education teachers, providing insight for all students to perform at their highest academic potential. Without us there is no ESS team. Without us, ESC students cannot be provided with interventions that will empower them to perform at their maximum level of academic function and achievement. We are licensed and skilled healthcare practitioners. Our services are unique to the medical team. Only we can perform specific job duties to address things such as fine motor deficits, visual motor and perception deficits, sensory dysfunction, executive dysfunction, dysgraphia modulation impairments, functional mobility, transfer training, wheelchair assessment and management are just some of the underlying conditions that prevent students from doing things we do every day without thinking. We work with handwriting, note taking, cutting, organization and time management skills and much more. As occupational therapists we are more than handwriting teaching interventionist, we develop an implemented implement individualized and holistic treatment plans, we provide interventions to the whole student. We are trained and skilled to help treat underlying conditions for students to develop functional skills, which enable them to be successful in their student roles, which empowers self confidence and decreases unfavorable behaviors. We bring revenue to Detroit Public School community district, by billing Medicaid for reimbursement for the skilled occupational therapy and physical therapy colleagues, but the interventions we provide to ESC students, we are the essential medical team for Detroit Public School community district, providing exemplary treatments for ESC students.
Thank you. What's your comments and Jackie? Hi. Good evening board. My
name is Richard command. I'm a retired educator and activist. I'm here on behalf of the kids in the city of Detroit regarding them being a Tuskegee Airmen. Okay. I'm looking at my Google Maps as I'm looking at this thing called West Michigan Academy right Aviation Academy and he started on the backs of our kids. Okay, we let that previous leadership in Lansing now We poisoned the kids to rip off our schools, which was Davis airport. We really want to do if we're going to take care of the kids, they should have a separate runway to practice on just like the kids in West Miskin Aviation Academy. Okay. You know, I look at this thing on Google Maps, I look at what the mayor is doing they want to fill in i 375. Okay, which is wasting a lot of money. Okay. It'll be much better if the school district and get together with them guys in Lansing to get a bill to redirect all that highway money and Federal Aviation dollars into building a tunnel and a six mile reconnect the neighborhood and reestablish the school back over the on the grounds of Davis airport. And you keep the fire department over there because you can do a fire academy training program. So some kids will know how to fight fires and avian in airplanes. But you know, we could do better, I think we're doing okay. Like I said, we want to get our kids acclimated as a pilot shortage. And we let this go on for too long. Okay. There's a lot of money with the aviation's a lot of money in m dot, and all we need to cure the ill is to introduce a couple of bills, okay. And all you need is a bill to cuter ill to put in a runway, add additional runway plus one for the kids and increased their program. Okay. So I'm not sending message out and everything else. And I also went in there and was messing around with the teachers with this substitute teacher link and got halfway through it. And I said, so. I mean, what can you do to inspire me to finish the rest of the out, you know, we could talk about it, you know, and everything. 1020 hours a week is fine. But other than that, you know, let's think about reinvesting in our neighborhood, building brand new runways with the commercial air service that will not only educate our kids, but pay all the pension is back with all the landing fees from the commercial aircraft coming in there. So other than that, y'all have a good night now relinquish my time. Peace.
Thank you, Mr. Clements. Jackie ha and Alia more.
Thank you board for this wonderful meeting. Please don't stop it because the community needs it. I'm here on behalf of Northwestern High School, and a member of the Alumni lambdas. And I'm the sergeant of arms there and Northwest and need your help. And we want to thank you once again for giving us our Northwestern High School name back last year 2022. It only took over 10 years of us the alumni fighting to get it back. That's all over 10 years. And we're wondering now, what is the plan for Northwestern. And the reason for that is because until we're told that there's only 250 students there. And that huge complex, which when I graduated in 1979, the newer building was being built. And I'm only 62. So 79 was just a few years ago. And from what I've heard, such as the boiler problem, the last few years since seven United things have not changed. If not, if anything has gotten worse. We had a birthday celebration for Willie Horton in October of this year, and it was canceled at the last minute. Because the boiler went out we're told and principal Rogers and the alumni had to cancel it we had media invited and things like that. But I do understand that teachers can't really teach like they would really want to because there are restrictions what you cannot teach you what you can teach, what books you can buy and what books you cannot buy. But a personal note and excuse my appearance and another thing it's hot in here and Northwestern could use the heat because we don't have that or fountains they can drink from the students etc etc, etc. But parents I'm sorry if if let me see if I can rephrase this another way. Teachers and parents you will have to tell this teach to students that they have to have initiative to do things on their own. I go to the junkyard which is why I'm dressed like this and I rebuild get engines and parts and rebuild my own car. I learned that on my on my own. I didn't take classes at Northwestern or here new for community college and Lawrence Institute. But that's the thought that putting in windows at the house and things like that they have Learn to do things on their own because this education that they're getting, won't do it. It cannot put in your head what you don't want to be put there. And I thank you for your time again. I shall return to see what happens with the boilers and etc and etc and or classes. We need students I don't I don't see how 250 Students can keep a huge complex, maybe like this going. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. High. We have a Lea more and then mama Redman.
Good evening board and Dr. VD I just have a few questions before I go into my statement. I first would like to thank our president for stopping by Paul Robeson to, you know, get a little bit more information about our situation with a teacher over there. I look forward to finally getting some results from that. Um, as far as questions, when is Dr. VDS next evaluation? How is our vice president Misha Stallworth west? How is she effectively doing her job and leadership on this board? You know, I have children, but in a professional capacity, I can't bring them to meetings. But she brings her toddler often, and how she focused and really making decisions when her child is roaming and ripping and running. It's just not professional. And it's not a good look. Because if I was to do it, and other people were to do it, we will be deemed unprofessional, and not taking care of our responsibilities as what
they allow it. Yes, ma'am.
