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[Special Government Operations Committee on April 16, 2024]
TODAY IS TUESDAY, APRIL THE 16TH.WELCOME TO A SPECIAL CALLED GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING.
I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE PRESENT AND THEIR STAFF.
UM, TODAY WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER.
COUNCIL, UM, VICE MAYOR PROM OR MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASSICK.
WE'VE GOT STAFF FROM DISTRICT A, STAFF FROM DISTRICT D STAFF FROM DISTRICT J COUNCIL.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ IS HERE, AND COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS IS HERE TODAY.
WE ARE GOING TO SPEAK REGARDING THE MY BROTHER'S KEEPER PROGRAM.
THAT IS, UM, MANAGED AND WELL RAN BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND I'D LIKE TO, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE DIRECTOR STEPHEN WILLIAMS AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR PATRICIA WATSON FOR PRESENTATION OF MY BROTHER'S KEEPER.
AND, AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT A LITTLE, LITTLE CHANGE OF SCRIPT.
ACTUALLY, MY DEPUTY DIRECTOR, JUDY HARRIS, IS GONNA SIT WITH ME.
UH, PATRICIA'S ACTUALLY SITTING IN THE, UH, IN, IN THE AUDIENCE.
UM, ALSO, YOU WERE GIVEN INITIALLY A, A LONG PRESENTATION, UH, THAT HAD A LOT OF BACKGROUND REGARDING MY BROTHER'S KEEPER, UH, AND CON CONSULTATION WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
I DECIDED TO, UH, GIVE AN ABBREVIATED VERSION.
AND SO WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS TALK THROUGH THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, AND IF THERE'S TIME, AND IF YOU DESIRE, I CAN GO THROUGH THE LONGER PRESENTATION, UH, IF YOU LIKE, UH, DR. WILLIAMS, IF I MAY ASK, YOU'RE A LITTLE BIT MUFFLED.
DO YOU MIND REMOVING YOUR MASK? I KNOW THAT YOU WANNA BE PROTECTED.
I DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO GIVE IT TO HER.
UH, JUST STARTING WITH THE FIRST SLIDE, UM, SINCE 2014, WE'VE BEEN, UH, NOT ONLY FA PARTICIPATING, BUT WE'VE BEEN THE FACILITATORS OF THE MY BROTHERS KEEPER, UH, UH, INITIATIVE.
JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT, IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT JUST CAME UP WITH.
UH, BASICALLY WE HAD A CHAIR, A, A, A CHALLENGE FROM THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE.
UH, MAYOR PARKER ASSIGNED ME TO, TO, TO LEAD THE, THE, THE INITIATIVE.
ONE OF THE REC, ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR BEING IN MY BROTHER'S KEEPER WAS THAT WE HAD TO HOLD A COMMUNITY FORUM AND INVOLVE VARIOUS, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHO WAS INVOLVED IN, IN CREATING THIS ACTION PLAN, UH, I'M, I'M JUST GONNA RUN DOWN THIS LIST REALLY QUICK.
THE BARBARA BUSH LITERACY FOUNDATION, HARRIS COUNTY JUVENILE PROBATION, HARRIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, KIPP, UH, HARRIS COUNTY PROTECTIVE SERVICES, ALMA HOUSTON, ISD, THE HOUSING, HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, BRENTWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH, GULF COAST COMMUNITY SERVICES ASSOCIATION, THE HOUSTON AREA URBAN LEAGUE CHANGE HAPPENS.
HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL, OF COURSE, OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UH, THE, THE, THE CITY'S POLICE DEPARTMENT, BAKER, RIPLEY, AND AVANSE.
BASICALLY, YOU HAD A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS COMING TOGETHER TO CREATE WHAT WE CALL AN AN ACTION PLAN.
DATA REALLY REVEALS THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUTCOMES RELATED TO YOUNG MEN OF COLOR, UH, UNEMPLOYMENT, CRIMINAL JUSTICE INVOLVEMENT, AND LACK OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, YOUNG MEN AND BOYS OF COLOR EXPERIENCE A DISPROPORTIONATE RATE RELATED TO THAT.
AND SO THE WHOLE NOTION FOR MY BROTHER'S KEEPER IS TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, BOYS AND, AND YOUNG MEN OF COLOR.
UH, THIS IS ALSO, UH, IT'S, IT'S A CRIMINAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE.
THAT'S WHY WE HAD TO HELP HELP THE EXTENSIVE INVOLVEMENT OF THE VARIOUS OFFICES FROM, UH, THE COUNTY, INCLUDING JUVENILE PRO PROBATION.
UH, THERE WERE SIX MILESTONES INVOLVED IN MY BROTHER'S KEEPER, QUITE FRANKLY.
UH, THE PROPOSAL WE HAD WHEN WE WENT TO THE, THE, THE GROUPS, WE ONLY WANTED TO DEAL WITH THREE MILESTONES.
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WE WANT TO DEAL WITH ALL SIX.AND SO WHAT THE COMPROMISE WE HAD WAS THAT YES, WE WOULD DEAL WITH ALL SIX, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO, UH, LOOK AT THE SCOPE.
AND SO WHAT WE TRIED TO DO IS TO CONCENTRATE ON A FEED OF PATTERN.
WE HAD TSU DO SOME, SOME RESEARCH LOOKING AT DATA RELATED TO THOSE ISSUES THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, AND THEY RECOMMENDED THAT WE CHOOSE A FEED OF PATTERN.
AND, AND, AND THE NORTHEAST, UH, THE SOCIAL JUSTICE LEARNING INSTITUTE, UH, URBAN SCHOLARS ADDRESSES MILESTONES THREE, WHICH IS GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL, READY FOR COLLEGE CAREER, AND MILESTONE FOUR COMPLETING POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION.
YOU MIGHT ASK, WELL, WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH, WITH CRIMINAL JUSTICE OR WITH, WITH FOLKS SUCCEEDING? WELL, IT, IT'S BEEN LONG KNOWN THAT, UH, IF, IF, IF CHILDREN AREN'T READING AT THIRD GRADE LEVEL, UH, ON TIME, UH, THEY'RE LIKELY TO GET INVOLVED IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, THE PRISON SYSTEM ACTUALLY USES THAT STATISTIC TO PROJECT THE NUMBER OF BEDS THAT THEY WILL NEED IN THE FUTURE.
UH, THAT WASN'T KNOWN TO US UNTIL WE STARTED TO LOOK AT THIS, BUT THAT IS IN FACT, UH, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
WE DON'T HAVE A, A, A LOT OF MONEY AND, AND DOING THIS, THIS IS PRIMARILY FUNDED BY OUR 1115 WAIVER PROGRAM.
THIS IS 1115 WAIVER PROGRAM THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DRAW DOWN RESOURCES THROUGH THE MEDICAID WAIVER BASED ON, UH, OUR PROPOSING SEVERAL, UH, PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES AND OUR ACHIEVING CERTAIN MILESTONES RELATED TO THOSE INITIATIVES.
THAT'S HOW WE WERE, IN FACT, ABLE TO DRAW DOWN MONEY TO GET THIS, THIS IS NOT GRANT MONEY.
THIS IS NOT STATE OR, OR, OR, OR FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT, THAT ARE ACTUALLY GOING INTO THIS.
AS AN ACCREDITED HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WE USUALLY, UH, DON'T JUST DO THINGS OR ENGAGE IN ACTIVITIES WITHOUT REALLY, UH, LOOKING AT WHETHER OR NOT THOSE, UH, ACTIVITIES ARE RELATED TO BEST PRACTICE OR ARE ARE PROMISING PRACTICES.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY PRODUCE, PRODUCE OUTCOMES.
AND SO, AS A PART OF MY BROTHER'S KEEPER, WE HAD TO, UH, HAVE A PROGRAM THAT, UH, WAS TARGETING BOYS AND YOUNG MEN OF COLOR.
UH, WE LOOKED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UH, THERE WAS A PROGRAM IN CHICAGO CALLED BAM THAT WE LOOKED AT REPLICATING BECAUSE OF THE RESULTS.
