Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Notes from Board Meeting 8/14/07

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

  • Male - Substitute teacher for two years. 749 subs in system. Use about 400 daily. 9-10% absentee rate. Teachers paid leave and sick time equals approx. one month out of classroom. Suggests permanent qualified substitutes and a higher pay scale.

Action - Approval of Minutes from 6/12/07 and 6/25/07; motion divided

*Vote to approve 6/12/07 minutes
Unanimous (Cook abstained)
PASSED
*Vote to approve 6/25/07 minutes
Unanimous (Pedersen abstained)
PASSED
Correspondence/Board Member Updates
  • None

Report – Superintendent – Jim Richmond

  • 260 new teachers in orientation this week; 50 openings remaining
  • 3 day Leadership Institute successful
  • 60 staff from tri-county attended Space Institute
  • Summer Reading and Math Academies successful
  • Televised Board meetings and broadcast studio ready 9/11
  • Parent-to-School Program available in Nov.
  • Activity Bus Transportation
  • Opening of 8th middle school, Davis, 98% complete
Report – EACC – Bill Fisher
  • New location and number
  • Attend NEA assembly in Philadelphia; main topic was NCLB and impact on educators
  • Members also attended leadership Training
  • Sept. 19th open forum tri-county meeting with legislators, commissioners, BOE members, teachers, and public regarding education budget deficit.
  • New teacher orientation
  • Annual Back to School Crab Feast August 24th.

Report – School Nurses – Keith Greer; Dr. Davidson

  • Significant increase in asthma students; county higher than state
  • Increase in youth obesity
  • Slight increase in youth with ADHD; equal to increase at state
  • Significant increase of students with seizures
  • 184,877 health room visits (88% returned to class)
  • Pedersen - Best method of notifying ALL school personnel of chronic cases
  • Greer - Notify school nurse so personnel in a need to know position can be aware
  • Abell - Update on Gardisil vaccine
  • Davidson - State is currently observing other states for a few years. Academy of Pediatrics does still recommend vaccine. No mandate by the state is being discussed at this time.

Report – Alternative Summer School Programs - T. Weirich

  • Novel
  • Home Instruction
  • Connections
  • Alternative School
  • Summer School
  • Evening School
  • Teenage Parenting
  • Home & Hospital Services
  • Explorers
  • Wise-average length of stay in the alternative program
  • Wierich - 45 days

Report – Athletic Program Preparation - J. Johnson

  • School based parent meeting
  • inclement weather policies
  • ALL coaches are CPR certified
  • Partnership with rescue squad
  • Hydration/Sports nutrition seminar
  • Sports Physicals
  • Field and Bleacher Maintenance
  • Transportation
  • Sportsmanship
  • SMAC
  • Wise - Athletic Trainers on the fields
  • Johnson - yes we would still like to accomplish this and we are working towards that goal.
  • Carrington - Paid staff position for Athletic Trainers
  • Johnson - Yes, would like full time staff
  • Pedersen - Dietitian available for a one-on-one basis
  • Johnson - Yes

Report – Curriculum (Summer Programs) - D. Jepsky

  • 4,826 students participated
  • M - TH
  • included Life Skills

Report – Supporting Services (CIP)- Chuck Wineland; Steve Hagis, Jerry Barrett

  • Davis on time; on budget; grass next week
  • Neal on target
  • Somers - Roof; ceiling on ground floor will be in place for start of school. Completion 8/08; 7 additional relocateables provided by contractor
  • Craik - Roof replacement; 70 % complete
  • Martin - Boiler replacement complete before winter
  • Abell - clarification on students location during phases at Somers
  • Wineland - Second floor lockers can be used with staff presence; 8th graders in trailers for 1st semester and 6th grade in trailers for second semester

Report – State CIP - Chuck Wineland & staff

  • #1 Balance owed on Davis
  • #2 Balance owed on Neal
  • #3 Construction funding for full day Kindergarten
  • Heritage Green will probably be the next elementary school (2010) according to a review of statistics
  • Richmond-Asked for Board and commissioners to consider operational costs of opening a new school. Not just the construction cost.
  • Bailey - Consideration of time line to approach commissioners

Report – Schematics for Full-Day Kindergarten - Chuck Wineland & staff

  • Barnhart, Gale-Bailey, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy, T. C. Martin
  • Richmond - Possibility of adding gyms
  • Wineland - Not. State will fund full-day Kindergarten but not a gym
  • Bailey - Fire escapes and evacuation
  • Wineland - Meets all codes for distance and width
  • Pedersen - lunch shifts; kids eating in classrooms
  • Principals - Eat in cafeteria; lunch shifts are adjusted accordingly

Report – Budget – Paul Balides

  • See report
  • Audit process has begun
  • Surplus $300,000
  • Submitted financial statements
  • Intercategory budget transfers will be submitted in an update
  • Pedersen - cost of milk increase
  • Balides - Not anticipating any additional increases at this time
  • Wise - Vegetarian lunches
  • Balides - yes. more fruits and vegetables per state push, but they cost more. Lunches must have 800 calories per federal requirement

Report - Staffing Update - Keith Hettel

  • 260 teachers hired
  • shortage in math, science and special education; similar across the state. extra recruiting trips have occurred and will continue
  • Wise - Substitute salaries
  • Hettel - We are third in the state for daily rate. Long term sub rates - we are second.

Report - Recurring Resolutions

Action - Personnel

*Vote to approve Personnel
Unanimous

PASSED

Unfinished Business

  • Pedersen - Diversity Blue Ribbon Committee has asked her to represent the state and county curriculum on diversity
  • Pedersen - MABE's offer to have a public forum in the fall
  • Carrington - Complaint brochure at the printers
  • Cunningham - Parents complaining should be respectful of staff

New Business

Future Agenda Items

  • Bailey - AP scores

ADJOURNED

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

About Mr. Cunningham:

If the staff are not doing their job, parents have every right to complain.

Go to the BOE over on Radio Station Road and complain.

Personally, they have to get rid of these rowdy and gutter-mouthed kids in schools.

Jennifer Abell said...

Anonymous,
Actually, CCPS has come out with a very nice guide on "Resolving School Concerns and Complaints". There should be a copies available at all the schools. First the informal complaints...teacher, school administration, then Starkey Administration. Formal complaints begin with Starkey Administration where a Concern Form will be completed, then on to the Deputy Superintendent. Please see the guide for specific details.

Anonymous said...

I would like some statistics on how many African American High School students have been expelled from school versus white students and if you don't have the answer where can I locate this information?

Jennifer Abell said...

Anonymous,
I haven't forgotten about you. Researching and asking staff for the information you requested. Hopefully will be able to get back to you soon.

Jennifer Abell said...

Anonymous,
Okay, here you go...
06-07 School Year
17 Expulsions from CCPS
Out of the 17, 15 were African American and 2 were Caucasian. Additionally, out of the 17 expulsions, 12 students were all involved in the same incident.

Anonymous said...

Hi Jennifer:

When are we going to received the AP scores for the schools and subjects?

Thanks.

Jennifer Abell said...

October