Monday, April 26, 2021

Notes from Board of Education Work Session, 4/26/21

 The Board of Education Work Session on Monday, April 26, 2021 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.

Call to order – 6 p.m.

Public Forum – preregistered speakers only.

  • Yolanda Coleman-Brown - twin boys at Henson and daughter at North Point.  more communication  between Stethem and home schools.  Revise who can attend North Point.  Recruit more teachers of color.  Revise Social Studies curriculum wants response from board at forum. 
  • Desmond Rosier - Pres of NAACP Youth Council.  SRO's affect some negatively.  SRO's are to keep students safe.  #1 on MOU is enforce laws.  Why if #1 is to keep safe.  Didn't promote public forum enough.  Reconstruct SRO MOU.
  • Dyothea Sweat - Pres NAACP support youth council and restructure of SRO MOU.  1969 right a wrong of receiving HS diplomas.  2019 Equity Tax Forces wants a seat at the table.
  • Eric Valentine - LPHS student liaison work collaboratively to better serve all students.  Hard to reach SRO.  Don't know contact information.  Should be readily available to all.
  • Mikal Gross - Public Defenders Office in Charkles County.  Mostly Juveniles, students of colors and disabilities.  SRO's shouldnt be inside schools, only outside.  Submitted letter with suggested changes.
  • Ognwa McKenzie - Director Southern Maryland Racial Equality.  SRO program has harmed several students.  Advocate for parental community patroling.  SRO's make arrest for small infractions.  Submitting letter with additional recommendations to changes.
  • Zion Officut - Freshman at Thomas Stone.  Talking from when ain MS and having suicidal thoughts.  SRO put her in handcuffs for fear of self harm.  Other studnets saw her and ridiculed.  This happened twice.
  • Ryan Brown - Senior at St. Charles and student liaison.  Former SRO Cpl Mann passed away unexpectedly.  He wasnt just an officer; he was a part of our family.  SRO's build constructive relationship.

Work session

Charter school application - Superintendent Recommendation 
  • Phoenix International School of the Arts. (PIOTA)
  • Battle-Lockhart - how many seats reserved for Special Population?
  • McGraw - Comprehensive application andcongratulations on the grant.  What would a typical day look like?
  • Herd - Offered student prospective; all positive.  $900,000 in grant money already is phenomenal.
  • Wilson - Page 88.  8th grade Math scores will be higher than the state average.  How?  Surrounds the total child engagement and professional development for our staff.
Motion to approve the Superintendent's Recommendation by Lukas; Second by Brown
Yes = Abell, Brown, Hancock, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson; Recuse = Battle-Lockhart; 
Student Herd = Yes

Collaboration with Charles County delegation
  • Lukas - More active role in delivering legislative issues to delegation.  Need someone watching legislation.
  • Abell - We do have positions and vote on them prior to the breakfast.  We have two members on the legislation committee.
  • Battle-Lockhart - Take advantage of work sessions to discuss positions before breakfast
  • Hancock - Agree with Lukas.  Need to set a timeline leading up to breakfast.  Need to work together.
  • Brown - Wants to meet with delegation before breakfast to discuss legislation and then showcase school system at breakfast.
  • Battle-Lockhart - Attended NAACP forum.  Reason for election changes for districts and concerns of District 4 not having minority representation.
  • McGraw - that should have been brought forward when questioned why.  Mr. Schwartz brings forth legislation and we do have discussion on legislation.  Likes Ms. Browns idea of having a "pre" meeting.  More frequent collaboration.
  • Wilson - Liked Lukas idea of backing up the timeline.   Delegation should've come to us if they had concerns about the election of the board.  We were not included at the last breakfast.  They showed up with an agenda and pander to a small section of the community citizens.
  • Hancock - being cordial and respectful we can hold up our end but it needs to be both ways.  If we a host a meeting, we need to control our meeting.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office

Adjournment

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 4/20/21

The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, April 20, 2021 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 – 11:30 a.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m.

Superintendent’s update to the Board - Report

Board Member correspondence
  • Lukas - MABE Legislative Committee; Yay, Spring Sports, attended several events; Thank you to commissioners for inviting us to see proposed budget today, but NOT happy with it.
  • McGraw - Superintendent Search Committee Application has closed.  Meet with consultants this week & hope to have selected by June 1; Scholarship Committee has met and selections are ongoing; MABE Equity AdHoc Committee; Equity Lens guidance card or all board members.
  • Brown - NSBA Conference; Strategic Talent for Leading School Districts Tool Kit; Visit several schools and impressed with how quiet it is.
  • Battle-Lockhart - Student Information Forum; Equity Task Force; African American Employee Task Force; Implicit Bias Committee; Thank you to Dr. Hill for creating the new HR positions.
  • Hancock - Thank you to all staff and parents during entrance to Phase 4.  SRO Town Hall & # of respondents to survey and how much SRO's are supported in this community; HB1060/SB749 - severely changes our board.  Thank you to Del Patterson for reaching out and accepting our proposals.  Unfortunately they were not passed.  Irony is the bill for the commissioners election by district bill was NOT passed.  Why us and NOT commissioners?
  • Wilson - NSBA Conference; Teacher recognitions; mental health links and resources on CCBOE website.
Education Association of Charles County (EACC) update - Report

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

Student Board Member update - Report

Reopening of schools 
  • Report
  • Family Engagement Slides
  • 34.8% of students returned in Phase 4.  NP & LaPlata have the most students.  My Hope Nanjemoy had the highest percentage return.
Graduation 2021 - Report

