Tuesday, December 09, 2014

Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 12/9/14


The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, December 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 – 12 p.m.
Call to order – 1 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance – Maurice J. McDonough High School

Superintendent’s update to the Board - See report

Correspondence/board member updates
  • Bowie - comment from parent of a former North Point student praises Dr. Hill; another comment from a parent just transferred from Fairfax County says CCPS is better than FX
  • Cook - Enjoyed It's Academic
  • Pedersen - Enjoyed It's Academic; LPHS Senior Interviews; CCASC meeting to say thank you and good bye
  • Lukas - All County Band enjoyable; Military Ball
Education Association of Charles County update - See report

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees update - See report

Student Board member’s update - See report

Student Transfers - See Report
  • Slightly up due to redistricting
  • Wise - Appeals to the state level have all been upheld.  Our Policy is good.
  • Abell - and it works
CIP update - See report
  • Pool at St. Charles moving forward.  Enclosure this winter.  May 2015 Completion.
  • FB Gwynn boiler & roof going to bid
  • Dr. Brown - roof replacement; ordering eqipment for Spring
  • CIP Submission to state; state made recommendations; we appealed
  • St. Charles - requested balance
  • Stoddert MS roof and  boiler
  • Kindergarten additions at Jenifer and Matula
  • Planning for elementary #3 and Mudd renovations
  • Wise - PK legislation moving forward
  • Hill - lot of talk but nothing yet
Maryland’s College and Career Ready Standards: The CCPS blueprint - See report
  • This report was put together based on common, reoccurring concerns regarding the standards at the county level.  It addresses the instruction issues, not the political issues.  It will be shared with principals this week with hopes of sharing with parents through PTA etc at every school.
  • Addresses myths vs facts at the local level.
  • Abell - can students opt-out of HSA's or PARCC assessments?  NO.  State requirement
  • Please, please, please provide feedback on this report.  Please keep comments constructive, give specifics, and let me know of any contradictions.
Unfinished business
  • Abell - questions asked previously...when can we receive an update?  Where are we losing teachers to(surrounding counties?); Review of the World History Text Book; Portable classroom update including condition and ownership.
New business  - None

Presentation of plaques to outgoing Board

Board Farewell – 3:30 p.m.

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.
  • Students - Paris Jones, 5th grade, Academic Achievement; C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School; Principal: Troy D. Barnes; Shana Cavanaugh, 5th grade; Academic Achievement; Dr. Brown Elementary School, Principal: Christienne Warren; Sarah Jones, 11th grade; Personal Responsibility; Henry E. Lackey High School; Principal: James Short; Roman Lakner, 5th grade; Academic Achievement; T. C. Martin Elementary School; Principal: Gregory Miller; Michael Petschk, 8th grade; Career Readiness; John Hanson Middle School; Principal: Kathy-Lynn Kiessling
  • Employees - Timothy P. Remo, fifth grade teacher, Barnhart; Carrie J. Lamb, Reading Resource teacher, Brown; Bonnie D. Jenkins, third grade teacher, Martin; Patricia A. Hodson, Media Specialist, Hanson; Camille C. Calloway, Special Education teacher, Lackey
Public Forum – 6 p.m.
  • Andrew Williams - CCASC - student liasions - speaking on students behalf to reinstate after school activity buses.  Understand may not be possible due to budetary concerns.  Ask the board to consider allowing each individual school to explore options to fund their own activity buses.  After school buses are a necessity for students to participate in athletics, clubs, organizations and tutoring.
Action items
  • Minutes
Motion to accept the minutes by Abell; Second by Cook
Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wise
  • Personnel
Motion to accept the Personnel by Cook; Second by Pedersen
Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wise
  • Pension policy #3920
Motion to accept the Pension Policy by Lukas; Second by Abell
Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wise
  • Extra-curricular and athletic eligibility requirements policy #6431
Motion to accept the Policy #6431 by Cook; Second by Pedersen
Yes = Abell, Bowie, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wise
Adjournment

