[I. Call to Order]
[00:00:04]
OKAY. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE, OR GOOD NIGHT.
LET'S STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
[II. Public Comment]
EVERY INDIVIDUAL WILL GET THREE MINUTES TO TALK.AT THE ONE MINUTE MARK, YOU WILL GET A REMINDER THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU NEED TO STOP TALKING.
THAT'S JUST STRICTLY A REMINDER.
FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO CALL UP MISS CHRISTELLE OKA.
OKAY, SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF Y'ALL GOT TO SEE MY SHIRT.
AND NO, I'M NOT FLASHING Y'ALL JUST FOR HARASSMENT PURPOSES OR WHATEVER LETTING Y'ALL KNOW.
IT SAYS THE BOOK IS ALWAYS BETTER, SO YOU'LL GET THE MEANING WHEN I SPEAK.
THANK YOU SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND STAFF THAT ARE PRESENT.
I WANT YOU TO REMIND YOU OF THE MOVIE FIELD OF DREAMS. AND IF YOU REMEMBER, THERE WAS A FAMOUS QUOTE THAT SAID, IF YOU BUILD IT, HE WILL COME.
AND IN OUR INSTANCES, IF WE BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME.
AND DEL VALLE HAS BUILT IT WITH THE DISTRICT'S SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND DR.
I WANT TO SAY THAT THIS YEAR HAS IMPRESSED A LOT OF THINGS ON MY SOUL AND MY HEART.
I STILL THINK THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND THE ELEMENTARY, SO THAT WHEN WE FILTER THE STUDENTS INTO THE HIGH SCHOOLS, BECAUSE THERE'S TWO, RIGHT, THAT WE'RE SENDING THE BEST THAT WE CAN POSSIBLE.
I WAS WONDERING WHERE YOUR VISION AND MISSION AND AND MISSION WAS, AND I QUESTIONED IT.
AND I'M JUST GOING TO SAY THAT I'M SPEAKING ON MYSELF.
AND MY FEAR IS THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN.
SO YOU STOP AND YOU GO SLOWER AND SLOWER.
TIELLE'S HEELS. AND LET ME TELL YOU, IT'S NOT AN EASY JOB, BECAUSE IF IT WASN'T FOR THE BOARD, WHETHER Y'ALL AGREED OR DIDN'T AGREE, WE WOULDN'T BE WHERE WE ARE BECAUSE THE MISSION AND THE VISION IS THE SAME, THAT WE'RE HERE FOR THE STUDENTS AND WE LEFT BEHIND, OR TRY TO LEAVE BEHIND ANYTHING ELSE THAT DOESN'T FIT IN THAT BOX.
AND THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO BUILD OUR COMMUNITY.
I FEEL THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, AND I'M GOING TO SAY MY HEART IS HEAVY.
I'M GOING TO SAY THAT BECAUSE WHEN WE TURN THE CHAPTER IN OUR NEW BOOK.
SO THE NEXT CHAPTER IS FOR YOU ALL TO WRITE THAT.
THAT WE'RE HERE FOR OUR STUDENTS.
THAT'S WHAT I DO WITH MY STAFF MEMBERS.
THAT'S WHAT I TRY TO DO WITH PARENTS.
THANK YOU. AND REMEMBER, THE BOOK IS ALWAYS BETTER.
[00:05:01]
LET'S TURN THAT CHAPTER AND CONTINUE THE LEGACY TO MOVE DEL VALLE FORWARD.I APPRECIATE Y'ALL. THANK YOU [APPLAUSE].
NEXT, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MR. EFRAIN GARZA.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM PRESIDENT.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT, TO YOU ABOUT TODAY IS JUST.
I KNOW THE ODDS ARE TALKING ABOUT GETTING AN INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT.
AND ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS THAT WE WON'T HAVE CERTAIN CONSISTENCIES.
BECAUSE IF YOU GET AN INTERIM AND THEN YOU DECIDE TO GO WITH SOMEBODY ELSE, IF THEY COME IN AND THEY RADICALLY CHANGE THINGS AND THEN THEY CHANGE THINGS AGAIN, YOU'LL HAVE A LOT OF CHAOS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.
