Student Orientations Planned for Schools

Charles County Public Schools has released its student orientation schedule for the 2009-10 school year. Listed below are orientation dates and times, and other activities for schools.

New student orientations

**Note: All orientations are one hour unless otherwise noted**

Elementary schools

C.Paul Barnhart, kindergarten, Aug. 20, 2:30 p.m.; meet-the-teacher, Aug. 20, 3 p.m.;
Berry, community drop in, Aug. 20, 2-4 p.m.;
Dr. Gustavus Brown, meet and greet for new and returning students, Aug. 20, 1-2:30 p.m.;
Dr. James Craik, meet the teacher, Aug. 20, 3-5 p.m.;
William A. Diggs, kindergarten, Aug. 20, 10 a.m.; prekindergarten, Aug. 20, 11:30 a.m.; meet and greet, grades 1-5, 1 p.m.;
Gale-Bailey, kindergarten orientation, Aug. 20, 1 p.m.; meet and greet, Aug. 20, 2-3:30 p.m.;
Dr. Thomas L. Higdon, meet and greet, Aug. 21, 11 a.m.  12 p.m.; new student orientation, Aug. 21, 10-11 a.m.;
Indian Head, meet and greet, Aug. 21, 11 a.m.; Terrific Three's, Aug. 28, 2 p.m.; prekindergarten, Aug. 28, 2:30 p.m.;
Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, new student and kindergarten, Aug. 20, 3 p.m.;
Malcolm, kindergarten, Aug. 21, 10-10:30 a.m.; grades 1-5 meet and greet, Aug. 21, 10 a.m.;
T. C. Martin, orientation, prekindergarten-grade 5, Aug. 21, 11 a.m.;
Mary H. Matula, meet and greet, Aug. 21, 9-11 a.m.;
Arthur Middleton, new students, Aug. 20, 3 p.m.; kindergarten, Aug. 20, 3:30 p.m.; prekindergarten, Aug. 28, 2:30 p.m.;
Walter J. Mitchell, meet and greet, Aug. 21, 10 a.m.;
Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy, community drop in, Aug. 20, 1-3 p.m.; Three's program and prekindergarten orientation, Aug. 27, 5-7 p.m.;
Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, meet the teacher, Aug. 20, 6-7:30 p.m.; kindergarten, Aug. 21, 10 a.m.;
Mary B. Neal, meet and greet, Aug. 21, 10 a.m.;
J. C. Parks, community drop in, Aug. 20, 2-4 p.m.;
J. P. Ryon, students new to the school, grades 1-5, Aug. 20, 1 p.m.; prekindergarten and kindergarten, Aug. 20, 2 p.m.;
Eva Turner, meet and greet, Aug. 20, 1:30-3 p.m.; and
William B. Wade, meet the teacher, Aug. 20, 3-5 p.m.; meet and greet for grades 1-5, 1 p.m.; and kindergarten, Aug. 21, 9 a.m.

Middle schools
Theodore G. Davis, new students, Aug. 19, 2-4 p.m.;
John Hanson, meet and greet, grade 6 and new students to the school, Aug. 19, 2-4 p.m.;
Matthew Henson, new students and grade 6, Aug. 20, 3:30-6 p.m.;
Mattawoman, new students and grade 6, Aug. 19, 12-2 p.m.;
Piccowaxen, new students, Aug. 19, 2:30-5 p.m.;
General Smallwood, meet and greet, Aug. 19, 2-4 p.m.;
Milton M. Somers, new students, Aug. 20, 4-6 p.m.; and
Benjamin Stoddert, new students and grade 6, Aug. 20, 4-6 p.m.

High schools
Henry E. Lackey, new students, Aug. 18, 6:30 p.m.;
La Plata, new students and grade 9, Aug. 20, 7 p.m.;
Maurice J. McDonough, new students, Aug. 20, 6:30 p.m.;
North Point, new students, Aug. 19, 6:30 p.m.;
Thomas Stone, new students, Aug. 20, 6:30 p.m.; and
Westlake, new students, Aug. 19, 7 p.m.

Bus routes, school zoning information available on School Locator

Charles County Public Schools has added a school locator feature to its Web site.

School Locator is designed to allow the public to enter an address and see which three schools  elementary, middle and high  an address is zoned for. It also indicates if the address is eligible for bus transportation to a particular school, what the bus number is and where the closest bus stop to the address is located.

School Locator can be accessed at www2.ccboe.com/schoollocator/. Click on Launch Application (Public) to access the system. No password is needed. School Locator uses mapping data from the county and filters it by the system's current school zones.

For more information about bus routes, contact your child's school, or the transportation department at ccpstransportation@ccboe.com or 301-934-7276.

This service also allows school principals to see a list of buses traveling to their school, which students are on that bus and the approximate time of each stop that bus makes before reaching the school.

The service also expedites some of the manual tasks for school system staff. It will help in the process of creating bus route packets at the beginning of the school year.

A $4 Billion Push for Better Schools

Obama Hopes Funding Will Be Powerful Incentive in 'Race to the Top'

By Michael D. Shear and Nick Anderson
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, July 24, 2009

President Obama is leaning hard on the nation's schools, using the promise of more than $4 billion in federal aid -- and the threat of withholding it -- to strong-arm the education establishment to accept more charter schools and performance pay for teachers.

The pressure campaign has been underway for months as Education Secretary Arne Duncan travels the country delivering a blunt message to state officials who have resisted change for decades: Embrace reform or risk being shut out.

"What we're saying here is, if you can't decide to change these practices, we're not going to use precious dollars that we want to see creating better results; we're not going to send those dollars there," Obama said in an Oval Office interview Wednesday. "And we're counting on the fact that, ultimately, this is an incentive, this is a challenge for people who do want to change.

Read more HERE.

MSA Scores in Charles County Remain Steady

Schools not meeting AYP in one or more subgroups this year include are: Mattawoman (second year), Gale-Bailey Elementary School, Theodore G. Davis Middle School, John Hanson Middle School, Matthew Henson Middle School and General Smallwood Middle School.

Article from Southern Maryland Online

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) reading and mathematics scores on the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) remain steady, according to results released this week by the Maryland State Department of Education. Most schools met adequate yearly progress (AYP) and overall school goals. Six of 29 elementary and middle schools missed making AYP in one or more subgroup areas. High school data will be released later this summer.

Read more HERE

Graduation 2009-2010

The graduation dates for the 2009-2010 school year have been finalized. The dates are Monday, June 7, 2010, for H.E. Lackey, La Plata and North Point high schools. Westlake, Thomas Stone and McDonough high schools' graduations will be held on Tuesday, June 8, 2010. All graduations will be held at the Showplace Arena in Upper Marlboro, with the exception of North Point, which will be held at the school.

Should High Schools Bar Average Students From Rigorous College-Level Courses and Tests?

"Some of them object to my methodology." YES Mr. Mathews, and I must agree, I object also.

By Jay Mathews
Monday, July 13, 2009

Fifteen years ago, when I discovered that many good high schools prevented average students from taking demanding courses, I thought it was a fluke, a mistake that would soon be rectified.

I had spent much time inside schools that did the opposite. They worked hard to persuade students to take challenging classes and tests, such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Cambridge, so students would be ready for the shock of their first semester at college, which most average students attend. The results were good. Why didn't all schools do that?

I still don't have a satisfactory answer. It always comes up this time of year because of my annual rankings of public high schools for Newsweek, which is based on schools' efforts to challenge average kids as measured by participation in AP, IB and Cambridge tests.

Many school superintendents and principals who run schools that restrict access to those college-level courses and tests have disappointing results on the Newsweek list. Some of them object to my methodology. It is clear from my conversations with them that they are smart and compassionate people.

Read more HERE

Student Strip Search Illegal

School Violated Teen Girl's Rights, Supreme Court Rules

By Robert Barnes
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, June 26, 2009

Arizona school officials violated the constitutional rights of a 13-year-old girl when they strip-searched her on the suspicion she might be hiding ibuprofen in her underwear, the Supreme Court ruled yesterday. The decision put school districts on notice that such searches are "categorically distinct" from other efforts to combat illegal drugs.

Read more HERE.

REMINDER: Board Work Session 6/22/09

The Board of Education's next work session is Monday, June 22, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the meeting begins at 6 p.m. with public forum. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and rebroadcast throughout the week. Program schedules for Channel 96 are available at www2.ccboe.com/publicinfo/channel96/schedule.cfm . The agenda and reports can be found on BoardDocs.

