 talking for real, you know, and that's what's going on with these these young three to four three to five years old Talking man coming out talking and educational. They want to play games. They want to they want to read books They want to read books. So, you know, you don't have to go around asking them I got to do is they take them to the bookstore or something in a library And man they find things they like, you know, man, right, you know, kids that age They learn through play and discovery, you know And that's a lot of what working with really young children three to, you know, five-year-olds is Setting up ways for them to discover new things and to work with each other They're learning the social and emotional skills along the way about how to accommodate other kids You know how in addition to the early literacy and math skills that are so important But it's really important for them to learn how to how to be with other people. Yeah, no doubt about it You know, that's so important and like like I sit there somewhere Somebody was asking me some course and I wrote it down that I think the younger kids today like that age group, you know Are so much smarter, you know, France like a diversity about You know more let's just say diversity, you know, and They don't even have no workshop by us But I'm telling you once they get older like around and I know this well fact. Yeah when they get older and they start Learning these ways of how to be on the racial bias and how to be they started learning. So I was saying to this group And we both sit on yeah that um that we need to Teach these kids to be facilitators from from the being on, you know, like be peer-peer models You know, it's to you know, each one teach one type deal. They can teach their own age group, right? And and keep these kids Learning, you know, because they not like that right now. They know, you know, those three to five year olds They're not like that right now, but soon they get an older somehow later attitudes and Feelings and beliefs start shining through based on what they see or what they see on TV or here Or learn, you know, using all that five senses. So I totally believe that and um, and so that's that's the important piece We got to do we got to keep these youth involved in making these decisions about especially about the world and themselves, right? So so I'm all down with that. Um, so exactly what's gonna be in that building, you know I know you got other things you got off you Change it in the auditorium is gonna right so we're gonna have a brand new performing arts center We're gonna have a brand new cafeteria We're gonna bring all of kind of the centralized services to the middle of the building With a a new entryway. So when you come in, you know It's gonna be really family friendly all the you know, the elementary the middle high offices will be there The school-based health center will be there with our nurses And we're gonna have some dental chairs in there. We work with local pediatricians to offer a Health clinic a couple days a week We'll have our cultural liaisons in our ELL department will be right there We're gonna have a cafe right there the library. So it's really gonna be this nice community hub that makes all of the Support services and all the people that parents typically want to communicate with they'll all be in one place now instead of having to Hunt all over the building. Yeah, which makes it easier for parents. It also makes it more safe and secure For everybody in the school. Yeah, so um You know when it's key years ago when I lived in the ski Don't know mouths may have them People were saying like oh god Influx of they would use And so they didn't people didn't know how to deal with them, you know And I think right now or not even just all these years ago, you know, I think I'm over 10 years or more they finally learned how to Actually work with in the new Americans who's come to who's been here who's been here, you know At one point when they when the new Americans came they didn't have um You know, there was nobody like to translate to with their languages and it's like a I don't know how many languages you might There's a lot of 20 languages 20 languages and that um, they um It wasn't really nothing fundamental or education Nothing really that they could do You know me like that part of their um learning American cultures and um and and also Teaching or be a part of their own culture You know, you know when I was back in those days. I was on a board of directors of parks and rights and um I was like come on me, you know, they would like they would do these big things in uh No, brian center or whatever about the dinners, you know cultural dinners and I like that's great But we need to we need to teach individuals about our culture You know like like if in Rome like in Rome do what there's Romans do, you know I'm saying you you have to do it and and then a lot of times people um, like I'm not I'm not I don't know I'm not gonna say any names or anything But but we're getting AmeriCorps visitors who didn't speak the language didn't look like them didn't none of that stuff And so what good is that there's no good? You just you got to get the people who look like them who talk like them and then there'll be more um um Out to be more part of of What we have to offer them and like um, I think that's one of the reasons my old brands and I'm really no for a fact Didn't last, you know, because like um, some people told me who up there Said that a lot of people would just come in there. You know, they come for the food You know, and then they all leave and and then cost, you know, kind of like have it in the Building, you know