Concussions and Kids: Learning to Spot the Injury

Andrew Mollenbeck
wtop.com
October 7, 2010

WASHINGTON - As concern for understanding concussions has increased, youth leagues are participating in training seminars and using computer analysis programs to better diagnose the injury.

"The lack of awareness, the lack of knowledge, the lack of skill as to what to do when a youngster is injured is putting kids at risk, and we need to change that," says Gerard Gioia, director of the Safe Concussion Outcome, Recovery & Education (SCORE) program at Children's National Medical Center.

By Gioia's estimate, dozens of youth leagues in the Washington area have worked with SCORE. League officials, coaches and parents meet on nights or weekends to learn from video and ask questions.

"The whole idea here really is to specifically educate coaches and parents and kids about what is this injury, what are the signs and symptoms they need to understand," he says.

Programs with more limited resources can at minimum access tools made available by the Centers for Disease Control. Its initiative, "Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports" offers similar information for players and coaches.

Read more HERE.

School system sponsors scholarship workshop

Charles County Public Schools is sponsoring "The Scholarship Workshop," hosted by author Marianne Ragins, on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at North Point High School.

 

The workshop is designed to help students successfully complete the college scholarship search and application process. Ragins is a one-time recipient of more than $400,000 in scholarship offers and author of "Winning Scholarships for College" and "College Survival & Success Skills 101." The workshop will cover the following:

• Resources to use to find scholarship opportunities;
• Easy guidelines for writing scholarship-winning essays with examples;
• Helpful tips on using the Internet to research scholarships;
• An inside look at obtaining positive recommendations;
• Helpful tips on how to stand out against other scholarship applicants;
• Ways to highlight your personality and achievements during interviews; and
• Last-minute strategies helpful in obtaining funds for college.

The seminar is free-of-charge and is open to county high school students, parents and guardians. Space is limited to the first 450 participants in attendance and reservations are required. Visit http://www2.ccboe.com/instruction/scholarshipworkshop.cfm. to register. Students who attend are eligible for the Ragins/Braswell National Scholarship. For more information on the scholarship and workshop, visit http://www.scholarshipworkshop.com/.

 

As a high school senior, Ragins applied for and received more than $400,000 in scholarship funds for college. She launched "The Scholarship Workshop" to present her experiences and help others in the college scholarship search process. Ragins has been featured in publications such as USA Today, People, Ebony and Newsweek and also made appearances on shows such as "Good Morning America" to speak about her experiences and the workshop.

 

Ragins received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Florida A & M University and a master of business administration degree from George Washington University. Both of Ragins' degrees were obtained with scholarship funds. She is the founder and president of The Scholarship Workshop and sponsor of the Ragins/Braswell National Scholarship. For more information on registration, call 301-934-7309.

 

Charles County Public Schools provides 26,780 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 35 caring community schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

 

REMINDER: Board of Education Meeting, 10/12/10

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, October 12, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the October meeting begins at 10:30 a.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and is rebroadcast throughout the week. Board meetings are also streamed live on the school system Web site at http://www.ccboe.com/.

Call to order  10:30 a.m.
Presentation on Space Foundation partnership
Executive session  12 p.m.
Resume open session  1 p.m.
Pledge of Allegiance, Westlake High School's JROTC unit
Superintendent's update to the Board 
Correspondence/board member updates
Education Association of Charles County update
Student board member update
Use of tasers update by Sheriff Rex Coffey
Recruitment and retention update
FY 2010 independent financial audit
Legislative audit
Unfinished business
New business
Future agenda items
Recognition  4:30 p.m.

• Resolutions: American Education Week, American Freedom Week

Public Forum  6 p.m.
Action Items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• FY2011 Comprehensive Maintenance Plan
• Board chairman election bylaw

Adjournment

Why grade-skipping should be back in fashion

CLASS STRUGGLE
by Jay Mathews
Washington Post

As the second month of school nears, some parents wonder if their children are getting all that they need. The lessons seem too simple. Their kids are bored. If they have been designated gifted, there may be occasional pull-out lessons to enrich what they are learning, but that may not be enough.

