OPS School Board meeting

@OmahaPubSchool @oma_documenters All Boardmembers are in attendance. Correct me if I’m wrong but this is the first fully-attended meeting of the year!

@OmahaPubSchool @oma_documenters Tonight’s #OPSspotlight is for Lisa Moody, recipient of Nebraska’s @MilkenInstitute Educator Award: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/educators/view/lisa-moody https://t.co/1C7h519kyk

@OmahaPubSchool @oma_documenters @MilkenInstitute Using my personal privilege here: Lisa Moody has cerebral palsy, and she gave a profoundly passionate, personal speech celebrating her students and the power of education to overcome physical and other barriers. I’ll add a clip afterward. I’ve never seen an OPS audience so moved.

@OmahaPubSchool @oma_documenters @MilkenInstitute Next is Board and Superintendent Communications. Superintendent Cheryl Logan @OPS_LoganSupt mentions some of the items in the consent agenda and other items, including renovation projects including @OPS_Bluestem which will open in the Fall after successful bond initiatives.

Superintendent Logan congratulated many students for their achievements, including Justin Diep who won the 2023 Nebraska Student Journalist of the Year award from Nebraska High School Press Association @NHSPA. https://t.co/LOufCp1b3S

Boardmember Full @advocacybri gave an update about an event with One Omaha she and Boardmember Erdenberger @JErdenberger attended with community members which included topics of school segregation and redlining.

Boardmember @JErdenberger says that the district was able to accomplish the original mission of bond programs which allowed them to “stretch” remaining funds for other renovation projects such as updating classrooms.

Public Comment: Michaela Kazor says they found a book in @OPSCentralHigh about a transgender minor. They believe it violates Federal obscenity laws. Among other things, they say the part where the minor deals with their clothes soiled by their period “makes me want to throw up”. https://t.co/ImBmIWdYdn

Public Comment: Larry Storer says the public comment rules are unlawful. At one point he asks the Board if he’s allowed to comment on the Action Items: I believe the issue is there is only one time to comment on all the items in the entire agenda. Nobody on the Board replied. https://t.co/ZP66Brkjkn

Public Comment: Tiffany Carter disagrees with the Board’s positions on #LB374, #LB071, #LB635, and #LB441, the last one about obscenity laws. They presented the Board with a map of obscene books in OPS schools, including Gender Queer which may be what Kazor mentioned. https://t.co/EARwYoDyFi

I asked Carter for a copy and they provided me this which I believe is the same as what they gave to the Board. The current link is http://qrco.de/bdob2C and appears to be associated with https://educatingparents.org/. https://t.co/2vZEW5x1Tz

The Consent Agenda contains many items, some I went over on Friday.

Motion to approve made by Boardmember Holman @DrShavonna, seconded by Boardmember Full @advocacybri. Boardmembers Casady @trcasadyops and Holman abstain from Item I9 Claim C. Passes 9-0.
https://twitter.com/anthonyzarzycki/status/1636882348049408002?s=20

@DrShavonna @advocacybri @trcasadyops Tonight’s first Information Item is on the College & Career Academies and Pathways, this night from @OPS_BensonHigh, with several members of staff and students going over a presentation for the Board. https://t.co/uhNq9R08Yu

@DrShavonna @advocacybri @trcasadyops @OPS_BensonHigh Next Information Item is an update on the creation of a District Environmental Sustainability Plan, presented by Chief Operations and Talent Officer Charles Wakefield. This is a requirement under the District’s Strategic Plan of Action. https://t.co/D8eqMPJW6b

@DrShavonna @advocacybri @trcasadyops @OPS_BensonHigh Five targets for the next 10-15 years were presented: waste diversion, greenhouse gas emissions, building Energy Star ratings, water usage, and survey results. Wakefield says OPS may consider on-site renewable energy generation, ie. solar panels.

Slides: https://meeting.sparqdata.com/Documents/WebViewer/120?file=17672798-24b5-48b6-b844-c80c4738650e https://t.co/gx0OYwahtI

Just now realizing that there was also text on the back of the card. https://t.co/BYsJ0rdYBn

@DrShavonna @advocacybri @trcasadyops @OPS_BensonHigh Wakefield and other staff members presenting are saying that the most important goal is on the engagement survey score, which focuses on educating students.

Boardmember Thielen has a sort of chicken-and-the-egg question, asking about priority with facilities. Response: the Facilities Plan, which will be coming down the line, should be incorporating the Sustainability Plan.

Boardmember @advocacybri asked if OPS is partnering with the City of Omaha which just came out with their own sustainability plan. Response: no, but the firm OPS is using is aware of the city’s plan.

https://omaha.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/omaha-city-council-narrowly-approves-376-000-contract-for-climate-action-plan/article_60fbece8-bd17-11ed-829f-7721908c512a.html

@advocacybri Next Information Item is on Policy Updates, presented by Boardmember Thielen. I covered some of these updates on Friday.

https://twitter.com/anthonyzarzycki/status/1636882358010798081?s=20

@advocacybri Boardmember Full @advocacybri brings up students who came to speak to the Board about the dress code, but Thielen says that is addressed in Code of Conduct which will be presented later in the meeting.

https://twitter.com/anthonyzarzycki/status/1628558730710200325?s=20

Vice President Smith recommends GR Recruiting as the firm to contract with for finding a new Superintendent. They will be paid a fee of $35,000 with a cap of $10,000 in travel expenses.