Public Hearing on Federal Stimulus Funding

Work Session
• FY 2010 Budget
• Discussion of dates to meet with Commissioners in the fall to discuss funding for the operating costs of the new high school
• Information Item: Code of Student Conduct/sexual offenses
• Information Item: Safety in schools
• Discussion on changing Board meeting dates for April and Sept., 2010 (April 13, 2010 is
NSBA and Sept. 14, 2010 is Election Day)

Action Item
• FY2010 Budget
• Policy #5117 – Bullying
• Policy #3411-Inventories: Furniture and Equipment

REMINDER: Board Meeting, 6/9/09

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, June 9, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the meeting begins at 1 p.m. and recognition begins at 4:30 p.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and rebroadcast throughout the week. Program schedules for Channel 96 are available at www2.ccboe.com/publicinfo/channel96/schedule.cfm. The agenda and reports can be found on BoardDocs

Executive session  11:30 a.m.

Call to order  1 p.m.

La Plata High School's JROTC unit
Swearing-in of new Student Board member

Reports of officers/boards/committees

Superintendent's update
Correspondence/Board member updates

Action item
EACC/AFSME contract and signing

Reports of officers/boards/committees
Education Association of Charles County update
Student Board Member update
CCPS homeless student update
New high school
Adult education
Dual and concurrent enrollment
CIP update
2010 budget
Policy 3411, inventories: furniture and equipment
Policy 5117, bullying and harassment

Unfinished business

New business and future agenda items

New business  contract award for Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School kindergarten addition

Future agenda items

Recognition  4:15 p.m.
Ruth Ann Hall Awards
Students
Employees
Outstanding vice principal award
Outstanding support staff awards
Resolutions  Charles County Teacher of the Year  Janet Jones, reading resource teacher, General Smallwood Middle School; Employees' retirement; and Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher award  Samantha Shelton, Life Skills teacher, Milton M. Somers Middle School
Recognition of Charles County Teacher of the Year nominees  Joy Thompson, language arts teacher, Milton M. Somers Middle School; and Brenda Wagner, Special Education teacher, William A. Diggs Elementary School
Recognition of Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award nominees  Maria Arevalo, language arts teacher, General Smallwood Middle School; Charna Brooks, third-grade teacher, William A. Diggs Elementary School; Nancy Burch, physical education teacher, Thomas Stone High School; Laura Kelly, art teacher, Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School; and Deborah Taylor, mathematics teacher, Mattawoman Middle School

Public Forum  6 p.m.

Action items

Minutes
Personnel
Educational Facilities Master Plan
Out-of-county tuition fees
Policy 1000 series
Superintendent's redistricting recommendation

Adjournment

Charter Schools Provide Good Model On Teacher Pay

The Washington Post
Jay Mathews
June 1, 2009

It is hard for me to find a school leader with a track record for raising student achievement who does not admire almost everything Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee is doing with the D.C. schools. Yeah, I said almost. One important item on her agenda is not so popular -- merit pay for teachers.

Rhee is right when she says that the standard way of assessing and compensating teachers is a mess. It drives talented people from the field or leads them to avoid teaching in the first place. It deprives principals of vital tools for improving schools. Rhee learned this the hard way, creating the New Teacher Project to recruit and train teachers for urban schools. That nonprofit organization is releasing today a study of 12 districts that backs Rhee's point -- administrators shrink from assessing the relative quality of their teachers and tend to give nearly everybody a good evaluation.

Read more HERE.

Students Crave a Break on Cellphone Ban

Md. Teen's Idea to Allow On-Campus Use at Lunch Faces Strong Opposition

By Daniel de Vise
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 1, 2009

Juan Hendrix, an earth science teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, knows that when it comes to cellphone use in schools, looks can deceive.

"A classroom can appear quiet and orderly, but it may be abuzz with chatter," Hendrix said.

Text messaging has spawned an era of uninterrupted contact among friends, especially young people. Students often tap out silent conversations beneath their desks, even though most Washington area public schools forbid them to use cellphones on campus during school hours.

To defuse the conflict, a Montgomery County student leader has proposed a compromise: Let students text while they eat.

Read more HERE.

46 States, D.C. Plan to Draft Common Education Standards

By Maria Glod
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 1, 2009

Forty-six states and the District of Columbia today will announce an effort to craft a single vision for what children should learn each year from kindergarten through high school graduation, an unprecedented step toward a uniform definition of success in American schools.

The push for common reading and math standards marks a turning point in a movement to judge U.S. children using one yardstick that reflects expectations set for students in countries around the world at a time of global competition. Today, each state decides what to teach in third-grade reading, fifth-grade math and every other class. Critics think some set a bar so that students can pass tests but, ultimately, are ill-prepared.

Led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, the states, including Maryland and Virginia, are aiming to define a framework of content and skills that meet an overarching goal. When students get their high school diplomas, the coalition says, they should be ready to tackle college or a job. The benchmarks would be "internationally competitive."

Read more HERE.

The Depression Test

By screening all teens, doctors hope to identify those with mental disorders

By Shankar Vedantam
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Soon after her sister committed suicide, Caroline Downing started doing poorly at school. During math tests she would freeze up, and she found her mind wandering constantly. Officials at St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Potomac gently suggested that the high school sophomore get a mental health screening.

The idea of a psychiatric evaluation sent chills down the spine of Caroline's mother, Mathy Milling Downing, who believed that her younger daughter, Candace, had committed suicide because of an adverse reaction linked to a psychiatric drug -- the antidepressant Zoloft. Shortly after Candace's death, the Food and Drug Administration placed black-box warnings on several antidepressants to say they elevated suicidal thinking among some children. If Caroline were going to get the same kind of mental health care as Candace, Downing wanted no part of it.


Read more HERE.

Challenging America's Me-First Culture

By Colleen Carroll Campbell
Posted: Thursday, May 7, 2009
ARTICLE St. Louis Post Dispatch
Publication Date: May 7, 2009

When the Los Angeles-based Josephson Institute of Ethics recently released its 2008 Report Card on the Ethics of American Youth, the results were not pretty.

The survey of nearly 30,000 high school students nationwide found that 64 percent had cheated on a test in the past year (up from 60 percent two years earlier) and 38 percent had cheated more than once. More than a third had used the Internet to plagiarize. And lest they get credit for coming clean on the anonymous survey, which also tracked rising rates of teen lying and stealing, more than a quarter confessed to lying on at least one survey question.

Read more HERE

Loudoun Schoolteacher's Past Comes to Light at Hearing

By Michael Birnbaum, Maria Glod
The Washington Post/ Loudounextra.com
May 19, 2009

A Loudoun County teacher became the focus of a congressional hearing today on restraining school children as government investigators reported that a child in her classroom at a Texas public school died seven years ago when she lay atop him after he refused to stay in his seat.

Dawn Marie Hamilton, a special education teacher at Park View High School in Sterling, was not criminally charged in the 2002 death of 14-year old Cedric Napoleon. But an administrative judge found the teacher used “excessive and unnecessary force,” according to Texas records, and upheld a decision to list her on a state registry of individuals found to have abused or neglected children.

Read more HERE.

Bullying, Thefts Persist Despite Drop in Violence

Effects of Harm Can Linger, Report Finds

By Valerie Strauss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, May 11, 2009

Even though spasms of intense violence erupt on campuses occasionally and linger in the social consciousness, violence at schools across the country has been decreasing for a number of years.

That doesn't necessarily mean schools are safe havens. Consider:

-- Eighty-six percent of public schools in 2005-06 reported that one or more violent incidents, thefts of items valued at $10 or greater or other crimes had occurred -- a rate of 46 crimes per 1,000 enrolled students.

-- Almost a third of students ages 12 to 18 reported being bullied inside school.

-- Nearly a quarter of teenagers reported the presence of gangs at their schools.

Read more HERE.

Research suggests children can recover from autism

By LINDSEY TANNER
The Associated Press
Friday, May 8, 2009; 5:24 PM

CHICAGO -- Leo Lytel was diagnosed with autism as a toddler. But by age 9 he had overcome the disorder. His progress is part of a growing body of research that suggests at least 10 percent of children with autism can "recover" from it _ most of them after undergoing years of intensive behavioral therapy.

Skeptics question the phenomenon, but University of Connecticut psychology professor Deborah Fein is among those convinced it's real.

Read more HERE.

REMINDER: Board Meeting 5/12/09

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, May 12, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the meeting begins at 1 p.m. and recognition begins at 4:30 p.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and rebroadcast throughout the week. Program schedules for Channel 96 are available at www2.ccboe.com/publicinfo/channel96/schedule.cfm. The agenda and reports can be found on BoardDocs

Executive session  12 p.m.

