Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 12/13/11

The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, December 13 will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.
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.

Executive session- 12 p.m.

Call to order- 1 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance

Superintendent's update to the Board - see report. Extra discussion on tele-presence

Correspondence/Board member updates

• Pedersen - dinner at Mt. Hope/ Nanjemoy was delicious.
• Pedersen - Career Day at Mattawoman was very successful
• Cook - All County Orchestra was fabulous
• Wade - Joint Military Ball was very colorful and was very valuable for our cadets
• Wise - Portfolio interviews; North Point...several are done on disc and include videos
• Bowie - Senior interviews; very impressed; MABE legislative seminar was very informative
• Wise - Wade was honored for the citizen of the year by Omega Si Phi

Education Association of Charles County update - See report

Student Board member update - See report

Deputy Superintendent update - Maryland State Golf Championship - McDonough High School

CIP update

• IAC appeal
• SMECO presentation of refund check - $145,708 for partnership on energy conservation (Demand Response Program)

F. B. Gwynn Center Renovations - see report (Power Point to be added to board docs post meeting)

Student Transfers

• Dr. Vaira - Principals' meeting changes requested...deadline from March to May. Concerns with item #5 and #6.
• Mr. Richmond - Recommends leaving the current policy & rules in place and let staff review them and come back to the board with recommendations.
• Abell - was going to recommend strike #5 & #6 from the committee's recommendation. Current enrollment numbers show 9 elementary schools, 4 middle schools and two high schools with openings due to being under state-rated capacity.
• Bowie - asked if possible to form committee to include teachers without children in the system.
• Lukas - concerned with wording on capacity limitations
• Lukas - questioned reasoning for changing the policy to begin with
• Abell - board wanted to take a look at the policy/rules based on a report given in August showing the number of out-of zone transfers. Consideration must be given to the legal appeals that come before the board involving out-of-zone transfer denials. The board is tasked with deciding whether or not the Superintendent's denial contains one or more of four elements: illegal, immoral, unreasonable, or arbitrary. The first three aren't an issue. It's the "arbitrary." The committee's recommendation was based on policies in place in other counties across Maryland to close any loopholes and remove the question as to whether or not a decision was arbitrary.

Motion to accept the Superintendent's recommendation by Cook; Second by Lukas

Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wade, Wise

Legislative Update

• key issues are funding, teacher retention and maintenance of effort
• do NOT expect any additional funding over last year from the state
• possible shift of teacher retirement cost to local governments
• more information after the session begins

Unfinished business

• Hettel - Subsitutes: 360 had degrees of BA or BS and above. 350 are below. No count on AA degrees because we don't ask, but the question has been asked and they are collecting the data.

New business

• Lukas - North Point removal of "nest" time.
• Full discussion took place on the single lunch periods.
• Bowie - anti-bullying seminar

Future agenda items

• Pedersen - referenced an article on diversity

Recognition- 4:30 p.m.

• Students - Duane Kizer, fifth grade, Academic Achievement, C. Paul Barnhart; Arrin Sanders, fifth grade, Personal Responsibility, Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School; Elise Hopkins, eighth grade, Academic Achievement, John Hanson Middle School, Principal; Lashawn Queen, twelfth grade, Career Readiness, Henry E. Lackey High School
• Staff - Robynn Mudd, first grade teacher, Barnhart; Tina Thomas, secretary, Brown; Brenda Richards, gifted education teacher, Hanson; Laura Buzzell, mathematics teacher, Lackey
• War of 1812 DVD Project: La Plata High School seniors: Geoffrey Hammersley; Christopher Cheney; Jonathan Teeney; Matthew Bellerose; Casey Gaskins and Jennifer Munoz; and Michael Mazzeo, history teacher, La Plata

Public Forum- 6 p.m.

• Liz Brown - EACC - still has members that want to speak on how potential changes could affect their lives
• Mary Fenton - J C Parks Elementary - thank you for allowing her children to attend local schools. Please keep policy that allows this to continue
• Jennifer Turner - Piccowaxen - 2 children that had attended local school. School family. Supporting colleagues. Daughter got out of zone transfer to LaPlata. Can't believe it got this far.
• Debborah Hahn - Middleton - 29 years. Son graduated already but had an issue in elementary school and she was allowed to transfer her son. Son got chicken pox at school and was allowed to sit in the office while she completed her class.
• Cindy Hangartner - Wade - benefits received, enjoys perk. Saves on daycare and can be more involved with her own son's education who attends with her. Teachers will still give 100% but extra curricular activities will be affected. Several colleagues live outside of county and are weighing what their options are if they have to pay tuition.
• Christy Nelson - Piccowaxen - has a daughter that is nonverbal special needs child who attends out of zone. Very upsetting to think she may need to find another daycare and school for her daughter.
• Kelly Craft - Risk losing amazing teachers. Consider the life of a teacher: we knew what we were getting into when we became teachers, but bringing our children to school with us lessens the stress. Please reconsider.
• JoAnn Garner - T.C. Martin - 11 years - lives in St. Mary's county. Has a 4 and 7 year old. Son attends TC Martin. Consider all the contributions the teachers already make prior to imposing tuition. Works from 7 -6 every day and her son is with her. Please reconsider.
• Sean Starcher - LaPlata HS - son will be entering 6th grade next year. Wants son to attend Somers. 13 years ago, took a pay cut to come here. Will have to reconsider her employment if this policy passes.
• James Brietinger - moved to La Plata...both students attend LaPlata High School out of zone. Retired but wife is a teacher. Thinks policy change is disguised as overcrowding. Has not seen statistics on enrollment that justify overcrowding. Quoted Item #8 as the only difference he sees that tightened up loop holes.
• Rick Hood - Band teacher at Somers - daughter is a sophmore at La Plata HS. Lives in Hollywood. Stays after frequently and daughter stays with him. Has received an excellent education.
• Julianna Herscher - TC Martin - son is an 8th grader at Hanson out-of-zone. Did not feel comfortable with him walking to and from local school Stoddert. IRT so her work location could change from year to year. Children maintain highh academic standards and they are not discipline problems or have transportation issues.

Action items

• Minutes
Motion to accept by Abell; Second by Wade
Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wade, Wise
• Personnel
Motion to accept by Wade; Second by Pedersen
Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wade, Wise

Adjournment

REMINDER: Board of Education Meeting, 12/13/11

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, Dec. 13 at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the meeting begins at 1 p.m. and student and staff recognition starts at 4:30 p.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS 12 and is rebroadcast throughout the week. All televised Board meetings are also streamed live on the school system Web site at http://www2.ccboe.com/boe/live/.


Executive session- 12 p.m.


