Coraggio Consulting
Loudoun County School Board, Minority Student Achievement Advisory Committee (MSAAC) Meeting, Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Date: Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Place: Loudoun County Public Schools / School Board meeting (see BoardDocs / LCPS-TV)
Length: 1h 47m (video)
Official meeting video (Vimeo / LCPS-TV): https://player.vimeo.com/video/866788567?rel=0
BoardDocs (School Board): https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/loudoun/Board.nsf/Public

Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting.
Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-21. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:11] Good evening, everyone. It is so awesome to see you all here. It is 7 o'clock and we are going to get started. I want to say a quick thank you to everybody for helping me and my girls get everything in the building tonight.

[00:00:28] I appreciate the extra help immensely. Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome. It is our first general body meeting of the year. I am so excited for what MSAC is going to do this year. I am excited for the work that we're going to do, the collaborations and the partnerships that we're already forming and we will form this year.

[00:00:52] There are a lot of exciting things that are going to happen, and I really can't wait to get to work with you all this year and to just continue furthering the mission and the work around equity, around minority students, all minoritized students and marginalized populations in our division, and I'm really excited for what's to come. And so we're going to get started with our evening. The meeting is going to look a little different, but it's an indication of what we're going to do going through this year, how we're going to do things, how we're going to work

[00:01:26] together i'm excited that there are people at the tables hi everybody yay so again welcome um there are copies of the agenda on the table but here's a qr code for you to scan for you to get copy of the agenda after the meeting um this uh by friday i will get it emailed out to everyone along with the slide deck and any of the notes we have from the meeting um and from tonight's discussions i will get that all to you so you can take that information back and share it with your schools and continue to work together and collaborate as clusters and as delegates

[00:02:02] as you go along. So I'll give you a second to get a copy of that. So I have a few quick announcements. We still have executive board positions open. We still need a secretary for this year. We also are looking for a membership chair, a membership admin, and if someone would like to step into the role of delegate liaison we are looking for those roles to be filled to kind of round out our executive board so if you're interested in digging a little deeper doing a

[00:02:38] little more work helping us out a little bit more please see me after the meeting or email me and with your questions your interest and whatever and I will get back to you and I will answer them as best I can as always I will push all year long we need delegates so if you know someone at a school or at your school who would like to become a delegate who would like to be your co-delegate who would like to come alongside and work with you please encourage them to sign up to be an MSAC delegate the work is hard it is a lot of work to do in addition to all of our busy lives

[00:03:13] but it is very rewarding it is so great to be involved and to help students and to help out at your school I love being an MSAC delegate because it's different than being on the PTO I love being on the PTO, and I love being a part of the PTO, but being a delegate has just helped me become a better parent, become a better advocate at my school, and just be a better community member because I'm contributing in a different way. So if you know of anyone, if you'd like to be a delegate and you're visiting tonight, please join us. Please sign up. We need as many delegates as

[00:03:48] we can get. A quick reminder, I sent an email earlier this week, but our new superintendent, Dr. Spence is hosting community listening sessions. Please check your email. It has the details and the calendar dates. He's visiting lots of schools.

[00:04:04] It is a push from basically now until April to visit schools, to have listening sessions, to introduce himself to the schools and the school districts at large, to meet parents and meet families and meet students out there. So if you have the ability, please try to attend one, plan to attend one.

[00:04:23] We are working and pushing and hoping to have Dr. Spence come and speak with us at an MSAC meeting where we can meet him as MSAC delegates and we can hear more from him just as MSAC. But as a parent, as a member of the community, please just plan to attend one if you can.

[00:04:43] And then just to note, our next general body meeting will be Wednesday, October 18th from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. So just mark it on your calendar. We'll get the calendar to you all along with all of the topics we'll be discussing as well in the coming weeks so you are prepared, you know where we're going, you know what the vision is, and you're ready to go.

[00:05:07] Before I get to the mission statement, I'd just like to take a minute and to introduce our wonderful executive board. Again, if you don't know me, my name is Erin Kunkel. This is my third year serving as a delegate and my first year serving as MSAC chair. I'm really excited to be here, a little bit nervous, but I'm excited for what's to come.

[00:05:28] I've learned a lot just in the last couple weeks of being chair and met a lot of people. I was sharing with Truphelia and Ebony just a few minutes ago that I have been in meetings with school board members today, and I was like, that was a big lift, and we were rushing and running and getting things done, but just to let them know that MSAC is here and ready to work. So I'm very excited to be leading as chair this year and excited to see what comes from this year and excited for what we're going to do. I'd also like to introduce our wonderful vice chair, Ms. Trufelia Parker. She is amazing. She has given me a lot of brilliant ideas and

[00:06:05] she's been great support and she is really passionate about reaching out to the community and furthering our community connections and bridging those gaps. And I'm very excited for what she has planned, especially when it comes to the community. We have other members of our executive board. They say hello. I would also like to introduce one part of our communications team.

