City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire School Board, 10 Feb 2022

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From YouTube: 2.10.2022 School Board (Part 2/2)

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2.10.2022 School Board (Part 2/2)

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He is our next candidate from school boys.

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Current superintendent- and I would like you all to give him a one long round of.

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I applause like to ask each of the board members to introduce themselves to zach.

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I'm anne walker and I have been on the school board. This is my fifth term and welcome.

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Hi I'm gary nolte. I have spent an entire month on a school board. Member.

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um And my background is in nursing as a nurse practitioner.

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Yes, uh hi, I'm elizabeth barrett. I am also here with kerry here.

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My background is as a family law practitioner and recently, child protection work.

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Two in the district and one that's just.

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And uh technology executives.

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Hi, I'm lisa, I'm a new board member and a history, dance journalist. I have a fifth grader and an eighth grader.

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Middle school- I am the middle of my first term.

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You have two middle schoolers as well.

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Okay, thank you fellow board, members. Okay, so we're each going to take a turn and ask you a question.

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So I have the first question: you have the great pleasure of spending the day in our district today.

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I'm sure that was a fabulous experience. Can you share with us what you learned or observed about.

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Our district today do you think you would be a good fit, so um I think so, coming from the.

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Experience that I have mostly some community that I'm in which has a very different.

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Very different history and finds itself in a very different situation. uh You know what so.

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Now is really clearly to me accomplishments, one um we're just in a position working for vital.

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But being in a position to provide a lot for your kids doesn't make you make that choice.

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And so what I saw today around facilities level, staffing. What I saw was a community.

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That have the ability to provide for kids that are in a really strong way.

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And so that was you know, that was an exciting prospect to see that occurred.

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You can see a lot of really smart work and then, in terms of you know, in terms of a fit.

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uh I think that's I I'm just really honest with this many community and anybody throughout this.

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Process and some other processes that I've been in, uh I'm not looking to oversell the.

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Way, I just want to be honest, like this is how I here's, who I am it's like- uh be transparent,.

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And then I put you in a position where, if we aren't marriage.

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We make that choice, but I don't want to trick you. So what was great about today was I really enjoyed.

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Being with your staff, with your students and one of the things, I believe this is really.

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Important work, uh but it should be fun uh just being joyful, uh and I had an opportunity today.

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To sit with students and laugh, you know, and they have some important questions for me.

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uh And everything from uh new franklin I got uh if you come, are we gonna get more pizza.

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And uh the way up to some interesting questions here.

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That, here about the middle school, about like what would what would snow day look like.

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Why would that happen, and then uh all the way up into.

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A high school where I I just happened to have you know having to sit with uh one of.

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The stronger members of the debate, who was not gonna, let me go out of our washington and it was.

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Great, you know it was great. We had this really good religious dialogue and, as.

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As a teacher as a former teacher and someone who still sees himself.

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As a teacher, even in this whole, you know you get energy from kids, because that's what this whole.

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Enterprise is ultimately about, and so, if you can't get jazz about hanging out with seventh grader.

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And talking to the you know the head of the k2 and feeling joyful about that.

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Also, taking away things from what those students are telling you about their experience.

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uh And um then you got to start in this world and today, as I walked around and I felt.

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I said well, this guy told me uh and what he asked me was. He said.

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Look in your career at this point as an administrator, you had to be a builder.

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You had to build from scratch and build something that was in.

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Are you going to be able to function in terms of your own, intrinsic motivation.

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uh And I've been thinking about that a lot and then walking through today. I think.

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What I definitely realized there's a lot of things here, that you can be preserved.

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This is a lot of things where they're going first, and that is fragile, very.

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So yeah, so I walked away thinking yeah. This could be a thing and when you started.

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The process- I wasn't as sure as I've grown to know you uh feeling better about that possible.

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In the cafeteria- and I was like I don't know- franklin high school.

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Build before and collaborate with various stakeholders, please share with us what.

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Other priorities we've had in the first semester here: where do you see yourself in the district.

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Sure so, anytime, any district goes through a transition leadership, um especially.

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The trust building starts.

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You know, I really do think that in this transition and.

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Dollar is, uh and the second piece is relational, and it's are there enough people and I'm not just.

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Looking to meet twenty thousand people, but are there enough people that are sacrificing.

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People who are like, I think this guy's okay, I like him uh and.

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So that word, you know like I said it doesn't start for me once you put that contract.