Yes, ma'am. How was the money? Is that exactly for count day? Each school got so much, how much was the total that was spent on this last count day? Um, what is the status of our cell phone tower money that the district gets monthly. Um, as far as the student's IEP, that's been the topic, my daughter has an IEP, and I'm just grateful that she has a resource teacher that doesn't have a high low, but you all need to listen to what's going on. You got a lawyer over there, always on top of things, but you all are not doing your job with these IEP s. And that's very important, especially concerning the state of Michigan, we can say and use COVID for different things, and we can't find, but if you can't find you need to let these parents know your babies are coming in these schools and not getting properly serviced. It's called transparency in that part of your core values as a board. Um, I have oh, so important. GDI. What is the ratio to supervisors that do walkthroughs with these buildings? It ain't no way. I used to be a custodian we have people walking through before we leave, isn't me. It makes no sense that we got a teacher's bathroom. They got the same trash in it from two days ago, that they are ready in these environments. The least they can do is use a clean bathroom. But for the board for the board. It shows that you are the majority of you all don't do walkthroughs you cannot possibly do walkthroughs through the schools because half of these people's issues you wouldn't know I don't expect perfection and none of us do. But do your job.
Thank you, Miss Moore. We have mama Rodman and their mother more mother more you can stay on this side and just go off in this room. So if we can have a Lena Brantley Phillips to the other mic, please. After more. Go ahead. I'm on Marimon.
Good evening board. I have a couple of concerns. I'm looking at this handout that you guys have for dpscd wellness. And I'm looking at it says to contact the first thing you do is contact your school counselor, school social worker, a parent consent form and student resources. Now the reason I am bringing this up because I'm looking at the partnerships at the bottom, but I just had a couple of students reach out for me from Cass tech. And this was a couple of weeks ago that hadn't received services for mental health. We are on our way to break in eight days. I better not hear anything about our students not receiving mental health help. I have a problem with that for number one. You keep talking about these hotlines. If our students are feeling more comfortable talking to a therapist face to face. We need to make sure we do everything in our power to make sure our baby get what they need. I refuse to hear about or reading, losing another student due to mental health. far as the IEPs go, one of the situations with the last parent that I spoke about, it's been a month. She still haven't heard anything. And his baby has an IEP. I think, Miss Buckman for reaching out and asking you to try to get her all the help she she needs. My niece, my nephew just texted me while sitting in this meeting. As to me on ticket you helped me get my baby in school. She's autistic, she's not verbal. I'll be dang on. If you don't give her the proper services, because it's no way that I should have to go over to farm Dale when there's still school right up the street from my nephew, to put his baby in these IPs is important. I keep hearing about this. I've been at this mic several tabs when it comes to students with IEPs. And I sadly to say the young man that was here for my friend years ago, did not graduate. Because when he got sent over to the other school, he still didn't get the help that he needed, because he had an IEP do what you need to do to provide for our students. These are our babies. These are your babies. So make sure they get what they need.
Thank you, mother, Melissa one Mike and Elena Brantley Phillips to the other mic, please.
Okay, I'm going to just start talking about all the things I've heard today. You know, we are in a world of trouble. You board members is sitting up there, I can't wait to the election comes next year. We got to get rid of some board members and we got one I know you. We got to have babies and all but she cannot serve our people. When she comes to the meeting Dr. BD babysits. For sometimes I was told, and our children are in trouble. You hear everybody talking? I've been at this how many years 55 years. And I'm still wondering why it is that our children can't read. They're getting the less of education in Detroit public schools, we got the largest school system. And all of these people that have spoken are doing their best to help our children. What the hell is wrong with us? You all got to do better board members. You got one that's got I know she got a baby. I had four. And I still came to the board meetings and tried to help our community get a better education. Now we're at the worst point in history. How do I know because I've been out here over 50 years and I can compare what's happening in school system now to what happened back in the days, don't believe what they tell you. We had a school system where our children were in the middle of the entire state. We helped get a program together called the four cornerstones. Go to your computers, look back and see what we really did at that time. Why are we having so many problems educating our children? Why are they talking about they can't read and and then the money is all messed up in everything. Well, let me give you a point. There are several of us in the audience. We started a program called Let's read, it started from us. Keep the boat no takeover. And guess what if I told y'all y'all y'all wouldn't believe it. I've been trying to get Dr. VD and some of these board members to come out to hear our children read the children that I have a burden where my children went to school. What y'all believe I got a little boy that they thought was no good because he slept in class and everything. And guess what? He reads it to 12 grade level. It's the truth. I've been trying to get some of y'all to come out and listen to this child read. I got three others that are reading over the first grade level. What is the problem? Why are they saying our children are ignorant, they can't learn. They treat them like slaves. Our children are brilliant when they have the right kind of education. They they are brilliant. And you better know that so I'm just saying to you, y'all gotta wake up. election is coming. We got to deal with some of these board members. Thank you.
Thank you mother more. The time is now 727. We began public comment at 624 So a motion is needed on the floor. To hear the remaining six people if the word is interesting six there was a motion on the floor by Dr. Taylor to extend public comment to hear the last six people. Sorry, sorry, seven is seven has been properly moved and supported by member gay de novo all those in favor extended public comment for the last seven people signify by saying aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carried there are none online tonight. If we can have a Lana Brantley Phillips to one mic and Bonita Anderson to the other mic, please.
Good evening. My name is Elena Brantley Phillips and I am an ESC teacher to students on the autism spectrum at Derby school. I am sure that everyone on this stage will agree that one of the things that should be a priority in the district is the quality of education for all of our students. But I feel that there is a disparity in education right here in our own district and within the derpy central building. The ASD students on the first floor of Derby do not have access to a smartboard. Our students desperately need these boards in place because it helps to address an array of deficits and multiple levels of severity. Smart Boards support inclusive classrooms by offering students many ways to demonstrate understanding while giving teachers a variety of ways to address those different learning styles. These boards are key when it comes to differentiating instruction that is unmatched in any other way. I have asked for a school web about the boards as well as as the supervisors. Ms. Webb has consistently told me that each time she asked about the smart board and a meeting, she's told that they're coming. The ASD supervisors have been told that the smart boards have actually been that have been ordered are actually in the building. The problem is, we haven't seen any smart boards. I am upset that even after taking my concerns to ESC supervisors in any at all forums or classroom walls remain absent of a smart board. Over the last six and a half years, our students and classrooms continue to be overlooked when it comes to this issue. In May of 22, we were surveyed about technology that was needed. And we were told that we would have those smart boards in our possession. Instead, we were given a new laptop and a 16 inch computer monitor screen. See, this does not help our students on the spectrum when it comes to learning to communicate. So to say that I'm frustrated is it's not doesn't even. It's not even the tip of the iceberg. My ask is simple. We've been going through this for six and a half years. We're in Detroit, we can make things happen. But you know what, at this point, we can't make it happen anymore. I don't have a chalkboard. I don't have a bulletin board. I don't have a whiteboard. I don't have a projected us to project anything on. I have nothing in that room. So here's my ask. We've waited long enough. I would like for all of our classrooms to get a smart board. Okay, not in three months. Now. Thank you.