Call to order- 1 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance


Superintendent's update to the Board

Correspondence/Board member updates

Education Association of Charles County update


Student Board member update

Deputy Superintendent update


CIP update


F. B. Gwynn Center Renovations

Student Transfers

Legislative Update

Unfinished business

New business

Future agenda items

Recognition- 4:30 p.m.

• Students
• Staff

Public Forum- 6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel

Adjournment

Green Ribbon award will recognize eco-friendly schools

Michael Alison Chandler
Maryland Schools Insider/The Washington Post
December 5, 2011

The federal government has long awarded schools with stellar academic achievement a Blue Ribbon. Now there is another way for schools to shine, with a Green Ribbon for environmental achievement.

The new award will go to schools with strong environmental curriculum and healthy and sustainable learning environments.

The Maryland Education Department is looking for the greenest schools to nominate for the first round of Green Ribbons.

Is your school outfitted with solar panels and surrounded by gardens that serve as outdoor classrooms? Are the students working on team projects to come up with new ways to limit greenhouse gases? It might be eligible.

“The greatest privilege we have in our short time on this planet is to make the world a better place for the next generation,” said Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D). “We are pleased that our schools will get an opportunity to be nationally recognized for their efforts to create a cleaner, greener and healthier planet.”

Last year, Maryland became the first state to make environmental literacy a graduation requirement. And the state already recognizes “green schools” and “green centers” that promote outdoor learning.

Schools both public and private can apply beginning in mid-December, and the state will select up to four to nominate. The Green Ribbons will be awarded in April.

When an adult took standardized tests forced on kids

Valerie Strauss
The Answer Sheet/The Washington Post
December 6, 2011

Original post:

This was written by Marion Brady, veteran teacher, administrator, curriculum designer and author.

A longtime friend on the school board of one of the largest school systems in America did something that few public servants are willing to do. He took versions of his state’s high-stakes standardized math and reading tests for 10th graders, and said he’d make his scores public.

By any reasonable measure, my friend is a success. His now-grown kids are well-educated. He has a big house in a good part of town. Paid-for condo in the Caribbean. Influential friends. Lots of frequent flyer miles. Enough time of his own to give serious attention to his school board responsibilities. The margins of his electoral wins and his good relationships with administrators and teachers testify to his openness to dialogue and willingness to listen.

He called me the morning he took the test to say he was sure he hadn’t done well, but had to wait for the results. A couple of days ago, realizing that local school board members don’t seem to be playing much of a role in the current “reform” brouhaha, I asked him what he now thought about the tests he’d taken.

“I won’t beat around the bush,” he wrote in an email. “The math section had 60 questions. I knew the answers to none of them, but managed to guess ten out of the 60 correctly. On the reading test, I got 62% . In our system, that’s a “D”, and would get me a mandatory assignment to a double block of reading instruction.

Read more HERE.

New Out-of-Zone Student Transfer Policy and Rules

Seeking input, comments, and feedback. 

The original policy can be found here and no changes are recommended.

The original Superintendent's Rules can be found here.

The sub-committee's proposed changes can be found here.  The only requested change/addition to the recommendation is a grandfather clause.

Let me know what you think.

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS ADDED BELOW

Out-of-Zone Transfer report from August Board meeting can be found here.

Current enrollment numbers by school can be found (link coming soon).  (note - due to a recent vote by the commissioners, we are suppose to be using "state rated capacity" not "core capacity)

Tuition for out-of-county students = $6,925
Tuition for out-of-state students = $11,125

Notes from Board of Education Work Session, 11/28/11

The Board of Education Work Session on Monday, November 28 will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

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.

Call to order – 6 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance
Public Forum

• None

Work session discussions
Student transfers committee update

• Abell - review of new Superintendent's Rules #5126.
• Schwartz - reviewed in detail
• Various principals gave input
• (Sorry got involved in conversation and didn't record everything...nothing with major heartburn)
• Will return in December as a Report Item and in January as an Action Item

Goals

• Benchmark #1 - to be reworded
• Benchmark #2 - recommendation to come from staff
• Benchmark #3 - deleted
• Benchmark #4 - deleted
• Benchmark #5 - to be reworded
• Benchmark #6 - deleted
• Benchmark #7 - deleted
• Benchmark #8 - deleted
• Benchmark #9 - to be reworded
• Benchmark #10 - reworded to increase the # of courses offered w/distance learning
• Pedersen - Bullying issues; Abell recommended including it with Benchmark #5 above pertaining to Safe Schools
• Pedersen - local control; conferring with state and federal leaders - possible communication type goal
• Pedersen - academic rigor
• Pedersen - recruiting minority teachers - deleted
• Pedersen - wants goal to include ESOL curriculum - will be report item
• Wade - IB program - cost prohibitive -
• Wade - educational exchange program - possible communication type benchmark
• Wade - joint military ball - deleted as a benchmark; annual event
• Lukas - parent involvement, tutoring available at centralized locations; Abell pointed out tutoring is available at libraries; maybe under communication goal for publicizing
• Lukas - SAT issue already addressed in previous Benchmarks
• Lukas - involvement of local civic organizations - communications
• Bowie - internal board communication; retreats; possible Board administration
• Bowie - proactive in community involvement; possible board communication goal
• Abell - previous goals and benchmarks reviewed - done
• Abell - Board subcommittees - board administration goal
• Wise - Board subcommittee for Benchmarks and Goals; Lukas, Bowie, Abell. Recommendations due at the work session at the end of February

Wise advised that MABE's fee for the Superintendent Search is $24,000

Adjournment

REMINDER: Board of Education Work Session, 11/28/11

The Board of Education of Charles County is holding a work session at 6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 28, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building in La Plata. The meeting will be aired live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and streamed live on the school system Web site at http://www2.ccboe.com/boe/live/.

The agenda is as follows:

Call to order – 6 p.m.

•  Pledge of Allegiance

Public Forum

Work session discussions

• Student transfers committee update
• Goals

Adjournment

High school hazing worries educators

Michael Alison Chandler
The Washington Post
November 14, 2011

The principal of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School said she tried for years to rein in hazing during homecoming week. One day each fall, older students would shower ninth-graders with paint, pelt them with ketchup, yell “Go back to Westland!” — the local middle school — and occasionally rough them up.

Karen Lockard banned spray paint on campus. She brought in an anti-bullying expert for an assembly. She encouraged classroom discussions about values.

None of that stopped this year’s Color Day spirit event from becoming, once again, “freshman beat-down day.” One student went to a hospital after being assaulted, and many wound up plastered in paint. It got so out of hand that Lockard canceled next year’s Color Day. “It’s hard to change tradition,” she said.

The episode last month in Montgomery County underscored that hazing persists in Washington area high schools, despite efforts to stamp it out.

“Whether you call it hazing or rites of passage, I’ve seen unacceptable behavior in high schools,” said Montgomery Superintendent Joshua P. Starr. “Our older kids should be helping our younger students succeed in school, not making them feel afraid.”

