[I. Call to Order]
[00:00:02]
I'M PRESIDENT WEGNER AND I CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT 6:15 P.M.
LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT A QUORUM IS PRESENT.
NOTICE OF THIS MEETING WAS POSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT. AND AT THIS TIME,
[II. Pledge of Allegiance]
WILL YOU PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE?[III. Public Comment]
NEXT UP ON THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMENT. THOSE THAT WISH TO SPEAK HAVE ALREADY SIGNED UP SINCE THE MEETING HAS STARTED.YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. SECRETARY GUADIAN WILL BE THE TIMEKEEPER.
SO FIRST UP IS. STEPHANIE ARELLANO SPEAKING ON TODAY'S GRIEVANCE.
OH I APOLOGIZE SWEETIE. DON'T BE NERVOUS. THERE YOU GO.
WHEN YOU'RE READY TO START. OKAY. HELLO. MY NAME IS STEPHANIE ARELLANO.
I'M A PROUD ALUMNA. PRESENT PARENT TO THE DV STUDENTS HERE.
AND A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF THE COMMUNITY. BUT ABOVE ALL THAT, I STAND TODAY AS A PROUD DAUGHTER OF EVA RODRIGUEZ, MY MOM.. FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS MY MOTHER HAS DEDICATED HER LIFE TO THE DVISD SCHOOL DISTRICT.
TO SEE WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED, TO WITNESS THE PAIN, THE CONFUSION, THE LACK OF RESPECT SHOWN TO SOMEONE WHO HAS GIVEN SO MUCH HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT. NOT JUST AS A DAUGHTER, BUT AS A HUMAN BEING WHO KNOWS THE DEPTH OF MY MOTHER'S DEDICATION AND RECENTLY EXPERIENCING, I EXPERIENCED SOMETHING THAT OPENED MY EYES EVEN FURTHER.
WHAT I WAS MET WITH WAS SHOCKING AND DEEPLY HURTFUL.
I WAS TREATED WITH HOSTILITY. I WATCHED THE FRONT DESK STAFF AND THE PRINCIPAL SECRETARY GOSSIP ABOUT ME, AND SHARE FALSE INFORMATION ABOUT THE INTERACTION WITH THE PRINCIPAL.
THEY CREATED A NARRATIVE THAT WAS NOT UNTRUE.
THAT WAS SORRY. THAT WAS JUST UNTRUE. IT WAS INTENTIONALLY DAMAGING.
AND IF THIS IS THE WAY I WAS TREATED AS A PARENT AND A PTA MEMBER, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT MY MOTHER HAS HAD TO EXPERIENCE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS OVER THESE PAST FEW MONTHS. MY MOTHER IS NOT JUST AN EMPLOYEE.
SHE'S A MENTOR, A SUPPORTER, A PROTECTOR, SOMEONE WHO TREATS EVERY STUDENT AS IF THEY WERE HER OWN.
SHE HAS CARRIED THIS DISTRICT WITH LOYALTY AND INTEGRITY.
AND YET THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND HER HAS NOT ALWAYS CARRIED HER WITH THE SAME RESPECT.
MY MOTHER. SO I WANT TO ASK YOU. SO I WANT TO ASK YOU SOMETHING FROM MY HEART.
YEAH. CLOSE YOUR EYES FOR A MOMENT. IMAGINE HER VOICE.
IMAGINE HER SACRIFICES. IMAGINE THE BRIDE SHE TAKES IN HER WORK.
NOW IMAGINE WATCHING HER BE TREATED UNFAIRLY OR UNJUSTLY. IMAGINE KNOWING SHE GAVE EVERYTHING AND RECEIVED HOSTILITY IN RETURN. OPEN YOUR EYES AND TRULY LISTEN TO WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE. THIS IS NOT JUST A PERSONAL SITUATION.
THIS IS NOT JUST A MISUNDERSTANDING. THIS IS NOT A REFLECTION OF CULTURE.
THIS IS A REFLECTION OF A CULTURE, ONE THAT REQUIRES ACCOUNTABILITY, LEADERSHIP, AND WILLINGNESS TO CONFRONT WHAT IS WRONG, EVEN WHEN IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE. I'M ASKING EVERY PERSON IN THIS DISTRICT WHO HOLDS RESPONSIBILITY TO RISE TO A HIGHER STANDARD, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT ONLY ABOUT MY MOTHER, IT IS ABOUT EVERY HARD WORKING STAFF MEMBER WHO SHOWS UP FOR OUR STUDENTS, EVERY PARENT WHO TRUSTS THIS DISTRICT, EVERY EMPLOYEE WHO DESERVES RESPECT, NOT RETALIATION, EVERY STUDENT WHO IS IMPACTED BY THE ADULTS IN THESE BUILDINGS.
