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Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 2/9/16
The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, February 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, Thomas Stone High School JROTC
Superintendent’s update -
Superintendents Report II 2-9-16 (2).pdf (137 KB)
Correspondence/Board Member updates
- Marshall - Apologize for missing Board Work Session, did not see the email; J.C. Parks tour, all staff delightful and full of smiles, no chairs in music room, GoFundMe page set up by teacher provided Ukulele's, thanks to Mr. Hettel for lights in gym.
- Kelly - BOE celebrating 100th anniversary. kicking off on February 17th with the BOE to meet at the one room school house. Many events throughout the year. Hashtag to be used #CCBOE100. Thank you to Palko and Abell for assistance on committee; social media apps and safety, check your childs phones, set boundaries.
- Crawford - VFW scholarship available for high school students interested in the arts and design. check out the website. Recognition of parents of student shadows.
- Palko - Martin Luther King Jr breakfast, thank you to everyone; Barnhart Elementary school STEAM museum, students explored, kudos to Mr. Barnes; Kudos to Stetham on CTE program; Skills USA regional competition, congratulations to students; February 2nd had a shadow visit schools and annex buildings; thank you to CCPS print shop and mail room.
- McGraw - Thank you to Jenifer Elementary on Geography Bee; Congratulationsto Ms. Alicia Jones named State Counselor Advocate of the Year; Scholarship Fund Meeting, seniors please apply; Town Hall with classified personnel scheduled for 2/29 at 5:00 p.m. at the Starkey Building; BOE and Commissioners Meeting on Tuesday, March 8th at 10:00 a.m. location TBD
- Lukas - MASC meeting on Saturday. Kudos to CCPS students.
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees update
- Kudos to first responders during inclement weather and thank you for supporting them
Fall athletics participation
- Athletic Participation FALL Sports Feb 9 Brd Mtg 2016.pdf (617 KB)
- Overall athletic GPA is up. # of ineligible students did NOT increase wit new eligibility requirements.
- Lukas - Thank you for the wealth of information
- Palko - impressed GPA's went up. Students not eligible because of the new requirements, what support system?
- Lawson - one hour lunches and after school assistance. Encourage coaches to monitor grades and offer study halls.
- Benson - support for the 8th graders?
- Lawson - working lunches and after school assistance
- Benson - see many students with all A's and B's and one F
- Lawson - haven't tracked this status
Project status
- Kelly - Matula & Jenifer, shorten time frame to August for completion?
- Clements - request to state made, contractors ready. Hopeful for compressed schedule.
- Palko - Berry, Malcolm, Craik, Wade, Higdon still need Kindergarten additions.
- Kelly - New Elementary School capacity 766, why Temporary classrooms in diagram
- Clements - We always anticipate the need for portable classrooms.
- Kelly - what is a Maker Space
- Hungerford - student space for multi purpose
- Student Daniel - shouldn't there be a fence to keep Kindergarten from wandering off
- Eschbach - yes fence in place to keep students in and adults out.
- Student - when is it opening
- Clements - 2018
- Student Kaylee - classrooms to plant and study organisms
- Hungerford - Science on 2nd floor, green roof, planting boxes etc, with a fence :), trails through woods to creek, etc.
- Crawford - Security with school being that far back in woods
- Clements - Wetlands etc to deter intruders and consult with security personnel
- Student Daniel - Other elementary schools close, will it take too many students
- Clements - need for school because of overcrowding
- Student Daniel - 4th graders in trailers but Kindergarten are fine inside
- Student - Shelters for emergencies
- Hungerford - yes, all has been taken into consideration
- Student Liasion - Thoughts behind putting Special Education on the Second Floor
- Eschbach - Consult with instructional staff as to what has to be on the first floor. The Special Education is located right next to the elevator.
- Student - Where does all the money come from to do all this
- Clements - fortunate our commissioners value a strong education and they support us as well as the state. 61% state, 39% county
- Student - during demolition, where are you putting the students
- Clements - students will be moved to a temporary school
- Lukas - Only zoned students for Mudd or will there be programs can be opted in.
- Clements - Special Education program will be available for out of zone
- Kelly - thank you for the presentation and hopes of survival packets for teachers and students to use in order to break the language barrier.
- Early dismissal days tried to be placed on Friday where there was a Monday holiday.
- HB626 - (SB269)requires school systems to close on Veterans Day; sponsored by Delegate Wilson; we're against because it makes it harder to find the 180 mandated student dates.
