tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.comments2023-07-01T06:47:54.795-04:00Ready, Willing and AbellJennifer Abellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03579669399103806962noreply@blogger.comBlogger1410125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-31331545553163224662018-03-28T19:21:38.803-04:002018-03-28T19:21:38.803-04:00I finally found what I think you are referring to ...I finally found what I think you are referring to and I think you miss read. A portion of the post states "Arming teachers - again students seemed split". Meaning the topic of arming teachers and the students present seemed split on whether or not they agreed with this idea. Jennifer Abellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03579669399103806962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-70768896173498908412018-03-28T17:28:17.733-04:002018-03-28T17:28:17.733-04:00Arming Teachers against Students??? You arm them a...Arming Teachers against Students??? You arm them against active shooters!!!John Balazeknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-54018020994895623822018-02-19T15:55:48.020-05:002018-02-19T15:55:48.020-05:00There wasn't any statistical data presented on...There wasn't any statistical data presented on the ASPIRE program at this meeting. I can request some information at our next board meeting. Do you have specific data that you are looking for?Jennifer Abellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03579669399103806962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-31034912933447615282018-02-18T14:02:27.382-05:002018-02-18T14:02:27.382-05:00What are the "good results" in regard to...What are the "good results" in regard to the Aspire Program? Any statistical evidence?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-89261151958940580652016-09-14T20:45:46.967-04:002016-09-14T20:45:46.967-04:00I did find it today. Thank you so much.I did find it today. Thank you so much.Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08633101698773322702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-50428073047279631712016-09-14T20:30:34.269-04:002016-09-14T20:30:34.269-04:00Thank you Karen. The meeting has been posted now....Thank you Karen. The meeting has been posted now. We don't end the meeting until around 7 in the evening and we have to give staff time to get in and get it posted the following day. Let me know if you need anything else.Jennifer Abellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03579669399103806962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-90494882056237801722016-09-14T20:30:28.687-04:002016-09-14T20:30:28.687-04:00Thank you Karen. The meeting has been posted now....Thank you Karen. The meeting has been posted now. We don't end the meeting until around 7 in the evening and we have to give staff time to get in and get it posted the following day. Let me know if you need anything else.Jennifer Abellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03579669399103806962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-55564163835843714892016-09-14T07:14:13.226-04:002016-09-14T07:14:13.226-04:00Hi Jennifer!! Thank you for posting these agendas ...Hi Jennifer!! Thank you for posting these agendas and keeping us up-to-date on the comings and goings of our board. I was wondering if you knew anything about the replay for this meeting. I looked it up this morning and it said it hasn't been scheduled yet, but all of the other meetings in the past have been. Thank you!Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08633101698773322702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-46315000840995401602015-03-05T09:31:44.485-05:002015-03-05T09:31:44.485-05:00I understand the Charles County Commissioners put ...I understand the Charles County Commissioners put off approving the allocations [Maryland Independent, 3/03/2015, Jeff Newman] Excellent!LegalBeaglettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01351323551732183314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-71143308250096476112015-02-10T14:11:07.652-05:002015-02-10T14:11:07.652-05:00Just to be clear, the required Open Meetings Act t...Just to be clear, the required Open Meetings Act training is <b>not</b> the routine training newly elected members undergo, which is what I think was conducted by Eric Schwartz and MABE. <br /><br />The Open Meetings Act training (which is available online) was updated on October 1, 2014; legislation requires the Board to designate <i>at least</i> one member , officer or employee to receive training on the Open Meetings Act. In reviewing the BoE’s minutes, I find no record that this elected Board has designated anyone to receive that training. (Ideally, I think ALL members of the elected Board should take it!) <br /><br />You serve collectively as a public body, and as you stated, you are only one person – it is important that ALL of you understand the requirements of the law and take the necessary steps to ensure compliance with it. <br /><br />Most importantly, this is not the type of training to which you (the elected Board of Education) should simply defer to Eric Schwartz. He is an attorney; this issue of compliance with the Open Meetings Act is knowledge and experience for which he is compensated and EXPECTED to know. He is not elected, he does not serve the public, and his performance on this very issue has fallen short in the past, and for the same types of failures for which the county commissioners have also been embarrassed. As an attorney, he knows full well there is no “enforcement” mechanism for either the training or compliance with the Open Meetings Act. <br /><br />It is both tragic and comic watching public officials duck and dodge and shrug and say silly things like, “Look up the word ‘retreat’ in the Open Meetings Act.” That is a defense of which to be proud, and with which the public should be satisfied?