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Notes from Board Work Session, 2/25/08
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.
The Communication Goal was originally submitted by a committee including myself, Mark Crawford and Cecil Marshall an approved on May 10, 2005. It was last reviewed on October 11, 2005. The intent was for the committee to devise goals to improve the Boards communication with national, state, and local leaders, faculty, businesses, the community, and each other in order to create a more consumer-friendly school board and public school system.
My notes are a little sparse because I was tasked with reading the communication goal item by item with the Board discussing and coming to a consensus on each individual bullet. My notes on the individual discussion portion are lacking and I apologize.
The benchmarks were discussed following the communication goal and it was late. I suggested staff give us some facts/statistics on how are faring to date with these. Once again, Col. Wade opposes tasking staff with any additional work. I explained that these statistics were readily available to them, nothing new, easily at hand, etc. Wade opposes. I volunteered to pull the statistics myself and report at the next meeting. Mr. Richmond volunteered staff to report and explained to Col. Wade that it’s not additional work. Board consensus was that staff will report on the benchmarks at a future meeting and then the Board will discuss which ones to keep or discard.
COMMUNICATION GOAL DISCUSSION
GOVERNMENT
The Charles County Board of Education will meet with federal and state elected representatives on an annual basis.
The Board has been meeting this goal. Consensus was to keep this as a goal.
The Charles County Board of Education will meet with the Charles County Commissioners four times a year.
After lengthy discussion about whether to change the number of times to three and what exactly constitutes a meeting, i.e. a retreat vs. a presentation at the commissioners’ office. A consensus was reached to leave this goal as stated and further clarification on what constitutes a meeting was not decided.
The Charles County Board of Education will meet with the College of Southern Maryland Board and a representative from the University of Maryland annually.
The CSM portion of the goal has been met. Discussion. Consensus was for a rewording of this goal. It will now read…
The Charles County Board of Education will meet with the College of Southern Maryland Board and other post-secondary educational institutions.
The Charles County Board of Education will confer with other county Board of Education’s on “best practices” and share them with the public during a special meeting to determine what, if any, of these can be instituted here in Charles County.
Has not been met on a consistent basis. Discussion. Consensus was for rewording. This goal will now read…
The Charles County Board of Education will confer with other county Boards of Education.
The Charles County Board of Education members will attend at least one in-service activity or MABE meeting a year.
Consistently meeting this goal. Consensus was to keep this goal.
FACULTY
The Charles County Board of Education will meet with staff/faculty on an annual basis to gather input, concerns, desires, etc. Develop a project plan for tracking/follow-up.
A considerable amount of discussion on this goal. Some considered it the Superintendent’s job. Micro-managing. Abell suggested rewording. Actual vote take to strike this goal from the document.
Abell – NO. Bailey, Carrington, Cook, Pedersen, Wade – YES.
This goal is no longer part of the communication goal.
BUSINESS
Seek out more business partnerships through exploration of different partnerships, such as enrollment in the Academy of Finance Research.
Consistently meeting this goal. Consensus was to keep this goal.
Enhance existing partnerships with groups such as the Economic Development Commission and Charles County Chamber of Commerce.
Consistently meeting this goal. Consensus was to keep this goal.
PARENTS/COMMUNITY
Continue communication efforts that have proven to be successful including the Parent Handbook/Calendar, web site, hotline, schoolsout.com, etc.
Consistently meeting this goal. Consensus was to keep this goal.
Ensure all schools have an up to date, functional website. Additionally, if a teacher chooses to have his/her own website, he/she must keep it up to date.
Discussion on verbiage. Consensus was to reword. This goal will now read…
It is the desire of the Charles County Board of Education that all schools have an up-to-date, functional website.
Request the Superintendent to review Policy 1240 and associated rules, and offer his recommended changes for parents/guardians to be encouraged to observe/volunteer at their child’s school. In addition, the resulting policy and rule shall be effectively communicated at the start of the school year and implemented consistently throughout the school system.
This goal was considered to be completed. Consenus was to strike this goal.
Each school shall develop a communication plan and share that plan with parents at the beginning of each school year.
Consistently meeting this goal. Consensus was to keep this goal.
Meet with members of the community at various locations throughout the county in town meetings three times during the school year. Procedures and dates for the meetings shall be developed well in advance of the first meeting.
Not consistent in meeting this goal. Only one town meeting since 2005 and it was not considered effective or productive. Consensus was to strike this goal.
Better utilize educational television station to include regular programming and promotion of Charles County Public Schools. Improve content and frequency of programming. This could include, but should not be exclusive to, the addition of televised Board meetings. Develop a lending library of tapes for those without access to cable television.