- HB29 - deals with concussions in schools with harsher penalties for coaches who ignore concussions. Opposed because it intrudes on the local school systems authority to handle at the local level.
- HB141 - Education accountability; limit mandated testing; we're opposed because it takes away our flexibility
- HB570 (SB404) - appointment of the State Superintendent of Schools by the advice and consent of the Senate (majority vote); no position at this time
- SB183 - seatbelts on school buses; we are opposed due to the extreme cost ($60M) to retrofit when there is no clear indication they make buses any safer.
- HB352 - Legislative audit of local school system from every 6 years to only upon request of the county government maximum of every 6 years. No position at this time but probably support.
New business - None
Future agenda items
- Marshall - Special Education concerns raised during staff forum, EACC breakfast, and during the public forum at the last board meeting. Possibly take a closer look at Special Education program and various staff tasks required.
- Palko - Requests copy of School System Goals
- Resolutions
- Read Across Charles County - Read Across Charles County.pdf (69 KB) - Accepting: Dr. Samuel Mudd Elementary School students: Demari Rorie, kindergarten; Landon Rorie, kindergarten; Dailyn Gaines, fifth grade; Jahshuah Wade, fourth grade; Shellia Soderstrom, reading resource teacher; Kimberly Hairston, principal
- Women’s History Month - Women History Month Resolution.pdf (164 KB) - Accepting: Maxine Somerville, vice chair, Charles County Commission for Women
- Fine and Performing Arts Month - FineandPerformingArts Resolution.pdf (12 KB) - Accepting: Andrew Blumhardt, general music teacher, Indian Head Elementary School; Josh Hettel, art teacher, La Plata High School; Takako Mato, music teacher, Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School; Becky Kuhn, theater/multi media teacher, St. Charles High School; Kristen Liston, chorus teacher, Milton M. Somers Middle School
- Students - Jolie Prasad, fifth grade, Academic Achievement, Berry Elementary School, Principal: Melissa Logan; Kate Bright, fifth grade, Academic Achievement, Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School, Principal: Kathleen Morgan; Gabrielle Tsitsiwu, eighth grade, Personal Responsibility, Eva Turner Elementary School, Principal: Orlena Whatley; Madelyn Mudd, eighth grade, Career Readiness, Piccowaxen Middle School, Principal: Wendell Martin; Cameron Butler, twelfth grade, Personal Responsibility, La Plata High School, Principal: Douglass Dolan
- Staff - Nicholas Gardiner, fifth grade teacher, Berry; Sarah Gobe, library media specialist, Higdon; Christina Greer, fourth grade teacher, Turner; Kristi Nelson, mathematics teacher, Piccowaxen; Angela D. Baker, mathematics teacher, La Plata High School
- Shane Higgs - Special Education concerns...thank you for starting to look at matters to special education. Another item would be to look at IA's...only working 5.5 hours a day. Life Skills teacher has to transfer 14-16 students to buses by herself because her IA has already left. More IA's will not help. Need time restrictions lifted. Substitute Teacher pays more than IA's.
- Lourdes Sagun - wants two way conversation with BOE not just come and speak. School calendar survey. Did the survey because she wants voice heard. Saw the results and we did not make calendar from the survey results. Kids need a full week from Spring Break.
- Simonetta Marchi - Berry Elementary parents were asked to pay for Chess Club. PTO is not allocating money the parents voted on. The principal does not speak truthfully. (Full complaint submitted in writing to the board.)
- Michelle Folbert - 8th and 11th grade in CCPS. 11th Grade AP student. 10% assessed on her quarterly. Daughter spoke at Town Hall meeting. History assessment given August 30th and English given in October. Need to look at when the assessment is given.
- Tony Madora? - Owns Expo America, teaches driver improvement and firearm safety. Advocate of gun safety. Board and administration should be trained in firearm safety. Would benefit by having first hand knowledge of guns especially for schools that do not have a school resource officer on hand. Offering his services to the board.
- Minutes
Motion to accept the Minutes by Abell; Second by Marshall
Yes = Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko
- Personnel
Motion to accept Personnel by Abell; Second by Marshall
Yes = Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko
- Algebra I textbook
Motion to accept the Algebra 1 Textbook by Kelly; Second by Palko
Yes = Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko
- Superintendent’s proposed FY 2017 operating budget
Motion to accept the FY 2017 Operating Budget by Lukas; Second by Abell
Yes = Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko
Adjournment