Read more HERE.

On Maryland tobacco farms, turning a tradition into potential health benefits

Surprise! A positive article about tobacco!


[The 2011 Charles County Fair Queen -- Queen Nicotina LXXVI -- is Ms. Meaghan Pfeiffer, who was sponsored by La Plata HS SGA. Ms. Jacqueline James was first runner-up and Ms. Kourtney Wathen was second runner-up.]

Ann Gerhart
The Washington Post
November 14, 2011

Can tobacco, the weed with a killer reputation, be the next miracle drug?

Warning: The subject of this exploration will constrict your blood vessels, choke your windpipe and dispatch you to an early grave, 5 million of you a year. The most lucrative crop the Americas have ever seen, it kept the British at bay, kept the enslaved entrapped, kept Hollywood sexy. Until it didn’t anymore.

Stipulation: Deep bows to the great public health triumph of wrestling Big Tobacco to the mat and changing human behavior. Never before were millions persuaded to give up a highly pleasurable, relatively cheap habit because it was bad for them. And never since.

But: Tobacco itself refuses to die. It’s stubborn. It’s meant to grow here. The seeds are tiny as a flea and germinate like crazy. In less than a month, you can have a robust green crop that’s good for much more than smoking. You can grow vaccines in it. Extract protein from it. Make drugs from it.

Ten years after Maryland became the only state to use its tobacco settlement money to pay hundreds of farmers to quit growing the evil sot-weed, it’s turning out that tobacco has redemptive virtues. Nobody needed to bother exploiting them before; the stuff was so fabulously successful for 400 years as a vice. Even nicotine, the natural and highly addictive chemical in tobacco, has its benefits.

People smoked in part because a cigarette could calm you down and pep you up. Now research studies are exploring exactly how nicotine may safely halt cognitive decline and help those with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, depression, schizophrenia and attention problems. The pure nicotine in the smoking cessation patch used in these studies is extracted from an American product that American farmers know how to grow.

Read more HERE.

Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 11/8/11

The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, November 8 will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

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.

Executive session- 10 a.m.
Call to order- 1 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance

Superintendent's update to the Board - Read Report

Correspondence/Board member updates

• Wade - attended MABE Directors Retreat at BWI last week.  Survey for State Superintendent; encourages raise in board member salary
• Pedersen - Plays  & choral performances in Charles County high schools; legislative committee updates via email
• Bowie - Library is having holiday giveaway of eReaders, Nook, or Kindle; Daughters of American Revolution, citizenship contest.
• Wise - Adult graduation ceremony

Student Board member update - Read Report

Deputy Superintendent update - Results of Tell Survey.  See Report

CIP update - See report.

• Neal, Davis, and Diggs need to be redistricted.  Committee is forming and will be complete by end of this school year.

CCPS Environmental Education - See report

Substitutes - See report

• Cook - Substitutes should have at least an Associates degree.
• Pedersen - would like a report via updates on what this would do to our numbers.
• Bowie - are recent high school graduates allowed to sub in high schools?   NO, must be 21
• Lukas - clarification on requested report

Testing results - See report

Unfinished business

• Pederesen - non-residents attending schools, update.
• Richmond - 39 students were removed last year and it was a lot of work.  Still following up students.  13 students has been removed from North Point this year.

New business - None

Future agenda items - None

Recognition- 4:30 p.m.

• Students - Sydney Marohn-Johnson, fifth grade, Career Readiness, Dr. James Craik Elementary School; Katherine (Katie) Czysz, fifth grade, Personal Responsibility, Dr. Thomas Higdon Elementary School; Cole Lucia, fifth grade, Academic Achievement, Malcolm Elementary School; Isabella Glaze, eighth grade, Academic Achievement, Benjamin Stoddert Middle School
• Staff - Jillian M. Durr, elementary teacher, Craik; Mary Kate Long, Reading Resource teacher, Higdon; Lori A. Gould, Pre-School/LEEP Assistant, Malcolm, Theresa (Wanda) Proctor, school counselor, Stoddert Maryland School Counseling Association's Advocate of the Year Award: Ronald G. Cunningham, Deputy Superintendent of Schools

Public Forum- 6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
Motion to accept October 4th Minutes by Pedersen; Second by Bowie
Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wise;  Abstain = Wade
Motion to accept October 11th Minutes by Cook; Second by Pedersen
Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wade, Wise
Motion to accept October 24th Minutes by Cook; Second by Pedersen
Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wade; Abstain = Wise
• Personnel
Motion to accept by Abell; Second by Pedersen
Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wade, Wise
• Legislative positions 2012
Motion to accept by Pedersen; Second by Bowie
Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wade, Wise
• Ethics policy
Motion to accept by Lukas; Second by Pedersen
Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wade, Wise

Adjournment

REMINDER: Board of Education Meeting, 11/8/11

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, Nov. 8 at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the meeting begins at 1 p.m. and student and staff recognition starts at 4:30 p.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS 12 and is rebroadcast throughout the week. All televised Board meetings are also streamed live on the school system Web site at http://www2.ccboe.com/boe/live/.

Executive session- 10 a.m.

Call to order- 1 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance

Superintendent's update to the Board

Correspondence/Board member updates

Education Association of Charles County update

Student Board member update

Deputy Superintendent update

CIP update

CCPS Environmental Education

Substitutes

Testing results

Unfinished business

New business

Future agenda items

Recognition- 4:30 p.m.

• Students
• Staff

Public Forum- 6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• Legislative positions 2012
• Ethics policy

Adjournment

Maryland seeks to reform early childhood education

Learning academies, focus on low-income families among initiatives

by Andrew Ujifusa, Staff Writer

The Gazette

 Having already scored federal cash by promising major education reforms in 2010, Maryland is trying again this year, this time with a younger group in mind.

Maryland is one of 35 states, along with Washington, D.C., to apply for some of the $500 million available for the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge, which will require states to reform their education and development programs for children from birth to age 5.

Among the 10 proposed projects in Maryland’s application are 24 local early childhood councils, creating a “breakthrough” center for early childhood development that would promote successful programs in Title I schools (those with high numbers of low-income students), and establishing “early learning” academies for teachers working in pre-kindergarten through the second grade. Conforming to the Challenge’s goals, the state also says it will track data and progress related to their early childhood programs.

Last year, the state won $250 million from the federal government to reform its public school systems. That grant, also under the Race to the Top reform program, required teacher evaluations to be based more on quantifiable methods such as test scores, and focused on incentivizing top principals to turn around low-performing schools. A pilot of the controversial new teacher evaluations is under way this year in school systems in Baltimore city, and Baltimore, Charles, Kent, Prince George's, Queen Anne's and St. Mary's counties.
The state draws on last year’s successful Race to the Top application in its proposal for the Early Learning Challenge. In the executive summary of its Early Learning Challenge application, the state wrote: “If awarded, Maryland would create a seamless Birth to Grade 12 reform agenda.”