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Know when you have an immediate decision to make, I thought great.

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Have these things you're thinking about, but you always have to keep your eye on on-game game.

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My long game is already started. It's happening right at the.

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Powered by the board to make sure, as I come in, I'm keeping this ship steady uh even before I.

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Come here that um and through that beginning couple months, that I'm spending a lot of time.

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And uh and that I come back to you and those are the internal stakeholders, so.

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I think this is on the kids teachers, whatever it's also external, and some of those exercises.

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Some of the most important ones talking are some of your big big scripts.

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Go right into those people and say talk to me about what it is.

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That that's about other things. Let's talk about it, I'm here all right. Here's the episode so.

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And then come back to you guys and say this is why I I'm here. This is what I synthesized.

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And this is my initial propulsive view of where my intentions should be.

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uh I said lachlan I'm not trying to address it, but here's the deal. uh I you know tell me how.

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Principles were you coming into the district? You know we're like why don't I go in I'm so excited.

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uh And then I always thought hey, so this last step slow down, you don't know anything yet you think.

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You do what you do so with me. I I'm throwing them on knowledgeable, but I think any you know 85.4.

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To say these are the action steps that are going to change.

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That's going to have to come with doing the workforce being in a position knowledgeable.

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uh You um it sounds like you somewhat answered the question that I'm going.

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To ask, but maybe there's more to it, that you'd like to expand on.

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What does being visible in a district the size of portsmouth look like.

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uh What does that.

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When I have the opportunity to be here talking to you guys.

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It's great because and I'd like to be doing that a lot more than I have to do, because very often.

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I'm off dealing with adult problems and felt concerns and usually a decent amount of cocaine.

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And that's part of my role that going into teachers like I do that, so this guy did his.

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Job, and so I want to be visible, I have a desire to be to be um well, that's like being at games.

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Somebody's like doing events and being like, oh, I know that guy there's, no part of our relational.

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Trust in the relational trust you actually have to be around, so people can walk up to.

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You and you're, like hey, how's it going, I'm so-and-so, I'm getting second grade.

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uh So that's part of it, but then you know walking schools. So what I do now, what was.

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See what's happening and then after we go back to their office, you know deep breathe a little.

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Bit about what we saw but uh but, as I said, crystal service is key. So like most of the time.

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I'm saying to them what is going on right inside of your school you're, struggling with your block.

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And as much as you have double the number of students that I have.

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Don't need to come right now, so a lot of that is.

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What steps would you take to ensure that the board goals.

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The classroom and improving the student's overall experience.

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So I think first is, I know.

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How do we measure that success has happened? Because if you don't set those those those.

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Things up, the temptation is- and this is not for people just it's just human nature. People.

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We move the buildings or we or we talk about anecdotes. We do a lot of attitudes where it's.

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Well, are we accomplishing this goal and someone tells a story about a great thing that happens.

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Are we accomplishing it for all of our kids? You know.

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And so we so when you, when we as a unit, work together to come up with goals.

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What happens when it's not working.

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But it starts with, do you know what success looks like before? You know.

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um So my question is: how do you assess when you need to stay the course.

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um Good question because I think the tendency, and at least in education. But I think this.

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Is true of most organizations once you set things in motion, definitely you have an idea.

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That we fix a great idea um and then let it run uh and uh and we don't decide to talk.

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Because now you put a human being into a position based on an idea like thoughts, be.

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It was reasonable when you originally sat down to get to where it needs to go, but now you have.

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Sally the teacher who you really like the program is not working. It really likes to have kids.

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And that's when you get interested in situations where sally's.

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We set up those markers and we don't just set up end goals to talk about intermediate measures.

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And what are those intermediate measures and what is it, what is an appropriate time.

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And it shouldn't be well three years from now we'll evaluate whether or not.

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Okay, it's like what would be the intermediate evidence at whatever interval that would tell.

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Us, yes, this is worthy of continue. We're not constantly at least are progressing about. This.

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uh And again that is, I can't give you a specific example, because that would.

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Really depend on us working together around identifying those things balancing two things.

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Do I think it's appropriate.

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What success looks like uh at the beginning.

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uh And setting up goals- and we don't know what the success is really in trouble.

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So I just want to stay with that. I know you said you could give an example.

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Negative impact for student outcome and and how did you shift or what.

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Steps to take to approach the shift for recovery sure, so let me start with.

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And very often because of our budgetary process,.