Call to order  1 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance, Thomas Stone High School's JROTC unit

Reports of officers/boards/committees

• Superintendent's report
• Superintendent's redistricting recommendation
• Correspondence/Board Member updates
• Education Association of Charles County update
• Student Board Member update
• Maryland TELL survey
• Educational facilities master plan update
• Title I update
• Out-of-county tuition fees
• Budget update on state funding
• Policy series 1000 update
• Policy 5117, bullying update

Unfinished business

New business and future agenda items

Recognition  4:30 p.m.

• Roger M. Smith Science and Engineering Scholarship awards presentation
• Sheriff's Office presentation for teen driving initiatives
• Students
• Employees

Public Forum  6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel

Adjournment

Sending of Explicit Photos Can Land Teens in Legal Fix

By Donna St. George
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 7, 2009

In Fairfax County, a teenage boy sent out a text message asking girls to send photos of their breasts. Word got out at his high school, police said, and when authorities tracked the teen down, they discovered a cache of naked images on his phone.

Thus began another investigation into "sexting" -- sending sexually explicit photos by cellphone -- and another deliberation about when adolescent impulsiveness and indiscretion become a serious criminal act. Some of the photos could qualify as child pornography, a felony in Virginia, police said.

Read more HERE.

Personal Best: The case for colorblindness in the age of genetics

By William Saletan
Slate.com
Posted Tuesday, May 5, 2009, at 9:11 AM ET

John McWhorter has attacked me.

Well, not really. He has actually written a very polite spanking of me in his blog at the New Republic. But I like to think of it as an attack, because coming from McWhorter, there's no higher compliment. I remember watching him give a talk on C-SPAN years ago. The subject was black underachievement and its politically correct apologists. It was like one of those action-movie scenes where the hero takes on 50 guys in hand-to-hand combat. He was fearless and funny and brutally incisive.

McWhorter believes in holding people to high standards. He despises excuse-making and wallowing in victimhood. I'm a huge fan of his argument and his attitude. As a prescription for underachievers, I think it's both the best medicine and the highest form of respect.

Read more HERE.

White House seeks comments on education law

By LIBBY QUAID
The Associated Press
Tuesday, May 5, 2009; 8:01 PM

BUNKER HILL, W.Va. -- Special education teacher Lynn Reichard has a problem with the federal No Child Left Behind law: Some of her kids cannot read, never mind pass its required state test.

Reichard told Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Tuesday that she works all year long to boost the self-esteem of mentally impaired students at Bunker Hill Elementary, only to see them fall apart over standardized tests.

"They feel so good about themselves, and then they look at a two-paragraph reading passage, and they know six words," Reichard said. "I have one child here that's a nonreader, and she's going to have to take the test, and she's going to cry.

"There's just got to be another answer for that," Reichard said.

Read more HERE.

College-School Partnerships Offer Head Start on Higher Education

By Maria Glod
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Mayra Avila is looking forward to her high school prom. She's also a college student taking government and English composition courses.

Avila, 18, isn't a Doogie Howser-esque superachiever. The West Potomac High School senior is among hundreds of thousands of teenagers getting a head start on an associate's or bachelor's degree -- and saving on tuition -- by taking college courses in high school.

Read more HERE.

Graduation 2009

Board of Education members participate in graduations as part of the academic procession, and along with the Superintendent confer diplomas to the graduating class.

If you wish to have your graduating senior presented their diploma by a particular board member, please contact that board member with the student's name and school as soon as possible.

Creationism rears its head in Texas schools

The Texas State Board of Education is using its powers to ensure that textbooks give a nod to creationist theories

"In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then he made school boards."

Mark Twain wrote that in 1897, and Americans still quote it, with feeling. It comes to mind for many observers of a current battle over science education in Texas.

Read more about it HERE.

Important News Reminders for Charles County Public Schools

Last day of school for students is Friday, June 12
&
Information regarding swine flu

[Email from Maurice J. McDonough High School received today –]

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Charles County Public Schools has two important news reminders this week.

The Board of Education this week set the last day of school for students as Friday, June 12. For more information on the last day of school, visit HERE.

On April 30, a letter outlining steps Charles County Public Schools is
taking to prevent the spread of infection and the flu was sent home with
all students. Information about swine flu changes daily, and already since
we had this letter printed yesterday, there have been six probable cases
of swine flu identified in two northern Maryland counties. Superintendent
James E. Richmond wants to assure each parent we are taking all steps
possible, and we are working with the Charles County Department of Health
to do our part to help lessen the spread of this disease.

******
Here is a copy of the letter sent home with students.

April 28, 2009

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Although there have been no reported cases of swine flu in Maryland,
Charles County Public Schools is on alert and is taking immediate steps to
help prevent the spread of flu among students.

Swine flu is a respiratory virus that started with pigs, but has spread to
humans. It has already caused more than 100 deaths in Mexico, and there
have been confirmed cases in the United States. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention is calling the spread of the virus a public health
emergency.

Symptoms include fever greater than 100 degrees, sore throat, cough,
stuffy nose, chills, headache and body aches and/or fatigue. If students
present any of these symptoms to a school nurse, parents will be contacted
and asked to immediately take their child home. If your child has a fever
greater than 100 degrees, contact your family doctor. If your child is
sick, he/she should stay home from school and limit contact with others.

At schools, we are reminding students of proper hygiene practices and
conducting frequent supervised hand washing in elementary schools.
Teachers are reminding students at secondary schools that hand washing is
the best flu prevention measure.

All public schools in Charles County use appropriate measures to limit the
spread of infection. Some of the daily cleaning done by our building
service workers includes disinfecting bathrooms and other areas with
hospital-approved cleaners.

Additionally, the school system is monitoring attendance at each school
and will investigate any spikes or unusual occurrences. We are also making
contingency plans with the Charles County Department of Health in the
event the flu spreads to Maryland and Charles County.

If you have a question about the virus, please contact the school nurse or
the Charles County Department of Health at 301-609-6900, ext. 6025. If you
have a concern about your child’s health, please contact your doctor
immediately.

Sincerely,

James E. Richmond
Superintendent of Schools

Winter/Spring Update: 2009 AP Program News

Four AP Courses and Exams Discontinued After the 2009 Administration

2008-09 will be the final year in which AP French Literature, AP Italian Language and Literature, AP Latin Literature, and AP Computer Science AB courses and exams will be offered.

New and Forthcoming AP Publications

Course Descriptions
New 2010–2011 AP Course Descriptions are currently in development and will be available in May… Read more HERE.

Teachers question effectiveness of AP classes

April 29, 2009
Evan Haning
wtop.com

WASHINGTON - The boom in Advanced Placement classes would seem to be the opposite of "dumbing down" the schoolroom, but some educators say it's not always a smart move.

The Thomas B. Fordham Institute, an educational think tank, asked more than a 1,000 public school teachers what impact rapid growth has had on AP courses. Fewer than 33 percent believed students were enrolling for academic challenges.

"They believe it'll help them get into college," says Michael Petrilli, vice president for national programs and policy at the Institute.

While all AP courses are harder than standard high school instruction, some -- such as AP Psychology -- are easier to pass.

"We don't see that many more students signing up for the tough AP Physics or AP Calculus classes," Petrilli says.

Read more HERE.

Giving Kids a Jump on Technology

Innovative Mitchellville Shows Off Its Success

By Ovetta Wiggins
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 30, 2009

You could see the pride in third-grader Kuron Anderson's eyes as he jumped from his tiny chair to talk about his technology project. He called it "The Many Faces of the Man," a digital photo mosaic that he created to celebrate the election of President Obama.

"I worked hard on it, and I did my best," Kuron said.

He then methodically explained how he used about 1,000 pictures to create his project for the first science and technology fair last month at the Mitchellville School of Math, Science and Technology in Bowie.

Read more HERE.

Child behaviour 'linked to sleep'

BBC News
Monday, 27 April 2009

A good night's sleep could reduce hyperactivity and bad behaviour among children, a Finnish study reports.

It has been suggested that some children who lack sleep do not appear tired, but instead behave badly.

Of the 280 examined in the Pediatrics study, those who slept for fewer than eight hours were the most hyperactive.

Experts said adequate sleep could improve behaviour in healthy children and reduce symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Read more HERE.