Monday, December 08, 2014

New Student Assessments Are Accompanied by Bigger Questions

As reported in the Baltimore Sun, just as public school systems in Maryland and other states prepare to give longer and more challenging standardized tests this spring, a national debate has erupted over just how many hours students should be tested in a year.  As reported in the article,

“I think what you are seeing across the country is this backlash against state testing,” said Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Dallas Dance, who believes there may be moves in coming years to reduce federally mandated testing.
This year, an eighth-grader in the Baltimore area will spend from 14 to 46 hours taking tests, depending on which school district he or she is in. And that doesn’t include the tests teachers write and grade themselves — that pop quiz on “The Scarlet Letter” in English or fractions in an elementary school math class.
A recent study by The Center for American Progress, Testing Overload in America’s Schools, found the following:
  • Despite the perception that federally mandated state testing is the root of the issue, districts require more tests than states.
  • Students are tested as frequently as twice per month and an average of once per month.
  • Actual test administration takes up a small fraction of learning time.
  • There is a culture of testing and test preparation in schools that does not put students first.
  • District-level testing occurs more frequently and takes up more learning time in urban districts than in suburban districts.
  • Districts are not transparent about testing practices or purposes.
For more information, see the full story from the Sun and The Center for American Progress.

Friday, December 05, 2014

Wilson honored by Omega Psi Phi for community service

Monique Wilson, director of the James E. Richmond Science Center at St. Charles High School, was recently honored by the Tau Lambda Lambda chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity with a 2014 Outstanding Citizen of the Year award. The award honors community members who demonstrate exemplary leadership and service to the community on the local and state levels that helps improve the quality of life for others.

Wilson has volunteered with the fraternity’s Purple Boot Mentoring Program for the past three years, and was recognized for helping to tutor middle school minority students in topics such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and robotics. The mission of the program is to educate and empower adolescent males in the Southern Maryland region, with an emphasis on mentoring minorities, to serve as role models within their communities.

Program activities focus on several areas of learning for young men that range from how to be engaged in their education and learning about personal responsibility to working with mentors on positive-relationship building. Wilson said she is honored to be recognized for doing something that she thoroughly enjoys.

“It was a surprise to me that I received this honor because educating, giving of my time and helping young people is second nature for me, so to be recognized for doing what I truly enjoy has reaffirmed why I became an educator and shows that the community does value education and it is watching the example we set” Wilson said.

The Purple Boot Mentoring Program was launched in 2009 to provide adolescent males in the Southern Maryland community with opportunities to learn from and work with positive role models.  The Citizen of the Year award was given to three honorees from the Tri-county area for their notable achievements and service to Southern Maryland.

Wilson was honored with her award during the Tau Lambda Lambda’s 10th annual Achievement Week Founders’ Day awards banquet held Nov. 15 at the Greater Waldorf Jaycees Hall in Waldorf. She also received a citation from the Charles County Board of Commissioners.

For more information on the Purple Boot Mentoring Program, visit http://www.southernmdques.org.

Agenda for Board of Education Meeting, 12/9/14

The Board of Education’s next monthly meeting is Tuesday, Dec. 9, 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 website www.ccboe.com. Select CCPS TV and then choose the Live Broadcast tab.

Executive session – 12 p.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance – Maurice J. McDonough High School

Superintendent’s update to the Board

Reports of officers/boards/committees

  • Correspondence/board member updates
  • Education Association of Charles County update
  • American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees update
  • Student Board member’s update
  • CIP update
  • Maryland’s College and Career Ready Standards: The CCPS blueprint
  • Budget update
  • Legislative update
Unfinished business

New business

Presentation of plaques to outgoing Board

Board Farewell – 3:30 p.m.

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.
  • Students
  • Employees
Public Forum – 6 p.m.
Action items

  • Minutes
  • Personnel
  • New textbooks: Microsoft Office 2013
  • Pension policy #3920
  • Extra-curricular and athletic eligibility requirements policy #6431
Adjournment

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Northrop Grumman executive challenges Maryland businesses to support education

Baltimore Business Journal
Nov 20, 2014



The head of Northrop Grumman's $7 billion Electronic Systems sector called on local business leaders Thursday to back education.