[00:06:30] We have a communications team now, and this is Ebony. She and our other communications member, Sherry, are working to change up how we do communications in MSAC. You're going to see a lot more of what we're doing in real time. We're going to be taking pictures during meetings, So if you don't want your picture, please let me know.

[00:06:50] Say, please don't snap my photo. But we want people to see what we're doing. We want people to see what we're doing in the rooms. If you have something going on at your school, reach out to us. Let us know. So people can't continue to say, what does MSAC do? I don't know what MSAC does. Now we can say, this is what we do.

[00:07:06] This is what we're about. These are our missions. These are our goals. This is what our delegates do. This is the work we're putting in. So I'm very excited for what we're doing. we also will be opening we have slots available on our subcommittees anybody can join a subcommittee and my other pitch this year in addition to delegates is I'm asking everybody to chip in just a little bit any small bit you have can help us immensely if you've got an hour and you can help read through a policy please contribute that hour if you've got 30 minutes and you can go support another delegate at an event with setup that 30 minutes helps them when we get ready to do the

[00:07:43] annual report when we're preparing for things. Every little bit you contribute helps, and it helps us further our mission. And leading to the mission is I want you to just read it and renew our mission for the year. And our mission statement says the Minority Student Achievement Advisory Committee, MSAC, is dedicated to partnering with Loudoun County Public Schools, parents, and the community to acknowledge and promote the needs of minority students. MSAC is also dedicated to building a school system that is culturally and socially competent and positioned to provide fair and equitable learning experiences for all students. And when you go out as a delegate and when they

[00:08:23] ask you a question about that, please reiterate that our mission is for all students. Yes, we are focused on minority students. We are focused on minority and minoritized populations within this district, but when those students succeed, every student in this district succeeds. Please reiterate that message, because I know it's hard. Sometimes people are like, well, you're only about let them know that this is all students. All students is our focus, that we are here for all students. Yes, we are focused on these groups, but we are here for all students, and that is so important to

[00:09:00] reiterate, and it opens the door to more conversations, and it makes people more receptive to our message and our mission and what we're working on. So I'm going to move to our guest speaker because I'm very, very excited for you all to meet our guest speaker. I have had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Ellis Williams. She's our new director of equity. And y'all, when I say she is amazing, that is no joke. She is amazing. I left my first meeting with her so inspired, so excited by what was to come, so ready to get to work.

[00:09:38] And when I say I was so happy to hear of her support for MSAC, her support for what we're doing, and her encouragement to go the distance, to do the work that was necessary to make changes in our district, I was just over the top.

[00:09:54] I couldn't believe it. And so I pulled off her bio from the LCPS website, and I just want to give you a brief introduction to her, and then I'm going to let her have the floor because you all are just going to love her as much as I do. I really do. So Dr. Letitia J. Ellis-Williams, a native of Bridgehampton, New York, has a diverse background in education spanning 25 plus years in several urban, suburban, and rural school systems around the country and international to include Southampton, New York, District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, Beijing, China, Spain, the Dominican Republic, and Morocco.

[00:10:29] The positions she has served in are teacher, content leader, coach, dean of culture, and instruction, assistant principal, principal in chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer. Dr. Ellis Williams received her doctorate in education and educational administration from Dowling College, a certificate of advanced studies, professional diploma, and school district administration from Long Island University, a master of science and education from Long Island University, a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, and teaching from State University of New York at Oswego, Tulane University Law School Title IX Certification Program,

[00:11:07] and the University of South Florida Muma College of Business Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and the Workplace Certificate. Her experience, and it is vast, her experience has been in understanding student development, learning and implementing theory, teaching strategies for helping all students, designing culturally responsive professional development, pedagogy, and building programs focused on meeting diverse student needs.

[00:11:35] In her current role as Director of Equity for Loudoun County Public Schools, Dr. Ellis Williams leads the departmental efforts to promote and sustain educational equity, inclusiveness, along with collaborating with all stakeholders to facilitate the development, implementation, and refinement of a comprehensive educational equity strategy that aligns with LCPS strategic goals and objectives.

[00:11:57] And with that, I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Ellis Williams. I'm so excited for you all to hear her speak. Thank you. Good evening and thank you. Oh my goodness, I got to live up to all of that.