AND AS ANYBODY WHO WORKS WITH CHILDREN KNOW, CONSISTENCY IS IMPORTANT AND IT STARTS AT THE TOP.
IT STARTS WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT ON DOWN.
THEN IT'S EASIER FOR TEACHERS TO HAVE CONSISTENCY IN THE CLASSROOM.
KEEP IN MIND THAT WE ALSO NEED TO KIND OF HAVE A CONSISTENCY ON HOW THINGS ARE DONE.
SO THAT WAY THERE'S NOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF WASTED WORK, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF WASTED TIME MOVING THINGS AROUND AND JUST SPINNING OUR WHEELS UNTIL WE CAN GET SITUATED. SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT CONCERN UP TO YOU.
OKAY. NEXT WE HAVE MISS FIORELLA SALAZAR.
GOOD NIGHT. [INAUDIBLE] MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I HOPE THIS MESSAGE FINDS YOU WELL.
TIELLE REALIZED THAT WE FELT LOST AND THAT WE NEEDED SOME TYPE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN ENGLISH.
SO THAT'S WHEN SHE DEVELOPED THE BILINGUAL PROGRAM, WHICH HELPED ME A LOT.
TIELLE GAVE ME BECAUSE SHE BELIEVED IN ME EVEN WHEN I DIDN'T.
THE CHATS WITH HER WHEN SHE WAS LETTING ME KNOW THAT SHE WAS LISTENING TO ME AND KEEPING IN MIND THE IDEAS THAT I HAD AND SHE LISTENING TO IN DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND TELLING ME THAT SHE WAS GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, WHEN EVEN WHEN I DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH SOMEONE OR SOMETHING, SHE WOULD FIND A WAY TO FIX IT.
SHE ALSO MADE ME A PART OF THE STUDENT AMBASSADOR, AND BEING KIND OF LIKE THE MAIN PERSON BY DOING THE SLIDES THAT WE SHOW EVERY DAY IN THE SCHOOL BY FOURTH PERIOD, AND KIND OF LIKE THE SLIDE SHOWS WERE BASICALLY LIKE TO LET THE DISTRICT KNOW WHAT WE WERE DOING AND HOW HARD WE WERE WORKING WITH HER.
AND HONESTLY IT HAS COME TO OUR ATTENTION.
ATTENTION THAT SINCE SHE'S LEAVING THE DISTRICT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW HOW MANY OPPORTUNITIES SHE GAVE US AND HOW HARD SHE WORKED FOR US, AND THAT WE FEEL REALLY SAD BY HER LEAVING SINCE WE CHAT WITH HER.
AND WE WERE REALLY CLOSE TO HER AND SHE.
YEAH ONE THING THAT I WANTED TO MENTION WAS THE SURVEY THAT WAS DONE DURING THE STARR TEST WEEKS.
BY KNOWING THE FACT THAT ME AND MANY OF THE STUDENTS THAT STRUGGLE TO TALK AND UNDERSTAND ENGLISH WERE TRYING TO FOCUS ON THEIR STARR TEST AND TRYING TO KEEP FOCUS ON THE STARR TEST BEING BILINGUAL AND BEING A PROGRAM THAT IS NOT MADE FOR US IS MOSTLY MORE ENGLISH.
SO IT WAS BASICALLY ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THE STARR TEST WAS AND THAT THE DISTRACTIONS THAT WE WERE GIVEN DURING THE WEEK. WE HONESTLY DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
TIELLE KNOW, AND SHE STARTED WORKING ABOUT IT AND SHE KNEW.
[00:10:04]
SO YEAH, WE WERE KIND OF LIKE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT BECAUSE WE WERE REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS.TIELLE AND WE LOVED THE OPPORTUNITY, THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT SHE GAVE US.
THANK YOU [APPLAUSE]. NEXT UP, WE HAVE MISS CLAIRE CAMPOS O'NEILL.
TRUSTEES. MY NAME IS CLAIRE CAMPOS O'NEILL.
