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

I would like to call to order the Academics Innovation Evaluation and Technology Committee meeting of July 16, 2025.

That's the, no, I'm sorry, that's the minutes. But the meeting's been called to order. Can I have a motion to approve the minutes?

Move it.

All in favor?

Aye.

All right, okay. C1 through C3, Ms. Diaz.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. C1 is request that the School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida approve the 2526 Comprehensive Evidence-Based Reading Plan. Yes, Madam Chair.

Yes, thank you very much, Mr.

Chair. I'm thrilled to see this. Thank you so much, Ms. Diaz, for this comprehensive and, again, evidence-based reading plan that we have in front of this board. This is something that is absolutely essential to have, and now it's being also required by the DOE. They're mandating this plan, and they also require that the board approve it, so thank you for bringing it forth to us. I just have a few minor points that I wanted to touch base on. The fact that the legislative branch has now included in statute something that I firmly believe in and I've been talking about for many, many years, and that's that the districts must prioritize assigning highly effective teachers to kindergarten through grade two. I was so happy when I saw this because I believe... that if you don't have that foundation firmly when the children are small, they're going to have some challenges by the time they get to third grade. So I certainly support it and will continue to advocate for that to occur everywhere. So I was thrilled to see that one in place. On page two of the plan, Can you address the information which is provided regarding the budget? For example, how many literacy coaches will this amount pay for?

Sure. Through the chair, we have it split into two halves, but basically this amount covers 31 literacy coaches for elementary and 31 literacy coaches for secondary.

Elementary and secondary. 31 and 31?

Yes, ma'am, through the chair.

Okay, what's the difference between the elementary expenses and the secondary expenses?

So in the... They're broken down. The number of students is different depending on, for example, for the scientifically researched evidence-based supplemental instructional materials, it differs a little bit because, of course, in the elementary we have more grades, and in the secondary we have fewer grades. For this, it's particularly the iReady and the iReady Toolbox and also Progress Learning. So it's just kind of like the breakdown of the number of students that are impacted by these supplemental programs.

Okay.

Thank you, through the chair. The incentives for instructional personnel to obtain the reading endorsement, what are those?

Through the chair, those are the reading coach supplements.

Okay, so the reading coach supplements. All right. Through the chair. On page three, where the goals are stated, based on FAST, aren't our goals too low there? because it only looks like two percentage points to me when I read it. Shouldn't we have it a little bit higher than two percentage points through the chair?

So through the chair, we have it two points, basically two points up in the levels three through five and two points less in the level one. This is a goal that we have reviewed with the state literacy directors and, you know, moving... by a large number of percentage points, 20, 25,000 students per grade level is challenging. So we're looking at maintaining an incremental growth across all grade levels. Now it could be more in one or the other, but this is what, in working together with the state, because we do our literacy, state literacy directors that we work with help us in writing this plan. So we've already kind of gotten input from them to ensure that what we bring forward to you for approval is going to be adequate and approved by you and then by the state, by the board. So this is the number that we landed on. Of course, we can shoot for hire, but for the instances of the plan, that's how we broke it down, reducing across all curriculum groups. This is ESC, this is ESOL, this is everybody. And so that's why the numbers there are reflected, excuse me, are raw.

So through the chair, when you say we, does that include maybe teacher representatives and maybe principal representatives to look at the percentages together with you? Through the chair?

Through the chair. This is the staff and academics, which we do work collaboratively with principals and so on, and then we work with the state to kind of settle on these. But they are just... goals that we set, it doesn't mean that this is the maximum that we're going to shoot for. It means that if all of these come true and we get this gain across the board, then we'll get a gain likewise at the end of the year.

Okay, thank you. So through the chair, I mean, I personally like to get the input from those that are out there in the trenches every day to also hear their input. And in my personal opinion, I feel that we need to shoot a little bit higher than 2%, but that's my opinion. And I just brought it for discussion with you to find out why exactly were we just shooting for you. 2% at this point in time, but you made your response, so I'll go on for now. The next one is page eight and page nine through the chair, sir, under assessment curriculum and reading instruction. The explanation you listed in those, that's excellent, I loved it. I love what you put on there. And page 13 and 14, There you address something that I have brought up so many times, and I am so grateful that our district is now doing something about it, and that's our students with dyslexia. When I first brought it up, we hardly had any offerings for them, and this is something that, by the way, we've heard from parents as well lately. So for the students that have dyslexia, I think this is going to be a win-win. And I hope that we're able to advertise to our families that we do have these programs available because some of them are taking their children and putting them elsewhere because they think we don't offer what they need if they're dyslexic. So I'm happy to see that. And I just want to conclude saying you all did an excellent job on presenting this. My biggest concern was that I felt we needed to shoot higher than 2%. So maybe that's something that you all could maybe talk about a little bit more and revisit if everybody thinks it's something that can be looked at prior to the final decision being made. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Yes. Madam Vice Chair and then Board Member Santos.

