It's Time to Talk, CCISD. Join Dr. Engle, Dr. Bayard, and Elaina Polsen as they share a District update in this episode of Let's Talk, CCISD. Hear feedback on the first IP day as well as the Listen, Learn, & Respond tour, get safety updates, listen to some employee shout-outs, and learn more about the great things going on in Clear Creek ISD.
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Let's talk
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CCISD Hello, this is Elaina Polsen chief communications officer, along with Dr.
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Karen Engel, interim superintendent and Dr.
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Robert Bayard deputy superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction.
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This podcast is designed
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to talk about topics that are important to you, our employees.
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This is our first session, so we have generated the themes,
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but we also want our employees to submit questions or topics they want discussed.
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You can email those directly to me at epolen@ccisd.net.
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So we're going to go ahead and get started.
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The first topic we're going to talk about is instructional planning days.
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We just had our first one.
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We have several more down the road.
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Let's talk about why did we start instructional planning days?
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What was the purpose behind this?
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Well, began in late spring when we had
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sessions with
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staff members to think about employee engagement and
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some of the problems we had with with hearing from teachers
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about not enough time.
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And through those discussions, teachers said we really need time to plan.
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And so we worked with our calendar committee
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again, through that process,
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we were able to identify almost one day per month,
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almost one day per month for dedicated time for teachers to plan.
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It's part of professional learning communities and then time for them to plan
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grade papers,
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do whatever professional work is necessary and important for them as individuals.
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And so this was dedicated time for each staff member
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to have professional time for for, for them, for their craft.
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And so what was the feedback after the first day?
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We got outstanding feedback.
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We have been to I've been to all the campuses
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and one of the first things we hear is
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thank you for the IP days Thank you for the time.
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I think oftentimes all of us in especially teachers
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time is the most precious possession
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when it comes to planning and every all the work and all the tasks
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that they have to do besides teaching and to prepare for teaching.
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And so that time was invaluable.
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I am fond of sharing and I did it a board meeting.
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I quote from a Goforth teacher.
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The teacher said, Teachers had a chance to work deeply in collaborative efforts
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they don't typically participate in during the week,
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or if they plan for it, they must stay late in the day to make it happen.
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So I think that kind of sums up the sentiment from many teachers.
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And we were intentional about making it clear
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that this was instructional planning time and not professional learning,
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not as a professional learning as it naturally occurring.
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But when we had that meeting, Dr.
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Bayard I was
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I attended you, that meeting last spring
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when we were having those intentional conversations about
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how do we really, truly make this different
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than what teachers have had in the past?
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That's right.
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We didn't want just time for teachers
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to receive professional learning or for attending another meeting.
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We listened to our teachers and we responded.
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They wanted time for them to plan in their professional learning communities,
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whether on their campus or if they teach a singleton course
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to have time to plan with others who teach the same subject or content area
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from across the district and come together as a team to to
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to collaborate,
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to analyze the impact of their work, to share their expertize
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and ensure growth for all students.
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So the big question is, will we have instructional planning days next year?
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And I was pretty confident the big answer is yes.
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I think, you know, what we do to get better as a in a professional
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organization, as educators, is we listen and respond, just like Dr.
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Bayard said.
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And I think the overwhelming response has been positive.
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Of course, it's certainly something to reevaluate at the end of the year.
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But teacher feedback, has this been of value to you?
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Is this something that you like to replicate the following year?
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So right now?
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Probably, yes.
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The feedback has all been positive from this first session,
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but we also recognize we've only had one.
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So we're going to wait for about the third session and really get more feedback,
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more formal feedback to inform our decisions for next year,
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just like what we have teachers doing about student student
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responses and analysis of their work.
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Our next topic is school safety.
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Dr. Engle We and Dr.
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Baird, we just actually left a meeting with community members and parents
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that who have been on our campuses volunteering, visiting as a parent
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or as a substitute and overwhelmingly did say it's different this year.
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What are you seeing and hearing about school safety at the school level?
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I think overall, we're definitely hearing from every every level,
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elementary, intermediate and high school that the schools feel safer.
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Obviously, the doors are are locked.
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There is very singular entrances at times, very secure entrances.
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I've heard from some high school students a little frustration
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and the fact that they can't come in and out their usual way.