"I challenge us as a community to make sure that we're supporting education here in Maryland," said Gloria A. Flach, president of the defense contractor's Electronic Systems operating unit, which is based in Linthicum near Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Flach was the keynote speaker at the BWI Business Partnership's November breakfast.

Northrop Grumman employs about 10,000 people in Maryland, making it one of the state's largest employers.
For the Electronic Systems sector, education in the STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — is a foundation for business success, Flach said. It prepares students to succeed in the workplace.

The country needs more employees with technical skills, Flach said. And Northrop Grumman promotes STEM education through awareness, mentoring and financial support. But that doesn't mean there's a lack of talent in Maryland.
"I can tell you, ladies and gentleman, that the talent coming out of our education system is eye-watering," Flach said. "Think of the opportunity for our young people in terms of careers."

Read more HERE

Monday, November 24, 2014

REMINDER: Board of Education Work Session Tonight, 11/24/14

The Board of Education will hold a work seesion on Monday, Nov. 24, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the meeting begins at 6 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 website www.ccboe.com. Select CCPS TV and then choose the Live Broadcast tab.


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

Public Forum 

GWWO School Facilities hearings results 


 Report - Academic Eligibility Proposal #6431

Adjournment 

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Satanic worship group seeks to hand out coloring books to high school students prompting Florida school board to consider banning distribution of all religious materials

  • The Satanic Temple, a worship group, has asked to distribute a coloring book to Florida high schoolers
  • Florida allows religious groups to distribute bibles and other materials in schools
  • The board is thinking of changing the policy so that no one may hand out any religious material   


 A Florida school board may change a policy allowing groups to distribute religious materials in high schools after a satanic worship group has asked to distribute coloring books about their faith.
The board discussed changing their current policy during a workshop on Thursday but the earliest it could vote to change would be late January or early February, said officials.
A spokesperson for The Satanic Temple says that they should be able to hand out coloring books that feature children performing satanic rituals and drawing pentagrams just like any other religious group.
'It strongly implies they never intended to have a plurality of voices,' said Doug Mesner, co-founder and spokesman for The Satanic Temple, who also goes by the name Lucien Greaves.
The content in the coloring books are puzzles that ask children to search for words like, empathy, love, care, and friendship.
Another typical page of the coloring book shows a young girl named Annabel who is 'spreading knowledge and helping to dispel fear and ignorance by demonstrating her satanic ritual for her class.'
The satanic group is not the only one that hands out materials, either. 
An evangelical group called World Changers of Florida has given out Bibles in Orange schools three times, reports WPTV.
District counsel Woody Rodriguez said that the satanic group is the only one that submitted a request but that the evangelical group said they will hand out their material as well.
'They seem to be moving against the interests of a large part of the community,' said World Changers of Florida Greg Harper of the Static Temple's Desire to hand out material.
'The Bible will open somebody's heart, somebody's mind, and cause them to pursue answers.'
Board Member Christine Moore said that people are having trouble with a policy change on Christian groups.
'Everyone's upset about the Satanists and the atheists coming,' she said.
An atheist groups saw the upside of the potential policy change and has given out atheist materials in the past in opposition to Bible distributions.
'It's a bit of a relief,' said David Williamson of the Central Florida Freethought Community.
'Given that there's a potential change in the policy, we won't be allowing distribution,' Rodriguez said. 
'We're going to wait.'
Read the original article HERE.

Friday, November 14, 2014

States Listen as Parents Give Rampant Testing an F

New York Times



ROYAL PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida embraced the school accountability movement early and enthusiastically, but that was hard to remember at a parent meeting in a high school auditorium here not long ago.
 
Parents railed at a system that they said was overrun by new tests coming from all levels — district, state and federal. Some wept as they described teenagers who take Xanax to cope with test stress, children who refuse to go to school and teachers who retire rather than promote a culture that seems to value testing over learning.
 
“My third grader loves school, but I can’t get her out of the car this year,” Dawn LaBorde, who has three children in Palm Beach County schools, told the gathering, through tears. Her son, a junior, is so shaken, she said, “I have had to take him to his doctor.” She added: “He can’t sleep, but he’s tired. He can’t eat, but he’s hungry.”
 