UH, THEY WANTED TO CHARGE US A $900,000 FRANCHISE FEE TO IMPLEMENT THAT.
AND IT'S LIKE, NO, WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY.
AND SO, UH, THIS OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED, UH, UH, WAS PRESENTED TO US THROUGH THE SOCIAL JUSTICE LEARNING INSTITUTE.
A DAINIAN SCARR, WHO IS A, IS THE FOUNDER OF THE SOCIAL JUSTICE LEARNING INSTITUTE, AND ALSO A PROFESSOR AT UCLA.
UH, UH, WE WERE ACTUALLY PRESENTING AT A CONFERENCE.
AND HE SAID THAT BECAUSE THEY HAD, UH, EXPERIENCE, UH, GOOD LEVEL OF SUCCESS IN SEVERAL CALIFORNIA CITIES, THAT HE HAD AN INVESTOR THAT WANTED THIS PROGRAM TO BE CASCADED OUTSIDE OF CALIFORNIA.
AND SO HE ACTUALLY BROUGHT MONEY TO THE TABLE.
$250,000 SAID WE WOULD HAVE TO COME UP WITH A MATCH IN ORDER TO REPLICATE THIS PROGRAM.
INSTEAD OF BRINGING FOLKS IN FROM CALIFORNIA, WHAT HE DID WAS TO HIRE PEOPLE FROM HOUSTON AND ACTUALLY HAD THEM TRAIN, UH, IN, IN CALIFORNIA TO LOOK AT, UH, HOW THEY, THE, THE PROGRAM SHOULD BE IN IMPLEMENTED.
AND SO BASICALLY, WHAT YOU HAD IS A REPLICATION OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING IN, IN CALIFORNIA BY PEOPLE THAT WERE FROM, FROM HOUSTON.
THEY EVEN CREATED AN OFFICE, AN OFFICE HERE, UM, WITH THIS, WE'RE USING A, A, A PUB.
THIS IS THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY WE HAD WHERE PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY BRINGING RESOURCES TO THE TABLE FOR US.
UH, REALLY, FOLKS WERE COMING TO US THINKING THAT WE HAD A LOT OF MONEY AND COULD WRITE A LOT OF CHECKS TO DO PROGRAMS. THEY'RE LIKE, NO, THAT, THAT'S NOT THE DEAL.
AND SO, OF COURSE, WE SEIZED THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE, UH, INSTEAD OF PAYING $900,000 FOR OUR FRANCHISEE, I WAS ABLE TO MATCH $250,000 FOR $250,000 AND IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM THAT HAD OUTCOMES THAT WAS ACTUALLY TIED TO AN ACADEMIC INSTITUTION.
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BASICALLY, YOU SEE WHAT THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS.IT'S REALLY YOU WANT TO IMPROVE EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND WELLBEING OF YOUTH AND, AND, AND, AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR BY EMPOWERING THEM TO ENACT SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH RESEARCH, TRAINING, AND COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION.
THIS IS WHEN WE FIRST HAD THE CON, WHEN I FIRST HAD THE CONVERSATION WITH DR. GARNER, THE WHOLE GOAL WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE IN THESE YOUTH WERE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, UH, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO COLLEGE, AND ALSO CAME BACK TO THE COMMUNITY TO WORK TOWARD IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS AN ADMIRABLE GOAL.
AND YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE, THE SERVICES THAT, THAT ARE PROVIDED.
PEOPLE THINK THAT I, I, I VISITED SEVERAL SCHOOLS, UH, WHERE THIS PROGRAM WAS, UH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS, UH, BECAUSE SHE HAD AN INTEREST IN IT, AND ACTUALLY, UH, BECAUSE THESE PRINCIPALS ACTUALLY GAVE HER GOOD REPORTS ABOUT THE RESULTS OF IT.
AND SO WE WENT TO TALK TO THEM, UH, UH, ABOUT WHAT, WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE VARIOUS CAMPUSES, AND TO THE PERSON, BOTH PRINCIPALS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE NOT BEING ABLE TO DO THE WORK ACADEMICALLY, BUT THERE WAS SO MUCH OTHER THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON IN THEIR LIVES THAT THEY NEEDED A LEVEL OF, OF, OF, OF, OF SUPPORT AND INTERVENTION IN ORDER FOR THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, AND THEY WERE SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE STEREOTYPE OF THESE KIDS ARE ACTING OUT IN, IN, IN, IN SCHOOL, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO ACHIEVE ACADEMICALLY.
THESE PRINCIPALS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS TELLING ME THAT A LOT OF THESE KIDS HAD THAT FROM AN ACADEMIC STANDPOINT, THEY COULD ACTUALLY DO THE WORK, BUT HAD ALL OF THIS, THIS OTHER STUFF GOING ON, YOU ASKED, OKAY, SO HAS IT MADE A DIFFERENCE? OF COURSE, IT'S MADE A DIFFERENCE.
UH, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF ALL THE SENIORS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROGRAM GRADUATED.
THAT MEANS THAT IF YOU'RE SENIOR AND YOU PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM, YOU'RE GONNA GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
IT, I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHEN I WENT TO GRADUATION AND THE VALEDICTORIAN, UM, OF ONE OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS, UH, ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM AND GOT A SCHOLARSHIP TO TEXAS A AND M, BUT THAT'S NOT THE END OF THE STORY.
WE REALIZE THAT A LOT OF KIDS THAT CAN ACHIEVE ACADEMICALLY ALSO NEED SOME LEVEL OF SUPPORT ONCE THEY GO INTO ENVIRONMENTS THAT THEY'RE NOT USED TO.
AND THIS STORY IS TOLD OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND OTHER PROGRAMS, AND THAT'S ANOTHER COMPONENT OF, UH, UH, OF THIS INITIATIVE.
IT'S REALLY TRYING TO GIVE THESE INDIVIDUALS THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO SUCCEED.
UH, YOU SEE 90% AVERAGE, UH, ATTENDANCE AVERAGE FOR URBAN URBAN SCHOLARS.
THAT'S, THAT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THEY, THEY'RE NOT CREAMING.
UH, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE TERM, IT'S NOT LIKE YOU TAKE YOUR BEST STUDENTS AND YOU PUT THEM IN PROGRAM.
THESE CHILDREN ARE REFERRED BECAUSE THEY'RE HAVING ISSUES.
AND WHAT'S KNOWN IS THAT BY GIVING THEM SOME LEVEL OF SUPPORT, SOME STRUCTURE, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO SUCCEED.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE DOING HERE.
WE'RE INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE PARTICIPANTS WITHIN THIS PROGRAM, UH, TO SUCCEED.
UH, YOU SEE THAT OVER TIME, THE PROGRAM HAS IN FACT, UH, INCREASED IN TERMS OF, UH, UH, OF, OF, OF PARTICIPATION.
THE NEXT SLIDE YOU'LL SEE, THESE ARE THE SCHOOLS, UH, THAT ARE, ARE CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING IN, IN, IN URBAN SCHOLARS.
YOU ASKED, WELL, WHY THESE SCHOOLS? WAS THERE SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT THESE SCHOOLS? INITIALLY, I TOLD YOU THAT WE WERE FOCUSED ON A FEEDER PATTERN, AND WE ACTUALLY GOT RESOURCES, UH, FROM, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WAS IN THIS DISTRICT TO DO THAT.
IT WAS THE DATA THAT WE GOT FROM TSU THAT SUGGESTED THAT WE GO IN THERE.
BUT WHEN I REACHED OUT TO OTHER FOLKS TRYING TO EXPAND THIS INTO OTHER AREAS, QUITE FRANKLY, UH, FOLKS TOLD ME, WELL, UH, I, I'M NOT WILLING TO CONTRIBUTE RESOURCES TO THIS PROGRAM UNLESS IT'S ACTUALLY OPERATION OPERATIONAL WITH, WITH WITHIN MY DISTRICT.