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It's not as easy to get in.
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And we are honestly not apologizing for that.
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We feel very good that the buildings are safe, the IDs are more visible.
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Everything that we have been discussing, the door
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ajar system is working.
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So have students leave the door open for any amount of time.
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An alarm goes off and an email is sent to their administrator.
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So we have a lot of things in place that are creating and supporting
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that safe school environment.
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And we also have had some visitors come and test our system.
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Can you talk a little bit about what's happening and also to really help
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inform our staff of don't be alarmed
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if somebody comes and tries to open up a door.
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This is part of a state audit.
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So because you get a phone call every time they come before they come.
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Yes, I do.
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TEA has an intruder.
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Audit is really what it's termed.
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And we get a phone call
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that says you will have an intruder audit on your in your district this month.
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They don't tell us what school and they don't tell us when.
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And so we're prepared that we have had so far,
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every one of our schools has had no issues at all.
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And they check.
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And just to kind of give you an idea, they're going to check three
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exterior doors.
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And if they're not able to get in, they go to the front
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and they get an administrator and then that administrator walks with them
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and they check every exterior door on the campus
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to see if it's secured there.
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So we have we have been focused on keeping our doors secure.
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The state deems it very important, as do we.
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And so we are that is that really is the audit.
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We also have
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a hard copy of a door check every week.
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We have and campus staff to go around and check the doors and keep a log of it.
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And so then the audit staff comes in and actually looks at our logs
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to make sure that those are up to date too, just because they're a one time
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check, we're required to do it every single week randomly.
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Another thing that I found interesting
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is that the auditors are also looking for doorstops.
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Chances are if there's a doorstop, that means the door is being propped open.
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And so we are making sure that the doorstops are eliminated
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and no longer found or any exterior door.
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I'm proud.
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I'm proud of our campuses.
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When we go and visit, they are requiring us to check in just like anyone else.
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And we have such nice people all over our district
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and I know they're always accommodating.
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And it's that niceness that
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sometimes has gotten us into
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trouble for because we just, oh, come on, end to the side door, Will.
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We might escort you to the front row escort.
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Escort you to the classroom that you want to go to and
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we're we're tamping down on that. And
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our schools are much more secure
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when our high school students say they're frustrated
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because they can't go in through a side door.
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That's a good day.
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And we actually had an audit of Clear Creek High School,
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which has by the most doors in our district at high school level.
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I'm making an assumption just cause I know they have that courtyard
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and they passed with flying colors for the state audit, which is great.
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And it was during their homecoming carnival,
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which happens in the middle of the courtyard.
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There's so much activity.
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If you've ever been on a high school during homecoming week and homecoming
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carnival, it's probably not the most secure.
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And yet it passed the audit without any concern.
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So very pleased that we can carry on and do all the things that we love to do
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on the campuses and still maintain that secure security in the perimeter.
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Another interesting fact about our security and Clear Creek, we are
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one of the first district districts, if not the first district in the state,
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to have this door ajar, alarm system.
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We see this in big companies and and,
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you know, some of the businesses that we go to.
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But in schools, it's rare.
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And we do have that.
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And so if a door is open for a certain amount of time, the alarm will ring.
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Emails get sent.
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And that just helps us to ensure that our doors are being kept closed
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and they are secure.
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I know we had many, many, many conversations about the alarm
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and the potential disruption it would create at the school level.
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And so balancing a disruption in safety.
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But outside of the first couple of days of the alarms
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on, I haven't heard any concerns or troubles with that.
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No, I think we're trained to keep the door shut and the students are trained.
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I think that I think that's part of it, because the students have been warned
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and have been, you know, they understand the importance.
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Unfortunately, situations are tragedies like Uvalde make.
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All of us, including students, want to help and support and keep
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their school safe.
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And we were on the news for our school safety.
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And Dr. Engle, you did a great job.
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So for our team to understand that Channel 11 did
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an investigative story about school districts
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and the number of threats that they have received.
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And Clear Creek ISD was leading the way with the most threats reported.
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But that's not a bad thing.
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The good thing is, is that people are talking about and speaking out.
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So it's not that we're having more threats.
