Updates are in the Academic Excellence updates.

Mr. Greg Thompson:
Budget Notes:

• Increase in BEP for Teacher Raises: TN passed a law to increase the BEP for FY2021 (2% increase to the teacher salary portion of the formula) to enable teachers to receive a 2% increase in salaries. The practical effect of this was an increase in the BEP amount from $9,571 per student to $9,687 per student. That resulted in a $135K revenue increase for FCS for this fiscal year. FCS has provided a 2% increase to all of its employees retroactive to the beginning of the year (about a $150K expense impact on the budget).
• BEP True Up for declined enrollment: As a result of FCS’s work to locate students who were chronically absent, some students were dropped from the attendance list. BEP payments have held steady through April (but we will continue to monitor future BEP payments to see if there will be any true ups with an adjusted ADM).

School    Previous Enrollment     Enrollment as of 6/2021 BEP Payment      Change

• MLK             586                                  583                                                            -3 
• Westside      332                                  336                                                           +4
• Humes          250                                 247                                                            -3
• TOTAL          1168                               1166                                                           -2

Public Grants:

• For FY2020-2021, Frayser Community Schools has approximately $760K in non-recurring, COVID-related grants and $1.9M in public grants that are awarded each year to ASD authorized charter schools.

ESSER 2.0

• Frayser Community Schools is expecting to receive $2.9M in grant funding as part of ESSER 2.0. FCS will expend funds in FY2021-2022 and FY2022-2023.

Mr. Brett Lawson:

• All three schools have summer school up and running. The principals knew in advance what students were not passing and notified parents and students in advance. Westside has a significant number of students already. They have about 65 students. Humes has around 27 students, and the numbers are increasing. The high school is the big push; MLK has approximately 200 students in summer school. We use Edgenuity, an online platform to monitor the student's progress at MLK. Edgenuity lets us know what classes the students need to take in summer school. All summer school classes are in person, with contact tracing throughout the school day. We are running the same plan we had before, and the teachers are actually in the building with the students. In the middle schools, it is very different. Their summer school program is part of the state funding as a learning camp. As a part of their program, the students have to be enrolled in the stars program. They do a pre and post-test for middle schools. First, they did not want the students who took the class to be promoted. They have changed the rules.  And so they will make those determinations on passing, or retained at the end of the summer school term.  It's a bigger deal than it's ever been in terms of how high the stakes are on students being involved in summer school. 
• We're still looking at the failing numbers to tell you where we are, but there were many failures. Just as an example, over at the high school, I'll let you know that we had over 400 students who failed at least one course. So, you know, it's been incredibly hard. I mean, we've said it repeatedly. We said it all year long; the emotional side of engaging daily via online platforms has been incredibly hard for our kids. That's why it's so important to get vaccinated and everybody back together in front of each other. I hope that nobody will take being in front of each other for granted ever again. With hopes, they'll come back with a renewed enthusiasm to engage in school and all of its beautiful activities to go along with it, including sitting in class and learning from a teacher.
• So that's where we are right now; with getting the summer school up and rolling. We're also enrolling students steadily. We've got about 24% of students who are returning already enroll. That process will be going on throughout the summer. We want to get everybody enrolled, well in advance of the first day of school, to have laptops already pre-assigned to everybody. We're going to issue laptops to everyone again. We'll be a one-to-one school, and there are many tools that we're using with the new curriculums that we're getting online, and the teachers put a lot of time into learning how to use tools online for this year.
• We're not advocating virtual learning, we're not trying to go back to staying home or anything, but we are going to make sure they have laptops. If the student has to miss for whatever reason that they're just sick, or any other reason they would be out of school, we want to have that safety net there for them to keep up with their schoolwork without having to come into school to ask for it. We want it to be online and ready for them in the Canvas system so students can keep learning. 

Dr. Bobby White:

• I want to start by saying I want you all to recognize why I got into the work. I wanted to be a teacher that empowered poor black kids, like me, to be great. The previous four years, with the regression in our country, race relations, the televised murder of so many black folks, I just became reconnected to why he decided to go to college in the first place.
• In our innovative team meetings, Ms. Williams and Mr. Lawson created this document. While Frayser Community Schools has always condemned racism--after the unfortunate incidents that shifted the way many companies decided to do business--we knew that we couldn't go back to business as usual. As an organization that serves a majority black student demographic, we felt morally obligated to examine our practices as an organization while also shedding light on the systemic racism and inequity that is pervasive in the educational system as a whole.
• The FCS network team began holding collaborative meetings to focus specifically on our anti-racist agenda—to ensure we can be a part of the solution in addressing racist practices in education. The FCS Anti-Racism Initiative is our effort to address and disrupt an unjust educational system and racist practices in hopes of creating equitable opportunities and outcomes for black students and students of color.
• I started to look at our data, and our suspension data mirrored Trezvent, Manasas, and the old Frayser High School. We want a much better school. We don't want to reflect the system; I wanted to get away from when I started this organization. The FCS team network began to hold meetings to focus specifically on our anti-racist agenda to ensure we can be a part of the solution in addressing racist practices in education. It is an effort to address and disrupt an unjust educational system, racist practices to create equitable opportunities and outcomes for black students and students of color.