Thank you Miss brandy Phillips. We have Bonita Anderson at one Mike and Carla Nash to the other mic, please.
Good evening, Dr. BD, board members, community members. My name is Vinita Anderson. I'm here as a parent, grandparent of three students, and dps at Rhino brown Academy where the principal is Miss. I have no problem with Miss hunt as an administrator. In a sense of the way she handles everything, things are going to be different but putting teachers in two teachers jail is ridiculous. This year, I was looking forward to my grandson. And well he's still there going to the fourth grade. He does have a different teacher. She's good. But I was looking forward to him having an excellent teacher that I thought he was gonna have. Her name is Sultana. Gamebryo and I just wanted the board to know that maybe they find a different solution for what's going on with the teachers and administrators other than putting them into teachers jail, and I'm in support of all of the teachers that are in there. They should just be let out all of them. And I'm quieting the rest of my minutes.
Thank you, Miss Anderson. Miss Nash. We have Carla Nash. And sorry, Anderson.
Good. Good evening, everyone. My name is Carla M. Nash. I am part of the agenda item 11 Personal personnel actions. You should have spoken to everyone. I thank you for letting me speak. But you should have spoke to us because the evidence that you received on my behalf, and I gave my packet to miss Drake to give to you. I have been railroaded. And you have allowed this to happen. I have contacted labor relations for the hostile work environment that I had to work in by a supervisor, Lieutenant George Harris, who is not my immediate supervisor, Lieutenant Booker tools was everybody at the police department leave early. I was wrote up for FMLA abuse. He said it was 31 days. And it's not is nine, he had me working at two places at the same time in his report, and you cannot work at the same two places at the same time. I left Henry Ford Hospital, July 24 2022. And he has me down as working at Henry Ford in August. That's not possible. This is a fragment. This is all false information. I want my job back you I have this notice was sent to me on December 8, I had to call off sick. I didn't get the notice until yesterday at 11pm. First and foremost, I am a heart patient. I have a pacemaker. So guess what? Yes, I should be able to take an FMLA day without repercussions. I've worked under stress since January 10 2023. Because he got upset because I did not respond to one of his questions. And I have been living in jail. Every since I sent information to Benjamin Jackson and soprano and they did not answer me for 30 days. I need my job. I am a person. I am somebody and you are not listening. George Harris harasses everyone who will not call him king. Nobody there is doing anything day golf and sent every last one of y'all an email and you did nothing. George Harris is a tyrant and you do nothing. I need my job. I need my insurance. He is not my immediate supervisor. I was told I could leave early. I work with no supervisor on a midnight ship. I work alone many days and I get no compensation you turn around and you accept this and you fire me for what I did just what everybody else been doing. If you don't know you need to do an audit. I was like God every lift personally. Say the doctor.
Thank you can miss Nash. Thank you Miss Nash. Miss Nash. Thank you so much. Thank you. Tori Anderson and Laura cook. Tori Anderson and Laura cook. Thank you. Go ahead Miss Anderson. And Laurel cook Go ahead, Miss Anderson.
Good evening, everybody. I just wanted to revisit the student ambassador report some things that I heard there are locked bathroom doors due to vaping which can be remedied with more security. There are technology needs at most of the schools which they reported back there were no deficits at the Big Three even though they had no reports from King The Big Three being cast King and Renaissance if you guys know what I mean. And Renaissance is safety concerns are about the fish I guess now here's where I get to my point where I'm here. For years the word equity has been a buzzword in education. Dr. BD often were first in equity in school funding within the state of Michigan. We even saw a letter I was very proud of that letter Dr. VD kudos to you. However today I want to talk to you all about the inequity within our very own district. If we are truly serious about addressing inequity in education, let us first ensure that our house is in order. I teach at DSA and application school within the district this school year. This school year DSA lost their dean of culture, the reason low attendance, I will have you know that DSA numbers have increased since the start of the school year and yet we still have no Dean. You all may not know this because crystal Wilson is very good at her job on Friday, there was an incident that took place at DSA, a former student was entered into the building and he Gray's another student with a knife. The southern Street was shut down the DPD came and did a sweep of the building. However, DSA has one security guard and no gain as it relates to equity. Many believe that schools like Osborn, East English village Persian go Dubois need more so they deserve more that it was equitable to remove the dean of culture from DSA and then place him elsewhere. However equity doesn't take it gives equity doesn't take it gives true equity would have been keeping the deans at all high schools and I'm not just speaking for DSA because I think in equity if it exists in one place, it exists everywhere through equity would have been keeping the deans at our high schools Neighborhood Application and examination because we have some sort of disconnect between the three when it comes to funding and then giving the schools that need more more true equity doesn't require admin as my grandmother would say to rob Peter to pay Paul, principals must decide what they can use their title one funding for a dean or a math teacher, um Dean or a social worker, but according the research all schools have a culture and climate and if the district is truly committed to insurance that students rise, Neighborhood Application examination schools must be treated fairly and equitably. My ask today that the dean of culture position be reinstated at all high school specifically at Detroit School of Performing Arts. The baseline title one funding for one dean and each high school must be allocated to the district. Mr. Medina makes over $150,000 A year he can do the math. The Code of Conduct requires a dean teachers cannot do the job. Thank you.
Thank you, Miss Anderson. We have Laura cook and Cassandra Davis. Laura cook and Cassandra Davis Miss Cook, go ahead.
Good evening, I am sharing my time with Pastor Jimmy from Thurgood Marshall. I am here as an employee and a parent. Leslie Hillier. dpscd is not perfect, but we have some sunshine. dpscd has provided all three of my children with a great education provided by our amazing teachers. With amazing with this amazing skill set. All three of my children receive the Detroit Public Detroit promise tuition free scholarship. My twins attend michigan state tuition free more than my salary. That's nothing by the act of God through Detroit public schools. My son who graduated in 2024, received the same scholarship he can go to any school in Michigan tuition free. I want to thank DPS I want to thank our amazing teachers, and I am a proud DPS employee. And once again, we're not perfect, but we're working on it. Thank you.