https://www.ketv.com/article/omaha-public-schools-recruiting-firm-superintendent-search/43365515

Some confusion with Boardmember Kratky asking who the firm is. Smith says “GR Recruiting”. Kratky asks again who it is. Erdenberger @JErdenberger solves the who’s-on-first situation: GR is Gary Ray, who the Board has used before, no relation to Interim Superintendent Matthew Ray. https://t.co/7UMd0cScNg

@JErdenberger Boardmember Full @advocacybri inquired why GR Recruiting was chosen and if a rubric was used. Smith says the committee agreed to pick one quickly to get ahead of the search and that GR had been used before. Staff explains rubrics were used as well as interviews. https://t.co/BNODRCLdvm

Vice President Smith moves to accept the recommendation. Passes -0.

Next item is recommendations for Code of Conduct changes for 2023-24. Committee included principals, alternative program directors, educator association leader, staff, and input from teachers, students, and parents. Didn’t hear if those three had their own seat at the table. https://t.co/VCT0CclkZr

*9-0!

I covered some of these Code of Conduct changes on Friday.

https://twitter.com/anthonyzarzycki/status/1636882360317751296?s=20

Noticing some side chat between Boardmembers Erdenberger @JErdenberger and Thielen after the District representative says that the Code of Conduct is not in place of criminal or legal outcomes. Not sure if the aside sparked from it but that’s when I noticed them speaking.

@JErdenberger Administration directly addresses Boardmembers Full’s (@advocacybri) inquiry about students who took issue with the dress code, saying administration did have the opportunity to meet with those students and implemented changes based off of it.

https://twitter.com/anthonyzarzycki/status/1628558730710200325?s=20

@JErdenberger @advocacybri Aside from changes to wording and streamlining sections, there are two new violations in the Code of Conduct: Trespassing and Unlawful Entry. https://t.co/G6Z83YDAG3

@JErdenberger @advocacybri Administration says that because counselors are not trained or certified in substance abuse intervention, they are changing the Drugs, Possession or Under the Influence plan of action to respond with contacting law enforcement instead of counselor intervention. https://t.co/puh6uEG0Qb

Administration says Public Indecency is being amended because of Nebraska Department of Education #NebEd requirements to report indecency between the ages of 12 and 19. https://t.co/9uQ6gfDzfF

Administration says that because of FERPA rights, if surveillance footage of a student results in disciplinary action, the district no longer needs written consent of students involved—because it’s being used for discipline, parents have a right to see it regardless of others.

Boardmembers Theilen motions to accept the Code of Conduct recommendations.

Boardmember Kratky says the dress code changes seem “ambivalent” and she wouldn’t know how to enforce it. Administration says it’s in-line with narrowing when cultural or gender differences can skew discipline.

Kratky replies her concern is “the short-shorts” and she “sees it”.

Boardmember Full @advocacybri asked if the new issues about trespassing were a result of actual situations. Response: no, it’s taking into account possible scenarios and other district policies. https://t.co/rJDlb4VXJX

Full says “restorative justice” is mentioned in the Code of Conduct but she didn’t see it explicitly mentioned or implemented here. Is there an example where it’d be used? Response: restorative justice comes into it from the Ethic of Care priority in the Strategic Plan of Action.

A somewhat rare point of privilege: Superintendent Logan @OPS_LoganSupt interjects to say OPS does not use the term “restorative justice” because it comes from issues involving the law and prison system. She does not want the school to use “penal” language regarding students. https://t.co/09VLxPHn8u

@OPS_LoganSupt Boardmember Juarez asks how the younger students are made of these changes. Response: district goes over it directly with parents during enrollment, it’s on student iPads, and it’s presented to students in-school, taking into account age differences.

@OPS_LoganSupt Boardmember Erdenberger @JErdenberger says Dr. Farlan (spelling?), giving the presentation, looked into data on the dress code and found there weren’t many disciplinary actions, but a lot of enforcement orally and off-the-cuff, sometimes even when there was no violation.

@OPS_LoganSupt @JErdenberger Boardmember Full @advocacybri asks if OPS tracks discrepancies in dress code violations, such as if one sex is disciplined more or if one school enforces more than another. Response: yes, monthly meetings with student community services go over these scenarios and conversations.

@OPS_LoganSupt @JErdenberger @advocacybri The roll is called on adopting the changes to the Code of Conduct. It passes 9-0.

The next item is approval of recommended legislative position. #NebEd

OPS will
oppose #LB367 #LB475 #LB695 #LB371 #LB441
support #LB516 #LB522 #LB478 #LB518 #LB627 #LB177 #LB527 #LB774 #LB114

President Head @spencer_head asks rhetorical question if “outside forces” influence OPS’s positions. Boardmember Full @advocacybri says they take input but they aren’t being unduly influenced, they’re listening to the community and making their own decisions for what’s best.

The roll is called and the Board accepts the recommended positions 9-0.

Vice President Smith moves to go into closed session. Passes 9-0.

Meeting adjourned at 9:07 p.m. This concludes the Omaha Public Schools (@OmahaPubSchool) Board of Education meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for April 3, 2023. For more meeting coverage, check out http://documenters.org. #OmahaEd