UH, THE NEXT SLIDE, I THINK THERE WAS
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SOME QUESTION ABOUT, UH, THE $800,000, WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS, IT WAS ACTUALLY AN INCREASE OR WHATEVER.WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU DEALING WITH ACTUALLY, UH, OUR CONTRACTUAL TERMS THERE, THERE IS CURRENTLY A CONTRACT IN PLACE THAT EXPIRES THE END OF THIS MONTH, BUT THE BILLS COULD NOT BE PAID BECAUSE THE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES WERE NOT THERE.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS ACTION IS ACTUALLY TRYING TO DO.
UH, BASICALLY WE HAD TO ACCOMMODATE THE $200,000, UH, THAT CAME FROM THE COUNCIL DIS DISTRICT FUNDS, AND ALSO ACCOMMODATE THE, THE, THE 600 THOU THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT WAS, THAT WAS ALREADY IN THE PROGRAM FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020 FOR, FOR CONTRACT YEAR 24 AND, AND, AND, AND 25.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE ADDING A WHOLE BOATLOAD OF EXTRA MONEY TO THIS.
THE NEXT SLIDE ACTUALLY KINDA SPELLS THIS OUT.
IF YOU SEE IN FISCAL YEAR 24 AND 25, THE TWO 50 THAT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN, THE THREE 50, AND THE 200 ADDITIONAL DOLLARS ACCOUNT FOR THE $800, AND YOU SEE THE MATCH COMING FROM THE SOCIAL JUSTICE LEARNING INSTITUTE, THE FOUR 50 AND THE 350 $50.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO SAY THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, THE THING THAT I'M, I'M, I'M, I REALLY LIKE ABOUT THIS IS THAT, UH, THE SOCIAL JUSTICE LEARNING INSTITUTE IS ACTUALLY HAVING SOME SKIN IN THE GAME.
THEY'RE, YOU'RE ACTUALLY GETTING MONEY FROM CALIFORNIA FOLKS TO RUN A PROGRAM HERE, UH, UH, BECAUSE YOU HAVE FOLKS THERE THAT ACTUALLY BELIEVE IN, IN, IN THE OUTCOMES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROGRAM.
AND THE LAST SLIDE BASICALLY JUST KINDA OUTLINES ALL OF THAT.
I'M WILLING TO STOP HERE, OR I CAN GO THROUGH THE LONGER PRESENTATION THAT GIVES YOU THE BACKGROUND FOR, UH, MY BROTHER'S KEEPER.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE HAD WITH MY BROTHER'S KEEPER IS BECAUSE WE CHOSE TO DEAL WITH THE SIX MILESTONES, IT BECOMES COMPLICATED BECAUSE EACH ONE OF THOSE MILESTONES ACTUALLY REQUIRE A-A-A-A-A CERTAIN, UH, REAL SPECIFIC, UH, UH, ACTIVITIES AND STRATEGIES, UH, TO REALLY AFFECT THAT OUTCOME.
FOR INSTANCE, READING AT THIRD GRADE LEVEL BY, UH, BY, BY READING ON TIME AT THIRD GRADE LEVEL, I MEANT THAT REQUIRES A REAL SPECIFIC, UH, UH, STRATEGY.
AND BECAUSE FOLKS HERE WANTED TO DO 'EM ALL, WE HAD TO ENGAGE A, A, A LOT OF PARTNERS IN ORDER TO GET, GET, GET THIS DONE.
DIRECTOR WILLIAMS. I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MAYOR PRO TEM.
LET ME JUST ACKNOWLEDGE WHO ELSE IS HERE.
WE HAD SOME OTHER MEMBERS THAT JOINED.
UM, I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO IS PRESENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANNE HUFFMAN IS PRESENT, AND, AND WE HAVE STAFF FROM AT LARGE FIVE MM-HMM
SO THANK YOU, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS FOR THE, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, THIS PROGRAM AS, UH, WE ALL KNOW, HAS BEEN EXTREMELY, UH, BENEFICIAL ACROSS THE COUNTRY FROM ITS INCEPTION AND THE CHALLENGE FROM, UH, PRESIDENT OBAMA YEARS AGO.
UM, PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE RALLIED AROUND MY BROTHER'S KEEPER PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, BECAUSE OF THE KNOWN CHALLENGES THAT YOUNG MEN OF COLOR FACE, UH, IN THE WORLD AND JUST THROUGHOUT LIFE.
UM, I DO THINK THAT THIS PRESENTATION IS, IS HELPFUL FOR US SO THAT WE CAN WRAP OUR ARMS AROUND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN HOUSTON.
I'M GLAD TO SEE THE CURRENT SCHOOLS AND THE FEEDER PATTERN, UM, SO THAT WE ALL KNOW WHERE THIS IS TAKING PLACE, UM, AND, AND HOW WE CAN ADD VALUE TO WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE WAIVER.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE WAIVER PROCESS.
CAN YOU GIVE A QUICK SYNOPSIS OF WHAT THAT IS AND HOW THAT WORKS? I ALWAYS THOUGHT WE WERE UTILIZING GRANT FUNDS.
OH, UM, WELL, I'LL START BY SAYING THE WAIVER IS ACTUALLY OVER.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE PUTTING SOME ADDITIONAL DOLLARS.
BUT, UH, WHAT WE DID, UH, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY, THE WAY THAT THE WAIVER PAID OUT WAS BASED ON THE VALUE OF THE INITIATIVE THAT WE
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IMPLEMENTED.SO IT WASN'T BASED ON THE COST OF THE PROGRAM, BUT THE VALUE OF THE INITIATIVE.
AND SO WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO WAS TO, UH, CREATE, UH, UH, ENOUGH VALUE TO HAVE THESE PROGRAMS BE EXTENDED, PASS THE TIMEFRAME OF, OF THE WAIVER.
FOR EXAMPLE, AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE DONE THIS FOR ALMOST HALF A DOZEN YEARS IN, IN MY BUDGET PRESENTATION, BUT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF PROGRAMS AND FUNCTIONS WITHIN MY DEPARTMENT THAT'S PAID FOR BY THE 1115 WAIVER MONIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, MY REENTRY PROGRAM IS BASICALLY FUNDED BY 1115 WAIVER MONEY.
OUR C TO SUCCEED PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY THE 1115 WAIVER PROGRAM, BUT IT GETS EVEN MORE INTERESTING THAN THAT.
WE'RE PUTTING ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS IN 1115 WAIVER DOLLARS ENTER OUR TUBERCULOSIS PROGRAM.
IF YOU LOOK AT HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE PUTTING IN, OF 1115 WAIVER DOLLARS FOR IT, WHICH IS AN ESSENTIAL FUNCTION, AT SOME POINT, ALL OF THIS MONEY WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED WHEN THE MONEY RUNS OUT.
NOW, I'M SAYING THAT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE LOOKING AT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO REPLACE THE WAIVER.
THROUGH SOME OF OUR EFFORTS IN AUSTIN, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE LEGISLATURE TO GIVE HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ACCESS TO A POOL OF MONEY, UH, FOR UNCOMPENSATED CARE.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DRAW DOWN, UH, CLOSE TO $10 MILLION THAT WILL HELP WITH THAT PROCESS.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I MEANT, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE CONTINUING TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO REPLACE THAT MONEY BECAUSE THE 1115 WAVER GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY, NUMBER ONE, TO IMPLEMENT SOME PROGRAMS THAT I THOUGHT WERE PRETTY MEANINGFUL AND MADE A DIFFERENCE, BUT ALSO BACKFILL, YOU KNOW, SOME FUNCTIONS THAT ACTUALLY I PERSONALLY THINK SHOULD BE PAID FOR BY THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS, WHAT IS, DOES THE DATA HAVE ANY CORRELATION OR ANY, UM, REASONS FOR US TO DO THE PROGRAM IN HIGH SCHOOL VERSUS MIDDLE SCHOOL? WE'RE DOING BOTH HIGH SCHOOLS AND, AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
I MEANT BASICALLY, IDEALLY YOU WOULD DO START IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
THE SOONER YOU START, THE BETTER OFF YOU, YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, AND I'VE SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN, YOU DON'T WAIT UNTIL A KID, UH, COMMITS A CRIME IN ORDER TO INTERVENE.