[00:12:16] I am my grandmother's child, so yes, I have no problem in doing so. So just to anchor us in our work and our why, it's always important for us to always remember what it is that we center ourselves around here at LCPS. An LCPS centers equity as one of its foundational core values.

[00:12:34] For our community, equity means being committed to providing a safe, supportive, inclusive, affirming, and respectful environment for each student and staff member that fosters success, growth, and academic rigor. The cultivation of this environment requires us to reject and condemn the use of hate speech, racial slurs, anti-Semitism, and any action or behavior that disseminates based on race, ethnicity, national origin, gender orientation, gender expression, socioeconomic status, religion, ability, or other cultural identities or expression. Such non-inclusive speech, behavior, and actions

[00:13:14] do not reflect who we are as a learning community. We embrace and value the unique identities, backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and needs of each student and employee. We embrace and value the unique identities, excuse me, celebrating our diversity is important and helps us to define us as a school division. Demonstrating the courage to address inequities and remove barriers represent an integral part of our collective effort towards excellence in education. Equity is the vehicle that leads to greater access, opportunity, and equality so that each and every, for the hard

[00:13:51] period, student is able to reach their full potential. Equity is the vehicle that leads to this greatest success and opportunity, and each student is empowered to make meaningful contributions to the world. I'm looking forward to collaborating with MSAC, and I'm excited about what's to come. Over the past few weeks, Ms. Kunkel and the members of the Division of Equity have met, and she shared her vision, that of the incoming and forming MSAC Executive Board and their respective delegates. On behalf of the Division of Equity, myself, Mr. Shaheed Muhammad,

[00:14:25] it, Ms. Cynthia Lewis, we, as a liaison myself, I thank you in advance for your support and your voice that you will provide for each and every LCPS student in our community at large. I thank you for this opportunity, and I appreciate the support in advance.

[00:14:41] Thank you. I would like to say that we, like I said, that things are going to look a little different, not supremely different, but in our meetings going forward, we're going to be doing the work.

[00:15:04] We're going to be at the tables. going to be having those discussions. I heard feedback as a chair last year, and I heard feedback, membership chair last year, I heard feedback just talking to other delegates about what it was like before and what they hoped we would be doing. And so going forward, we really put our heads together and we tried to think of how we could transform what we did before and bring it up to date, how we could modernize, how we could move forward with our mission. And so what we came up with as the executive board is our focus, our theme for

[00:15:42] the year is stepping up for the community. And when we say stepping up for the community, we're talking about our MSAC delegate community here, stepping up for each other, stepping up as a community of advocates and a team working to better our school district. We're talking about stepping up as a community resource. When we say we're a resource, we're a resource. I want MSAC to be able to say to others you know this is where you go to speak to someone and not just say oh you can come talk to me about this I'll find somebody who can find somebody who can help you but that you have a list as a delegate and you're empowered to say these are the people you need to

[00:16:21] speak with these are the people that can help you these are the people that can address your concerns we want to step up in our schools as delegates we want to be a presence we want to be a part of those conversations that shape our school's cultures that shape what goes on at the schools because a small change impacts so many students in such a big way and we want to step up as an advisory committee to the school board in meetings with the school board I've let them know up front we are wanting to partner we are wanting to collaborate we are wanting to hear their feedback we are wanting to hear where they are seeing issues and they would like MSAC to take a look

[00:17:00] or they know that we're coming and they're not worried that we're coming because they're like, okay, MSAC is on it. They have the data. They have the information. They have what's necessary to help us move the needle. They're excited to work with us and they're waiting to hear back from us. And so Truphilia made this wonderful slide for us and it basically addresses what we plan to do for stepping up for the community. So our first is advocacy. I'm going to say right now that yes we're all volunteers but there comes a point when volunteering and advocating have to

[00:17:36] meet and there comes a point when advocating becomes an action word we've got to put our words into action we've got to put our message into action and so we're going to step up in our advocacy we're going to step up in our collaboration that means with principals with community leaders with the school board with various organizations within lcps we're going to step up and we're going to have these conversations and we're going to bring people to the table i have an open door i have opened the door and i have told school board members and anybody that's asking me about msec just come come join us come to the table come sit with us come talk with us you don't have to say

[00:18:14] anything you can join somebody at a table if we're having discussions and you want to contribute to the discussion. This is where, this is the place to be. We want to hear from you. We want to all work together. Next, we're going to work on continuing our policy and regulations. We're stepping that up. We have, MSAC gets glorious feedback about our policy contributions and our feedback and our comments we give in policy contributions. But we also want to say that we need more voices. We need more voices. I get it. I will open that policy and I will say no,

[00:18:48] I don't understand. I don't understand. I don't know what that means. But then I stop and I read it because, again, it sounds silly, but one word, one word that you point out can be the difference between the policy being effective or the policy being harmful. And it doesn't matter if you just didn't like the sound of that sentence or if you're like, well, that's not grammatically correct.

