Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 2/13/18

The Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, February 13 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.

I had the privilege of being shadowed by Morgan Hawkins a 5th grader from William B. Wade Elementary.

Executive session – 12 p.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance, North Point High School

Recognition of 2018 Legislative Pages - List

Superintendent’s update - Report

Correspondence/Board Member updates

• McGraw - Congrats to staff on graduation rate; tour Mudd/Billingsley renovation; Minority Achievement meeting; Transportation Conversation; MABE Policy Committee; NSBA Equity Symposium; Deadline for Scholarships coming up soon
• Kelly - Parents check student devices; PAC - Innocence Stolen Presentation; Be the Difference nominations due 4/1; Congrats to Spartones and Unplugged
• Marshall - St. Valentine's Day and Women's Heart Health Awareness month; Equity Symposium
• Lukas - Equity Symposium; SECAC meeting; Seven Up Art Reception; Vex Robotics; Transportation Conversation; PAC meeting; #21 St. Charles Basketball
• Abell - SECAC Meeting; Seven Up Art Exhibit at Mattawoman; Tour Mudd/Billingsley; Transportation Conversation - didnt think there was much conversation/collaboration, looking forward to future dialogue; Tour Mattawoman, Ms. Jones, Gateway class and restorative circle; inaugural Senior Seminar lunch; 6th grade boot camp and MBA league; Tour Berry - Ms Zeier and Ms. Taylor, character education; rocket building; all schools request more and updated technology and resources.
• Palko - CSM Graduation; Polar Plunge; Minority Achievement Meeting; Art Exhibit; Vex Robotics; Stethem Honor Society; Equity Symposium; Transportation Conversation; Unified Bocce Tournament; Billingsley/Mudd Tour; Congrats on Graduation rates

Education Association of Charles County update - Report

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees update - Report

Student Board Member update - Report

Synergy/online scheduling - Presentation

• Abell - concern with putting students in groups; will their program of studies still be individualized?  would like a clause on parent verification sheet stating changes can be made.
• Kelly - coarse selections not getting until April for Somers to LaPlata. Will it affect courses availability? Staff will look into.
• McGraw - Elementary - will thy still need articulation meetings?
• Palko - Program of Studies will be interfaced with Synergy
• Carter - schedules can be altered based on parent requests

Infants and Toddlers Program at the F.B. Gwynn Educational Center - Presentation

• Thank you from various board members regarding personal experience with the program
• Working on possible partnership with CSM

Facilities study progress - Presentation; Mudd

• GWWO Study revisted; where we are now and whats next
• Kelly - do we have enough funding to do what we need to do?  Staff says yes; if we had more funding we could do more but we wont be in a deficit.
• McGraw - no more QZAB Funding

Project status update - Presentation

Work session review

• Fine and performing arts funding
• $225,000 in operating budget (mainly for purchasing and repairing instruments); $524,000 from student activity fee, fundraising, gate receipts (everyday supplies for performance)
• Teachers’ Grant Challenge
• legislation enacted in 2001 during recession.  high demand for teachers and low supply.  SB810/HB1247 stated each local agency to provide 4% increase the state would kick  in 1%.  Initially for two years and Glendening extended for 1 year.  Charles County received $3.6M  state was $72M and came from cigarette restitution fund.  2018 sees critical demand for competitive teacher salary.   Charles is ranked 9th in starting teacher salary but compare to cost of living index it brings us down to 14th ranking in the state.  After initial bill and funding disappeared counties had trouble compensating for the additional 1%.  If we bring up again to the state level, there must be a recurring funding source,  No talk of this at the state level to date.

Legislative update

• HB1415 - Kirwin commission bill; new recruitment for teachers; attracting hs students to teach; state grants; mandate moe for PK programs; additional state support for schools with highest poverty; tech ed grants cost is $10-$20M state wide.
• SB819/HB811 - collective bargaining bill - mandate collective bargaining for new teacher processing 
• SB302 - governors initiatives - state inspector general for education
• SB301 - governors initiative - rewrite ESSA plan increase accountability

Unfinished Business

• Results of environmental scan
• 2,600 people responded and 47% were parents, 31% staff
• 90% education is important
• #1 purpose of public school - Help students fulfill their potential and have choices in life
• #1 most important skill to gain by graduation - Basic reading and math
• #1 value in public school - safe and orderly school environment; #2 Quality of teaching
• #1 most proud of CCPS - Achievement of students; #2 Quality of staff
• #1 Improvement Priority - Improve students basic academic skills; #2 increase rigor and raise expectations
• CCPS students graduate college and career ready - 40% agree 28% disagree
• CCPS provides opportunities for parents to get involved - 64% agree 22% disagree
• Well informed about school issues - 60% agree 29% disagree
• CCPS lets me share my opinion meaningfully - 43% agree 38% disagree
• “Playing with Fire” video - created by Charles County Government, schools, health dept, sheriff's office and jude house chronicling a family who lost a son to overdose.
• working on plans to start showing this next school year.  Students are doing Truth and Consequences courses.  New DARE car design to support Opiod crisis.