Thank you, Dr. Gallin, through the Chair. I'm glad, and I want to take a little bit of time on this item just because it's so important. Proficiency levels are very important to me, I know for my colleagues as well. And I was very pleased to see, I know that we increased In third grade, it was four percentage points. So I have to say that I think that we are really moving in the right direction. A concern that I have, I know that they're going to be raising the standard of how to get an A. So can you talk to the board a little bit about that? Through the chair. Through the chair. So you're referring to the escalator clause? Yes, the escalator clause, correct.

So we're still kind of waiting to see what information we get from the state in terms of that. But that really has to do with school grade calculation. And so if a set number of schools achieve the letter grade of A, then the percentage of points needed to achieve an A would go up to the next zero or the next five. So if it's at 64% now, it would go up to 65. If it's at 65, it would go up to 70, and so on. So it speaks more to the school accountability scale and the school grading formula than to the individual student. But I wanted to take the opportunity, because you said it a moment ago, through the chair, is to thank the board for the guidance that we've been receiving from all of you in the last couple of years about the importance of early literacy. And so when you said third grade, as much as we are grateful and so impressed by the work of our third grade teachers, we're starting to see now that because it was four points this year, it was three points last year. So seven points in two years, an increase in third grade raw. So that's all curriculum groups. We're 26% ELL, and all of our ESC students, they all count in there. So I think that that speaks to the work of our kindergarten teachers, first grade teachers, secondary teachers, and of course the third grade teachers that probably bear the greatest burden, but we're seeing that movement, and I think we're going to continue to see that growth in third grade and beyond, because it continues to carry forward. that there have been so many items and so many recommendations that have come from the board in the last couple of years and I think we're seeing that in the results.

Through the chair, follow up. And I just wanted to, I know that in 2023, I proffered an item and it was unanimously supported and co-sponsored by my colleagues on the phonics, implementing a systemic phonics program in K1 and 2. And are we going to have the funds to be able to continue to use those? Because I've gotten, at least in my district, a lot of very positive feedback from principals and teachers using those materials through the chair.

Through the chair. So our core materials and our intervention materials, Wonders and Horizons, they do have all of the foundational reading skills embedded, absolutely. So our students were not We're not lacking. However, the addition of the sadlier materials does appear to have assisted in the bump. So while the funds for that purchase are not reflected in this particular plan, we do have some funds earmarked somewhere else. through a different funding source that we received from the state that should be sufficient for us to make the purchase and continue supporting those materials for our schools.

Thank you. And through the chair, one last comment. I just want to commend the team in academics and ETO for working so diligently and, of course, all of our teachers. I really am a firm believer that early literacy... K, one, two. You build it there, the rest falls into place. They can tackle anything that comes across. So I'm so happy to see that in the last two years, we've gone up and we're seeing the fruits of our labors, especially that of art, early literacy really paying off because seven percentage points in two years is quite remarkable. And that starts down in kindergarten, first, second, with the third grade, you know, showing in third grade. I'm very pleased with that and I hope we continue to use that and utilize it because once the students have that phonemic awareness, the comprehension can follow. But if you don't have the phonemic awareness, it doesn't matter. You cannot comprehend what you're reading. So thank you. I want to commend you, the team, and all of the teachers in Miami-Dade County Public Schools for the outstanding job that they do and making this district really, truly a great choice for our parents and our students. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Board Member Santos?

Thank you to my colleagues. Also, this is very important, and I'm glad we're spending a lot of time on it, especially with our former teachers giving their input here. When I looked at this, there were some sections that the state template moved around or changed or took out. And so this is our total allocation But can you, Ms. Diaz, guide us through which part of these funds go to charter, which portion goes to public, and if any portion of this goes to the FES students?

Through the Chair, so the template did change a little bit from last year. Last year's template had the full award amount minus and it reflected the amount to charter and so on. This year's template, this we populated, this comes from the state, where it says at the bottom, the 11,963,000, that is our, that is MDCPS, traditional schools, that is our amount. The estimated allocation was more like $20 million, with 4.4 being the share to charters, and approximately 3.7 being the share to FES.