Court Weighs Funding for Special Education

Private-School Tuition at Heart of Case
By Robert Barnes and Daniel de Vise
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, April 27, 2009

The Supreme Court will consider a question this week that has riled parents, cost local school boards here and across the country hundreds of millions of dollars, and vexed the justices themselves: When must public school officials pay for private schooling for children with special needs?

The issue has emerged as one of the fastest-growing components of local education budgets, threatening to "seriously deplete public education funds," which would then detract from the care of students with disabilities who remain in the system, according to a brief filed by the nation's urban school districts.

Read more HERE.

NGA, CCSSO Launch Common Standards Drive

Education Week
April 17, 2009
By Michele McNeil

After years of debating the idea of national content standards, representatives from 41 states convened in Chicago today in what organizers hope will be a first, concrete step toward common guidelines in mathematics and English-language arts.

The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers—the Washington-based groups that are co-sponsoring the meeting—want to build a prototype of high school graduation standards by summer, and grade-by-grade academic standards in math and language arts by the end of the year.

To read more of this Education Week “Top Stories” article, click HERE.

Agenda for Charles County Commissioners/Board of Education Retreat

Tuesday, April 21, 2009, Hawthorne Country Club

8:45 a.m. Continental Breakfast

9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Opening Remarks/Welcome (Commissioner Cooper and Colonel Wade)

9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Communication between Boards (Colonel Wade)

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. High School Value Engineering Update (Mr. Chuck Beall)

11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Federal Stimulus funding (ARRA), and FY10 State budget funding approved for the Charles County Board of Education during the 2009 session of the Maryland General Assembly

11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. Lunch

12:45 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. Discussion: Request for Waiver of Maintenance of Effort (Mr. Paul Comfort)

1:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. High School Assessment (Colonel Wade)

1:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Break

2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Adequate Yearly Progress (Colonel Wade)

2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. STEM Programs (Colonel Wade)

3:00 p.m. Open Discussion

News in Robots and Autism:

Robot Playmates May Help Children with Autism
Science Daily
July 23, 2008

Papers delivered at three conferences in the US and Europe this summer report on new research at the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering studying interactions of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) with bubble-blowing robots.

The preliminary studies, by Professor Maja Mataric and PhD student David Feil-Seifer of the USC Interaction Laboratory, confirm what has been widely reported anecdotally: that ASD children in many cases interact more easily with mechanical devices than with humans.

Read more HERE.

And a second article:

Robots to Fight Autism
By Val Wang
Posted 04.10.2009 at 3:18 pm
Popular Science (popsci.com)

Two years ago, a yellow spongiform robot named Keepon became a minor YouTube sensation when one of its creators programmed it to do a squishy, twisty dance in time to the Spoon song "I Turn My Camera On." The video has garnered more than 2 million hits. Now Keepon's keepers, Marek Michalowski, a Ph.D student in robotics at Carnegie Mellon University, and Hideki Kozima of Miyagi University in Japan, are turning Keepon's attention to a more serious task: to study how children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) interact socially and to see if the robot may be able to help in therapy.

Read more HERE.

A Gallop Toward Hope: One Family's Adventure in Fighting Autism

By Motoko Rich
The New York Times
April 15, 2009

When Rupert Isaacson decided to take his autistic son, Rowan, on a trip to Mongolia to ride horses and seek the help of shamans two years ago, he had a gut instinct that the adventure would have a healing effect on the boy. Mr. Isaacson’s instinct was rewarded after the trip, when some of Rowan’s worst behavioral issues, including wild temper tantrums, all but disappeared.

Read more HERE.

Education Standards Likely to See Toughening

By Sam Dillon
The New York Times
April 14, 2009


WASHINGTON — President Obama and his team have alternated praise for the goals of President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind law with criticism of its weaknesses, all the while keeping their own plans for the law a bit of a mystery.

But clues are now emerging, and they suggest that the Obama administration will use a Congressional rewriting of the federal law later this year to toughen requirements on topics like teacher quality and academic standards and to intensify its focus on helping failing schools. The law’s testing requirements may evolve but will certainly not disappear. And the federal role in education policy, once a state and local matter, is likely to grow.

Read more HERE.

Zero-Tolerance Policies in Practice

By Marc Fisher
The Washington Post
Tuesday, April 14, 2009; B03

We don't really know what we want. That's the conclusion of a social psychologist who decided to test just how committed parents and others are to single-sanction, zero-tolerance, tough-love punishment regimens of the kind that many schools have adopted to fight drug use by teenagers.

Colgate University psychologist Kevin Carlsmith concluded that people fail to recognize that a zero-tolerance policy that seems simple and effective in theory will violate their sense of justice when they see it in practice. And that's exactly the response I've been getting to my column last week about Josh Anderson, the Fairfax high school junior who killed himself on the eve of a disciplinary hearing that was likely to have ended with his expulsion for being caught on campus with a small amount of marijuana.

Read more HERE.

Schools' 'Money Is Falling Off the Truck'

Local, State Budget Woes Chip Away at Federal Dollars Aimed at Reform

By Maria Glod and Michael Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, April 13, 2009; B01

Educators across the country are counting on a federal stimulus windfall to prevent teacher layoffs and improve schools. But while Washington is giving, some state and local governments are taking away.

After hearing that an initial batch of $11.8 million in federal funds would soon arrive in Loudoun County, supervisors slashed $7.3 million from the schools budget. They also made clear that if more federal recovery money flows to schools, schools might be asked to give back an equal amount of county dollars.

Read more HERE.

Accelerated Math Challenge, For a Student and Her Mom

By Jay Mathews
Monday, April 13, 2009; B02

Anne McCracken Ehlers's third-grade daughter was not doing well in accelerated fourth-grade math at Whetstone Elementary School in Gaithersburg. Becca was spending far too long on her assignments. She was confused. She was unhappy. Ehlers is a teacher herself, in the English department at Rockville High School. So she was polite when she asked for a change, but nothing happened.

Finally, the 8-year-old in the drama decided that enough was enough, prompting this e-mail from her teacher to Ehlers on the afternoon of Feb. 5: "I just wanted to let you know that math bunch was held today from 1:00-1:30. Rebecca chose not to come. I asked her several times to please join us and she refused saying that she would come next week. We went over rounding, estimating, and adding decimals. We also reviewed word problems that include fractions. Please encourage Rebecca to take part in these extra math sessions. Thank you very much for your support."

Read more HERE.

Education Secretary says kids need more school

9News.com (Colorado)
April 9, 2009

DENVER - The nation's education chief was in Denver talking about national school reform on Tuesday and says U.S. children need to be in school more.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited two Denver schools Tuesday morning. He toured with Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, who, until this year, was superintendent of Denver Public Schools.

During his visit, Duncan said American schools should be open six days a week, at least 11 months a year, to improve student performance.

Read more HERE.

School Drug Policy Limits Probed

Strip-Search Case Could Redefine Student Privacy

By Robert Barnes
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 11, 2009; Page A01

SAFFORD, Ariz. -- April Redding was waiting in the parking lot of the middle school when she heard news she could hardly understand: Her 13-year-old daughter, Savana, had been strip-searched by school officials in a futile hunt for drugs.

It's a story that amazes and enrages her still, more than six years later, though she has relived it many times since. Read more HERE.

Board of Education meetings now available live online

Board of Education meetings are now available live on Comcast Channel 96 as well as on the Charles County Public Schools Web site located at www.ccboe.com.

The school system will be streaming the Board meeting live beginning 1 p.m., Tuesday, April 14. Users will be able to access the page from a link on the school system home page that will be posted the day of the Board meeting or by going directly to www2.ccboe.com/boe/live.

Superintendent James E. Richmond said the school system is providing live streaming on the Web site for those who are not able to access the meeting as it airs live on Comcast Channel 96.

Windows users should be running Windows Media Player 9 and above, and Mac users should download and install Flip4Mac (http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/video/flip4macwindowsmediacomponentsforquicktime.html). Both programs are free to download.

If users are unable to watch the Board meeting live, it will be available on our Web site as Video On Demand by Thursday, April 16. To access our Video On Demand page, visit www2.ccboe.com/publicinfo/channel96/vod.

Rhee Works on Overhaul of Teacher Evaluations

By Bill Turque
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 7, 2009; Page B01

While talks between D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee and the Washington Teachers' Union remain stalemated over salary and job security issues, one critical question is not even on the bargaining table: how the District's educators will be evaluated.