just because they hadn't they no one was there to actually teach them or Or help them not to listen to teach them but give them Opportunity to share their own stuff. And so So, um, so what you got going what in the school is going? I mean, I know you've been doing a lot of stuff Ways and standing up without the new americans, but um, what What do you have to offer them in the new project? Well, so I I think You know, I mean refugees have been resettled in winooski and burlington for over 25 years, right and um, I think that there has been progress in terms of the supports that are in place There's been great, uh partnership that was um, Really spurred by covid between a alv us cri the city The department of health the school district and um You know, but we still have a ways to go I think the things that we have done leading up to the building Really are more el teachers. We have a newcomer program for our students who have very limited english Both at the at the elementary the middle and the high school because we want to get them Uh, speak in english as soon as possible because that's how yeah, that's how they can access all the other content at school So one of the things that we're doing, uh, I think the whole building itself is a Statement about equity For a long long time I don't think communities like winooski were able to do some of the things that other communities who had more resources were able to do And so I think bringing this modern building with with healthier and safer systems In it is is a a benefit to all including our our new americans and then I think that Upgrading the new the newcomer program classrooms one, you know, our elementary newcomer program classroom is vastly inadequate It's too small. It's not ventilated well enough, you know So creating new classrooms for that instruction and then the new uh cultural liaison, uh office Which is going to be right in the middle of the building is um Is another benefit to the community I think the biggest thing that we can do for our new american students and families Is we have to move towards higher Expectations for our students in the classroom. No doubt about it. So we've put the supports in place We're building a really wonderful building And now we need to to look at our students and say we expect great things from you And we're going to support you in getting there. Yeah, um, you know I think you're going to do with that really really fast if you hire people who look like them You know, I mean teachers you'll do that real fast. It'd be like a no-brainer. Boom. You know, I mean, you know I'm hanging out what's personal look like me. Yeah, I'm gonna do it, you know, because it's easier. They understand me in culture They don't look why I'm doing this or I'm a hat They understand so, um, we're working on it. Yeah, well, I know it's a little tough, you know, but you know we just got to recruit from other other states and universities and um and um Of some of the um historic black colleges. Yeah, get some of those. Well, you know, that was one of the demands from the musky students For anti-racism One of their explicit demands was hire more staff of color to represent our our student body And so, you know, we've made some strides in that it's still it's nowhere near where it needs to be But we also need to get a group of people together Who can develop a strategy a thoughtful strategy and then we the board and I put the resources behind it And I think you'll see that change It's gonna take some time, but I think we'll see that change. Yeah, I know that's because I'm just gonna do a comparable like I work with um Chiefs of the different law enforcement officer across the state and From I don't know how many many years and and one of the main thing they want to do is hire People of color and and and they put it out there and Nobody, you know me and so and you know, they got that they they actually have a recruit recruiting Program with that's funding. Yeah, I mean and they can't get nobody They get the first one. I think we got one person from the state police. Uh, and when you see things got I'm gonna reach not Yeah, but um, you know, well, it's one of those things that we should be doing more Collaboratively whether it's as a region or as a state, you know Instead of having each district the school district do their own thing We should all be working together on this because I think you know, uh, uh, ethnically diversifying Our state is a key component of uh, our long term sustainability Yeah, and uh, you know, I help with the law for change some things, you know, like data collection and Work with um state police on fair and partial police and blah blah, but you know to me You know, it's it's a slow change. It's a slow process. I mean, you know, I always meet with some officers and lieutenants They'll do ride loans all around and I just know I was there working with them for I'm with how they engage the community. I wasn't there for the fair and partial police. I just asked the question. Do you Did you do a fair and partial policing training and um, and you say, yeah That's all cool. You say, yeah, it was like about 10 hours online You took the fair and partial policing training online, man So, you know, you know, they they got to come up to you know, and I'm gonna be talking to some of those guys but um, um, so COVID-19 and when you see now You know I always talk to some leadership people there about um as when we first started with COVID-19 You know when we first heard about it When was that march? Um, I said, listen We need to get people mask You know, um, especially the people of color need to get a mask You know, get a mask and tell them how to wear