Notes, Legislative Breakfast, 11/29/07

The televised Legislative Breakfast will be replayed on Channel 96 on Wednesdays at 9:00 am and Sundays at 2:00 pm for your viewing enjoyment :)

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.

Attendees (to my best recollection)
BOE Members - Abell, Bailey, Carrington, Cook, Pedersen, Wade, Wise
Commissioners - Cooper, Hodge, Graves
Delegates - Levy, Murphy
Senate - Middleton, Hoyer representative
CCPS Staff - Richmond, Cunningham, Estep, Wineland, Schwartz, Stotemeyer, O'Malley-Simpson, Hettel
Others - Comfort

• Bailey - Boards legislative positions. Emphasis on teacher rehires
• Levy - Comes up every year. Supports. Baltimore City & PG against because rehires will not want to work in difficult systems
• Richmond - education issues and taxes clarification
• Levy - Thorton funding adjusted/delayed. Governor proposed $200M reduction. Changes to $149M. Still a lot of challenges with education funding especially school construction. Over the long term these actions will build a strong foundation.
• Middleton - growing concern on disparity across the state of teacher retirement
• Cooper - fiscal impact on school system?
• Richmond - has numbers but haven't looked at overall impact. Concerned about opening new elementary school
• Balides - enrollment went flat this year. funding formula based on enrollment. New numbers in December
• Middleton - Annapolis aware. It is a state issue. Some jurisdictions actually lost.
• Richmond - need extra help with future growth anticipation
• Levy - Maryland dealing with overage of debt from years. Can't borrow more. No new commitments on capital construction. Amount is set. 2013 should be lifted. Slots should generate funds
• Middleton - Capital projects funded with GO bonds not cash. Dire straights
• Wineland - 3.2% of IAC funds approximately $10M per year. State granting more projects with smaller parts of funds. State still owes $12M on Neal and $6M on Davis. Possibility of new projects slim.
• Levy - Dust settles, deficits will be identifiable and fixes will be visible.
• Levy - environment, health care and transportation as well as other programs have been neglected through the years. If the economy gets worst, the outlook is going to darken
• Hodge - Did special session settle budget and matters or more to come?
• Levy - Both. Budget matters were settled and nibbling is foreseeable to correct structural deficit.
• Hodge - Are we going to take another hit in the next session or additional funds being released?
• Levy - Shouldn't see additional hits. Governor has $200M in cuts to make before next session. Counties should plan about 1%
• Middleton - Governor loyal to counties, don't foresee local government cuts
• Cooper - unfunded mandates. all day kindergarten implemented approximately $70M impact on local government. need to be considered by people making decisions on budget.
• Richmond - best mandate state has ever done. Capital side unfunded. Bridge to excellence funding paid positions, etc.
• Middleton - Nothing from Superintendent's prior to Thorton passing
• Richmond - thank you but operating and capital cost needs to be balanced
• Middleton - population projections need to be looked at
• Pedersen - plan for 5-10 years out of Thorton. Funds are in jeopardy. Already one high school behind. Growing counties given special consideration?
• Levy - Can get us those numbers. Pot of funds can be redistributed. larger jurisdictions with shrinking enrollment will not go for this redistribution
• Middleton - Thorton should be fully implemented in 3 years
• Levy - Thorton formula will be revisited in 2011 for impact
• Carrington - hats off for making the tough decisions. We are flat now but when we had the growth we didn't get the extra funding. Still one high school behind
• Wade - Shortage of teachers. Amazed that federal and state laws require highly qualified teachers yet the state isn't producing them
• Hettel - state produces approximately 5,000 per teachers per year and need is 10,000-11,000. Recruit from further away. Cost of living. Increased salaries and compressed pay scale to stay competitive. Used to have good scholarship programs in the state that went by the way side. CSM very supportive. Teacher recruitment and retention problem is compounding.
• Wade - Grasmick spoke 7 years ago about the neglect in the teacher education program. Year-round recruitment.
• Levy - higher education recognizes problem but their against unfunded mandates also. Baby boomers will be retiring soon. Need re -prioritization of higher education funding. Need to implement "grow your own" Wants specifics
• Graves - Use to have state teachers colleges, now universities. Look at local colleges to replace. Look at retired career individuals to hire as teachers. Active program to recruit and assist.
• Middleton - Across all employment sectors due to baby boomers retiring. Doctors, nurses, etc.
• Pedersen - Second career "hoops" and requirements causing difficulties. Not implying no training is needed.
• (LEFT THE ROOM FOR 2-3 MINUTES)
• Middleton - energy conservation and teenage driving
• Murphy - It's never over until it's over. Please keep communication open
• Graves - Teen driving issues. Level of teacher competency. Seat belt use on school property or loose privileges.
• Abell - consider legislation of parent notification for teen moving violations
• Middleton - Have one in place
• Abell - flaw in implementing
• Pedersen - kudos for CSM driving program
• Cooper - retreat in February. possibility of two days instead of one. possible over night.