One father broke down as he said he planned to pull his second grader from school. “Teaching to a test is destroying our society,” he said.
 
Where once these frustrations were voiced in murmurs, this year not only parents but also educators across Florida are rebelling. They have joined a national protest in which states have repealed their graduation test requirements, postponed the consequences of testing for the Common Core — national standards in more than 40 states — and rolled back the number of required exams.
 
In August, Education Secretary Arne Duncan added to the chorus when he wrote in a blog post that “testing issues today are sucking the oxygen out of the room in a lot of schools,” and that teachers needed more time to adapt to new standards and tests.
 
Read more HERE.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 11/11/14


The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, November 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

Superintendent’s update to the Board - Report

Correspondence/board member updates
  • Lukas - fantastic job to chess tournament
  • Wise - Kudos to McDonough Football
  • Cook - Kudos to LaPlata Volleyball
  • Abell - Kudos to McDonough Volleyball
  • Pedersen - Congratulations to newly elected board members 
Education Association of Charles County update - Report
 
Student Board member’s update - Report
 
Academic eligibility proposal update - Report
  • Change from semester to quarter
  • Pedersen - Ensure the policy is adhered to across the board.  Feedback from students and coaches. 
CIP update - Report
  • Enrollment Numbers
  • Abell - requested review and verification on totals; errors on spreadsheet.
Technology through the eyes of students - Oral Report

       (CSM Access pilot telepresence program at LaPlata High School)
  • Daja Lewis - Access CSM; Class helped her be more responsible; counts towards college GPA; Pop Culture class; wouldn't have taken AP course because they are so intimidating but tried this and found out college courses arent so scary.
  • Kayla Gretgen - Collaboration amongst other students; professor sometimescomes to the school and telepresence back to the college; sometimes technical difficulties but nothing not able to oversome.  still feel apart of your home high school
  • Trevor Abell - earn 12 credits before entering college.should be offered to all of Charles County students.  intro to college classes....only one class no pressure.  saves on gas money
  • Hill - interaction with CSM Students; any feedback or suggestions before rolling it out to other schools.
  • Students - Pop Culture first class; second class, technology; interesting topics.
  • Lukas - would you consider doing it after school
  • Students - more difficult due to other activities, jobs, etc.
      North Point Technology Classes (DTS & CSB)
  • Students - affected future by opening doors to technology and how they can related to current studies such as medical (medical + technology); need more women in technology.
  • How to encourage more females?
  • Students - not sure; started a club Women in Computer Sciences to entice and gain interest.
  • Pedersen - if you were given a chance to talk to elementary age girls what would you say?
  • Students - Equal Rights in jobs and salaries; opportunities.
  • Joe Greenwalt - STI program in Charles County is the only one that has achieved enrollment in program similar to demographics in entire system.  We are a model across the nation.
  • Lukas - offer more certificated programs
        PARCC Requirements
  • Students will need to pass HSA's
  • Fall of 16-17 PARCC will become part of the graduation requirements (Algebra & English scores will be combined in some fashion for requirement but we dont have full information as of yet.)
  • Pedersen - Affect on the bridge plan, # of students involved
  • Amy Hollstein - there will be changes but not known right now.  Will get numbers
Microsoft Office 2013 Textbook- Report
Pension policy #3920 - Report
 
Legislative update - Report
  • New Govenor - unknown policies and direction; change coming
  • PARCC assessments delayed as graduation requirements by the state
  • Abell - Requested Mr. Schwartz report be placed on BoardDocs
Unfinished business
  • Abell - Where are we losing teachers to? Asked at last board meeting.
  • Abell - Board Goals review
New business
 