I'M A PARENT HERE IN THE DISTRICT, AND I ALSO SERVE ON THE DEL VALLE ISD EDUCATION FOUNDATION.
SO TO TAKE A STEP BACK, I WAS DEEPLY SADDENED WHEN I LEARNED THAT DR.
TIELLE WAS RETIRING AT THE END OF 2024.
AND I ACCEPTED THAT THIS CHANGE WAS COMING AND A TRANSITION PLAN WAS PUT INTO PLACE.
BUT THEN THIS EMAIL CAME ON FRIDAY AND I WAS LIKE, OKAY, SO WHAT? WHAT'S THE PLAN NOW? I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE TIMING OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
AND I THINK THE COMMUNITY IS OWED AN EXPLANATION BY THE SCHOOL BOARD.
THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS REALLY DONE A BAD JOB OF COMMUNICATING WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH DEL VALLE ISD, AND RIGHT NOW I'M LOSING CONFIDENCE IN THE SCHOOL BOARD'S LEADERSHIP. AND I SAY THIS BECAUSE I SERVE ON THE DEL VALLE ISD EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AND I HAVE TO GO TO BUSINESSES AND EXPLAIN TO THEM WHY DEL VALLE IS SUCH A GREAT DISTRICT, AND I NORMALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THESE MEETINGS, BUT NOW I JUST FEEL A LITTLE LOST TO MYSELF.
AND IT'S HARDER AND HARDER TO BE THAT CHAMPION FOR THE DISTRICT.
I KNEW WHERE THINGS WERE HEADED WITH DR.
TIELLE BECAUSE SHE COMMUNICATED THAT VERY WELL.
HER TEAM COMMUNICATED THAT TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW.
SO I ASK THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD DO A BETTER JOB AT PROACTIVELY COMMUNICATING WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT BIG DECISIONS BEING MADE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH. AND PLEASE INVOLVE US PARENTS COMMUNITY.
THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU [APPLAUSE].
GOOD EVENING, MADAM PRESIDENT.
I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT EVENTS IN THE DISTRICT.
THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY.
THINGS THAT DEMAND OUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION AND ACTION.
I WILL START BY SAYING I'M A FRESHMAN.
THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR IN THE DISTRICT.
I'M NOT FROM HERE. AND JOINING DEL VALLE HAS BEEN GREAT.
I'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE SO MUCH MORE THAN I THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE DONE IN OTHER DISTRICTS.
THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH MORE OPPORTUNITIES.
THERE'S BEEN JUST IT'S BEEN SO MUCH BETTER OF AN ENVIRONMENT HERE THAN IN OTHER DISTRICTS.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU GUYS A SCENARIO.
A MEMBER OF A SCHOOL BOARD SUDDENLY DECIDES THEY HAVE A REMEDY FOR LACKLUSTER FOOTBALL PERFORMANCE AND WANT TO GIVE A GOOD OLD PEP TALK. BUT INSTEAD OF STICKING TO THE SIDELINES OR FORMAL MEETING, SHE THROWS CAUTION TO THE WIND AND BARGES STRAIGHT INTO THE BOYS LOCKER ROOM.
WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THIS WASN'T A SCENARIO AT ALL AND THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED? IT'S CRUCIAL TO ADDRESS ANY INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR, ESPECIALLY IN PROFESSIONAL OR EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS.
[00:15:02]
PROVIDING A PEP TALK TO MALE STUDENTS IN THE FOOTBALL LOCKER ROOM WHERE WE DON'T EVEN ALLOW OUR OWN ATHLETIC COORDINATOR INTO THE FOOTBALL LOCKER ROOM, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT PROPER SUPERVISION OR CONSENT, RAISES SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR JUDGMENT AND CONDUCT.I'D LIKE TO KIND OF WRAP UP BY SAYING THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN AMAZING.
DR. TIELLE SHE'S BEEN AMAZING AND LEARNING THAT SHE WAS RETIRING.
NEXT, NEXT THIS YEAR LATE THIS YEAR, IT WAS IT WAS VERY, VERY, VERY HARD.
