Academics, Innovation, Evaluation, and Technology Committee - Regular Meeting

So I call to order the Academics Innovation Evaluation and Technology Committee meeting. The time now is 1.34. The committee members, of course, I'm your chair. Ms. Miri Blanco is my vice chair. And I hate to say this because he's gone, though, but he was a member of this committee. Dr. Steve Gallen III. I know we all miss him. And, yes, we miss him. Mr. Robert Alonzo. Mr. Danny Espino. Ms. Luisa Santos. Ms. Mary Terry Rojas. Madam Chair. Ex officio member. Ms. Monica Colucci. Vice Chair. ex-officio member. And our first order of today's business is to approve the committee meeting minutes of May 6, 2026. Are there any questions or concerns from my fellow board members about the minutes? No. If not, may I have a motion to approve? Move it. Second. All those in favor? Aye. Thank you so much. Let's move, if you would allow, our next order of business will be to move the G items to the floor. May I have a motion to move the G items? Second. Thank you very much. All those in favor? Aye. None. No nays, okay. Our first G item on the floor is G2 from Mr. Harvey. Mr. Harvey? Sure. Yes, that's G2. Through the chair? Okay, sorry.

That's okay. G2 presents for final reading. Proposed amendments to school board policy 2011, a parent and family engagement on home school district partnership. If you recall, this item is a follow up to an item that was brought by Dr. Gallen at the February 2026 meeting, age 14, which referenced the enrollment and registration processes for students and parents entering into Miami-Dade County public schools for the first time. If there are any questions, I'll be happy to answer them. Thank you.

Are there any questions or comments? Are those in favor of G2?

Second.

Any opposed? Okay, motion carries. G2 will be, G2 passes. Our next order of business will be to move the H items to the floor.

Second.

All those in favor? Aye. Okay. H items are taken as they are in chronological order. Our first H item on the floor is H3 from Member Santos.

Thank you so much, Madam Chair. As we all know, early childhood education is one of the most important investments we make as a school district. And last June, thank you, colleagues, we passed an item approving the early childhood education excellence framework. This item before you is simply asking us to review progress one year later. I wanna thank Ms. Lynn Maceras and the whole Early Childhood and Academics team, as well, of course, as our teachers, families, school staff for the incredible work they're doing. They are really encouraging data points coming out of early childhood. From 24 to 2025, kindergarten readiness rates rose from 40% to 43% district-wide, And even more impressively, from 49% to 53% amongst the students who attended our MDCPS VPK programs. Of course, we're all very excited about the launch of PreK-3 Sprouts, which will expand access. to three year olds and so this item will give us an opportunity in a couple of months to address if there are any geographic gaps remaining and understand the impact of even some of the private public partnerships that we have launched in this area. So we're very excited to hear the update and of course the earlier we invest in our children, the greater impact we can have on their long term success. So I respectfully ask for your support.

Wonderful item. You know, I always talk about my bosses. They're the ones with the short legs. Thank you. to my colleague, are there any questions from the board members? Yes, Madam Chair.

Yes, thank you very much, Madam Chair. No comment, no question, just a comment. I just wanted to thank Board Member Santos. I used to teach the little guys and they really are like magnets. It's unbelievable how much those children learn at a very young age. So anything that is going to enhance our early childhood programs, I'm always going to be 100% behind. So thank you for bringing it forth. At the appropriate time, I would like to be a co-sponsor. Thank you.

Are there other members who would like to co-sponsor?

Move it.

Thank you.

Those who are in favor of those who have co-sponsored. Aye. Nays? Thank you very much. Thank you, Board Member Santos. So H3 would be passed with co-sponsors. Yes. Okay, our next H item on the floor is H5 from Member Santos.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think it's clear I'm front-loading a bit here, so thanks for your patience today. I want to thank my colleagues and the Office of Strategic Planning, our superintendent, and everyone who has done tremendous work in developing the adopted 2631 strategic plan. Obviously, as we have said time and time again, historic input from so many different stakeholders went into this, and so was very proud to support its unanimous adoption. When we adopted that, there was a really important component of that plan that in the actual physical booklet we got happens to be like the centerfold. So I think that's telling because it's the most important, which was the decision matrix for new initiatives and programs. And this item is pretty straightforward in saying that the superintendent, asking the superintendent to review how that strategic plan alignment process could be incorporated into district policy and procedure so that it is actually used, it is front and center, and we ensure that all initiatives, budget priorities, capital projects, policy proposals are actually evaluated against that very thoughtful, well put together matrix. The item does specifically exempt anything that is required by law, regulation, or court order, because of course that is just stuff we have to do. But I think of course if we expect our schools, our employees, our families to all be taking our strategic plan seriously, to have our portrait of a graduate really top of mind, this is a step we can take in aligning our policies and procedures to what we adopted. I'm happy to answer any questions.