Intercategory budget change - Report

Project status update - Report

Transportation update - Report
  • saved an enormous amount of fuel; reflected in the budget transfer request.
Legislative update - Report
  • HB1060/SB749 - Board of Education Election & Membership Changes
  • HB588 - Budget Bill - increases funding to schools
  • HB1372 - Blueprint for Maryland's Future
  • HB373 - Child Abuse and Sexual Misconduct Prevention
  • HB636 - Waterfountains and Lead in school buildings
  • SB448 - School provided transportation other than busses
  • HB205 - Provision of Menstrual Hygiene Products
  • HB401 - Pregnancy and Parenting Students Policies
  • SB664 - Student Financial Aid
  • HB394 - Fees for Summer School Courses Prohibition

Unfinished business

  • Proposed Students’ Voices on Committees resolution discussion - Report

New business

  • Suspension of Board policies
    • Hancock - expectations and accountability; hard not to have a minimum or floor
    • Schwartz - there is a state minimum requirement of making progress towards graduation.
Motion to approve Suspension of Board Policies by Lukas; Second by McGraw
Yes = Battle-Lockhart, Brown, Hancock, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson; No = Abell

Future agenda items

  • Lukas - Communication with our legislators
  • Lukas - SRO's MOU

Virtual recognition – 4:30 p.m. 

  • ResolutionsTeacher Appreciation Week, Administrative Professionals Week, Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Weekand National Physical Education and Sport Week
  • Students:  
    • Evangeline Gilmer, Grade 12, Academic Achievement, St. Charles High School, Principal: Richard Conley
    • Darrell Jackson, Jr.Grade 8, Academic Achievement, Benjamin Stoddert Middle School, Principal: Erica Williams
    • Lily Oliver, Grade 5, Career Readiness, Dr. James Craik Elementary School, Principal: Michelle Beckwith
    • Elysia Young, Grade 5, Academic Achievement, Malcolm Elementary School, Principal: Mary Finneran
    • Laila Johnson, Grade 5, Personal Responsibility, J.C. Parks Elementary School, Principal: Gregory Miller
  • Employees:
    • Shannon Chisholm, compliance facilitator, St. Charles
    • Kimberly Riley, math teacher, Stoddert
    • Katie Cooper, fifth-grade teacher, Craik
    • Michelle Schenemann, pre-kindergarten teacher, Malcolm
    • Shiquita Walker, instructional specialist, Parks
  • Instructional Assistants recognition

Public forum – 6 p.m. - Preregistered speakers only

  • Richard Nagy - 2019 the medium household income was $124,000.  2 children in CCPS, one graduating this year.  With this high of a revenue income base here, why isn't the education better.  Schools belong to residents of Charles County not to the staff and administrators.  2021 is a total failure.  What is the system going to do moving forward to better education?  Wasn't notified when oldest child wasn't attending classes.  Option to Opt out of curriculum that is questionable next year.
  • Sam Chernoff - Special Population Consultant.  All about teaching and learning.  Quality education to all students.  It's not being upheld for special population students.  Staff doesn't adhere to 504 plan and argue with students and parents during 504 meetings.  Student with diabetes was threatened to have 504 removed since it didn't apply during virtual learning.  Another student with brain injury recovering in a hospital was not provided special accommodations.  Take note and move to swiftly resolve issues.

Action items

  • Minutes
Motion to approve Executive Session Minutes from 11/23/20 by Abell; Second by Lukas
Yes = Abell, Battle-Lockhart, Brown, Hancock, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson

Motion to approve Executive Session Minutes from 3/9/21 by Abell; Second by McGraw
Yes = Abell, Battle-Lockhart, Brown, Hancock, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson

Motion to approve Board Meeting Minutes from 3/9/21 by Hancock; Second by Abell
Yes = Abell, Battle-Lockhart, Brown, Hancock, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson

Motion to approve Town Hall Meeting Minutes from 3/29/21 by McGraw; Second by Hancock
Yes = Battle-Lockhart, Brown, Hancock, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson; Abstain = Abell

  • Personnel
Motion to approve Personnel by Abell; Second by Hancock
Yes = Abell, Battle-Lockhart, Brown, Hancock, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson

  • Intercategory budget change
Motion to approve Intercategory budget change by Lukas; Second by Brown
Yes = Abell, Battle-Lockhart, Brown, Hancock, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson


Adjournment  

Monday, April 19, 2021

Agenda for Board of Education Meeting 4/20/21

The Board of Education’s next regular meeting is 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20. The Board will meet in person at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building. The Starkey Building is located at 5980 Radio Station Road in La Plata. The meeting will stream live on the Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) website, www.ccboe.com. CCPS also will post the meeting on CCPSTV under the Board meeting menu at ccboe.com.

Public forum for this meeting will be held in a hybrid format of both in-person and virtual speakers. Speakers must register in advance to participate in public forum. The registration form is available here. Deadline to register is 12 p.m., Monday, April 19. Late registrations will not be accepted. Registered speakers will receive additional information by email.

The following is a tentative meeting agenda and subject to change.

Executive session – 11:30 a.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m.

Superintendent’s update to the Board

Reports of officers/boards/committees

  • Board Member correspondence
  • Education Association of Charles County (EACC) update
  • American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) update
  • Student Board Member update
  • Reopening of schools
  • Graduation 2021
  • Intercategory budget change
  • Project status update
  • Transportation update
  • Legislative update

Unfinished business

  • Proposed Students’ Voices on Committees resolution discussion

New business and future agenda items

  • New business
    • Suspension of Board policies
  • Future agenda items

Virtual recognition – 4:30 p.m. 

  • Resolutions: Teacher Appreciation Week, Administrative Professionals Week, Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week, and National Physical Education and Sport Week
  • Students
  • Employees
  • Instructional Assistants recognition

Public forum – 6 p.m.

  • Preregistered speakers only

Action items

  • Minutes
  • Personnel
  • Intercategory budget change

Adjournment