For months, Rhee and her chief "human capital" assistant, Jason Kamras, have been working on an overhaul of the evaluation system that would expand the ways teachers are assessed. In addition to a system of classroom observations and conferences, it is likely to include methods to track how students' standardized test scores grow over time. Several major school systems, including those in Houston, Chicago and Milwaukee, have started limited use of this new "value-added" approach.

Read more about this HERE

REMINDER: Board Meeting, 4/14/09

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, April 14, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the meeting begins at 1 p.m. and recognition begins at 4:30 p.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and rebroadcast throughout the week. Program schedules for Channel 96 are available at www2.ccboe.com/publicinfo/channel96/schedule.cfm. The agenda and reports can be found on BoardDocs

Executive session  11:30 a.m.

Call to order  1 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance, Maurice J. McDonough High School's JROTC unit

State champion recognition

• North Point and Westlake high schools boys' indoor track and field teams and others

Reports of officers/boards/committees

• Superintendent's report on redistricting committee
• Correspondence/Board Member updates
• Education Association of Charles County update
• Student Board Member update
• Update on Maryland TELL survey
• CIP update
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) update
• Recruiting
• Budget update
• Legislative update

Unfinished business

New business and future agenda items

Recognition  4:30 p.m.

• Students
• Employees
• Resolutions: Teacher Appreciation Week, Administrative Professionals' Week, Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week, National Physical Education and Sport Week and the Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leader.

Public Forum  6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• 2010-11 calendar

Adjournment

Budget Update

The following link is to a short video explaining a request by the Charles County Commissioners for a waiver of Maintenance of Effort.

Click HERE

I personallly have not had a chance to watch it, please provide feedback.

BREAKING NEWS - Charles County Government Press Release

CHARLES COUNTY GOVERNMENT PRESS RELEASE
Board of Education Presses for Tax Increase during Recession

The Charles County Board of Education issued a press release yesterday
asking the Charles County Commissioners to raise taxes instead of
requesting a waiver of the Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirement for
public school funding.

According to a press release, Donald Wade, Chairman of the School
Board, said that State law requires the County to raise property taxes
to fully fund the school system.

The Commissioners requested a waiver of the State’s MOE requirement
in anticipation of deep funding cuts by the State of Maryland that could
have significant impact on the County’s budget.

The County’s request is based on the Maryland General Assembly’s
consideration of additional cuts in State funding for counties, and the
current expectation that State and local revenues will continue to
decline during the recession through the remainder of this fiscal year
and in fiscal year 2010, which begins on July 1. The potential State
cuts, along with declining local revenues, may impair the County’s
ability to support local operations of State agencies, such as Social
Services and the Health Department, as well as local County government
services.

In contrast to the County, the Charles County Board of Education is
slated to receive additional aid this year. In addition to
appropriations of State and County funds to support the schools, this
year local boards of education will receive more than $1 billion in
special funding from the federal economic stimulus package (American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act). According to State sources, the Charles
County Board of Education’s share of this new funding amounts to $18.5
million over the next two years.

Considering the economic challenges facing all Charles County citizens
and businesses during this national recession, the Charles County
Commissioners are unanimously opposed to any tax increases.

Commissioner President Wayne Cooper noted that last week, fifteen
Maryland counties were pursuing a waiver of the Maintenance of Effort
requirement, including Calvert County. “The Maryland Association of
Counties has encouraged all counties to seek State legislation for a
State-wide waiver,” added Cooper.

Commissioner Gary V. Hodge commented that “we are under an obligation
to adopt a balanced budget. Decisions at the State level, which we have
no control over, will flow down to the counties. We have no alternative
as County Commissioners but to adopt a balanced budget.”

“There is an opportunity in the process for the public to be
heard,” said Commissioner Reuben B. Collins, II. “A public
hearing is required by the State before action can be taken.”

The County’s projections for FY 2010 indicate that local revenue will
be 1.4 percent less than in the current FY 2009 adopted budget, due to
lower income from most of the County’s revenue sources.

The Commissioners have already taken steps to reduce spending and save
money in several key areas. Next year’s budget will not include
employee cost of living increases, or step increases in pay, and will
continue a hiring freeze on current and future vacancies. The
Commissioners are also considering a furlough, which would result in a 4
percent decrease in salaries, as well as exploring the option of
refunding portions of the County’s bond debt to save interest costs.
In addition, substantial cuts have been made in the capital construction
program in an effort to trim every possible budget line item.

The County Commissioners believe that the waiver request is essential
to meeting the County’s basic responsibilities to protect the health,
safety and welfare of all the citizens of Charles County.

INCIDENT TICKER

The incident ticker you have seen under construction in the left hand column is now active. I will use this ticker to post serious events at our local schools that are reported to me by members of the public. The events listed will NOT be obtained through my position as a board of education member. To report an incident to be posted, please EMAIL ME with the school, date, and the event...NO NAMES PLEASE.

Rules Allowing Extended Time on Graduation

Advocates Debate Effects of Change in Regulations

By Catherine Gewertz

Federal regulations have opened a door that allows schools to get credit under the No Child Left Behind Act for students who take longer than four years to earn a high school diploma. But that option worries some education advocates, who fear it could relieve valuable pressure on high schools to graduate students on time.

Under the law’s accountability provisions, students who don't graduate in four years count against schools' graduation rates. Many educators have complained that such an approach punishes schools that go the extra mile to keep students from dropping out or to lure back those who have left school.

Read more HERE

Board opposes waiver of Maintenance of Effort

The Board of Education opposes a request by the Charles County Commissioners to waive the state's Maintenance of Effort requirement.

Maintenance of Effort is the state law that requires local governments to maintain the same level of funding from year to year and provides increases based on the enrollment and per pupil cost from the previous fiscal year. It ensures minimum local government funding in public education. Charles County Public Schools receives a significant portion of its funding from county government. Since 1984 the law has ensured that counties meet a proportional funding obligation relative to state funding.

In a letter to Donald Wade, chairman of the Board of Education, the Commissioners wrote that they regret that they are planning to request a waiver of the Maintenance of Effort for the next school year. They are filing for the waiver, according to the letter, because the county may receive additional unspecified state funding cuts. Counties must file requests for a waiver of Maintenance of Effort to the Maryland State Department of Education by April 1.

"The Maintenance of Effort waiver would have a significant impact on the school system, students, programs and staff," Wade said. "It is not in the best interest of maintaining a quality education system. Our funding projections for next year are already significantly lower on both the county and state levels and the cuts jeopardize the progress we have made in recent years."

By requesting a waiver of Maintenance of Effort, the Commissioners are asking to reduce funding by approximately $4.5 million below this school year's original budget and cut $14 million from the Board of Education's proposed budget of $304 million. Requested budget increases include only mandatory costs for health insurance, transportation, employee longevity steps, maintenance service contracts and utilities. The school system has not entered into negotiations with its two employee group representatives because of the lack of firm revenue projections from both the county and the state.

Additionally, the school system anticipates state funding will be flat; however, no official funding notification has been provided. The school system initially expected a $1.8 million cut in state funding, but projections show that stimulus money may offset that loss.

"The current law requires that the county levy taxes sufficient to meet the statutory obligations of Maintenance of Effort. A simple desire on the part of the Commissioners to avoid appropriate actions to satisfy the law is not a reason to grant a waiver or to overturn the law," Wade said.

Counties must by law submit a formal request for waivers to the Maryland State Department of Education and must prove that the county's fiscal condition significantly impedes the county's ability to fund Maintenance of Effort. A public hearing on all waiver requests will be held 9 a.m., April 27, at the Maryland State Board of Education in Baltimore.

Wade said the local Board plans to oppose any effort by the county to waive Maintenance of Effort and will ask the local delegation to oppose a statewide waiver. "While some counties may not be able to meet the legal requirement of Maintenance of Effort, the Board of Education feels that Charles County can meet its obligation," Wade said.

Multiracial Pupils to Be Counted in A New Way

By Michael Alison Chandler and Maria Glod
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, March 23, 2009; Page A01

Public schools in the Washington region and elsewhere are abandoning their check-one-box approach to gathering information about race and ethnicity in an effort to develop a more accurate portrait of classrooms transformed by immigration and interracial marriage. Next year, they will begin a separate count of students who are of more than one race.

For many families in the District, Montgomery and other local counties that have felt forced to deny a part of their children's heritage, the new way of counting, mandated by the federal government, represents a long-awaited acknowledgment of their identity: Enrollment forms will allow students to identify as both white and American Indian, for example, or black and Asian. But changing labels will make it harder to monitor progress of groups that have trailed in school, including black and Hispanic students.