THEY ARE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TELLTALE SOUNDS.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THIS COALITION CREATED WHAT WE CALL AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM.
AND SO LITERALLY, WE COULD GO INTO A SCHOOL AND IMPLEMENT THIS INSTRUMENT AND TELL YOU WHAT THE LIKELIHOOD OF AN INDIVIDUAL CHILD GOING OR, OR ARRIVE WOULD BE.
WHAT WE FOUND IN SOME SCHOOLS, THAT THE NUMBER WAS SO GREAT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE, THE BANDWIDTH TO, TO INTERVENE WITH ALL THE KIDS THAT WE KNEW WERE LIKELY TO HAVE ISSUES.
AND THAT, THAT'S MY LAST COMMENT IS, UM, THANK YOU FOR THIS WORK.
UH, IF WE ARE SAVING, UH, 600 CHILDREN FROM, UH, GOING ASTRAY, WE'RE DOING A, A GREAT JOB.
BUT THE NEED I KNOW, IS A VAST, AND THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY IS NOT A DROP IN THE BUCKET OF THE AMOUNT OF SERVICES THAT WOULD BE REALLY NEEDED IN NOT JUST HOUSTON, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR THIS TYPE OF INTERVENTION AND WRAPAROUND SERVICES FOR A LOT OF CHILDREN WHO UNFORTUNATELY SUFFER, UM, FROM, FROM HAVING THE KIND OF STRUCTURE AND THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO BE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL THAT THEY CAN BE, UM, IN OUR, IN OUR CITY.
SO WE APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT HAS GONE INTO THE PROGRAM, AND WE WILL, WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO PUT MORE MONEY INTO THE PROGRAM SO THAT WE CAN, UM, SERVE MORE CHILDREN.
I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, UH, MADISON ON THE LIST.
UM, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR THE SCHOOL.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE CAN LOOK AT MAYBE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS OR SOME SERVICES.
WE, WE'VE HEARD OF ALL THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE HAPPENING, UM, AT THE SCHOOL.
AND, UM, ANY PROGRAMS THAT CAN HELP THESE STUDENTS IS GOING TO BE WORTH IT FOR US IN THE, IN THE LONG RUN.
AND I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHO ELSE IS HERE.
REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT E IS PRESENT AS WELL.
LET ME JUST MAKE, ASK ONE QUESTION AND THEN I'M GONNA ACKNOWLEDGE OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, IN THE QUEUE.
UM, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR THIS, THIS, I KNOW THIS PROGRAM IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT
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TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THE SCHOOLS ARE SELECTED WITHIN THE SCHOOLS? WHO, WHICH, WHICH BOYS ARE SELECTED WITHIN THIS CERTAIN CLASS? JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, ABOUT THAT, AND ALSO THE COST PER SCHOOL.
I, I, I'M HEARING THAT OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY WANNA CONTRIBUTE AND INCLUDE, UM, THEIR DISTRICT.
IS THERE A GENERALIZED COST PER SCHOOL? I'M GONNA LET ONE OF THE PROGRAM PEOPLE JART, UH, FROM SOCIAL JUSTICE LEARNING INSTITUTE, UH, TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN I'LL ACKNOWLEDGE OUR NEXT MEMBERS.
YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE BOTTOM LINE IN TERMS OF SCHOOL SELECTION, WE ARE INTERESTED, EVEN THOUGH WE STARTED WITH A FEED PATTERN, WE'RE IN, WE'RE INTERESTED IN GOING INTO ANY SCHOOL WHERE WE, IF WE CAN GARNER THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT.
I'M THE EDUCATIONAL EQUITY DIRECTOR FOR THE SOCIAL JUSTICE LEARNING INSTITUTE, AND I RUN OUR URBAN SCHOLARS AND HIGHER PATHWAYS PROGRAM.
UH, SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, INSIDE THE SCHOOLS, WE'LL WORK WITH PRINCIPALS, COUNSELORS TO IDENTIFY A LIST OF STUDENTS, UM, THAT ARE IN THE PROGRAM.
UH, AND THEN OFTENTIMES IT CAN ALSO JUST BE A, A PARTICULAR CLASS, RIGHT? SO A PRINCIPAL MAY SAY, HEY, WE'D LIKE YOU TO FOCUS ON THIS PARTICULAR CLASS, AND WE'LL WORK WITH THAT TEACHER, COUNSELORS ON STAFF, WRAPAROUND STAFF.
SO FOR OUR STAFF, WE'RE WORKING WITH A FULL LOAD OF THE ONSITE, UM, ADMIN STAFF AND OTHER SERVICE WORKERS.
I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.
AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR WILLIAMS AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, UH, WATSON FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU ALSO FOR FOCUSING ON OUR YOUNG MEN WHO I THINK, UH, SOMETIMES GET LOST IN OUR PRIORITIES TODAY.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS THERE.
THANK YOU AS WELL FOR CLARIFYING WHERE THE FUNDING, UH, FOR THIS PROGRAM IS COMING.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE BACKUP FOR THE AGENDA ITEM, THAT WAS ACTUALLY ON OUR COUNCIL AGENDA.
UM, BUT YOU'VE CLARIFIED HERE THAT, UH, THE FUNDING IS ACTUALLY COMING FROM SOME WAIVER FUNDS AND SOME DISTRICT COUNCIL FUNDS, AND 2010 IS ACTUALLY WHERE THE WAIVER WA WAIVER MONEY IS.
THESE NUMBERS AND TITLES, THEY SOMETIMES GET A LITTLE CONFUSING.
SO THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
UM, I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, THE IN-KIND FUNDING THAT YOU MENTIONED WE'RE GETTING FROM SOCIAL JUSTICE LEARNING INSTITUTE, UH, VALUED AT 600,000 OVER TWO YEARS.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THAT CONSISTS OF? BASICALLY, IT'S THE STAFF.
THEY'RE PAYING FOR THE STAFF THAT, THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY, UH, UH, THAT, THAT ARE ACTUALLY GOING INTO THE SCHOOLS AND, AND, AND WORKING WITH, UH, THE, THE CHILDREN.
AND IF I COULD ASK YOU A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT SLIDE NUMBER FIVE IN THE, IN THE SMALLER POWERPOINT, THE, IT'S THE PAGE THAT, UH, LOOKS LIKE THIS ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
SO, ON PROGRAM OUTCOMES, UM, OVER ON THE, THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PAGE, THE FIRST BULLET POINT IS 100% GRADUATION FOR ALL URBAN SCHOLAR SENIORS.
AND THEN YOU GO DOWN TO THE THIRD BULLET POINT.
IT SAYS 70% AVERAGE PASSING RATE FOR CORE COURSES FOR ALL SCHOOLS.
UH, CAN YOU HELP ME RECONCILE THOSE, THOSE TWO FIGURES? MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT ALL STUDENTS HAD TO PASS ALL CORE COURSES IN ORDER TO, UH, TO GRADUATE, WELL, I'M GONNA TRY, BUT YOU MIGHT HAVE TO CORRECT ME.
THE A HUNDRED PERCENT IS RELATED TO SENIORS.
WE'RE SAYING THAT SENIOR, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE SENIORS THAT PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAM ACTUALLY GRADUATE WHEN YOU GO DOWN TO 70% AVERAGE PASSION RATE FOR CORE COURSES.
SO, SO IT'S A BIGGER GROUP OF FOLKS.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY WON'T PASS EVENTUALLY BECAUSE THEY WORK WITH THEM TO PASS, BUT INITIALLY IT'S LIKE 70%.
SO TAKING INTO ACCOUNT, FOR INSTANCE, 11TH, 10TH, AND NINTH GRADERS.
IS, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOWER NUMBER.
AND HOW ABOUT THOSE LAST TWO BULLET POINTS ON THE PAGE? 100%, 105% GROWTH IN URBAN SCHOLARS PARTICIPANTS, AND 100% INCREASE IN STUDENT ENROLLMENT.