Montgomery County Public Schools was one of two systems, along with Frederick schools, that declined to endorse the state’s Race to the Top application last year — in large part because it was concerned its professional evaluation system would be scrapped.

Read more HERE

Notes from Board of Education Work Session, 10/24/11

The Board Work Session on Monday, October 24 will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

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.

Call to order - 6 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance

Public Forum - no one present

Work session discussions - Goals
Each on of the bullet points listed below were discussed.  I did not record, in these notes, all of the discussion point but focused on the main points brought forward by each board member.

Pedersen

• local control, board should address local issues in tandem with state or federal issues, including conferring with state and federal leaders about use of resources - YES
•  recruit minority teachers, work with FEA and community minority organizations to encourage minority participation in educational careers - POOL IS LIMITED
• continue to encourage rigor & depth in learning - YES, SEE CURRENT BENCHMARK #1

Wade

• International Baccalaureate - FUNDING DIFFICULTIES, BACK BURNER
• Continue educational exchange program
• Joint Military Ball

Lukas

• Involve local civic organizations - ALREADY DISCUSSED
• Involve parents
• See greater student participation in SAT's

Bowie

• Disseminate information internally to Board Members in a more timely manner
• Be proactive in community involvement
• Keep communication open internally

Abell

• Continue current priorities, including current communication goals
• review and achieve list of benchmarks, including testing
• Active Board sub-committees

Adjournment

REMINDER: Board of Education Meeting, 10/24/11

The Board of Education of Charles County is holding a work session at 6 p.m., Monday, Oct. 24, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building in La Plata. The meeting will be aired live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and stream live on the school system Web site at at http://www2.ccboe.com/boe/live
The agenda is as follows:
Call to order - 6 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance

Public Forum

Work session discussions

• Goals

Adjournment

Notes from Board of Education Meeting on 10/11/11

The Board Meeting on Tuesday, October 11 will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

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.

Executive session- 12 p.m.

Call to order- 1 p.m.

• Pledge of Allegiance, La Plata High School's JROTC unit

Superintendent's update to the Board- Read report. Click HERE.

Correspondence/Board member updates

• Abell - Student Transfer Sub-Committee has met and will be reporting its findings and presenting a recommendation at the November Work Session
• Pedersen - MABE Convention was a success.
• Wise - New Ethics forms are quite lengthy and comprehensive

Education Association of Charles County update - Read report, click HERE

Student Board member update - Read report. Click HERE

Bullying presentation - See Presentation. Click HERE

• Cook - Educating teachers and parents but the students still aren't reporting;
• Abell - Interested in our students' perspective;
• Leah (student) - Get to SGAs to present to students;
• Lukas - Read report stating it's not relative to any socioeconomic factors;
• Bowie - Article in somdnews.com on 10/7 regarding bullying;
• Taylor (student) - Look at it from the perspective of the one doing the bullying to see what the problem is that's causing them to do the bullying;
• Pedersen - Peer mediation in schools? Pamphlets in Spanish? On website?
• Wise - Upside Down Organization;
• Leah (student) - Not reported as much in high school because students are more mature and don't let it bother them as much.

CIP update - See report. Click HERE

• Abell - Commissioner Kelly referred to a "phase-in" opening of the new high school. Questions?
• Richmond - Planning on opening under capacity for 9, 10, & 11 with anticipation of the new home builds in the zone.
• Lukas - Projections for new high school enrollment based on core capacity. Now that it has changed to state rated capacity...will it change projections?
• Wineland - Rely on research and trends.
• Pedersen - Considering two family homes?
• Wineland - Transportation has software that pinpoints every child's address and name and it will be available to the redistricting committee. The name will become a number.

FY2012 independent financial audit - See report. Click HERE.

• Abell - Condensed lunches reason for loss in funds?
• Balides - Definitely. Doing time trials and trying different things at those schools to alleviate.
• Abell - Requests time trials also be done at the elementary schools based on parental complaints.
• Lukas - Ditto, Ms. Abell.

Budget update - September Financials, click HERE

STEM initiatives - See report. Click HERE

Academy of Health Professions: pharmacy technician program - See report. Click HERE

• Abell - How are the students chosen? Prerequisites? How is it advertised to the student population?
• Palko - All 10th grade classes were visited by counselor and given application. HSAs are a factor and strong Chemistry/Math background.
• Lukas - Transferable credits?
• Palko - In talks with colleges including CSM.
• Leah(Students) - Consider adding to all high schools?
• Richmond- Continue to develop in the current location at Stetham.
• Taylor - Limits on number of students per school?
• Richmond - New this year then evaluate the program and grow from there.

Recruitment and retention update - See Report. Click HERE

• Pedersen - Are we attending and trying to recruit at the black colleges?
• McDonald - Yes, we are.

Legislative update - See report. Click HERE

Unfinished business - None

New business -

• Pedersen - Everyone writing a letter to General Assembly relative to the pension?
• Consensus was to have staff write one letter for all of our signatures.

Future agenda items

• Abell - Student Transfer Subcommittee report at Work Session in November

Recognition- 4:30 p.m.

• Students - Kayla Nagle, 5th grade, Personal Responsibility, Gale-Bailey Elementary School; Michael Gill, 5th grade, Career Readiness, Mary H. Matula Elementary School; Thomas Carlyle Martin, Jr. (T.C.), 8th grade, Academic Achievement, Milton Somers Middle School; Courtney Jones, 12th grade, Academic Achievement, Maurice J. McDonough High School
• Staff - Nathan Mouli, social studies teacher, McDonough; Linda Forrest, reading resource teacher, Somers; Lauren Hoza, kindergarten teacher, Matula; Joan Matthews, media instructional assistant, Gale-Bailey
• Resolutions: American Education Week and American Freedom Week.

Public Forum- 6 p.m.

• Robin Tyler - High school drop out rate in the state of MD 3%. Invites everyone to come to a lunch at October 20, 2011, 11:30 -1:00pm at the Maryland National Guard Armory in LaPlata to discuss this issue.
• Robert Harlan - NCLB. Athletic Inelegibility. Last month's board discussions. Break down who the minorities are.

