Notes from Board of Education Virtual Meeting, 1/12/21

The Board of Education Virtual Meeting on Tuesday, January 12 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 – 11:15 a.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m.

Election of Board chairperson and Board vice chairperson

Motion to elect Tina Wilson as Chair by Hancock; Second by McGraw

Motion to elect Mike Lukas as Chair by Battle-Lockhart; Second by Abell

Voting for Ms. Wilson - Yes = Brown, Hancock, McGraw, Wilson; Ms. Wilson is the new Chair

Motion to elect Virginia McGraw as Vice-Chair by Brown; Second by Hancock

Motion to elect Mike Lukas as Vice- Chair by Battle-Lockhart; Second by Abell

Voting for Ms. McGraw - Yes = Brown, Hancock, McGraw, Wilson; Ms. McGraw is the new Vice-Chair
Superintendent’s update to the Board - Report

Board Member correspondence

• Brown - Virtual play at McDonough
• Battle-Lockhart - Public comments sent to the board and possibility of doing virtual comments
• Hancock - EACC Legislative Session; Agree to adding virtual public comment period; tragedy in DC last week and our words do matter and our children are watching; real leadership means we watch what we say.
• Lukas -  EACC Legislative reception; yes to virtual public comments; visiting Elementary schools
• McGraw - Thanks to EACC for legislative reception; Virtual play at McDonough; Charles County Scholarship application

Education Association of Charles County (EACC) update - Report

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

Student Board Member update - Report; Proposed Resolution

Reopening of schools - Report

• Hill - Remain virtually learning
• Lukas - # of cases in schools does not replicate what is in the general public.  How many staff members at school on a regular basis now.  Students still coming to learning centers?  Roughly 700 kids at school on a daily basis.
• Hill - it is hard to determine because we are at a 50% telework.
• Hancock - Staying where we are is the right thing to do.
• Lockhart - Is there something we can do for the parents who want to take the risk and send their students to school.

Board consensus to stay where we are and reevaluate at February meeting

Project status update - Report

Implications of school seat allocation policy changes - Report

Superintendent’s proposed FY 2022 operating budget - Report; Item 2

Legislative update

• Kirwin Bill and additional Kirwin Bill that may include tutoring and distance learning.
• Substitute teacher sick leave
• HB 405 - school systems have to pay attorneys fees to parents in special education cases
• SB 245 - Sen. Ellis - would limit school resource officers in schools

Unfinished business 

New business 

• Suspension of Board policies

Motion to continue the suspension of board policy by Abell; Second by Lukas

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

Future Agenda Items

• McGraw - consider Student Board Members resolution

Virtual Recognition – 4:30 p.m. 

• Resolutions: Black History Month, Career and Technical Education Month, Gifted and Talented Education Month, and National School Counseling Week
• Students
• Kendyl Lane, Grade 12, Academic Achievement, Westlake High School, Principal: Diane Roberts; 
• Terra Newcamp, Grade 7, Career Readiness, Theodore G. Davis Middle School, Principal: Robert Griffiths
• Meklit Abunu, Grade 5, Personal Responsibility, Billingsley Elementary School, Principal: Sabrina Robinson-Taylor;
• Marshauna Jackson, Grade 5, Academic Achievement, Indian Head Elementary School, Principal: Shane Blandford
• Hazel Kriebel, Grade 5, Academic Achievement, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School, Principal: Nancy Seifert
• Employees
  • 2021 January Exemplary Employees
  • Monique Burton, secretary to the principal, Billingsley Elementary School
  • Bertha Gordon, registration secretary, Indian Head Elementary School 
  • Brandon Hoch, art teacher, Theodore G. Davis Middle School
  • Clifton Posey, building service manager, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School
  • Jacqueline Thomas, art teacher, Westlake High School
  • 2020 Washington Post Principal of the Year awards program: Orlena Whatley, principal, Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School
  • 2020 Outstanding Support Staff Awards (four honorees to be featured at February 2021 meeting)
  • Annemarie Murphy, secretary, school administration, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building
  • Carol Jewell, secretary to the principal, North Point High School 
  • Lisa Willis, kindergarten instructional assistant, Mary B. Neal Elementary School

Public forum

• Email written comments to boardmail@ccboe.com
• Abell - requests to see all email sent to boardmail moving forward; not just public forum

Action items

• Minutes

Motion to accept the Board Meeting Minutes from 12/8/20 by Abell; Second by Lukas

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

• Personnel

Motion to accept Personnel by Abell; Second by McGraw

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

Adjournment