[1. CALL TO ORDER IN PUBLIC SESSION]
[00:00:05]
. >> TODAY'S MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION IS CALLED TO ORDER AT 3:03 P.M. IN OPEN SESSION.
TODAY WE ARE REQUESTS ADDRESSING AGENDA ITEMS AND SO WHILE THE MEETINGS OF THE GOVERNING BOARD ARE NOT PUBLIC MEETINGS, THEY ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. INDIVIDUAL SPEAKERS ARE ALLOWED THREE MINUTES FOR JUST THE BOARD AGENDA ITEMS. I THINK OTHER PEOPLE WANT TO SPEAK TO AGENDAS SO I THINK IF YOU FOLLOW THE SUCCESSION OF THE ASTAIN.
SO THIS IS 2.1? >> YES, MA'AM.
>> OKAY. NOW YOU CAN START THE TIME.
>> BOARD I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, AGAIN, TO COME AND MAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I APPRECIATE THAT THE BOARD HAS SELECTED A FIRM.
I HAVE TO VOICE CONCERNS ABOUT HOW IT WAS PRESENTED LAST TIME BECAUSE WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT BROWN ACT VIOLATIONS AND I THINK NOT PRESENTING WHO YOU WERE GOING TO SELECT AMONG DID NOT ACTUALLY GIVE YOUR CONSTITUENCY YOUR STAKEHOLDERS ANY REAL OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN. WE GOT TO WEIGH IN THAT WE WANTED A FIRM. WE DIDN'T GET TO WEIGH IN ON WHO WOULD REPRESENT THE DISTRICT'S INTERESTS.
THE FIRM MAY BE FANTASTIC. THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT THE WORK THEY'VE DONE FOR OTHER PLACES. THAT COULD BE ISOLATED JUST TO THE PLACE. BUT IF YOU DON'T DO DUE DILIGENCE WE COULD END UP IN THE SAME SITUATION WHERE WE WERE THE LAST TIME WE DID THIS. AND I WOULD LIKE US NOT TO REPEAT HISTORY. I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO WITH AN ADDONE BANS OF CAUTION ASK YOU TO GO SLOW TO GO FAST.
BONNIE CARTER WAS MY ADMIN AND THAT WAS HER MOTTO IN OUR SITE AND IT HELPED ME BECAUSE I WANT EVERYTHING DONE RIGHT NOW BUT SHE SAID GO SLOW TO GO FAST. RIGHT NOW THIS PLACE IS ON FIRE AND YOU'RE GOING TO THROW WHATEVER YOU CAN THROW ON IT.
THE LIQUIDING MIGHT JUST BE GASOLINE AND THEN IT ALL BLOWS UP. SO I WOULD LIKE THE BOARD TO TAKE THEIR TIME TO FIND SOMEONE TO LEAD US.
THAT REPORT AND I KNOW A LOT OF YOU DON'T PUT A LOT OF STOCK IN THE REPORT THAT WAS DONE BY THE STATE AUDIT.
BUT THAT REPORT SAID WE HAVE SOME PROBLEMS HERE AND THE BIGGEST PROBLEM HERE IS THEY HAVE NOT INFORMED YOU ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON. SO HOW YOU CAN SELECT A SUPERINTENDENT FOR US WHEN YOU DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW THE PROBLEMS HERE IS A LITTLE CONCERNING. SO I WOULD LIKE YOU TO TAKE YOUR TIME AND STAKEHOLDERS I KNOW YOU SAY THE SAME PEOPLE KEEP SHOWING UP WEEK AFTER WEEK AFTER MONTH. HERE'S WHY I COME BACK.
BECAUSE YOU DON'T HEAR WHAT I SAY.
YOU LISTEN BUT YOU ADOPT HEAR BECAUSE NOTHING CHANGES.
AMENT REPRESENTING MY CHILD AND ALL THE OTHER CHILDREN.
THEY DON'T HAVE ADVOCACY AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE.
I SPEAK FOR THE VOICELESS. THOSE CHILDREN BECAUSE THEIR FUTURES ARE HINGING ENTIRELY UPON WHATEVER DECISION YOU MAKE.
AND THAT MATTERS WHOEVER SITS AT THAT SEAT.
SO PLEASE TAKE YOUR TIME TO VET THEM AND HEAR YOUR STAKEHOLDERS.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO TELL YOU YOU'RE DOING IT'D WRONG.
WE'RE TRYING TO TELL YOU HOW TO DO IT RIGHT.
WE WANT TO BE HEARD. PEOPLE VOTED YOU IN SO CLEARLY THEY WANT YOU HERE. WE DON'T HAVE ANY SAY ABOUT WHAT SITS OVER THERE. YOU DO.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO LET US HAVE MORE OF A VOICE AT THE TABLE THAN JUST THIS MICROPHONE AND THREE MINUTES.
YOU WANT PEOPLE TO GO AWAY AND SHUT UP, DO THE RIGHT THING.
PUT SOMEBODY IN PLACE THAT CAN LEAD US.
GIVE SOMEBODY TO YOUR TEACHERS AND YOUR ADMIN WHO CAN MAKE US BETTER. WE'RE ALREADY GREAT.
BUT RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T BUILD FUTURES.
WHAT WE BUILD HERE IS RESERVES.
>> CAN I HAVE LINDA ATKINS ART TO THE PODIUM.