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So so I want you guys tonight to talk about outdoor education, okay,.

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There's curates about how you all function.

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So principals presented these ideas.

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Okay, so yeah, these kernels are things that were happening and, as a result of.

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Helping they wanted to accelerate some of these steps, uh and so what I'm used to is my current.

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Okay, this could be an amazing opportunity because you guys.

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Said well, that's great, but if you thought about this other way, what you should be doing more.

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Sustainably, or are there other things you need realistically in order to promote this program.

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um So I mean those, you know that.

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Is just a different situation very promising for me and excited about possibility.

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On an annual basis, I'm in a situation where I sit with my board.

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In august you know a conversation and it's what is the stand loss in which I have to.

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Operate for the tax periods to take um or, and here's our admission, in addition to.

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What we're trying to do is our strategic point: what is the sandbox of what you.

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And basically have a conversation, it's like what is the most sufficient, effective thing.

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That we can do to deliver on these goals. Now we are forced to as a result of that over the years.

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I have ever laid a lot of people.

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And sometimes it's not you're talking more about native, sometimes in our case, it's not page. It's.

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About, what's marginally less effective or not, you don't count that actually being.

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But ultimately we have, we have an answer to.

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What resources are going to help us and what do we think, based on what we're measuring.

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Our next question is: what does equity look like in schools to you.

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And what have been your strategies and outcomes.

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With narrowing angle steps yeah, so I think this equity has a lot of different incarnations.

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So in our so when I watched the springfield, the primary thing.

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Initially, the primary thing I was trying to deal with was.

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There there's all also questions that are actually swirling around disenfranchised students beyond.

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Social economic skills- and I would tell you so you guys have seen my stuff heard me- talk and.

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If you understand at this point, part of the story about juxtaposition of zach superintendent of the.

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Year exactly agent and how those things out of this guy and that part of that story is around.

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A disagreement: I have a fundamental disagreement about the fact that taking steps that we were not.

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These were not radical steps, taking steps towards improving the ways in which we ensure all students.

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um And that those are core functions to.

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Fulfilling our vision, which is you know, to create capable cosmopolitans where particularly.

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You can't do that if those students all across the board, if all students are not welcome and students.

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Who are not in those traditional discriminating groups, aren't in physicians, aren't being educated.

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To be in a position to be create a welcome small environment for wall street uh and so.

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uh So that hasn't this has been an ongoing battle. It's too full! It's not just achievement stuff.

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I mean there is a real challenge for culturally making shifts and there are public institutions.

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That prioritize every single kid walking through the world.

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And they're not kind of part of the group but they're, not some subset.

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But they are full-blown they're, clever, wrong.

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Was that's well-meaning.

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Was that what I could do in this community, where I saw the principle I was dealing with.

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Cases of intolerance around race, gender identity, those types of things or that.

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I choose to do two things. I do the computer stuff that I need to do, but then I would additional.

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Computer stuff, I would use in my head and not right with computers.

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Were from, I was knight.

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I've seen that and I've learned that uh in that those issues, those cultural issues.

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Socially emotionally safe environment, but they're then able to be.

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The brain switches up what it's doing, you're no longer going to be using your.

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So we've been trying to do that work in different ways.

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And we do a lot of stuff when it comes to achieving kids.

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Who are um lower socioeconomic status? We use interventionists, we use one programming.

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Those students additional instruction. We also do a lot of stuff to try to help.

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Those students in those schools partnering with other other entities, communities, health services,.

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I want to work in a place where that idea that we are servicing all kids is not good.

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People, you know people are willing to take the hits.

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If this isn't, and so that's okay, if that's not a priority.

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um I'm going to look at you sometimes in other situations, as your education and.

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I'm hoping that you and basically the community in this room, you're ready to.

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Become one and I'll do it in a responsible way, not a lot of the way, but with absolutely.

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As you know, budgeting is a major goal of the board.

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Use your time uh sure is the time to add a strong university.

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So the time that I had to be very involved.

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As I came in as an intense distrust of public institutions in general uh and uh further distrust.

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Of schools, uh and I'm also in a really interesting situation, where comparative vermont system for.

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Schools is pretty simple and in vermont it's super complex uh and it's complex. The city is.

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Giving you a um a desire to create additional opportunities for communities with less but.

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If you're, in an environment where people discuss institutions by nature.

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Even when you have programs which are designed to help those those communities, there are times.