I have seen no data to confirm this, but it seems to me that schools rarely consider skipping those students ahead anymore. I have talked to Washington area administrators about this. They are uncomfortable with the approach. They think students who are above grade level learn better--with some extras thrown in--if they stick with kids their age.

A generation or two ago the attitude was different. I run into far more people my age who skipped a grade than I meet friends of my children who did the same thing. My wife skipped second grade in the early 1950s. Her parents had nothing to do with it. Six weeks into the school year in California, after attending a hard-charging school in Kansas, her teacher said, “You can already do this stuff. This is a waste.” She was suddenly a third grader.

Read more HERE

Schools' cell phone policy might relax

Group considering some constructive uses of devices

Friday, Sept. 24, 2010
By GRETCHEN PHILLIPS
Staff writer

Charles County Public Schools officials are looking at the positive side of having cell phones in schools before revisiting the system's cell phone policy.

Tuesday, during a regularly scheduled Charles County Board of Education meeting, Deputy Superintendent Ronald G. Cunningham told board members that a group of employees at the school system's central office has been asked to review the current cell phone and portable communications device policy, which was written in 2003 and revised in recent years.

Read more HERE

Teacher bonuses not linked to better student performance, study finds

By Nick Anderson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 21, 2010; 9:46 PM

Offering teachers incentives of up to $15,000 to improve student test scores produced no discernible difference in academic performance, according to a study released Tuesday, a result likely to reshape the debate about merit pay programs sprouting in D.C. schools and many others nationwide.

The study, which the authors and other experts described as the first scientifically rigorous review of merit pay in the United States, measured the effect of financial incentives on teachers in Nashville public schools and found that better pay alone was not enough to inspire gains.

Read more HERE

Md. school board to vote on environmental ed

Posted: 5:53 pm Mon, September 20, 2010
By Associated Press

Environmental education would be required for Maryland high school students under a proposal before the state school board.

Assistant State Superintendent of Education Mary Gable says the proposal is scheduled to be voted upon by the school board Tuesday. Gable says school systems in each county would decide how to teach the material and students would not have to pass an additional test to graduate. If the proposal is approved, environmental education would begin for incoming ninth grade students next September.

Gable says the department received 187 comments during the public comment period with 180 supporting the proposal.

Notes from the Board of Education Meeting, 9/21/10

The Board Meeting on Tuesday, September 21st will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

The below notes are my personal notes and are not intended to be all-inclusive or official minutes for the Board of Education meetings and are provided as a request from my supporters and the general public in a personal effort to be more transparent. Although I have diligently tried to make these notes as unbiased and accurate as possible, I am only human and do make mistakes.

Executive session 12 p.m.

Call to order 1 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance North Point High School's JROTC unit

Superintendent's update to the board

• Read report
• Pedersen - date for students to use telepresence; Richmond - in progress

Correspondence/board member updates

• Pedersen - thank staff for all the back to school events
• Bailey - in communicating with the youth on school grounds, they were unfamiliar with the election process
• Wade - thank you to the board for your involvement with MABE

Education Association of Charles County update

• Read report

Student board member's update

• Read report

Update on fall sports

• See reports
• Still requiring nutrition and hydration emphasis
• CPR and sports injury certfication required
• J. Johnson is on a state committee regarding concussion awareness. She has also initiated a concussion awareness program and requires all coaches to be certified. Consulted with school nurses as well.
• Athletic trainers - OSPT did not renew their contract. Sent out in RFP and awarded to Rehabilitation Center of Southern Maryland at the same cost. 3-FT & 2-PT
• Wise - Concerned with inelgibility
• Pedersen - when does re-eligibility happen; Johnson - interim
• Pedersen - certification expenses paid for by CCBOE except for the basic coaching certification
• Cook - minorities are the greater athletic population; overall grade point averages of athlete is high
• Cook -concussion...26 for Charles County last year...how does that compare
• Abell - clarification on inelgibility for first quarter