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We actually just have a good system in place where students and staff
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and parents can report suspicious activity or things that are happening. And
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and so what
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initially started as an investigative story on us turned out
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to be a really great feature about all the things that we're doing in safety.
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So I'm really proud of you and Mr.
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Miller and Ashley
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Orr over at Clear Creek High School for participating in that story.
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So that was a great outcome of an investigation.
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Next topic, let's go talk about our 3 2 1 listening sessions
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and we have had so much fun.
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They have been fun.
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It's been great.
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You know, just getting out and meeting with our employees and talking and
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just getting that sit down time and let's so we are
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depending on this podcast will air next week
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so we should be by the time this airs completely Dan visiting 27
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elementary schools and so we're not going to put out our commitment statement yet,
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but we are hearing and seeing some connection
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points in the areas of student behaviors
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need for even more time.
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What are the things that can you share that we're hearing.
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On the you know, we're asking what things are going well?
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And we have overwhelmingly heard the IP days, the time that is
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that's a plus also is teacher collaboration.
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I think over and over we're hearing how how people are working together.
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They're valuing the time together and they're really working together.
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Also, safety is one of those things that we're hearing is
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definitely visibly physically enhanced.
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And I think almost every school where we're hearing that
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and they do like the listening sessions.
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Oh, the one thing, too, we've heard is the casual business attire has been a plus.
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And that tends to be one of those things that everyone is seeing as something
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that is a positive.
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And the teachers have been so complimentary and happy
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that we are there to listen. But I'm just as thankful.
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I'm thankful that we have the opportunity to hear from from our staff members
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and to have the opportunity
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to eventually respond to the things that they're asking for.
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And so every Monday we meet as Cabinet to kind of reflect
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on the visits because of all the cabinets going out were paired up.
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And so today I yesterday we had,
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I think, visited four campuses.
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So we do take our Mondays to debrief with each other
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and make those connection points.
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And so we should be coming out with what we are calling commitment statements.
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But now that we've heard what we've heard, here's what we're going to do about it.
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And even if there's
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still things that we
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can't fix, we're going to at least come back and explain the why.
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And it might very well be in this forum, but all of the topics
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that we've heard about, we will be responding to
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in the near future. There are
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some things that are easy to fix, though, and all we had to do was here.
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One of the things was the frustration with the surveys.
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After every single professional learning session.
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So I remember we got back,
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we had our conversation in cabinet and we turned it off that afternoon.
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There's no reason
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why we have to have those five or six questions, the same questions
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after every single professional learning session and Ms.
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Polsen. Now, you and I, when we listen
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at some of these campuses, we
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just look at each other and say, of course we can fix that right away.
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Well, the other one was about air conditioning, about keeping the air on
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for elementary schools to up through 5:00 and
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and that was also an easy fix.
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I mean, and so I mean, just those things that really make a difference
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in someone's day.
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And we did talk about that on the Monday morning.
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Okay. We need to have that air on till five.
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And and there's a cost, you know, and we're fiscally responsible.
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But the benefit of teachers began able to work and complete their jobs
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and not have to take things home because they're too hot to work in the building.
00;14;17;12 - 00;14;20;04
Just absolutely something that is it's
00;14;20;04 - 00;14;23;12
worth some money and, you know, you have to weigh everything.
00;14;23;12 - 00;14;28;06
And that is teachers and and time and the effort that they spend is so valuable.
00;14;28;12 - 00;14;30;00
And you want to get your work done
00;14;30;00 - 00;14;33;23
and be able to go home and have time with your family afterwards.
00;14;33;25 - 00;14;37;04
So we're working on intermediate schools and I believe we've done
00;14;37;15 - 00;14;39;06
a couple of high schools, if I recall.
00;14;39;06 - 00;14;40;21
So we should be done relatively soon.
00;14;40;21 - 00;14;46;12
So we're looking forward to sharing that information back out with the team.
00;14;46;12 - 00;14;46;25
Okay.
00;14;46;25 - 00;14;48;29
Speaking of communication,
00;14;48;29 - 00;14;54;08
we are bringing back the superintendent communication counsel for those employees
00;14;54;08 - 00;14;59;26
that are relatively new to CCISD We used to have this forum
00;15;01;16 - 00;15;02;22
back when I came in seven.
