Thread by @WilliamsonStrg

Livestream of tonight's #wcsb meeting - starting in about 15 minutes, will be live tweeting from this thread, public comment is one of the first agenda items.

ps internet connection is sloooooow so be patient with us if this has some fits tonight.

Chairperson Nancy Garrett (D12) announces to public commenters that they'll have 1 minute to speak, each. Believe there are a LOT (dozens?) signed up to speak....

Garrett: after public comment, there will be a break for those who want to leave so they don't feel like they're walking out in middle of the meeting.

Meeting called to order. Moving to public comment, will try to keep up.

have 35 speakers, everyone will have 1 minute.

Garrett reads policy about public comment, including that chair can extend time. WillCo residents have 1st priority, may remain non-residents to speak (says doesn't apply tonight.)

Phil Roberts is 1st up: board-certified emergency medicine. Asking to place a hold on pediatric vaccine...says they aren't safe.

Roberts: likens to Nuremberg trials. Some in room applaud and cheer. He's borderline yelling. Talks about informed consent. Says he loves the board, had 5 kids go through schools here.

Next up: Robert Lewis. "far less credentialed than previous." thanks board for efforts and working with Fostering Healthy solutions (FHS - diversity consultants.) Asks them to continue it in next session, deeply important to his family.

(didn't catch name of next speaker, this is going fast) every parent here agrees that racism is evil, but some may agree on how to deal with it. We all agree it's the responsibility of parents to teach kids what to do.

Revida Rahman: speaking in support of FHS. Brown v. Board of Education was decided 67 years ago today. If your child hasn't experienced racism at school, good for you. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen to other kids and they have a right to a safe environment.

...please stop trying to prevent action if you are not empathetic. We have to do something, the time to act is now.

Tizgel High: thank you for prioritizing district's learning in diversity and equity. some students are being left behind. black and brown students disproportionately punished and left behind, not selected for gifted. want transparency. bias exists.

Martha Henley: son started K. asked what he learned, was so excited to talk about "the kid who got in trouble." Drama is what excites and makes an impression. Children are watching and learning what warrants punishment, and what are tolerated.

Inetta Gaines: student began at Franklin High this year, was being bullied by another student on social media. She went straight to the principal and am very proud of how he handled it - Dr. Pantall, who came and talked to her and daughter. Commend him for that.

...he wanted to know immediately if something happened. This is how it's done. Thank you Dr. Pantall.

John Paul Bastien: personal experience. 1/2 white 1/2 columbian grew up in southern town like this one. filling out race forms was always hard. truth was it was easier to function as a white man than a person of color, saw life as easier than that of friends who were minority

has 4 kids, refuses to let them grow up the same way. Says thank you to Board for their work with FHS, gives hope that there are better days ahead.

Chelsea Gilbert, has 4 kids in system - lives in Fiscus' district. Dr. Michelle Fiscus (Brad's wife) who works for Dept of Health has emailed local vaccinating partners to let them know there will be some exceptions to requiring some necessary parental consent. reads email.

keeps reading louder and louder over time being called. Asks Board to investigate Michelle Fiscus.

Leigh Cook at podium with a child, has 3 children in WCS "I don't know who this kid is." Ha. Recognize that people of color are grossly underrepresented in WillCo, even on this Board and on the faculty and staff. Find it concerning and disappointing.

....no formal training for faculty around unconcious bias, got through it twice a year with corporate job so not sure why teachers don't get same training. Need better system of reporting & tracking so students feel safe reporting incidents.

(woman didn't give her name) - calling for all covid-related policies to end. Board must vote to end all communication with health dept, going in both directions. End this unlawful practice of giving private info to the health dept. Vaccine has been lethal,not approved. nuremberg

Kristin lives in Nolesnville, 2 kids she removed from WCS to homeschool but would like to send them back. Wants to address critical race theory...teaches child they're born a bully or a victim of bullying. Forces to believe they're good or bad. This is not the way forward.

....2nd concern, injecting children without parental consent. We want the choice as parents.

Cherina Kelly: talking about critical race theory. "I'm proud to be teaching when equity and access is prioritized." Believe that exposing students to works from different genders isn't being PC, it's pointing the student towards a holistic growth and setting up for success

....my children can understand that 2 things can be true at same time. We can be an imperfect country and still be a great country.

Dustin Koctar lives in D12 and has 3 kids in elem school. Thx for hiring FHS for much-needed assistance and guidance to make schools safer and more welcoming for everyone. You put your reputations at risk and opened up to harassment and hate. Stay the course and continue support.

...to fellow white people, we can move past the discomfort you may feel about this. If left unattended, white guilt can become the best friend of white supremacy. Crowd groans and Garrett gavels asking everyone to show the respect....

....children should be able to see people who look like them. We support those who feel powerless.

Kim James, nolesnville w/3 young kids. Without a doubt a real & dangerous issue in racism in WCS. Asking WCS to stop treating black and brown parents like they're expendable.

....false assumption that there's no need for DEI training. kids have said hurtful comments to her kids, including the n-word. Have experienced teachers racial biases, applaud you for DEI efforts.

(again no name given for next woman). Work session said only 244 cases of covid in the county. There's 32 schools with 0 cases. Asking you to make masks optional effective immediately instead of Friday, set free our students radiant smiles. Finish year on positive note.