BASICALLY, IF YOU'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE NUMBER, ADDING ON MORE STUDENTS TO THE PROGRAM.
UM, ACTUALLY, I THINK YOU ANSWERED IT.
SO ORIGINALLY THE PROGRAM WAS GOING TO HAVE A,
[00:30:02]
I'M PROBABLY GETTING THE TERMINOLOGY WRONG HERE, BUT VIOLENCE PREVENTION COMPONENT TO IT.YEAH, I SAW THAT QUESTION
CAN YOU, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? YEAH, I'M, I'M SMILING ONLY BECAUSE I'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE I WAS 19 YEARS OLD.
AND, AND ALL OF YOU KNOW THIS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN, UH, YOU KNOW THAT EVEN GOOD KIDS LEFT UNSUPERVISED WITHOUT STRUCTURE USUALLY GET IN TROUBLE.
AND SO ONE OF THE WAYS THAT YOU PREVENT THEM FROM GETTING IN TROUBLE IS TO ADD SOME STRUCTURE TO WHAT THEY DO.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE PREVENTED STRATEGY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE FLIP SIDE OF THIS, IF YOU GIVE CHILDREN OPPORTUNITIES AND A LEVEL OF SUPPORT, THEY'RE NOT LIKELY TO GET INVOLVED IN, IN, IN, IN, IN, IN THE JUSTICE IN, IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM.
UM, AND SO BASICALLY, FOR INSTANCE, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT YOU SAW A LOT OF JURISDICTIONS INCLUDING THIS ONE, UH, COME, UH, DEVELOPS SOME EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS, IS TO HELP KIDS GET A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY.
BUT IT'S ALSO TO BRING SOME STRUCTURE TO WHAT THEY DO DURING THE SUMMER.
THE WORST TIME FOR, UM, KIDS TO GET IN TROUBLE IS REALLY AFTER SCHOOL IF, IF IT'S NOT STRUCTURED AND IF IT'S NOT SUPERVISED.
AND SO ALL OF THESE STRATEGIES ACTUALLY ARE VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS. I KNOW IT'S HARD TO KIND OF CONNECT THE DOTS ON THAT, BUT THAT IS IN THAT, THAT IS, THAT IS IN FACT TRUE.
UH, I'LL, I'LL EVEN GIVE YOU ANOTHER ONE THAT'S, BUT FOR THE DARKS MIGHT BE FURTHER APART.
OUR C TO SUCCEED PROGRAM IS ACTUALLY A-A-A-A-A-A-A PREVENTION PROGRAM.
BECAUSE WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT KIDS THAT CAN'T SEE IN SCHOOL, THEY START ACTING OUT.
AND, AND THIS INFORMATION I'M ACTUALLY GETTING FROM, FROM THE CLASSROOM, I'M GETTING THIS FROM THE PRINCIPALS AND THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE JUST CONCOCTING WITHIN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND IT IS MY BELIEF THAT IF WE REALLY WANT TO CURB, YOU KNOW, VIOLENCE AND, AND, AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE INVOLVEMENT, THAT WE NEED TO BACK UP AND START INVESTING ON THE PRIMARY PREVENTION SIDE.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
I DON'T EVEN, THIS PROGRAM IS PRIMARY PREVENTION, BUT IT'S ALSO TERTIARY PREVENTION BECAUSE IN SOME CASES THE KIDS ARE ALREADY SHOWING SIGNS OF, OF, OF, OF, OF DOING CERTAIN THINGS.
AND SO THIS PROGRAM JUST BRINGS SOME STRUCTURE TO IT.
UH, AND JUST TO CLARIFY, I'M LOOKING AT SLIDE NUMBER 12 OF THE, THE LARGER POWERPOINT.
UH, IT'S TITLED HHD PROGRAMS FOR HEALTHY CHILDREN.
ACTUALLY, THAT MIGHT BE, UH, ALRIGHT, SO CAN YOU FIND THAT? YES, I GOT IT.
SO THE, UH, BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER IN, UH, RED, THERE'S A QUADRANT THAT SAYS SUPPORTS, AND THEN, UH, IT LISTS SOME BULLET POINTS, VIOLENT PREVENTION PROGRAMS EVERY YES.
UH, REDIRECT, DIVERSION, COMMUNITY REENTRY NETWORK, CREDIBLE MESSENGERS, COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION.
SO ARE THESE, UH, PROGRAMS OR, OR, OR COMPONENTS OF THE CURRICULUM LISTED HERE? UH, STILL, STILL INCLUDED.
THE, THESE ARE SEPARATE PROGRAMS THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS EITHER SPONSORING OR INVOLVED IN THAT ARE, THAT ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO VIOLENCE PREVENTION.
UH, FOR INSTANCE, THE REDIRECT PROGRAM.
SEE, WE GET REFERRALS FROM JUDGES TO INTERVENE AND, AND WORK WITH CHILDREN.
OUR REENTRY PROGRAM, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT HOPEFULLY I MET, THESE ARE PREVIOUSLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE WE, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE LOOKING AT TAKING THEM THROUGH A CURRICULUM.
AND A LOT OF EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON HELPING FOLKS GET A JOB.
HOPEFULLY YOU'LL SEE THAT THE CONTRACTORS AND AND PROCESS, THIS IS WHERE YOU TAKE PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCES THAT ARE ENGAGED AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL, TRYING TO INTERVENE AND TO REALLY GET INDIVIDUALS THAT MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN, IN, IN, IN SITUATIONS
[00:35:01]
TO REALLY KIND OF TURN, TURN AROUND AND COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION.BASICALLY, THIS OCCURS AFTER AN EVENT HAS HAPPENED AND YOU'RE TAKING CREDIBLE MESSENGERS TO TRY TO DEESCALATE THE SITUATIONS AND NOT HAVE RETALIATORY EVENTS.
SO THESE, THOSE, UH, REFERENCES ARE SEPARATE FROM URBAN SCHOLARS PROGRAM.
WHAT WE WANTED TO SHOW HERE IS A BIG PICTURE OF EVERYTHING THAT'S INVOLVED THAT AND, AND, AND, AND, AND THAT THIS, THESE, THESE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE REALLY TRYING TO, UH, PRO PROMOTE, UH, HEALTH AND SAFETY MM-HMM
SO, SO COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, I'M SORRY.
DO YOU MIND IF I PUT YOU BACK IN THE QUEUE? YES, THAT'S FINE.
AND THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UM, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, UH, I, A FEW QUESTIONS REGARDING THE SCHOOLS.
SO ON THE, THE LIST OF SCHOOLS THAT, THAT YOU HAVE ON, ON ONE OF YOUR SLIDES, YOU'VE GOT ATTICS, BOOKER, T WASHINGTON, CLIFTON, MARSHALL, SAM, HOUSTON, WHEATLEY, AND WORTHING.
SO, UM, AND I GUESS THIS IS WHERE MY CONCERN KIND OF OVERALL CAME IN.
I THINK THERE MIGHT BE A LITTLE CONFUSION, UM, AND I'M NOT SURE WHERE IT IS, BUT AT ATTOCKS MIDDLE SCHOOL, UM, THE, UH, MS. KEISHA PARKER STATED THAT THE SCHOOL HAS NOT HAD A PROGRAM SINCE 20 19, 20 20.
AND AT THAT TIME, THE PROGRAM BECAME CO-ED AND BECAUSE OF, BASED ON NEEDS, APPROXIMATELY 25 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM, THEY MET TWICE A WEEK FOR PAINTING AND OTHER GROUP ACTIVITIES.
AND SHE SAID TWO INDIVIDUALS CAME TO REPRESENT FROM MBK AND, UH, TALKED ABOUT THE GARDEN IS STILL THERE, IT'S THE $15,000, YOU KNOW, FOR THE GARDEN.
AND THAT, AND THAT THE SCHOOL WOULD LOVE TO BRING THAT PROGRAM BACK TO THEIR CAMPUS.