Future agenda items
  • Abell - Update on Out-of Zone Transfers
  • Abell - World History Textbook Review
  • Pedersen - Portable classrooms review, condition, etc.
Recognition – 4:30 p.m.
    Students
  • Nicholas Long, 5th grade, Personal Responsibility, Dr. James Craik Elementary School, Principal: Debra Calvert
  • Amir Moore, 5th grade, Academic Achievement, Malcolm Elementary School, Principal: Wilhelmina Pugh
  • Morgan Martin, 5th grade, Academic Achievement, J.C. Parks Elementary School, Principal: Thadine Wright
  • Devyn Thompson, 8th grade, Career Readiness, Benjamin Stoddert Middle School, Principal: Kenneth Schroeck
  • Jeanne Franchesca Dela Cruz, 11th grade, Career Readiness, St. Charles High School, Principal: Richard Conley
          Employees
  • Jane K. Pilkerton, reading resource teacher, Craik
  • Melissa F. Gross, secretary to the Principal, Parks
  • Erin L. Berfield, music teacher, Malcolm
  • Danielle M. Carpenter, social studies teacher, Stoddert
  • Latisha S. Chase, instructional assistant, St. Charles
Public Forum – 6 p.m.
  • Margaret Martin - school bus driver; no salary increase unless mandated by the county budget, haven't received a raise since 2009, all the other duties related to job other than driving a bus.
  • Debbie Vahle - school bus driver; no bus aide on normal bus runs, always on call, no pay on days off. (gave a hard copy report/presentation to all board members)
  • Dominique Mars - member of community, support school bus drivers, 2 children in school, bus drivers put up with alot.  Support all employees for a system that works.
  • David Leach - School bus driver; wants a union to represent all of Charles County bus drivers, mutual respect from the contractors.
  • Sue Manning - Adoption of Common Core standards has affected her child.  Age 9 but  developmentally on age 5. Suffered anxiety, and a former teacher stated to not to bring him back. Withdrew him and now homeschools.  High standards need to be realistic and for HIM.  These standards actually hurt him. 
  • Tony Piacente - CCBOE website states beliefs (cites), not working for us, LPHS incident, hundreds of emails of concerns went unanswered, violates a parents rights of religions. 
  • Male ????(didn't hear name) - Bus driver, 18 different contractors, who to answer to?  All here together for fairness and equality.
  • Christine Pate(?) - Pres. of the NAACP Youth Council, student - requests return of activity buses.  More students could stay after for extra curricular activites, sports, clubs, and tutoring.  2008 they were implemented.  Budget has increased, can they reinstate. Maybe not 430 and 600 but just 6:00 p.m.
  • Melissa Queen (?) - Student at Thomas Stone High School, reinstate activity buses.  Ensured all students equal opportunity for participation.  Has been stopped twice by strange men in cars in her walk home from school at night.
  • Kyle Smith - NAACP Youth Council, Student at Thomas Stone, activity buses reinstate, wants to start a petition among all students.
  • Faye Weekly(?) - two children in middle school - we are the parents not you.  letters from schools about what to feed our children and nutrition content, and now an administartor assuming the content of a class being taught.  parentsshould be allowed to opt their child out.  not the schols job to judge a parent.  Parents responsible for their child.  Not schools job to protect a child from their parent.  Schools undermine a parents authority.  Reminder and cautioned not to cross the line.  Parents are protective of their children.
Action items
  • Minutes
Motion to accept the Minutes by Cook; Second by Abell
Yes = Abell, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wise; Absent = Bowie
  • Personnel
Motion to accept the Personnel by Abell; Second by Lukas
Yes = Abell, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wise; Absent = Bowie
  • 2015 Legislative positions
Motion to accept the 2015 Legislative Positions by Cook; Second by Pedersen
Yes = Abell, Cook, Lukas, Pedersen, Wise; Absent = Bowie

Adjournment
 

Wednesday, November 05, 2014

REMINDER: Board of Education Meeting, 11/11/14


The Board of Education’s next monthly meeting is Tuesday, Nov. 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 website www.ccboe.com. Select CCPS TV and then choose the Live Broadcast tab.