[00:05:07]
WHO ELSE ARE WE GOING TO FIND TO WALK OUT ON A DISTRICT THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL OR MAYBE FOR THEM THE THIRD OR THEY'RE ABOUT TO START. IT'S JUST MIND BOGGLING THAT THE KIND OF PEOPLE WE GET ARE THE PEOPLE WHEN WE TALKED ONCE ABOUT FIRMS HAVING PEOPLE IN RESERVE THAT ARE JUST WAITING TO GET A JOB. THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD GET.I'M AFRAID. I KNOW THAT THIS GO TO DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE. I THINK IT WAS VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT WE DID NOT HAVE MORE THAN JUST TWO FIRMS. I THINK IT WAS HIGHLY, HIGHLY EMBARRASSING TO HAVE AMBUSHED THE ONE FIRM. THAT'S WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM MY MEMBERS. TO HUMILIATE SOMEBODY IN PUBLIC IS NOT THE KIND OF BEHAVIOR THAT YOU SHOULD BE REPRESENTING IN OUR DISTRICT. WHETHER YOU THINK YOU'RE RIGHT OR WRONG IT WAS EMBARRASSING. AND I'M HEARING THAT ACROSS THE
COMMUNITY. >> THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.
PLEASE CONTINUE. AND WE'LL BE WATCHINGS THE
CAN WE PLEASE HAVE DR. KIRSTEN ROBINSON TO THE PODIUM.
WELCOME AGAIN. >> THANK YOU, BOARD, AGAIN.
WHAT I GUESS I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS I APPRECIATE THAT THERE WAS SOME CONSIDERATION OF APPOINTING AN INTERN SUPERBECAUSE IF YOU ARE GOING TO GO SLOW TO GO FAST WE HAVE AH HAVE SOMEBODY AT THE HELM. I WANT TO WEIGH IN ON WHO I BELIEVE MIGHT BE A GOOD CONSIDERATION.
WHETHER THEY WANT IT OR NOT SOMEBODY HAS TO WITH IN CHARGE.
THE PERSON THAT I SEE THAT'S MOST FIT TO DOIT THAT SITS IN THE CABINET ALREADY IS BONNIE CARTER.
THE OTHER PERSON IN THIS DISTRICT THAT I SEE THAT'S MOST FIT TO DO IT IS LISA. SHE'S PUT OUT TO PASTURE.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN SHE CAN'T STEP BACK IN AND TAKE HOLD OF THE HELM BUT IN TERMS OF MONEY AND DECISIONS BONNIE HAS BEEN CLOSER TO THAT FIRE THAN LISA HAS. EVERY YEAR I HEAR THAT.
I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU HAVE $87 MILLION IN THE BANK AND BE DEFICIT SPENDING.
THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. HOW THAT WORKS IS YOU PROJECT ON -- YOU DO PROJECTIONS ON YOUR BUDGET SO YOU CAN DROP THINGS AND SAY WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY.
THAT'S HOW DEFICIT SPENDING BUDGETING WORKS.
DEFICIT BUDGETING ASK WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
NOT SPENDING. WE HAVE PLENTY OF MONEY AND IT NEEDS TO BE SPENT ON THE MONEY. THE STATE CAN'T TAKE YOU OVER UNLESS YOU'VE SPENT TALL MONEY BUT THE STATE SHOULD TAKE YOU OVER IF YOU DON'T SPEND THE MONEY EITHER BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT SPENDING IT ON THE CHILDREN. OUR CHILDREN.
MY PERSONAL CHILD. YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THE SPENDING FOR SPECIAL ED. YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THE SPENDING FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS. YOU NEED TO FUND IT.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU ARE WILLING TO PAY THAT MAN MONEY TO FIGHT ME AND PARENTS LIKE ME TO NOT SERVE OUR CHILDREN.
IT'S A LOT LESS MONEY TO AVOID PROBLEMS TO PREVENT THEM BUT THAN IT IS TO COME TO THE BACK DOOR.
>> THAT IS SHAMEFUL BUT IT'S EASY TO DO WHEN THE ONLY FACES YOU SEE ARE ADULTS. THESE ARE CHILDREN.
THEY HAVE NAMES AND FACES. AND YOU ARE TASKED WITH BUILDING THEIR FUTURE. YOU'RE HIGHLY INTELLIGENT AND REPRESENT YOUR COMMUNITY. WHAT I SEE RIGHT NOW SET WAY WE
[00:10:01]
SPEND MONEY IT LOOKS LIKE R RACISM, DISCRIMINATION AND DERELICTION OF DUTY.MAY WE PLEASE HAVE MS. LINDA ATKINS ART TO THE PODIUM.
>> THANK YOU ALL OF YOU CONVENTION.
THANK YOU, EVERYONE THAT'S HERE. I'M LINDA.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE BELLFLOWER TEACHERS ORGANIZATION AND WORK WITH THE SOUTHEASTERN SERVICE CENTER WHICH IS ANOTHER DIVISION OF BELLFLOWER AND THE CALIFORNIA TEACHERS OH, ON THEIR BOARD OF EDUCATION. THE COUNCIL.
SO I THINK THAT SHE COVERED EVERYTHING I WOULD HAVE SAID ABOUT GETTING SOMEBODY IN HERE. I HAVE COMMUNICATED WITH CABINET. BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO -- I WOULD MEET WITH TRACY ON THURSDAY.
WE WOULD JUST TALK BACK AND FOESHTH AH ABOUT CONCERNS.
[2. CLOSED SESSION]
>> AT THIS TIME, THE BOARD WILL RECESS INTO CLOSED SESSION.
THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER ACTION TAKEN IN OPEN SESSION.
ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION ARE: PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT AND PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT FOR AN ACTING SUPERINTENDENT. OKAY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.