AND IN FACT, MS. PARKER SAID, PLEASE PASS HER INFORMATION ALONG IF THIS, UH, IF THIS AMENDMENT GETS APPROVED, UH, THIS WEEK.
UM, AND THEN MARSHALL MIDDLE INDICATES MS. BERNICE ACOSTA SAID THAT THEY HAVE NO PROGRAM AT THE CAMPUS AT THIS TIME, UM, BUT SHE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT AT THEIR CAMPUS.
AND THEN GOING DOWN THE LIST, UM, WORTHING, SAME THING.
UH, MS. JOHNSON SAID, UH, THEY DON'T HAVE A PROGRAM AT THE CAMPUS AT THIS TIME, AND, UH, DOESN'T REMEMBER WHEN, UH, THE LAST TIME THEY DID.
AND THEN BOOKER T, UH, WHICH YOU'D SHOW ON THE, ON THIS LIST MM-HMM
UM, MS. UH, EVASO SAID THAT SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHEN THEY'VE HAD IT LAST, BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE IT AT THIS TIME.
AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK ON YOUR LAST, I'M CONFUSED ON THIS A LITTLE BIT ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE, IT'S NOT LISTED AT ALL.
BOOKER T IS IS NOT ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND, AND I BELIEVE THAT, THAT YOU STATED ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE WAS ONE OF THE EXPANSION PROGRAMS FOR DISTRICT H.
SO I THINK, UM, FROM ONE LIST TO THE CHART, THERE'S, THEY'RE NOT JIVING, BUT ALSO TWO AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
UM, THEY'RE VERY, ESPECIALLY AT ATTICS, WHICH IS NUMBER ONE ON THE LIST, THEY WERE EXTREMELY SPECIFIC ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND WHAT IT WAS.
UH, THE FACT THAT IT WAS CO-ED IS A LITTLE OFF THE CHARTS FOR WHAT YOUR PROGRAM IS.
NOT THAT THERE'S NOT A NEED, TRUST ME, I DON'T DIS DISCOUNT THAT.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT 25 MEMBERS PARTICIPATED.
SO I THINK FOR ME, AND, AND AS MY ORIGINAL, UM, CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS OR HOW ARE THE RESULTS MEASURED, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT'S AN ONGOING, UH, OVERSIGHT? BECAUSE CLEARLY FROM THE LIST OF SCHOOLS TO THE KIND OF THE UPDATE ON THE PROGRAMS IN THE SCHOOLS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE OUTTA WHACK.
SO PUTTING, YOU KNOW, I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH CERTAINLY WHAT THE PROGRAM IS TARGETED TO DO, BUT I THINK, UM, DEFINING WHAT IT IS DOING IS REALLY WHAT I'D LIKE TO, TO SEE AND, AND KIND OF GET A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT SCHOOLS AND, AND WHAT THAT REALLY LOOKS LIKE.
WELL, WELL, I HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WAS A REASON THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CISNEROS AND I WENT TO A NUMBER OF THOSE SCHOOLS.
UH, THE FIRST MESSAGE WAS WANTING TO RECRUIT.
WE DIDN'T MAKE IT, UH, ALLOW IT TO BE COD, BUT WE WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THE FACT THAT IT, IT NEEDED TO BE, UH, MORE, MORE, MORE MALE FOCUSED.
SO I, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, THAT, THAT THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE VISIT.
THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS THAT THERE, THERE, THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN HISD AND THERE, THERE ARE CHALLENGES, UH, AND, UH, WHAT I'M LEARNING IS THAT INDIVIDUAL
[00:40:01]
CAMPUSES ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK THROUGH THIS.THE WAY THAT THIS WAS IN ORIGINALLY DESIGNED WAS FOR THESE, UH, STUDENTS TO ACTUALLY BE IN A CLASS.
IT WAS REALLY, IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL STRUCTURE BECAUSE IT MADE IT A FORMAL PART OF, OF, OF, OF, OF, OF THE SCHOOL SCHEDULE AND EVERYTHING.
WITH, WITH THE CHANGES, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHALLENGES, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SAID WE WERE GONNA PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THIS SUMMER.
SO, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PAST YEAR WITH, WITH CERTAINLY ISDS CHALLENGES IN, IN, UH, YOU KNOW, THE STATE, UH, YOU KNOW, NEW LEADERSHIP.
BUT I, I GUESS IF WE'RE LOOKING AT A, A LIST OF 2, 4, 6, 7 CURRENTLY ON YOUR LIST, AND OUT OF THOSE SEVEN WE KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT 1, 2, 3, 4 DO NOT HAVE THE PROGRAM, HOW DO YOU ANTICIPATE REALLY SHORING THAT UP AND, AND, AND REALLY, UH, IMPLEMENTING AND, AND MAKING PROGRESS AND ADDING NEW SCHOOLS IF WE REALLY DON'T HAVE THE SCHOOLS ON BOARD AT THIS POINT, AND SOME ADDICTS BEING ONE AS FAR BACK AS 2020.
SO THAT, THAT'S I GUESS, A CONCERN THAT I WOULD HAVE FOR, FOR, FOR THE PROGRAM.
SO WE ARE IN ALL SEVEN OF THE SCHOOLS.
UM, MS. PARKER'S FAMILIAR WITH THE PROGRAM.
UM, OUR HIGHEST CONTACT WAS IS WITH PRINCIPAL WILEY, MS. MOORE, WHO RUNS THE STEM PROGRAM.
UH, AND WE'VE BEEN IN ATS, UH, SINCE 2018, 2019.
UH, WE HAVE TWO STAFF MEMBERS THAT WILL GO TO EACH SCHOOL EVERY DAY, AND WE KEEP ATTENDANCE RECORDS.
SO I'M HAPPY TO GIVE YOU ANY EVIDENCE YOU WOULD NEED ABOUT OUR ACTUAL PRESENCE IN THE SCHOOLS.
UM, FOR BOOKER T WASHINGTON, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WAS THEM BECOMING AN NES SCHOOL.
BOOKER T IS OUR FIRST SCHOOL WHERE WE'RE RUNNING THE, RUNNING THE PROGRAM AFTER SCHOOL, RIGHT.
SO OUR, THERE ARE 18 STUDENTS AT BOOKER T WASHINGTON, UM, WILL COME THEN AT CLIFTON MARSHALL, SAM HOUSTON, WHEATLEY, WORTHING.
AND THE STAFF MEMBERS THAT WE WORK WITH ARE THE COUNSELORS.
EACH SCHOOL HAS A TEACHER OF RECORD, UM, THAT ARE, THAT ARE ON OUR LIST.
AND OUR PROGRAM CURRICULUM COACH, WHO'S IN A CLASSROOM, WHO'S TEACHER FACING WILL HELP THE TEACHER WITH WHATEVER TYPE OF CONTENT IS, UH, READY FOR THAT DAY.
AND THEN OUR ACADEMIC AND CAREER SERVICES COUNSELOR WILL WORK WITH OUR STUDENTS ONE-ON-ONE.
AND THIS IS GOING ON IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE ON TRACK TO HAVE, AGAIN, 100%, UM, GRADUATION RATE, UH, IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS.
WE'LL TAKE ALL OF OUR SENIORS ON, UM, A SENIOR RETREAT.
AND SO, AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO TALK TO WHOEVER IT IS THAT YOU GOT INFORMATION FROM THAT WOULD BE CONFUSED ABOUT WHERE WE ARE IN THE SCHOOL.
WELL, I'M HAPPY TO, HAPPY TO SHARE MS. PARKER'S, UH, IN INFORMATION, UH, WITH YOU.
UM, AND SO HOW MANY DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE IN ENROLLED IN YOUR PROGRAM? THERE ARE 220 STUDENTS RIGHT NOW ACROSS ALL SEVEN SCHOOLS.
AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
DIRECTOR WILLIAMS, ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU.
UM, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE.
SO DISTRICT H HAS HISTORICALLY, UH, BEEN A PARTNER IN THIS PROGRAM.