THE THREE PILLARS OF THE FCS ANTI-RACISM INITIATIVE

• Disciplinary Practices
• Family Engagement
• Trauma-Informed Schools

INITIATIVE HIGHLIGHTS

• Create a trauma-informed network-wide plan that includes social emotional learning and restorative practices. This plan includes a no-suspension policy within FCS schools, and the implementation of strategic restorative justice practices;
• Ongoing trainings for faculty and staff surrounding anti-racism practices and unconscious biases;
• Recruitment and retention of faculty and staff members who are fair and aligned with FCS’ core value of creating an anti-racist, inclusive environment. Expand recruitment efforts with historically black colleges and universities;
• Ensure that students, faculty, and staff have access to culturally aware-wellness resources;
• Establish the MLK Social Justice Initiative--a committee of students committed to promoting diversity, equity, and social justice;
• Establish the FCS Parent Advisory Council, allowing parents to advocate for their child’s education while promoting equity;
• Establish a common language amongst FCS faculty, staff, students, and community. This allows messaging to be clear and consistent across FCS.
• Prioritize the commitment to a network-wide comprehensive anti-racist curriculum.

I. GOALS
Administrative/Leadership
Goal: Add commitment to anti-racist practices as one of FCS’ core values; ensure the anti-racism policy is added to the employee and student handbook.
Timeline: This plan is due June 18, 2021.
These tasks are led by Dr. Bobby White, Brett Lawson, and Kevin Potts

Goal: Create and implement a trauma-informed network-wide plan that includes social emotional learning and restorative practices.
Anti-Racism Rationale: Our use of trauma informed schooling strategies is specifically focused on relieving personal trauma caused by systemic racism. Our use of restorative practices is specifically focused on ending the school-to-prison pipeline.
Plan Highlights: No suspension policy; implementation of restorative justice leads at each school; utilization of third-party parties for mental health counseling and ACEs services.
Timeline: Plan completed by June 18, 2021.Please note that the plan will include detailed dates and tasks.
This plan is led by Shameka Gipson, Director of Special Populations

Goal: Review curriculum and instruction to ensure that it reflects the students we teach and that the messages, lessons, and themes within the curriculum serve as a counterbalance to the systemic racism within our society. Curriculum and instructional materials for all grades shall reflect cultural and racial diversity and include a range of perspectives and experiences, particularly those of historically underrepresented groups of color.
All curriculum materials shall be examined for racial bias by the FCS academic team.
Plan Highlights: Includes a student orientation highlighting black and brown excellence;
This plan is led by Tonya Hervey, Director of Principal Leadership

Goal: Training Plan/Schedule to support and engage all faculty and staff in anti-racism work. Training and support will be critical in ensuring that the anti-racism initiative is carried out. For the initiative to work, all faculty and staff much see it as part of their responsibility. There will be a calendar of ongoing trainings for faculty and staff, including the launch of the FCS Anti-Racism University which will be a series of courses and training for new faculty and staff members.
Plan Highlights: A calendar of training and professional development workshops for faculty and staff; FCS Anti-Racism University to introduce new faculty and staff members to the initiative.
Timeline: This plan is due June 18, 2021.
This plan is led by Tonya Hervey, Director of Principal Leadership and Brett Lawson, Executive Director

Communication
Goal: Make antiracism central to FCS’ communication The anti-racist initiative will become a key theme in FCS communications. The Communications Director will develop and antiracist strategic communications plan. This plan will outline the schools antiracism goals to build a shared understanding of the work and build support for it—while keeping faculty, staff, parents, and community members engaged and informed.
Plan Highlights: Public Service Announcements to unveil plan and ongoing; Media coverage to inform the public of the initiative, town halls to engage the FCS community around the initiative.
Timeline: Plan to be completed by June 1, 2021
This plan will be led by Erica Williams, Chief of Staff

Parent and Community Partnerships
Goal: Develop a parent engagement plan that allows parents to become key partners in the
work of promoting equity.
FCS will develop a plan to create opportunities to collect feedback and ideas from parents and
students. This includes the creation of a Parent Advisory Council, committed to advocating for
students and families.
Timeline: Plan to be completed by June 1, 2021
This plan will be led by Theodore King, Director of Parent and Community Engagement

Goal: Partner with local organizations committed to diversity and inclusion, while also increasing the
diversity of community and school-based partners.
Timeline: Ongoing, but effectiveness will be measured by tracking partners demographic
information.
Goal: Partner with local organizations committed to diversity and inclusion, while also
increasing the diversity of community and school-based partners.
Timeline: Ongoing, but effectiveness will be measured by tracking partners demographic
information.
Partnership demographic information to be tracked by Erica Williams