Thank you, and through the chair, how does that FES share compare to last year?

It's the FES, through the chair, my apologies, Dr. Gallin. The FES share is about a million dollars more than it was last year. Last year it was about 2.68, and this year it's 3.68. And these are estimates, but that's the amount.

Thank you. And through the chair, I know we were having a discussion, and I'm not sure if you've had a chance to follow up on whether the FES dollars flow through us in any way, or they're just never coming into our accounts?

So through the chair, they do, and I don't know if Mr. Steiger's here to provide the technical fiscal, but they do come through us, and then they're back to FES.

So we are allotted certain dollars, but then if it's allotted for an FES student, it goes back to a different account, not through us, for those student services.

Through the chair, again, we can get some clarity from, my apologies, Mr. Steiger on the actual movement of the money, but we are passed through.

Is he here?

Mr. Chair? Thank you.

Yeah, we don't, Mr. Chair, Ms. Sandoz, we don't pay the private schools directly. What happens is the funds are part of, moved in the future version of the FEFP calculation, the funds will be removed from that item and moved into the state funded whatever, it's state-funded discretionary contribution, which goes directly to private schools. So we'll just see our portion. Everything to do with FES is, it almost changed this legislative session, but it did not. So everything to do with FES is funded through us in the budget because there's no other mechanism for the state to budget for it. So everything has to be budgeted in the school district. But then once the money flows to Step Up, who then ends up giving the funds to the private schools, our portion of each allocation is subtracted, whether it's this or any others.

Thank you. Through the chair, I hope that's something we will continue to work with our state partners on cleaning up. It sounds like there's a lot of movement through different entities. And I believe you shared last year with us that we got pretty close on having it not come through us so it could accurately reflect which dollars we are actually able to use.

Yeah, our preference would be for the step-up to actually be its own school district, the way they treat Florida Virtual School. That would be the cleanest model. What they almost agreed on last year but fell apart at the last minute, but a lot of things did because of just the way session ended, was for it to move into a categorical model. So at a minimum, if it was if FES was a categorical, you could see one line and then the state can just budget whatever they deem appropriate. But as it is, it's just going to continue to flow through us, which does make it confusing.

Thank you, and certainly I'm sure we will all continue to have those conversations to make it easier to follow. And then through the chair on the chart where you break down the expenses, Ms. Diaz, you walked me through some of the reasons for the decrease in some of the lines. There was an increase in the evidence-based supplemental and instructional materials of $419,000. Were you able to get the details on that?

Yes, through the chair. So that was the inclusion this year of the progress learning. So there was a progress learning we purchased last year through kind of remaining CERP funds. So we had not written it into the template. And so the state asked us to go ahead and write it into the template right off the bat. So that's what that software is.

Okay, thank you so much. And then through the chair. Lastly, I really agree with you, Chair Rojas, that when we look at the goals that are stated in here, compared to even our very own strategic plan, when we look at the goals that we set out in our strategic plan, we have been making very steady increases, and I want to thank the team for that because we're all very grateful and proud of that work. And in some cases, you, and I know this looks beyond reading, obviously, in our strategic plan, we have all the other subject areas, but we last year increased by at least two percentage points in many of the categories, and in some cases went up by four, five, in some cases six points. And when we look at the goals that are set out by the board for 2026 when it comes to proficiency, 2% annually does not get us there. we are obviously in the last bit. So if the board has said a direction and we've agreed and worked with an admin on certain outcomes, and then the plans that we are putting on paper don't get us there over the timeline that we've agreed upon, it's not matching. And so I wanna echo the sentiment of Board Chair Rojas to say, If we need to edit our strategic plan, we have the chance to do that. But in our last annual approval, there was no conversation around saying, we don't believe we can hit this. Let's have a conversation about amending or changing or updating. And now we're getting plans that don't match what we agreed to work toward. So I would like to see a conversation around increasing those goals and understanding what implications that has. I'm sure there are some that I would like to know better. But we've got goals, and this doesn't get us to where we need to be to meet them.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. An observation and a question, and this is sort of dovetailing off of Vice Chair Colucci's comments. Absolutely, getting the kids as early as possible. I see with my own children, so there's more of an observation as a parent than as an educator. All my boys went through pre-K-3, pre-K-4, and in this last round with my little one who's about to go into kindergarten, my little one is completely literate at and they've been learning sight words since pre-K three. So my question is, he's going into kindergarten with a tremendous advantage over kids that have not had instruction before kindergarten. It was Dave Lawrence of Ansel Lupus that said, the number of words you learn before kindergarten really dictates how you're gonna be exposed to instruction and your proficiency in reading. And so my question to you is, how will this document evolve? And again, this is 30,000 feet, but how will this document evolve as we expand our pre-K zero through four offerings. Because while this focuses on how we sort of pull down to VPK, really I'm looking to see how kids could even earlier than that start to be exposed to language and to words and to even beginnings of reading such that it propels them by the time they get to third grade.

