Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 11/10/20

The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, November 10 was streamed live on ccboe.com and aired live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOs Channel 12.  The meeting 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. Individual names are spelled to the best of my ability.

Executive session – 12 p.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m.

Superintendent’s update to the Board - Report

Board Member correspondence 

• Wilson - Visit to Piccowaxen with Mr. Martin, renovations and tour along with a visit to s. Farrell's science class.  CCPS got an "A" from Hunger Solutions for feeding our students.  Scholarship funds FAFSA opened in October, submit your application.  School allocations deadline for written comment to the commissioners is November 20.  Need more time to collaborate and discuss the issues.
• Hancock - School Allocations, long term ramifications, please contact your county commissioners before November 20th.  Commend Supt for applying the brakes on Phase 2.  The right decision was made.  Ms.Wilson thank you for your service to our con
• Abell - MABE Budget committee meeting; APFO Subcommittee meeting.  Legislation being proposed to commissioners to increase allocations.  CCPS does not have an issue with allocations for Waldorf Station or even the Opportunity Zone.  We do have issues with the remainder of the proposal.  After meeting with the Town of LaPlata and discussing the explosion of development that will happen within city limits (does not have to get allocations through the county and will increase by more than 5,000 over the next 10 years), we feel the rest of the proposal needs to be reconsidered and a collaboration with CCPS is of the utmost importance.  In addition, full forward funding is paramount to accelerate our Capital Improvement Plan and address the growth being planned for our county.
• Lukas - Collaboration is key for smart growth and fully funding growth.  Making trips to elementary schools and getting care packages.  MABE Conference virtually attended.  MABE legislative positions and members can submit their proposals.  Thank you to parents, staff, and administrators and vor veterans for their service.
• Battle-Lockhart - CCPS African American Task force attended; imperfect bias training and MABE annual conference, learning center comment from EACC letter, comments from public, i requested a Special Meeting and the other board members voted not to meet in regards to the COVID pandemic.
• Brown - Thank you to all our veterans and to Dr. Hill for making the decision to remain virtual.  Thank you to Dr. Hill for meeting with me and answering my questions.  MABE conference attended.
• McGraw - Scholarship Foundation meeting and application will go live soon.  Virtual scholarship fair happening on Dec. 15th.  Added 6 additional scholarships.  Congratulations to Ms. Starcher for representing the "Get Out To Vote".  Thank you to Dr. Hill for all of your efforts and to all staff for everything you do, and our parents and students.

Education Association of Charles County (EACC) update - Report

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

Student Board Member update - Report

Beginning of Phase 2 update - 

• November Board report
• COVID 19 Decisions
• Battle-Lockhart - effectiveness of temperature strips.  - Will get back to us.
• Hancock - Reconsideration of telework   - continue to monitor situation and press conference tonight from Gov.
• Wilson - Teacher/staff anxiety and thank you for sending emails   - yes we read them all, yes we lose sleep, yes we take the difficult decisions to heart
• Battle-Lockhart - greatest challenges with so much concern and anxiety.   - suggest calling EAP and also a response to all emails and calls
• Lukas - was the health department asked if they were in support of our move to Phase 2?    - yes and it was affirmative.  What is the magic number for moving forward?
• Battle-Lockhart - Applications for accommodations, are we still accepting?   - yes, can be submitted at anytime.  571 thus far have requested; 181 approved

Hybrid Instruction - Report

Charles County Student Board member voting rights proposal - Presentation

• Hancock - You are leaders and the future of this country.  If you get an angry email from one of your teachers about the way you voted how would you handle it?  In a professional manner the same way any adult would.
• Lukas - All of you represent yourself very well and the presentation was wonderful.  Budget and teacher negotiations may be staff related but code of conduct and dress code definitely.
• Wilson -   Systematic instructional change was a common theme relayed for public comments.  Meaning?  By giving us rights.
• Wilson - why did you not present to us first instead of going to the commissioners?
• Abell - Thank you for the presentation, all of you represent yourself very well, and you addressed all of the concerns i had when we spoke.
• Lukas - election process - where is that delegated to CCASC
• Battle-Lockhart - impressed with all of you and your presentation.  
• McGraw - Thank you and very important issue.  Warrants an in depth discussion.
• Abell - what is our timeline?  I don't believe we are ready to vote today.
• Hancock - recommends removing budget and definitely not personnel.  Needs more time and research and ask constituents.
• McGraw - Work Session scheduled for 11/23 to discuss in more detail.

Project status update - Report

Eva Turner Elementary School renovations - Report

2021 Legislative positions - Report

• Hancock - COVID funding
• Abell - Please add to our calendars
• Lukas - transportation and bus life span move from 15 years
• Hancock - add support for SRO's

Agenda for virtual legislative breakfast

 Unfinished business 

• Lukas - Students without internet connection - let the students be at the school without their parents for the connection center for a day or two a week.

New business

• Suspension of Board policies

Motion to approve the Suspension of Board Policies by Abell; Second by Brown

Yes = Abell, Battle-Lockhart, Brown, Hancock, Lukas, Mcgraw, Wilson

• 2021 Legislative positions - Report

Motion to approve the Suspension of Board Policies by Lukas; Second by Hancock

Yes = Abell, Battle-Lockhart, Brown, Hancock, Lukas, Mcgraw, Wilson

Future agenda items

• Wilson - COVID funding update

Virtual Recognition – 4:30 p.m. 

• Students
• Liliana Gordon, Grade 11, Career Readiness, North Point High School, Principal: Dan Kaple
• Sydnee Smalls, Grade 8, Academic Achievement, Mattawoman Middle School, Principal: Sonia Blue
• Grant Petterson, Grade 5, Academic Achievement, Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School, Principal: Nicholas Adam
• Carter Harrigan, Grade 5, Personal Responsibility, Mary B. Neal Elementary School, Principal: Deborah Brown
• Employees
• Holly Dolan, resource teacher, North Point
• Amanda Jones, language arts teacher, Mattawoman
• Margaret Grove, fifth-grade teacher, Mitchell
• Melissa Bridegum, second-grade teacher, Neal

Public forum

• Email written comments to boardmail@ccboe.com.

Action items

• Minutes

Motion to approve the 10/13/2020 Executive Session Minutes by Abell; Second by Wilson

Yes = Abell, Brown, Hancock, Lukas, Mcgraw, Wilson; Absent =  Battle-Lockhart

Motion to approve the 10/13/2020 Board Meeting Minutes by Lukas; Second by Brown

Yes = Brown, Hancock, Lukas, Mcgraw, Wilson; Abstain = Abell; Abesent -  Battle-Lockhart

Motion to approve the Redistricting Hearing Minutes by Abell; Second by Brown

Yes = Abell, Brown, Hancock, Lukas, Mcgraw, Wilson; Abesent -  Battle-Lockhart 

• Personnel

Motion to approve Personnel by Wilson; Second by Abell

Yes = Abell, Brown, Hancock, Lukas, Mcgraw, Wilson; Absent =  Battle-Lockhart

• 2021-22 calendar 

Motion to approve the 2021-2022 Calendar by Abell; Second by Brown

Yes = Abell, Brown, Lukas, Mcgraw, Wilson; No = Hancock; Absent =  Battle-Lockhart

Adjournment