Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 2/12/13

The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, February 12 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, Westlake High School's JROTC unit

Superintendent's update - See Report

Correspondence/Board Member updates

• Bowie - Governor visit at library story time. 4 year old that could recite all the presidents and told him HE was going to be president.
• Bowie - Summer Reading List
• Pedersen - North Point Student to Student Program - work with military families to become aclimated to new school environment
• Lukas - County Chess Tournament; thanks to Mr. Cummings
• Lukas - Stone recognition for principals honors
• Wise - Annaplois to ask for $ for system

Education Association of Charles County update - See report

Student Board Member update - See report

CIP update - See report

Teacher Evaluation - See report; rejected by state with no explanantion; assume for state testing percentage.

SY 2014-2015 calendar - see proposed calendar

• Abell - 3 week cluster from MLK holiday to mid February has several days off.  Need to reevaluate?

Revisions of student transfer rule - See suggested changes on report

• Pedersen - suggests adding to student handbook

Homeless Population

• currently increased to 796 from 618 last year and still rising
• we're not unique in the numbers across the state
•  unique in 9 year wait for Section 8; no transitional housing
• we are providing everything we can to these students; confidentiality is at the highest
• last year we had a $35,000 grant; this year we have a $33,000 grant to help cover all misc costs for these students.
• Currently transporting 15 students from PG county (per law)

Legislative update

• numerous bills being submitted on school safety that we would oppose based on unfunded mandated
• also on Open Meetings Act with personal monetary violations to the perpetrator
• Special Education claims...whomever brings the claim has the burden of proof...new bill shifts the burden of proof to the Board of Education in all cases SB691
• Teacher Evaluations
• Representation fee by teachers who chose not to join the union
• March 5th, MABE Legislation Luncheon

Unfinished business

• Bowie - EReader devices in the classrooms
• Richmond - working on it

New business

Future agenda items

• Abell - Review Cell Phone Policy
• Lukas - regurgitated on the transfer policy

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.

• Students:  Jackson Tross, 5th grade, Personal Responsibility, Berry Elementary School, Principal: Marvin Jones; Jacob Waddell, 5th grade, Career Readiness, Eva Turner Elementary School, Principal: Stephanie Nottingham; Conner Smith, 8th grade, Academic Achievement, Matthew Henson Middle School, Principal: Sonia Jones; Liam Vienneau, 8th grade, Academic Achievement, Piccowaxen Middle School, Principal: Kenneth Schroeck; John (Jake) Bayer, 12th grade, Academic Achievement, La Plata High School, Principal: Evelyn Arnold
• Employees:  Lenora Green, special education teacher, Berry; Nicholas Adam, special education teacher, Turner; Caitlin Sinclair, mathematics teacher, Piccowaxen; Linda Adgate, job placement coordinator, La Plata; Lakeisha Webster, Stay Program instructional assistant, F.B. Gwynn Center, Principal: Thomas Weirich
• Resolutions:  Read Across Charles County; Women's History Month; Fine and Performing Arts Month

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

• John Hayes - resident of the county for 23 years; redistricting; Davis students went to Henson; now Hensen is 56 students over capacity;  commissioners just approved 156 homes in Henson zone.....gave more numbers just approved by commissioners via DRRA.
• Roseman Diaz - redistricting.  Davis to Henson.  Amazing staff at Henson.  commissioners approved DRRA's today.  says BOE told government they have room
• Robert Harlan - watched school board for the last 7 years.  Impressed with student board member Ms. Adeleke.  St. Charles High School, doing it for the students.  kids are asking for the pool but upset that the parents, homeowners, developers, business owners, etc aren't asking for a pool.

Action items

• Minutes

Motion to accept the minutes by Cook; Second by Pedersen

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

Motion to accept the minutes January 8th by Cook; Second by Pedersen

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



• Personnel

Motion to accept the personnel by Cook; Second by Wade

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

• Policy #3514 – green product cleaning supplies

Motion to accept the Policy #3514 by Lukas; Second by Wade

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

BUDGET WORK SESSION

See report

Motion to accept the Budget as presented by Pedersen; Second by Lukas

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