Through the chair, that's a great question. So the document doesn't require us to provide information on zero to three, but as we've been working on the pre-K network and thinking of ways to expand, we've been doing exactly that, is thinking of how does pre-K and the requirements of the pre-K standards, how do they work their way down to the birth to three and looking for ways to mirror that the same types of structures, age-appropriate, of course, but especially with those three-year-olds, and we do have in quite a few of our VPK programs where there is space, if they don't fill with four-year-olds, we have started two, maybe three years ago, allowing schools to bring in three-year-olds so that they can already start, and they don't fund, we don't get anything for them, but we get future FTEs, so that is a good practice that... I think it was two years ago, this would be the third year, that we started doing the same thing. So at least the three-year-olds can mirror the four-year-olds, what they're doing in VPK. And same thing in our high school learning labs for the little kids. We've been doing the same thing with aligning everything under the same VPK standards that we use in the traditional school settings so that even the children that are attending the teaching academy learning labs is what I'm talking about. Like the little kids that go to Hialeah Gardens and the different schools that they're getting the same type of instruction and the same rotations and systems and measures, not a formal progress monitoring like we do in VPK, but similar to start preparing them the same way. So we're kind of like trickling it down the reverse of like upwards articulation.

Got it, thank you, that's all I have.

I'm going to add through the chair one last observation as an educator and as a parent. If we don't get our children away from tablets and have them engage in conversation, because if you can't speak and you don't have an extended vocabulary, you're not going to be able to read the words because you have no idea what they are. So that for me is very, very important as an educator to really, really have the younger the child engage in conversation, expose them to high vocabulary, and then the rest follows because if you can't say the words, you're not going to be able to read the words. So that's just an observation that I came through my years in education and as a parent as well. So very good points and very good questions, Mr. Espino. Thank you.

Yes, thank you, just one thing. I taught primary grades for many, many, many years, and we had the books that came with it. The phonetic books were available to all of our children. We did this on a daily basis. The pendulum goes back and forth, back and forth. We went from going from the phonetic process that we had in place to whole language. which is a totally different scenario. And that's where we started to have issues. And so it's imperative, also to your point, Vice Chair Colucci, that we find the resources available so that the kids can actually have the books for the phonetic skills to be strengthened. And I can assure you that having done this for many, many, many years in my lifetime, you're going to see very positive outcomes without a doubt. If those kids get those phonetic skills when they are in the primary grades, they're going to follow through accordingly with a comprehension. And by the time they get to that third grade assessment, they are going to do well. So hopefully that's something that you're all gonna look at. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Continue with C2 and C3. Any questions about the calendar or community agencies for children with disabilities? Okay, motion to approve the Cs. Move it. Second. All in favor? Aye. All right, H3, Board Member Espino.

Thank you, colleagues. Before I begin, I'd like to pass this around. I'll give one to Ms. Yopes. I made a last-minute adjustment to some language correcting an error. Recently, the NEA passed a recommendation, not a resolution, a recommendation to disassociate from the Anti-Defamation League citing concerns related to the ADL's position related to Israel and Palestine. Although it was not formally adopted and not finalized as a resolution, It was nevertheless a recommendation, so I wanted to correct the fact that it wasn't formally adopted, but nevertheless discuss that length. It was still a recommendation that NEA-affiliated educators no longer use and endorse ADL materials in the classroom. We have tremendous relationships with ADL down here, and ADL is a nationally recognized leader in developing workshops and resources to combat hate and especially anti-Semitism. through its No Place for Hate initiative, educational workshops, and comprehensive Holocaust education programs, which I know that this board has been strongly supportive of. The ADL has worked directly with educators and students to promote inclusivity, empathy, and historical understanding of some of the worst atrocities known to man. And so this item simply, in light of circumstances, ensures that the district upholds all state mandated requirements with regards to educating our children, aligning with curriculum on addressing antisemitism, hate, and genocide, including the continued use of ADL's education materials on antisemitism and Holocaust education. Simple item, but just a confirmation of what we've already been doing as a community and as a district.

