Agenda - 06-21-2022; 8-a - Minutes

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15 1 ARPA funding for schools and prevents a bond for education until 2026-27. He said there has 2 been efforts in affordable housing but the funds that are being generated are disproportionately 3 going away from schools. He said there is a lot of discussion about equity vs. equality and 4 education having to wait for other needs, but schools need funds now. He said whether it's by 5 raising taxes by 2 cents across the board or raising the special district tax, the Board needs to 6 act now. 7 Jessica Larson said she is a first year TA in an adapted classroom. She said she loves 8 her job and works with children with varying abilities and needs. She said she is scratched, 9 bitten, and more, but loves her job anyway and doesn't know if she can keep doing her job 10 making less than $17 an hour. She said she is a mother of two students in Chapel Hill, lives in 11 Hillsborough, and pays a lot of taxes. She said her niece currently makes more money at her 12 yoga studio. She asked the Commissioners to please help her keep her job. She said she is 13 honored to have her job and work with the students she does. She said the teacher in her 14 classroom went out on maternity leave, which required her to borrow time from coworkers, and 15 since then there has been a patchwork of substitutes who have not been able to last. She said 16 through it all, all she can do is support the students the best she can while they ask if she will 17 also be there tomorrow and as they move up in grade. 18 Zoe Read said she is an EC TA and the classroom environment requires high level 19 knowledge of behavior and behavior response that is individual to each student. She said 20 consistency, familiarity, and knowledge of individual students and their behaviors is vital to their 21 continued success and growth. She said you would think being in a career that requires such 22 expertise would be compensated in a way that is livable. She said this is her first year working 23 at Smith but has 6 years' experience in a self-contained classroom. She said her wage is 12 24 cents more than employees that have no working experience in the classroom, which values her 25 experience at only 2 cents more a year for her experience. She said a bus driver earns $16.50 26 an hour and requires a high school diploma or GED., an Admin Assistant gets $17.41 an hour 27 and requires a high school diploma, a secretary makes $17.04 and requires a high school 28 diploma, and EC support staff earn $16.05 an hour and must be highly qualified with 48 credits 29 of college, 2 years or 7 credits of core work keys. She said with one dependent for health 30 insurance coverage, her monthly income is $1,448 as a single mom. She said having 31 experienced employees is just as important in any job, but in this job familiarity of students and 32 team is crucial to progress through daily challenges. She said safety of students and staff is a 33 daily concern. She said receiving a livable wage will help retain staff and reduce turnover while 34 creating an environment that will better serve students' individual needs. She said consistency 35 and familiarity in EC classrooms will be huge benefits to students and help them receive the 36 education they deserve. She said these students are often left behind, society does not fight for 37 them, and families are often overwhelmed. She said these students deserve better and deserve 38 a staff that knows how to teach them. She said in the grand scheme, the number of EC teachers 39 will not have a great impact on the budget, but receiving a salary increase can make a big 40 difference in the education EC students deserve and need. She said an EC teacher needs 41 experienced staff and consistency or every year is a brand new start. She said students are not 42 getting the education they deserve, and she said a significant increase in pay after continuous 43 years of service reflecting commitment and dedication will be valued. 44 Anne Tomalin said she is an ESL teacher in CHCCS. She said she has worked in the 45 district for 26 years. She said she has witnessed the lack of progress in closing the achievement 46 gap, and the school system is in a worse position than ever in this respect. She echoed others' 47 comments that the most vulnerable students are feeling the worst impacts of the lack of 48 qualified teachers available to support them. She said If Orange County truly values equity and 49 supporting most vulnerable, it's time to put money where its mouth is, otherwise comments 50 about closing the achievement gap is empty noise.