[00:00:04] THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US. [Community Input Meeting] WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED WITH COMMUNITY INPUT NIGHT IF EVERYONE CAN PLEASE TAKE THEIR SEATS. CAN I ASK EVERYONE TO TAKE THEIR SEATS, PLEASE, SO WE CAN GET STARTED? THANK YOU. THAT WAS AWESOME. THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US FOR COMMUNITY. AND TONIGHT IT IS 7:23 AND WE WILL GO TO OUR ONLY ITEM ON OUR AGENDA. COMMUNICATION TO AND FROM THE BOARD, INCLUDING PUBLIC COMMENTS. MS. GILLESPIE? GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. THE BOARD WELCOMES COMMENTS REGARDING ANY ITEM RELATED TO DISTRICT, BUSINESS OR GOVERNANCE FROM CITIZENS WHO HAVE COMPLETED PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS THIS EVENING, WHICH ARE ACCEPTED UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING AND ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE TO OTHER SPEAKERS. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE INFORMATION IS SHARED AND PUBLIC COMMENT IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THE INFORMATION SHARED BY THE PRESENTER AND SOLELY PROVIDES THE OPINION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SPEAKER, NOT THE DISTRICT. COMMENTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ONLY, NOT TO OTHER ATTENDEES AND ONLY MADE ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED UPON TO SPEAK. TO ENSURE THAT ALL SPEAKERS ARE TREATED EQUALLY AND HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME, THE PODIUM MICROPHONE WILL BE TURNED OFF AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE TIME FOR EVERY SPEAKER. EACH SPEAKER SHALL HAVE 3 MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE BOARD REGARDING ITEMS RELATED TO DISTRICT, BUSINESS OR GOVERNANCE. SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED IN ORDER IN WHICH THEY HAVE INDIVIDUALLY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC CONCERN RELATED TO ANY EMPLOYEE OF THE DISTRICT OR SPECIFIC STUDENT ISSUE, YOU SHOULD UTILIZE THE DISTRICT GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES PROVIDED IN BOARD POLICIES, DGBA LOCAL F AND G, LOCAL AND GF LOCAL. EACH GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE ALLOWS FOR INDIVIDUAL TO REDRESS GRIEVANCE WITH THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. ADDITIONALLY, IF THERE ARE FIVE OR MORE INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE SAME TOPIC, YOU MAY CHOOSE TO APPOINT AN INDIVIDUAL TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF YOUR GROUP. THANK YOU. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS AMY BAKER, FOLLOWED BY DANIEL ELMER AND THEN VICKI COSTA. I HAVE BEEN A PART OF FRISCO ISD FOR 23 YEARS AS A TAX PAYER VOTER, PARENT, TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL, AMONG OTHER THINGS. I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE TO BRING AWARENESS TO AN ENCOUNTER THAT OCCURRED AT THE TACITUS, A CONFERENCE LAST SEPTEMBER BETWEEN A CHILD PARENT AND MARVIN LOWE, WHO WAS THERE REPRESENTING US AND OUR DISTRICT. THE BEHAVIOR OF MR. LOWE DURING THAT INTERACTION REPRESENTS A FLAGRANT ABUSE OF POWER, AN INTENTIONAL VIOLATION OF PERSONAL BOUNDARIES AND DEPLORABLE CONDUCT UNBECOMING OF ANY FRISCO ISD REPRESENTATIVE THAT WARRANTS A PUNITIVE AND CONSEQUENTIAL RESPONSE. I KNOW THE FAMILY WHOSE CHILD SPOKE AT THE CONFERENCE. THE 16 YEAR OLD, WHO IS NOT FROM FRISCO, WAS INVITED TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH SCHOOL DISTRICT LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE STATE AS A TEXAS TRANSGENDER STUDENT, INCLUDING DISCRIMINATION THEY'VE EXPERIENCED TO SCHOOL REGARDING RESTROOM AND LOCKER ROOM USAGE POLICIES WITH PARENT PERMISSION. I'LL NOW READ EXCERPTS FROM AN ACCOUNT OF THE INCIDENT WRITTEN BY THE STUDENT. THE FAMILY HAS REQUESTED THAT I LEAVE THEIR NAMES OUT FOR FEAR OF RETALIATION BY MR. LOWE. AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION, MR. LOWE APPROACHED US AND THE CONVERSATION BEGAN VERY NEUTRAL AND RESPECTFUL. HE THEN STARTED TO BRING UP THE LOCKER ROOM ENVIRONMENT DURING THE CONVERSATION. HE SPOKE ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES GROWING UP, ABOUT NUDITY WITHIN THE LOCKER ROOMS AND HOW COMMONPLACE IT WAS FOR THIS TO OCCUR. QUOTE, MEN LIKE TO WALK AROUND NAKED WITH THEIR JUNK HANGING AROUND, END QUOTE. HE SAID THAT HAVING A PERSON WITH DIFFERING EXTERNAL EXTERNAL GENITALIA WALKING AROUND NAKED WOULDN'T BE OKAY BECAUSE, QUOTE, THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT TURNS PEOPLE ON, END QUOTE. I BECAME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND I VOICED THIS TO MR. LOWE SAYING, THIS CONVERSATION IS MAKING ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. I'M GOING TO BE LEAVING THIS CONVERSATION NOW. THE ONLY RESPONSE I GOT WAS DISMISSAL AND DISREGARD WITH THE STATEMENT OF I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU, I'M TALKING TO YOUR MOTHER. MY MOM REPEATEDLY TOLD HIM THIS CONVERSATION IS VERY INAPPROPRIATE. YOU NEED TO STOP. MR. LOWE STARTED RAISING HIS VOICE AT MY MOTHER AND SAID, NO, YOU NEED TO LISTEN. AND THIS WAS THE CADENCE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF MINUTES UNTIL ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS STEPPED IN AND PHYSICALLY PLACED HIMSELF BETWEEN MR. LOWE AND MY MOTHER. IT TOOK THE INVOLVEMENT OF SEVERAL PEOPLE TO FINALLY GET MR. LOWE TO LEAVE THE ROOM. IT FRIGHTENS ME THAT SOMEONE OF A HIGH STATURE AND POWER OVER A WHOLE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AN AUTHORITY FIGURE THAT I'VE BEEN TAUGHT TO RESPECT, WOULD SAY SUCH THINGS. [00:05:02] HIS WORDS HAVE CAUSED ME PAIN. HE MADE ME FEEL DEHUMANIZED, VIOLATED, AND UNSAFE. I WISH THAT NO OTHER STUDENT IS SUBJECTED TO THIS TYPE OF TREATMENT EVER BECAUSE ONE INSTANCE WAS TOO MANY. THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT THE THINGS THAT SHE SAID WAS NOT THE TRUTH. PERIOD. THOSE ARE LIES. THEY ARE NOT THE TRUTH. DANIEL. EXCUSE ME. DANIEL ELMER, FOLLOWED BY VICKY COSTA. AND THEN MONICA RUSSO. MY NAME IS DAN. I MOVED TO FRISCO IN 2019 AS A PART OF A JOB RELOCATION. WE SPECIFICALLY MOVED TO FRISCO BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, I'M IN FINANCE BY DAY. MY WIFE AND I. MY WIFE IS A FORMER PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER. AND MY WIFE AND I HAVE SPENT THE LAST DECADE OF OUR LIVES MENTORING HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS, WHETHER IT'S IN THE CLASSROOM AND HER CAPACITY AS A TEACHER OR OUR CAPACITY IN MINISTRY MANAGING MINISTRIES THAT ARE MORE THAN 300 STUDENTS. HERE'S THE REALITY. THERE'S TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM. I'M PROBABLY A THIRD. THERE'S IDEOLOGUES ON ONE SIDE OF THE AISLE. THERE'S IDEOLOGUES ON THE OTHER. HERE'S THE REALITY. THE QUESTION I HAVE FOR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WHY ARE YOU HERE? AS A PARENT WHO HAS CHILDREN, ONE WHO'S FOUR, ALMOST FOUR, ABOUT TO START SCHOOL AND FRISCO ISD IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS AS A CHILD OF A ONE AND A HALF YEAR OLD WHO WE WANTED TO GO TO FRISCO ISD. AND AS A TAXPAYER WHO PAYS MORE IN IN PROPERTY TAXES TO THIS DISTRICT THAN IT WOULD COST FOR PRIVATE EDUCATION AT A TOP CALIBER SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT WHERE I GREW UP. I'M APPALLED BY THE CONDUCT OF SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, ESPECIALLY RIGHT HERE IN THE MIDDLE. I THINK SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR TOO LONG. HERE'S A REALITY. I SPENT MY DAY MANAGING CHANGE. I SPEND MY DAY LEADING PEOPLE. AND HERE'S SOME THOUGHTS THAT I WROTE DOWN. THERE'S A SAYING WE HAVE WE WANT TO BUILD AN ORGANIZATION THAT OUR KIDS WOULD BE PROUD TO WORK FOR. DO YOU MEASURE UP TO THAT STANDARD? LEADERS KNOW THAT THEY WILL BE CRITICIZED. LEADERS KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A TARGET ON THEIR BACKS. LEADERS ABSORB BLAME. THEY DEFLECT THAT CRITICISM SO THAT THE PEOPLE UNDERNEATH THEIR CARE OR THE TEACHERS IN THIS DISTRICT DON'T EXPERIENCE. LEADERS DO NOT ENGAGE IN PERSONAL POLITICAL BATTLES WITH INDIVIDUALS. THEY DO NOT USE LIKENESS AND NAMES AND