Action items

• Executive Session Minutes from 9/13/11
Motion to accept by Cook; Second by Abell
Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Wade, Wise; Absent = Pedersen
• Minutes from 9/13/11
Motion to accept by Abell; Second by Lukas
Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook Lukas, Wade; Absent = Pedersen
• Minutes from Commissioner Retreat 10/4/11
Motion to accept by Cook; Second by Abell
Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas Wise; Abstain = Wade; Absent = Pedersen
• Personnel
Motion to accept by Abell; Second by Cook
Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Wade, Wise; Absent = Pedersen
• FY2012 Comprehensive Maintenance Plan

Motion to accept by Cook; Second by Lukas

Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Wade, Wise; Absent = Pedersen

Adjournment

REMINDER: Board of Education Meeting, 10/11/11

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, October 11, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the meeting begins at 1 p.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and is rebroadcast throughout the week. Board meetings are also streamed live on the school system Web site at http://www2.ccboe.com/boe/live

Executive session- 12 p.m.
Call to order- 1 p.m.

• Pledge of Allegiance, La Plata High School's JROTC unit

Superintendent's update to the Board

Reports of officers/board/committees

• Correspondence/Board member updates
• Education Association of Charles County update
• Student Board member update
• Bullying presentation
• CIP update
• FY2012 independent financial audit
• Budget update
• Stem initiatives
• Academy of Health Professions: pharmacy technician program
• Recruitment and retention update
• Legislative update

Unfinished business

New business and future agenda items

• New business
• Future agenda items

Recognition- 4:30 p.m.

• Students
• Staff

Public Forum- 6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• FY2012 Comprehensive Maintenance Plan
• Resolutions: American Education Week and American Freedom Week.

Adjournment

Teachers increasingly use home visits to connect with students’ families

Kevin Sieff

The Washington Post

October 9, 2011

The two high school teachers knocked at apartment 512 of a Crystal City high-rise and waited to see the inside of Alvaro Nunez Alvarez’s life.

Up to this point, the teachers knew this about 14-year-old Alvaro: He was quiet. He had recently arrived from somewhere in Latin America. He was smart and ambitious.

They were here to fill in the blanks — to conduct a kind of parent-teacher conference on the family’s turf. There’s no better way, many educators say, to turn distant or unresponsive parents into allies and communicators, actively involved in the education of their children.

But that means venturing far beyond the classroom, penetrating the private spaces that students disappear to when the afternoon school bell rings.

When the door to unit 512 opened, there were Alvaro and his sister, standing in their matching Wakefield High School T-shirts, blushing. There were his parents, well-dressed, deferential, letting out a stream of “thank you so much” and “it’s our pleasure to host you” in Spanish.

Debbie Polhemus and Yun-Chi Maggie Hsu, both Wakefield teachers, were reaching out to the Nunez Alvarez family in a manner once considered out of bounds but now increasingly common in the Washington area and across the country: sitting in a student’s living room, munching on homemade pupusas, talking about academic expectations far from school halls.

Read more HERE.

India’s students will be the first to get world’s smallest computer

Washintgon Post By Valerie Strauss

The big news in technology Wednesday was the announcement that India introduced a new tablet computer that is the world’s smallest and least expensive — costing $35. But just as important as the progress in small computer development is who the first beneficiaries will be.

The computer’s developer is is selling the Aakash, or “sky,” to the Indian government for about $45, and in turn the government will sell it to students for about $35, the Associated Press reported. The Aakash has a seven-inch color screen and provides word processing, Web browsing and video conferencing.

READ MORE HERE

Notes from Board of Education & Commissioner Retreat, October 4, 2011

The Board Retreat on Tuesday, October 4 will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

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.

Introductions

• Wise - Requests the Board of Ed be placed on the Commissioners' agenda on a bi-monthly basis for updates.
• Kelly - Yes, and they can reciprocate.

Funding Formula

• Wise - BOE would like to review funding formula
• Kelly - Commissioners are opposed to the set formula; just a good faith.
• Collins - Origin of formula?
• Wise - 10 years ago, as county grows the system grows, de-politicize funding decisions, etc.
• Kelly - Maintenance of Effort would be minimum and then add as needed.
• Cook - Legislation regarding MOE could change everything.
• Richmond - Relationship of everyone involved, trust, respect, in support of MOE.

School Allocation Methodology

• Kelly - Halfway to state-rated capacity vs core capacity; two years to go.
• Abell - The sooner we can get to state-rated capacity the better; Expedite.
• Pedersen - Ditto
• Robinson - Agreed
• Collins - Should review what the committee came up with a few years ago, market analysis.
• Cook - Brief review from committee, phased in because it would affect the building & real estate industry and therefore affect the county's income.
• Kelly - Residential development does not provide income to the county, but actually costs us.
• Andritz - Current economy has made this more do-able. Changes made already helped tremendously. Shouldn't be as problematic as originally anticipated.
• Davis - Would like committee formed again to re-look at the situation.

Motion to accept move to State Rated Capacity by Robinson; Second by Rucci

• Kelly - Explanation of Docket 90 - Only pertains to Fairway Village.
• Davis - Wants to delay vote.

Yes = Kelly, Robinson, Rucci; No = Collins, Davis

County Growth/Redistricting

• Wise - Growth anticipation for our future planning?
• Kelly - Transportation issues, light rail from SMECO in White Plains up through Waldorf.
• Robinson - Bus rapid transit vs light rail vs commuter rail
• Collins - Recommends someone from BOE staff sit on the Planning and Growth committee so we know of forthcoming growth and plans.
• Wise - Enrollment at all levels of schools will be reviewed.

Open Discussion

• Cook - What do you want to see from your school system?
• Davis - We're doing awesome with state standards and being involved in the community. Number of trailers is bad. Need to have an open door policy.
• Richmond - Disruptions during class. SAT parent participation.
• Cunningham - EdLine
• Collins - Opening ceremony at Eva Turner pre-k was one of his proudest events ever.
• Robinson - Applause to creativity. North Point graduation was the best and we need to give the other schools the same focus that North Point gets.
• Wise- Other schools did not want their graduations at North Point, and the Arena tends to bring out the worst behavior in some.
• Robinson - Local venue?
• Rucci - Officers in school a plus.
• Lukas - Lines of communication always open. Maybe even smaller groups if everyone can't get together.
• Pedersen - Digital text books?
• Bowie - Thank you.
• Wise - Next meeting in February.

Adjournment

Obama tells students: Discover new passions

Bill Turque
The Washington Post
September 28, 2011

For an incumbent president facing a tough reelection campaign, no public appearance is completely free of political content. But President Obama’s annual back-to-school speech to the nation’s students, delivered Wednesday at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in Northwest Washington, was about as close as it gets.

In a 20-minute address to Banneker’s 415 students, streamed live to schools across the country by the White House, Obama urged students to take their work seriously but also to experiment.

“That’s what school’s for. Discovering new passions,” Obama said, speaking under the basketball backboard in a packed gym turned steamy from the extra lighting.

“That’s why one hour you can be an artist; the next, an author; the next, a scientist,” he said. “Or a historian. Or a carpenter. This is the time when you can try out new interests and test new ideas.”