them and what they should do and um And they and then I said same things to the department help I will say them and um some people up there and they say, well, the governor's not funding the mask and then, um No, we just can say we don't have you know, we didn't we don't have an academic for the mask and then um And I said one thing we know for sure if you wet you you gotta know their language You ain't got no a lot of things, but if you wear that mask Properly and due to six feet distancing you won't have you might not have a lot of cases in within your town We know that for a fact, you know, and then it is like poo poo not thing and all of a sudden All of a sudden I was talking to the commissioner's office and leadership in UNUSC all of a sudden um People in UNUSC the highest rate they 20 some people it wasn't uh It affected infected with COVID-19, you know, because no one You know walked around the door giving them masks explaining to them like you gotta wear them You know this basic little elementary language No one did it, you know, and then um just that I got a lot of apologies from those people and I'm like It's just a no-brainer if you use a no-brainer if you're in leadership position or a health position You just a no-brainer if you know that the people need masks people who look like me at the highest risk You've got to go not just me, but you got to give all those people masks Here is the state was doing good and bam When you see the smallest little one square mile town was hit with COVID-19 like Well, I think I think you if you if you were to talk to the department of health I think what they would tell you is the outbreak That happened in the summer and then the other outbreak that happened later like in december or november We're due to gatherings. Yeah, you know, and they can be traced to very specific gatherings And I agree with you. I think the it took us a while to kind of Pivot especially in march on on all of the precautions because at the school We were really focused on we had to release students Transfer over to remote learning we had to make sure every student had a device Internet connection No, no, I think I think we did pretty I think we did pretty good And then after that, I think, you know, there was a lot of collaboration between the city. There was a multi-lingual task force A alv us cri, you know and translating all of the videos Um about the different precautions that needed to happen and everything but There was just a lot going on there and it certainly all could have been done I know I I um They um, no, I know the collaboration incredible collaboration after after all that and I asked them exactly what they're doing And what are they doing and I really ain't got no really good answer still from all those people Who are incredible organizations and who doing this type of work they work with um new americans They work with people because they were you know, um Probably helpful with everybody, you know, but I still don't have no right answer. I still don't get no answer I don't what Write it out My little I got if I got to see it you got to tell me That's how my brain working. I mean and I still don't get it what they're doing I don't see nobody walking down the communities. You know talking to people giving the flyers. Give me, you know, you know I don't I don't see that I live it when you see I don't see none of that Yeah, I mean, um, you got to go knock on doors, man You gotta be boots on the ground, you know, and you know, that's how you're gonna make a different change You gotta have some people who look just like them Helping you make the difference and talking with them and I don't see that So how are you doing it? Are you sitting to and then some things I don't know how they're doing it They're doing it to compute you. They want you to go online these individuals who americans go online You know, like uh, here goes a lady or a guy who come from some, um african country who's 65 or something like no don't go online Go to the american and go try to go through that navigate that That um website and say how you fold to do something and um, how do you come on, man? You know, really really now and that's what the first thing you do is online. There's a link right really really Well in the very beginning, you know, you you weren't really allowed to go door to door You know because it was it was basically a lockdown, right? So we had to rely on technology to some degree But we also relied particularly in the new american community. We relied on our cultural liaisons who are who are highly trusted By the specific community that they work with and they were making phone calls. They were doing video chats, you know, face time We did zooms Until we could it was a little bit say we handed out materials when we were distributing food, you know a couple times a week I remember that Yeah, so it was but it was it was a tough You think that you you think that you covered it all when you do all those wonderful things that you guys Do you think they okay? What else can we do? I'm telling you when you're working with Right economically challenged individuals that lives in your Part of your property neighborhood neighborhoods you gotta um You have to go door to door. We have to go there. I don't care if it's call it To the 150 power you just do your social distancing people even if these health professionals It's like uh, like essential workers. That's the only praise in them and we should I got a mural going up on Perl Street beverage Right now gigantic. It's like, uh, it's a praise to the essential workers the doctor It's it's beautiful. I know they've been amazing. Yeah, so um, so I'm saying we have