ISD 709 committee meeting video recordings

Art, Alanna and I have been pushing to record our Committee meetings in addition to our monthy School Board meeting. We want more transparency in the School District. Over the summer we succeeded in getting the Board to go along with no disentions. We have recorded our Monthly school board meetings for decades. In those days the video was recorded to VHS tape and were kept at the Duluth Public Library.

Yesterday’s meeting of the HR and Business Committee were recorded for the second time. A month ago the August meeting was recorded on a trial basis and uploaded to Youtube. Yesterday’s meeting was also supposed to be both livestreamed to television on channel 187 as well as put on youtube. An intern wasn’t available yesterday so the livestreaming to television didn’t take place but in a day or two the video should be up on Youtube.

Not many people watch these multi-hour videos. It takes stamina to attend a meeting when you get to talk. It takes far more stamina to sit mute in the audience. As of today there have been 41 views for our trial August committee recording. I would note, however, that this is about 36 more people than sat in the audience at these meetings. Not everyone is able to make time to watch our 4:15 meetings. I’m listening to that trial video play in the background now as I type.

Its been interesting for me to hear the recording and see the trial video. No doubt this is because I’m listening to myself. The Board room has a false wall about 75 feet in front of the Dais where the School Board sits. Three cameras are hung on the wall and trained at different sections places where we sit through the meetings.

August’s trial video begins with a half hour long discussion of our proposal to raise the pay of our hourly non certified substitutes. Because the Board room is hot in August we are dressed for the weather. I found it interesting to see how I appear on camera. If you watch it note how vigorously I shake my foot. Its sort of like the wagging tail of a dog when its excited. I ask a lot of questions but at least I don’t try to lick anyone.

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