00;15;02;22 - 00;15;05;21
That was 17 years ago and it was in place prior to that.
00;15;05;21 - 00;15;06;17
But the idea is that
00;15;06;17 - 00;15;10;00
there's a representative from every campus and every department
00;15;10;14 - 00;15;12;22
that come and meet with the superintendent
00;15;13;04 - 00;15;15;22
and they need to be fielding.
00;15;16;00 - 00;15;17;09
What are the hot topics?
00;15;17;09 - 00;15;17;26
Basically, are kids
00;15;17;26 - 00;15;21;19
continuing our listening sessions throughout the school year now?
00;15;21;19 - 00;15;23;24
You were part of that just as an administrator.
00;15;23;24 - 00;15;27;05
So how would how do you anticipate envision
00;15;27;05 - 00;15;30;20
the Superintendent Communication Council working this year?
00;15;30;26 - 00;15;34;20
I would say what we're looking for is just what you said, feedback.
00;15;34;20 - 00;15;35;21
How are things going?
00;15;35;21 - 00;15;37;23
It's almost like assessment throughout the year.
00;15;37;23 - 00;15;41;02
That formative assessment as we walk through the the school year,
00;15;41;10 - 00;15;42;11
what is working?
00;15;42;11 - 00;15;46;21
Well, just like we've been getting these 3 2 1 sessions about what is working well,
00;15;46;25 - 00;15;50;22
what do we need to modify and is there something that we need to stop?
00;15;50;28 - 00;15;54;21
And getting that feedback of what's so powerful is having it
00;15;54;21 - 00;15;56;14
from multiple sources.
00;15;56;14 - 00;15;59;11
I think sometimes if it's a singleton here or there, you know,
00;15;59;12 - 00;16;02;11
that might be something that we we look at in isolation.
00;16;02;11 - 00;16;05;29
But if you're looking at a cumulative concerns,
00;16;06;06 - 00;16;09;21
that's something that we can absolutely we should and we need to address.
00;16;09;21 - 00;16;15;11
We're looking for kind of the pulse and just honest feedback that's very
00;16;15;11 - 00;16;19;09
important that we're transparent and then we're honest with each other.
00;16;19;09 - 00;16;23;08
There's a strength when people have an opportunity to voice their feedback
00;16;23;21 - 00;16;26;01
with with an audience and with among their peers.
00;16;26;10 - 00;16;27;27
We've seen them in listening sessions.
00;16;27;27 - 00;16;31;22
And I remember seeing that and hearing that within the Superintendents
00;16;31;22 - 00;16;35;24
Communication Council, we look we see trends when, when, when a teacher brings
00;16;35;24 - 00;16;39;01
something up in that in that forum and others chime in
00;16;39;01 - 00;16;41;02
and said, we're seeing the exact same problems.
00;16;41;02 - 00;16;43;13
How do we fix this? How can we come together?
00;16;43;13 - 00;16;45;13
That gives us an opportunity again to respond and.
00;16;45;13 - 00;16;50;12
Sometimes even to give that time to break down complex topics like benefits
00;16;50;12 - 00;16;54;00
and salary structures, which is sometimes hard to do just in an email.
00;16;54;00 - 00;16;58;11
So that's also and then the role of this of the representative is to go back
00;16;58;19 - 00;17;02;03
and share with their team what they learned during that session.
00;17;02;25 - 00;17;06;17
And then you are bringing back our student advisory committee.
00;17;06;23 - 00;17;08;26
Tell us about you had your first meeting.
00;17;08;26 - 00;17;11;14
Yes, we did. We have one student from
00;17;12;18 - 00;17;14;21
every high school, each grade level.
00;17;14;21 - 00;17;18;15
So in other words, four from each high school, all seven
00;17;18;21 - 00;17;22;12
and I guess five from the other, four from each comprehensive
00;17;22;12 - 00;17;25;03
and then two from Clear View and Clear Horizons.
00;17;25;03 - 00;17;26;15
We all met together.
00;17;26;15 - 00;17;29;15
We did exactly what we're doing on the campuses.
00;17;29;26 - 00;17;31;11
What is working well for you?
00;17;31;11 - 00;17;34;21
What do we need to change and what is something that we need to stop?
00;17;34;21 - 00;17;38;15
So we got a lot of feedback the students are definitely feeling.