a mural going up through our arts program On Perl Street beverage, which I don't know thousands square feet. And we we're gonna try to we're gonna finish it, you know soon Um, they open and move that fence, but um, it's it's a dedication to essential workers So we believe in essential worker, but they they've been amazing. You're right So we we know that you know, like please garbage man Don't stop bringing up everything in the garbage, you know, please You know all these are nurses and doctors and firemen and please don't stop doing But we they did it because they had to do it because they received essential workers and same with These individuals who are working with new americans who don't quite understand. They just getting there You know trying to get get what we're trying to what we're doing here in america and um They're getting it, but you gotta look at them It's it's the wrong way of thinking, you know, you know, it's the wrong way thing I'm gonna stand about out if I'm me soon. I'll be me with the governor I'm gonna tell him to but um You know, I'm a little upset about that and I'm kind of stealing them because there ain't really nothing changed since I Since I've seen those new americans came in come into town in brolin's They've told me when they first came in brolin's in over 25 years had me go talk to them down and um Memorial term, you know, and they um, it's so amazing because they was like They wanted they was like what do you want to do in life? What's your goals and dreams and aspirations? I want to be a doctor or a lawyer, you know And and and when I see they like Bruce moves you remember me like I said, no He said when they like I said, I said, what do you do? He's not my lawyer now. I'm like, you know, they they did Exactly what they said they wanted to do because they had help when it first came in Yeah, they had when they very first came in they brought people like me and other people like me to down to talk with I'm thinking what I'm gonna say, you know, I mean, you know, but I um, I was amazed, you know, they were really here for To for life and the benefit of their families and Opportunity, yeah Well, the good news is that, you know, I think with the new uh, uh President biden's administration There'll be resources going back into refugee resettlement while that whole program had been stripped for years During the the trump administration and their funding was stripped And so it left, you know, us cri and amila and her team Without the resources to do what they could normally do. So now it's it's I think it's it's slowly gonna be coming back Uh, and that's a good thing. Yeah, I know they'll be able to support Refugees who are resettled much better than they have been the last three or four years I know I was going to work with them. Uh, because we have uh, we do things We sit on a lot of different things and rather and so I was going to work with um, Refugee settlement and um, they actually didn't give them the fund They couldn't even get the space that they were going to get in the house Because then the funding was pulled or something. It was crazy how they did that to them and um It's a saddest thing ever, you know But you know, like I said, now I'm inviting in his administration That are going to try to work to get these individuals They're some funding for they can help them with education right everything they have to offer But I know we know it's just you know, it's no person It's just You know, a lot of people, you know, if you don't if you don't I'm a human being first and foremost. Uh, I came to Vermont 89 The whitest state in America. Obviously, I I'm not precious. You know, I have some precious I do like everybody White people but um But the thing is that uh, and when you look like me and then um in the In the lesson that was learned from all the people in the world about people things that happen to people like me In a person like me who feel these things you it's a little more emotional, you know, man Because it's emotional, you know, me for for me. It really is and I'm not going to try to hide it I will not hide it. What I'll do is try to work to help individuals Learn how can I help you with your ideas and you know, whatever and look at we work together Love one another and You know be at peace, you know, and that that's that's what I really want and even Vermont is like that Pretty much, but I'm willing to continue to do the work. I sit on these boards that does this work Well, we all got to do the work. Yeah, we all know we all got different pieces of work that we got to do Yeah, it's true. I think that's another good thing about the call. But is that um, You know, it's still show that um that african people color are most um, you know affected by Fucking I mean Everything, you know, so or, you know, especially call it we're more affected by that, you know, say, how does that happen? How does that happen, you know, how does that happen to people who looks like me? um Give me mostly for economically jobs You know scholars, you know, how does that does that happen? I don't get it. I don't understand that but whatever It's all good. But it's so, um, Shawn Um, I know I go, you know, I do the way of the words. I'm I'm glad to be able to talk with you about all the different Different things about how we think about the ways of the worlds of Vermont and how we can work together You sit on a lot of committees and Based on your job as the um superintendent of school district or Winooski school district. That's incredible You know, I mean, that's a big big job because you got a lot of you get a lot of things going on with all your teachers and You know other managers. Yeah, and I think