AND IN ADDITION TO THE SERVICE FUND, UH, ALLOCATION OF $200,000, THERE WAS A $30,000 ALLOCATION FOR AN ART PROGRAM ONE WEEK, UH, MURAL PROGRAM, THREE HIGH SCHOOLS.
I DON'T SEE THAT REFLECTED HERE IN THE BREAKDOWN ON THE FISCAL YEARS, BUT THAT WAS PART OF MBK, IS THAT CORRECT? I, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE HOW IT HAPPENED.
NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT, I REMEMBER THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU, I CAN ASK THE QUESTION.
WE GO AHEAD, DO A PROJECT AT THE, YOU HAVE TO.
HI, I AM KIMBERLY OF CHURCH AND I'M THE ASSOCIATE, UH, DIRECTOR FOR THE UBSTANCE SUCCESS LEARNING INSTITUTE.
AND WE DID DO A MURAL PROJECT WITH, UH, UP ART.
THEY WERE DONATED THE FUNDS, IF YOU LOOK DIRECTLY ACROSS, UM, SAM HOUSTON AT THE DOLLAR TREE, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL MURAL THERE.
UM, THERE'S ONE ON THE SIDE OF NORTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL, BECAUSE THAT WAS INITIALLY THE SCHOOL THAT I WANNA GO INTO.
AND THEN THE THIRD WILL BE AT BOOKER T WASHINGTON BOOKER, AND IT'S SET TO GO OFF, UH, PRETTY SOON THERE.
THEY WERE JUST WAITING FOR THEIR FUNDINGS BECAUSE THEY'RE PAID.
IF YOU LOOK ON ANY OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, UM, PAGES AT SOCIAL JUSTICE LEARNING INSTITUTE UP OR UP OUR HOUSTON, IT'S AN AMAZING, AMAZING, UH, MURALS THAT ARE GOING ON.
I DID GET SOME, SOME INFORMATION ON IT, AND IT DID LOOK, UH, LIKE THE ONES THAT WERE PRODUCED, UH, WERE, WERE FANTASTIC.
SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF IT WAS A PART OF MBK SINCE IT'S NOT IN THE
[00:45:01]
FY BREAKDOWN, BUT THEY'RE DOING IT.UM, AND FOR MARSHALL, IT WAS ADDED AS AN EXPANSION IN FY 24, BUT IT'S NOT IN FY 25.
SO WAS IT ONLY FUNDED FOR JUST ONE YEAR? TO MY KNOWLEDGE, IT WAS, IT WAS A PART OF THE EXPANSION.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY SUPPOSED TO BE FOR NORTHSIDE HIGH SCHOOL, BUT AT THE TIME THAT NORTHSIDE, UM, JOINED THE NES PROGRAM, UM, THE FOCUS SHIFTED TO ANOTHER DISTRICT H SCHOOL, WHICH WAS MARSHALL.
UM, SO I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE IF THE FUNDING WAS GOING TO END THIS YEAR OR IF IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO INTO NEXT YEAR AS WELL.
UM, DOES THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DEDICATE ANY STAFF TO MBK? YES.
UM, THERE, THERE ARE TWO COMPONENTS OF M-M-M-B-K IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
ONE IS THE, UH, THE COMPONENT THAT IS RES.
WE HAVE STAFF THAT IS DEDICATED TO MANAGING THE NETWORK OF PARTNERS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN MBK.
THE OTHER PART IS THE PROGRAM PART.
AND, UH, PATRICIA IS, IS OVER THAT, THAT WOULD BE THE ACTUAL OPERATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT RUNS THAT ARE RELATED TO MMBK.
AND WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT IN ORDER TO KEEP ALL THESE PARTNERS AT THE TABLE AND TO REALLY REVISE THE ACTION PLAN AND, AND, AND THEN REALLY WORK WITH THE OBAMA FOUNDATION, THAT THAT IS ENOUGH WORK TO ACTUALLY HAVE STAFF DO THAT.
AND WE, THESE WERE COMBINED AT ONE TIME, BUT THEN WE SEPARATED IT TO WHERE, UH, WE WOULD HAVE STAFF LOOKING AT DATA AND MANAGING THE PARTNERS AND THEN FOLKS THAT ARE ACTUALLY RUNNING THE PROGRAMS. GOT IT.
UM, COUNCILMAN CASTILLO, DO YOU MIND IF I PUT YOU BACK IN THE QUEUE? WE'VE GOT ABOUT 10 MORE MINUTES LEFT, AND WE'VE GOT, IS THAT OKAY? YEP.
UM, DIRECTOR, FIRST AND FOREMOST, YOU HAVE SEVEN SCHOOLS.
UM, AND THERE ARE TWO SCHOOLS, PARTICULARLY COUNCIL MEMBER TATUM MENTIONED THE FACT THAT MADISON HIGH SCHOOL, UH, WHICH IS NOT ON THE LIST, YOU HAD THREE MIDDLE SCHOOLS, FOUR HIGH SCHOOLS.
I THINK THE INITIATIVE, THE PROGRAM IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT'S NEEDFUL, BUT I THINK IN THE, IN THE OFFSET, STATISTICALLY, THERE'S SOME ABSENCES OF DATA THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, ESPECIALLY ON THE BASIS OF SOME OF THE SCHOOLS WHO HAVE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF THE PROBLEM THAT YOU ARE ASSOCIATING WITH IN TERMS OF SOCIAL JUSTICE.
UH, ONE WOULD BE MADISON, ANOTHER WOULD BE STERLING, ANOTHER ONE WOULD BE STEPHEN F. AUSTIN.
I CAN THINK OF, UH, SEVERAL OF THE SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL, THOMAS.
NOW I ADOPT BOTH STERLING AND THOMAS MIDDLE SCHOOL.
IT NOW IN THE GROUP OF MINISTERS WITHIN THAT COMMUNITY ON THE SOUTHEAST END, HAS ADOPTED THOSE SCHOOLS FOR, FOR LENGTH OF TIME.
ONE OF THE REASON WHY, BECAUSE WE HAD A VERY ACTIVE NUMBER OF, OF FIGHTS AND VIOLENCE WITHIN THAT SCHOOL, AND BOTH OF THOSE SCHOOLS, AND I COULD PRODUCE THOSE NUMBERS FROM HISD.
THE OTHER THING THAT I'M CONCERNED WITH IS THE INITIATIVE.
I DIDN'T SEE, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED A PART OF YOUR ACTION PLAN.
UM, IS THERE A PARENT COMPONENT INTO THAT? BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THOSE OF US WHO ARE INVOLVED WITH MANY OF OUR KIDS IN THIS PROGRAM.
I KNOW CALIFORNIA'S CALIFORNIA, BUT IT, FROM A CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE, THESE TWO DIFFERENT CITIES, WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH THAT AFTER, YOU KNOW, I SPENT SEVERAL YEARS IN CHICAGO, IT'S A DIFFERENT CULTURE.
IT'S A DIFFERENT RESPONSE TO THE ACTIVITY OF THESE KIDS.
IS THERE A PARENT? BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THAT MANY OF OUR KIDS, THOSE OF US THAT ARE INVOLVED, AND NOT JUST USING TALKING POINTS, BUT IF YOU INVOLVED IN IT AND HAVE PARENTS, WHETHER YOU BE IN YOUR COMMUNITY OR CHURCH THAT ARE IN THAT, WE KNOW PARENTING IS A VERY MAJOR COMPONENT IN WHAT THESE KIDS BRING TO THE SCHOOLS IN THEIR, YOU KNOW, ACTIONS AND THE WAY THAT THEY CONDUCT THEMSELVES.
YOU KNOW, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT IF WE HAD THE MONEY, WE WOULD GO TO A LOT MORE SCHOOLS.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, I HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT IT, IT'S ALMOST LIKE PAY TO PLAY.
YOU KNOW, I, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN MONEY
[00:50:01]
FROM COUNCIL TO EXPAND THIS PROGRAM.THIS, THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY 1115 WAIVER.
WE, WE KNOW THAT THE NEED IS FAR GREATER.
BUT WE DID NOT WANT TO NOT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE WE COULDN'T GO EVERYWHERE WHERE WE'RE NEEDED.
