Remarks by Mary Blanco
213 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 9 of 9
- Play at 2:05:50
“All right, if I can get a motion for co-sponsorships. Can I get a second? All in favor? Aye. Thank you. Motion to move the item as amended to the board meeting. All in favor? Aye. Thank you. All right, next item on the agenda is new business from board members. Any board member have some new business they'd like to bring up?”
Academics, Innovation, Evaluation, and Technology Committee · Apr 15, 2026
- Play at 2:06:53
“I know, I'm recognizing you because I'm the chair of this committee.”
Academics, Innovation, Evaluation, and Technology Committee · Apr 15, 2026
- Play at 2:07:14
“Thank you. Thank you. And yes, and we know she's always on top of things and whenever she needs me to cover, she's always prepared and her team's always willing to help. So I have always appreciated that. I do just have one quick question for staff. When I first came on and proffered an item about the college boot camps, and just to get an update, is that something we're going to be able to offer again this year?”
Academics, Innovation, Evaluation, and Technology Committee · Apr 15, 2026
- Play at 2:07:44
“Okay, perfect. Thank you. And I assume everything's in motion as usual. Perfect. Thank you. All right. Staff follow-up. We have the H6 item, Accelerating Student Achievement Through Above-Grade-Level Learning Opportunities in Reading and Math. I believe the staff follow-up was presented. If you have some questions.”
Academics, Innovation, Evaluation, and Technology Committee · Apr 15, 2026
- Play at 2:25:53
“Yeah, and I think I was just going to interject really quick. I know one of the things that I mentioned when you brought the item up is we have students in gifted and we have students that get assistance, but that middle group, that's identified those that we can move on, that even if they're not identified gifted but are really high, and I know sometimes we put high achievers with gifted, right, but How do we move that, like you said, move that needle to those students that have the potential to be high achieving with just a little bit of a greater push, like you said, putting that…”
Academics, Innovation, Evaluation, and Technology Committee · Apr 15, 2026
- Play at 2:40:48
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Academics, Innovation, Evaluation, and Technology Committee · Apr 15, 2026
- Play at 2:45:17
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Academics, Innovation, Evaluation, and Technology Committee · Apr 15, 2026
- Play at 2:46:47
“All right, thank you. Any other comments, business? All right, seeing no other business before us, I say this meeting is adjourned.”
Academics, Innovation, Evaluation, and Technology Committee · Apr 15, 2026
- Play at 26:54
“Thank you remember Alonzo and apologize I walked in in the middle of your comments, so I don't know if i'm going to be a little off, but. I think it's a great idea what you're saying and making sure that we communicate to Tallahassee where the needs are. One of the things that that i've been. advocating for, and I know we've been piloting is. the alert system, right? And it's like you said, we can put up as many fences as we want and we can do a lot of things, but sadly, if somebody truly wants to get on the campus, what can we do to improve the response time as well, right? And so I think…”
Fiscal Accountability and Government Relations Committee · Apr 15, 2026
- Play at 33:28
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Fiscal Accountability and Government Relations Committee · Apr 15, 2026
- Play at 34:48
“The way I think about it is we should definitely reinvest it, right? We're saving it because we're being cost efficient, and let's try to improve our efficiency so that we can continue to save more money. And I wouldn't want it to be that every year we find a reason, but in an extreme situation, like I think the one we find ourselves in this year, I think I'm open to whatever wording is consensus for the board, whether it comes back to us or something, but just allow some flexibility if that indeed could help us again in an unusual circumstance, such as the one we find ourselves in this year.”
Fiscal Accountability and Government Relations Committee · Apr 15, 2026
- Play at 36:05
“And I know as part of this initial reading, it came from a board item that's from another board member, and I know she feels very strongly about this, and I wish she was here so we could talk about it, because I do see the value in what we're doing, right, with the G item. Again, it's that word must, right, to allow that flexibility. I'm open... like I said, however the board would like to see fit, but just that word must if there's a way to fix it to allow us some flexibility.”
Fiscal Accountability and Government Relations Committee · Apr 15, 2026
- Play at 56:31
“Thank you. I just have a question or something if I could point out through the chair. The slide that talks about how we're competing with other entities, and it's comparing what we pay our bus drivers with the Miami-Dade County Transit, public schools, that slide. I'm just thinking one of the things that isn't captured there, I believe, and so I'd Correct me, please, if I'm wrong. In comparing to the Miami-Dade County Transit, some of the things I've been hearing about the bus drivers is the number of hours that they are able to work with us is much more limited than what they can work with…”
Fiscal Accountability and Government Relations Committee · Apr 15, 2026