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Where people are like well, you know this is gonna, be exactly you're telling us that, for everybody.

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Education for four dollars.

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It's gonna be a scam and it's like no. There isn't. So let me explain it yeah. So what is what you'll.

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See from uh for me is I'm trying you know what it's getting onto communities like our carotery.

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Whatever you know it's going to other places, but the other thing I try to utilize a lot.

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And so some of it is trying to explain in a visual way how the system works, how we're.

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Preparing for the system uh and like how can you do this really complex thing like three minutes.

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Or a three minute wait that people are gonna, get we're gonna walk through the other thing. I.

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I started doing was uh and who knew I was in a city of 20 000 before.

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I would get away with this or not, but uh but I started.

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On social media, talking about these questions, names.

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Saying stuff, sometimes sometimes this was correct. uh So what I asked people was.

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That what's up development contact, facebook page for us to say what are your questions.

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And then, um although I definitely was not dressed like this,.

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But you got the uh zach on a sunday afternoon um out in the spring porch with a springfield t-shirt.

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Okay, the next question is from this is so-and-so. This is so-and-so, says why the heck is 18. 000.

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uh It's like okay, good question, I'll talk you through that this works. You know what.

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um And so I recorded all these little videos on facebook for all.

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These different people's questions there were times where I was like.

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Nailed it. I totally explained that, in a way where it's like yeah yeah and I was trying to own.

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Reports, I just can't point out uh because, because again after the idea of long long evenings need to.

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Be part of you need credibility in those moments, and sometimes that means you have to hold rewards.

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And uh and so that's what I try to do with those things and it's.

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There are years and I'll tell you that when I came in um the community took pride in voting down the.

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Budget every single year before I came in this was like the thing where and usually budgets and a lot.

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Of times aren't about the money, it's about some issues that people are not about and they want.

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To express the best way to express their anger is through uh good budget, um but then I started.

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Working on two things that really important one, I think I started with legitimizing the viewpoint.

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You can come and ask us to be more efficient with the doctors, because what the administration.

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Used to do is say, here's what we need for kids, you kind of have like a little wanted budget.

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Here's what we need for kids and if you are talking about being against us.

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It's like you can't do it it's legitimate for people to have questions about.

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Those types of things, so we opened up that as a possibility and then I just became more visible.

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And I talked to the screening community about this and it's not, I don't know, I don't know.

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What our transfer slash recycling center looks like here, but I said the secrets of the budget.

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And the best one is a repeat for the people in the screen and the best one I had was early on.

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A guy came up to me. I can't use with recording this, so I can't give you the full language.

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But I'm not hoping for that pointed button, uh and his thing was, he said: do you know how much.

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That superintendent makes like I do. I know exactly how much that's your percentage he's like that's.

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Me uh and then we had this awesome about kind of. What's going on what's happening in the community.

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This list of grievances for like 15 years worth of agreements- I guess the school district um and.

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As there's a little spinning community, I'd love to tell you, let me just just.

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Ask follow-up questions show.

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And he didn't say that what he did say what I loved was. He said him.

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But maybe he'll turn it around. I was like boom that guy's going out he's talking to us down there.

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We're talking before the people- and I guess the foot in the door is.

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Answering those questions.

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Did the town the population of the town vote on the budget yeah? So I so it's in.

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The whole town shows so I've got coming up, so we do march, first tuesday march, coming up soon.

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Right so here we go again and so the whole town shows up in our town meetings. We have australian.

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Gallup, as opposed to like your classic new england kind of challenge on the floor.

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And uh so uh so they come out and then they go to the polls. People go on the bus.

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Load it in my community. I know no matter what there's 600 people going to vote against it.

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Every single time it doesn't matter I'm giving out the roblox, uh but uh can I get a win over there.

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I have a question: yes, what? If what are your expectations of the board, so I'm going to.

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Ask a repeat: question so my question: I ask all the words having conversations.

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uh Is the one that I share with the students of you with those expectations and it's.

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Where you collectively believe what is the role of the board? Where does that start? Install and.

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What is of the superintendent? Where does that start and the best of your ability.

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When those two things come really close together, where is it? What does that look like.

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Think and I'll. um Why I'm asking the question. I think the places that work are when there's a.

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Role there, that's not. I want to keep clear about this. This is not zach is looking to be a person.

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But I just want to make sure we both know what we're expecting and, if that's clear or not clear,.

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um And um and then what you're understanding about relationship.