WE CANNOT ASK FOR EXCELLENCE IN OUR SCHOOLS IF WE DO NOT UPHOLD EXCELLENCE AMONG OUR LEADERSHIP.
I STAND HERE TODAY FOR MY MOTHER, EVA RODRIGUEZ, BUT I ALSO STAND HERE FOR EVERY STAFF MEMBER, EVERY FAMILY, AND EVERY VOICE THAT HAS GONE UNHEARD.
MY HOPE, MY EXPECTATION IS THAT DVISD CHOOSES FAIRNESS, CHOOSES THE TRANSPARENCY INTEGRITY.
[00:05:03]
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT. NEXT UP WE HAVE KRISTEN RODRIGUEZ, PLEASE.SPEAKING ALSO IN REFERENCE TO THE GRIEVANCE.
WILL YOU TELL ME WHEN TO START OR I JUST START OKAY. MY NAME IS KRISTEN RODRIGUEZ AND I AM EVA RODRIGUEZ'S YOUNGEST DAUGHTER.
I AM ALSO A FORMER DEL VALLE ISD STUDENT. I ATTENDED DEL VALLE FROM 1ST GRADE THROUGH GRADUATION.
MY FAMILY HAS BEEN PART OF DEL VALLE COMMUNITY FOR DECADES AND FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS.
MY MOTHER HAS TAKEN TREMENDOUS PRIDE IN SERVING THIS DISTRICT.
EVERY DAY SHE RETURNS FROM WORK, I HEAR ABOUT THE SAME INDIVIDUALS WHO CONTINUE TO BULLY HER, HARASS HER, AND CREATE A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT.
I KINDLY ASK THAT YOU TAKE HER REQUESTED ACCOMMODATIONS TO HEART AS IF SHE WERE YOUR OWN MOTHER.
THESE ACCOMMODATIONS ARE REASONABLE AND CAN EASILY BE PROVIDED.
MY MOTHER IS SOMEONE WHO CONSISTENTLY WORKS FOR MORE THAN SHE HAS TO.
SHE DOES IT WITHOUT HESITATION AND SHE DOES IT WITH PRIDE.
DEL VALLE ISD NEEDS MORE EMPLOYEES LIKE MY MOTHER.
NO EMPLOYEE SHOULD EVER FEEL TARGETED, HARASSED, OR FORCED TO WORK IN A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT.
WHAT MY MOTHER HAS BEEN PUT THROUGH IS NOT FAIR.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO HEAR ME OUT ON BEHALF OF MY SISTER AND ME.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION OF OUR MEETING.
[IV. Closed Session]
WE WILL NOW GO INTO CLOSED SESSION AND I HAVE A WHOLE SCRIPT I NEED TO READ, SO BEAR WITH ME.THE BOARD WILL NOW GO INTO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 551.07 FOR PERSONNEL MATTERS AND 551.082 SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES AND SECTION 551.071.
IF THE BOARD WISHES TO CONSULT WITH ITS ATTORNEY ON LEGAL MATTERS.
THE TIME IS NOW. 6:24. THANK YOU. SO, DO YOU MIND STARTING THE RECORDING? THANK YOU. SO THE BOARD ENDED ITS CLOSED SESSION.
[V. Approve Action Items Discussed in Closed Session]
WE ARE BACK IN OPEN SESSION AT 7:50 FOR THE RECORDING.I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THE BOARD REQUESTED AND RECEIVED THE JOB DESCRIPTION.
AND SO WE ARE ADDING THAT TO THE RECORD BY CONSENSUS OF THE BOARD.
SO EVERYONE WAS ABLE TO RECEIVE THAT. THANK YOU.
AND LET'S SEE THE BOARD HAS HEARD THE DGBA LEVEL 3GRIEVANCE AT THIS TIME.
[VI. Consider Possible Action on the Level III Grievance of Eva R.]
I'D LIKE TO CALL FOR A MOTION. I MOVE THAT THE GRIEVANCE BE DENIED.THANK YOU SECRETARY. GUADIAN MADE THE MOTION.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL MAKE THE SECOND. IS THERE? LET'S CALL FOR A VOTE. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME? OKAY, SO ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF DENYING THE GRIEVANCE BY SHOW OF HANDS.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED. THE GRIEVANCE IS DENIED BY A MOTION OF 4 TO 2 AT THIS TIME.
THAT CONCLUDES THE MEETING. THE TIME IS 7:51.
[00:10:02]
THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING THIS EVENING.* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.