Read more HERE

Report: Md. Kindergartners are Entering School Better Prepared

BALTIMORE (March 24, 2009) - Children entering kindergarten in Maryland continue to improve their preparation for the rigors of the classroom, according to a new report by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).

"Children Entering School Ready to Learn-School Readiness Information for School Year 2008-2009," a report by MSDE's Division of Early Childhood Development, revealed steady progress in all demographic subgroups. Maryland students entering kindergarten fully prepared for learning increased by 5 percent from 2008 to 2009, up to 73 percent. That is up 24 percentage points since the baseline year of 2001.

Read more HERE

Follow-Up of Board Work Session, 3/23/09

Since the work session on 3/23/09, I have received a fax in which Chairman Wade listed his appointees for two board sub-committees:

• Alternative Schedules - Cook, Carrington, & staff
• Code of Conduct Sexual Offenses - Pedersen & Bailey, & staff & students

NOTES: Board Work Session, 3/23/09

The Board Work Session on Monday, March 23rd will be re-broadcast on Channel 96 on Wednesdays at 6 p.m.; Fridays at 9 a.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. It will be available soon via web streaming. 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.

PUBLIC FORUM

• Female - Resident of White Plains for 30+ years. Concerned about the safety issues in the schools. Supports Abells request for information. Appalled by reaction of other members. Wants to know how board members vote on these issues. Concerned about quote by Wade in Indy and fights. Concerned with lack of transparency. Public should know what is going on.

SAFETY IN SCHOOLS

• Cook - Wants an update about the safety of our schools
• Pedersen - What happens after events occur? We did brainstorming...supports a student government teen court and cameras in schools
• Cook - Grant money available for school safety
• Abell - Parent policing; student ID's; lack of visitation by parents due to policy restrictions; whole community is needed
• Wise - Doesn't believe there are safety problems, taught for 26 years
• Cook - Things are not like they used to be
• Abell - Teachers and principal have commented to me personally: Teachers are reluctant to send students from the classroom because they are ridiculed and reprimanded by principals for not being able to "control" their students. Principals reluctant to suspend because it looks bad on them and their school.
• Carrington - Who is responsible for these parent volunteers?
• Ms. Hile (Principal, Hanson) - Never been told to watch her suspensions or keep them down
• Mr. Short (Principal, Lackey) - Montgomery County has ID's and still have the same number of suspensions. Thinks students do a great job policing themselves. Very open environment; allows parents in school
• Cook - Perception vs reality
• Abell - We need to be open and let the public know about the incidents
• Carrington - Thinks it's wrong to put on web-site or put emphasis on this small percentage of our student population.
• Wise - Addresses newspaper to stop putting negative in the paper and put positive on the front page
• Abell - Paper does print the positive. Web-site ONLY has positive; no bad
• Bailey - History of the board and system and how far we've come. Kudos to staff

REVIEW POLL OF BOARD

BOARD MEMBER NOTIFICATION OF INCIDENTS

• Anonymous paper poll indicated...Yes = 2; No = 5
• Bailey - No. Not Needed
• Wise - No. Thinks we get enough
• Pedersen - Yes
• Abell - Requests a public vote for all these items so public can see how each board member votes

Yes = Abell, Pedersen; No = Wade, Wise, Carrington, Bailey, Cook

SCHOOL INCIDENT TICKER ON WEBSITE

• Anonymous paper poll indicated...Yes=1; No=6

Yes = Abell; No = Wade, Wise, Carrington, Bailey, Cook, Pedersen

CODE OF CONDUCT - SEXUAL OFFENSES

• Anonymous paper poll indicated...Yes=4; No=1; Maybe=2
• Wise - Because it is happening more we should review

Yes = Abell, Carrington, Cook, Pedersen, Bailey, Wise; No = Wade

• [Yep....it doesn't match the anonymous paper poll]

ALTERNATIVE SCHEDULES

• Anonymous paper poll indicated...Yes=3; No=3; Maybe=1
• Carrington - Doesn't see a need for it
• Pedersen - Wants to put it to rest and will appease community
• Wise - Doesn't see a need
• Pedersen - Inform public
• Abell - Listed the history of this request dating back to Jan 2007 through today of at least 8 requests for the research that was previously done.
• Wise - Thinks staff should not be tasked; we should do it ourselves
• Richmond - Offered staff; double-shifting does work and year round schooling does work in some areas but don't know if they are right for us.
• Wade - Form a committee of staff board members

Yes=Abell, Bailey, Cook, Pedersen, Wise, Wade; Abstain=Carrington

Meeting adjourned

HSA deadline looms & Stats

More than 4,600 seniors risk not getting diplomas if they don't pass tests

By Liz Bowie liz.bowie@baltsun.com
March 26, 2009

While some state and school officials seem optimistic that thousands of seniors will meet new state graduation requirements by May, the task for some schools is much more challenging than for others.

More than half of the 4,660 students who are in danger of not getting diplomas because they have not passed the High School Assessments live in Baltimore City or Prince George's County and are concentrated in a couple of dozen high schools.

Read more HERE

County-by-county HSA numbers -- baltimoresun.com

Statewide HSA results by school -- baltimoresun.com

Reported Rape Raises Questions About Schools' Policy

By Jenna Johnson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 26, 2009; Page SM01

When Charles County police arrested a Henry E. Lackey High School senior last month and charged him with raping a 16-year-old in an empty classroom after school, several school board members said they were shocked by the system's brief policy on sexual offenses.

The student code of conduct says that any sexual offense is "viewed as potentially serious misconduct dependent upon the age and level of development of the student in question." The section on sexual offenses is 165 words long, compared with a 928-word policy on cellphones.

Discipline in sexual offense cases includes notifying the parents of students involved and, in most cases, legal authorities. In addition, the suspected offender is to be suspended "for up to 10 days," although the superintendent has the power to extend that period or expel the student.

Read more HERE

8% of Md. seniors at risk of not graduating

4,660 yet to pass High School Assessments
By Liz Bowie liz.bowie@baltsun.com
March 25, 2009

With three months left in the school year, more than 8 percent of Maryland seniors are at risk of not graduating, education officials said Tuesday in releasing the first precise count of how well the Class of 2009 is meeting the High School Assessments.

This year's seniors are the first who have been required to pass four tests in biology, English II, American government and algebra or do extra projects to prove they have mastered the material before getting a diploma.

Despite the large number - 4,660 students in a class of 53,000 - officials told the state school board that they are confident that most will qualify by retaking tests in April or May, completing the projects or getting waivers. Special education students and those who are learning English as a second language are at the greatest risk of not graduating.

Read more HERE

State Recognizes Charles County Schools for MSA Achievement

LA PLATA, Md. (March 24, 2009) -- Fifteen Charles County public schools were recognized by the Maryland State Department of Education in the Maryland School Performance Recognition Program, which honors schools for achievement and improvement on the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) or the High School Assessment (HSA).

Dr. James Craik and William B. Wade elementary schools, and North Point High School were honored for overall achievement. William A. Diggs, T.C. Martin, Walter J. Mitchell, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy, J.C. Parks, J.P. Ryon and Eva Turner elementary schools, Milton M. Somers Middle School, and Henry E. Lackey, Maurice J. McDonough, Thomas Stone and Westlake high schools were recognized for subgroup improvement.

Read more HERE

Schools revamp schedules to save money

By Emily Bazar,
USA TODAY

Schools are moving to four-day weeks, shortening the school year, staggering start times and making other schedule adjustments to save money.

Some altered schedules to fill budget holes for this year. Others are planning for next year but don't know how much their budgets will be reduced as legislators face shrinking tax revenue.

Although federal stimulus funds will help, "most districts are still unaware of how much money that will mean for them," says Mary Kusler, a lobbyist for the American Association of School Administrators.

Read more HERE

School system publishes Annual Report

Charles County Public Schools 2009 Annual Report, titled "News to Know," will be mailed to all student households this week, March 23-27.

The report, which is one of three to be produced this year, contains student and faculty accomplishments, school system budget information, articles on technology and Charles County Public School's safe driving partnership with the Charles County Sheriff's Office.

The report is being mailed at no cost to the school system or taxpayers and will be mailed in an envelope containing advertisements, which offsets the production and distribution costs.

The report is also available on the school system's Web site, www.ccboe.com. The report is listed under the public information and media tab, located on the left-hand side of the home page. Select the publications menu option.

The publication is produced by the CCPS communications department and is required by law to be published. The direct link to the report is http://www2.ccboe.com/PDF/2009-annualreport.pdf.

