Posts
Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 4/19/16
The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, April 19 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.
Call to order – 1 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance, Westlake High School JROTC
Recognition of winter sports state champion athletes
Superintendent’s update - Superintendent's report April 19 20161.pdf (185 KB)
Correspondence/Board Member updates -
- Palko - US Forestry Board - for students, Camp Hickory, week long camp; grammar counts;
- Crawford - visited JP Ryon and Dr. Brown, Stone. congrats to everyone and a great time.
- Kelly - be on the lookout for children now that the weather is nicer. DI competition at the county level. MESA competition. Funeral and college visits excused absences. Edline reimbursement?
Student Board Member update - SMOB report.pdf (39 KB)
Review of partnership between the school system and Charles County Sheriff’s Office
- SRO_UnitPresentation_15.16.pdf (1,847 KB)
- Kelly - how much time is spent in the elementary schools; number of incidents at individual schools; number of tips
- Vaughn - more of a disturbance to the students but the officers do visit and check in; tips haven't been calculated for this year yet.
- Lawson - incidence numbers come through student services
Student information system update
New world language textbooks - WorldLangTextbk_ReportItem_4 19 16 BrdMtg.pdf (130 KB)
- BOARD-REPORT-ITEM-Intercategory_Request 1.(3).pdf (230 KB)
- Kelly - any items being pulled from 17 to 16. how did we get excess?
- Sotomeyer- Rates for electricity, solar energy conservation, oil etc.
- Lukas - lots of information and thank you. Disappointed in ending. No definitive as to which model we should use. Explain PVA a litte more, maintenance cost and slide 21
- Sotomeyer - PVA = Cost of operating business; maintenance is an average spread over 15 years(life of bus). Slide 21 - PVA payments are covering their overhead costs
- Palko - Admin fee vs PVA
- Sotomeyer - Admin fee covers driver drug testing, bus inspections
- Crawford - can we buy the busses and still contract them for everything else
- Sotomeyer - yes we could and it would probably be cheaper
- Kelly - ever adjust maintenance cost to prior year actuals. we are paying more than they are reporting. we should renegotiate this item in the contract. drivers work basically 180 days and get 10 days of leave
- Hettel - maintenance cost is an average/typical cost.
- Lukas - best interest to look at alternatives
- Hill - group was suppose to lay out all the facts; not recommendations. we can provide that moving forward
- Abell - I too was under the assumption a recommendation would be provided today. I would request further information be provided at a future meeting with a recommendation.
- HB429 - Truancy
- HB771 - Diabetes Care
- HB412/SB533 - Assessments and testing
- SB520 - Motor Fuel Tax Exemption for schools
- HB352 - Audits
- HB365 - Bullying
- HB999/SB605 - Thornton 2 Bill
- SB764 - Student Journalism
- Palko - Presentation on 3-5 year plan with budget for technology
- McGraw - October meeting on the 11th Yom Kipper and begins at sunset. Move to October 18th? Consensus was yes.
- Kelly - establishing school zone and redistricting for new school zone and look at all levels; HPV vaccination literature; pre and post test assessment scores for PARCC and schools consistently performing well and how to relay to other schools.
- Lukas - discuss level of allocations per school and get back to commissioners
- Ruth Ann Hall scholarship awards - 2016 Ruth Ann Hall Champion Student Recognition Winners.pdf (234 KB)
- Resolutions: Teacher Appreciation Week - Accepting: Suzette (Suzi) Hahn, fifth grade teacher, Dr. James Craik Elementary School; Andrea Short, English teacher, Westlake High School; Gina Coughlin, STAY teacher, F.B. Gwynn Center; Administrative Professionals Week - Accepting: Laura Cuevas, secretary, supporting services; LaTasha Hall, human resources assistant; Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week - Accepting: William Kreuter and Crystal Sopher, supervisors of food service; and National Physical Education and Sport Week - Accepting: Joneiqua Gary, physical education and health teacher, Mattawoman Middle School; Mary Dempsey, physical education and health teacher, St. Charles High School
- Students - Treasure Harvey, fifth grade, Academic Achievement, Indian Head Elementary School, Principal: Timothy Rosin; Jayln Butler, fifth grade, Academic Achievement, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School, Principal: Kristin Shields; Noelle Ivey, eighth grade, Personal Responsibility, Theodore G. Davis Middle School, Principal: Kim McClarin; Jasmine Andrade, twelfth grade, Career Readiness, Westlake High School, Principal: Chrystal Benson
- Employees - Rachel Proctor, teacher, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy; Andrew Blumhardt, music teacher, Indian Head; Mark Pavlecic, music teacher, Davis; Quentin Metzgar, testing coordinator, Westlake
- 2016 National Distinguished Principal for Maryland - Kristin Shields, principal, Mt.Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School
- Art Gough - Spokesperson for Concerned Citizens of CCPS, met with transportation director and walked out because it should have been at a certain time and place. Read all bios and why is one in White Plains and in private school. 2 bus drivers died with no benefits. Privatization is bad for everyone.
- Anita Kelly - bus drivers are intimated for speaking out, pay discrepancies and benefits, and rights. No study or analysis done since 1995. Make the drivers county employees. stop wasting revenue.
- Pastor Freeman - wants to defer time to next speaker. Was told this isn't allowed
- Keith McGirth - Certified drivers or to receive immediately $300. Worked for 6 years and still haven't received it. Offered it and now doesn't want it without interest and penalty. Everyone up for re-election and we can take away votes. Fellow driver out for surgery and no pay.
- Karen Harris - need more minority teachers. statistics on boe web site. stop teacher bullying. healthy food. safe drivers. diversity training for teachers. smaller classrooms.
- Kathy Lancaster - bus driver x 20 years. Fellow driver has been out for 6-8 weeks from surgery without pay. Only has $12,000 in retirement after 20 years. We want union. We want back up. Who's our boss? CCPS or contractor.
Action items
- Minutes
Motion to accept the Minutes by Abell; Second by Palko
Yes = Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, McGraw, Palko; Absent = Marshall
- Personnel
Motion to accept Personnel by Kelly; Second by Crawford
Yes = Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, McGraw, Palko; Absent = Marshall
- 2017/18 school calendar
Motion to accept the 17/18 Schol Calendar by Abell; Second by Kelly
Yes = Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, McGraw, Palko; Absent = Marshall
Adjournment