[00:19:12] Say it. I tell the parents at my school, Round Hill, that if you just say this policy, this is what I think they read it. It goes into the record. They have to see it. So we need more MSAC contributions on our policy, even if it's something, even if you feel like it's completely out of the ballpark for you, you don't understand. Please, when we send out those policy feedback requests, please submit your feedback, submit your comment. It helps us continue to grow, and it helps what we do when we put in those comments it it it again amplifies it we're one cohesive voice when we submit those

[00:19:51] policy feedbacks and comments so we need more people to contribute to that voice we're also going to be empowering the delegates i'm excited about this part because i know it's hard and i know that it's a lot of work and i know we have busy lives we have kids we have activities there's social lives there are all these things that are happening but this year i want to empower the delegates, and I want to remove the thought that it is the executive board, we filter the information down to the delegates, and you take it to the school. This year, I would like for us all to work together. I would like for you all to feel free to reach out and say, hey, Erin, I'm seeing

[00:20:28] this. Literally say, hey, Erin, I am seeing this, or I have a question about this, or I have a concern about this, or say, hey, I've got an idea, or this would be a great speaker. We want to hear from you. You help make MSAC better. You help make MSAC relevant, needed, and necessary. So we're all a team, and we want to empower you in your schools. We want to empower you in your events. We want to support you in every possible way that we can. And it is so important as delegates for us to step up in our schools and in our community, because they want to know what we're about. They want to know

[00:21:06] what we're doing and parents want to know and people want to know and if you feel empowered to share the message of MSAC if you feel empowered to talk about the work and feel empowered to do so then you're making a change you're helping change your school's culture you're helping further our mission in your schools and lastly we want to focus on programs and resources if you know a resource please share it with us we want to know what the resources are we want to know what the resources are in our communities at our schools in wherever you are if you know of a resource If you know of a person, a mentorship program, a program that focuses on STEM or focuses

[00:21:41] on math tutoring, reading, tutoring, whatever it is, if you have a resource, we want to know about it. Because if we know, then we can tell somebody else and they know and then they relay that information and it goes on and on. And so when we say stepping up for the community, we really want to be stepping up this year.

[00:21:57] We really want people to say, oh, that's what MSAC does. That's MSAC? Got it. Where do I join? Sign me up. how do I help? That's what we want to do. And it seems like a lot, but we're going to take small bites out of it. We're going to narrow our focus. We're going to put in the work and we're going to try really hard to make something great out of this year. And I need your help. Truffelia needs your help. Ebony needs your help. We all need your help to make this possible. MSAC has so much potential and I've heard it so many times. I can't count in the last couple of weeks that we have

[00:22:34] untapped potential. So let's, this year, let's tap into our potential. Let's tap into what we can do. Now, for the different in this year's meeting, we're going to have table discussions. On the table, there are some driving questions. We're going to have, we're going to talk through these questions with your, with the people sitting at your table. If you want to join some tables together and have a bigger group and have discussions, we want you to have these discussions and answer these questions. And then we're going to come back in a few minutes and we're going to share our answers. I want to hear from you. I want to hear what your thoughts are. I want to hear what you're thinking, what you're experiencing, what you're seeing, because something that's happening

[00:23:13] in Western Loudoun County might not be happening in Sterling, or maybe there's some similarity in there, and we want to know how we can make MSAC better. You all are going to help us determine where do we focus in on, what are we doing, where are we going, what is our mission, and so we're going to do a little bit of work, just a little bit. We're going to do a little bit of work, but to make it more amenable. So you'll like me still. There are snacks and beverages in the back so you can work and you can eat. I'm Southern and I am my mother's daughter. I couldn't do it if I didn't feed you. So I just want you all to know that we're going to kind of buzz around, maybe sit at a table

[00:23:51] and hear things because I want to hear things. I don't know. I want to know where I can help. And my philosophy is always help me help you. I want to know where to help. I want to meet you. I want to know what you're thinking, what your thoughts are, questions, and then we'll come back.

[00:24:09] We'll have an open forum where if there are things you want to share, if there are thoughts, there are ideas you want to share, we can do that. It's a little different. We're moving in a faster clip tonight, but tonight was really about getting you all in the room. And, again, I'm so happy to see so many faces tonight. But now we're going to do a little work and have some discussions and see where we are and what we're doing.