Yes, Board Member Espino, thank you for bringing this item forth, extremely important. I fully support this item. But I wanted to just ask a question to staff. We used to have Dr. Miriam Klein-Kasanoff here in the school district, she was the key person related to this entire arena years ago here in the school district. I think she's now the director at the University of Miami for the Holocaust Teacher Institute. Do we work with her on initiatives? If you could just expand on that, because she did a superb job here. I just want to see if we are still getting important feedback from her and her team for implementation here at the school district through the chair, sir.

Yes, ma'am, through the chair. She still works part-time with us, with Mr. Brozovsky and the social studies team, so we're very blessed to have her and her input and her support and her guidance in a lot of the work that we do related to this topic.

Okay, great. Thank you so much, and at the proper time, I would like to co-sponsor the item.

Any questions? Co-sponsorship? Move it. Second. All in favor? Aye. Board Member Alonzo? Yes, we do.

Thank you so much, Chairman, and... Colleagues, we know that AI has been a big discussion on this board and I was able to personally be over at Synergy where AI was a very hot topic here in this district for all of our administrators. But in being in this present moment and seeing where we're at, there still is a lot of confusion when it comes to the use of artificial intelligence in the classroom, at home, in the day of life that we all live. So as Miami-Dade County continues to lead and expanding access to artificial intelligence tools for students and staff and recognizing the transformative force shaping the future and the current work happening around AI, I think it's important that as a district we begin to look beyond it and how it is that we're implementing and how it's being used in our schools. It's also important that we review that there are a lot of efforts going on even outside of our district and in our state and in the federal government, including this past April. There was an executive order by the president's office on advancing artificial intelligence in education for youth. There was also another action plan that came out just recently in July 2025, which is America's AI Action Plan. AI has the potential to enhance rather than replace traditional learning by empowering students to think critically, to analyze complex problems, and evaluate information from multiple perspectives. When used responsibly, AI can encourage deeper questioning, improve creativity, and strengthen our students' abilities to inform their own conclusions rather than simply receiving information. But while AI offers powerful opportunities for creativity, exploration, and academic support, it also introduces new challenges, particularly when students and families lack the clarity about what is permitted and what's not permitted. To ensure consistency in responsible practices, this item proposes that the superintendent develop a comprehensive district-wide guidance for teachers and students on the appropriate use of AI in classroom assignments, activities, and assessments. A central component of the initiative is in the developing of a tiered framework for AI use in academic tasks, ranging from no use to full integration. This framework will provide clear expectations for AI use across various types of assignments and assessments. Additionally, the superintendent will review and recommend any necessary changes or additions to applicable procedures and rules to define acceptable AI use in our schools, address potential misuse such as academic dishonesty, and align disciplinary language with realities of the emerging technology. To ensure transparency and collaboration with our families, which I think is critically important, the proposal also calls for the creation of parent-facing resources that explain how AI is being utilized in our schools and provide guidance for supporting responsible use at home. This board item directs the superintendent to develop a clear district-wide guidance for AI use, creative resources from families, and recommended updates to applicable procedures and rules if changes are deemed necessary. As you guys know, I'm one of the most active members probably in the AI world, and I love it. I think it's an incredible tool. But I think as this evolution continues to come into our schools, it's important that we provide this. I recently had a great example given to me by a student where the student had used AI for some parts of their assignment and turned it in and they received a zero. But then the next day when they walked into the classroom, a presentation that the teacher was presenting was developed with the use of AI. The students' point to me was, is it fair that my teacher can use it, but I can't? So I think it's important that not just for our teachers, but that for our students and for their families, that we set standards and guidance that will be very transparent and open to them on when it is appropriate and when it's not appropriate. Because let's face it, AI is not coming. AI is here. AI is inside all of our students' laptops, their cell phones. They're using it at home. There's no way of banning this or stopping this. There's only ways of adopting it and learning how to best use it and training our students to do it in the best way that this district can see fit. So this board item, I present to you guys as a way to get ahead, even though I feel we're still behind in the world, just as the world evolved so quickly, but to try to get ahead of this and really help our teachers as we start this new school year to better manage the expectations around our students and the use of AI. Thank you so much, that's my board item, and I'm now open for any questions or comments from my fellow board members.

Any questions? Madam Vice Chair, yes.

