 It's evolving and I'm just thinking I'd left us and you can stay for this discussion of course But I think we just while it's fresh in everybody's mind I just want to have the conversation follow-up from that presentation. Yeah, I don't mind at all I was here for the committee and I can work into my schedule. I have no problem with that whatsoever. Thanks That's a huge help and of course you're more than welcome to stay for this discussion We're just I think it's just worth taking 10 or 15 minutes before we adjourn and just see if there's anything else that anybody else wants to say or Or add to the conversation, but what you all put together was It was really helpful and I think it's it's a it's definitely a great starting point I will I will stay here and listen in if you have questions for me or clarification. Just let me know great Thanks a million you're welcome It was a great presentation Jay. It really was really was well done. Yeah It's snowing up north like it is down here It it feels like it snows every day. I know it is it's been a great winter that way at least in my opinion It's just been beautiful Did you get a lot of snow? It's been snowing All day we're probably I think we're expecting it, you know another six inches when it's all said and done We have about six now altogether Yeah, on the ground. Yeah this morning this morning. Yeah, that's that I think that's yeah It's beautiful. Um Jay, can I just say one thing to Jay please? Um, I saw you commenting on the news the other night I think it was channel three And you did a terrific job It was really well done Yeah, I don't know what I was commenting on but thank you. You know, I'm trying to remember I think it was about kids and getting them back Back to school and maybe it was about getting it was it was just really very Well done. You were talking about a lot of some of the things we talked about today Thank you. I appreciate that. Yeah, and my husband was watching and he was also impressed. So that's really good That's a high standard. I'm glad to hear that. You're right it is Thank you Okay so Mr. Nichols has kindly agreed to postpone. We'll come back and talk to us about literacy We thought maybe just for the last 10 15 minutes of the day Um, we could just see if there's anything anybody wants to add To what we've learned me any kind of general thoughts I can just tell you, you know, my plan to mention to uh, senator kitchell is is what we outlined, you know You know, are there ways for the agency of education and bcf to the partner? Partly this will be conversations with with these spoke those folks as well, but you know to to Look at issues of mental health Also look at issues separate from that loan forgiveness While the standards boards in to look at licensure But you know, we want to make sure that kids this summer On hungary, you know, they're not suicidal. They're not, you know, they're they're They're getting, you know, what what they need Senator hooker, what do you think? I mean is that I mean again? We'll have the agency in but I want to give jane something, you know again from a starting point and this sounds like a You know a good one and you know mental health services another big thing and I'll look to center lions on this You know, how do we what what would we do? How would we sort of? Push that out, but senator hooker, please Well, my first thought is those are all things that we need to do. Yeah, right. I'm pretty obvious But my and I know that because of the pandemic we've learned that we can pivot quickly and get things done and so I guess my Question would be, you know, how can we do this and have it stood up by summer? So that it's going to have an effect, you know for these kids Um, what can we do? It react realistically by summer To affect these changes and I'm I'm particularly concerned with again the workforce. I mean we keep going back to the workforce Do we have enough people? to staff the the types of things that you know, we're looking at I mean, I I think um Julie Moore house and the Vermont after school the third place whatever is a really good place to build on but You know, we need to know that we can do this in a timely fashion Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think one of the other things people some folks mentioned was You know, are there are there high school students that can do some of these kinds of things? There are a need for summer jobs always in this state And are there ways to get those students engaged in tutoring? outreach athletics That kind of thing and of course a lot of this is contingent upon What the status of vaccinations is etc, you know and the other piece that I'll be interested hearing, you know, where I think And I look to use center lines on this, you know, I feel like the agency or The department of health has been so good with social media Educating people are there ways to part for them to educate parents again? I'm just thinking of some personal things that I've heard from parents kids feeling depressed, you know Not, you know, you're just going through this it is hard and are there ways for us to You know partner with gcf department of health AOE to say hey, this is what here are some of the things you might be thinking about for the summer, you know Keep an eye on this read get kids to libraries. You know all that sort of thing You're muted senator Yeah, thank you. Um, sure, you know, I think you need to we need to know what the message is and Sort of strategize I think I think the group needs to be brought together with the specific task of developing the social media message A lot of that, you know, I think some of that is already happening, but I'm not sure I think it would it would also include The afterschool hub, you know, the hubs that we have developed afterschool program Department of health certainly and then some of the Associations that we've had here today, but