[00:24:29] We're going to take an MSAC temperature. So if you just want to join some tables together or start at your tables, please just go through the driving questions, have those discussions, be open, be honest, and we'll come around and we'll see how things are going. Okay?

[00:24:44] Thank you.

[00:58:21] Okay.

[01:20:45] Hi, everybody. I hope that everyone was having really great discussions, but we're going to come back and we're going to have a little bit of an open forum so we can hear what everybody else was sharing.

[01:21:00] I think it's on. No, I don't think it's on, let's see. Okay, can everybody hear me? I think it's working. But we're gonna come back and it's now gonna be just time for an open forum. You can, the microphones are open if you'd like to share anything, share your thoughts, if you would like to share based on the driving questions.

[01:21:25] This is just a chance for us to kinda hear from each other. I could tell that there were a lot of great discussions going on and conversations happening And I would just like to hear a little bit more. So the floor is open if anybody feels led to share.

[01:21:48] Yes. Can you use the mic?

[01:22:20] We, at our table, I think the running theme was communication.

[01:22:37] We felt that there is room for improvement in communication amongst the cluster leads and amongst the delegates because we don't always know what we're doing, each cluster is doing, or even who our cluster mates are. So, that was one area of communication.

[01:22:57] We felt that we had a hard time penetrating our student bodies at the various schools. So, even if we share at our PTSO or PTA meetings, is it really getting out to the entire school body? So, that was also one of the areas of communication.

[01:23:17] And then, of course, communication out in the community. what is the best way to do that you know more social media etc and I think some of the solutions you know we talked a lot about a just us as ourselves knowing and having good relationships within the school I think that was a thought that was shared a lot finding ways so we have the PTSA meeting but is there any other functions that happen with large masses of students and parents where we can you know slip a handout or run a video um one good one that was mentioned but

[01:23:56] we missed it was um at the back to school night there was one video that every teacher had to or slide every teacher had to show maybe it would have been nice to have our slides you know shown there with information and then making sure really good information is out there and easy to access my example was last year I heard about the grants from VEO and I mean I shared that thing everywhere I talked to everybody I knew about it but how many people really you know really got that message

[01:24:29] so I'll stop there because it was a lot since this is our first meeting do we mind when we provide comments to get to know each other we could introduce ourselves and share what school we represent. Thanks. Hi, my name is Tonya Bledsoe and I have a seventh grader at Trailside Middle

[01:24:58] School. Amber has kids that has gone through LCPS for like a hundred years. Okay, can I ask a question? There's a raise hand. Yes, please go ahead. Hi, my name is Kush Brumistry. I have a son who is in elementary fifth grade at Newton Lee. One of the things we talked about at our table was that we received quite a few school communications.

[01:25:37] And I just today found out that each school has or should have an equity lead. So I think that's one thing I was not aware of unless I missed a communication. One thing we can start is by finding out who the equity lead is and just kind of understand what their role is and how they are, if they are kind of helping us spread the message for the MSEC out there.

[01:26:00] Just wanted to share that.

[01:26:12] Okay, while I wait for somebody else to maybe want to ask a question, can I get a show of hands? How many of you do kind of have that struggle with kind of getting that information just out beyond the PTO, PTSA meetings? Like, how many of you kind of struggle with that?

[01:26:31] Okay, that's good to know. That is something we can definitely take into consideration, and we can work with and collaborate on how to kind of further our message and get that beyond those meetings. Because like you said, Tonya, it is hard because sometimes it's the same group of people and then you go to like a big event, like a musical or something, and you're like, there are 300 parents in here.

[01:26:54] Now's the time and now's the chance. And so that's a really good thing to keep into mind and something that we can definitely work on is, you know, helping you all push through and get the message out to a wider network of parents in your schools and in your communities.

[01:27:13] Anybody else? Yes, sir. Hi, I'm Jonathan Mark Rogers. I have a student at Loudoun County High School, but I'm also the Performing Arts Specialist of Loudoun County Public Schools. And one of our conversations here was exactly what you just said, is that when our community comes together, often you think about, when do we come together?

[01:27:38] Sporting events and performing arts. And when you have, I mean, you said 200, 300 at a musical. Sometimes it's 1,000, 2,000 at a musical in one night. And that is a great opportunity for us to have a table or something with information to share with a diverse group of people who come to see those shows.

[01:28:06] And there's something going on now in a lot of schools are talent shows. And a lot of times the talent show will have a sponsor or will do it in acknowledgement of a great cause like MSAC, SEAC, things like that.

