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