Use of tasers Sheriff Rex Coffey

• Postponed until October Board meeting

Review of the cell phone policy

• Number of suspensions increasing - added another level of suspension at the school level; committee was convened last year to review policy and uses; review how it can possibly used as an educational teaching tool.
• Wade & Wise - move cautiously
• Abell - Thank you for embracing the technology and being pro-active in the positive uses; I look forward to hearing more from the committee

Capital Improvement Program (CIP) update

• See report

FY 2011 Comprehensive Maintenance Plan

• See report

Bridge to Excellence update

• See report

Diversity training in the work place

• See report
• Wise - possibly a future in offering to the students

Food services report

• See report

Oral update on staffing

• 4,000 employees; largest employer in Charles County; currently hired 190 new certificated employees to this date, lower than previous years.
• Teacher evaluations will be changing this year; piloting in January; collaborative effort

Board chairman election bylaw

• See document; discussion and minor revisions.  Action item next meeting

Unfinished business

• None

New business

• Requested a student ran candidate forum
• Abell - violates our own policy.  further discussion curtails idea.

Future agenda items

• Wants to add an update on the Performance Audit Report in October

Public Forum 6 p.m. (please forgive name spelling)

• Martine Stevens - on 9/11 at Westlake she was denied entrance to the JV game.  Was stopped by an officer who said entry to the game was cut-off at the end of second quarter.  She felt like she was treated as a child.  Other parents tried and encountered the same response.
• Robert Harlan - had a wonderful time getting involved in the political fray.  Attended several forums.  Feels the school system major support comes from african american community and organizations. 

Action items

• Minutes

Cook - motion to accept the minutes

Wade - second

Vote - UNANIMOUS

• Personnel

Carrington - motion to accept personnel

Pedersen - second

Vote - UNANIMOUS

• State CIP 2012

Pedersen - motion to accept State CIP

Cook - second

Vote - UNANIMOUS

• Recurring resolutions - Health Careers Month; American Education Week; American Freedom Week; African American History Month; Career and Technical Education Month; National School Counseling Week; Read Across America; Women's History Month; Fine and Performing Arts Month; Month of the Young Child; National Student Leadership Week; Teacher Appreciation Week; Administrative Professionals' Week; Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week; National Physical Education and Sport Week; Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leader; Charles County Teacher of the Year; Employees' Retirement; Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award

Bailey motion to recognize individual days incorporated in American Freedom Week

Carrington - second

Bailey withdrew motion after discussion; Richmond stated it is already being done

Wade - motion to accept recurring resolutions to include Bailey corrections

Carrington- second

YES - Bailey, Carrington, Cook, Pedersen, Wade, Wise
ABSTAIN - Abell

Adjournment

School system plans annual College Fair - TOMORROW

Charles County Public Schools will host more than 135 colleges at its 13th annual Charles County College Fair on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at North Point High School. Hours are 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.

High school juniors and seniors attend the event during the school day as part of the system's career readiness goal in the five-year plan. Students are transported from school by bus and are able to speak with representatives and gather information from participating colleges. Students wishing to attend the fair during the school day must submit a signed permission slip to their school's college and career advisor.

The public is invited to attend the evening session of the fair and parents are encouraged to bring their children. Two financial aid workshops will be held, one at 6:15 p.m. and one at 7:15 p.m., for parents and students to learn about the financial aid application process.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call your child's school or 301-934-7314.

A list of local scholarships, as well as a link to Maryland colleges and universities is also available on the school system Web site at http://www2.ccboe.com/students/scholarships.cfm.

New parent communication Web sites launch Sept. 20

Charles County Public Schools is launching a new parent communication system on Monday, Sept. 20, along with new school Web sites. The system is a secure, Internet-based system parents and students can use to keep up-to-date with their child's records and classes. The school system's main Web site, www.ccboe.com, will not be moved to the new system.