Thank you so much Miss Coe. Congratulations. We have Cassandra Davis and Michelle George, Madam Chair, sharing her time. Oh, she's sharing her time. I'm sorry. Go ahead. I'm sorry.
Good evening. My name is Jimmy McKee. I am the local pastor and partner with Thurgood Marshall Elementary Middle School through the faith initiative for Detroit public schools. And I just want to acknowledge how unheard of this is. If I talk to anybody in different cities around the country, the fact that a public school district is partnering with local churches and local faith groups to support the students to support the faculties to support the principal and what they need at the school is incredible. And I'm honored to be a part of it. I want to honor the face. All the different all the different folks that I've got to work with through face Charlaine to Buckman and Omar Proctor and David Wilson and Bishop Vaughn and different ones who have allowed me to do this. Just a quick snapshot of what we can do. In our partnership, we've given out over 75 uniforms to the students because they've been asked for we've done a career day for for the middle schoolers. This just this past October, where this wasn't anything that school had the capacity to or energy to put on but we were able to pull in some professional African American folks from the from the city who actually went to this school to come and share what what what they're doing in their careers. In January. We're starting a school store that we're funding as a church that's going to be in the school that the students can receive tokens for good behavior. are for good grades are for different things that they can buy things at the school store with those tokens, and so there's, but that's all possible because of this faith faith initiative. And I just want to thank you as a as a board and as a district for allowing this to happen. And I want to encourage anybody who's a part of a church, if you're a pastor, if your elder if, you know, if you if you're not already connected with a school, there's dozens of Detroit public schools that don't have a faith partner, and it's time to fill fill all those schools up. So this work can be done in the community can be supporting these local schools. Amen.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. McKee. We have Cassandra Davis and Michelle George and our last public comment towards DeAndre Richardson.
Good evening. My name is Cassandra Davidson. I'm a speech pathologist with 32 years of service. First, I like to say I stand in solidarity with all the rest of my ancillary co workers that are speaking today. That's a VT. I'm glad you mentioned at the last board meeting that speech language pathologists are in critical need, and you're bringing attention to our shortage and finally addressing our plight, it's the first time you've ever done so since you have said on many occasions, that classroom teachers are your priority. Shouldn't all staff be your priority? Classroom teachers do not work autonomously? Why aren't we a priority? ESC ancillary staff provide a vital role in the educational process. We work in collaboration with the teachers supporting the students, we provide therapy to general education students, and to the most critical and fragile students in the district. If it weren't for us, you will not have any ESC classroom teachers. Since we are the evaluators, and are the driving force behind the evaluation that determines the disability of the services and the students in their need for categorical classrooms. We are severely understaffed with little or no resources to support us, I am happy to say that we finally have a supervisor to address our discipline specific needs. Speech Language Pathologists still do not have updated and or new laptops to perform our plethora of reports, evaluation and Medicaid buildings. There are no loners available to us. And when we call it the responses, we know, we have been meeting with the ESC administrators for the past year past couple of years actually. And while these talks are positive, they have yielded no results. To add injury. To insult to injury, we are asked to punch in and out on a system that has never worked properly. In addition to signing in and out emailing your supervisor when you're absent, then to turn in an approved absence form to document the absence you've already email. We waste valuable time trying to use a system that doesn't work on faulty equipment and spotty internet. Instead of being treated as a licensed fully qualified professional. We are treated no better than prisoners with an ankle monitor being monitored by a parole officer because every step we take in and out of our buildings have to be monitored. If this meeting worked during the day, I wouldn't have to sign in and out punch in and out to say I'm here at the board meeting. And when I leave, even though everyone has seen me, I've spoken in its own public record. It doesn't count until I use a system that doesn't work on equipment. I don't have an unreliable internet. The moral of the ASC ancillary service area all time low, and people are leaving in droves every day we're planning to leave at the end of the year. You will never be able to attract and retain service providers working under these conditions. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you, Miss Davis. So we have nurse George and then our final public commenter DeAndre Richardson go ahead nurse George.
Oh, this was a lot today at this meeting. I was gonna comment on something else but I have to dress all these what's going on this meeting but to the board to missa Angelique and to Dr. Vidya honorable board. First of all, I have to read a scripture because all of this I was I'm hearing as a nurse is very disturbing. So I want to start out with say me lower from lying lips and from a deceitful tongues. I had to start out with that because I would like to know are all the the allege with the what the staff is talking about? Would that be addressed? You know, everyone is talking about leaking buildings mold mold is deadly. It can kill it killed my cousin in three years found her dead in a bathroom. So what I'm saying is that that is very dangerous, and then you put the school system in liability. I don't know if this is by design. But we have to realize God hold us accountable. When I hear things like no laptops, eating out girls with Dinah is that did I hear her say a teacher say that? So what I want to say to the board what is your role? What is your role as a board member to hear all of this? Because God hold us all accountable. Even me as an advanced nurse, I have accountability to answer to the lower poor. But when we talk about a bestest that can cause mesothelioma is a very deadly cancer. That's the lining of our organs in our body. I'm supposed to get up here and talk about school we need more nurses due to the impact of the COVID as nurses are leaving our hospitals and a lot of things but I asked you all as board members into Dr. VD and to our president engine League, we have to address these issues. We cannot have teacher jail. What is that and I have been hearing through the community about a lot of these administrators bullying, bullying teachers. I teach on bullying. I've been in schools I've been to schools in the city of Detroit teaching on bullying all the time. When a nurse was being bullied, I stepped in did they retaliate against me? Yes, but God he took care of that he took care of that. So what I'm saying is that even as a nurse advocate as in civil rights, belonging to National Action Network as we do a lot of racism you are have to address these issues in the school system. God hold you all accountable. people's children, everybody want their children to be educated but the these children God holds us accountable for so what I'm asking you all as a board to Dr. Vt to board member Angelique President, to the board members, you want me to to address these allegations that are happening? This is horrible. And as a nurse's I hear this because somebody's gonna write a research paper on this. So I asked you all to address all of the issues that have come before you got hold you
thanking those George our final public comments or before we respond to the public comments that were made this evening as DeAndre Richardson call him Mr. Richardson.
