Monic for Ames

I was able to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new high school today. It's an absolutely beautiful building. Congratulations to everyone who helped make this happen 🎉

Please be sure to read through Dr. Lawson's 100-day entry plan. Lots of good stuff here. I am hopeful that the district can make meaningful progress on the educational disparities documented in district and state data.

100-Day Plan from Superintendent Dr. Julious Lawson - Ames Community School District View Dr. Julious Lawson’s Entire 100-Day Entry Plan Here I am truly honored for the opportunity to serve as your Ames Community School District Superintendent and to further the goals of the school community and Board of Directors. ...

Please spread the word. Note: You DO NOT have to be an Ames student to access these free meals.

Starting next week, the Ames CSD is pleased to offer a free breakfast and lunch each day to every child in our community through the summer recess. All children ages 1 -18 are eligible to receive free meals. More details, including dates, times, and locations can be found on our website.
https://www.ames.k12.ia.us/2022/05/free-summer-meals/

I want to extend my sincere condolences to those who lost loved ones in today’s shooting and to the entire Cornerstone Church community. We deserve to be safe in our places of worship. May family, friends, and neighbors be of comfort as you navigate this unimaginable tragedy.

If anyone is interested

Apply to serve on the Iowa Dyslexia Board | Iowa Department of Education Iowa Department of Education - Creating excellence in education through leadership and service.

I would like to wish Dr. Jones a heartfelt congratulations on his new position. This sounds like an amazing opportunity and I know that he will continue to demonstrate his love for children and education in this new role. I was privileged to work alongside Dr. Jones on the Equity Committee during my time on the board. I know him to be a man of integrity, commitment, and dedication. I wish him and his beautiful family well on this next phase of their journey. Thank you for all you did for this community, Dr. Jones. Your legacy will live on in our district for years to come.

As Ames schools' first equity director resigns, interim superintendent says commitment still strong Anthony Jones has served the district for more than a decade, including almost three years as equity director.

Important changes coming next year

Ames high and middle schools to start later, elementary schools to start earlier Board votes to have Ames high and middle school students start their school days 40 minutes later and elementary students 50 minutes earlier than now.

Monic for Ames updated their address.

This week our community is holding the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action Community Learning Event!

You can follow the event at Ames Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action 2022 Group Page

This event is being held as part of Black History Month and is designed to highlight and celebrate Black joy, Black Love, and success.

This week of action is hosted by the Ames Youth and Schools Action Team (AYSAT) and the Anti-Racism Collaborative of Ames (ARC of Ames).

Participating groups are: Dog-Eared Books, YSS, The Ames Black Liberation Movement, Ames Pride, Evolve, Story County Democrats, and more.

The week of action will have three components:
1. From February 21-24, a different community group will lead a learning session around one of the 13 Principles of Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action. These learning sessions will be available in pre-recorded videos that will be posted to this page at 7am, 11am, and 5pm.

2. The participating community groups will come together on Friday, February 25th from 6:00-6:30pm at the Ames Middle School cafeteria to host an open house. There, each group will have a handout that reviews their principle and provides additional resources for all ages.

3. The Ames Community School District will participate in an Open Forum at the Ames Middle School Auditorium from 6:30-7:30pm. The open forum will focus on the state of Black students and staff in the district. Everyone is welcome to attend this event and ask questions related to the focus of the forum.

Thanks and we are looking forward to learning with you! – AYSAT & ARC of Ames

I'm excited for this new era in Ames!

Tonight, the Ames School Board of Directors approved Dr. Julious Lawson as the Superintendent of Ames Community School District. As a District, we are excited to begin working with Dr. Lawson, with his new position beginning on July 1, 2022. You can read more on our website.
https://www.ames.k12.ia.us/2022/01/dr-julious-lawson-named-superintendent-of-ames-community-school-district/

If you aren't following Kelly's page:

Hello all,
Today is my final day as a Director on the Ames Community School Board. I want to take a moment to thank you for all of the support, encouragement, and ways that you held me accountable throughout my term.

I ran for office four years ago on a platform of Diversity, Dialogue, and Data. My promise was to promote diversity when I could, engage in meaningful and responsible dialogue with the community, and champion the use of data-driven evidence-based practices. I hope that you feel that I kept my promise to you.

I leave my role proud of the conversations I participated in, the many people I have been able to partner with, and the equity-focused efforts I have been a part of shaping in the district.

I sincerely and humbly wish this new board the best as they continue to serve our students, families, and community in this very important role.

I don’t know what I will do with this page moving forward. I feel like we’ve built something really special here and I like to at least consider what we could do together moving forward. Right now, my plan is to go silent until after the new year. At that time I’ll decide if I want to shut this page down or devote it to educational equity issues in the district. I’d be open to any feedback you have about which you prefer.