To access the system, parents will need to obtain an account activation code from their child's school. If you have an activation code for Edline, you can begin signing on to your account on Monday, Sept. 20. Middle and high school parents will be able to check their child's most recent grades. Elementary grades will not be posted, but parents can access teacher pages and other important school information on the new site.

If you have not secured an activation code, call your child's school office and find out the best time to come in and obtain one. You must present photo identification and be the parent or legal guardian of a student to receive a code. Staff is available on Monday to answer questions and e-mails regarding this new service. If you have any questions, call 301-934-7488 or e-mail dataprocessing@ccboe.com.

The following is a list of new web addresses for all schools:

Elementary schools:

• C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/C__Paul_Barnhart_Elementary_Sc
• Berry Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/berry
• Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/brown
• Dr. James Craik Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/craik
• William A. Diggs Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/William_A__Diggs_Elementary_Sc
• Gale-Bailey Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Gale-Bailey_Elementary_School
• Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Dr__Thomas_L__Higdon_Elementar
• Indian Head Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Indian_Head_Elementary_School
• Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Daniel_of_St__Thomas_Jenifer_E
• Malcolm Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Malcolm_Elementary_School
• T.C. Martin Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/T__C__Martin_Elementary_School
• Mary H. Matula Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Mary_Matula_Elementary_School
• Arthur Middleton Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Arthur_Middleton_Elementary_Sc
• Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Walter_J_Mitchell_Elementary
• Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Mt_Hope_Nanjemoy_Elementary_Sc
• Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Dr__Samuel_A__Mudd_Elementary_
• Mary B. Neal Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Mary_B_Neal_Elementary_School
• J.C. Parks Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/J__C__Parks_Elementary_School
• J. P. Ryon Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/J__P__Ryon_Elementary_School
• Eva Turner Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Eva_Turner_Elementary_School
• William B. Wade Elementary School: https://www.edline.net/pages/William_B__Wade_Elementary_Sch

Middle schools:

• Theodore G. Davis Middle School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Theodore_G_Davis_Middle_School
• John Hanson Middle School: https://www.edline.net/pages/John_Hanson_Middle_School
• Matthew Henson Middle School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Matthew_Henson_Middle_School
• Mattawoman Middle School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Mattawoman_Middle_School
• Piccowaxen Middle School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Piccowaxen_Middle_School
• General Smallwood Middle School: https://www.edline.net/pages/General_Smallwood_Middle_Schoo
• Milton M. Somers Middle School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Milton_M__Somers_Middle_School
• Benjamin Stoddert Middle School: https://www.edline.net/pages/benjamin_stoddert_middle_schoo

High schools:

• Henry E. Lackey High School: https://www.edline.net/pages/lackey
• La Plata High School: https://www.edline.net/pages/La_Plata_High_School
• Maurice J. McDonough High School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Maurice_J__McDonough_High_Scho
• North Point High School: https://www.edline.net/pages/North_Point_High_School
• Thomas Stone High School: https://www.edline.net/pages/Thomas_Stone_High_School
• Westlake High School: https://www.edline.net/pages/WestLake_HS

Centers:

• Robert D. Stethem Educational Center: https://www.edline.net/pages/Robert_D__Stethem_Educational_

All new school sites are also accessible from the Charles County Public Schools Web site, www.ccboe.com. To access the sites from the school system Web site, select the schools and centers tab located on the left-side navigation bar on the home page.

REMINDER: Board of Education Meeting, 9/21/10

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, Sept. 21, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the August meeting begins at 11 a.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and is rebroadcast throughout the week. Board meetings are also streamed live on the school system Web site at www.ccboe.com.

Executive session 12 p.m.