00;17;38;15 - 00;17;40;04
That's where I got the safety.
00;17;40;04 - 00;17;42;14
Yes, they're frustrated. We're pleased.
00;17;42;27 - 00;17;45;00
So and that, you know, we're living with that.
00;17;45;00 - 00;17;48;25
But they also felt like the school spirit
00;17;48;25 - 00;17;53;09
was they love the engaging activities that we've had.
00;17;53;09 - 00;17;56;27
Unfortunately, you know, due to COVID, we had to, you know,
00;17;57;09 - 00;18;00;23
not have some of the activities that they're fully engaged in now,
00;18;00;23 - 00;18;03;22
and they're very pleased with that.
00;18;03;22 - 00;18;07;16
They also mentioned and some improved traffic patterns.
00;18;07;16 - 00;18;09;28
I don't know if that's across the board, but, you know, they had some
00;18;10;05 - 00;18;11;08
some certain things.
00;18;11;08 - 00;18;15;11
And and I would say the engagement, the club activities
00;18;15;11 - 00;18;18;21
that they're engaging in, they're increasing club events.
00;18;18;21 - 00;18;19;22
That was good.
00;18;19;22 - 00;18;23;28
But then they also, you know, had some things that we need to to work on.
00;18;23;28 - 00;18;27;20
And one of the things they said and a clarity statement we made was
00;18;27;20 - 00;18;31;11
they're unclear about the new exam exemption policy
00;18;31;18 - 00;18;33;15
that was passed this summer.
00;18;33;15 - 00;18;35;18
And so, as you know, Ms..
00;18;35;18 - 00;18;38;22
Polsen I came straight to her and I said, we need to do a video
00;18;39;01 - 00;18;42;08
and explain this so that the video can be replicated
00;18;42;10 - 00;18;46;08
in every high school, you know, exactly the same.
00;18;46;08 - 00;18;48;02
Get that information out. And
00;18;49;02 - 00;18;51;09
we're using students
00;18;51;09 - 00;18;55;15
from these this advisory group to create the video.
00;18;55;15 - 00;18;59;12
So we're excited about that and let the students who had the concern
00;18;59;16 - 00;19;01;20
that was something that needed to be fixed.
00;19;01;20 - 00;19;02;27
They can fix it.
00;19;02;27 - 00;19;08;03
And I want to move on to a topic that's very close to us
00;19;08;10 - 00;19;10;18
at this table and all of our employees.
00;19;11;03 - 00;19;12;24
You know, are engaged in this.
00;19;12;24 - 00;19;16;29
And the legislature, the session starts in begins in January.
00;19;16;29 - 00;19;21;21
So we're just now really formalizing our legislative priorities.
00;19;22;00 - 00;19;25;22
And we had a meeting with the Galveston County superintendents
00;19;25;22 - 00;19;29;03
and school board members because we part of this consortium.
00;19;29;03 - 00;19;33;09
So we try to find shared interests that we can go together
00;19;33;14 - 00;19;35;27
to Austin and help inform our legislators.
00;19;35;27 - 00;19;38;23
So what top themes do you think we'll
00;19;38;24 - 00;19;42;16
be bringing forward to our lawmakers this winter?
00;19;42;25 - 00;19;46;02
Well, I know as a consortium we did talk about
00;19;47;04 - 00;19;48;04
students safety.
00;19;48;04 - 00;19;50;29
We'll continue to have student safety added
00;19;52;00 - 00;19;55;11
as a top priority and allotment towards that
00;19;55;11 - 00;19;58;17
and making sure that school districts have the money that they need
00;19;58;17 - 00;20;02;11
to keep students safe and have the autonomy to use those funds
00;20;02;16 - 00;20;06;08
as they see the safety surge and what their what the community,
00;20;06;08 - 00;20;10;15
what their boards decide is the top priority for safety.
00;20;10;15 - 00;20;15;13
Another thing that we are it's definitely going to be a topic of conversation
00;20;15;13 - 00;20;18;22
is school funding are the basic allotment
00;20;18;22 - 00;20;22;00
per student has an increase since 2019?
00;20;22;08 - 00;20;24;09
And we all know we have inflation.