Human Resources
Goal: Increase recruitment and retention of faculty and staff members who are fair and aligned with FCS’ core value of creating an anti-racist, inclusive environment. Expand recruitment efforts with historically black colleges and universities.
Timeline: Ongoing
This task will be led by Kevin Potts, Director of Human Resources
Goal: Create an anti-racism policy and statement.
Timeline: This plan is due July 1, 2021.
This task will be led by Kevin Potts and Erica Williams

 

PART 2 of Dr. Bobby White Discussion:

II. Initiative Implementation
While the implementation of the anti-racism initiative is carried out by all FCS faculty and staff, the Founder/CEO and Executive Director will ensure the plan is enforced.
1. All staff overseeing a plan shall collect, review, and provide an annual report to the FCS Board of Directors, Founder, and Executive Director highlighting evidence of growth in each area outlined by the anti-racism initiative (i.e., communication, leadership and administration, parent engagement). The written reports shall also be made available to the public. Report due date shall be established by Executive Director.
2. The Network shall ensure there are various, including anonymous, means for students and staff to report racism and other forms of discrimination.
III. Common Language
To ensure the FCS anti-racism language is clear and consistent, the following terms will be used frequently when discussing the initiative.
*The definitions are adopted from the National African American Museum of History and Culture’s “Talking About Race”

• Antiracism refers to the practice of identifying, challenging, and changing the values, structures, and behaviors that perpetuate systemic racism.
• Individual racism refers to the beliefs, attitudes, and actions of individuals that support or perpetuate racism in conscious and unconscious ways. The U.S. cultural narrative about racism typically focuses on individual racism and fails to recognize systemic racism.

Examples include believing in the superiority of white people, not hiring a person of color because “something doesn’t feel right,” or telling a racist joke.

• Interpersonal racism occurs between individuals. These are public expressions of racism, often involving slurs, biases, or hateful words or actions.
• Institutional racism occurs in an organization. These are discriminatory treatments, unfair policies, or biased practices based on race that result in inequitable outcomes for whites over people of color and extend considerably beyond prejudice. These institutional policies often never mention any racial group, but the intent is to create advantages.

Example: A school system where students of color are more frequently distributed into the most crowded classrooms and underfunded schools and out of the higher resourced schools.

• Structural racism is the overarching system of racial bias across institutions and society. These systems give privileges to white people resulting in disadvantages to people of color.

Example: Stereotypes of people of color as criminals in mainstream movies and media.
IV. Tentative Timeline
Task                                                 Deadline                                         Accountability
Introduction of Plan to Board         June 8, 2021                                   Dr. White
Introduction to Network                  June 10, 2021                                 Dr. White/Dr. Cross
All Plans Due                                   June 18, 2021                                 All Team Members
CEO Sends Welcome Letters        July 16, 2021
to Teachers/Overview of Anti-Racism
 

Mrs. Arlinda Cathey:

• I want to let everyone know we plan to have an annual retreat in person this year. And I am dropping the doodle poll into chat and asking the board members and any network staff that would like to be present to complete the doodle poll. I want to get some feedback regarding everyone's availability for the first two weeks in July and possibly devote at least a half of a day.
• The Governance Committee is currently working on drafting the CEO and Executive Director evaluation report. Thanks to everyone for completing the performance evaluations for Dr. White and Mr. Lawson. We are writing two reports this year, which is more than what we usually have written. A special thanks to everyone on the Governance Committee, Cedric and Joia, for pulling together the summation of the performances of Mr. Lawson and Dr. White. We also plan on building that into our annual retreat, where we can kind of move through a formal presentation regarding that.
• Then lastly, a special thanks to everyone for participating in our interviews with potential board members. We had two interviews last week with Rex Hamilton and Kirby Tucker. I will be sending out an additional invite for an interview with Jasmine Trimble, another candidate for the Board. So be on the lookout for that invite to come next week. If you're available to join that specific interview, I think that would be great. She is a staff attorney with FedEx will look to have similar conversations.
• And Dr. White communicated with Ms. Warren about getting the board candidates scheduled for one on one with you. We did let them know that if they're comfortable, they can meet with you in person. But if you prefer to meet with them remotely still that something that's a possibility as well.

Mr. Erik Henneghan:

• I want to start by saying thanks to everyone for your help. I think the event was great, and everybody seems like they had a great time as well. We had a great host and great performers. We were able to put on a great show, which is what the event was about.
• I think some of the areas that we could have improved, in my opinion, and I take that responsibility. I know there are two areas we could have made it a little better, in my opinion. But overall, I think it was a success.
• Mrs. Cathey sent out some numbers, and I wanted to break some of them down for you. We were able to raise $9,145. So I thought that was an incredible milestone for us. We've been trying to hit the $10,000 mark. So I appreciate everybody's pushing the event, raising and donating money.
• To give you a quick update on the budget, we spent $1800 included in all the performers, shirts, and anything we had to pay. So we net around $345 from the budget versus how much we actually made for the event. So I wanted to be transparent and let everybody know exactly what the numbers were and what we were able to accomplish.
• Thanks to Cedric for helping us out with the logistics and the police. I think that part was held down pretty well, not having any issues at the event. And we wanted everyone to feel safe. 

No updates at this time.