But whatever the future holds, I want to be sure to pause right now and say thank you. Thank you, Ames

In the event that you do not receive emails from the district, here is a recent update from the district addressing the rumors and untrue statements in Ames People related to the school board and SROs. Please do not get your news from Ames People. The statement reads as follows:

The Ames CSD and the City of Ames value partnerships on behalf of students and families within our community. One example of that partnership is the shared funding of School Resource Officers (SROs).

A recent rumor has circulated stating that the Ames School Board moved into closed session on Monday evening and “fired” an officer. This is not true. There has been no school board action related to SROs. There was not a closed session on Monday’s agenda and no item related to SROs.

What is true is that the Superintendent requested the SRO be removed from the high school, and the City Manager supported this decision. This action was a result of an initial interaction between the SRO and a student.

Recently, the SRO reported to Ames High with a Police intern. When the pair entered the building, a high school student approached and called out to the intern using a racial slur. In questioning the Ames High student for using the N-word towards the intern, the SRO repeated the word. Later that day, another group of students confronted the SRO about the interaction and accused him of calling the student the N-word. The SRO clarified he had asked the student to not use that word choice, but in doing so repeated the N-word.

The SRO realized his choice of words was unacceptable and should not have said the N-word even when questioning others for using the word. The SRO has met with the students involved, a mediator, and a school administrator, and apologized for his word choice. After reviewing the situation, the Superintendent determined that the SRO’s credibility with some students has been compromised, and he may not be as effective in his position.

The Ames Police Department does not have the immediate capacity to replace this officer. The School District and City are working together to review the partnership agreement which funds the School Resource Officer positions and to consider whether or not there are shared goals. The Ames CSD desires to continue our partnership with the City of Ames and Ames Police Department.

As a result, the Ames CSD has made the following adjustments to address the ongoing safety concerns of students, families, and staff:

An additional Assistant Principal has been added at the high school.

Campus monitor positions have been reinstated in our secondary schools.

We acknowledge as a District that the process of this current transition was not smooth, and we will attempt to work with the City to design a partnership that meets the goals of the Ames CSD and the City of Ames.

Congratulations to Directors-elect Smith, Winfrey, and Becker! I look forward to your leadership on the many important issues facing our district.

I'd also like to thank the other candidates who threw their hat into the ring to be considered for these important roles. Running for office is a difficult task, but seeking to serve your community is always an admirable goal.

It's election day! Happy voting!! 🗳️

Ames School Board elections are tomorrow, November 2nd. Voting will take place from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM across Ames. More information, including a resource to find your polling location, can be found on our website.
https://www.ames.k12.ia.us/district/ames-community-school-board/resources-for-candidates/

Voted! The line was just as long when I left as it was when I got here. One hour from start to finish, but absolutely worth it!

Long line, but lots of excitement! 🗳️

Please note this change if you plan to vote at the library today.

Great turnout for tonight's final school board candidate forum! Thank you to the Parents for Ames Schools PTAs and PTOs for organizing this event.

The next school board candidate forum is Tuesday evening at ISU. Hope to see you there.

Join us next Tuesday for the Ames School Board Candidate Forum. Hosted by Student Government’s Civic Engagement Committee!

I was interviewed by NBC News on my thoughts about the current school board election season. Ames isn't alone. Many of the various and concerning events we see playing out in our community are happening all over the country.

Covid and critical race theory: Sleepy school board races are waking up School board elections are being targeted by special interest groups and political action committees, which are gaining toeholds in these nonpartisan races.

I'd like to thank the Ames Youth and Schools Action Team, the Anti-racism Collaborative of Ames, the Ames Branch of the NAACP, and the Ames Black Liberation Movement for hosting the DEI candidate forum last night.

I also want to thank the 5 candidates who showed up to answer questions.

The event was recorded and you can watch it by clicking the link in the post below this one.

While not a forum, this community group asked one question of all school board candidates. You can view their responses below

Did you know that seven candidates are running for three seats on the Ames School Board? Ames Pride reached out to each candidate and asked "how you would create a safe and affirming learning environment for q***r students if elected to the Ames CSD school board?"

We received a response from six of the seven candidates. You can find those responses in the comments, posted in no particular order. Responses have not been edited.

ETA: Comments below include a response from the 7th candidate.

To learn more about these candidates, head to Ames Public Library on Thursday, 10/14 at 6pm for the Ames Diversity, Inclusion and Equity School Board Candidate Forum and/or Wednesday, 10/27 for the Ames School Board Forum at 6pm.

Great turnout for tonight's second forum. I got here 25 minutes early and they were already sending people upstairs to the overflow room.