Call to order 1 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance North Point High School's JROTC unit

Superintendent's update to the board

Reports of officers/boards/committees

Correspondence/board member updates

Education Association of Charles County update

Student board member's update

Update on fall sports

Use of tasers Sheriff Rex Coffey

Review of the cell phone policy

Capital Improvement Program (CIP) update

FY 2011 Comprehensive Maintenance Plan

Bridge to Excellence update

Diversity training in the work place

Food services report

Oral update on staffing

Board chairman election bylaw

Unfinished business

New business

Future agenda items

Public Forum 6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• State CIP 2012
• Recurring resolutions:Health Careers Month; American Education Week; American Freedom Week; African American History Month; Career and Technical Education Month; National School Counseling Week; Read Across America; Women's History Month; Fine and Performing Arts Month; Month of the Young Child; National Student Leadership Week; Teacher Appreciation Week; Administrative Professionals' Week; Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week; National Physical Education and Sport Week; Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leader; Charles County Teacher of the Year; Employees' Retirement; Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award

Adjournment

Maryland Students Boost SAT Scores

Graduating seniors post gains in both reading and math, according to results released Monday

By Childs Walker, The Baltimore Sun
5:52 p.m. EDT, September 13, 2010

Maryland seniors performed slightly better on both the math and critical reading sections of the SAT in 2010, according to results released Monday by the College Board.

Graduating seniors increased their average math scores over last year from 502 to 506 and their average reading scores from 500 to 501. Average writing scores remained the same at 495. The highest possible score on each section is 800.

"Our state's students continue to improve across the board, with some of the biggest gains coming from minority students often underrepresented on national tests," said state schools Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick. "Maryland's students, teachers, administrators and parents deserve another round of applause for this remarkable achievement. Big improvement can be found in schools throughout our state."

Maryland students matched the national average in reading and bettered it by 3 points in writing but fell 10 points below the national average in math.

Read more HERE

School's race rule prompts mom to pull kids out

August 27, 2010
By HOLBROOK MOHR
Associated Press Writer

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A policy intended to achieve racial equality at a north Mississippi school has long meant that only white kids can run for some class offices one year, black kids the next. But Brandy Springer, a mother of four mixed race children, was stunned when she moved to the area from Florida and learned her 12-year-old daughter couldn't run for class reporter because she wasn't the right race.

The rules sparked an outcry on blogs and other websites after Springer contacted an advocacy group for mixed-race families. The NAACP called for a Justice Department investigation _ not surprising in a state with a history of racial tension dating to the Jim Crow era.

By Friday afternoon, the Nettleton School District announced on its website that it would no longer use race in school elections.

Superintendent Russell Taylor posted a statement saying the practice had been in place for 30 years, dating back to a time when school districts across Mississippi came under close scrutiny from the U.S. Justice Department over desegregation.

"It is the belief of the current administration that these procedures were implemented to help ensure minority representation and involvement in the student body," the statement said. "It is our hope and desire that these practices and procedures are no longer needed."

Springer, who moved to Lee County from Florida in April, said her daughter was told the office of sixth-grade class reporter at Nettleton Middle School was available only to black students this year.

Her anger grew when she saw school election guidelines that allowed only whites to run for class president this year. In alternating years, the positions would be reversed so blacks could run for president and whites could hold other positions, district officials said.

Even if the rule is an attempt to ensure black and white participation, Springer said diversity is no longer a black and white issue, with a growing number of mixed-race children, Hispanics and other ethnicities attending school together.

Read more HERE

Formula to Grade Teachers’ Skill Gains Acceptance, and Critics

By SAM DILLON
Published: August 31, 2010

How good is one teacher compared with another?

A growing number of school districts have adopted a system called value-added modeling to answer that question, provoking battles from Washington to Los Angeles — with some saying it is an effective method for increasing teacher accountability, and others arguing that it can give an inaccurate picture of teachers’ work.

The system calculates the value teachers add to their students’ achievement, based on changes in test scores from year to year and how the students perform compared with others in their grade.

People who analyze the data, making a few statistical assumptions, can produce a list ranking teachers from best to worst.