Executive session – 12 p.m.
Call to order – 1 p.m.- Pledge of Allegiance – La Plata High School

Superintendent’s update to the Board

Reports of officers/boards/committees
  • Correspondence/board member updates
  • Education Association of Charles County updat
  • American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees update
  • Student Board member’s update
  • Academic eligibility proposal update
  • CIP update
  • Technology through the eyes of students
  • Microsoft Office 2013
  • Pension policy #3920
  • Legislative update
Unfinished business
New business and Future agenda items

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.
  • Students
  • Employees
Public Forum – 6 p.m.
Action items
  • Minutes
  • Personnel
  • 2015 Legislative positions
Adjournment

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Notes from the Parent Advisory Council, 10/28/14

(Thank you to Joseph Cormier Arthur Middleton Owls PTO President for forwarding the notes)

Information dissemination: Working together toward a brighter tomorrow. 
Parents affected by drug abuse:
·       Amy Young: A parent affected by addiction in child.
·       Face of drug user doesn’t look stereotypical.
·       Need to Educate parents and teachers beyond DARE into the real world.
·       11th -12th grade with no post high school goals are target group.
·       MD is heroin capital of country.
·       Be aware of social media and friend groups your children participate in.
·       Don’t wait until something has happened.
·       Don’t assume happy, involved straight A student is not tempted.
·       Parents don’t want to admit their kids would fall into trap of friend offering drugs.
·       Medicine cabinets can be treasure trove. Use it or dispose of it. Don’t keep it.
·       Need anonymous feedback from parents and students.
·       Want to come to individual schools for presentations.
·       pabaparents@yahoo.com
CCPS On the GO
·       Apple and android users can download free app.
·       Parent portal.
·       Blackboard Kinect.
·       Parent notification.
·       News releases and external releases.
·       Users can ‘follow my child’ follow my school.
·       General calendar populates as well.
·       Still in beta phase, working hurdles for different gateways
·       Need student 6 number lunch number/ID number
·       Dec/Jan update coming down. Need parent feedback for them.
·       smackey@ccboe.com For any Tech questions.
Keith Hettel:
·       Building and construction management is on going process.
·       GWWO study Capital improvement plan is in phase 3.
·       $235,000 dollar study bid process.
·       State and county funding for CIP.
·       60 Million in improvements to present schools. Fire alarms, PA System, HVAC, Kindergarten addition.
·       21st century educational opportunity for all students.
·       Need a seat for all students, reduce learning cottages.
·       On site assessments for all building
·       Building manager and staff survey
·       All buildings objectively scored by capacity and condition for priority.
·       Some funding is 63 % state 37% local
·       Aggressive 10 year plan for renovation or new building
·       Also include 10 maintenance
·       $578,256,877 todays dollars not inflated
·       Stoddert, Jennifer, matula, mudd and new school west of 301.
Marvin Jones Safety Brief:
·       Inside locks for interior doors.
·       Shades for widows.
·       Increase in student resource officers rotations.
·       Indoor and outdoor cameras
·       Access control.
·       Spare entry cards for PE, Learning cottages
·       Vigilant for student unrest.
Linda Gill School Student Recognition program
·       Making sure students are recognized for activities in and out of school.
·       Participation from parents and students
·       Volunteer hours recognized.
PTO Council
·       Vicky Kelly started group
·       Getting all PTO/PTA on the same page

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Maryland’s new test requirement for graduation to be delayed two years





The Maryland State Board of Education voted on Tuesday for a two-year delay in requiring that high school students pass new standardized tests in order to graduate.

This year, students in grades 3 to 8 and in English 10 and Algebra I will take the new tests, developed by the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and based on the national Common Core State Standards.

Prior to Tuesday’s action, the new tests for English 10 and Algebra I were required for graduation. Under the new plan, students still will have to pass the courses to graduate, but will not have to pass the tests, state officials said.

The graduation requirement will go into effect during the 2016-2017 school year.

The action reverses a decision the state board made in July to implement the new test requirement.
“Our two-year plan will allow our students and teachers to become more knowledgeable in the more rigorous standards during the transition,” said Mary Kay Finan, the board’s vice president.

Maryland joins other states, including Massachusetts, that have either decided to delay the transition to the new tests or opted not to make them a graduation requirement this school year.

Since the board’s action earlier this year, some local district officials have raised concerns about holding students accountable during the transition to the new tests.