AND ON SATURDAY WHEN I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE MEETING, I DIDN'T FIND OUT FRIDAY.
I WAS IN BRIGHTON, MY HOMETOWN, AND IT COMPLETELY.
GOOD VIBES ONLY. I DIDN'T GET ANY WORK DONE, I WAS, I WAS BROKEN.
TIELLE, AND WE WOULD HATE TO SEE HER GO SO EARLY.
WHEN SHE'S BEEN THE ONLY PERSON THAT'S HELPED SOME OF US FEEL HEARD, LIKE WE BELONG.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU [APPLAUSE].
NEXT WE HAVE MISS ROBYN [INAUDIBLE].
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ROBIN MCHARG.
I AM DEL VALLE MIDDLE SCHOOL'S 2023-2024 [INAUDIBLE].
TONIGHT, I WANT TO SPEAK TO YOU AS A MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY AND AS THE ROLE THAT I HAVE PLAYED IN IT SINCE I STARTED PRE-K AT BATY ELEMENTARY MANY YEARS AGO TO TODAY, DEVOTING MY CAREER TO THE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES OF THIS DISTRICT.
TONIGHT, ON BEHALF OF MANY TEACHERS IN THIS DISTRICT, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO DISCUSS DR.
TIELLE AND HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO DEL VALLE ISD.
TIELLE IN OUR DISTRICT IS HEAVY.
WHEN I WAS A CHILD HERE, MY OPTIONS WERE LIMITED.
THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE NOW, THEY WERE NONEXISTENT.
DR. TIELLE AND HER TEAMS HAVE MADE DEL VALLE ISD A DESTINATION DISTRICT.
SO FROM A TEACHER'S PERSPECTIVE, ALLOW ME TO SHARE THE WAYS THAT DR.
TIELLE HAS ENRICHED MINE, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER TEACHERS CAREERS.
ALLOW ME TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT TRULY MATTERS TO US AS THE EDUCATORS OF THIS DISTRICT.
DR. TIELLE HOLDS US TO THE HIGHEST OF STANDARDS WHEN DEVELOPING OUR WORLD CLASS CURRICULUM.
THEY FEEL MICROMANAGED AND ARE EXPERIENCING TEACHER BURNOUT.
OTHER DISTRICTS ARE NOW TRYING TO MODEL THIS.
I CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY THAT DEL VALLE ISD TEACHERS GET THEIR GRIT AND RESILIENCE FROM THEIR LEADER.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO BE A CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE EDUCATOR, DON'T SWEAT IT.
DR. TIELLE DEVELOPED A DAILY FIX TOOL THAT YOU CAN USE AND BE SUCCESSFUL.
I AM ANGRY THAT THE BOARD IS TREATING DR.
TIELLE SO DISTASTEFUL BECAUSE YOUR PERSONAL RESENTMENT HAS COSTED OUR HAS COST OUR EDUCATORS AND ADVOCATE OUR FAMILIES A SUPPORT SYSTEM AND OUR STUDENTS A MENTOR AND ROLE MODEL. I KNOW SHE ISN'T HERE, BUT DR.
TIELLE, WE SEE THE MISTREATMENT, BUT WE ALSO SEE HOW YOU HAVE REMAINED POISED.
WE KNOW THAT YOU WOULD HAVE NEVER WILLINGLY LEFT US DURING THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, WHEN SO MANY PEOPLE WERE EXCITED AT THE POSSIBILITY OF ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT RAISE, SOMETHING WE ALL KNOW HAPPENS BECAUSE OF YOU AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT STAFF RECEIVES EQUITABLE, EQUITABLE COMPENSATION.
THE PICTURE THAT IS BEING PAINTED IS NOT ONE THAT MANY OF US BELIEVE.
WE LOVE OUR SUPERINTENDENT AND DR.
TIELLE, WE WISH THAT YOU WERE HERE UNTIL YOUR LAST DAY IN DECEMBER.