Yes, I'm sorry, members may know.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for bringing this forward. And I think actually it was our board chair who asked a question about how even to align a review of items. And when we have a shift of our strategic plan, there's got to be a commensurate shift of protocols to reach those goals, objectives, and policies.

I'm sorry.

No, it's quite all right.

No? I have H3 and H5.

Yeah. H4? I don't know why.

I have H4 here as well.

Is that on another committee?

I don't know. H4 is in the personal committee. It's in the incorrect committee. Okay. Yeah.

Yeah, it's in person.

Okay.

So I think it's a task that needs to happen, especially when you think about a five-year outlook. And then by that time you hit that five-year mark and you adjust even further, it's even more of a need. So let's get started now.

Wonderful. I heard someone else. Is that you, Member Blanco? No. Thank you so much. Great items. Great items. And I just have to chime in for a minute. As a former principal, I had six early childhood programs in my school. And since my daughter went to Montessori when we were traveling as a military family, I always wanted a Montessori piece in my school, and I was able to get two. So anything early childhood, we need it and we do it well. So are there any questions or comments left from board members? Okay, none. Those who like to co-sponsor?

Okay.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Okay, this now passes, co-sponsored. That's it for H5. Thank you again. We'll make sure that it's voted upon as need be in our next stop, which will be our board meeting. Okay, the next item on the agenda is new business from board members. Madam Chair, you're okay.

I only have one thing I'd like to say.

Sure, go right ahead.

Yes, I just want to take a moment to commend and congratulate everyone on the graduations. Mr. Superintendent, Dr. Lewis, again, Mr. Bueno, Mr. Diaz, everybody involved in the process and of course all of our amazing principals at the schools and their staffs every graduation that i went to was phenomenal the parents were related the students were so well behaved so disciplined so happy it was just a momentous milestone for them and their families And I know that it took a lot of work, a lot of time and energy to ensure that everybody was there on time and that everything went as it was planned, and it sure did. The only recommendation I have is if we could review later at some point some of the locations where some graduations were heard just so that we were implemented this year, because some locations I think were more beneficial than maybe some others, but we'll talk about that at another point. But I did want to bring that to everyone's attention. And the other thing is if a sound system doesn't work, do we get reimbursed through the chair?

That was mine.

I would have used my cheerleading voice, but man. Miami High, my first one.

Yes. Madam Chair, may I?

Sure.

Yes, that will be a prorated credit, Ms. Rojas. It was like 20 minutes late.

Well, since she brought that up, I'd like to ask if anyone can answer the flowers, the floral arrangements. Did you do anything, Mr. Superintendent?

Madam, through you, no, but I feel like you do. I don't know, this year I noticed them particularly beautiful.

Okay. I don't know what they do with them, Dr. Mike, at the end of the day, but there are places that can use them, you know, our long-term care facilities and places. So if we could pass that on, it may be someone. We might have to get a truck or something, Mr. Bueno, and pass them on. You're too pretty not to. All right. That was new business. No additional new business. Staff presentations.

Through the chair, we transmitted ETO updates on June 8th. Any questions we're prepared to answer? And Madam Chair, if I may, I would like to provide the answer for E201 for Summer Bridge, if I might, at this time. Sure. So this is the second year that we received funding from the state for the VPK Summer Bridge. Last year, the target group of students was those who scored below the 10th percentile on PM3 in VPK. We had approximately 150 students who attended across the district. This year, the state expanded that so that students scoring within the lowest 25th percentile or any who didn't take the test or were unable to complete the test are also eligible. And to date, we have about 200 students registered. So we already have more than last year attending, which is great news. And we look forward to a few additional registrations before next week.

Thank you very much.

Okay. Let me say something about but go back a little bit to the graduations. They ran so well. I am pleased, Madam Chair, with my locations, because I don't live far from Dade North. When they go back to back, you know, and I have 12 graduations. Thank you. All right. So we're done. Yes, I think we're done. There's no additional business, nothing else to be discussed. You missed my meeting. I make a motion.

Does she have the new record? Yes.

She does have the record. She has the record. I see May can't miss my meetings. She has to help me out. I make a motion to adjourn today's committee meeting.

Second.

Are those in favor? Meeting is adjourned. Thank you very much. Okay, you can clap now.