[01:28:23] So I think that's a way that we all can do, all our clusters can do. It's like, wait a second, when are we performing? When is our performing groups happening? And how can we be a part of that to share the great news that MSAC is doing? Thank you.

[01:28:40] And then I had another question. Yes. I was just going to make a comment on the Wanda Taylor, I'm also a representative for Trailside Middle School.

[01:28:58] I was talking to Akia and she wasn't aware of the clusters and I feel like there's probably other people in the room that aren't aware. So if we could maybe explain that to some of the newer folks just to know what we're talking about.

[01:29:19] Sure. I can do that. You're all sitting at a table, and your clusters are consisted of the elementary and middle schools and high schools that you feed into. So you are sitting according to your cluster. So for my youngest, she goes to Round Hill Elementary School.

[01:29:37] Her cluster is Woodgrove because her middle school that she would feed into is Harmony, which then feeds into Woodgrove. And so your cluster is made up of those schools in your area that your elementary school and middle school, the high school that they feed into.

[01:29:54] And so we are updating all of our files because there is a lot of changeover with the summer and stuff. But the cluster email is going out next week. We're going to update it and make sure you know who your cluster is. I apologize. You're going to get bombarded with an email. That is just, I will try not to dump 25,000 bits of information so it gets lost in the overload.

[01:30:16] But we will make sure that you know specifically who your clusters are. Put an introductory email out. And then, yes, meet your cluster. I can attest to my first year as a delegate. My cluster was rock solid for me when I was going through planning an event. They were the ones that I fed my ideas off of.

[01:30:33] They were the ones that were like, can I do this? Is this wrong? Is this a good idea? Would you ask this question? Like, that's what your cluster is for, but it's also for you to get together. There's a great example right there of what happens when clusters work together and they work together and they collaborate the work that can be done that translates from elementary to middle school and high school.

[01:30:56] So your clusters are your team. They're your people. They're the people that you can reach out to as MSAC delegates that help you, that can encourage you. You can plan events together. You can show up and support each other if you want to put out, you know, if you want to collaborate on an effort or something, this is a group of people that you work with.

[01:31:14] So I, again, I encourage you, I think I beat that horse to death last year, but reach out to your cluster. Your cluster is so important in supporting you, and it helps you to not feel alone, because I know that there is a lot of times when stuff happens around here that you end up feeling alone and you feel like nobody gets me, nobody understands, but your cluster are there to support you. So we will get that information out. We'll let you introduce. I encourage you to meet as often as you can, you know, once a month, whatever. Just have those meetings and discuss it. 15-minute meetings, meet in person, meet virtually, over coffee, whatever. But just dial

[01:31:52] into your clusters because they can be such a big help and they're going to be a great tool as we do things this year. Anybody else? Hi, I am Stephanie. I have a second grader at Hutchinson Elementary School and a seventh grader at Willard Middle School. This wasn't necessarily something that

[01:32:25] we discussed here, but I think I am new to MSAT and I want to learn more about what has been done in the past. Do you have like, because I think that would definitely help facilitate conversations that we have because i think there's a lack of awareness of what what can we do you know so we have like a starting point of this is what that was done here this is what was done there then we can sort of expand off of that yes that would be amazing yes we have orientation but those of you i will say this out loud so everybody knows those of you that have come today that you're interested

[01:33:02] in becoming a delegate this counts as orientation for you because you're in the meeting you're in these conversations you're having it but I will send you an email and set up a Google meet for us and we can meet and we can talk and I have a whole binder a digital binder that has the history of MSAC that tells you where we started you know what what is going on the history of where MSAC came to be the comprehensive equity report brings you up to speed on what our mission and our focus areas are but I can also answer those specific questions like what can you do where you can you go, but a little piece of advice for you is make it your own. You know your school. You know

[01:33:41] the temperature, the climate, the culture at your school. Make your delegate your own. I don't want to hand you a piece of paper and say this is the only way to be a delegate because it's not. It's not. Everybody doesn't want to be Aaron as a delegate. Everybody doesn't want to be Truvella as a delegate, but you are your own person and you know your school. You know what your school can do what is capable of, build those relationships, but make it your own and really lean into discovering, you know, behind the front desk. You know, once you get beyond the front desk and you get to know the principal, please meet the principal if you haven't. Please meet your principal. Please meet your equity leads, your PTO lead. Let them know who you are and let them know