Obama told students he didn’t want to be “another adult who stands up to lecture you like you’re just kids,” prefacing a series of fairly lecture-like remarks.

Read more HERE.

Banana Man Principal Resigns

PotomacLocal.com
September 27, 2011

Stafford, Va. – The principal at the center of the now infamous Banana Man controversy no longer has a job with Stafford County schools.

Dr. Karen Spillman, former Principal of Colonial Forge High School in Stafford, handed in her resignation to the Stafford County School Board on Tuesday night.

Spilllman came into the spotlight last week after she ordered a suspension for 14-year-old Bryan Thompson – a student at Colonial Forge who donned a banana costume and ran down the football field during halftime Sept. 16. After threatening to suspend Thompson for an entire year, the student was reinstated in his school after serving half of his 10 day suspension, and an apology was issued by the county school superintended [sic] after Spillman disciplined students who wore t-shirts that stated “free Banana Man” following Thompson’s suspension.

Read more HERE.

Victory: Indiana School Agrees to Cease Subjecting Students to Intrusive Mental Health Surveys Without Written Parental Consent

The Rutherford Institute News
Press Release
September 26, 2011

PORTAGE, Ind.— Officials with the Portage Township School Corporation have agreed to cease their practice of having students complete mental health and suicide surveys without their parents' written consent after being warned by attorneys for The Rutherford Institute that doing so places them in violation of the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), a federal law which governs student surveys by educational agencies receiving federal funding.

"This is a huge victory for parental rights," said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. "Parents are the ones who should decide whether they want their children to be mined for information about their personal thoughts, beliefs or practices. We take it seriously when government officials try to short-circuit that essential parent-child relationship."

According to a parent who contacted The Rutherford Institute for help, on at least two occasions Portage Township School District sent home information addressed to parents concerning surveys to be administered to students in a quest for information about student drug use and depression or suicide risks. The surveys asked students to provide sensitive, personal information, including information about illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating and demeaning behavior and/or mental and psychological problems potentially embarrassing to the student. However, rather than requesting the parent's prior written consent, as required by federal and state law and its own district policy, the school had included an "opt-out" form, allowing the parent to opt his or her student out of participation. In the case of the survey concerning suicide risk, only one day was allotted for the parent to review the provided information, make a decision, sign the enclosed "opt-out" form, and return it to school officials.

Institute attorneys pointed out that the school district's practice of relying on passive consent for the surveys, by which parents are presumed to have consented if they do not return a particular form, constituted a violation of the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), a federal law intended to protect the privacy of students and the rights of parents to control the circumstances under which their children are exploited for information-gathering. PPRA, which covers educational entities that receive federal funds, applies whenever students are asked to submit to any survey, analysis or evaluation that seeks private information about the student, such as political affiliations, sexual activity, illegal activities or religious beliefs.

Read more HERE.

Race to Top Winners Feel Heat on Teacher Evaluations

Federal-grant recipients must live up to promises made in winning awards

By Sean Cavanagh
Education Week

Winners of the federal Race to the Top competition are facing difficult questions about how to make good on their ambitious promises to link teacher evaluation with student performance, a task complicated in some cases by resistance from educators and practical questions about how to judge job performance fairly.


For some states, that means wrestling with how to evaluate teachers in subjects for which no statewide test now exists. Others face a tough task of setting specific evaluation requirements based on relatively broad laws that established those systems, which in some cases were designed to boost the states’ chances in the competition.

Eleven states and the District of Columbia split $4 billion in awards through the Race to the Top grant initiative, which was championed by the Obama administration and financed by the 2009 federal economic-stimulus package.

Read more HERE.

AP, SAT participation increases

Personally I don't mind the scores dropping as long as more students are taking the tests.

Charles County students increased participation in Advanced Placement (AP) and SAT assessment participation, according to data released this week by the College Board, which administers AP, SAT and other national programs.


Charles County Public Schools average score on AP exams rose slightly to 2.14 from 2.13 in 2010. Nearly 89 percent of all students taking the rigorous AP classes took at least one test in 2011. "Taking Advanced Placement classes in high school better prepares our students for future study and success," Superintendent James E. Richmond said.

While the number of students taking the SAT increased, average scores decreased. Scores for the class of 2011 were 1455, down from 1486 in 2010. National and state averages also declined. Average participation countywide is 39 percent, up from 35.7 percent in 2010.

Students average score on the critical reading section is 494; math scores are 488 and writing scores are 473. SAT tests are designed to demonstrate a student's mastery of certain subjects to colleges. Many colleges use the test as a part of the admissions process. Only scores for graduating seniors are included in the 2011 report. Students in the Class of 2011 were offered nearly $40 million in scholarships.

La Plata High School students averaged 1672, with 26.4 percent of graduates taking the SAT in 2011. Westlake High School students posted a 1492 average, with 18.5 percent participation. Both North Point High School and Henry E. Lackey High School students averaged 1445. North Point had 62.9 percent of its graduates taking the SAT and Lackey had 30 percent. Maurice J. McDonough High School%u219s average is 1415 with 34.8 percent participation and Thomas Stone High School students averaged 1377 with 47 percent participation.

Charles County Public Schools offers Kaplan Live Online, an interactive SAT preparation class in Saturday session in the spring and fall.

"Last year we saw an increase in our scores and felt the success of students taking online programs and preparation classes was moving us in the right direction. To see a decrease this year disturbs us, and we are looking to see how to encourage more students who want and need to take the SAT to take advantage of these classes and become better prepared to take this test," Richmond said.

A detailed chart of SAT results for 2010-11 college bound seniors is posted on the Charles County Public Schools Web site at http://www2.ccboe.com/PDF/testscores/SAT-2011.pdf.

Charles County Public Schools provides 26,858 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 35 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 9/13/11

The Board Meeting on Tuesday, September 13 will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

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.