Yes. How y'all doing? How's everybody doing? I'm part of an organization called New Era Detroit. I'm acting community liaison. Um, I was just wondering what new Erica do to help alleviate, um, I'm hearing a lot of stuff about social workers and teachers how we can help alleviate a lot of the pressures that they deal with. Last year, we was in John King teaching conflict resolution. We were stopped for whatever reason, but whatever it was working. Also, we just left. Jalen Rose at school. We're gonna be in Jalen Rose at school. So he was wondering, what's the process of us helping y'all out with conflict resolution, emotional management, anything of that nature? Um, how we can help. Y'all can get in contact with us. Um, what's the number? One second, sorry. I'm so sorry. 313-466-4377. Again, 313-466-4377. We can be reached Monday through Friday 10 at 6pm. That's our our office hours. We are also located on Schoolcraft between sorry, between Southfield and evergreen. If y'all want to come by and check out our new facility is great. Please come out. We've been working in the community for nine whole years. Nine years working on the ground. The first school we was in was purging. Another school Suzanne was in King before COVID hit. So we would like to the mayor's office gave us a specific zone from school CRAF to Curtis and hobble to Wyoming. So we all have multiple schools including this school that is in zone Schoeps John arcing, call me young. We will also know what we can do to help.
Thank you. Thank you Mr. Robinson. So we will now begin to address the questions that were raised during public comment Dr. VD if you could go ahead and start please.
Sure, there was the first one of the first commenters talked about Cody. As most in the room know, we have flooded facility master plan funding to build a new Cody. We do have continuing heat and building problems. This is exactly why we are investing in a brand new building. The team will continue to work on heat distribution. We have continually tested the indoor quality air quality for mold and those tests have not come back as hazardous We do have free paid salads provided to students not salad bars. But that is something that we will work with our cafeteria to provide. This is also why we've tried to move to fully staffed status with cafeteria workers. And this is why we recently increased wages in order to better recruit and retain cafeteria workers. We've made improvements in that area, but we're continuing to try to get to fully staffed status. Dr. mekon, I do apologize, I've not written you back. I've written feedback about other topics, but not the evaluation. Staff was working on it. They have been working on it. The information that you received was from a follow up of the email that you sent to me. But I will put everything in writing. At a high level, there's a disagreement regarding the date between you and the administrator. We can't redo an evaluation. So as you stated the default is effective. We can't go backwards and do an evaluation that was challenged. And that was I think, what staff had told you, but I'll put that in writing. Later lot of conversation about the evaluation process, and the staff connected to it. As was stated at the last board meeting, I spoke very transparently about this being one of the last areas where we definitely have to make improvements with staffing. Right now we have 18, social worker, full time and contracted service vacancies. We have 34 speech language pathologist, either full time or contracted vacancies. And we have 10 OT, PT full time or contract is that vacancies, we've had preliminary we have provided a bonus, but not at the same level as ESC teacher bonuses at $15,000. There's a number of strategies that we've talked about internally, regarding moving to fully staffed status in these positions or expanding contracted services. You'll see that work being done with DFT. With the next negotiation process, there's already been some preliminary conversations about that. It is without doubt that we will not be fully in compliance with IEPs if we're not fully staffed. And so part of it is wage and I was very in we didn't talk tonight about psychologist but psychologists, challenges are even greater. These issues and of staffing with the ESC IEP process is not unique to DPS Ed. But it is exacerbated in DPS Ed, because we have a higher percentage of ESC students. And we have always been more challenged with staffing. The way we've overcome that with Gen Ed teachers is by accelerating salary, and providing higher level bonuses, we're going to have to do that in this space to be more competitive. We also have to do a better job of developing these staff within our own ranks and with universities and other partners. I think it's a combination of contracted services and full time employment with wages and now not only wages, but work conditions. There is another set of laptops that are being purchased for employees. That's about to happen at Durfee in particular, there are 54 smart boards in the building 55 classrooms that looks like one definitely needs a smart board, and an upgrade in technology. As I stated there's another round of laptops being purchased for employees and students. I don't want anyone to get the impression that there are large numbers, but there are refreshes that happen and deployment and redistribution or distribution of laptops and smart boards that happen in phases. They were purchased for ESC teachers and ESC classrooms. But again, depending on how many students are in schools, how many pro ESC programs are in schools, it redistributes the laptops and the smart boards. And then teachers may go in different classrooms. So it's not a matter of not funding it, it's a matter of moving it and equipping it. I'm actually discouraged by the number of examples that were named tonight from ESC, ancillary staff have a lack of follow up. So from this point on, I know that there is a monthly meeting with ancillary staff and district staff. I will attend those more regularly. I'll also ask for all the questions and issues that are asked by ancillary staff and that they're responded to and given to me in writing. Because I feel like I'm just I don't feel like I'm fully aware of all the issues and the lack of follow up It's my understanding that there has been follow up. But many of these issues have been ongoing. So one, I'll attend the meetings myself, or largly. To the follow up, we put in writing to me with concrete responses and timelines. So things are done. And if things aren't done, then I'll have it in writing why it's not being done a lot of conversation today about Ronald Brown, and I mentioned it at the last board meeting. Want Ronald Brown is one of our most troubled schools. Academically, the school is not performing even at the same rate is similar neighborhoods, large K eight neighborhood schools. Right now we have two teacher vacancies, we have four teachers on FMLA. The mid year data initially coming in is not positive. I am meeting with staff tomorrow, that's a closed meeting just with staff and the administration. And there's a lot of problem solving. That needs to happen between now and January, when we come back, I have visited the school, I think twice this school year already, and identify concerns at the beginning of the year. We just have a number of challenges and issues between among staff, between the staff and the administration, between parents and staff, between parents and administration. We need to reset and Ronald Brown. And I'll be there tomorrow to dive into some of the issue that I already know, I'll be providing the board with an update of that meeting, and a plan of action. And then they will obviously hold me accountable to that action plan. and problem solve with me on how to better support that plan. But we have a situation where we're losing sight of the children at the school. As far as employee Transition Center, it is known in the district as teacher jail. The official name is the employee Transition Center. Right now, there are there are four teachers at the employee Transition Center. One of those four is from Ronald Brown, not seven from Ronald Brown, but there are four and total one from Ronald Brown. The way a teacher or an employee is sent or assigned to transition senator is on a number of different issues. One, if an employee's accused of child abuse, too, if if an employee is accused of fraud, if an employee threatens another staff member, or another student,