YOUR STAFF, YOUR STUDENTS AND YOUR COMMUNITY WANT YOU HERE UNTIL THE PROMISED DECEMBER DATE.
DEL VALLE ISD SCHOOL BOARD EXECUTE YOUR DUTY TO THE STUDENTS, STAFF, AND COMMUNITY BY FULFILLING DR.
[00:20:04]
TIELLE'S ACTIVE STATUS AS SUPERINTENDENT UNTIL DECEMBER [APPLAUSE].THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE MISS JULIA PEREIRA.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM PRESIDENT.
TO START OFF, I'M GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR AMAZING DR.
TIELLE. SHE HAS PROVIDED US WITH SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS DISTRICT.
SHE HAS BEEN. SHE HAS THE BEST INTENTIONS FOR OUR KIDS AND THE STAFF, INCLUDING MYSELF W ITHOUT DR.
TIELLE, THIS DISTRICT WOULD NOT BE WHERE IT IS TODAY.
TONIGHT I AM COMPELLED TO ADDRESS A MATTER OF UTTERMOST SERIOUSLY SERIOUS CONCERNING DARLA WEGNER.
HER ACTIONS TOWARDS TEACHERS AND STAFF MEMBER AT DVISD ARE NOTHING SHORT OF HARASSMENT.
SHE HAS OPENLY ABUSED HER POSITION AS BOARD MEMBER.
ELECTED OFFICIALS LIKE HERSELF SHOULD SERVE WITH KIND AND POISE LIKE DR.
TIELLE HAS, BUT INSTEAD SHE HAS USED HER ROLE TO BE DISRESPECTFUL.
TIELLE. DR. TIELLE HAS LISTENED TO US AS STUDENTS.
WE LOVE DR. TIELLE AND WHEN WE FOUND OUT SHE WAS LEAVING IN DECEMBER, WE WERE HEARTBROKEN.
SO THE FACT THAT YOU WANT TO REMOVE HER TODAY IS UNACCEPTABLE AND WE GET EMOTIONAL ABOUT IT SO.
DO NOT MAKE THIS DECISION WITH YOUR HEART AND LISTEN TO YOURSELF, BECAUSE THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.
THINK LIKE PEOPLE AND THINK ABOUT THE KIDS.
THINK ABOUT OUR OPPORTUNITIES.
THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU.
OKAY. OUR LAST SPEAKER IS MISS CHRISTINA PEREIRA.
I'M HERE TO BECAUSE I'M VERY SURPRISED WITH THE EMAIL, LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
I KNOW A LOT OF STUFF FROM THE DISTRICT, FROM [INAUDIBLE] AND ALL THE WRONG THINGS BEING HAPPEN, AND THE ATTORNEY DOESN'T DO ANYTHING AND ANYBODY DO ANYTHING.
SO I'M JUST TELLING YOU GUYS HERE, I'M HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU WRITE A STATEMENT, AND I'M GETTING SIGNED SIGNATURES SO WE CAN REMOVE YOU THREE FROM THE BOARD AND MISS [INAUDIBLE], IF YOU CAN, PLEASE WORK WITH THE DISTRICT NOT FOR THEM AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU [APPLAUSE]. THANK YOU.
OKAY. WE WILL NOW ADJOURN INTO CLOSED SESSION UNDER UNDER
[III. Closed Session]
TGC 551.071 AND TGC 551.074.CONSIDERATION OF APPOINTMENT OF AN INTERIM AND ACTING SUPERINTENDENT AND REASSIGNING THE SUPERINTENDENT TO THE POSITION OF SUPERINTENDENT EMERITUS FOR THE MARCH 5TH, 2024 VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT AGREEMENT APPROVED BY THE BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT.
OKAY. WE ARE BACK IN OPEN SESSION AS OF 10:22.
[IV. Approve Action Items Discussed in Closed Session]
WE ENDED CLOSED SESSION AT 10:21.TIELLE. ALL IS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION.
SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? MOTION PASSES 7-0.
YOU WANT A MOTION TO ADJOURN, I MOVE TO ADJOURN.
[00:25:07]
SECOND. WE WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 10:23.THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.