[01:34:19] you're here to help. But once you meet those people, ask them, like, what can I do? Where can I help? How can I be effective? But come with your own ideas. Like, if you're passionate about something you're like this is where I want to do the work this year please come to the table with your own ideas they want to hear that oftentimes they want to know well what can MSAC do or they're trying to figure out what the role is but make it your own but yes I have all that information I am more than happy to send it to you and answer any questions I am available it might take me two or three days these days to get back to you but I will get back to you and I will answer your questions I won't leave you hanging and as always if you need anything if you have questions and

[01:34:58] you're just like, Erin, this is crazy. Just email me, and I'm more than happy to help. We are here to help in any way that we can and support you as you are a delegate. So yes, we got you covered. Anybody else? Okay, we're going to take a quick pause, and I am going to let Mr. Harris Mejedevi, he is our liaison on the school board, come and just say hello and greet us, and then maybe

[01:35:32] somebody else will have some questions. I did not sign up for the questions. No, no, I think, Oh, he said no questions or he said questions? No, well, if somebody wants to ask other questions. Okay, no problem. So good evening, everybody. Just to introduce myself, I'm Harris Madhuri.

[01:35:48] I am the school board member liaison to MSAC. And so I'm glad, I'm sorry I was late. I don't know if you know, there was a listening session with the super, and there's a lot of overlaps that are happening this evening. So there was a superintendents listening session in Broderon High School.

[01:36:05] He's going to be having many. I think he's going to have it every cluster. So look for an opportunity. I think those are, I think today the session happened was excellent. I think it was a great opportunity to provide, it was more of a working session, just similar to what you are sitting up here, to kind of come together with other parents or constituents to come up and share ideas in terms of what's, you know, what are your priorities, what's working, what's not working, and I think hopefully the superintendent has a sort of a grid entry plan to take the feedback and sort of have a pathways in how to improve the school district.

[01:36:42] So I thought that today's session went pretty well, and I know this is a pretty good attendance here tonight, too, so I'm sure once you go back to the other listening sessions, you'll attend them. I'm available as a school board member, not only as a liaison, but if there's anything I can be of help to MSAC, that's my role, and that's why I'm here.

[01:37:04] I just wanted to introduce myself for that. You can always reach out to your school board members also. That's available. But if you have anything related to MSAC or anything, I can be of help. I'm here, and I'm sure my email and contact information is on the LCPS, that you can reach it.

[01:37:22] So I just wanted to introduce and say hello. Thank you. Hey, coming back, asking questions.

[01:37:38] I don't want to be that person, y'all. I don't want to be like, does somebody have a question? I mean, I can answer if you have any questions. I don't mean to say that. Except for no candidates cannot ask any questions. I'll just throw it up there.

[01:37:57] I think you, I know that there's AOL, and they're going to be adding programs. Yes. Could you, if this is a good forum, could you talk a little bit about those programs? No, thank you, Tanya. That's a great question.

[01:38:14] So coming on, we had Academies of Loudoun, which had Academies of Sciences, Academies of Engineering, and then the Monroe Technology as well, which is, I think, it's not talked about enough. But we didn't have other programs because we were expanding physically in buildings and buildings, but we didn't have any offering other programs.

[01:38:37] So as Tanya mentioned, this year we started the International Baccalaureate Programs. So two high schools will be, so you don't have to go to academies. So the idea was, how do you introduce, how do you bring in more pathways at the existing high schools?

[01:38:53] And so that's what the IB programs are. They'll be coming at Valley and Heritage. Forgive me if I'm mistaken. But those are the two high schools, so the kids can go there. Besides that, there was also working with the Inova partners and other health care providers.

[01:39:12] we'll be introducing health and medical science academies as well, and those will be happening at Briarwoods and Tuscarora. So the plans are in place for that. So those are, again, a couple of pathways. I'm hoping that there's an initial discussion, but I think one of my hopes is to have an arts academy, too, in a similar fashion, so have a couple of them work and focus on, again, from an arts perspective as well.

[01:39:35] So that's something, again, creating more pathways. But thank you for asking the question. So you can sign up for this. I mean, I think health and medical sciences is a program. If you have kids interested in going into medicine, nursing, or even, again, going back to, I think, if you want to become more technicians or assistants, those would be the opportunities that the health and medical science can provide that.

[01:40:00] What the exact program is, I think they're still being worked on it, so we don't have exactly the details, but it's a partnership with our local Innova and other health care providers. I believe it's also with Shenandoah University is also being a partner in that as well. So it's a collective effort in making that happen.

[01:40:17] So I'm really excited about that as well. So those are some of the pathways. And I'll also plug in, we have language immersion elementary schools too. I don't know if you're familiar with that. So those have also been introduced. Lauren County used to have it.