Consensus was that this goal has been completed and will no longer appear in this document.
Conduct a survey to assess: a) the communication measures in place, and b) where parents and community members get their information about schools. The collected data shall be utilized in updating communication strategies.
Consensus was that this goal has been completed and will no longer appear in this document.
Develop use of BoardDocs, which will place Board meetings, agendas, decisions and policy on-line for easy access to all. Continue to provide hard copies of policies to county libraries and schools.
Consensus was that this goal has been completed and will no longer appear in this document.
BOARD
The Board will meet in a retreat twice annually.
Discussion. Bailey opposed. Reworded.
Abell, Carrington, Cook, Pedersen, Wade – YES; Bailey – NO.
The goal will now read…
The Board will meet in a retreat once annually.
Continue to participate in opportunities for social interaction with school system personnel and other Board member, such as Back-to-school and end-of-school events.
Consistently meeting this goal. Consensus was to keep this goal.
ADJOURNED TO EXECUTIVE SESSION
5 comments:
Goal:
“The Charles County Board of Education will meet with the Charles County Commissioners four times a year.
(Not a ) resolution:
After lengthy discussion about whether to change the number of times to three and what exactly constitutes a meeting, i.e. a retreat vs. a presentation at the commissioners’ office. A consensus was reached to leave this goal as stated and further clarification on what constitutes a meeting was not decided.”
Maybe the following will help everyone figure out such tough questions and issues like, what constitutes a meeting? The BOE and Commissioners just need to hurry up and figure this out and get down to actually making decisions and stop with the mindless minutia!
Section 102(1) of the Open Meetings Law defines the term "meeting" to mean "the official convening of a public body for the purpose of conducting public business".
Based upon an ordinary dictionary definition of "convene", that term means:
"1. to summon before a tribunal;
2. to cause to assembly syn see 'SUMMON'" (Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Copyright 1965).
It is emphasized that the definition of "meeting" has been broadly interpreted by the courts. In a landmark decision rendered in 1978, the Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, found that any gathering of a quorum of a public body for the purpose of conducting public business is a "meeting" that must be convened open to the public, whether or not there is an intent to take action and regardless of the manner in which a gathering may be characterized [see Orange County Publications v. Council of the City of Newburgh, 60 AD 2d 409, aff'd 45 NY 2d 947 (1978)].
(It should be) pointed out that the decision rendered by the Court of Appeals was precipitated by contentions made by public bodies that so-called "work sessions" and similar gatherings held for the purpose of discussion, but without an intent to take action, fell outside the scope of the Open Meetings Law.
(A) determination was unanimously affirmed by the Court of Appeals, stated that:
"We believe that the Legislature intended to include more than the mere formal act of voting or the formal execution of an official document. Every step of the decision-making process, including the decision itself, is a necessary preliminary to formal action. Formal acts have always been matters of public record and the public has always been made aware of how its officials have voted on an issue. There would be no need for this law if this was all the Legislature intended. Obviously, every thought, as well as every affirmative act of a public official as it relates to and is within the scope of one's official duties is a matter of public concern. It is the entire decision-making process that the Legislature intended to affect by the enactment of this statute" (60 AD 2d 409, 415).
"The word 'formal' is defined merely as 'following or according with established form, custom, or rule' (Webster's Third New Int. Dictionary). (We) believe that it was inserted to safeguard the rights of members of a public body to engage in ordinary social transactions, but not to permit the use of this safeguard as a vehicle by which it precludes the application of the law to gatherings which have as their true purpose the discussion of the business of a public body" (id.).
(I)n a judicial decision dealing with a situation in which four members of a town board approved the publication of a letter by phone without informing the fifth, the court reached the same conclusion as offered here and cited an opinion rendered by this office.
In Cheevers v. Town of Union (Supreme Court, Broome County, September 3, 1998), the court stated that:
"...there is a question as to whether the series of telephone calls among the individual members constitutes a meeting which would be subject to the Open Meetings Law. A meeting is defined as ‘the official convening of a public body for the purpose of conducting public business' (Public Officers Law §102 [1]).
Although ‘not every assembling of the members of a public body was intended to fall within the scope of the Open Meetings Law [such as casual encounters by members], ***informal conferences, agenda sessions and work sessions do invoke the provisions of the statute when a quorum is present and when the topics for discussion and decision are such as would otherwise arise at a regular meeting' (Matter of Goodson Todman Enter. v. City of Kingston Common Council, 153AD2d 103, 105).
Peripheral discussions concerning an item of public business are subject to the provisions of the statute in the same manner as formal votes (see, Matter of Orange County Publs. v. Council of City of Newburgh, 60 AD2d 309, 415 affd 45 NY2d 947).