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Create um around making sure that we're doing school to create a budget which is recently designed.

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To supervise your employee, their act is applausing to disability.

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Situations where you know somebody needs to weigh in on some issues.

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And um but those tend to be the things my experience is that those things in some cases.

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Are not what people want to talk about uh because in some cases people get on boards.

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Because there's a particular issue, they're very passionate about who else would do this.

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Right this is like you're spending all this time away from your families. You know um you don't get.

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A lot of fan mail as a result of doing this, so you have to have something: that's a motivation.

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And sometimes those things are not budget.

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Policy supervising important number one and um those types of things there are more guarantees.

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If, where that those needs are, is not clear, it leads to awards considerably.

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And so I want to avoid a scenario because I'm dealing with.

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Right so I'm it in a situation where it's been a quarter of my life, giving to a certain community.

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And now, there's uh now a spot where I that project is coming and part of that is, it was.

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What do you have any other questions of us? I think that you know the other types of I don't think so.

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I think the questions I mean to the classics right. What are you looking for? um You know.

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What's what are you most concerned about process? um What is you know.

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We've talked I've heard some allusions to strategic planning coming soon. I guess that's the.

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Case excited about that, but is that coming soon, um what would the hiring process look like before.

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Have the opportunity not to dictate that process.

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Should I answer them.

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Well, as far as we have.

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And our alternative high school lesser academy, we plan to post those very soon because we want.

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To make sure we take advantage of the fact that people are applying for those jobs. Now we don't.

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um Strategic planning- yes, that's something that we started before covid.

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uh We wanted to put that committee together and get that work done, but then.

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Hope it came- and we put it on here so that's something that we will bring up again.

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We have three um and we need to touch on all of them. We hire fire superintendent.

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We set policy and we establish the budget, so those are the three roles that we all.

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Look at ourselves as doing obviously in conjunction, which is interdependent. I think.

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Our board has always worked very closely with our superintendent on any kind of issue that comes up.

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But I think what we try to avoid is a void which I hope successfully is micromanaging. You know.

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The superintendent has his responsibilities, we have our three responsibilities so hopefully.

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We can all work together so that it's a continual um and I've been on the board.

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For many years- and it really always has been so- I think it's a trend step. Hopefully.

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Because I'm saying I want to start with.

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um Do you have any other questions of us? I think so uh at the time I'm just gonna. I've.

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Really enjoyed the process the way in.

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You know I from the beginning, I think when I did my first interview- and I was talking to colleagues.

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And family members- and they said how's it going what's the interview process.

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Like like well going to horseback for three hours and they're, like whoa, three hours left.

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uh And I always tell you that's a great great system, you can do a one-hour interview. I know.

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Work you've done to try to do as much as you can with that.

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It has become a selling point for me for you uh that you've been very thoughtful in the.

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Way of what you've got about the process and it's different- it's easy to do what everybody else does.

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You know you do the classic check my three letters.

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uh I write a nice note. uh You know you uh have an hourly interview with me. I go around the community.

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Because my understanding is, this is a big deal. It's a big deal anyways. That sounds like you. Don't.

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To bring in someone who's, not an actress.

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You're, the only one that doesn't ask a question: we have about five minutes left. Would you like.

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To ask a question my question. Sorry, I know I can find it okay. um What is your approach.

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To communication with parent and staff and what are the strategies you have for turnaround time.

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Management yeah, so this is something I had to work on. As I was getting part, I had to work for.

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So I had to be on that front, which is one small piece. I've worked really hard to talk to my staff.

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They would tell you in the last several years good, um but I think more generally,.

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Volume communication is good.

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And I think using I think, last night I talked about easier about idioms uh and.

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So his thing is one of his things is that it's the power of why.

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uh And that you know how and what the community is kind of important, but why is really.

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And so, to what extent am I in my position demystifying why it is.

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And being really thoughtful about communicating this in a way that is actually designed for people.

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To understand, as opposed to I put it up there, I you know, like 15, different acronyms, that it.

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And I technically officially put out whatever this information is, but most people are not.

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Totally sure what to expect- and I'm sure, as I don't really understand why we did this thing.

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So you know be really really thoughtful about. How do you actually communicate to the human beings.

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You work for receive information, so how can you.

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Do that in multiple ways, but, like I said, the key is always.

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Thank you very much for coming down from the northern part of the world. I can cross.

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It was a pleasure to meet you and we really appreciate you taking the time to come here and.