[01:40:33] I think this is before my time, but now I think we're reintroducing back and I think one of them in Sanders Corner and forgive me if I don't know the other elementary school. But that's, again, along the same lines for that. Thank you. Yes, ma'am.

[01:40:54] I just have a question about the IB program. My daughter, she attended Lundsford Middle School, and we applied, and she did get accepted, but the concern that we had is that it's just so far and that she's involved in the arts and also like to play sports.

[01:41:14] And if she left her violin at home, We will have to go all the way over there for the IB program. So long-term, do you foresee, if the two schools are successful, do you foresee also having more IB programs in the local schools?

[01:41:32] Thank you. I think that's an excellent question. I really hope so because we have a number of schools. I'm sure they'll benefit from that. So, I mean, two is not going to be enough. And, again, both of them are, I shouldn't say western part of Loudoun, but they are up there. So I do really look forward to having more high schools with IB programs or even health and medical sciences and so on and so forth.

[01:41:55] That's something we'll definitely, I mean, based on the success of this thing, to introduce other schools too. So I can tell you with high confidence that it's certainly yes. No more. I'll pass it on to you, Aaron. Thank you.

[01:42:14] Okay. I'm just going to see if there are any other questions or any other comments or feedback anyone would like to leave or share with us yes hi my name is Brooke Hawkins I am the delegate for Broad Run High School I have a ninth grader and I have a fourth grader at Discovery Elementary School one of the things we talked about was and you can

[01:42:52] correct me if I'm wrong so I guess it's part question part comment MSAC what is the social media presence that msac has it's coming okay so so so then that was part of the conversation making sure we have a strong social media presence because i know at least from my daughter's elementary school their pto has a very strong social media presence so if we have access to flyers about meetings about open board positions about whatever information we need to get out there then we can pass it on to our ptos ptas ptsos ptsas and have it on their social media pages as well so yes yes the vision is to revamp the way we do social media that you see more of what we're

[01:43:32] doing that they're you know we're seeing photos of what we're doing in our meetings but also when delegates are doing something in your schools send it to us we want to share that not just with the delegates but we want to share it out in the community so again people who are asking the question what does MSAC do people who have a an impression or a preconceived notion about what MSAC does and the work MSAC does can see, oh, this is what we do, these are the efforts we support, this is how we support the community, this is how we ensure that students are getting an equitable education, this is what we're about, and we want to change, we're going

[01:44:09] to do newsletters, we're going to do it, again, I apologize, I'm going to try not to overload you with emails, but if we have the information, we're going to get it out, we're going to make it so you can share it, so you can say to your school, hey, this is the MSAC newsletter. Can you post a link to the newsletter for this month so you can see it?

[01:44:26] Or you say, hey, you know, PTO, can I share this on our Facebook page? This is the MSAC newsletter. There's a lot of great information. It's got a lot of great updates. And again, it draws people in. It brings people back to the conversation. So we're going to open it up and we're going to change it up. We're going to bring it into the 2023 and be a little more active and a little more out there. So yes, we're going to change it and make sure that we have it, that you can, Is it you exit, retweet it, whatever it is.

[01:44:54] You can retweet it. You can share it on Facebook. You can share it on Instagram. But you can make sure that we are getting our information out there. And we're just sharing our MSAC story, you know, with our networks and people we know. I have friends that are in Minneapolis that are watching tonight because I shared it on my story.

[01:45:12] So, yes, we're going to make sure that the flyers, everything is out there for everybody to share. and we are amplifying using that technology that's available to us. Anyone else? Well, if no one else has any other questions or comments, I will leave with this.

[01:45:34] A couple housekeeping things. If you have not, if you would fill out or if you would scan the QR code on the table in the back, that's our attendance sheet. Just fill it out. It sends us the Google form, and we can just capture everyone that was here tonight. That way, if we don't have email addresses and you want to update email addresses, We have that as well.

[01:45:55] Again, thank you so much for coming. This is so amazing to see the room with so many people in it and so many faces, new faces and familiar faces. We are so grateful to have you. We're so excited to work alongside you this year and to really do some great things.

[01:46:11] If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us. You can email me at msacchair at lcps.org. Just reach out. If you have questions, concerns, if you need any information or anything, we're here to help.

[01:46:27] We're here to support, but we're here to work alongside you. And in addition to doing this work, and it's heavy, and it can be a lot, I do really hope that we can leave the meetings and leave this year with a little bit of a smile, have a teeny tiny little bit of fun, and enjoy ourselves as we do this work, and we can build our MSAC community and grow it in a big way.

[01:46:46] So thank you so much for coming tonight. I had a blast. I hope you had a blast. We'll see you in October. Thank you.

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