SO WE, WE GO TO THOSE SCHOOLS.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT.
AND THAT WAS THE REASON FOR MY ASK, BECAUSE THE OTHER PART OF THAT IS I WANTED TO ASK YOU, SINCE IT'S NOT CITY OR NOT STATE, I MEAN NOT FEDERAL RIGHT? THAT ARE FUNDING.
SO HAS, HAVE THERE BEEN A DISCUSSION WITH HISD IN REGARDS TO FUNDING THIS? YOU KNOW, NOT, NOT, NOT PER SE.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOTTEN SOME MONEY BACK YEARS AGO FROM HISD, UH, RELATIVE TO SOME OF OUR OTHER PROGRAMS, BUT THEY HAVE, UH, UH, SOME SUPPORTS THAT ARE ON THESE CAMPUSES.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS DIFFERENT.
YOU KNOW, IF I WERE DESIGNING THIS, I REALLY DON'T WANNA GET ON A SOAPBOX, BUT I WOULD ACTUALLY TAKE THE RESOURCES FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND, AND, AND ACTUALLY, UH, COMBINE THEM OF WHAT WE'RE BRINGING IN ORDER TO HAVE A MORE, UH, COMPLETE AND HOLISTIC APPROACH TO THIS.
I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS THE PARENT COMPONENT OF THE PROGRAM.
SO OUR STAFF, UM, ARE MAKING FROM THE START, STUDENTS NEED PARENT PERMISSION.
THEY GET A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM.
WE'RE WORKING WITH PARENTS FROM WELLNESS CALLS, CHECKING UP ON STUDENTS, CHECKING UP ON FAMILIES, A CONSISTENT, UM, ACTION ON BEHALF OF THE STAFF TO ENSURE THAT FOR ANY PROBLEMS THAT MAY ARISE, MISSING CREDITS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH PARENTS, TALKING TO PARENTS, AND FOR OUR STAFF, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS YEAR ROUND.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS IT FURTHER WITH BOTH IF, IF, YOU KNOW, I'M HAPPY EVEN IN REGARDS TO HIDI HAD A MEETING WITH
I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE STAFF FROM COUNCIL EVAN SHABAZZ'S OFFICE.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND GOOD MORNING.
AND THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
UH, DISTRICT D UH, TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY IS IN OUR DISTRICT.
THE DATA THAT YOU RAISED IN THEIR RESEARCH, CAN THAT BE MADE AVAILABLE TO OUR OFFICE? SURE.
ALSO, UH, YOU MENTIONED A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS ABOUT CDSF MONEY FOR USE IN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS. BY CHANCE, DID YOU MENTION THE CASE FOR KIDS PROGRAM THROUGH HARRIS COUNTY? NO, I, I DID.
WE WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT.
COUNCIL LADY EVAN ROUTINELY SUBMITS FUNDING TO THAT PROGRAM.
ADDITIONALLY, YOU MENTIONED THE REENTRY PROGRAM.
WHERE ARE THOSE PROGRAMS HOUSED OR HOSTED? AND MY REASON FOR ASKING IS, IS THAT A PROGRAM THAT COULD BE, UM, UH, PLACED AT THE SUNNYSIDE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER? THE SHORT ANSWER TO THAT IS YES, BUT THE FOLLOW UP IS Y'ALL, WE CAN EXPAND, BUT YOU GOTTA GIVE THE MONEY TO DO IT.
YOU KNOW, BUT I INITIALLY PROPOSED FOR RANCHING IS THAT, THAT WE HAVE, UH, OUR SITES, WE, WE WOULD HAVE MULTIPLE SITES FOR REENTRY JUST BECAUSE OF THE, THE, THE, THE SIZE OF HOUSTON ITSELF.
BUT OUR PROGRAM IS AT, AT, AT CASHMERE.
WHEN IT'S AT CASHMERE AND PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE CITIES CAN COME, DO, I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED SOMETHING AT SUNNYSIDE OR A COUPLE OF OTHER LOCATIONS.
BUT I CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT MONEY.
I MEANT WE WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF MY PET PEEVES, Y'ALL.
I'M ALMOST 20 YEARS IN JUNE, WE, WE ARE DOING THIS FOR MONEY THAT WE GENERATED.
BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND YOU GET RESULTS FROM IT.
IF YOU LOOK AT RECIDIVISM RATES WITHOUT REENTRY PROGRAM, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE, IF YOU LOOK AT RESULTS FROM C TO SUCCEED, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THERE'S NO LO THERE'S NO GENERAL FUND INVESTMENT IN THOSE PROGRAMS. WE, WE ARE DOING THAT BECAUSE WE THINK IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
AND I HEAR ALL THE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OTHER INVESTMENTS OR WHATEVER, BUT THESE ARE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE I WAS 19 YEARS OLD AND WE DON'T REALLY FOCUS ON THE RIGHT THINGS.
WHAT YOU SAID COUNCIL MEMBER, IN TERMS OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN, IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THESE KIDS.
YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M LIKE A FAN.
I USED TO DO AN URBAN FOUR H IN, IN, IN AUSTIN.
WE HAD REMARKABLE RESULTS WITH THAT.
BUT IT TAKES STAFF, IT, IT TAKES PEOPLE TO RUN THOSE PROGRAMS. SO IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GET ON THE PREVENTION SIDE, THAT'S WHAT YOU START INVESTING IN.
UH, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM A, FROM A LAW ENFORCEMENT STANDPOINT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE REACTING TO SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY
[00:55:01]
HAPPENED.IF YOU WANT TO PREVENT, THEN YOU START WORKING WITH THESE YOUNG FOLKS.
YOU KNOW, YOU WHEN, WHEN THEY'RE ACTUALLY YOUNG.
I, I WENT TO MY 50TH, SORRY TO SAY THAT, HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION AND I JUST STARTED TO REFLECT ON, YOU KNOW, THE EXPERIENCES I HAD BACK THEN.
YOU KNOW, STARTED DOING WELCOMINGS IN, IN IN CHURCH, BUT ALSO, BUT ORGANIZED SPORTS ON, ON CAMPUS.
THAT HELPED ME STAY ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW.
I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS AS PRESIDENT AS WELL.
WE DO HAVE ONE PUBLIC SPEAKER, OH, ACTUALLY TWO PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE YOU, DIRECTOR WILLIAMS, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.
YOU POINTING OUT THAT THE CORE REASONS WHY WE SEE THE PROBLEMS, THE SOCIAL ISSUES THAT WE SEE IN THE CD OF HOUSTON, YOU ARE DEALING WITH HEAD ON.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS PROGRAM'S IMPORTANT TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON ON SO MANY LEVELS.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
OUR OTHER SPEAKER, C CRANDALL, CAGE GAGE.
MY NAME'S CRANDALL GAGE AND I'M SIX, SO I CAN'T SPEAK MUCH.
I SUPPORT WHAT MR. WILLIAMS SAID AND UH, ON THIS, MOST OF MY QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED, BUT WE NEED MORE MONEY TO EXPAND.
WE NEED MORE MONEY TO EXPAND INTO ALL DEAN SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE HAVE GIRLS AND BOYS CLUBS THAT DON'T ACCEPT THE PEOPLE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU KNOW, WE NEED MORE FUNDING.
I'M JUST TOO SICK TO CARRY ON.
I JUST SHOWED UP AND I SHOW UP AGAIN.
WE NEED MORE PARENTAL GUIDANCE.
AND THE PARENTAL PART REALLY TOUGH ME.
'CAUSE I'M 65 AND I JUST LOST MY PARENTS.
SO WE NEED MORE MONEY AND WE NEED TO START CONSIDERING BEING PROACTIVE INSTEAD.
THAT'S ALL I CAN SPEAK ON BECAUSE I'M SICK.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES, WE CAN JUST SUBMIT THOSE AND I'LL MAKE SURE WE GET THE ANSWERS TO THOSE.
AND AT THIS TIME WE WILL ADJOURN THE MEETING.