those are in general the reasons why one goes to the Transition Center. If we think about this a different way, if your child is in the classroom, and that teacher is accused, not necessarily proven guilty, but accused of child abuse, we tried to remove the teacher from that environment. So that is not repeated prior to the investigation. And so at times with 100 schools in several 1000 employees, you can imagine at different times of the year, there's a large number of accusations and allegations and then that transition center will have more individuals and that means the Employee Relations has more investigation to do. We are tracking the time in which an individual is sent to the to employee Transition Center, and how long it takes to go move to an investigation and a recommendation for discipline. If there is one, all that's being tracked, we definitely need to improve the turnaround time. But we can't go back to a school district where when allegations are made employee stay in the environment that they're in. And that was the case prior to maybe four or five years ago. And it doesn't mean that you necessarily are guilty of what you were being accused of. But you do need a process to remove the individual so the investigation can take place. I would recommend that as a district we meet with the northwestern alumni. We are challenged with enrollment. We do have different programming happening at the school. We have equitably funded Northwestern as a neighborhood High School with more resources than comparable schools. But we do need to check in with current enrollment numbers, enrollment numbers in the boundary schools, academic performance, safety issues in the building itself. So in the facility master plan, we kept Northwestern as a neighborhood High School The The speaker was exactly right. It's a large historic legacy school. And we respect that. We don't have any plans to close it. But we do have to actively work on increasing enrollment, because it is hard to keep that building opening, knowing the building concerns in the building, and the overall enrollment, and just neighborhood numbers in that area. But I think a separate meeting and discussion of all that would be more appropriate. Punch Time is not perfect. We are constantly refining the technology in order to implement, but it is needed. I think, everyone, if we think about the fraud cases that we've had and the potential fraud, there has to be a check in process, when ancillary staff goes from building the building, and that already includes contracted staff. But there is a commitment to continue to improve the technology. So this struggles that were named today are not getting in the way of your day to day work. The ratio of supervisor to schools for custodians is one to 12. I may have missed something that I'm sure but that I tried to cover
everything about count phone, I'm sorry, count day dollars and cell phone towers money.
By the end of the meeting, I'll try to pull up the exact number for the count day funding. And then the cell phone tower funding continues to be used at the school level, or at the district level, mainly for meals for parents, and staff because we cannot use general fund money or title one money for that.
CASS Tech students with mental health services not being met.
Phil, I'll have to work with our climate and culture team and Cass tech to know how many students specifically have been identified and not provided services. But that goes back to the conversation we had at the beginning of the meeting. To create a tracker, a dashboard that clearly shows how many students were identified how many are provided services. But I will follow up and directly ask about Caf. We would only know that hopefully, if someone submitted a request for services, so I'll find that out by tomorrow and formed a board.
And then the last one question was around the dean and security guard allocation.
Yeah, so DSA is an application school. It is a high school. So it does have an assistant principal. When we change the allocation model going into this year, without COVID funding, we ensured that every high school had an assistant principal, not necessarily a dean, the neighborhood high schools were the the focus of equitable resources as the speaker spoke to. We did provide additional security guards at at DSA, there is flexibility to use Title One money. And so currently, DSA does not have a dean, the challenge with giving DSA a dean is being comparable to neighborhood K eights that may not have a dean. So we can always refine the process. But one thing that I always remind everyone is that as we give, we need to take somewhere else. And the budget continues to be tight. So again, we can always add, but what are we going to take away? So the dean at DSA has been discussed throughout the year. And I'll revisit the current model. But I want to be consistent with neighborhood K aides that are just as large that may not have a dean.
So DSA does currently have AP as well. Yes. allocation or a body in the building?
I don't believe they have a they have a vacancy with their assistant principal. I believe they have a principal and assistant principal. And I believe they just received an additional assistant principal above the allocation to provide them more administrative support. So they have to filled assistant principal positions at the building. But no, Dean, they haven't had a dean of the school year.
Okay, so go ahead, remember, go? No, go and then I'll go.
So So I have a number of questions from but Firstly, I'd like to know with the assistant superintendent. What it seemed like some of these ongoing complaints that are continue to come constantly to the board. And and I know a number of you email, you email several board members, and sometimes it's like redundant for all of us to start responding. So sometimes if I see somebody else responded, I don't just jump in. But I want to know, like, what's the caseload of the Susan soup assistant superintendents because it's not making sense to me that some of these complaints they should be checked or addressed or resolved before they get Hear and it's just like this ongoing thing that there's no problem solving or they're the complaints are not being validated at some scale. To hear the instructor that talked about the evaluation process where there's truly a conflict of time and location on April 21 23rd, it is not fair to get to a default effective. I know when we go through the process of evaluating evaluating you Dr. VD. I mean, it would be unfair, somebody just charged you falsely, and then we sell well, because we can't go back. It just defaults. So I mean, her past performance, I think I heard that she was always rated highly effective. I know the state has a process. But I think that if somebody is failed in there in this exercise, it being assistant superintendent, or whomever, the default should be on the average of what she's been rated, not just effective, versus she's been highly effective for all this time. So that's, that's on the on the one issue. And I think I'm also very disturbed, I'm getting text messages from the one of the members that we took action on, and we get a member chaired Madam Chair, we can go back and look later. But to hear this plea for this employee, that speaks to another person who's improperly evaluating, I don't know what the circumstances are. But we need a process in place. And I know that our attorney and counsel is working on a process to streamline complaints. But after that long letter we receive a few months ago, I consider a lot of folks suspect that's supposed to be evaluating because that many complaints are not going to come through if people are being treated fairly. So something's not right. And we need to get get some checks and balances in place to deal with that. That 18 vacancies now my son is 30. But I know how hard it was for me as a teacher to sit there and go through the process of my son getting an IEP, and all the work that goes into it. And so I take my hat off to all of our social workers that are here and ESC teachers etc. and speech as well. But I've received complaints ongoing for months on this process. And then we have the the contractors who are listed on the bottom of the of the flyers. It's some social workers have been repeating to me that they don't even interface at any scale with these people. So my question is, what role do the contractors play in the whole construct of our social work and counseling? component? And what can we do to really, I mean, this, this, this is a class action lawsuit waiting to happen. So because I know if it was my son, that was not getting an answer in 30 days, that's against the law. So this, we got to be outraged at scale to know that that's almost criminal, that for them to have a caseload of 60. And for parent not to get an answer back. within the timeframe that's necessary, but 30 days is unacceptable. Um Let's see that I mean, that rattle Brown, I get so many emails, and for and I have thick skin. So those of you who often constantly say a board members don't care. I've been flying for 30 hours, and I came from the airport. Yeah, never seen me look like this, to come from the airport, because and then I sat through this, I'll be honest, I asked for the vote to be moved up. So I could vote and do my duty and then exit. But after the first complaint, I had to sit here and hear all of this, because I want you all to know that this is personal to me. This is not a job. This, I have a job. So this is not a job. I sit here through this because I've worked as a teacher in this district. I love this district. My son graduated from this district, and I take serious shock complaints. So know that you see people writing and it seemed like they're not eating snacks because I'm trying to stay awake after flying 30 hours. So this is very, very important. Very, very important. I thank you all for coming out tonight. But we do have to do some of the principal at Ronald brown if I can another complaint from Ronald Brown. I don't know what I'm going to do. Something's not right into here. All these complaints almost need to be shut down tomorrow, because I've had enough.