Executive session – 11 a.m.
Pledge of Allegiance – Thomas Stone High School's JROTC unit
Recognition of Project Graduation contributors

Superintendent's update to the board - Read Report

Correspondence/board member updates

• Wise - Dr. Smith from MABE will be here on November 8 at 10:00 a.m. for a one hour presentation on Superintendent Selection
• Wise - October 4 BOE meeting with commissioners
• Wise - spoke with Delegate Murphy & possibly have a lunch meeting

Education Association of Charles County update - Read report

Student board member's update - Read report

Opening of schools - everything ran smoothly; uneventful

Update on athletic program - See report

• Abell - Clarification on the transfers: Is it one full calendar year from date of transfer?
• Cornette - yes
• Lukas - Does this include those that moved into another zone and are attending another school?
• Cornette - No, they are eligible
• Cook - Looking at the reports, a greater number of minority students are ineligible for participation. Is this because we have a greater majority of minority participating and what are we doing to assist?
• Cornette - We do have a monitoring and mentoring program that assists these students
• Student - Are the numbers for freshmen first quarter taken at the beginning or end of the quarter because all freshmen are eligible?
• Cornette - Taken at the end of first quarter
• Pedersen - How many students are participating in our athletic programs?
• Cornette - Will get.
• Wise - Still need to know what we are doing to help those athletes that don't meet GPA
• Cornette - Considering making a GPA eligibility regulation for freshmen. Have meetings with parents and discuss options, and resources.
• Lukas - When are grades looked at during a quarter?
• Bursick - We send grade sheets out via students for teachers to sign off on a weekly basis.
• Brooks - Can you become ineligible at anytime during the quarter?
• Cornette - They are assisted but don't become ineligible until the official grades.
• Student - Has the use of Edline helped parents keep a closer eye on things and help with eligibility?
• Cornette - Yes

Capital Improvement Program (CIP) update - See report

• no time was lost due to facilities
• transportation update

Report item: FY 2012 Comprehensive Maintenance Plan - See Report

Update on annual Bridge to Excellence; summer programs; Race to the Top - See report

• Wise - How many students didn't graduate because of HSAs?
• Jepsky - 0 for three years
• Really in depth presentation; highly recommend watching online.

Update on staffing

• Hired 151 new high quality teachers
• Tough time finding the Tech Ed teachers
• Comprehensive report next meeting

Report item: Ethics policy - See draft online; vote on next month

Unfinished business

• Bowie - Bullying issues and concerns from parents; forums for schools to address and parents can discuss
• Cunningham - Will have a report
• Pedersen - Transfers and possibly form a committee to look at how we are handling our transfers.
• Wise - Thinks a committee should be formed to look at how transfers are granted. Pedersen, Abell, Cook volunteered.

New business

• Inter-category budget change FY 2011
Motion to accept Inter-category budget change by Abell; Second by Cook
Yes = Unanimous
• Emergency closing days - October 21st & Nov. 2; see report - Abell - Affect on teacher contract?; Hettel- They will still owe us 2 days
Motion to delay vote on Emergency Closing Days until after Public Forum by Abell; Second by Pedersen
Yes = Unanimous

Future agenda items

• Cook - Report on substitutes
• Bowie - At first day of school noticed a higher number of Hispanic population and teachers concerned about lack of translators.
• Lukas - Relayed public confusion of how the redistricting committee is going to be formed

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

• L. Ramsey - Minister. Westlake graduate. For the use of standard gym uniforms but there needs to be a policy or rules in writing of the process for the students who cannot afford to pay for these uniforms.

Action items

• Minutes
Motion to accept Minutes from August 9 by Abell; Second by Pedersen
Yes = Abell, Bowie, Lukas, Pedersen, Wade, Wise; Abstain = Cook
Motion to accept Minutes from August 22 by Abell; Second by Cook
Yes = Unanimous
Motion to accept Minutes from September 11 Conference Call by Cook; Second by Pedersen
Yes = Unanimous
• Personnel
Motion to accept Personnel by Abell; Second by Lukas
Yes = Unanimous
• New Office 2010 textbooks
Motion to accept New Office 2010 Textbooks by Abell; Second by Cook
Yes = Unanimous
• FY 2013 CIP state and local CIP program
Motion to accept FY 2013 CIP by Cook; Second by Pedersen
Yes = Unanimous
• Recurring resolutions: American Education Week; American Freedom Week; African-American History Month; Career and Technical Education Month; National School Counseling Week; Read Across America; Women's History Month; Fine and Performing Arts Month; Month of the Young Child; National Student Leadership Week; Teacher Appreciation Week; Administrative Professionals' Week; Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week; National Physical Education and Sport Week; Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leader; Charles County Teacher of the Year; Employees' Retirement; and Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award
Motion to accept Resolutions by Pedersen; Second by Cook
Yes = Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wade, Wise; Abstain = Abell
• Emergency Closing Days
Motion to accept recommendation by Cook; Second by Pedersen
Yes = Unanimous

Adjournment

REMINDER: Board of Education Meeting, 9/13/11

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, Sept. 13, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the meeting begins at 1 p.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and is rebroadcast throughout the week. Board meetings are also streamed live on the school system Web site at http://www2.ccboe.com/boe/live/.

Executive session – 11 a.m.


Call to order – 1 p.m.


Pledge of Allegiance – Thomas Stone High School's JROTC unit


Recognition of Project Graduation contributors


Superintendent's update to the board  


Correspondence/board member updates

Education Association of Charles County update

Student board member's update

Opening of schools

Update on athletic program

Capital Improvement Program (CIP) update

Report item: FY 2012 Comprehensive Maintenance Plan

Update on annual Bridge to Excellence; summer programs; Race to the Top

Update on staffing

Report item: Ethics policy

Unfinished business

New business

• Intercategory budget change FY 2011
• Emergency closing days

Future agenda items

Public Forum – 6 p.m.


Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• New Office 2010 textbooks
• FY 2013 CIP state and local CIP program
• Recurring resolutions: American Education Week; American Freedom Week; African-American History Month; Career and Technical Education Month; National School Counseling Week; Read Across America; Women's History Month; Fine and Performing Arts Month; Month of the Young Child; National Student Leadership Week; Teacher Appreciation Week; Administrative Professionals' Week; Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week; National Physical Education and Sport Week; Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leader; Charles County Teacher of the Year; Employees' Retirement; and Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award

Adjournment

Officials Look Overseas for Models to Pay for School Construction

NOTE:  You have got to be kidding me? And this is like a new revelation? I said this back in 2004 when I first was appointed to the board...and in 2005, and in 2006, and in 2007. Way to keep up 'officials'. (shaking head)



Lease payments to contractors among options
by ANDREW UJIFUSA, Staff writer
 
When the Canadian province of Nova Scotia wanted to build dozens of schools in the late 1990s, education officials turned to an unusual source of cash — private developers.

The developers contracted with local school systems to design and build 31 schools, and to provide maintenance and operations for the schools, in exchange for lease payments by the province. The contracts obligated Nova Scotia to pay $830 million during the 20-year life of the contracts.

Now, Maryland is beginning to explore whether similar arrangements, also used in Great Britain, could work for state school construction at a time when dollars for new schools and building upgrades are scarce.

Public officials from state and local governments and school systems are scheduled to gather at a Sept. 19 seminar in Annapolis to hear presentations on alternative school financing, as well as alternative funding and energy performance contracting.

David Lever, executive director of the Interagency Committee on School Construction, said the key to such a public-private partnership is the creation of a strong contract that covers a variety of issues, from relationships with unionized maintenance workers to community use of the privately financed facilities.

