Notes from Board of Education Meeting, August 13, 2013

The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, August 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.

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

Superintendent's update  - see report

Correspondence/Board member updates

• Wise - Wade receiving MABE Willis award
• Abell - MABE Budget Committee; requesting one time fee adjustment of $1,000 - $5,000 based on size of school system to be voted on at conference.

Education Association of Charles County update - see report

 

Student Board Member update - see report

 

School Administration - Athletics update - baseline & impact  testing; concussion reduction; parent meetings synonmous; handbook updated; athletic trainers at each high school; awards reports and same thing done at all schools (see report)

• Wise - soccer not considered an impact sport?
• Abell - soccer players are tested too even not classified.....yes

School Administration - Opening of schools - Leadership Institute this week; break out sessions; school visits;

 

State of evaluations - see report - ongoing process; subcommittee

 

CIP update  - new high school; digital classroom; Mitchell renovations; Gale-Bailey kitchen; Hanson Nurses Suite;

 

FY 2015 CIP state and local CIP program - see report

 

Office of Instruction - Assessments - see report

 

Staffing udpate  - 128 new hires, still need 9 special ed; 5 elementary; 16 high school; 21 resignations since July; needed special ed math, science, tech ed, library media; minority hiring has increased.

 

New website - see report; Launch August 19th

 

Recurring resolutions - American Education Week; American Freedom Week; African-American History Month; Gifted and Talented Education Month; Career and Technology 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; Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award; Charles County Teacher of the Year; and Employees' Retirement

Unfinished business

• Cell phones - Current Rules in report; Abell requested a subcommittee to review this and BYOD for the next school year.  Discussion and concern over "the end of the school day" and consistency across the schools.
• Board members pay/reimbursement - see report analysis of other counties; discussion; Pedersen supports increase; Wise should be comparable to surrounding counties; Abell ditto; Bowie and Lukas against.

Motion to raise board member salary to $7,000/$6,000, Chair/Members respectively and add a $1,000 scholarship for the student board member and leave the stipend as is by Cook; Second by Pedersen

FURTHER DISCUSSION

 

Amendment to Original Motion to Change stipend to $800 and add members serving on committees outside of the county are entitled upto $2,000 in expense reimbursements per year by Cook; Second by Pedersen

Yes=Abell, Cook, Pedersen, Wade, Wise; No=Bowie, Lukas

 

Vote on Original Motion

Yes=Abell, Cook, Pedersen, Wade, Wise; No=Bowie, Lukas

 

New business

• Future School Renovations - Discuss a recent letter from David Lever, executive director of the Interagency Committee on School Construction, concerning future renovation of schools and take action on recommendations.  Discussion on APFO subcommittee.

Future agenda items

• Cook - College prep report

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

• None

Action items  - Minutes

Motion to accept the Minutes by Pedersen; second by Lukas

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

 

Action Item - Personnel

Motion to accept the Personnel by Cook; second by Lukas

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

 

Action Item - Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish textbooks

Motion to accept the AP Spanish Textbooks by Cook; second by Pedersen

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

Adjournment

Board of Education Meeting Agenda for August 13, 2013

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, August 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 Public Forum is at 6 p.m. All Board meetings are televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and rebroadcast throughout the week. Viewing schedules are available on the Charles County Public Schools website at www.ccboe.com.

Executive Session – 11 a.m.

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

Superintendent's update

Reports of officers/boards/committees

• Correspondence/Board member updates
• Education Association of Charles County update
• Student Board Member update
• Opening of schools, athletics update
• State of evaluations
• CIP update
• FY 2015 CIP state and local CIP program
• School improvement
• Staffing udpate
• New website
• Recurring resolutions: American Education Week; American Freedom Week; African-American History Month; Gifted and Talented Education Month; Career and Technology 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; Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award; Charles County Teacher of the Year; and Employees' Retirement

Unfinished business

• Cell phones
• Board members pay/reimbursement

New business and future agenda items

• New business
• Future agenda items

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish textbooks

Adjournment

Clarksville, Arkansas School District Opts For Armed Teachers, Staff

CLARKSVILLE, Ark. -- As Cheyne Dougan rounded the corner at Clarksville High School, he saw three students on the floor moaning and crying. In a split-second, two more ran out of a nearby classroom.

"He's got a gun," one of them shouted as Dougan approached with his pistol drawn. Inside, he found one student holding another at gunpoint. Dougan aimed and fired three rounds at the gunman.
Preparing for such scenarios has become common for police after a school shooting in Connecticut last December left 20 children and six teachers dead. But Dougan is no policeman. He's the assistant principal of this school in Arkansas, and when classes resume in August, he will walk the halls with a 9 mm handgun.

Dougan is among more than 20 teachers, administrators and other school employees in this town who will carry concealed weapons throughout the school day, making use of a little-known Arkansas law that allows licensed, armed security guards on campus. After undergoing 53 hours of training, Dougan and other teachers at the school will be considered guards.

"The plan we've been given in the past is `Well, lock your doors, turn off your lights and hope for the best,'" Superintendent David Hopkins said. But as deadly incidents continued to happen in schools, he explained, the district decided, "That's not a plan."

Read more HERE