it it and then and then some of our mental health experts, but It's you can't just send a message out Yeah, right, right, but I agree with you. I think it's really a good idea to you know to get to get that group of people who ordinarily together Yeah, and then strategize about the best way To make that happen Yeah, and we should have holly back into to help us with Yes, cool things center person. I don't know if there's anything that I don't know if the afterschool group has met recently And if this has this has been a topic of conversation We we've had three of our six meetings. Our next meeting is actually tomorrow Wednesday and we're we're mainly Working through how do you make a universal program and what's the best way to to do that? But yeah, they're very similar issues You know connection to to all this for sure Okay, anything anything else Well, just why we're on afterschool. I am hoping but I hope it's kind of potential, but I am hoping that That that that task force Is charged with writing a report the report isn't going to come up till March, which is After crossover and kind of late for any action. So it seems like there is some Consensus or maybe not consensus, but a majority of people have a Have a view on the way that could go and so I was hoping If that becomes clear after the next meeting we could Maybe bring it to the committee just to talk about and see if there's possibility for action this year You know, I as you as you're talking There are a lot of things that can happen that don't need us, you know, don't require legislation Given and also given that we're going to be seeing some federal funding For this there's there's no question that there'll be federal funding for this That maybe it is simply an appropriate simply But if if there are groups that are ready to go and have some planned work Supporting them. I think is really would be very important So, I mean, yeah, rather than having to go through and write a whole String of legislative language to maybe put this into one of our Federal funding bills That's all. I mean, are there groups ready to go center personally? Would you say if for example, they said Jane and others said hey listen, yeah, we could direct some of these funds Well, definitely there's What what we're now calling out of school. So because sometimes it's just over the summer, which I think This so or after school or on in-service learning days all that but there are groups around the state to do that There's a need for more. There's pop. There's a inequality or geographically Yeah, the income So but there are groups out there Holly's group is trying to coordinate that statewide and then through a grant program Which they already set up. They've spent the money. They just need more money to do more of it so I would agree with center lines like We we don't need a lot of new legislation. We could there's some Stuff that could be helpful, but mainly it's a question of funding Yeah More hopefully on that there'll be more federal money because there's a federal after school program the 21 21st century program, but We're talking about maybe doing a different one so so you could have a Like like this like Holly's group has done the universal after school grant program to have a A different Different programs. So, you know, you have the school-based programs You have like the ymca and other community youth based programs that have all that a diversity of venues But hopefully those be more of the federal grant and we can get some state money maybe for federal money, but outside the program uh Another way to think about this summer possibly I'll just put it out there is you know, should we You know similar to how we're talking about doing something to allow students greater access to higher education should we Think about, you know, using some of these one-time monies or proposed that we use some of these one-time monies for um Access to after school and summer programs. I mean should a family get, you know You know, should we try to distribute some of those dollars so that students can take their money and go to the ymca Or go to, you know, uh, some kind of after school program or summer camp that they might not otherwise be able to Yeah, yeah, I I definitely think so and you you could do that through the existing grant program because I think that They did that, you know, they could say you so you don't have to grant each family Right, right, right. You just say hey you run a program Low income people are going to be able to come for your low and medium income. Yep Because cost is definitely a barrier to families Okay, I'll I'll mention that as well Okay anything else Mr. Nichols, thanks again for being with us and spending so much time really appreciate it We will look forward to to having you back and then committee members unless there's something else, um Hope you all have a good afternoon Yes, uh center personally So tomorrow Is our floor since we're just after the floor will be Yeah, we're after the floor tomorrow Okay, because my this task force meeting may interfere. So if I'm not here for some part, that's where I am, but I okay, okay Thanks Center line, um, quickly. I did send you each A copy of the uh, al s registry bill Oh, thank you so much. Yep. So If you would like to sign on please do, um, it's actually Senator Taranzini and I are the lead sponsors and senator campion if you want to be added to the lead sponsor No, whatever. I'm just so happy that you know, you guys taking the lead on this and getting this I think it's just it's terrific. It probably isn't going to be it's not a perfect bill Let's just say that but it will be perfect when we finish with it. Yeah, no, I appreciate it so much Okay, good. Sorry. Is there anyone who does not want to be on it? Well, look at it and let me know. That's I guess the best thing Um, I think I think senator perschlick already did that. Okay