<br /><br />I think it is fair to suspect the “retreat” may have been conducted a bit differently given that its closure to the public became an issue, and that there were elected individuals like you and Commissioner Robinson who voiced concerns over that. We will likely never know, but that is the point here – everyone on the elected boards should be familiar with their responsibilities to the public they serve. Education is a wonderful thing! ;)<br /><br />[By the way, thank you for not ducking and dodging and shrugging and saying silly things!]LegalBeaglettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01351323551732183314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-3001314720527576932015-02-09T07:09:43.149-05:002015-02-09T07:09:43.149-05:00I am listening to all both of you and i hear you l...I am listening to all both of you and i hear you loud and clear and i have voice my concern loud and clear and will continue to do so. I am only one board member. Please, i urge you to bring these concerns to the attention of your other elected officials and file your FOIA requests. Mr. Schwartz did the training for the new Board of Education members locally. They also attended a training at MABE, although i was not in attendance and cannot vouch for what was covered but Mr. Schwartz was in attendance there also.Jennifer Abellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03579669399103806962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-21527098231799696452015-02-06T10:53:39.194-05:002015-02-06T10:53:39.194-05:00I understand that Commissioner Robinson justified ...I understand that Commissioner Robinson justified the “retreat” as proper by directing people to look up the word “retreat” in the Open Meetings Act. The word “retreat” is not mentioned in the body of that law. Is this the Texas Two-Step? We’ll use a different word, so we can package and sell it a bit differently, and proclaim innocence when challenged?<br /><br />The local rag [Maryland Independent, 2/6/2015] informs us that “schools spokeswoman Katie O’Malley-Simpson referred to the decision to close the retreat as joint between the board of education and the county commissioners.”<br /><br />Apparently not.<br /><br />It also states, “McGraw, a former principal with the schools system, said she discovered the retreat was closed around Friday, Jan. 30—she could not recall whether it was by email or on Board-Docs—but did not object to its private nature.”<br /><br />Which is why I would prefer someone with more experience in elected and representative public service serve in the leadership capacity of our boards. <br /><br />According to the newspaper, McGraw stated, “I’ve been in a lot of these things in my many years as a principal, and a lot of times, they’re set up like ‘tell me one good thing you like about me, and one thing you don’t’—there is no business being discussed today, we’re being very careful.” <br /><br />Cross her heart and pinky-swear? Ms. McGraw is not acting in her capacity as an employee any longer: She is an elected representative in a county that has a poor track record on this “open meetings” issue. <br /><br />The newspaper also tells us McGraw said, “Mike and I agreed with [Hill] to let her make the arrangements, along with Deborah Hall.” <br /><br />I did not elect Dr. Hill or Ms. Hall, and it should not be up to either of them to control public access to “convenings” or “retreats” or “get-togethers” or whatever the flavor-of-the-day “meeting” word one would care to choose. Further, if someone is going to spend $5,300 on this bash, I should like to think the people I elected made the decision to do that. The elected members of these boards should be accountable for such decisions. <br /><br />It is the appearance of impropriety, and justification of the expense, that both boards must contend with now, and some of us tend to be a rather suspicious lot…for good reason. <br />LegalBeaglettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01351323551732183314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-82613581754520899762015-02-03T20:33:53.130-05:002015-02-03T20:33:53.130-05:00The "invoice" is for $5300, 300 for trav...The "invoice" is for $5300, 300 for travel and 2.5 days at $2000. You've only given us an agenda for the half day, why are we paying for the other two? <br /><br />JoeCormierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11972281346640613581noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-87225380210380826542015-02-03T11:56:34.608-05:002015-02-03T11:56:34.608-05:00From Ms. Abell’s Work Session Notes -- 2/25/2008 (...From Ms. Abell’s Work Session Notes -- 2/25/2008 ( http:// abell4edu.blogspot.com/2008/02/notes-from-board-work-session-22508.html )<br />(Note the year!)<br /><br /><i>COMMUNICATION GOAL DISCUSSION<br /><br />GOVERNMENT<br />The Charles County Board of Education will meet with federal and state elected representatives on an annual basis.<br />The Board has been meeting this goal. Consensus was to keep this as a goal.<br /><br />The Charles County Board of Education will meet with the Charles County Commissioners four times a year.<br />After lengthy discussion about whether to change the number of times to three and what exactly constitutes a meeting, i.e. a retreat vs. a presentation at the commissioners’ office. A consensus was reached to leave this goal as stated and further clarification on what constitutes a meeting was not decided.</i><br /><br />***<br />In addition, I think it’s worth your readers’ time to take a look at the first comment (by im1ru2) on that blog post. <br /><br />Please remember that we are a county that should have learned this lesson well by now. For years we had a Board of Education that routinely held executive sessions with nothing more than boilerplate defense…and then created NO executive session minutes for those meetings. None. Zip. (The Superintendent’s current attorney, Eric Schwartz, was the attorney then, too.) <br /><br />We need to get beyond the banality of defining what “is” is. It’s a meeting. It’s a convening. It’s an assembly. <br /><br />It is subject to the Open Meetings Act or it is not. If it is not, there is a reason, and that reason should be provided.LegalBeaglettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01351323551732183314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-44626931783980782852015-02-03T11:17:03.917-05:002015-02-03T11:17:03.917-05:00Curious.