Read more HERE

Suggested Reading

Below is a list of some books that have been brought to my attention for suggested reading. If you have read any and want to discuss them, here is your thread.

Please Mr. President, don't speak on school time

Class Struggle
Jay Mathews
August 26, 2010

Here we go again. I dodged a lot of electronic tomatoes last year for suggesting that President Obama NOT give his back-to-school speech during class time. Many readers thought that was a stupid suggestion. The president and his staff apparently agree with them, because the White House has announced he is going to do it again on Sept. 14. The White House is again encouraging schools to interrupt class so students can listen.

I am going to stay away from the political issues. I know this is an election year. Here in the Washington area, including D.C. and the Maryland suburbs where I live, Sept. 14 will be primary election day, with a D.C. mayoral race important to the future of D.C. schools. But I don't think the president's speech will affect that much. That is not why it bothers me.

Last year, at least, the speech occurred on or near the first day of school for many students. That day is often a waste anyway, just finding your classrooms, greeting your friends and sizing up your teachers. This year he will be speaking on what is the second week for some students, and for many the third or fourth week, when serious learning should be underway. Why does the White House think this is a good idea?

Read more HERE.

More Md., Va. students taking ACT for college entrance, data show

By Michael Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 19, 2010

An increasing number of Maryland and Virginia high school students are taking the ACT college entrance test in a region where the SAT has long been dominant, according to data released Wednesday.

In Virginia this year, 22 percent of high school seniors who graduated took the ACT at some point in school, up from 19 percent in 2009, according to the state Department of Education.

This year's SAT data have not yet been released. But the percentage of graduating Virginia high school seniors who took the SAT dropped from 73 percent in 2007 to 58 percent in 2009.

In Maryland, the number of graduating seniors who took the ACT grew this year, too, to 11,924 from 11,317 in 2009, the Iowa-based ACT organization reported. The number of seniors taking the SAT dropped slightly from 2008 to 2009, but it remains the state's most widely used test. The number of D.C. students taking the ACT has been flat since 2008.

Read more HERE.

Tasing Demonstration

View Video Here

As a member of the Charles County Board of Education I recently, volunteered for a tasing to demonstrate the safety associated with the deployment of a Taser by a police officer assigned to our county schools.

This demonstration took place on August 13, 2010 at the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Headquarters in La Plata, Maryland.

Notes from the Board of Education Meeting 8/10/10

The Board Meeting on Tuesday, August 10th will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

The below notes are my personal notes and are not intended to be all-inclusive or official minutes for the Board of Education meetings and are provided as a request from my supporters and the general public in a personal effort to be more transparent. Although I have diligently tried to make these notes as unbiased and accurate as possible, I am only human and do make mistakes.

Executive session 10 a.m.

Call to order 11 a.m.

Pledge of Allegiance

Recognition

• Sacred Heart Ladies' Auxiliary #301, Knights of St. John International
• Book donation to school libraries from the Maryland Retired School Personnel Association

Motion by Pedersen; Second by Carrington

(yes) Abell, Bailey, Carrington, Pedersen, Wade, Wise

Reports of officers/boards/committees

Superintendent's update - read report

Correspondence/Board member updates

• Wise - Pedersen appointment to O'Malleys committee, Maryland Council for Educator Effectiveness
• Abell - Asked for tasing in the schools to be added to the agenda for September as a discussion item and invited board members to attend tasing on Friday, August 13 at noon.
• Richmond - Elliot Cohen to attend in October from the Space Foundation and invited board for 10:30 on October 12.

Education Association of Charles County update - Read report

Student Board Member update - Read Report.

Deputy Superintendent Update - Opening of Schools; evaluations; MSA scores

CIP update - See report; renovations to stay current in the technology fields

Instruction Update - Summer Programs, See report. 5,407 students participated

Human Resources Update - Staffing

• 4 English, 1 Math and 1 of various other openings still need to be filled
• Pedersen - number hired this year to previous years? Remains steady per Hettel

Legal Update - Board Chairman Election Bylaw

• Staff recommendations to make the process more transparent rather than by hidden anonymous ballots

Recurring Resolutions

• Bailey - Questioned what the school system does on 9/17, Constitution Day. Estep will provide update.