00;20;24;09 - 00;20;28;20
We have so many things that has increased for all of us
00;20;28;20 - 00;20;31;22
and that equates directly to food prices.
00;20;31;22 - 00;20;36;09
I mean, food and gas and all the things that we do to run our our school district.
00;20;36;09 - 00;20;40;02
And of course, I would please at the very please
00;20;40;02 - 00;20;43;04
that our board of trustees gave our employees a raised.
00;20;43;04 - 00;20;45;02
But we want to be able to continue
00;20;45;02 - 00;20;48;12
to do everything that we can to support our campuses.
00;20;48;22 - 00;20;52;09
That's probably a separate podcast and all in itself is on school finance.
00;20;53;04 - 00;20;55;23
One of the things that the state did several years ago was they compressed
00;20;55;23 - 00;21;00;06
the tax rate, which is great for taxpayers like us.
00;21;00;06 - 00;21;03;11
But as the state has decreased that tax rate,
00;21;04;07 - 00;21;08;17
the share of of the taxpayers at the local level has increased.
00;21;08;18 - 00;21;09;16
While the states
00;21;10;19 - 00;21;12;09
share has decreased.
00;21;12;09 - 00;21;15;17
And so as we see our property values rise,
00;21;16;06 - 00;21;21;14
although our tax rate is decreasing, as taxpayers, we're still it feels like
00;21;21;14 - 00;21;23;15
we're paying the same amount, if not more, every year.
00;21;23;25 - 00;21;26;18
But the district doesn't get more out of that.
00;21;26;18 - 00;21;31;13
The state just decreases their share and the burden falls on us as taxpayers.
00;21;31;26 - 00;21;35;16
So we see that also with the tax rate compression,
00;21;35;25 - 00;21;39;15
there's a loss in the form of transition grants, which is what why
00;21;39;15 - 00;21;42;11
we keep hearing about this cliff that we have here in a couple of years.
00;21;43;15 - 00;21;44;28
Each year
00;21;45;25 - 00;21;47;27
the state has developed this grant
00;21;47;27 - 00;21;50;23
essentially for four districts.
00;21;51;00 - 00;21;54;03
That funding will continue to diminish for the next couple of years,
00;21;54;13 - 00;21;58;03
leaving us with with an enormous deficit potentially unless the legislature
00;21;58;03 - 00;21;59;06
does something about it.
00;21;59;06 - 00;22;02;08
Which is why I hope everyone is listening.
00;22;02;08 - 00;22;04;05
I hope you're registered to vote. Please.
00;22;04;05 - 00;22;07;12
Yes. Get out and register to vote on that.
00;22;07;12 - 00;22;10;17
I we did actually have Alice Benzaia with us
00;22;11;05 - 00;22;16;04
talking about our budget and the board did just approve if they if our employees
00;22;16;04 - 00;22;18;29
haven't heard if you live here, this is a good news for homeowners.
00;22;19;16 - 00;22;24;09
Six and a half cent tax rate reduction, which is pretty substantial.
00;22;24;09 - 00;22;28;11
And even though property values have gone up, you will see
00;22;28;21 - 00;22;31;28
a modest decline in what you paid to Clear Creek ISD this year.
00;22;31;28 - 00;22;33;13
So that's a step in the right direction.
00;22;33;13 - 00;22;34;04
And then what?
00;22;34;04 - 00;22;37;09
Let's talk about legislative priorities for teachers.
00;22;37;09 - 00;22;39;26
There is a teacher retention recruitment
00;22;40;17 - 00;22;44;20
topic that we discussed and of allowing
00;22;45;29 - 00;22;48;14
really kind of removing the
00;22;48;14 - 00;22;52;06
red tape to bring retired teachers back to help in the classroom
00;22;52;06 - 00;22;55;24
where it's needed, because right now it's a penalty to both the teacher
00;22;55;24 - 00;23;00;22
and the district if you bring staff back in from out of retirement.
00;23;01;05 - 00;23;03;23
And I know that you've you have some thoughts about that, too.
00;23;04;02 - 00;23;05;27
Yeah, we did. We talked about that.
00;23;05;27 - 00;23;07;24
And I think that was overarching.
00;23;07;24 - 00;23;10;19
Everyone was in support of that this last year.