The retreat is not a convening of both e...Curious.<br /><br />The retreat is not a convening of both elected bodies at a particular place and time to discuss (by all participants, from what I gather from the agenda) how those bodies, and individuals, will work together? And a “convening” is not a meeting? And that convening is not subject to the Open Meetings Act requirements because…?<br /><br />The new Board of Education members have undergone training for their elected roles: Did that training not include how the Board of Education interacts with the Board of County Commissioners, and the role and responsibilities each body has? <br /><br />At what time was the hiring and payment of this facilitator/ consultant/ moderator/ mediator discussed and approved? As the bill has been presented to both the Board of Education and the Board of Commissioners, I assume both bodies agreed upon it.<br /><br />“This convening is not a meeting under the provisions of the Open Meetings Act…” sounds stilted and suspicious, and makes a statement, NOT an explanation. <br /><br />Further, just for the record, who is the Board of Education’s designee for the required Open Meetings Act training? Do you know? Do you know when, and how, that individual underwent the training?LegalBeaglettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01351323551732183314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-36197752298733654182015-02-03T08:35:18.278-05:002015-02-03T08:35:18.278-05:00Five Thousand dollars for someone to 'teach...Five Thousand dollars for someone to 'teach' our elected officials how to play nice together?!? I thought we elected professionals in Charles County. I've got 2 years experience getting my children to play nice together and I could give you a power point for the price of a BLT and a cold Lemonade. <br /><br />I don't understand why this meeting needs to be closed to the public, don't we deserve to see out elected officials when the campaigns stop and things start getting real.JoeCormierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11972281346640613581noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-85648197376835721662015-01-20T19:02:12.629-05:002015-01-20T19:02:12.629-05:00Yes, that's Andrew's mom! LOLYes, that's Andrew's mom! LOLJenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02324584431589277522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-42079028850081892832015-01-20T18:05:41.750-05:002015-01-20T18:05:41.750-05:00I am not a robot! My girl Amielia said,"thats...I am not a robot! My girl Amielia said,"thats Adrews mom!"<br /><br />Hal Clagett jrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-6120386357802863762015-01-14T06:08:33.780-05:002015-01-14T06:08:33.780-05:00I believe you misunderstood the article. The comm...I believe you misunderstood the article. The commissioners requested a brief introduction/presentation from each agency(CCPS, CCSO, CSM,etc)during their regularly scheduled weekly meeting. Dr. Hill had a few minutes to introduce herself and give a brief update the school system. There was nothing closed door or secret. During this time Dr. Hill requested the commissioners to consider a date for the first board-to-board meeting. According to the goals set forth by the BOE we are suppose to meet with them quarterly. This was not happening during their previous term. The fact that bothe boards have a number of new members, it may take longer than just a meeting, so a retreat (longer meeting) is more appropriate. This meeting will still be announced and open to the public.Jennifer Abellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03579669399103806962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-13585284003599091262015-01-13T12:08:31.713-05:002015-01-13T12:08:31.713-05:00Was the school board aware of this meeting between...Was the school board aware of this meeting between Kim Hill and the Commissioners, or should I say "retreat"? This is a sneaky meeting, call it a retreat, so the public cannot attend and voice their opinions. Kind of like how Common Core was developed. Between her sneaky ways and her hand in the La Plata HS incident about Islam, and her lying, she should resign her post or be removed. She is all about herself and her own aspirations and cares less about the kids, parents, and teachers of this county. Rubbing elbows with Obama, etc. She is a disgrace to her position and this county.<br /><br />http://www.somdnews.com/article/20150109/NEWS/150109412/1055/charles-commissioners-school-board-to-attend-retreat&template=southernMarylandAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-14352770414455118152014-11-25T22:11:15.088-05:002014-11-25T22:11:15.088-05:00So what happened?So what happened?JoeCormierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11972281346640613581noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-43055571667585101442014-11-21T19:00:01.223-05:002014-11-21T19:00:01.223-05:00That Baynet story looks remarkably (as in word for...That Baynet story looks remarkably (as in word for word) like a press release from the Thomas More Law Center. In other words, it's not a news story; it's a propaganda piece released by the law center. The Baynet should have presented it as such when it reprinted it. MikeBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00349313990026578547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-12581364694551463372014-11-21T18:33:20.980-05:002014-11-21T18:33:20.980-05:00http://www.thebaynet.com/articles/1114/banned-dad-...http://www.thebaynet.com/articles/1114/banned-dad-gets-lawyer-in-islamic-dispute.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-86355638825393955662014-11-16T14:29:40.459-05:002014-11-16T14:29:40.459-05:00I think this shows how open Ms Abell is and honest...I think this shows how open Ms Abell is and honest. She did not delete any of these comments. She didn't ignore them. She met them straight on, as she does everything, and answered calmly.<br />Something I sure would not have been able to do<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10672500225789118618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30234378.post-3214293151053780872014-10-28T09:14:31.261-04:002014-10-28T09:14:31.261-04:00This is tragic on so many levels, for so many peop...This is tragic on so many levels, for so many people. I am frustrated the school system did not handle it better from the beginning. It is my understanding Dr. Hill reached out to the family yesterday; I hope that is true, and that everyone is working toward resolving this.<br /><br />I applaud you, Ms. Abell, for not backing away from this, and for the monumental effort you have made to keep everyone informed. I am sorry you are dealing with some who lack restraint and are intent on malice, instead of trying to better understand what happened, why it happened, and what needs to be done to prevent such a conflagration of any issue associated with schools.LegalBeaglettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01351323551732183314noreply@blogger.com