Legislative Breakfast, 12/4/17

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.

In attendance were all Board of Education members, the Superintendent and key staff, Delegates Jameson, Proctor, Wilson, Senator Mac Middleton, Commissioners Murphy and Davis.

CCPS Student Enrollment Overview
*Increased by over 500 and is now at 26,891

• 2012-2013
• African American 52%; White 27%; Hispanic 5.7%
• Special Education 9%; ELL 1%; FARMS 33%
• Graduation Rate 89.79%
• 2016-2017
• African American 55%; White 33%; Hispanic 8%
• Special Education 11%; ELL 2%; FARMS 36%
• Graduation Rate 92.17%

Student Costs

• CCPS per pupil $13,724
• Special Education Inclusion +$975 (1,671 students = $1,629,936)
• Special Education Regionalized Program +$8,464 (224 students = $1,895,936)
• Special Education Lifeskills A +$12, 905 (214 students = $2,761,670)
• Special Education Lifeskills B +$28,572 (30 students = $857,160)

Teacher Recruitment and Retention

• Nationwide shortage of teachers - since 2009, 35% drop in students going into teacher education programs
• Diversity
• National AVG for non-white teachers is 22.5%
• CCPS teachers - 78.4% white, 21.6% non-white
• 2017 hiring cohort 37.9% non-white teachers
• CCPS Administrators - 70% white, 30% non-white
• Maryland "Import State" 
• 60% of MD teachers from other states
• COL prohibitive
• CCPS lowest starting salary in region
• Grounds for discipline bill only protects below par teachers
• Data-based recruiting
• efficiently use time and money based on previous year hiring efforts
• build relationships with universities
• instructional focus for recruiting teams
• host job fairs
• highlight mentoring and professional development programs

Student Discipline - Suspension is a last resort

*discipline concerns are often a result of unmet behavioral health needs

• 2012-2013
• 364 suspensions at elementary schools
• 1,243 suspensions at middle schools
• 1,856 suspensions at high schools
• TOTAL - 3,463
• 2016-2017
• 390 suspensions at elementary schools
• 907 suspensions at middle schools
• 1,306 suspensions at high schools
• TOTAL - 2,603
• New strategies
• Restorative practices
• 12 certified trainers implemented in all middle schools this year
• Goal at all schools in 2 years
• Aspire Program
• piloted in 2 elementary schools
• costly, $175,000 per school
• Good results thus far but cost prohibitive
• Therapeutic In-School Intervention
• pilot in all high schools
• Parent Shadowing
• pilot in 8 schools

Please let me know if you have any additional questions.