Thank you, Mr. Chair and Board Member Alonso. Thank you for this item. It looks very similar to an item that I passed in 20, that we all passed in 2024 that I proffered in. in 2024, so I'm glad to see that this is a continuation of this. It calls for a lot of the same things, and I know Mr. Harvey reviewed a lot of the policies and procedures already, and I look forward to seeing if there have been any more revisions that need to be done. because of AI and a follow-up with staff as well for, I know we had talked about the Technology Advisory Committee helping parents as well and reviewing and evaluating the technology, the AI that we're using in classrooms. I do want to... I'm very glad we're having this conversation because AI is something as an educator that really concerns me, especially the younger the child. I just recently, I believe it was last night, I read an article on schools that are run completely by AI, that are teachers, no teachers, and everything is directed through artificial intelligence. And we need that human connectivity. We need that engagement. We need that conversation to happen with our students. And that is critical. We can't shy away from AI because it is here. It is here, and it's not going anywhere. So we have to be at the forefront of it. We have to hold our students at a higher standard, though. We have to develop their critical and creative thinking skills. And with that, I'll say something that I had a meeting, I believe it was last week. And we were talking about... a philosophical debate, are we training a workforce, or are we educating the whole individual? And I brought up a point by Microsoft CEO, who says that now they're looking for people that hold degrees, and you're not gonna believe it, anybody wanna take a stab at it? No? No, not in teaching. In philosophy. in philosophy because they're finding that people are getting into the workforce and they lack the critical thinking and problem solving skills that are needed. So we're finding more and more of a need to develop that critical and creative thinking. The other words of caution I will use are that we need to really look at who is programming this artificial intelligence. who is programming it, and what messages are they trying to send to students. So we really have to, we have, our due diligence has to be met as a board, as a district, as educators, because we are at the cusp of something totally, totally new, revolutionary, and we cannot let artificial intelligence supplant natural intelligence, human intelligence. So that is, I'm glad we're having this conversation, board member Alonso. I'm glad we're gonna continue looking at AI. And I think it's critical that as a district, we look and see what AI, and if maybe somebody can answer this, I know we're using Gemini already. Is there anything else that we are using in the classroom, especially with the elementary students, that somebody can elaborate on for me, please.

Through the chair. With the younger students, there is no open AI that they have access to. We have piloted a few different things that are closed systems that it just responds to their their answers and it adapts as they answer, but it doesn't bring in information from extraneous sources. So the only thing like that is Gemini for teens, which I think is now called Gemini for students, and we only have that in nine through 12 at this time. And again, it's a more protected environment more safeguards than the regular Gemini, but as to Mr. Alonso's point earlier, with the older kids especially, they have access on their phones, so an item like this and others that have been brought to us are really important in us educating the students and their families on what is the appropriate use, so definitely what we allow through school and our school network and our school machines is very restricted, but as long as they have one of these in their hands, they have far more access. So it's important to, exactly what has been said on the dais today, is to teach them when it is right and when it is wrong and why and how it can be a useful tool not in place of, as you said, not supplanting but supporting.

Correct. Okay, thank you. And those are my comments for now. Thank you, Board Member Alonzo, and thank you, Dr. Gallin.

Madam Chair.

Thank you so much, Mr. Chair. And again, thank you, Board Member Alonso, for bringing the item. And also thank you to Vice Chair Colucci for the points you've made. And you just said something that I was flabbergasted with. I had not heard that there was a school that strictly had no teachers and everything was AI. I can tell you my personal opinion, that will fail. you must have a teacher to connect with those students. And I don't see how in the world, no matter how fabulous AEI may be, that AEI could ever take the place of an actual teacher in a classroom with those students. So I'm looking forward to reading about that because I had no idea that that even existed and that was shocking to me. So at the proper time, Board Member Alonso, then I would like to cosponsor, thank you.

Just a quick question, everybody's asked. I want to thank Board Member Alonzo for the item and Vice Chair for her initial efforts to bring this forward. I also want to commend the administration for their subsequent expansion of AI training throughout the district. I know we had an extensive exchange and discourse regarding the initial limited provisions across the county. I want to thank the administration for immediately correcting that. That has been well received. But as it relates to the first recommend, when I look at the recommendations, and this is not a recommendation for a modification, it's more of a question when we say develop district-wide guidance for teachers to apply in classroom tasks and assignments. Do we have a framework for guidance at this point? or will this be the initial steps that we take? I want to know, do we have that in place at this particular point? I know this has been an extended discussion. I know Board Member Alonzo has been actively engaged, but just for my own edification, if the item read review and expand or enhance, then that would say to me we have something in place. Subsequent to this item, we don't have anything in place at this particular time?