00;23;10;19 - 00;23;14;23
We were able to bring teachers back just to do direct intervention.
00;23;14;23 - 00;23;17;23
Retired teachers could do direct intervention
00;23;17;23 - 00;23;20;16
for what they were calling a learning loss, if you will.
00;23;20;26 - 00;23;24;21
But but we are facing a teacher shortage now.
00;23;24;21 - 00;23;26;00
We're very fortunate.
00;23;26;00 - 00;23;31;15
And Clear Creek ISD that we have not really felt that we were fully staffed
00;23;31;15 - 00;23;34;16
and we were fully staffed when school started, basically.
00;23;34;26 - 00;23;38;18
But but we're looking ahead and knowing that
00;23;39;04 - 00;23;43;05
we have many teachers that have retired that are ready
00;23;43;05 - 00;23;47;09
and willing to come back and to give back to the community in the schools.
00;23;47;09 - 00;23;50;02
And we're really going to support that strongly.
00;23;50;15 - 00;23;50;21
Okay.
00;23;50;21 - 00;23;52;01
So we want to close out on
00;23;52;01 - 00;23;54;28
what are some of the great things that you have seen out and about
00;23;54;28 - 00;23;56;08
as you've been visiting campuses?
00;23;56;08 - 00;23;58;13
Oh, my goodness. Engage students.
00;23;58;13 - 00;24;02;06
I've had the privilege of visiting every campus.
00;24;02;13 - 00;24;06;02
And I will have to say that usually when I go into elementary,
00;24;06;02 - 00;24;09;01
Zach asked to see the kinder and first grade.
00;24;09;23 - 00;24;13;08
I am and I will tell you this just from my perspective,
00;24;13;08 - 00;24;17;02
what they're learning in kindergarten, we learned in first grade.
00;24;17;10 - 00;24;22;07
I mean, it is so amazing just to see the the engagement and the learning
00;24;23;07 - 00;24;26;16
robotics at the intermediate classes.
00;24;26;22 - 00;24;30;13
There are so many, so many engaging activities,
00;24;30;13 - 00;24;35;10
I think, thats a piece that engaged learning K through 12.
00;24;35;18 - 00;24;36;25
That's exciting.
00;24;36;25 - 00;24;37;27
That's exciting.
00;24;37;27 - 00;24;40;03
Yeah. It's so good to be back to normal.
00;24;41;06 - 00;24;45;13
We're seeing collaborative learning in classrooms, kids talking to each other,
00;24;46;07 - 00;24;49;14
manipulatives being used in classes, and then
00;24;50;18 - 00;24;52;02
our academics are going well.
00;24;52;02 - 00;24;56;09
But separate from the academics, the students are competing high
00;24;56;09 - 00;25;00;21
at all levels in all activities, whether it's sports, robotics,
00;25;01;15 - 00;25;04;13
the fine arts with our band and orchestra programs.
00;25;04;13 - 00;25;08;08
Seeing the bands during the halftime shows have been remarkable.
00;25;08;08 - 00;25;12;12
And I can't wait for their their success this year for ongoing success.
00;25;13;06 - 00;25;15;15
There's a focus on academic growth that we're seeing.
00;25;16;01 - 00;25;18;21
We know that teachers are having these conversations in their places
00;25;18;21 - 00;25;20;19
and we're seeing it come to life in classrooms.
00;25;20;19 - 00;25;23;29
Yeah, I was going to say I was at I believe it's
00;25;24;11 - 00;25;29;13
one of the elementary schools and every child they have a goal I'm goal
00;25;29;13 - 00;25;33;19
setting everywhere K through 12 and the goal is that
00;25;34;00 - 00;25;38;12
everyone grows one year more in math, one year more in reading.
00;25;38;12 - 00;25;39;25
Just going back to what Dr.
00;25;39;25 - 00;25;43;29
Bayard said that grows academic growth is just that.
00;25;43;29 - 00;25;47;22
That focus is everywhere and that's exciting goal setting.
00;25;47;22 - 00;25;50;08
I was at Webber Elementary yesterday and
00;25;51;04 - 00;25;53;28
with kindergartners that were waiting in the library for dismissal
00;25;54;12 - 00;25;58;00
and they were ask them how their day was and they said it was great.