..."I'm a school bus driver." with a mask, it's suffocating to me and those kids are not comfortable. Have 2 grandkids in WCS but feel like I have 70 children.

Debbie Pace, live in Brentwood, 6 children 2 of which gone through school system. Have watched board walk away from values that drew me to this community over last 20 years. board has no authority to regulate healthcare in the schools incl dictating mask wearing and sending home

....children are our responsiblity and don't need school system to co-parent. demanding you do the right thing. if you think we're going to quietly comply and go away, you are sorely mistaken.

Dr. William Holladay: addressing CRT question. "i'm not racist, never been racist. but CRT is racist." all it is is Marxism disguised as good manners. it's a lie. I've seen this on the BrainPop videos - says they're racist just because they're white.

...tells our children that this country is a racist country and needs to be fundamentally changed.

Dawn Ann Ritter (? sorry not sure) thank you for getting schools back in as quick as you did unlike other states like CA. concerned for our kids wearing masks. had to pick daughter up for hypoxia, don't let them temp check her at school. Concerned about CRT, which is backwards

....also vaccinations and mature doctrine which is being lobbied by Mr. Fiscus's wife. nobody has the right to do that to our children.

Jim Bicknell (I am butchering names, so sorry): live in Spring Hill. Thank for waking us up, for overplaying hand with masks and waking up a sleeping giant. We're just getting started. Parents here don't like it. "You do not get to vaccine our children. "

....think he just made a thinly veiled threat?

woman in Moms for Liberty t-shirt: knowing that vaccine is in safety trial phase, why would you consider having them vaccinated on school premises? Vaccine is personal protection only. You say won't be mandatory but want you to request children have personal dr.s administer.

...will you accept vaccine exemptions? my child will not be part of an experiment.

Randall Allen - 2 boys in WCS. Implore folks to lead us and his boys, you didn't vote on a policy/procedure. Lead us, make these decisions, don't give them to nameless, faceless beaurocrats.

(missed name of guy in blue shirt) - grew up believing all are equal. But why did I feel like i had to lock my car door when a black person was nearby? Embarrassed to find myself perpetuating these inequities. Can't imagine what it feels like to be on the other side.

....racism hurts us all. Biggest fear is that the person they are in those moments don't line up with the person they want to be with those same blind spots.

Emily Miller, in nolensville 1 child in WCS and 1 attending soon. Thank you to Board for hard work in all areas of education and for hiring FHS, a qualified 3rd party to help us have difficult decisions. as a white mom of white kids, this still matters to me.

....want safe and comfortable place for incident reporting (and more). Keep up the good work you're doing.

Dr Stephanie Zeiter (?) - D2 parent. Support DEI work in the district. Embrace multiple perspectives, DEI work matters. It's essential so kids are supported to reach maximum potential. Inclusion lets all students participate fully in their community. From youngest kids to seniors

....kids don't need to be excluded due to their diversity. Implore you to continue this important DEI work and eager to support you as you move forward.

(no name given again) - appalled and disgusted at the overreach of the Board and superintendant. Don't send them to be given values or vaccines. Get rid of covid restrictions, and wit & wisdom, and it's a lie that CRT is not being taught. I demand it to be better.

Erin from Nolensville: have been some testimonies that there are several board members don't know what CRT is. Invite you to CRT 101 at an event at the Factory. Reads "duties of the board" policy & code of ethics "relation to myself" about educating and informing themselves

(no name again of man at podium) Thank you for protecting my child this year. I feel like he was protected. I speak in favor of DEI & racial awareness. I could come as a pastor or an academic but I come as a parent. I want him to know how racism exists in our culture.

....brutal truths of slavery, Jim Crow, bigotry, etc. Want him to know so he knows how to stand clearly & firmly against it. Thx for efforts in diversity, you are to be commended.

Ann Rigdon (?) nolesnville, parent of 3 - elem, MS, HS. a nurse and resident and proud army vet. America is greatest country on earth and all mans created equal. War veteran. Concerns over rising 2nd grader will be exposed to in his ELA class - not his social justice class.

...Wit & Wisdom is intentionally robbing our children of their youth.

Susan Macie - D6 - voice opposition of bringing FHS into schools. Heard them say things like we're just here to gather data & won't implement CRT but it's already here with Wit & Wisdom. Reject that all white ppl are oppressors and all blk ppl are victims.

....passionately acknowledge that kids understand what bigotry and racism and self-worth are so they can live right, but don't want them anywhere near CRT and FHS will lead them straight there. Get this right.

Liz Custer, raised 3 kids in WCS, been proud of their education - grown now. Concerned school would even consider vaccine issue - it is experimental. They're not lab rats, we can't experiment them. Father got the China virus - Garrett corrects "I believe it's called covid-19"

loud cheers.

(not named man). I'm a nurse and case manager. masks don't work. my son went to UT after WCS and said he was not prepared at all for college so. This is a coercion campaign. Look into science, masks need to go.

Jenny Conley, has masters in biochemistry. Opposes masks, reads covid death statistics including vaccine adverse deaths.

internet isn't cooperating. WCEA president is last commenter and came to speak heartfelt thank you to entire board for burning midnight oil.

....so many thank yous for flex days from so many teachers, said it was only way they made it through this year.

10-minute recess now so people can leave if they want.