Through the chair, and I don't want to speak for the maker of the item, but we do not have anything in place. I believe what the intent is for something that would indicate the different ways that a teacher could implement AI into a lesson, for example, from no use to medium use to maximum use. And so we're just beginning to incorporate some of these things into our pacing guides. And we've been working through the trainings with the teachers on creating different possibilities for them to utilize AI in the classroom. But a formal framework, as is outlined here, we do not have at this time.

Interesting. And I understood the nuances of the item. That makes me want to thank Board Member Spino even more for taking the leadership in this particular issue. Alonzo. Alonzo.

but he can take the credit. But hey, we're all one family. We love each other, man. There's plenty of love here.

Listen, hey, they say that about black folks. We all look the same. You saw me looking at you. Hey, listen, I took a seven-day excursion. I'm trying to get over it. So in the spirit of anticipatory leadership, I reasonably would think that we may have already had something in place. And kudos to the board for their leadership for making this a charge. But you're saying right now, as a classroom teacher, we don't have any framework? I'm not suggesting a comprehensive pedagogical document. But do we have, if I'm a new teacher starting next week, Do we have anything that someone can place into my hands and say this is, I'm not talking about what Mr. Harvey does from a policy standpoint. I'm talking about the practice standpoint, what is implemented. So we don't have anything tangible at this particular point to provide any guidance on the utilization of AI?

Through the chair, we have been working on that with our curriculum teams and through our trainings, but a formal, tangible, these are the steps. We do not have that yet. This is kind of like new territory nationwide, and I think even though We are beginning to introduce the tools. They are still nascent in terms of pedagogy in our district. But again, through the trainings that took place in Synergy and throughout the summer, we are working to develop that. But to answer your question directly, no.

When did we start the initial training that was the fulcrum of the discussion that we had about expanding? When did we go into this discussion? That was last year, correct?

through the chair, sorry, the first cohort of the AI Institute that was last fall.

Was it last fall? Yes, last fall.

So almost a year? Yes, sir. That was the beginnings of the introducing to Canva, and I don't even think we had Gemini yet district-wide. And then in January was when we had the second.

Yeah, I'm not talking product-specific. I'm talking about just guidance as it relates to how does one navigate that particular issue. Board Member Alonzo, you wanted to say something?

I think you're asking great questions. And look, I sit on the Florida AI Task Force. I'm also on the FSBA team. as was the greater consortium. Everybody's at a race right now, trying to just keep up and catch up. I'm extremely proud of this district, led by Lourdes Diaz and Danny Mateo and the work that they're doing. I mean, we are light years ahead of other districts. We have 67 districts as part of the Florida AI Task Force, which is all logistics. Nobody is even close to where we're at or even this point. This really came up as I was sitting in Synergy and kind of seeing all these teachers, and then a student coming up to him, and being fully transparent, it was my son, the student. And it was important to me that as we continue to adopt this, that we had that. And board member Colucci's board item was great at the beginning where we were looking at the implications from a legal perspective. But then I started thinking about the forward-facing consequences. Because, you see, I'm a big tech guy. But board member Espino is an attorney. He looks at things from a legal perspective. I look at things from a technology perspective. There might be some legal implications that he says in my class, you're not legally allowed to use it. So he gives zeros. But then in my class where I'm tech pro, I'm telling students use it. So the confusion starts to begin to happen. And I think that's really where I wanted to gear this item. And I've been talking to staff about this. and sharing with them, and obviously before they go to do anything, this was coming to the board to review, but the thought frame around it was, let's create a standard across all of our districts that teachers can implement in their classroom. Of course, at the end of the day, the teacher can say, I don't want AI, I want to continue functioning, and I work at a level zero of no AI. Or you can have your more progressive teachers that want to be the higher use. But we would be probably the first and definitely the first in the state, if not one of the first in the nation, to be able to have clear, defined guidelines for the use of it in our classrooms that I think we desperately need, especially as we continue to evolve in it and knowing that our students already have access to it.