New business - None

Future agenda items

• Abell - generic school lunch accounts at each school to receive donations
• Abell - Discipline Update review and board direction
• Kelly - Grading Policy Review
• Kelly - Feasibility of moratorium on Berry & Matula
• Lukas - 

Recognition

• Charles County Arts Alliance presentation
• La Plata Rotary Club
• Resolutions
• Read Across Charles County: Accepting:  Lauren Washington, reading resource teacher, J.P. Ryon Elementary School; Karen Wagner, reading recovery teacher, T.C. Martin Elementary School; William Burke, third grade student, Ryon; Tanya Burke, fifth grade student, Ryon
• Women's History Month: Accepting: Maxine Somerville, Chair, Commission for Women
• Fine and Performing Arts Month: Accepting: Siobhan O’Brien, chorus teacher, Matthew Henson Middle School
• Black History Month: Accepting: Corrine Reed, fifth grade student, Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School; Tysean Sanders, fifth grade student, Mitchell; Jonas Agyeman, fifth grade student, J.P. Ryon Elementary School; Nina Bulls, fifth grade student, Ryon
• Career and Technical Education Month: Accepting:  North Point High School's Keith Gascon, electrical construction instructor; Nathan Kavlick, electrical construction, twelfth grade student; Maya Poindexter, culinary arts, twelfth grade student
• Robert D. Stethem Educational Center: Accepting:  John Young, HVAC instructor; Cody Akers, twelfth grade student, HVAC, La Plata High School; Kevin Frank, twelfth grade student, HVAC, La Plata High School; Cameron Harris, eleventh grade student, HVAC, Henry E. Lackey High School
• Gifted and Talented Education Month: Accepting: Mary H. Matula Elementary School, Christina Caron, learning resource teacher; Jessica Meador, fifth grade teacher; Garrett Carson, fifth grade student 
• Students
• Dakota Knott; twelfth grade; Academic Achievement; Henry E. Lackey High School; Principal: Kathy Perriello
• Nehemiah Strawberry, eighth grade; Academic Achievement; John Hanson Middle School; Principal: Susan McCormick
• D’Kairi Boone; eighth grade; Academic Achievement; Benjamin Stoddert Middle School; Interim Principal: Marvin Jones 
• Adrienne Rae Briones; fourth grade; Personal Responsibility; C. Paul BarnhartElementary School; Principal: Ben Kohlhorst
• Noah Hyson, fifth grade; Career Readiness; Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School; Principal: Christienne Warren
• Kayleigh Stewart, fifth grade; Personal Responsibility; T.C. Martin Elementary School, Principal: Robert Opiekun
• Staff
• Alan Freeman, music teacher, Lackey
• Nichole Thomas, school counselor, Hanson
• Julie Colaizzi, learning resource teacher, Stoddert
• Pamela Pichola, teacher, Barnhart
• Tina Thomas, secretary, Brown
• Constance Sorzano, media instructional assistant, Martin

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

• Susan Eckerle - LPHS Band and Orchestra Director, course selections - course requirements doesn't allow for the electives and music program is stagnating.  Request block scheduling.

• Maureen Meers - parent, supports Decoding Dyslexia MD; HB910/SB548 offers prescreening for elementary age schools.  Asks for support of bills.  Requests properly trained educators. HB493/SB698 requires teaching candidates proficient in reading teaching??  1 in 5 students have dyslexia.

Action Items

• Minutes

Motion to approve the Minutes by Abell; Second by Marshall

Yes:  Abell Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

• Personnel

Motion to approve Personnel by Abell; Second by McGraw

Yes:  Abell Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

• FY2019 proposed operating budget

Motion to approve the FY2019 Operating Budget by Abell; Second by McGraw

Yes:  Abell Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

• Kelly requests adding block scheduling to all high schools.  Motion to amend.  No second.  Amendment fails.
• Abell requests study on block scheduling.

Adjournment