Thank you remember gauge
notes. I think that's it for now. But I really hope that we have some, some resolution and we're not waiting to come back to the next board meeting to hear some answers for some solutions for some of this and the time clock, whatever it is to say we're working on it. We've I've been hearing that since the beginning of the year. So whatever it is, we need to get it fixed this week. And not keep saying but in March and April, we're gonna fix the time clock. Let's fix the ship now.
Thank you remember gay tag? No, though. So thank you for lifting up so much. Member gay dad. No, go because I do think that people do. Coming here, you coming here, us coming here. It was lifted up tonight about being in schools. There are some of us who are in schools all the time, despite his more I was at your school today. So I just want to say that just because you don't see us yourself at the school, I think you should not make the assumption that we are not in the schools. If you talk to the principals and the staff, you will hear that board members are visiting schools. And there are things that somebody asked tonight, what is the role of the board? We are a governing and Policy Board, we have one employee basically. And that employee is the superintendent. So there are expectations, obligation, obligations, responsibilities that the superintendent has, he reports to the board. So to assume that people, board members know what's going on at your schools, please don't make that assumption. There are things that are handled before they get to the board meeting, because there are email conversations, phone conversations, meetings, and even visits that happened before the board meeting. So please don't assume that when you get here, we've heard about it, and we're just doing nothing about it. I do agree. Because we do send emails at all times of the day and night. And we do have other jobs too. So I just want to say to that Miss Moore, can we please just have respect to hear so everybody can hear everybody's comment and statement. Thank you so much. So for those who were here tonight, thank you for sharing your passion, your concern? We absolutely appreciate you please don't think it's fallen on deaf ears. There are there are conversations that have been had with Dr. VD, about displeasure about some things. And so in that displeasure that board members have shared with Dr. Vitti, there is an obligation for him as the employee to do something different. You heard some ownership from him tonight talk about how he is disconnected a bit from the ESC space. And he may not be receiving all the information, we come immediately to the superintendent, every time we hear something, and we want to know what is the status? What is happening? What are you doing? What's the plan? It's not enough to just say it, there's follow up about how is the plan being implemented? Have you had meetings, hence the meeting tomorrow at Ronald Brown? I've been to Rama brown twice this year to I've been over there. There's other board members that have been there. And we've had conversation, we understand that there is a issue. And we can't keep saying well, there's an issue, what are we going to do about it? We can't keep saying that. We've been hearing that we were over there together the first week of school. And we saw challenges there. And there were some things that were starting to be implemented then. But there are things that have risen to the occasion that we can't keep doing the same thing and expect different results. That's the definition of insanity. So we have to do something different in this space. I know it was also mentioned tonight, about there are several board members that aren't here. Please don't assume when you don't see board members that they just choose not to be here. There are some who are traveling. And we thought out of respect for you all to have this meeting still tonight, because it's the last board meeting of the year. There is still academic meeting and a finance meeting that is happening. But the level of professionalism that is expected from us is a two way street. And so we appreciate you all and the professionalism that you bring here. Our two students just left and I will share with you that when we had an open house with them last week, we asked them because they attended last month's meeting and they came up on stage. And many of you saw them if you were here last month, and I asked them what was the one thing that stood out also them at a board meeting. And what two of them said, because there were only two present. What they said was the level of civility that you have to maintain at the meeting, despite what you hear, despite was said to you, despite how it said to you. And they said, I just want you to know, we're watching. And there are expectations that adults have of us young people. And I promise if they were still here, I will just let them say it. But they said there are expectations that adults have of us as young people when we disagree, or when we don't, we don't always think that, you know, we're in that on that same page. And then adults don't like the way that we respond. But we're responding sometimes the way that we see adults respond. And so I just want us to be really careful about we don't always have to agree absolutely not, we don't we I think we're all very passionate about this work. If we weren't, we would not be here, we just would not be here. So I want to thank you for your commitment to the district. I thank you for your advocacy. I thank you for pushing back. That is expected. That is expected. I don't understand, you know, the I don't think anyone here has thin skin. We've been some of us have been doing this for a while. And it's different. When we see you away from the board table, the response is not the same. And so I don't know if people are using this as a platform for one thing or another. But at the end of the day, we care about the students. That is all that we care about the students and the staff that support these students. We heard from the ancillary staff tonight. Thank you so much for your service. It was mentioned before, but I will mention it again. We do get calls about parents who have not received services, we do. And then there are other calls, their parents are saying I receive amazing service. Thank you so much for those who are stepping up for my children and my grandchildren. So I just want to thank you. We know we don't have enough staff. But we can't keep saying we don't have enough staff. What is the plan to get adequate staff so that we have the people that we need to do the service that we say that we're going to deliver. So thank you again, for everybody who was present tonight. I think we've gone through our action items. So that moves us to announcements. Are there any announcements from the board tonight? Remember gay dag No, go go ahead.