“I haven’t made up my mind one way or the other, quite frankly. But I think it’s very interesting,” Lever said of whether the arrangement could work broadly in Maryland.

READ MORE HERE

Notes from the Board of Education Work Session, 8/22/11

The Board Work Session on Monday, August 22 will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

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 agenda is as follows:
Executive session

Call to order – 6 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance

Public Forum  - None present

Funding formula - Paul Balides presented report.  See report.

Redistricting  - Timeline presentation.  See report.

Meeting with delegation - Wise will set-up with the tri-county BOE's and the delegation

Superintendent search

• Schwartz read, 4-201 Education Article regarding Superintendent appointment. 
• Wise contacted MABE for their process.  MABE will come out and explain the process as a training
• Abell - believe we should take advantage of what MABE is offering and the sooner the better
• Lukas - How did Montgomery County conduct theirs?

Maryland Association of Boards of Education committees - everyone chose a committee

Retreat with Commissioners - October 4, 11:15 - 2:00 p.m.

Discussion of goals

• Pedersen - Her idea; need to review
• Abell - Previous goals?  cannot find online.  Long tedious process. Recommend postponing until homework is done and time allotted.
• Bowie - MABE training talked about where we are going; vision
• Richmond - requested we review the Master Plan
• Abell - Requested Ms. Stubblefield to forward the previous goals to all board members.

New business

• Construction manager at-risk contract - See report.  Award to Hess Contruction

Motion to accept recommedation by Abell; Second by Pedersen

Yes = Unanimous

• Personnel

Motion to accept recommedation by Pedersen; Second by Lukas

Yes = Unanimous

Attendance at MABE conference

Attendance at NSBA conference
Adjournment

REMINDER: Board of Education Work Session, 8/22/11

The Board of Education of Charles County is holding a work session at 6 p.m., Monday, Aug. 22, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building in La Plata. The meeting will be aired live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and streamed on the school system Web site at http://www2.ccboe.com/boe/live/. The agenda is as follows:
Executive session

Call to order – 6 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance

Public Forum

Funding formula

Redistricting

Meeting with delegation

Superintendent search

Maryland Association of Boards of Education committees

Retreat with Commissioners

Discussion of goals

New business

Construction manager at-risk contract

Adjournment

Notes from the Board of Education Meeting, 8/9/11

The Board Meeting on Tuesday, August 9 will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs

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.

Executive session – 10:00 a.m.

Call to order – 11 a.m. - Pledge of Allegiance

Superintendent's update - Read Report

Delegate Peter Murphy - presented a General Assembly citation to Mr. Richmond recognizing him for receiving the 2011 Alan Shepard Award

Education Association of Charles County update - No report today

Student Board Member update

• 19 students attended Leadership Work Shop


• August 18th is first CCASC meeting

Oral update on preparations for opening of schools; student transfers

• Cunningham - administrative appointments; school preparation; programs happening prior to school; new teacher orientation; student transfers


• Wise - Large influx of new students we didn't expect
  


• Cunningham - student transfer information; see report;


• Dr. Patricia Vaira (Director Student Services) - Brief overview of process


• Abell - numbers are high, all schools are already over crowded & don't have openings so how can a transfer be awarded? High number of student transfers for employees.


• Vaira - medical and criminal aspects do exist


• Wise - concerned about transfers for programs; concerned about misuse


• Cunningham - Dr. Vaira has added fresh ideas to the whole process


• Taylor - annual approval?


• Vaira - you do not have to refile every year unless by principal request


• Abell - still concerned about the high number of students of employees, especially ones where parents work in different buildings; is this in the teacher contract?


• Hettel - no, it is not in their contract or guaranteed.


• Bowie - do these figures include Barnhart transfers regarding AYP


• Vaira - no, these figures are from 2010


• Pedersen - concern about consistency between the schools; supports employee student transfers to make family life more normal for our teachers but hopes staff understands that they will not always be approved.


• Cornette - presenting on fall sports season; all schools will hold a pre-season meeting; all athletic trainers will be certified by October 1 per legislation;


• Pedersen - team becoming ineligible because a student/player was ineligible due to residency; students practice on their own in school neighborhood communities; Are we liable


• Cunningham - working on having legal consequences for parents that falsify information


• Schwartz - Yes, we would be sued but it would be doubtful if we would lose. Coaches need to make sure that it is understood by players that practice is NOT approved.


• Student - Eligibility for sports if students transfer?


• Abell - they are ineligible for one full calendar year from the date of transfer.


• Bowie - In the handbook does it state GPA is a requirement.


• Cornette - yes; 2.0 but no more than one F


• Taylor - transfers in sports; does it apply for incoming freshmen?


• Cunningham - yes.

CIP Update - see report
Report item: State FY2013 CIP State and Local CIP Program - see report
College prep English; Study Island - see report (partnership with CSM)
Report item: new Office 2010 textbooks - see report
Oral update on staffing

• a number of possible employees have declined offers due to housing issues because the banks are withholding mortgages. Rentals are extremely higher. Apartments are not giving teacher discounts anymore.


• Schools should be completely staffed by opening of schools.


• Superintendent choosing to close the entire school system for the week between Christmas and New Year 2012.

New ethics policy - see report

Communications update - see report

Resolutions – American Education Week; American Freedom Week; African American History Month; Career and Technical Education Month; National School Counseling Week; Read Across America; Women's History Month; Fine and Performing Arts Month; Month of the Young Child; National Student Leadership Week; Teacher Appreciation Week; Administrative Professionals' Week; Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week; National Physical Education and Sport Week; Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leader; Charles County Teacher of the Year; Employees' Retirement; Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award.

Unfinished business

• Wade - concerned about the number of athletes, mainly minorities, that are ineligible for sports due to academics.


• Wise - Report from Cornette forthcoming on how they are addressing this issue.


• Richmond - concerned with the STUDENTS in general, not just athletes and it is being discussed and it is a focal point for staff.

New business


Future agenda items


Public Forum – 3:30 p.m. - None

Action items

• Minutes

Motion to accept Executive Session Minutes from June by Abell; Second by Pedersen

Yes = Unanimous (Cook absent) No Vote = Lukas

• Minutes

Motion to accept Minutes from June by Pedersen; Second by Wade

Yes = Unanimous (Cook absent)

• Minutes

Motion to accept June Work Session Minutes by Abell; Second by Lukas

Yes = Unanimous (Cook absent)

• Personnel

Motion to accept Personnel by Pedersen; Second by Wade

Yes = Unanimous (Cook absent)

• Personnel

Motion to accept Personnel Termination by Pedersen; Second by Wade

Yes = Unanimous (Cook absent) Recused = Abell

• New policy #5118 Elementary and Secondary: gang activity

Motion to accept Policy by Pedersen; Second by Wade

Yes = Unanimous (Cook absent)

Adjournment