CCPS does not endorse any of the companies whose advertisements appear with the mailing. Call 301-934-7220 for additional information or additional copies.

The Pressure Is On, and the Kids Suffer in . . . Kindergarten?

By Jay Mathews
Sunday, March 22, 2009; Page SM06

Dear Extra Credit:

We have two sets of twins who are in fourth grade and kindergarten at a well-regarded public school in Bowie. The difference I see in the four years since my older children were in kindergarten is astounding.

I do not remember the older children having tests in kindergarten. Now they have tests at least monthly in math, reading, social studies and science. The tests are multiple choice so that they can practice filling in little bubbles to be ready for the Maryland State Assessment in three years. For this week's math worksheet, they were required to cut and paste the days of the week in order (acceptable to me) and then explain how they knew their answer was correct (what are they supposed to write for that?).

This year's kindergartners were starting to write sentences by the second month. They started with a simple "I see" and quickly moved up to things such as, "I go to school." They are expected to learn a new sentence each week and write it with a capital letter at the beginning, correct letter formation and spelling, spacing between the words, and a period at the end. Is this really essential for kindergarten?

Read more HERE

My Assessment of the New Bike Trail

Okay, not really education related but definitely community related and students might eventually try to venture out and get some sunshine.

Today was a gorgeous day so I decided to try out the new Hike-Bike Trail that runs from Indian Head to White Plains. Here is my assessment along with some pictures.


First I drove to the entrance of the trail off of Bumpy Oak Road and took off toward White Plains. Unfortunately, I didn't get very far. I got to Pomfret Road and was not allowed to continue because of it being roped off and saying DO NOT ENTER, NO TRESPASSING, U.S. GOVERNMENT PROPERTY
So I turned around and headed towards Indian Head and rode all the way to Rt. 225 (decided to turn around there because it was starting to get dark) never seein' a soul until...




...I met Charlie. Charlie was a nice elderly gentleman that said he rode from Marbury, does it frequently and posed for this nice picture. If you look closely there is an old barn in the background.

Summing it all up...I never saw anything paved and I thought the commissioners had stated that it was paved; maybe it is in another section, but not this one. I saw ducks, geese, and a blue heron. It was quite the workout riding through all the gravel, hills, and mud puddles. I definitely wouldn't try it without an off-road bicycle. Charlie was having a tough time and had to turn around because he couldn't get through with those skinny tires. It would be great for walking or jogging. I could see it becoming an all-terrain vehicle magnet once the weather breaks, though. Plan plenty of time so it doesn't get dark on you; it gets dark in the woods about 30 - 60 minutes before everywhere else. It was kind of spooky going alone. I definitely would say let someone know where you're going and don't go alone, or if you do, don't wear headphones, be aware of your surroundings, and exercise your right to bear arms :)

Lacrosse Tonight

The long awaited first Lacrosse matches will take place tonight Stone at McDonough girls play at 5:00; boys at 6:30 woo hoo!

Executive Session Added, March 23, 2009

I was notified today via fax and email that Chairman Wade has requested an Executive Session from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. prior to the board work session on Monday, March 23. Agenda is unknown. I have respectfully requested the nature/agenda for this meeting.

Maryland Public Information Act

This post began in two other posts if you have been following the saga...

• http://abell4edu.blogspot.com/2009/03/im-livid.html
• http://abell4edu.blogspot.com/2009/03/im-livid-part-2.html

Letter delivered at 11:30 a.m.

Dear Mr. Richmond

This is a request under the Maryland Public Information Act, State Government Article §§10-611 to 628. I am making this request on behalf of myself. I wish to inspect all records in your custody and control pertaining to the Board Poll regarding Board Member’s Request for Information dated March 12, 2009, including the individual responses of each board member for each item.

If all or any part of this request is denied, I request that I be provided with a written statement of the grounds for the denial. If you determine that some portions of the requested records are exempt from disclosure, please provide me with the portions that can be disclosed.

I also anticipate that I will want copies of some or all of the records sought. Therefore, please advise me as to the cost, if any, for obtaining a copy of the records and the total cost, if any, for all the records described above. If you have adopted a fee schedule for obtaining copies of records and other rules or regulations implementing the Act, please send me a copy.

Please note that the Public Information Act affords you only 30 days in which to approve or deny my request. If you are not the custodian of these records, the law gives you ten days to identify to me the proper custodian and the location of the documents.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Abell

I'm LIVID, part 2

Okay here we go again...this post is in regards to a previous one...
http://abell4edu.blogspot.com/2009/03/im-livid.html

So I phoned central office yesterday to see if the results of the poll were in. I was informed they were still waiting on two. I asked if they would be sending out the results upon completion and was told I would need to talk to Mr. Wade.

Phoned central office again this morning to see if it was complete and to try and talk to Mr. Wade. He wasn't in. Tried his cell...no answer. Tried his home...answering machine picked up...I thought I had hung up and was going to call central office again but heard that there was no dial tone...so I listened for a minute.....and heard a voice..."Mr. Wade?" Yes in deedy it was. Strange.

I asked Mr. Wade if we would be receiving the results of the poll today and was informed that NO we would not. We will be receiving the results on Monday at the work session. I questioned how one member of the board (himself) could withhold information from the other members. How can we prepare for the meeting without the results? The conversation continued with how he could poll one member's requests but not another's. He said safety is a concern for all and mine was just a laundry list. He then mumbled that there is a process. My response was yes, there is a process, but it should pertain to all members, not just one. Then I received a lecture about being professional and how this very conversation could end up on a blog somewhere. I put his fear at ease and assured him it would.

I have a call in for legal advice.

NOTES: Board Meeting, March 10, 2009

The Board Meeting Tuesday, March 10th will be re-broadcast on Channel 96 on Wednesdays at 6 p.m.; Fridays at 9 a.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. . 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.

SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT

• See report
• Web streaming video

BOARD CORRESPONDENCE

• Wise - Democratic Central Committee honoring Wade for Kennedy award
• Abell - MABE nominating and budget committee by May 29
• Pedersen - Blue Ribbon met with commissioners and submitted 6 issues
• Carrington - Reaching Out Now organization helping teachers and students; round table discussion and activities. Attended awards for history fair and robotics competition at CSM
• Wise - Winter student recognition program at Lackey was well attended
• Cook - Couldn't attend but received positive feedback
• Carrington - LaPlata good turnout - younger kids seeing older kids getting awards
• Abell - McDonough turnout was very poor
• Pedersen - North Point was good turnout
• Wise - One complaint from someone who had a child at two different locations
• Wineland - Westlake attendance was good
• Cook - Families liked seeing people they knew
• Wise - Surprise for feeder schools; had banners made

CISCO TELEPRESENCE

• Carrington - Adventure with Wineland driving. Met with VP of CISCO from building in DC to London conversation/discussion
• Wise - Indy paper - student blatantly says they are transferring to another county to play spring sports. Wants review at state level athletic policy
• Pedersen - Issues with AA Regional track meet held at Armory in DC. Floors and starter not conducive
• Wade - Letter from Grasmick - 2/10/09 letter re: appointment of Supt. approved

EACC

• Ms. Brown read report
• Wise - 2.5 hours to respond to the TELL survey?

STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS

• Senior prom on 3/13. 500 tickets sold out in 2 days
• CCASC state convention
• All HS raising $$ for state charity

CIP

• Barnhart - Kind. addition completed
• Bailey - Kind. addition - lost a couple of days due to snow. comp. 6/09
• Martin - ditto
• Mt. Hope - Septic system replacement. Bids for construction of kind. addition 3/25; currently have 17 interested companies
• Received another $1M from IAC for Middleton boilers
• Now have 249 "educational cottages"

PLAYGROUNDS

• Presentation
• Wise - Life of rubber base?
• Belmore - At least 10 years old now
• Pedersen - Seen some in ill repair like Wade
• Belmore - Those are a different kid; older style; slowly being replaced

INSTRUCTION - Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee

• HSA projects to date 717. 87 students met HSA requirement through the Bridge plan.
• Discussion on projects
• Summer Academy
• Sensory Room at JP Ryon; small rooms; $20,000 via grant
• Trying to seek funding for another room in the LaPlata area

HUMAN RESOURCES

• 2010 - 2011 Calendar;

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

• Schwartz - HB 1243/SB673 - Fairness in negotiations - create a system to allow outside arbitrators to decide what is negotiable and what is not. Would not allow Supt. to transfer employees. Suggests we oppose. MACO and Supt. Assoc. are opposing.
• Pederesen - How does this benefit the child?
• Abell - Asked for legislative issues to be an actual printed report on BoardDocs in the future in order to properly prepare for the meeting.