The rule (generally is) that a meeting is defined as any congregation of a majority of the members of the board at the same time and place….
(W)hile no law would preclude one member of the Board from conferring with another, in those situations in which action is or must be taken by the Board, collectively, as a body, such action may in (my) view be taken only at a meeting of the Board during which a quorum is present and only by means of an affirmative vote of a majority of its total membership.
By way of background, the Open Meetings Law is applicable to meetings of public bodies, and §102(2) of that statute defines the term "public body" to mean:
"...any entity for which a quorum is required in order to conduct public business and which consists of two or more members, performing a governmental function for the state or for an agency or department thereof, or for a public corporation as defined in section sixty-six of the general construction law, or committee or subcommittee or other similar body of such public body."
§41 of the General Construction Law which provides guidance concerning quorum and voting requirements. Specifically, the cited provision states that:
"Whenever three of more public officers are given any power or authority, or three or more persons are charged with any public duty to be performed or exercised by them jointly or as a board or similar body, a majority of the whole number of such persons or officers, at a meeting duly held at a time fixed by law, or by any by-law duly adopted by such board of body, or at any duly adjourned meeting of such meeting, or at any meeting duly held upon reasonable notice to all of them, shall constitute a quorum and not less than a majority of the whole number may perform and exercise such power, authority or duty. For the purpose of this provision the words 'whole number' shall be construed to mean the total number which the board, commission, body or other group of persons or officers would have were there no vacancies and were none of the persons or officers disqualified from acting."
STATE OF NEW YORK
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
COMMITTEE ON OPEN GOVERNMENT
http://www.dos.state.ny.us/coog/otext/o3322.htm
So, in a nut shell folks, it looks like you just need to set the dates, times and places (can be various; i.e. retreats, etc.)and make that information public and poof, you have a meeting!
If still in doubt, just ask for a legal opinion from our State, Department for Open Government.
Goal:
“Ensure all schools have an up to date, functional website. Additionally, if a teacher chooses to have his/her own website, he/she must keep it up to date.”
Resolution:
“Discussion on verbiage. Consensus was to reword. This goal will now read…
It is the desire of the Charles County Board of Education that all schools have an up-to-date, functional website.”
It should be included that all school websites (additionally) be developed to keep a uniform look and site navigation consistency.
In other words, outside of content (and logo/mascot), every school site should look alike and be developed in the layout/style of the main “Charles County Board of Education” website.
In the business community this is (often) called “branding”. It is done to establish a precise look and feel to all things relative to a particular company in hopes that consumers will immediately recognize the product as belonging to the “Acme Company” of Maryland.
This is also done to provide customers with a familiarity of the site to better allow customers the knowledge and comfort of using said site.
Site navigation (problems) is the number one reason people leave a site and go elsewhere or pick up the phone and call the company.
Not what you want if your goal is to have the public utilize your technology in lieu of eating up human resources for general and information type queries.
Goal:
“Meet with members of the community at various locations throughout the county in town meetings three times during the school year. Procedures and dates for the meetings shall be developed well in advance of the first meeting.”
Resolution:
“Not consistent in meeting this goal. Only one town meeting since 2005 and it was not considered effective or productive. Consensus was to strike this goal”
In my humble opinion, this should have been enforced better in the past and the BOE (and Commissioners) should have been anxious to not only continue with this goal, but to step up and figure out why in 2005 the one and only meeting was deemed “not effective or productive”.
Learn from what happened and improve on that experience and seek to better meet with and communicate to/with the public.
Not to just say, it sucked so strike it from our initiatives. Very bad implications here.
Goal:
“Better utilize educational television station to include regular programming and promotion of Charles County Public Schools. Improve content and frequency of programming. This could include, but should not be exclusive to, the addition of televised Board meetings. Develop a lending library of tapes for those without access to cable television.”
Resolution:
“Consensus was that this goal has been completed and will no longer appear in this document.”
Was there any discussion to have the BOE and/or Commissioners or Staff work with the providers of satellite to broadcast the meetings? I know this has been requested previously, since I requested it, but still no word.
If someone doesn’t have cable access (or only satellite), providing the meeting via tape @ libraries seems to be of little recourse. Recourse yes, but value?
Why not just have the two Government entities make a formal request to the satellite providers to broadcast the meetings?
Maybe this can be discussed @ the next meeting or town hall!
I love the calendars, but wish they were offered in a dayplanner size, to carry in my purse...I'm constantly having to rewrite everything....I know CSM offers their student handbook/calendar in a pocket book size. Any chance CCPS can?
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