Tuesday, March 08, 2016

Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 3/8/16

mThe Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, March 8 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 JROTC
Superintendent’s update - Superintendent's report 3-8-16.pdf (135 KB)
Correspondence/Board Member updates
  • Kelly - Congrats to American History Contest Winners; Chess Players and staff in tournament; Good luck to DI teams; thank you to commissioners and staff regarding meeting on seat allocations
  • Palko - Impressive state student council meeting hosting; Read Across Charles County enjoyed; Thank you to Mr. Fisher for rolling me around.  Hello to Latrell at Thomas Stone.
  • Crawford - great time at CCASC Meeting; April 5th last day to register to vote before primary; Hogan in county couple of weeks ago
  • McGraw - enjoyed reading at schools; follow up on recognition from last month and visited Higdon's Media Center..fabulous interactive experience.
Education Association of Charles County update - 2016 03 08 EACC BOE Update.pdf (36 KB)

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees update
  • Thank you for the Town Hall Meeting to listen to our concerns.
Student Board Member update - March 7th SMOB.pdf (38 KB)
 
Leadership Extension Application and Development (LEAD) program - Building a Principal Pipeline.pdf (920 KB)
  • Palko - How are teachers chosen?  Will it lead to certification
  • Gill - Applications, essays, minimum requirements, rubric - get's 2 CTU
Project status update - Copy of Construction status-2016-03 (2).pdf (305 KB)
  • Palko - Mudd renovation? Interior furniture etc.; what happens to structural stuff?  Will anything be sold?
  • Andritz - Most will be ,moved to the transition school if they are usable.  We always try to repurpose.   May sell some but it will be minimal.
  • Palko - Kindergarten Additions...number different for each school; how is that determined.
  • Andritz - based on population and trends
  • Kelly - Matula and Jenifer hitting August target date?
  • Andritz - schedule reduction for taking alternate, currently aligned with start of school.
  • Kelly - Planning Commission article; were we out of order
  • Andritz - no.  we went through process.  It was in a priority funding area. we received approval from the state.  Planning commission wants to change the PFA area and weren't aware of ramifications.  Planning commission is still in meetings to discuss.
English Language Learners (ELL) in elementary schools
  • Basically the number of ELL students is growing astronomically in this county and we are fighting to stay ahead of the curve.
  • Partnering with PG and sharing documents
  • Very lengthy discussion
  • Separate Charles County certificate?
2017-18 calendar
Motion by Abell to change the 17-18 school calendar to move the Parent Conference Day on November 8th to November 10th to also recognize Veterans Day, and to give the full Spring Break week off from March 26th - April 2nd, not to be touched by make-up snow days, with 6 snow days being built in, additional snow days will be added at end of the year. Second by Marshall.
  • Crawford - days in June not as beneficial for educating; what are we missing
Yes = Abell, Crawford, Lukas, Kelly, Marshall, McGraw, Palko
 
World language textbook - WorldLangTextbk_InfoItem_3 8 16 BrdMtg.pdf (131 KB)
  • Abell - when did we last update and are they all by the same publisher?
  • Staff - 1994-2003 was the latest and there is a variety of publishers.
  • Marshall - what is a selection committee
  • Staff - Teachers comprise the committee and then on display for public feedback
  • Kelly - are any ELL taking AP language
  • Staff - just had our first one.
Legislative update
  • SB520 - exempt school systems from paying fuel tax
  • SB575 - raising on liability limits on public schools from $100,000 - $400,000
  • HB352 - repeals requirement for 6 year legislative audit
  • HB570/SB404 - appointment of state superintendent
  • HB999/SB905 - commission on excellence in education (Thornton 2)
  • HB1433/SB461 - funding for pre-k students
  • HB141/SB407 - limiting testing
  • SB183 - Seatbelts for students on school buses
  • HB29 - penalties for coaches not reporting concussions
  • HB626/SB269 - making Veterans Day a holiday
  • HB1168 - immunizations of students entering 9th Grade
Unfinished business
  • McGraw - Spring town hall dates?  Suggested April 26th at 6:00 p.m. at Starkey Building. 
New business
Motion by Kelly; Second by Marshall
Yes = Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

Amend the motion by Lukas to include one full week + 1 day of Spring Break not to be touched for snow make-up days; Second by Abell
Yes = Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

Future agenda items

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.
  • Resolutions
    • Month of the Young - ChildGale-Bailey Elementary School teachers and students:  Ann Herbert, pre-kindergarten teacher; Sue Wheeler, pre-kindergarten teacher; Quinn Crawford, pre-kindergarten; Keith and Kevin Whaley, pre-kindergarten
    • National Student Leadership Week - Paris Mercier-White, alternate student Board member, St. Charles High School; Jessica Hoare, Thomas Stone High School; Michael Malherek, Maurice J. McDonough High School; Thomas Carlyle (T.C.) Martin, La Plata High School; Da’Juon Washington, North Point High School; Edmundo Medel, Westlake High School; and Katie Willett, Henry E. Lackey High School
  • Students
    • Olivia McNeil, fifth grade, Academic Achievement, William A. Diggs Elementary School, Principal: Sandra Taylor
    • Erika Urrego, fifth grade, Academic Achievement, Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School, Principal: Kimberly Hairston
    • Kiara Thomas, fifth grade, Career Readiness, J.P. Ryon Elementary School, Principal: Robert Opiekun
    • Kierra Brevard, eighth grade, Academic Achievement, General Smallwood Middle School, Principal: Kathy Kiessling
    • Jenesis Andrews-Kendale, tenth grade, Personal Responsibility, Thomas Stone High School, Principal: Michael Meiser
  • Employees
    • Patricia Stokes, special education teacher, Diggs
    • Kelly Suter, pre-kindergarten teacher, Ryon
    • Tara Cardano, language arts teacher, Smallwood
    • Ruby Duehring, theater arts teacher, Stone
Public Forum – 6 p.m.
  • Art ???? - Retired educator, retired NEA.  Letter to sister.  Thank you for responding to his sisters letter.  Now we need to do something about the bus drivers.  Will talk to the Governor because he's on his commission for suicide prevention.
Action items
Motion to accept the Minutes by Abell; Second by Marshall
Yes = Abell, Crawford, Lukas, Kelly, Marshall, McGraw, Palko
Motion to accept the Minutes by Abell; Second by Marshall
Yes = Abell, Crawford, Lukas, Kelly, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

  • Personnel
Motion to accept the Minutes by Kelly; Second by Lukas
Yes = Abell, Crawford, Lukas, Kelly, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

Adjournment

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