WORDS OF PEOPLE WHO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT TO POST CAMPAIGN STYLE VIDEOS USING DISTRICT RESOURCES AND TIME IN THE MONTHS LEADING UP TO AN ELECTION. THAT'S NOT LEADERSHIP. THAT'S POLITICS. AND THE REALITY IS THIS POLITICIANS GASLIGHT. POLITICIANS ARGUE POLITICIANS ATTACK ONE ANOTHER. LEADERS DON'T. LEADERS. LEADERS ALLOW CRITICISM TO LIE WHERE IT BELONGS. OFF THE FLOOR. THERE'S GOING TO BE PEOPLE WHO CRITICIZE YOU. LEADERS DO NOT JUMP ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND COORDINATE VOICES IN THE COMMUNITY. THEY DON'T USE DISTRICT RESOURCES LIKE THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS PAGE TO INVITE THEIR FRIENDS AND THEIR POLITICAL SUPPORTERS TO JUMP ON AND ATTACK PERSONAL TO MAKE PERSONAL ATTACKS TO TWO MEMBERS OF THE BOARD LIKE HAPPENED IN THE LAST WEEK. THE REALITY IS THIS YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SKIRT CAMPAIGN LAWS. YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SKIRT ETHICS RULES, BUT THE CONDUCT OF SOME OF YOU ON THIS BOARD IS APPALLING. AND HERE'S THE REALITY. I'M JUST A SIMPLE FARM BOY FROM WISCONSIN. AND WE SAY THIS THE FISH ROTS FROM THE HEAD, THE TOXICITY AND THE HEAT. THE HEAT THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RESEARCH AND BOUGHT IN THESE PUBLIC FORUMS. IT'S BECAUSE OF YOUR LEADERSHIP AND IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO STEP UP AND MAKE THINGS HAPPEN IN THE INTEREST OF OUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU. BECKY COSTA, FOLLOWED BY MONICA RUSSO AND THEN SHANNON AYERS. GOOD EVENING. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MARVIN LOWE, NOT AT HIS REQUEST, BUT BECAUSE I KNOW MARVIN AND I WANT TO EXPRESS MY SHOCK REGARDING THE ACCUSATIONS MADE AGAINST MARVIN IN AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY SUSAN MCFARLAND OF THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS AND POSTED ONLINE BY THE DENTON RECORD CHRONICLE. THIS ARTICLE INITIALLY GOT MY ATTENTION LAST NIGHT WHEN IT POPPED UP ON A GOOGLE NEWS FEED ON MY PHONE. I KNOW MARVIN TO BE A VERY KIND, CARING AND DECENT MAN WHO IS A GREAT ASSET TO THIS BOARD AND TO OUR COMMUNITY. WHEN I SAW THE ARTICLE, I WAS IN TOTAL DISBELIEF. I WAS SHOCKED THAT ANYBODY WOULD SAY SUCH ABSURD THINGS LIKE THAT ABOUT HIM. I IMMEDIATELY DID SOME RESEARCH AND SENT TEXT MESSAGES TO SOME PEOPLE ABOUT THIS. I THEN FOUND OUT THAT THERE WOULD BE A MEETING, A SPECIAL BOARD MEETING AND A COMMUNITY INPUT MEETING HERE TONIGHT. I FELT COMPELLED TO COME TO THIS MEETING, TO SPEAK TO THIS BOARD AND TO THE PEOPLE THAT HEARD THESE ACCUSATIONS OR READ ABOUT THEM AS A [00:10:04] TIME FOR ME TO LET MY VOICE BE HEARD. MARVIN LOWE IS A FINE, UPSTANDING MAN WHO DOES NOT DESERVE THIS VITRIOL THAT HAS BEEN CAST AGAINST HIM. TO TAKE THESE ACCUSATIONS ABOUT MARVIN AND USE THEM TO DISMISS AND OR DISHONOR THIS WONDERFUL MAN WOULD BE A HUGE INJUSTICE TO NOT ONLY MARVIN, BUT TO HIS WIFE AND HIS FOUR CHILDREN WHO ARE STUDENTS IN THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT. UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE, I CONSIDER THIS HEARSAY AND SLANDER. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I WANT TO SPEAK ON SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. FIRST, I WANT TO BRING UP A SAFETY CONCERN THAT I'VE RECENTLY SEEN REGARDING OUR BUSSES. THERE'S PRESENTLY A BUS THAT DROPS OFF STUDENTS AT THE CORNER OF SILVERADO AND CUSTER IN SOME STUDENTS WHO HAVE TO CROSS SILVERADO. THIS INTERSECTION HAS ACTUALLY BEEN THE SITE OF NUMEROUS TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. I'M NOT SURE WHAT ALL YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT, BUT I WOULD ASK IF IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS BUS STOP AND JUST SEE IF IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST TO BE STOPPING RIGHT THERE. NEXT, I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME FEEDBACK THAT I'VE RECEIVED FROM NUMEROUS PEOPLE AT MY SCHOOL ON THE FISD CLINIC. ALL I'VE HEARD REPEATEDLY IS POSITIVE FEEDBACK REGARDING IT AND ANYONE THAT HAS GONE THERE, I'VE HEARD NOTHING BUT POSITIVE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCES. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THINKING OF THE STAFF IN CREATING THIS CLINIC. IT'S A BIG WIN FOR THE FRISCO STAFF. IN LINE WITH THIS, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO CONSIDER OTHER AREAS. WE'VE TALKED IN THE PAST ABOUT HOW WE CAN CREATE WINS AND HELP TO ENCOURAGE TEACHER AND STAFF RETENTION, AS I JUST MENTIONED. THIS FEELS LIKE A WIN. SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE DON'T IGNORE GOOD TEACHERS THAT ARE STREAMING OUT OF THE DOOR AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR AND INSTEAD DO MORE TO GAIN FEEDBACK, MAKE POSITIVE CHANGES THAT LET OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF KNOW THEIR CONCERNS ARE BEING HEARD AND ADDRESSED AND THAT THEY'RE APPRECIATED. AND I WILL JUST ADD FEEL FREE TO USE MY IMAGE BECAUSE IF I'M BOLD ENOUGH TO COME HERE AND SPEAK, I SHOULD BE WILLING TO HAVE MY IMAGE AND COMMENTS USED AS WELL. THANK YOU. SHANNON AYERS, FOLLOWED BY DEBRA NELSON AND THEN MEG READ. THANK YOU. SO I JUST WANTED TO CONTINUE BECAUSE MY SPEECH EARLIER WAS LONGER THAN A MINUTE. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY FOR THE RECORD THAT I'D LIKE IT TO BE NOTED THAT ONLY TRUSTEES, ELAD AND LOWE PUT FORTH PROPOSALS TONIGHT THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR MORE INPUT FROM PARENTS, WHETHER IT BE MORE TIME TO SPEAK, ALLOWING FOR TOPICS THAT PARENTS WANT TO TALK ABOUT RATHER THAN LIMITING ONLY TO WHAT YOU DEEM WORTHY. YOUR WORDS EXACTLY OFF PUTTING ON THE AGENDA OR EVEN JUST MAKING IT MORE CONVENIENT FOR BUSY PARENTS TO PARTICIPATE BY MOVING PUBLIC COMMENTS TO THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING. ALL OF THOSE WERE VOTED AGAINST VOTED DOWN TONIGHT BY THIS BOARD. SO FOR THOSE PLANNING TO VOTE IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION, I'M NOT TALKING TO THE BOARD NOW. CONSIDER THE PROPOSALS FROM TRUSTEES ELAD AND LOWE TONIGHT THAT WOULD HAVE MADE IT EASIER TO HEAR FROM PARENTS AND THEN KNOW THAT THE ONE TRUSTEE HOPING TO KEEP HER SEAT. TRUSTEE DAVIS VOTED AGAINST EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. THANK YOU. DEBRA NELSON, FOLLOWED BY MEG REED AND THEN AMANDA REED AND PAUL GESSEN. THANK YOU. BOARD. I'VE LIVED IN FRISCO SINCE 1996 AND I'VE BEEN A LIFETIME EDUCATOR, SO I HAVE A LOT OF CONNECTIONS STILL IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ON SCHOOL BOARDS IN THE NORTH TEXAS AREA. WELL, ACTUALLY ALL OVER THE STATE, BECAUSE I'M OLD AND BEEN AROUND A WHILE. SO I WAS SOMEWHAT SURPRISED WHEN MY PHONE STARTED BLOWING UP LAST NIGHT WITH TEXT AND COMMENTS AND TALKING ABOUT WHEN I PICKED UP MY PAPER THIS MORNING, THIS IS WHAT IT WAS. AND SO THEY ASKED WHAT IN THE HECK IS GOING ON IN FRISCO? I JUST SAID, I DON'T KNOW, TALK TONIGHT. REACHED IN A COUPLE OF PEOPLE SAID, WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON? WHAT DO YOU THINK? I SAID, I DON'T KNOW. I'M NOT A PART OF THAT DISCUSSION. I DO KNOW AS AN ADULT, I CAN NEVER IMAGINE A TIME THAT I WOULD VERBALLY ATTACK A STUDENT. I CAN'T THINK OF A TIME AS AN EDUCATOR. I CERTAINLY CAN'T THINK OF A TIME AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL THAT SOMEONE WOULD DO THAT. [00:15:02] NOW, I WASN'T THERE, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. MR. LOWE WAS THERE. I WAS NOT. BUT I DO KNOW MR. LOWE, IF IT HAPPENED AS IT'S ALLEGED, I ASK YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT AND RESIGN YOUR POSITION. MEG REED, FOLLOWED BY AMANDA REED AND THEN PAUL JESSON. MS. GILLARD AND MR. LOWE AND YOU ALL SUPPORTERS. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? THAT A TRANS CHILD MIGHT ASSAULT A CISGENDER STUDENT IN A RESTROOM. STATISTICS DO NOT BEAR THAT OUT. THAT OUR KIDS WILL READ ABOUT AN LGBTQ PERSON AND TURN GAY. IF THAT WERE POSSIBLE, WE'D ALL BE GAY. THAT OUR KIDS ARE SUCH SNOWFLAKES THAT THEY COULDN'T HANDLE THE UGLY PARTS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. I THINK OUR KIDS ARE TOUGHER THAN THAT. GERMAN KIDS ARE. AS FOR CRT, IT'S JUST RED MEAT THAT YOU THROW TO YOUR BASE WHO REACTS PREDICTABLY APOPLECTIC. CRT HAS NEVER BEEN TAUGHT IN ELEMENTARY OR HIGH SCHOOLS. ALL YOUR IDEAS ARE BASED ON FEAR AND WE NEED TO CALL YOU OUT WHEN YOU RESORT TO THOSE TACTICS. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CONTROL WHAT IDEAS YOUR CHILDREN ARE EXPOSED TO. YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO CONTROL OTHER PEOPLE'S KIDS IN THAT WAY. I WANT OUR KIDS TO LEARN ABOUT THE WONDERFUL DIVERSITY THAT EXISTS, NOT THAT DIFFERING IDEAS OR DIFFERING PEOPLE ARE INHERENTLY SCARY OR BAD. LGBTQ FOLKS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOREVER. YOU CANNOT LEGISLATE THEM OUT OF EXISTENCE, MUCH AS YOU MIGHT WISH TO. DO WE HAVE ISSUES TO ADDRESS? YES. AGE APPROPRIATE TREATMENT OF DIFFICULT TOPICS IS ESSENTIAL. STALLS IN BATHROOMS MEANS THAT NOBODY NEEDS TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT WHO THEY'RE SHARING THE BATHROOM WITH. WE HAVE ALL SHARED BATHROOMS WITH TRANSGENDER PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES, AND WE GOT THROUGH IT JUST FINE. PRIVATE CHANGING AREAS AND LOCKER ROOMS WOULD BE A VERY EASY SOLUTION. WHAT IS NOT APPROPRIATE IS AN ADULT DISCUSSING JUNK HANGING AROUND AND GETTING TURNED ON IN FRONT OF A STUDENT. HAVING MR. LOWE'S INCIDENT ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS IS THE ANTITHESIS OF APPROPRIATE. I'M SURE HE WILL SAY HE WAS MISQUOTED, BUT I CAN ATTEST FROM A DISCUSSION I HAD WITH HIM AND VIDEOS OF HIS THAT I'VE SEEN THAT IT'S ENTIRELY BELIEVABLE. FISD SHOULD NOT TOLERATE A BOARD MEMBER WHO CONDUCTS HIMSELF THAT WAY. THE HONORABLE THING FOR HIM TO DO IS TO RESIGN, AND IF HE WON'T, WE MUST DEMAND IT. FRISCO ISD. HIS REPUTATION AND OUR DIVERSE STUDENT BODY DESERVE NOTHING LESS. THANK YOU. AMANDA READ, FOLLOWED BY PAUL JESSON AND THEN MEGAN SUMMERALL. HI THERE. I WAS ORIGINALLY GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE STUFF YOU VOTED FOR AT 530 OR SIX, SO I DON'T THINK THIS WILL TAKE 3 MINUTES. I JUST WANTED TO SAY I WAS REALLY SAD AND EMBARRASSED TO READ THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS ARTICLE, BUT I'M NOT REALLY SURE HOW TO FULLY GATHER MY THOUGHTS. I WILL SAY I'VE BEEN ATTENDING A LOT OF THESE BOARD MEETINGS OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, AND A LOT OF THE DISCUSSIONS HERE HAVE MADE ME PRETTY UNCOMFORTABLE LIKE THEY WERE. I DON'T KNOW. NOT WHAT I EXPECT FROM A PROFESSIONAL TYPE OF MEETING. I'VE THOUGHT TWICE ABOUT TURNING ON BOARD MEETINGS WHEN MY SON IS IN THE ROOM, WHICH MAKES ME SAD. SO THIS FEELS A BIT LIKE A CRISIS POINT, AND I HOPE WE SEE SOMETHING DIFFERENT GOING FORWARD. I ALSO JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT TO EVERYBODY THAT MAY 6TH IS A VOTING DAY, AND APRIL 6TH IS THE LAST DAY TO REGISTER AND EARLY VOTING WILL BE FROM APRIL 24TH TO MAY 2ND. SO I HOPE EVERYBODY GETS OUT TO VOTE, ALL YOU PEOPLE THAT ARE LISTENING. SO FINALLY, I'VE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN THE FRISCO INSIGHT PROGRAM, AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY LAST WEEK WAS AWESOME. WE GOT TO GO. I THINK IT WAS THE FUN WEEK. WE GOT TO GO TO LAKELAND AND SEE ALL SORTS OF COOL THINGS AND I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED SEEING THE ATHLETIC AND ARTS TEACHERS AND HOW MUCH THEY CARE ABOUT THEIR STUDENTS AND HOW DEEPLY THEY THINK ABOUT THIS FUN CURRICULUM. LIKE WHEN YOU HEAR THEM TALK ABOUT THEIR CURRICULUM, YOU SEE HOW IT ATTACHES TO REAL LIFE FUTURE READY LEARNING. [00:20:02] AND SO I WAS JUST REALLY IMPRESSED. SO THANK YOU, GUYS. PAUL JESSON, FOLLOWED BY MEGAN SUMMERALL AND THEN MELANIE JONES. I THINK IT'S VERY APPROPRIATE. AT A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. THIS HAS BEEN VERY EDUCATIONAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BUT I HAVE ONE CONCERN. IT'S VERY PRACTICAL AND I BET I MIGHT MAYBE GET A 7-0 VOTE JUST JUST HOPING. AND I SPEAK FOR A SEGMENT OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ALL OF YOU ARE HEADED FOR OLD AGE FOR THOSE WHO MISS THE HUMOR. I CAN'T SEE YOUR NAMETAGS. I HAD TO WALK UP. OH, NOW I SEE WHO THEY ARE. AND MAYBE THAT BUDGET ITEM COULD SHAVE A FEW BUCKS SOMEWHERE AND GET BIGGER NAME TAGS SO WE KNOW WHO'S SPEAKING. JUST A PRACTICAL THING. SHALL I BRING THAT UP? AND I WANT TO COME BACK AND SEE IF WE GET ACTION. THAT'S MY FAVORITE PUBLIC COMMENT THAT'S EVER HAPPENED. HE'S AWESOME. AND FRISCO ISD HAS AN INCREDIBLE PRINT SHOP, SO I'M PRETTY SURE THAT WE CAN GET THE PRINT SHOP TO MAKE THE FONT BIGGER. ON OUR NAMETAGS, WE WILL HAVE THAT. WE WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT, SIR. I'M GLAD TO FOLLOW THAT LEVITY. GOOD EVENING, DR. WALDRIP AND FRISCO ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES. MY NAME IS MEGAN SUMMERALL, AND I TEACH GIFTED AND TALENTED LANGUAGE ARTS AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL. I HAVE BEEN TEACHING FOR 21 YEARS. 15 OF THOSE IN FRISCO ISD MIDDLE SCHOOLS. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MY JOB AND MY STUDENTS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. MOST PEOPLE CRINGE WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, BUT TEACHING HORMONAL, SMELLY TEENS IS MY JAM. ONE OF THE TENETS OF TEACHING GIFTED STUDENTS IS OFFERING CHOICES. THE CHOICE OF WHO YOU'RE GOING TO WORK WITH, THE CHOICE OF WHICH NOVEL YOU'RE GOING TO READ AND ANALYZE, THE CHOICE OF WHAT KIND OF PRODUCT YOU'RE GOING TO CREATE. THE CHOICES ARE ENDLESS. IF I DIDN'T LEAVE MY ASSESSMENTS OPEN ENDED, MY STUDENTS WOULD LITERALLY STICK RIGIDLY TO THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE RUBRIC I USE TO ASSESS THEIR WORK. YOU WANT TWO SOURCES AND FOUR PIECES OF EVIDENCE. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET. EXACTLY. BUT BECAUSE MY ASSESSMENTS ARE OPEN ENDED, MY STUDENTS REGULARLY BLOW ME AWAY WITH WHAT THEY CREATE, ALL BECAUSE THEY WERE GIVEN A CHOICE. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF TALK LATELY AMONG TEACHERS ABOUT HOW UNHAPPY WE ARE THAT OUR DESKTOP COMPUTER MONITORS HAVE BEEN OR ARE BEING TAKEN AWAY, OR HOW OUR TEACHER POPULATION IS DIVIDED IN OUR OPINIONS ON WHAT WE NEED. SOME TEACHERS ARE FINE WORKING ON THEIR CHROMEBOOKS AND USING EITHER THE CHROMEBOOK SCREEN OR THE LARGE PROJECTOR SCREEN TO DO THEIR JOBS. WHILE OTHER TEACHERS ARE VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED TO NOT BEING ABLE TO DO THEIR JOBS USING ONLY A CHROMEBOOK SCREEN AND THE LARGE PROJECTOR SCREEN. SOME TEACHERS FEEL THAT THEY DO NOT NEED A DESK TO PERFORM THEIR JOBS, WHILE OTHER TEACHERS HAVE EXPRESSED NEEDING ONE TO PERFORM. THE ISSUE AT HAND IS THAT WE TEACHERS FEEL THAT WE ARE NOT BEING GIVEN A VOICE AND ARE NOT BEING GIVEN THE RESOURCES AND TOOLS THAT WE NEED TO EFFECTIVELY DO OUR JOBS AND THEREFORE WE ARE NOT FEELING SUPPORTED. MANY TEACHERS HAVE BEGUN PURCHASING THEIR OWN COMPUTER MONITORS AND DESKS BECAUSE WE WANT TO WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER. WHY NOT DO WHAT I DO IN MY CLASSROOM? OFFER US A CHOICE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE'D LIKE TO KEEP OUR DESKTOP MONITOR AND DESK. PERHAPS YOU, JUST LIKE ME, WILL BE BLOWN AWAY WITH WHAT YOUR TEACHERS ARE ABLE TO CREATE AND DO WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS. THANK YOU. MELANIE JONES, FOLLOWED BY KEN CHISEL AND THEN CHRIS STEWART. [00:25:02] WE CAN HANG MEAT IN HERE. OK. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MELANIE JONES, AND I HAVE A FRESHMAN AT REALTY HIGH SCHOOL WHO WAS ALSO A PART OF OUR EVER GROWING SPECIAL NEEDS COMMUNITY. EVERYONE THAT KNOWS ME KNOWS I LOVE THIS DISTRICT WITH ALL MY HEART AND SOUL. I'M HERE SPEAKING TONIGHT FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME BECAUSE I HAVE SOME GRAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE PRIORITIES OR LACK THEREOF OF THIS BOARD. WE ARE A LARGE, DIVERSE DISTRICT WITH MANY NEEDS, AND YET THE FOCUS TONIGHT WAS ON EXPANDING THE CENTER LANGUAGE IN THE POLICY. I ALSO SAT AND WATCHED. SOME OF YOU SAY YOU WERE SYMPATHETIC TO OTHER ITEMS UP FOR DISCUSSION, BUT THEN IMMEDIATELY TURNED AROUND AND VOTED AGAINST WHAT YOU HAD JUST AGREED WITH. TO SAY THAT I AM DISAPPOINTED IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT BECAUSE YOUR ACTIONS SHOW YOU ARE OUT OF TOUCH WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND THE STUDENTS YOU WERE ELECTED TO SERVE. IT SADDENS ME. THAT RATHER THAN LISTEN TO OR EMBRACE THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY WHEN THEY COME TO SPEAK TO YOU. YOU DECIDE TO DISPARAGE THEM WITH PROPAGANDA VIDEOS THAT YOU CLAIM ARE CORRECTING THE NARRATIVE WHEN IN FACT IT IS A BLATANT DISPLAY OF ATTEMPTING TO CONTROL THAT VERY NARRATIVE. EVERY TIME YOU PUT ONE OF THESE VIDEOS OUT, YOU ARE SHOWING EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM AND THOSE WATCHING ONLINE WHO YOU ARE. AND I ASSURE YOU, WE SEE YOU. BUT WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IS GOOD POLICY. SO WHERE IS THE PLAN TO CREATE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS? WHERE IS THE PLAN TO RESTORE DISCIPLINE AND STRUCTURE TO THE CLASSROOM? WHERE IS THE PLAN TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN TEACHERS AND SIMPLY SAYING WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME BOAT? IT'S NOT A STRATEGY. WHERE IS THE PLAN TO UP LEVEL OUR STUDENTS REAL LEARNING? WHERE IS THE PLAN TO INCLUDE OUR SPECIAL NEEDS COMMUNITY WITH THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE? BECAUSE I'VE SEEN NOTHING IN THE SEVEN YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE. WHERE IS THE PLAN TO GET BACK TO READING, WRITING, ARITHMETIC AND TEACHING HISTORY AS IT HAPPENED? WHERE IS THE PLAN TO ALLOW PARENTS BACK ON CAMPUS INSTEAD OF THIS MAKE AN APPOINTMENT SYSTEM THAT LIMITS VISITORS? THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN ON THIS BOARD YEAR OVER YEAR OVER YEAR HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO OVER FAILED POLICIES. AND THE FACT THAT YOU CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THINGS THAT DETRACT FROM THE REAL ISSUES AT HAND IS UNCONSCIONABLE TO ME. THE PARENTS AND CHILDREN YOU WERE ELECTED TO SERVE ARE WATCHING WHAT YOU DO. DEMANDING TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND EXPECTING RESULTS. AND ONE LAST THING. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU SHOULD THINK LONG AND HARD ABOUT CENSURE, BECAUSE HERE'S HOW LIFE WORKS. THE VERY SWORD YOU THINK YOU'RE WILLING TO WIELD AGAINST ONE OF YOUR CO BOARD MEMBERS WILL BE JUST AS SWIFTLY USED ON YOU THE SECOND YOU DISAGREE OR REFUSE TO GO ALONG TO GET ALONG WITH THE POWERS THAT BE. LEONARDO DA VINCI SAID, I QUOTE, NOTHING STRENGTHENS AUTHORITY SO MUCH AS SILENCE, END QUOTE, AND WE WILL BE SILENT NO LONGER. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS KEN TYSON. WE'VE GOT TWO GREAT KIDS IN HIGH SCHOOL HERE IN THE DISTRICT. SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TONIGHT TO SPEAK. I AM HERE TO SPEAK, LIKE MANY OTHERS ABOUT THE BEHAVIOR OF MARVIN LOW. WE NOW KNOW THAT MARVIN ATTENDED A CONFERENCE ON SEPTEMBER 28TH AND GOT INTO A DISCUSSION WITH THE 16 YEAR OLD WHO HAD JUST SPOKEN ABOUT TRANSGENDER ISSUES. MARVIN BECAME ARGUMENTATIVE WITH THE STUDENT STATING, QUOTE, MEN LIKE TO WALK AROUND NAKED WITH THEIR JUNK HANGING AROUND, AMONG OTHER INAPPROPRIATE AND LEWD COMMENTS. NOW, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT OTHERS, BUT WHEN MARVIN WAS ELECTED, I PERHAPS NAIVELY EXPECTED HIM TO FOCUS ON BEING A LEADER IN REPRESENTING ALL OUR COMMUNITY AND INTERACTING WITH EVERYONE IN A RESPECTFUL MANNER. INSTEAD, WE HAVE A GROWN MAN ANGRILY BERATING A 16 YEAR OLD. AND TALKING ABOUT MALE GENITALIA AND SEXUALIZING THEIR BODY PARTS. MARLENE'S BEHAVIOR IS APPALLING. AND IRONIC WHILE MARVIN AND OTHER CULTURE CONSERVATIVES ON THE BOARD AND YES STEPHANIE I AM TALKING ABOUT YOU ARE TRYING TO BAN BOOKS BASED ON WHAT THEY SAY IS INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT. IT'S MARVIN MARVIN WHO'S TALKING WITH 16 YEAR OLDS ABOUT HIS GENITALIA AND SEXUALIZING THEM. IT'S DISGUSTING. SO AS A REMEDY, I PROPOSE TWO ITEMS. NUMBER ONE. MARVIN, PLEASE ENROLL IN COUNSELING. LEFT UNCHECKED AND UNTREATED, I AM CONCERNED THAT STUDENTS, INCLUDING MY OWN, ARE AT RISK OF YOU WALK AROUND SCHOOL HALLWAYS ANGRILY CONFRONTING AND SEXUALIZING THEM. NUMBER TWO, MARVIN, YOU NEED TO IMMEDIATELY RESIGN. WE NEED ADULTS ON THE BOARD, NOT UNHINGED CULTURE WARRIORS MORE FOCUSED ON BERATING AND DENIGRATING CERTAIN STUDENTS THAN ON DOING THE HARD WORK OF EDUCATING AND RESPECTING ALL OF THEM. AND FINALLY, IT'S TIME FOR EVERYONE TO WAKE UP TO THOSE IN OUR BOARD AND COMMUNITY WHO ARE MORE CONCERNED, EVEN OBSESSED WITH FIGHTING ANGER, CULTURE, WAR BATTLES, AND IN CREATING A [00:30:07] GREAT ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL STUDENTS. AND THEY ACCOMPLISH AND ALL THEY ACCOMPLISH IN DOING THIS IS TO REVEAL THEIR OWN SEETHING CONTEMPT FOR ANYONE WHO IS DIFFERENT FROM THEM AND HURTING KIDS IN THE PROCESS AND CREATING A CIRCUS SIDESHOW. THAT DISTRACTS PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT FROM THEIR CORE MISSION, WHICH IS TO PROVIDE A GREAT EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR ALL STUDENTS WITH MALICE TO NONE. THANK YOU. CHRIS STEWART, FOLLOWED BY MITCHELL TILLERSON AND THEN PHILIP RAY. HI. LET'S CHANGE THE PACE A LITTLE BIT, SHALL WE? I'M HERE TO REQUEST ONE CAMPING TRIP FOR 111 YEAR OLD AUTISTIC CHILD. I'M A SINGLE FATHER OF FOUR GIRLS AND. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT IN FIFTH GRADE, ALL CHILDREN GO ON A CAMPING TRIP. AND EVER SINCE MY OLDEST ONE WENT ON A CAMPING TRIP, MY AUTISTIC CHILD HAS BEEN COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS. FIRST GRADE IT WAS. I'M GOING SWIMMING, FOLLOWED BY BOATING AND THEN ZIP LINING. I THINK LAST YEAR WAS WE'RE GOING TO STAY UP ALL NIGHT AND DO GO STORIES. WELL, RECENTLY DUE TO ACADEMIC REASONS, SHE WAS REQUESTED THROUGH AN ARD MEETING TO TRANSFER FROM BOGART TO TAD LOCK. AND IN THAT MEETING WE AGREED TO GO TO TAD LOTT, BUT WITH ONE STIPULATION THAT SHE GETS TO COME BACK TO BOGART AND GO ON THIS CAMPING TRIP. WELL, THAT WAS JUST NOVEMBER. NOW IT'S TIME TO GO ON THIS CAMPING TRIP. AND WE HAVE FORGOTTEN WHAT WE AGREED TO. SO I'M HERE TO REQUEST THAT YOU SEND ONE AUTISTIC CHILD CAMPING. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU, MS.. MILLER. CAN YOU FOLLOW UP WITH. OUR PARENTS WITH MR. STEWART ON THIS POTENTIAL OF HIS DAUGHTER GOING ON THIS CAMPING TRIP. THANK YOU. SOMEBODY EARLIER THIS EVENING SAID THAT THEY WERE TIRED OF IT. THEY WERE TIRED OF THE IDENTITY POLITICS. AND I WOULD 100% AGREE WITH THEM. THAT'S BECAUSE THE HARM OF RHETORIC FROM MEN LIKE MR. LOWE AND HIS REPEATED CULTURE WAR, ASSAULT ON FAMILIES LIKE MINE CREATES IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS FOR US. I HAVE TOLD YOU MANY TIMES BEFORE IN FRONT OF THIS VERY BOARD ABOUT HOW WELL THIS DISTRICT HAS TAKEN CARE OF MY DAUGHTER AS SHE BEGAN HER TRANSITION DURING FIFTH GRADE. AND THAT CONTINUES TO BE A JOYFUL CELEBRATION FOR US DURING SIXTH GRADE. HOWEVER, LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY SON NOW SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE IMPOSSIBLE POSITION MY FAMILY FINDS ITSELF IN. IN DECEMBER, MY EIGHTH GRADE SON TOLD TWO OF HIS CLOSEST FRIENDS HE'D BEEN CONSIDERING SUICIDE, THANKS TO THE FOCUS ON SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND TO CONTINUE HIS SUICIDE PREVENTION LESSONS THAT THEY GET FROM SCHOOL. THOSE BOYS KNEW WHAT TO DO. THEY BELIEVED MY SON TOLD THEIR PARENTS, AND THOSE PARENTS CONTACTED US. BUT EVEN WITH OUR HEIGHTENED AWARENESS, HE ATTEMPTED SUICIDE IN JANUARY. I GOT THE CALL WHILE I WAS COACHING SOCCER PRACTICE AT MY OWN CAMPUS AND I SPRINTED ACROSS THE FIELD TO MY CAR. HAVING LEAVING, WHO KNOWS, IN CHARGE OF THE FIELD. MY SON IS ALIVE BECAUSE WHEN HE COULDN'T REACH MY WIFE OR MYSELF AT WORK, HE CALLED A FRIEND AND THEY GOT HIM TO CALL 911. AND THEN THEY CONTINUED TO CALL MY WIFE UNTIL SHE FINALLY SAW HER PHONE BUZZING ON HER DESK. AND IN THE WAKE OF THAT, THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN ONCE AGAIN EXTRAORDINARY IN WORKING WITH ONE OF OUR KIDS, THIS TIME TO HELP MY SON RETURN TO BEING THAT STRAIGHT, A FOOTBALL PLAYING STUDENT. HE STILL DESPERATELY WANTS TO BE. WHEN MEN LIKE MARVIN