Read more HERE

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

CSM and BOE Joint Meeting Notes, 10/27/14

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.

Access CSM

  • Offered at LaPlata High School this year as a pilot program
  • Allows seniors to take a telepresence college class at the school during the school day and receive college credits.
  • Tuition at 50% savings
  • Currently offering Pop Culture and Sociology
  • Program is successful
  • Discussion involved both boards liking the partnership and increasing the opportunity to other high schools in the coming school year.
Early College Academy Proposal
  • Program allowing students to earn 31 college credits by the time they graduate high school
  • Similar to Dual Enrollment and the Access CSM but done via telepresence at your home school during the school year and on campus over the summer
  • Tuition at 50% savings
  • Begin summer prior to 11th Grade with interdiscpilinary course and communication course (6 credits)
  • 11th grade year - one class per semester (6 credits)
  • Summer prior to 12th grade - Science class and social sciences (7 credits)
  • Senior Year - Two classes per semester (12 credits)
  • Abell as well as others raised concern about the level of stress imposed on these students.
  • not for all students, high achievers etc. with screening process
  • both boards agreed to move forward with this proposal
Middle College Partnership
  • Woudl involve middle school students being transported to the LaPlata Campus or another facility to attend college classes
  • Would require a separate budget, staff, etc.
  • Students would miss out on the extracurricular activities and socialization at their home school and also would not be involved with those activities at the collefe.
  • Both boards agreed to table this initiative for now and focus on the first two.

Friday, October 24, 2014

CSM Hosts Board of Education for Joint Meeting


The Board of Education of Charles County and College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Board of Directors will meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 27 at the Center for Business Industry in room BI 103/104, located on the CSM La Plata campus. The following is a tentative agenda:

·         Pledge of Allegiance

·         Dinner/Introductions

·         Access CSM

·         Early College Academy proposal

·         Update on Middle College

·         Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between CSM and Charles County Public Schools

·         Adjournment

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Why Performance Incentives and Public Schools Don't Mix

Huffington Post
By:  Peter Greene
10/17/14


We have always paid public servants a flat fee, untethered to any sort of "performance measures." That's because we want public service to be completely disconnected from any private interests.

Fighting Fire With Money
Imagine if, for instance, we paid fire fighters on sliding scale, based on how many of which type fires they put out at a certain speed. This would be disastrous for many reasons.

Fire fighters would refuse to work in cities where there were few fires to fight, because they couldn't make a living. In cities where there were commonly multiple fires and their livelihood on the line, fire fighters would be encouraged to look at each fire call through a lens of "What's in it for me?"

For instance, in a system where fire fighters were paid based on the value of the flame-besieged property, fire fighters might view some small building fires as Not Worth the Trouble. Why bother traveling to the other side of the tracks? It's only a hundred-dollar blaze, anyway. Let's wait till something breaks out up in the million-dollar neighborhood.

In the worst-case scenario, one of our fire fighters depending on performance-based pay to feed his family may be tempted to grab some matches and go fire up some business.

Perverse Incentivization
Occasionally we've seen these kinds of perverse incentives in action, and we don't much like it. The areas of the country where you take extra speed limit care at the end of the month because the local police have a quota to meet. The neighborhood where cops have to roust a certain number of suspects a week to keep their job ratings. Nobody thinks these are examples of excellence in public service.

In fact, we have tried private police forces and private fire companies in the past. We don't much care for how that works out, because it creates a system that provides excellent service -- but only for the customers who are paying for it.

The idea of public service is to create a class of people who are above self-interest and who do not respond to a single boss. We are outraged when abuse of police power happens precisely because we expect the police to act as if they work for everyone, and to put their dedication to that service above any single interests, including their own.

That's the definition of public service -- service roles that are stripped of any possibility of incentives other than the mandate to serve the public good. That's what we mean by "professional" -- a person who puts all personal self-interest aside and focuses on Getting the Job Done. Trying to motivate a public servant with self-interest inevitably tends to pollute the professional setting with the very self-interest that we're trying to get out of there.

Read more HERE