Motion for opposition to bills by Wise; Seconded by Pedersen. Abell - Abstained; Everyone else - Yes; PASSED

POLICY 1000 SERIES

• Presented; questions next month

NEW BUSINESS

• Cook - Suggests making board meeting earlier
• Pedersen - Against moving times
• Wise - Concern with staff time
• Abell - Public forum should NOT be moved; we were voted in as public servants to represent our community and that is who we should be accessible to
• Cook - Suggests submitting emails that could be read
• Bailey - Spoke about history

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

• None

FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

• Cook - School safety issues
• Abell - Four previously requested agenda items (incident ticker for website, student code of conduct for sexual harassment, board notification of incidents, alternative schedules)
• Cunningham - States he can't locate the information; still working on it

ACTION

• Wise asked for the motion for the minutes to be divided

Motion by Bailey to approve the minutes from 2/10/09 executive session. Seconded by Carrington. Abstain - Wise and Pedersen. Yes - all remaining. PASSED

Motion by Wise to approve the minutes from the 2/10/09 public session. Seconded by Pedersen. Vote was unanimous. PASSED

Motion by Wise to approve Personnel. Second by Carrington. Vote was unanimous. PASSED

REMINDER: Board Work Session, March 23, 2009

Just a reminder, the Board of Education will hold a work session at 6 p.m. on Monday March 23, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building in La Plata. The meeting will also be aired live on Comcast Channel 96. The agenda is not available for you to view on BoardDocs yet, but eventually you will be able to go here and see it. Until then, you can see it below.

***I will try to refrain from personal comments about the agenda ***

Public Forum

Work Session

• Safety in Schools
• Chairman's update on Board poll about alternative schedules, Code of Student Conduct for sexual offenses, ticker tape of school incidents and Board member notification of incidents.

Tide turns against schools as foreclosures rise

By Greg Toppo and Jack Gillum, USA TODAY

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Way back when times were good — last April — builders showed up one day at Forest Grove Middle School and gutted a little-used classroom off the gym.
Four months and a half-million dollars later, they had transformed the space into a gleaming, bubbling mini marine biology laboratory, with five huge, blue plastic tanks for local marine life and a refrigerated tank that replicates the cold-water ecosystem off Maine.

For the first time, teacher Kevin Stinnette thought, his students could do hands-on lessons with cold-water species such as frilled anemones and Acadia hermit crabs.

Then the mortgage meltdown hit central Florida, and the crabs and anemones weren't the only ones hit with cold water. Here as elsewhere across the USA, hard times have forced schools to trim budgets, freeze hiring and, in a few cases, make substantial job cuts, raising doubts about the future of a range of programs, including the new marine lab.

Read more HERE

I'm Livid

Board members received two memos from Chairman Wade today via email and fax. They both pertain to two of my posts here on this site.

You can read the first memo HERE. It is explaining when the agenda for board meetings is posted. If you go to this post, http://abell4edu.blogspot.com/2009/03/reminder-board-meeting-31009.html, you will see I stated that the agenda was NOT available to the public a week before the meeting. Granted, we had a snow day on Monday, but if that was truly the issue, as the memo seems to portray, how was the agenda available to board members on Monday? If they could make it available to us on Monday, a snow day, why was it not available to the public?

The second memo you can read HERE. This is the one that really incites me. It is concerning Future Agenda Items and this post http://abell4edu.blogspot.com/2009/03/future-agenda-items.html and if I was getting a complex before, this seems to have proven my point. You see, there are four items I requested for a future agenda item (school incident ticker, board member notification of incidents, Student Code of Conduct for sexual offenses, and alternative scheduling), I have asked for the latter one at least six times over the last 18 months and the former ones I asked for in January...they never seem to be placed on the agenda. So, I did the proper thing and brought them up again, in public at the 3/10 meeting. (I hope to have my notes up by the weekend). Once again they were written down by our chairman along with Ms. Cook's request for School Safety Issues. A little discussion took place, with Mr. Wade requesting clarification on exactly what I wanted. We moved on. Then today we get the above memo asking for a consensus of the board for MY requests as future agenda items before the chairman tasks staff with the work. Ms. Cook's request is not on this list, only mine. Why wasn't a consensus requested during our PUBLIC meeting so the PUBLIC could see who was for or against? Why doesn't our chairman need consensus for Ms. Cook's request? What is it about my requests that our chairman doesn't like?

BTW - I tried to talk to Mr. Wade via telephone regarding this, to no avail.

Md. to explore tracking performance of teachers, students

by Liz Bowie

The state Board of Education said yesterday that it will explore a partnership with neighboring states to create a regional data base that tracks the performance of teachers and students. Maryland lags in such data gathering, according to state schools chief Nancy Grasmick. Already, 21 states track teachers, but Maryland does not. [Sun]

Obama to unveil first piece of education plan

By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is unveiling the first piece of his education plan to a group of Hispanic business leaders.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says Obama's speech Tuesday to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will outline the first steps of an agenda to change American schools. Gibbs says the president's remarks will focus on new approaches to help students and teachers. [AP]

Future Agenda Items

You know, I am really starting to get a complex. It seems as though items that I request to be placed on an upcoming agenda never get placed on the agenda. If another board member requests it, bingo, it's on there the next month. Could it be intentional? hmmmmmm

Report: Md. schools should tap foreign language 'assets'

March 5, 2009 - 9:22am

WASHINGTON - Maryland is home to the nation's third-highest percentage of foreign-born college graduates and should capitalize on the diversity of language abilities, according to a 2009 report of the Preservation of Heritage Language Skills Task Force.

The task force, authorized by the 2008 Maryland General Assembly, made four recommendations: to award high school foreign language credit by exam, increase immersion programs in schools, expand teacher certification options and enhance English speaking learning programs for foreign-born adults.

"The main challenges we face in assuring that Maryland benefits from these skills are leadership, coordination and innovation -- not taxpayer dollars," said Sen. James C. Rosapepe, D-Prince George's, co-sponsor of the task force legislation.

Legislative action isn't necessary, Rosapepe said, and this innovation can occur at the local level among school systems and communities.

Read more HERE

School System Publishes Annual Report

Charles County Public Schools published its 2009 Annual Report, titled "News to Know," this week on the school system's Web site, www.ccboe.com. The report is listed under the public information and media tab, located on the left-hand side of the home page. Select the publications menu option.

The report contains student and faculty accomplishments, school system budget information, articles on technology and Charles County Public School's safe driving partnership with the Charles County Sheriffs Office.

The publication is produced by the CCPS communications department and is required by law to be published. The direct link to the report is http://www2.ccboe.com/PDF/2009-annualreport.pdf

Additionally, the report will be mailed next month to all staff members and student households at no cost to the school system or taxpayers. The report will be mailed in an envelope containing advertisements, which offset the cost of producing and distributing the publication. CCPS does not endorse any of the companies whose advertisements appear with the mailing. Call 301-934-7220 for additional information or additional copies.

REMINDER: Board Meeting 3/10/09

PLEASE NOTE...UNFORTUNATELY THE AGENDA IS STILL NOT AVAILABLE ON THE PUBLIC BOARDDOCS SIDE...

IN ADDITION, PLEASE NOTE THE NEW BUSINESS ITEM : CHANGE IN BOARD MEETING TIMES

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, March 10, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the meeting begins at 1 p.m. and recognition begins at 4:30 p.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and rebroadcast throughout the week. Program schedules for Channel 96 are available at www2.ccboe.com/publicinfo/channel96/schedule.cfm. You can view the agenda and report items at BoardDocs ..



Executive session  12 p.m.


Call to order  1 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance, Henry E. Lackey High School's JROTC unit

Reports of officers/boards/committees
Superintendent's update
Correspondence/Board Member updates - Cisco Telepresence; Sen. Cardin's North Point visit; and winter student recognition
Education Association of Charles County update
Student Board Member update
CIP update
Special Education Citizen's Advisory Committee
2010-2011 school calendar
Legislative update
Policy subcommittee update
Unfinished business

New business and future agenda items
New business - Change of Board meeting time
Future agenda items
Recognition  4:30 p.m.
Students
Employees
Resolutions: Month of the Young Child and National Student Leadership Week.
Public Forum  6 p.m.

Action items
Minutes
Personnel
Adjournment