LOW KEEP THROWING CULTURE WAR GRENADES INTO THESE MEETINGS, USING RHETORIC THAT STRIPS A MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY OF KIDS LIKE OUR DAUGHTER OF HER DIGNITY AS A WHOLE PERSON. HE ACTS AS YET ANOTHER FORCE THAT PUSHES US CLOSE TO AN IMPOSSIBLE DECISION, ONE WHOSE PERMUTATIONS INCLUDE DIFFICULT BUT MANAGEABLE DECISIONS LIKE MOVING MY DAUGHTER TO MY SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHERE I CAN ENSURE HER PROTECTION AND SAFETY, BUT REMOVE HER FROM HER FRIENDS AND HER SCHOOLS WHERE SHE KNOWS SHE'S KNOWN AND LOVED. OR MORE EXTREME MEASURES, HEARTBREAKING ONES WHERE TO KEEP BOTH OF OUR KIDS ALIVE. WE MAY HAVE TO SPLIT APART ONE OF US TAKING OUR DAUGHTER TO A SANCTUARY STATE, AND THE OTHER ONE STAYING HERE WHERE MY SON'S THERAPIST, PSYCHIATRIST AND FRIENDS WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING HIM. WHY SHOULD ANYONE IN A STATE THAT PRIDES ITSELF ON LIBERTY AND FREEDOM EVER HAVE TO CONTEMPLATE WHICH OF THEIR CHILDREN'S LIVES HAVE MORE VALUE? THIS IS THE VERY REAL DANGER OF RHETORIC, SUCH AS THAT USED BY MARVIN LOW, A MAN WHO COMMUNITY MEMBERS LOOK TO AS A [00:35:09] LEADER, AND WHO HAS THE POWER TO COOL THIS CULTURE WAR AND PROVIDE RELIEF TO THE ANXIETIES OF FAMILIES LIKE MINE BY BACKING OFF. PHILIP RAY, FOLLOWED BY WHITNEY FAULKNER AND THEN SUSIE GRAHAM. IT'S BIGGER TONIGHT. SEEMED TO MISS A FEW POINTS. SPEAKING IN PUBLIC, BY ITS VERY NATURE MAKES YOUR COMMENTS PUBLIC. THE FIRST AMENDMENT WAS FIRST FOR A REASON. AND THIS IS NOT A BULLY PULPIT. YOU GET ONE OPPORTUNITY, PAL. I'M A FATHER OF TWO IS. THAT'S IRONIC. I'M A FATHER OF TWO. ALEXANDRA WITH TEN STALEY AND OLIVIA ATTENDS ROGERS. I'M A FORMER CUB MASTER, A SOCCER COACH FOR MY DAUGHTER'S TEAM, ASSISTANT COACH FOR MY SON'S TEAM. AND BOTH MY KIDS AND MY BELOVED AND BEAUTIFUL WIFE ATTEND TIGER ROC MARTIAL ARTS. SO WE'RE A LITTLE INVESTED IN THIS COMMUNITY, HAVE BEEN FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. MY DAUGHTER'S ART IS HANGING ON THE WALL OUTSIDE REPRESENTING ROGER'S. AS A BOARD CERTIFIED IN CRIMINAL LAW ATTORNEY IN THE FRISCO AREA, I'VE REPRESENTED YOUNG STUDENTS WHO, FOR WHATEVER REASON, HAVE COLLIDED WITH THEIR EDUCATION WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. I'M HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE I WANT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO WHAT I'VE SEEN AS GOOD MOMENTS IN THE DISTRICT. LEADERSHIP ADMIN AT LONE STAR MEMORIAL AND REIDY DESERVE TO BE RECOGNIZED AS HANDLING THEIR BUSINESS EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. OBVIOUSLY FOR CONFIDENTIAL REASONS, I WON'T CITE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES, BUT THEY AND THE ATTORNEYS WORKING FOR THE SCHOOLS DESERVE PRAISE. NOTE SPECIFICALLY, I WANT TO CALL OUT A FEW TEACHERS. DR. JESSICA LEE. MS.. HADLEY PEARSON. PREVIOUSLY, MS.. SCOTT. ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL MELISSA BARKER. PRINCIPAL BECKY, REBECCA, PENNY, ALL AT ROGERS DESERVE PRAISE. STALEY, BAND DIRECTOR CHAD WOOD AND HONOR BAND DIRECTOR MISS WEBB AND STALEY DESERVE PRAISE. I ALSO WANT TO TELL YOU, PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS. IN THE MORE THAN TWO DECADES AS AN ATTORNEY, BOTH AS A PROSECUTOR AND AS A DEFENSE ATTORNEY, I CAUTION YOU NOT TO TRAMPLE THE PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE. LASTLY, I'M HERE WITH ONE OF MY FRIENDS, MR. MITCH TILLERSON. WHOM YOU HEARD FROM JUST NOW. MAKING PUBLIC COMMENTS AND PLAYING MERRY HOB WITH PEOPLE'S EMOTIONS AND PLACING TEACHERS AND ADMIN AND FEAR, SUGGESTING PASSING NONSENSE RULES THAT TARGET KIDS WHO ARE ALREADY BEING BULLIED FOR THEIR EXTERNALLY VISIBLE STRUGGLES IS A WASTE OF RESOURCES. MORE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THOSE KIDS ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO THEY ARE IN A WORLD WHERE THEIR INTERNAL EMOTIONS ARE ON DISPLAY AND BATTED ABOUT IN AUSTIN LIKE A PICKLEBALL ON A COURT POPULATED BY LEGISLATORS AND OCTOGENARIANS AND THE WOO CROWD HERE WHO HAVE LONG OUTGROWN. THEIR INVESTED INTEREST IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BECAUSE THEIR CHILDREN ARE GONE AND GROWN. KNOCK IT OFF, SIR. WHITNEY WAGNER, FOLLOWED BY SUSIE GRAHAM AND THEN ADT. HELLO. I'M THE MOTHER OF TWO FEISTY GRADUATES IN ONE CURRENT FISD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO ASK FOR THE IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION OF BOARD MEMBER MARVIN LOWE. WHILE AT A CONFERENCE, MR. LOWE THOUGHT APPROACHING A CHILD AND DISCUSSING GENITALS AND AROUSAL WAS APPROPRIATE. THIS CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES YOUR LACK OF DECORUM WHEN YOU WERE ASKED TO END THE DISCUSSION. YOU NOT ONLY REFUSE, BUT THEN VERBALLY ATTACKED THE CHILD AND THEIR MOTHER AND CONTINUED TO LOUDLY SHOUT ABOUT GENITALIA AND AROUSAL. THERE IS NO SITUATION IN WHICH A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER SHOULD RAISE HIS VOICE AND REFUSE TO STOP AFTER A MINOR, AND HIS PARENT REPEATEDLY TELLS HIM THAT HE IS BEING INAPPROPRIATE AND NEEDS TO STOP. WHILE CONDUCTING SCHOOL BOARD BUSINESS, YOU ARE REPRESENTING FISD AND THEREFORE A REFLECTION ON ALL OF US AS A COMMUNITY. THIS BEHAVIOR IS ABHORRENT, EMBARRASSING, AND NOT WHO WE ARE STRIVING TO BE AS PARENTS, EDUCATORS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. SHAME ON YOU. EVERY CHILD DESERVES TO BE RESPECTED AND FEEL SAFE. MR. LOW, I DO NOT TRUST YOU OR YOUR ABILITY TO CONTROL YOURSELF AROUND MINOR CHILDREN. [00:40:02] I DO NOT TRUST YOU TO MAKE FAIR AND EQUITABLE DECISIONS FOR THE CHILDREN OF FISD. I DO NOT TRUST YOU TO CONTROL YOUR TEMPER, ESPECIALLY AROUND WOMEN AND CHILDREN. CLEARLY YOU ARE UNFIT AND UNWELL. I AGAIN ASK THAT YOU RESIGN IMMEDIATELY. THANK YOU. SUSIE GRAHAM, FOLLOWED BY A REVANCHE AND THEN MELINDA PRESTON. I WANT TO SAY THAT THOSE ACCUSATIONS ARE TOTALLY UNTRUE AND UNFOUNDED. I WANT TO THANK DR. WALDRIP AND OUR ESTY FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. REGARDLESS OF THE BANTER IN THE BOARDROOM, IT DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED. I'VE BEEN AN EMPLOYEE AND FRISCO ISD FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS. I AM PROUD OF ALL THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE IN THIS DISTRICT TO MAKE IT WHAT IT IS TODAY. UNTIL NOW, I HAVE BEEN EQUALLY PROUD OF OUR BOARD AND THE SUPPORT THEY HAVE SHOWN OUR STUDENTS, STAFF AND OUR ADMINISTRATION. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE WILL NOT BE DIVIDED REGARDLESS OF THE POLITICAL AGENDAS SOME HAVE. HERE'S WHAT I'M PROUD OF AND SOME OF WHAT MY TEACHERS ARE PROUD OF. KNOWING EACH STUDENT BY NAME AND NEED OUR BELIEFS ABOUT SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, THE NUMEROUS AMOUNT OF RESOURCES PROVIDED TO OUR TEACHERS. HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. I'M PROUD OF THE WAY FRISCO ISD CONTINUES TO SET THE BAR FOR STUDENTS ABILITIES AND SUCCESS, AS WELL AS SETTING THE BAR FOR TEACHERS AND PROVIDING A PLACE FOR US TO LEARN AND SHARPEN OUR EDUCATIONAL SKILLS IN THE CLASSROOM. FRISCO PRIDES THEMSELVES ON BEING THE BEST AND BEING THE BEST, AND THE DISTRICTS AROUND US KNOW THAT WE ARE. AND I AM PROUD OF THAT. WE ARE PROUD. WE ARE PROUD. AND WE ACCEPT ALL STUDENTS FOR WHO THEY ARE AND CELEBRATE THEM FOR WHAT THEY BRING TO THE CLASSROOM. WE HAVE A VERY INCLUSIVE NATURE IN FRISCO ISD, AND I'M PROUD OF THAT. I APPRECIATE THE WAY THAT OUR SCHOOL BOARD SUPPORTS US AND HELPING US BECOME THE BEST DISTRICT IN THE STATE. BUT THERE IS NO PLACE FOR PERSONAL POLITICAL AGENDAS ON THE BOARD. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN PROUD TO SAY I WORK IN FRISCO ISD AND I KNOW I SPEAK FOR MANY WHEN I SAY WE WILL WORK TO ENSURE AND REMAIN PROUD AND UNDIVIDED. AFTER A MELINDA PRESTON AND THEN KATHY. BUT. GOOD EVENING TO THE BOARD MEMBERS OF FRISCO ISD. MY NAME IS ADITI BHAVESH AND I'M A MEMBER OF EMERSON INAUGURAL DEBATE TEAM. TODAY I WILL BE THE FIRST OF FOUR SPEAKERS TO PRESENT TO YOU THE MATTER OF THE LACK OF FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR THE SPEECH AND DEBATE IN OUR DISTRICT. THROUGHOUT THESE SPEECHES, WE WILL ILLUSTRATE WHY SPEECH AND DEBATE IS IMPORTANT. THE WAYS IN WHICH WE HAVE HAVE HAD LIMITS PLACED ON US DUE TO NO FAULT OF OUR OWN AND HOPEFULLY CONVINCE YOU THAT WE NEED MORE THAN WE'VE BEEN RECEIVING. WHEN I WAS ONLY EIGHT, I KNEW THAT I WANTED TO BE A PART OF A SPEECH AND DEBATE TEAM. WHEN TALKING TO MY PARENTS ABOUT FUTURE EXTRACURRICULARS, I TOLD THEM THAT I COULD, IN FACT DEBATE. AND THE SENSE THAT I WAS MADE FOR THIS ACTIVITY NEVER WENT AWAY. BUT NOW THAT I'M ON EMERSON'S DEBATE TEAM, IT FEELS LIKE THIS ACTIVITY WASN'T MADE FOR ME. AS ONE OF THE FEW ACTIVE DEBATES TEAMS AND FRISCO ISD, I WAS FACED HEAD FIRST WITH THE LACK OF FUNDING FOR THE ACTIVITY THAT I LOVE. AFTER ONLY THE FIRST TOURNAMENT, WE HAD ALREADY EATEN THROUGH NEARLY HALF OF OUR SCHOOL DESIGNATED BUDGET OF $1,000. THE ENTRY FEES AND THE JUDGING FEES ADDED UP SO QUICK WHEN JUDGING FEES ALONE COSTS 200 OR $300. IT'S NOT HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAD TO CANCEL NEARLY HALF OF THE TOURNAMENTS THAT WE WERE PLANNING TO ATTEND. PLANO ISD SPENDS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FUNDING THEIR SPEECH AND DEBATE TEAMS. THAT LEAVES US IN THE DUST. NOT ONLY DOES IT ALLOW THEM ACCESS TO RESOURCES THAT CAN GET THEM TO THE STATE AND NATIONALS, BUT IT ALSO GIVES THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE AND WHEN THEY DO QUALIFY. ADDITIONALLY, THE FUNDS THAT PLANO AND OTHER HIGH BUDGET DISTRICTS HAVE CAN SEND THEIR TEAMS TO PRESTIGIOUS TOURNAMENTS AT COLLEGES SUCH AS HARVARD AND YALE, WHICH PROVIDE LARGE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS. AND THE NAME RECOGNITION OF THESE TOURNAMENTS ALSO LENDS STUDENTS MORE OPPORTUNITIES AS THEY APPLY TO COLLEGES. IN TURN, AS A NEW SCHOOL, EMERSON HAS HAD NO FOUNDATION TO BUILD OFF OF, BUT WE'VE STILL QUALIFIED. TWO STUDENTS FOR STATE HOSTED A QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT FOR NATIONALS AND WILL SOON BE THE ONLY SCHOOL IN FRISCO ISD TO HOLD A DEBATE, BANQUET AND INDUCTION CEREMONY. IF WE DID ALL OF THIS WITH THE LITTLE FUNDING WE WERE PROVIDED, IMAGINE WHAT WE COULD DO WITH MORE SPEECH AND TO PROVIDE STUDENTS ACCESS TO SCHOLARSHIPS INCREASES THEIR CHANCES OF GETTING INTO THE IVY LEAGUE AND OTHER COMPETITIVE COLLEGES AND TEACHES US LIFELONG SKILLS. [00:45:06] BUT IT CAN DO NONE OF THAT IF WE AREN'T ADEQUATELY SUPPORTED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. FRISCO ISD IS RANKED THE SEVENTH HIGHEST SCHOOL DISTRICT OUT OF ALL OF THE THOUSANDS OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN TEXAS. BUT WE ARE SEVERELY LAGGING BEHIND IN AN AREA THAT WE SHOULD BE TAKING THE LEAD IN. I AND THE FRIENDS THAT I AM WITH TODAY ASK THAT YOU DECIDE TO HAVE OUR BACKS AS WE VENTURE FORWARD AND TRY TO PUSH PAST THE LIMITS THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED ON US. THANK YOU. WOW. HOW DO YOU COME AFTER THAT? THAT WAS AN AMAZING JOB. I'LL GIVE YOU THE MONEY. WE'LL TALK. SO MY NAME IS MELINDA PRESTON. I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 19 YEARS. A RESIDENT AND FRISCO TONIGHT I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE MONITORS. YOU GUYS DID A PROPAGANDA VIDEO, THE VERY FIRST ONE YOU DID. AND YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE NOT TAKING MONITORS OUT OF THE CLASSROOM. I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO DO A NEW VIDEO AND TELL EVERYBODY THAT YOU LIED BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT VIDEO. MY QUESTION FOR THE DISTRICT IS, WHY ARE WE PUSHING A SEXUAL AGENDA? WE SHOULD BE TEACHING MATH, ENGLISH, SCIENCE, HISTORY, WRITING AND SKILLS. STUDENTS NEED TO MAKE IT IN THIS WORLD. AND I WANT TO ADD TO THAT SPEECH THAT WE NEED TO BE ADDING SPEECH THAT VERY GOOD JOB. THE AGENDA OF PUSHING SEXUALITY MUST STOP. MOST OF THE TAXPAYERS DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS AGENDA. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE ALL THESE BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN WRITTEN THIS SESSION IN AUSTIN. BANNED GENDER MODIFICATION FOR CHILDREN. HB 42, HB 41, HB 122. HB 672. HB 776. HB 888. HB 1532. HB 1686. HB 1752. LET'S BE 249. SB 250 AND SB 625. STOP SEXUAL SEXUALIZING TEXAS KIDS. HB 111 HB 231. HB 552. HB SEVEN 571. HB 858. HB 869. HB 976. HB 1507. SB 162. SB 163, SB 391, SB 393 AND SB 437. OUR LEGISLATIVE BODY IS GOING TO PASS A BILL ON BANNING GENDER MODIFICATION AND AND STOP SEXUALIZING OUR KIDS WILL BECOME THE CITIZENS OF TEXAS ARE DEMANDING THEM TO STOP THE MADNESS. WE'RE ASKING YOU. NO ONE NEEDS TO WORRY ABOUT SEXUALITY AT THIS IN SCHOOL. LET PARENTS TAKE THAT ON. LET KIDS BE KIDS. THE AGENDA THAT YOU'RE PUSHING IS HURTING OUR STUDENTS. SO WHAT WE ARE ASKING AND SAYING IS YOU WILL NOT PUSH YOUR AGENDA IN OUR SCHOOLS AND ON OUR FAMILIES. THIS IS A DECISION THAT EACH PERSON NEEDS TO MAKE ON THEIR OWN. OUR SCHOOLS ARE NOT TO EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS. IT'S TO IS TO BRING WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE TEACHING THEM ACADEMIA, NOT SEXUALITY. IT IS TIME THAT WE GET BACK TO INSTRUCTING THE STUDENTS AND SUPPORTING OUR TEACHERS THAT YOU EVEN HAD A STUDENT SPEAK AT A MEETING ON WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE TRANSGENDER. IT'S JUST APPALLING. AGAIN, WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT SEXUALITY? LEAVE THAT TO THE PARENTS. THANK YOU. CATHY CLASSIC, FOLLOWED BY MARVIN WILSON AND THEN HANNAH CLARKSON. HELLO. I AM A MOTHER OF FRISCO ISD STUDENTS. A RESIDENT OF FRISCO AND A FRISCO ISD STAFF MEMBER. MY WORDS TONIGHT WERE INSPIRED BY A SPEECH GIVEN BY MR. FRED ROGERS OF MISTER ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD. I AM SO GRATEFUL AND HONORED TO BE PART OF A TEAM THAT FOCUSES ON HELPING STUDENTS MEET THEIR GOALS. SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HELPED ME REACH THE GOALS IN MY LIFE. SOME OF THEM ARE HERE IN THIS ROOM, SOME FAR AWAY. SOME ARE NO LONGER HERE WITH US ON EARTH. ALL OF US HAVE SPECIAL PEOPLE THAT HAVE HELPED US IN OUR LIVES. LET'S PAUSE A FEW MINUTES OR A FEW SECONDS, 5 SECONDS TO THINK ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELPED US ALONG THE WAY. 5 SECONDS TO THINK ABOUT AND REMEMBER SPECIAL HELPERS IN OUR LIVES. I'LL WATCH THE TIME. THE PEOPLE WE REMEMBERED MUST BE PLEASED TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE WE FEEL THAT THEY MADE IN OUR LIVES. [00:50:01] YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IT IS TIME FOR ALL OF THE FRISCO ISD STAKEHOLDERS TO CONTINUE THE DISTRICT'S MISSION AND THE GOOD WORK OF KNOWING EACH CHILD BY NAME AND NEED AND HELPING EACH CHILD REACH THEIR GOALS. STUDENT GOALS ARE OUR GUIDING COMPASS. THANK YOU BOARD FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. WE APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. MARVIN WILSON. OKAY. WE'LL MOVE ON TO HANNAH CLARKSON. HI, MY NAME IS HANNAH CLARKSON AND I AM A FIRST GRADE TEACHER HERE IN FRISCO ISD. TONIGHT I RECEIVED A TEXT MESSAGE ASKING ME THE QUESTION. TELL ME ONE THING YOU ARE PROUD ABOUT IN FRISCO ISD. I THOUGHT FOR A SECOND. AND THEN I RESPONDED AFTER MY RESPONSE, THE PERSON HAD SAID, YOU NEED TO SPEAK ABOUT YOUR IMPACT. SO HERE I AM SPEAKING TO YOU TONIGHT. THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THE WAY FRISCO MOLDS STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS. THE PERSON WHO TEXTED ME AND ASKED ME WAS MY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL. INSTEAD OF TAKING MY WORDS AND SHARING THEM ON MY BEHALF. SHE CHALLENGED ME. SHE TOLD ME TO SHARE MY TRUTH AND SPEAK ABOUT THE IMPACT FRISCO ISD HAS MADE ON ME. THAT'S WHAT FRISCO ISD DOES. FRISCO ISD MOLDS STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS TO BE GO GETTERS, TO NOT SIT BACK AND WAIT FOR WHAT YOU WANT, BUT TO GRAB IT AND TO RUN FRISCO ISD ROOTS FOR YOU AND CHEERS FOR YOU AND YOUR SUCCESSES. I AM A PROUD K THROUGH 12 FRISCO ISD ALUMNI. AS I STAND HERE BEFORE YOU TODAY, BACK IN THE DISTRICT THAT GAVE ME SO MUCH, I AM PROUD TO BE A PART OF FRISCO ISD. I'M BLESSED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE BACK IN THE SYSTEM, BUT NOW IN A DIFFERENT ROLE. I GET TO PLAY A PART IN GIVING BACK IN THE SAME DISTRICT THAT GAVE ME TEACHERS WHO INSTILLED A LOVE OF LEARNING AND TEACHING IN ME AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE. I STILL HAVE MANY RELATIONSHIPS WITH PAST TEACHERS, AND I THINK THAT THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES IS AN AND IS A TRUE REFLECTION OF THE IMPACT MADE IN THIS DISTRICT. IT GOES BEYOND THE CLASSROOM AND INSTILLS A DESIRE AND PASSION FOR LIFE AND FOR RELATIONSHIPS. FRISCO ISD IS MORE THAN A SCHOOL DISTRICT. FRISCO ISD IS A COMMUNITY AND A FAMILY THAT WILL NEVER STOP GROWING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANANYA SINGH, FOLLOWED BY SURIA SINGH. RAMA SINGH AND THEN ISHAN SIKE. GOOD AFTERNOON. SORRY. GOOD EVENING. OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES. AS YOU HEARD FROM ONE OF MY PEERS, I TOO AM STANDING HERE AS PART OF MY SCHOOL CENTENNIAL SPEECH AND DEBATE TEAM. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, OUR SIMILARITIES DON'T JUST END THERE, AS I TOO, AM ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF PART OF AN UNDER-RESOURCED SPEECH AND DEBATE TEAM. AND I'VE BEEN PART OF IT FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. RIGHT NOW WE ARE ONE OF THE TOP TEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN TEXAS, A FACT THAT I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF. BUT STILL, UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE TO FACE UNDER-RESOURCED FROM OUR SPEECH AND DEBATE TEAMS, TEAMS THAT MANY OTHER DISTRICTS DON'T HAVE TO FACE ON NEARLY THE SAME BASES AS WE DO. FRISCO ISD HAS MANAGED TO STAY ONE OF THE MOST COMPETITIVE SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND DEBATE PROGRAMS IN THE NORTH TEXAS DEBATE CIRCUIT. STAYING ON TOP OF MOST OF THE TOURNAMENTS WE HOLD ON THE STATE AND AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE BUDGET CUTS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON SINCE BEFORE COVID 19 STARTED, THESE TOURNAMENTS ARE BECOMING LESS OF A REALITY AND MORE OF AN IMPOSSIBLE GRAB FOR OUR STUDENTS. IN FACT, IT'S NOT JUST REFLECTED IN US, BUT ALSO IN OUR TEACHERS, OUR AMAZING COACHES AND THE PARENTS THAT WE HAVE HERE WITH US. OUR TEAMS ARE FULLY SUPPLIED ON THREE MAIN THINGS RIGHT NOW TEAM FEES, SCHOOL FUNDRAISERS, AND THE AMAZING COMMITMENT THAT OUR SCHOOL TEACHERS AND COACHES HAVE. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THAT TOO, IS RUNNING OUT RIGHT NOW. AS JUST LAST YEAR WE LOST TWO COACHES TO THE NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS OF COPPELL AND PLANO, NOT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T SEE A POTENTIAL IN US, BUT BECAUSE THEY SAW A POTENTIAL IN THEIR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE FUNDS, RESOURCES AND VALUES THAT THEY NEEDED TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL DEBATE PROGRAM ALLOWING FRISCO ISD CHILDREN THE ABILITY TO STAND ON THE NATIONAL STAGE AND GIVE A SPEECH, GIVE A SPEECH WITH CONFIDENCE IS A SKILL THAT THE BOARD HAS THE ABILITY TO IMBUE IN OUR KIDS, BUT ONLY IF THEY CHOOSE TO RESOURCE OUR UNDER-RESOURCED DEBATE TEAM. BUDGET CUTS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING SINCE COVID 19, ALMOST EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT. BUT WHILE WE'VE SEEN OTHER PROGRAMS GROW IN OUR SCHOOLS, OUR DEBATE TEAM STAYS STAGNANT AND THE WORST OF CASES HAVE STARTED DECLINING. [00:55:03] AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, FRISCO ISD HAS BEEN ABLE TO SEND LESS AND LESS KIDS OF STATE AND NATIONALS EVERY YEAR SINCE 2019, REDUCING OUR IMPACT ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL AND THEREFORE REDUCING THE IMPACT THAT KIDS HAVE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK AND TO LEARN THESE SKILLS. AND THE ONLY WAY WE CAN CHANGE THAT IS BY GIVING THE FUNDS AND THE RESOURCES TO OUR TEAMS IN OUR DISTRICT RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT BOARD. MY NAME IS SHREYA SINGH AND I'M A PROUD MEMBER OF THE SPEECH AND DEBATE TEAM AT CENTENNIAL HIGH SCHOOL. TODAY, I'M HERE TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF INCREASING FUNDING FOR SPEECH AND DEBATE PROGRAMS DISTRICT WIDE. JUST TO GIVE YOU A QUICK RUNDOWN ABOUT HOW THE COMPETITION CIRCUIT WORKS, THERE'S LOCAL TOURNAMENTS HOSTED THROUGHOUT THE FIRST SEMESTER AND PART OF THE SECOND SEMESTER. AND WHEN STUDENTS COMPETE, DEPENDING ON THEIR RANKINGS, THEY GET FOR STATE AND NCAA NATIONAL POINTS. IF STUDENTS ACCUMULATE ENOUGH TO FACE STATE POINTS BY COMPETING, THEY BECOME ELIGIBLE TO COMPETE IN THE NATIONAL QUALIFYING DISTRICT TOURNAMENT, WHERE IF THEY RANK IN TOP SPOTS, THEY QUALIFY TO NATIONALS. AS OF RIGHT NOW, MOST SCHOOLS IN FISD ONLY COMPETE IN WILL DEBATE, WHICH HAS A REGIONAL TOURNAMENT THAT QUALIFIES STUDENTS TO A STATE TOURNAMENT. SO FAR, THE ONLY SCHOOLS THAT CONSISTENTLY COMPETE IN SGA AND TFA LEVEL TOURNAMENTS, WHICH TEND TO HAVE FAR MORE OPPORTUNITIES, ARE CENTENNIAL EMERSON AND WAKELAND HIGH SCHOOL AT CENTENNIAL. THE LACK OF FUNDING TO OUR SPEECH AND DEBATE TEAMS HAS DECREASED THE NUMBER OF LOCAL TOURNAMENTS THAT WE GO TO, MAKING IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR STUDENTS TO GET FOR STATE IN NCAA NATIONAL POINTS. FURTHERMORE, LACK OF FUNDING LAST YEAR FORCED US TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE STATE AND NATIONAL TOURNAMENT DESPITE HAVING OVER 15 STUDENTS QUALIFY FOR THE STATE TOURNAMENT. WE HAD TO MAKE THE TOUGH DECISION TO FORGO THE COMPETITION FOR NATIONALS, ESSENTIALLY ROBBING THOSE STUDENTS OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THEY WOULD HAVE HAD AT STATE. THIS YEAR, BEING ON AN EVEN TIGHTER BUDGET, WE HAVE YET AGAIN TO MAKE A TOUGH DECISION TO FORGO THE NATIONAL COMPETITION FOR THE STATE WON. THIS DECISION IS DETRIMENTAL BECAUSE, TO PUT IT SIMPLY, OUR TEAM IS GOOD. WE WIN. SWEEPSTAKES TOURNAMENT AFTER TOURNAMENT CONSISTENTLY HAVE STUDENTS QUALIFY FOR HIGHER LEVEL TOURNAMENTS AND DO WELL AT THEM. FOR EXAMPLE, OUR SCHOOL HAS WON SWEEPSTAKES AT THE NATIONAL QUALIFYING DISTRICT TOURNAMENT FOR CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE SIX YEARS IN A ROW. WE COULD HAVE EASILY MADE THAT SEVEN, BUT THIS YEAR WE COULDN'T ATTEND NATIONALS BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF FUNDING. WE ARE RANKED AS ONE OF THE TOP 64 PUBLIC FORUM DEBATE TEAMS INTERNATIONALLY IN 2021. WE'RE AN NCAA NATIONAL LEADING CHAPTER AND WE'VE BEEN SWEEPSTAKES CHAMPIONS AT COUNTLESS LOCAL TOURNAMENTS. OUR STUDENTS CONSISTENTLY WORK HARD AND DO EXTREMELY WELL, DESPITE THE LACK OF FUNDING AND ARE LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES. WHEN COMPARING US TO BETTER FUNDED POWERHOUSE SCHOOL TEAMS, WE ARE ON PAR, IF NOT A BIGGER THREAT IN TERMS OF COMPETITION. COMPETITION WITH SCHOOLS IN PLANO, COPPELL AND PROSPER WITH MORE FUNDING AND MORE OPPORTUNITIES. JUST THINK OF HOW MUCH MORE OUR STUDENTS CAN ACCOMPLISH. INSTEAD, OUR STUDENTS ARE BEING ROBBED OF THE COMPETITION AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES JUST BECAUSE OUR TEAM LACKS THE PROPER FUNDING. AS A STUDENT WHO'S PERSONALLY BENEFITED FROM SPEECH AND DEBATE PROGRAMS, I URGE THE SCHOOL BOARD TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR SPEECH AND DEBATE PROGRAMS DISTRICT WIDE. BY DOING SO, YOU WILL NOT ONLY BE INVESTING IN THE COUNTLESS OPPORTUNITIES AND SCHOLARSHIPS THAT SPEECH AND DEBATE PROGRAMS HAVE TO OFFER, BUT ALSO THE FUTURE OF OUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING A REQUEST. MY DAD. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I'M A TAXPAYER FROM FRISCO AND I'M A MOM OF TWO KIDS. ONE IS A SEVENTH GRADER WHO WAS HERE TONIGHT AND ONE A SECOND GRADER WHO IS ON SPECTRUM AND RECEIVES SPECIAL EDUCATION FROM FRISCO ISD. BUT TONIGHT AND ACTUALLY, I AGREE WITH ALL THE PARENTS, WHATEVER THEY TALKED ABOUT HERE, BUT BECAUSE THE DEBATE KIDS WANTED ME TO COME HERE AND I HAVE SEEN THEM, I HAVE SEEN THEM COMPLAINING, CRYING, THEY WORK SO HARD, YOU KNOW, AND AFTERWARDS THEY DON'T GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO AND COMPETE IN THE COMPETITIONS. THEY ARE LOSING THEIR COACHES TO THE COMPETITIVE OTHER ISDS. SO, YOU KNOW, I FEEL SOMETIMES BAD DID I TOOK THE RIGHT DECISION BY COMING IN THIS CITY. MY 11TH GRADER WILL PASS OUT SOON. I HAVE A SECOND GRADER, AS I MENTIONED. IS IT A TIME FOR ME AND MY OTHER FRIENDS AND OTHER FAMILIES TO THINK ABOUT RELOCATING SO THAT WE CAN GET BETTER OPPORTUNITIES THERE? THIS IS SOMETHING WHICH I'M THINKING AND I'M SERIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT IT. BUT, YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T WANT TO GO AWAY FROM HERE BECAUSE MY JOB IS TO LET THE BOARD MEMBERS KNOW TO REVISIT WHAT THEY'RE DOING. IF THEY CAN LOOK INTO IT, WHY THE BUDGET WAS CUT OFF SO DRASTICALLY. [01:00:04] WE HAVE SUCH GREAT POTENTIAL. YOU HAVE SEEN THESE THREE OR FOUR KIDS WHO HAVE SPOKE TONIGHT. THEY JUST PREPARED THEMSELVES AND THEY ARE HERE. THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THEMSELVES. THEY'RE ABLE TO ARTICULATE WHY THIS DEBATE AND SPEECH IS IMPORTANT. SO I WOULD JUST REQUEST THE BOARD MEMBERS TO REVISIT AND SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO. MY KIDS OR THESE KIDS HAVE MISSED OPPORTUNITY, BUT LET THE OTHER POTENTIAL PEOPLE OR THE KIDS WHO WHO WHO CAN GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO BETTER IN THEIR LIVES THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. GIVE THEM A CHANCE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AFTER. ISHAN, OUR FINAL SPEAKER IS STEPHEN KIRSHNER. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD. I'M SEAN SHAKE, A JUNIOR AT EMERSON HIGH SCHOOL AND A MEMBER OF THE SPEECH AND DEBATE PROGRAM. WE'VE GIVEN YOU A LOT OF INFORMATION REGARDING OUR STRUGGLES AND THE PROBLEMS OF OUR PROGRAMS, AND I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BREAK FROM THAT AND SAID I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT WHY WE'RE ASKING FOR GREATER AMOUNTS OF FUNDING IN THE FIRST PLACE. BEFORE I DO THAT, I'LL GIVE THEM A STORY OF MY OWN. AND JUST LIKE SHREYA DANIEL, WHO SPOKE RIGHT BEFORE ME, DEBATE HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED WHO I AM. AND THAT'S BY NO MEANS AN EXAGGERATION. DURING MY EARLY YEARS IN HIGH SCHOOL, I HAD STAGE FRIGHT, A STUTTER, LACK OF CONFIDENCE. AND IF YOU TOLD ME BACK THEN I WOULD BE STANDING HERE SPEAKING TO SUCH A LARGE AND INFLUENTIAL GROUP OF PEOPLE, MY LEGS PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING ME RIGHT NOW TO FIX THIS ISSUE. I JOIN SPEECH AND DEBATE, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS I COULD HAVE EVER MADE. IMMEDIATELY I WAS PLACED IN AN ENVIRONMENT FULL OF LEADERS WHO WERE DEDICATED, MOTIVATED, PASSIONATE, ACCOMMODATING, GENEROUS, DEDICATED AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, KIND. IT INFLUENCED ME TO BE BETTER, ME TO BECOME A MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE INDIVIDUAL AND ME TO SUPPORT MY COMMUNITY. THIS PROGRAM'S BENEFITS SHOULDN'T SHOULD ALSO BE ACCESSIBLE TO STUDENTS ALL ACROSS THE DISTRICT. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE LACK OF FUNDING, IT ISN'T POSSIBLE AT THE MOMENT. BUT LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU WHY SPEECH AND DEBATE ARE SO IMPORTANT FOR FUTURE STUDENTS NOWADAYS. TEENAGERS ARE INFLUENCED BY SOCIAL MEDIA, WHETHER IT BE FOR THE NEWEST TREND OR FOR ENTERTAINMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, SOCIAL MEDIA ISN'T THE BEST INFLUENCE WITH CREATORS SUCH AS ANNOTATE AND AIDAN ROSS PROMOTING MISOGYNISTIC, ANTI LGBTQ AND TRANSPHOBIC CONTENT ON THE INTERNET TO THEIR TEENAGE AUDIENCES WHO ARE THEN USING THOSE IDEOLOGIES AND HARASSING PEOPLE. THEN THESE TRYING TIMES. STUDENTS NOW MORE THAN EVER, HAVE TO BE INFORMED ABOUT CURRENT ISSUES, TAUGHT HOW TO RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE'S OPINIONS AND UTILIZE THE CREATIVE ABILITY THEY HAVE TO PROMOTE POSITIVE CHANGE IN SOCIETY. SPEECH AND DEBATE DOESN'T JUST PROVIDE PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS AND GIVE PEOPLE CONFIDENCE, BUT ALSO PROVIDE STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME BETTER PEOPLE AND BECOME THE FUTURE LEADERS IN THAT OUR WORLD NEEDS. I KNOW WE'VE GIVEN YOU A LOT OF INFORMATION, SO LET ME QUICKLY RECAP WHAT WE COVERED. IF I FISD NEW SPEECH AND DEBATE, THESE FEW SPEECH AND DEBATE PROGRAMS ARE DYING OUT. THESE STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES ARE BEING CLOSED OFF EVEN WITH ALL THEIR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION. STUDENTS ARE LEAVING BECAUSE THEY'RE UNABLE TO AFFORD FIELDS AND ARE STOPPED FROM GOING TO MORE TOURNAMENTS. IT'S PREVENTING PRACTICAL SKILLS FROM BEING TAUGHT FROM ALL OVER OUR DISTRICT. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE LACK OF FUNDING STOPS STUDENTS FROM BECOMING MORE CAPABLE INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL BENEFIT SOCIETY AS A WHOLE. MY TEAM AND I URGE YOU STUDENT BOARD TO PROTECT AND PROVIDE THE DISTRICT FOR FUTURE STUDENTS, FOR PROVIDE PROVIDING GREATER FUNDING TO THE SPEECH AND DEBATE PROGRAMS. AND MOST OF ALL, WE URGE YOU TO GIVE STUDENTS ALL ACROSS THE DISTRICT A CHANCE TO STRENGTHEN THEIR VOICE, NOT TAKE IT AWAY. THANK YOU. HELLO. MY NAME IS STEVE KIRSHNER. I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT HERE IN FRISCO FOR 19 YEARS, AND AS OUR SUPERINTENDENT, A FORMER COACH, HE KNOWS HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO CONNECT WITH A CHILD AND HOW A COACH CAN CHANGE A CHILD'S. ALTITUDE AND WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO STRIVE. A GOOD COACH IS MEASURED BY THE NUMBER OF WINS. A GREAT COACH IS MEASURED BY THE NUMBER OF LIVES HE'S TOUCHED AND CHANGED. I HAVE THREE YOUNG BOYS AS A SINGLE DAD AND A SENIOR CITIZEN THAT'S DISABLED IN FRISCO ISD. AND THE MISSION STATEMENT OF FRISCO ISD IS WE KNOW EVERY STUDENT BY NAME AND BY NEED, BUT THAT NEEDS TO GO FURTHER THAN THAT. WE NEED TO MEET THOSE NEEDS. I'VE GOT A FIFTH GRADER THAT IS READING ON THE FIRST GRADE LEVEL AND BASICALLY IT'S PLAYED KICKED THE CAN BETWEEN STUDENT SERVICES, SPECIAL ED AND BOTTOM LINE. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS DO NO HARM TO THE CHILD. [01:05:01] OK. AND MY ONE BOY HAS BEEN AT FIVE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND FRISCO ISD I'VE BEEN PROMISED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO MEET HIS NEEDS IF THEY CAN'T MEET HIS NEEDS TO PAY FOR HIM TO GET EDUCATED SOMEWHERE ELSE IN A PROPER LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. THE OTHER THING IS THAT I AM HERE TO BE AN ALLY, NOT AN ADVERSARY. PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES SHOULDN'T THROW STONES. I'M A LITTLE BIT DISMAYED OF WHAT I'VE SEEN TONIGHT, ATTACKING ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO, FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN WITNESS FOR OVER 12 YEARS, HE'S GOT A SON THAT'S NEVER MADE A B IN HIS LIFE. AND HE'S A GOOD CHRISTIAN MAN WITH A GREAT FAMILY THAT WHEN I WAS DOWN AND OUT IN THE HOSPITAL BY MYSELF AND NO ONE ELSE TO COME, HE TOOK CARE OF MY KIDS. AND THE GREATEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE SOMEBODY IS TO GIVE UP YOURSELF. AND I'M ASKING THIS FOR THE TEACHERS, AND YOU'VE GOT SOME FINE TEACHERS AND YOU'VE GOT SOME FINE ADMINISTRATORS. BUT THE THING IS, THE PEOPLE AT THE AT THE CAMPUS LEVEL FEEL THEY'RE PUPPETS ON STRINGS THAT, OH, THIS WAS A DISTRICT DECISION. THE OTHER GENTLEMAN SPOKE ABOUT CAMP, MY BOYS IN FIFTH GRADE. HE HAD TO DO EVERYTHING TO BE ABLE TO GO ON A TRIP TO SKY RANCH. AND THE DAY BEFORE HE WAS SUPPOSED TO GO, THEY SAID, YOU CAN'T GO BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TWO AND A HALF MONTHS AGO. EVERY CHILD IS DIFFERENT AND EVERY CHILD. YOU HAVE TO TEACH THE WAY THAT CHILD LEARNS AND YOU NEED TO ADAPT. AND ALSO, WHAT WERE YOU TOGETHER AS A TEAM AND BUILD A BRIDGE, NOT BE DECISIVE. YOU SHOULD FORGIVE AND MOVE FORWARD IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. FORD. THAT WAS OUR FINAL SPEAKER FOR THE EVENING. I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR SROS. YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR THE LONG HAUL AND WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE. AND THANK YOU TO ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT CAME OUT AND SPOKE WITH US THIS EVENING WITH THAT BOARD. WE ARE ADJOURNED. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.