any superintendent would tell you this this year has tested our leadership skills and capacities like never before, you know, and uh We've learned a lot from it and I think like our regional superintendent group has come together a lot And we've tried to work more collaboratively than we ever have before Um, but it has tested people's, uh stress and capacity, you know, just beyond anything We've ever experienced before I could you ever know and you know, I mean I'll I'll speak, you know for Winooski Like our families have been amazing, you know, they have been so supportive of what we've been doing We've made mistakes. They've been understanding. They've uh, you know, talked to us about it and you know Advocated for their children's learning and what they need and they've done it respectfully and You know, I just have so much respect for our families and our parents and what they've done throughout This pandemic and our staff, you know, it really has Really has shown what what an amazing Community school and the broader community that we have at Winooski. Yeah, you got incredible staff So, um, so let's just talk about a little bit about the um virtual classrooms. Wow, man And you had to get all the computers out to the kids and what do you have to do? What did you have to do for the virtual classrooms for the students? Yeah, well, we had uh, first of all, we had to get all the devices out because And we were already positioned fairly well because our middle and high school students already had devices And they took them back and forth to home and school So that was not as big a lift. It was the younger kids because they don't take them home So we had to make sure that we had uh, a list of everything that uh, all the devices and everything to protect the community's investment We had to make sure that they were they were programmed properly so that they could work with zoom and other platforms We were using zoom and google meets We had to make sure that they had chargers We had to check in with every single family to make sure that they had an internet connection Uh, and if they didn't we we helped connect them to comcast to get an internet connection Right, so You know and then there was just a lot of scheduling that happens because then teachers are communicating with their classes About okay, we're going to meet at these times and so a lot of schedules had to be developed and and uh, you know It was it was certainly uh clunky in the beginning, but um, you know our our principals our teachers and staff did a great job Working with parents parents were very patient And what we've also learned is that um, you know, it has made us, uh, really value Being in person You know and and there's there's uh, uh, there's an element of learning That's different when you're in person and when you're on a screen And it's it's much more preferable to be in person and we did have some students who really thrived In a in a virtual environment, you know, um, who really because they could work more independently You know they, uh, uh, I'd say it's a pretty small percentage But we had some students who said hey, I really like this and they did really well academically Um, but it really has made us Um, we want to be back together. Oh man. Yeah, me too because um every time look around You know, I'm in some type of zoom meeting or Something you know, man, I I can't stand the zoom meeting. Yeah, I really can't you know Like people like you and me we got to go through a couple of hours of zoom Two hours Now I can go at least at least I can you know Be a lot of people, you know, you know Somewhere else and we have meetings. Yeah, but you know and then you can Stop to talk to joe sally, but um god these zoom meetings, man I can't wait till we get back to being in person because it means a lot because you can see you can actually see people's You can hear it and see their feelings right about how they really mean about something. Yeah, and uh You could actually get it from them, you know and um There's a lot of verbal and non-verbal cues that happen, you know, uh in learning and you know teachers are expert at noticing those things It's much harder to notice those things and to be able to act on them when you're in a virtual environment Teachers are expert, you know You write about that and um so So here we go. So um, so what's your timeline on so how much money you need? How much does this thing cost? The the project project so the project the the voters gave us, uh, the ability to borrow up to 57.8 million dollars um So we'll see when the project Is finished. We are on budget right now, which was mean we would we would max out at that amount Um, but we won't know until the very end because we have money in contingency What the final costs are going to be? Also, uh, you know, we're hoping for some donations and we've gotten like I told you before a significant donation from Bruce Lisman and his wife kyla of a hundred thousand dollars. Thank you So that was fantastic and so we're gonna continue through our heart of wunewski foundation to see if we can get some more donations Yeah, um, we're also hoping that maybe we'll get some relief through the uh, uh infrastructure bill that might be coming out The board may decide to apply some of the federal esser funds So we're hoping to uh, uh offset, you know a good chunk of that money to So that will lower the the long-term payoff that the community has to make and the other thing is we're really fortunate to partner Um and do a finance package with usda. So we end up getting a two and a quarter interest rate And we'd been modeling, you know, 3.6. So that's going to save millions of dollars over the 30-year