00;25;58;12 - 00;25;59;11
Why was it great?
00;25;59;11 - 00;26;02;29
And we got the letter Z.
00;26;02;29 - 00;26;04;14
And that was just it was so precious.
00;26;04;14 - 00;26;06;28
They were so proud that they got they got to the end of the alphabet
00;26;06;28 - 00;26;09;00
and that they knew all the letters and that was their goal.
00;26;09;00 - 00;26;13;08
So it was and I'm not an educator, but so I get excited at those little things.
00;26;14;09 - 00;26;15;28
Staff accolades before we close out.
00;26;15;28 - 00;26;17;12
Do we need to do any shout outs to anyone
00;26;17;12 - 00;26;20;28
in particular enthusiastic that we just want to say, Hey, great job.
00;26;21;10 - 00;26;23;14
You know, we, we talked about it.
00;26;23;15 - 00;26;28;10
Susie Ferrell came and spoke at the board meeting and just about libraries.
00;26;28;10 - 00;26;33;02
We accolade our librarians I think shouting out to teachers.
00;26;33;02 - 00;26;38;05
I think overall, whether as a librarian, whether it's a fine arts teacher,
00;26;38;29 - 00;26;42;16
they just thank you for what you do.
00;26;42;16 - 00;26;45;00
You truly you are
00;26;45;00 - 00;26;48;24
you are impacting in a positive way our
00;26;48;28 - 00;26;53;19
our future, the lives of our our children, parents, community,
00;26;53;19 - 00;26;57;16
making this community a destination location because of schools.
00;26;57;16 - 00;26;59;16
We know that is a fact.
00;26;59;16 - 00;27;03;19
But I would just shout out to just to everybody
00;27;03;19 - 00;27;06;25
that the hard work, I mean, from the cafeteria, from our child
00;27;06;25 - 00;27;11;18
nutrition workers to those keep our buildings beautiful and clean.
00;27;11;18 - 00;27;14;23
And in the front front office every time you go in.
00;27;15;01 - 00;27;17;08
I was in League City Intermediate yesterday
00;27;17;08 - 00;27;21;05
and I mean the decorations in that front office, I knew for sure Dr.
00;27;21;05 - 00;27;24;25
K hadn't done those that had to do with that staff in the front office.
00;27;24;25 - 00;27;28;11
And, and thank you for just making our schools warm and inviting,
00;27;28;14 - 00;27;30;19
even though it's a little harder to get in the front door.
00;27;30;20 - 00;27;31;10
That's okay.
00;27;31;10 - 00;27;31;21
It's okay.
00;27;31;21 - 00;27;34;12
They're warm and you get. In once you get. In is great.
00;27;34;16 - 00;27;37;21
You know, I want to thank our teachers, our librarians,
00;27;37;21 - 00;27;40;14
child nutrition workers, all the front office staff.
00;27;40;25 - 00;27;43;16
I also want to thank our behavior support paraprofessionals.
00;27;44;10 - 00;27;48;05
They have come to this job to tackle behaviors head on
00;27;48;27 - 00;27;52;10
when so many people run away want to run away from from from bad
00;27;52;10 - 00;27;56;05
behaviors, they're running towards them to support students and staff members.
00;27;56;16 - 00;27;58;16
So thank you to that team.
00;27;58;16 - 00;28;01;27
We just have a it's just feel so fortunate to work in this district
00;28;01;27 - 00;28;04;22
with so many wonderful people that love kids.
00;28;05;01 - 00;28;05;25
And that's what we're about.
00;28;05;25 - 00;28;10;12
And we actually have a podcast titled Why I Stay, so we're going to feature
00;28;10;23 - 00;28;14;14
those employees who have made CCISD their life.
00;28;17;03 - 00;28;19;19
On that note, we're going to go ahead and end this podcast.
00;28;19;19 - 00;28;21;02
If anyone again has any topics or questions that they would like
00;28;21;02 - 00;28;31;01
for us to talk about on let's talk CCISD Please email me at epolsen@ccisd.net
00;28;31;01 - 00;28;31;21
and we'll also be
00;28;31;21 - 00;28;33;17
sharing out a link electronically.
00;28;33;17 - 00;28;35;11
Okay. Have a great day.