No, no, I totally agree. And again, I salute the item. I salute staff's effort. I was just kind of... Inquiring because normally what I would anticipate and it's just a thoughtful for staff I often say if it were me When we look at policy I always make sure that immediately or at least soon after policy is adopted That we try to marry some form or some framework for practice. That's really what where I'm going So if I looked at or asked mr. Harvey When did we adopt and or revise the policy? What was the first step? Not that we're going to have a full fledged manual, but a document, some guidance. If I'm a principal, do I have some language that goes into my opening of schools bulletin with this? Is there some standard statement that we have to kind of provide some? some insight as it relates to implementation. You know, policy drives practice. So once the policy is established and adopted, I would anticipate, anticipatory leadership, that staff would immediately start saying, okay, let's look at, we're not going to figure it out, as you say, Board Member Butler. Alonzo, not Espino, but remember Alonzo, it's evolving. So we know that things will change, but to at least have a foundational framework as it relates to utilization, implementation, accountability, so that someone, you know, at least has some guidance. Because what will happen potentially, a parent comes in, raises an issue, or a teacher says, is called out on an issue, where is the language, at least a framework, for some kind of guidance that aligns and is married to policy? So I said that in a roundabout way. Once we have a policy adoption, how do we marry that in some shape, form, or fashion? Doesn't have to be robust. Doesn't have to be overly comprehensive. It could be evolving and developing. but at least we have some guidance that we can initially give. So this item gets at that. I think it's great. It speaks to, again, district guidance for the use in student learning and a framework that can be applied to classroom tasks. When I look at a framework for application, that's where the rubber meets the road. So again, appreciate the item. And co-sponsors? All in favor? Aye. Item is amended. Move it.

second all in favor all right can i have a motion on the um h3 move it all in favor all right okay board member koluchi h5 thank you mr chair and this item is very straightforward um next month it will uh mark 24 years of the september 11 attacks which were a horrible tragedy that occurred on american soil And this item is to commemorate throughout the school district these attacks. And I know when I was teaching in the classroom, the district did put a lot of the social studies department had a lot of very good resources at all age appropriate levels. for the teachers to go over this with students. So this would be just to commemorate those. And as time passes, we're getting older. I'm definitely getting older. I still remember the day of those attacks where I was, I was teaching in my classroom and they started calling one student after the other that was going home. And I said, what's going on? And then, you know, I, my kids went out to PE and I turned on the TV and we saw what happened. And it's just a testament to the resiliency of the American spirit, the heroes that were that were there that day that rushed into that building those buildings to save lives and the American spirit of unity and helping one another out so that's the item it's very straightforward if anyone has any questions I'd be happy to answer thank you

Motion to call? Move it. Second. All in favor?

Aye.

Item as amended. Motion?

Move it.

All in favor?

Aye.

Thank you. Board Member Rojas?

Thank you very much, sir. And my item is H6, school board endorsement and celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month in Miami-Dade County Public Schools from September 15th, 2025 through October 15th, 2025. This is an item that I bring forth every year. It's a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. And we are so honored here in our very own district that we have a student population of 76% as reported in the MDCPS 2024-25 statistical highlights. We have students that come from Cuba, from Venezuela, Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Argentina, Guatemala, Honduras, Puerto Rico, and many, many, many other countries that enrich our community and it is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate this month every year so mr chair that is the item and i'm looking forward also to seeing the wonderful programs that are different schools prepare on this very special period of time the celebrations are unique and and absolutely instrumental for those children to learn more about what it means to celebrate this month. Thank you very much, sir.

Great item. Co-sponsors?

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Item as amended?

Second. All in favor?

Aye. Thank you. Anybody presenting? Board Member Blanco? Thank you, Vice Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I'm presenting this item on behalf of Board Member Blanco, who due to unforeseen circumstances could not be with us here today. The item is that the School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida recognize and observe September 2025 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month at all Miami-Dade County public schools. And given the fact that we probably all of us in this very room know someone, a friend, a family member, an acquaintance that has been affected by cancer. We know how tragic it is. They've lost their lives to it. Some have recovered or are in remission. We know how devastating it can be when a child is affected by cancer and the parents and the family how difficult it can be so this item seeks to recognize september 2025 as childhood cancer awareness month in all miami-dade county public schools and to authorize the superintendent of schools in collaboration with the office of community engagement to engage with local organizations or entities with a mission to or to spread awareness of childhood cancers such as, but not limited to, Live Like Bella, Nicholas Children's Hospital, the Children's Cancer Fund, Sophia's Hope, and Sebastian Strong Foundation to raise awareness of childhood cancer and support and honor these children and their families. And this is the item.

Move it.

Second.

Aye.

Through the chair, yes, it was transmitted on August 4th.

Any questions? No.

Motion to adjourn.

Move it.

All in favor?

Aye.

All right, we're going to do 10 minutes for a restful break.