payoff period. Yeah, so Listeners and watchers, if you know, if you don't know, this is Sean McCann from wunewski school district Superintendent he's an awesome person. He'll come out and he'll talk to you. He'll give you everything that you You know, you're actually if you have the answer or you'll find the answer. So he's a great guy You know, he's been in wunewski school district as a superintendent for eight years And um, we work a lot. We set up some committees together He's always like positive thoughts, you know, right on about, um Right on about listening to people What their goals and their dreams and their ideas are he's inclusive to do as wunewski is very, you know Need to be inclusive of everything that who they are He's very inclusive and he made sure I got the best designers for the new addition for the wunewski I keep saying high school, but it's not the high school school district. Yeah, whole district. I know we love it because We did um, we did um, dances and different things in my programs in high school and we came with some things Back in the school again. Um, so, um So let's say talk a little bit about emily So emily where she's one of your whoops. She's your coordinator. So emily's our director emily hecker She's our director of communications and development. So her job is kind of too pronged and um, uh, she has worked primarily in communications this year during covet because We are communicating with our our families and staff on a weekly basis and sometimes more than that. And so she has, um Really just been doing a ton of communication this year But even during that she was able to uh, Establish the heart of wunewski foundation and get the board going and everything To uh, procure that hundred thousand dollar donation. That was awesome. That's a big hit for her Yeah, and some other donations and so she's really anxious to get back to the development part of her job and start pursuing some more dollars for To support the project. Emily's fantastic. Yes. I miss her. I go when I go to the high school See this is another thing like you know, um go to the i-lab talk to the guys in there You know talk to the youth about you know being on Something when you board or something. Yeah, you know, there's emily sitting in the um the library. That's her desk She's a yeah, this is my desk right here. Yeah people are being really flexible during the project You know because we don't have as much space as we normally do so Yeah, she's she's she's being great about that so, um Um If that's a um, are you building spaces for uh, so notice little issues around the wunewski police. I mean I I work with those guys I work with rick, you know those guys I got the burp What and the resource officer is you know? for years You know for him or steve the queen, you know and um So I work with those guys and you know and I believe in the safety of youth In the school just I mean uh, who can't remember calabine who can't remember shooting like crazy in schools across the country Okay, we remember those things. I mean everybody remember those things and so I think for me that um Maybe a resource officer Resource officer should be dressed down a little bit. You know, maybe not having a whole police uniform But he definitely she gotta gotta carry his gun, you know because I don't want you to you know, but I'm you know burning fire get my bullet out of my pocket My one bullet out of my pocket should you know protect all these teachers and individuals and community in school. So So when I come around, you know, I mean when I come back around, I say I want to be on that committee You know, I'm not I want I just want the good stuff. You know, I don't I just I want that I want them there, you know, I need we need to have some type of law enforcement there with what Weapon tree Yeah for well because what good is it? We're good. We're good at you. You know, I mean Well, you know, I mean what we've learned through this community engagement process around school safety and the school resource officer And specifically is that people have different Senses of safety and what safety means to them and security. I mean we have Students who feel unsafe because there's an armor officer officer in the building And then we have some students who say I wouldn't feel safe if there wasn't an armed officer in the building. So the challenge for You know for me for the board is to figure out how do we balance these different needs? So that as much as possible, everybody feels safe and secure in the building And the only way to do that is to have a really thoughtful in-depth community process with some recommendations Um and come as close to making everybody as happy as possible Um, otherwise this, you know, the process part of this is so important Otherwise, this has potential to really drive our community apart Yeah, but you know, we're going to see how that works. So Shawn mckhanon mckhanon mckmanon. Sorry, um When you see school district superintendent, thank you for being a guest on our show Straight talk from on show and uh, we we've met downtown. We gotta do that again. So go down and have some coffee and that that was fun Yeah, it was. Yeah, um We can talk more about pistons and the bowls too Oh What do you tend on what year you want to talk about? You know, I always look at some old school jordan stuff on YouTube I love it, you know, because they every gave me a win, you know, because the playoffs So I love that, you know, I love that part Yeah, all right, sir. I'm gonna. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks All right Yeah, that was fun. Thanks. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, man. It's a lot going on so