Well, well, so I will say this, and I don't want to belabor the hour because I am ready to go. But I did have a couple of questions as it relates to Dr. VD when it came to the I mean, either now or later, but I do address I'm addressing the whole effective, ineffective or statement and I want to talk about the five contractors that are listed. How are they engaging with the social workers? These are questions I do want answered.
Is that member gamertag? Naga?
I think it's yes, I think I think that's it the meeting for Rana Browder's tomorrow. So that can be addressed then. Yeah, but I don't want us to wait a month and come back with the same question on the issue of of these, these IPs, and the five, the five mental health companies, how do they interface or do they at all interface with our social workers? Okay,
Dr. BD, can you address that? And I think he has started right before you got here. But can you address that?
Sure. Just to follow up on a couple other things 675,000 were given to schools for county activities. New Era, which was one of the vendors that spoke tonight, was identified for services, they just have to be selected by schools. So the mental health contractors that are listed on that sheet work independently with the children. So there's not necessarily conversation between the contracted providers that provide mental health support with the social workers, or with the counselor or with the teacher, because it is confidential. So obviously, social worker can refer a child for that kind of intensive support, but they're not necessarily interacting. And that's done for the confidentiality of the child.
Yeah, so so so and I think maybe we could talk offline to really make this more robust. Wow, I get the HIPAA and I get the confidentiality. But I think there are some instances in which perhaps, maybe being aware or to augment in some capacity services. It just doesn't make good sense to me that we have these five entities that exist and provide some services and they never engage with our social workers. And I just think that we need to, they need to know what each other what they do. And that's been a complaint that I've received from our social workers that they don't even know who these people are, or they don't know, they're not engaging in any capacity. So how could we be providing behavioral health services at scale, if we got five independent contractors that never engage with capacity with our our social worker,
so let me have Dr. Taylor, and then you can respond.
I think the larger issue is an integration that needs to occur with the responsibility that the county has for the mental health services with the health hubs that we've just installed, and what we're going to expand on, and the electronic medical record that all of the practitioners will have access to where they can go in and also read, what services are being provided to the individuals that are within the system. So we've got some work that needs to go offline, and come back very quickly with an integration plan. And that's how you're going to begin to take a step to go towards scale.
I love that. And let me just say this. I know we did vote in the legislature on bringing site retired psychologist back. But has there been any effort to look at retired social workers, or working with Ma Ma SW, Michigan associate school workers, social workers, is it since I got an award to win for social workers, but I'm working with them to recruit some folks that have retired, if we are having difficulty filling the gaps. We can't just keep saying we have difficulty filling those gaps, whether it's the faith community, whether it's the retire workers, whoever it is, we have to fill those gaps. And then the last thing I'd say is, is there a digitized process when when a parent makes a complaint or initially says my child needs services? And or if there are getting services? Is there something a digital tracker, that would keep us on a? We're running out of time? Kind of so to speak?
Yes. So through the Chair. Yes. And as you well know, you know, there is a complaint process at the state. Right. And all of that. So our our complaints have gone down over the years. It doesn't mean we don't have complaints, we have complaints, and you know, that they're investigated and reviewed, and then there's a finding, so all of those complaints have gone down. But in this conversation, we're being very honest that we're not appreciate that. And so if we're going to move to fully staffed, which we want to move to, we have to dramatically increase salaries. I mean, because we're competing, not only with local or surrounding school districts that are dealing with a with the constantly larger concentration of students, but we're also dealing with private companies.
But what about every, I'm sorry to cut, you know, I don't want to I don't want to lose this. So I'm not talking about so when it comes to the complaint process. We know in order in order for the complaint to be lash, parents have to be aware of the process to make the complaint in the first place. And from parents where we we've seen in some instances, unfortunately, many of them don't even know their rights. So all the complaints are not making their way to the state. That's one. But I'm not talking about complaining for the sake of following the protocol for the state. What I mean is at the school level, if you're making a request, I'm I'm more so concerned about the time lapse versus the official complaint. That's what I'm looking for. So is there something that's helping keep us on a time mediate the time requirement at the school level? And then have we went have we looked to, again, the retirees, retirees that have been submitted to this district? If they're some of them, if they're recruited and respected in this process? They're not necessarily looking for the larger salary. I just think sometimes we've gotten rid of too many of our former people that were in the system that could be still value at it.
Yes. So it is to answer your question directly. Yes, there is a tracker and a timer that starts when the evaluation is initiated. And then secondly, we can continue to reach out to retired social workers, but part of you answered your own question, which is, a lot of them are retiring, waiting, and then making lots and more money for private companies. There's more flexibility in the job, the tire pay, it's a different work environment. And so that's what we're competing with. And again, I can I can tell you the problem. I think you get a sense I get it. But the big solution is, is the same thing we've done with with teachers is we got to create a better pipeline. And we have to be more dramatic with the salaries. But and, and that is difficult, though, because for DFT, and we're being honest, and I understand where they're coming from, to pay a psychologist and I said this last board meeting, to pay a psychologist full time and to keep them, we're probably talking $150,000. And we could all say, well, Greg's great, we solved the psychology problem. But then we're going to upset a lot of others in the system that are just as credentialed, just as experienced that are not getting that same amount. And that has been a difficult conversation and negotiation. So it's not always as easy as well, we'll pay them more because there's other consequences in the bargaining process. So those are all things that we have to problem solve with DFT as we go into the next contract.
Thank you. And I appreciate I appreciate transparency. And this is the end of that, but that's why we have to make the working conditions of the ones we have. And that's all Thank you.
So before we conclude, there's a few announcements. holiday break begins Monday, December 25. through Friday, January the fifth school resumes on Monday, January the eighth, Monday, January the eighth, so everyone get rested. Auditions for the Detroit youth choir will be held on January the sixth from 12 to 5pm at the Marygrove Conservancy, so that's located at at 425 West McNichols, the in person admission fee is $5. So if you know any young singers, we have a ton of our young people in the Detroit youth choir from dpscd. ages nine to 18. You can submit auditions, you can check our website, we'll make sure that the website is posted. That information is posted on our website. The deadline is January the third. So if you have a young person who's interested in Detroit youth choir January the sixth is the auditions but the audition video is due January the third the next board meeting is January 16. At ACE English village with organizational meeting begin at five thank you so much everyone that you will now entertain a motion to adjourn if there's no objection. Thank you have a good holiday everybody and please be safe