Notes from Board Meeting 4/3/07

The below notes are my personal notes and are not intended to be all-inclusive or official minutes for the Board of Education meetings and are provided as a request from my supporters and the general public in a personal effort to be more transparent. Although I have diligently tried to make these notes as unbiased and accurate as possible, I am only human and do make mistakes. Please follow-up for official minutes upon approval. For copies of printed reports presented visit Board Docs.

Public Forum
· Gentleman spoke about the school system in New York. “figures don’t lie, but liars figure.”
· Woman loves the school system. Upset by comment heard at the DI competition. Programs had to be reprinted because Mr. Richmonds name was before the Board members names. Someone on staff demanded they be reprinted. What a waste.
· Gentleman upset over redistricting plan. Referenced Policy 1910 re: transportation, enhancement of feeder school, impact on community, natural boundaries, limiting redistricting. No reason LaPlata residents need to attend Waldorf schools.
· Gentleman upset over redistricting. Against Hawkins Gate going to Neal. Wants children to remain at Matula.
· Woman upset over redistricting. Against Hawkins Gate being moved. Begging for reconsideration.
· Woman concerned over redistricting. Against Hawkins Gate being moved. Would choose Matula with trailers over new school.
· Gentleman thanked the Board for moving the meetings to the evening. Spoe about report cards and how they should contain percentages not just letter grades. Requests the Board consider new report cards for Fall 2007. Offers to volunteer to assists implementation.

Action - Approval of Minutes
*Vote to approve minutes
Unanimous
PASSED

Correspondence/Board Member Updates
· Abell – Informed fellow members she has been notified by Christina Gordon, Director of Communications for the National School Board Association and invited to be a contributor to the National Conference Blog this April. She was also contacted by Craig Colgan of Potomac Planet who presented the seminar on Blogging at the 2006 National Conference and invited to participate as a panel member for the Blogging Seminar at the 2008 National Conference. She has accepted both invitations.

Report – EACC – Bill Fisher & Meg MacDonald
· Negotiations are underway. Focusing on extra-pay, workload and insurance.
· Mr. Fisher was elected to the Maryland State Teachers Assoc.
· Local elections are upcoming for the EACC Board

Report - Student Board Member – Andrew VanWoerken
· Senior Citizens Prom was fabulous
· MASC Convention. Charles County was third largest in attendance behind PG & Montgomery Counties.
· Elections for CCASC is this month. 4/27

Report – Superintendent – Jim Richmond
· Anxious for spring break
· 3rd quarter report cards are this week
· MSA went well with no major incidents
· Moving forward on space partnership
· Walldorf Germany/ Heildelberg Printing Press Dedication 4/27 10:30 am at North Point
· Diggs Dedication 5/4 at 6:30 pm
· Jenifer 20 years celebration 5/20 at 2:00 pm
· Grasmick will present at Education Day sponsored by CISCO 5/23 8-5 at North Point
· BOE televised by Sept hopefully on Channel 96

Report – Redistricting Committee Neal Elementary (S. DiSabantino; G. Barrett)
· Staff recommends Alternative A
· Wise – Possible future development on Hawkins Gate?
· DiSabantino – Yes on LaPlata side
· Wise – Willets Crossing needs 2 buses
· DiSabantino – No
· Wise – has a grandfather clause ever been considered
· DiSabantino – No
· Pedersen – Piney Church Road Upgrades
· Wineland – Only from stadium site to Billingsley Road will go to 4 lanes. Complete the remainder with 2 lanes by next year
· Pedersen – Any representation on subcommittee from LaPlata area
· DiSabantino – Explained process of selecting committee
· Bailey – Doesn’t see where any modifications have been made to the plans since the last public forum. Requests the Board consider Proposal A as a transportation zone and allow Matula enrollment to be on a first come first serve basis from that transportation zone.
· Board discussion to continue at work session on 4/23

Report – CIP – C. Wineland (S. Hagis; B. Law; G. Barrett)
· Davis MS –finish in June
· Smallwood Boiler replacement
· Neal – site is cleared
· New High School – Letters of interest have been received and reviewed. Board will receive proposal next month
· Craik roof. Should have answers next week.

Report – Technology Update (B. Devkota)
· Demonstration of electronic response system. 30 “clickers” cost $2,000
· Wade – Televising Board meetings; wants consensus. UNANIMOUS

Report – Curriculum – Autism - Judy Estep (M. Charbonnet; T. Robinson)
· Very informative slide show presentation on statistics and generalities regarding autism.
· Cook – Do we refer families to physicians for diagnosis?
· Cook – Mercury in vaccines and autism related?
· Robinson – Depends on which group of scientists you ask. No final decisions as of yet.
· Abell – 1 out of every 150 children have autism and one out of every 94 boys. Are we meeting their needs currently and what is our plans to keep up with this growth.
· Robinson – Partnership with the health department. Cross training professionals. Implementing the Hannan Method. Training for day care providers and families. More teachers being certified through Hopkins. Summer program is available.
· Carrington – Reason for the increase
· Robinson – Again depends on the scientist group you ask. Overall hypothesis is that we are just able to diagnosis autism better now than previously.

Report – Human Resources – Keith Hettel
· Calendar for 08-09
· Pedersen – Do you foresee any possibility of losing Fair Day in the future?
· Hettel – The last Superintendent was ran out of town for suggesting this J
· Pedersen – New people to the county are astounded we take a day off for the fair.
· Abell – Not all learning takes place in a school building. We have a number of students in 4-H, sewing, cooking, etc that participate in the Fair. It is a county tradition and it is good timing to utilize as an in-service for teachers.
· Pedersen Agrees to table discussion for now because it is a political hot button but requests the Board consider the option of doing away with it in the future.

Action – Personnel
· * Vote to accept staff recommendations
Unanimous
PASSED

Unfinished Business
· Pedersen – Dates for What Counts? And invitees. Needs responses from Board members
· Abell – from experience of organizing large events we need more time. Consider having the event mid to late August.
· Board to discuss at work session 4/23

New Business & Future Agenda Items
· Wade – Arrange meeting with CSM Board
· Carrington – ROTC Drill this weekend at LaPlata HS was outstanding
· Abell – Tri-County Board meeting – Richmond will handle arrange
· Bailey – Didn’t hink the other counties were as advanced as we are. Doesn’t feel as though we got much out of the meeting last year.
· Abell – Disagrees. Enjoyed the meeting. We may be more advanced but it was a great time to get to know one another and bounce ideas around.
· Abell – thanked communication department for implementing the email system to announce the board meeting.

ADJOURNED