Unfinished business

• Pedersen - Blue Ribbon Commission for Diversity...public is invited to attend and share about experiences of diveristy in the workplace.

New business - None

Future agenda items

• Wade - Update on athletic preparations
• Pedersen - Update on overnight field trips
• Wade - Review of cell phone policy; one modification has been made due to the number of suspensions

Public Forum 3:30 p.m.

• Paddy Mudd - wants school named Piney Forest High School, gave history
• Craig Renner - VP Public Relations ACPT - wants school named St. Charles High School gave history

Action items

• Minutes

Motion by Carrington; Second by Wade
(yes) unanimous

• Personnel

Motion by Carrington; Second by Pedersen
(yes) unanimous

• School Naming

Motion by Bailey; Second by Cook to delay vote until next month
(yes) Bailey; (no) Abell, Carrington, Cook, Pedersen, Wade, Wise

Motion by Pedersen; Second by Carrington to name St. Charles HS

(yes) Bailey, Carrington, Pedersen, Wade, Wise ;(no) Cook; (Abstain) Abell

Adjournment

REMINDER: Board of Education Meeting, 8/10/10

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, August 10, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the August meeting begins at 11 a.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and is rebroadcast throughout the week. Board meetings are also streamed live on the school system Web site at www.ccboe.com/live.

Executive session - 10 a.m.

Call to order - 11 a.m.

Pledge of Allegiance

Recognition

• Book donation to school libraries from the Maryland
• Retired School Personnel Association Sacred Heart Ladies' Auxiliary #301, Knights of St. John International

Superintendent's Update to the Board

Reports of officers/boards/committees

Correspondence/Board member updates

Education Association of Charles County update

Student Board Member update

Information Item:

• Preparations for opening of schools
• State CIP 2012
• Summer programs
• Staffing update
• Board Chairman Election Bylaw
• Recurring Resolutions: Health Careers Month; American Education Week; American Freedom Week; African American History Month; Career and Technical Education Month; National School Counseling Week; Read Across America; Women's History Month; Fine and Performing Arts Month; Month of the Young Child; National Student Leadership Week; Teacher Appreciation Week; Administrative Professionals' Week; Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week; National Physical Education and Sports Week; Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leader; Charles County Teacher of the Year; Employees' Retirement; and Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award.

Unfinished Business

New business

Future agenda items

Public Forum

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• School naming

Adjournment

St. Charles Community (SCC) Confirms New High School Fee to School System

The school system and SCC negotiated an agreement last year for SCC to pay $1,000,000 as a fee in-lieu of providing a graded high school site per early county government Adequate Public Facilities requirements (Docket 90). The fee will be paid to county government in three installments and placed in the new high school construction project line item as follows: $250,000 on or before June 30, 2010; $250,000 on or before September 30, 2010; and $500,000 on or before December 31, 2010.

Schools absorb good, bad news

Some can crow about MSA, others must buckle down

Tuesday, July 27, 2010
By GRETCHEN PHILLIPS
Staff writer
Maryland Independent

While six of 29 elementary and middle schools missed state progress goals, school officials remain confident that students are making improvements.

Tuesday, the Maryland State Department of Education released results for the Maryland School Assessment, a test given to students in grades three through eight in math and reading to satisfy requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Students and school systems strive to achieve set standards on the state tests in order to test proficient or better; the percentages of students in each grade who must test at the proficient level to meet the standards for each school rise each year.

Read more HERE

Children's Health in the National Spotlight

American School Board Journal
By Naomi Dillon

The much-publicized planting of the White House vegetable garden in spring 2009 was the first sign of something big to come.

Not since World War II and Eleanor Roosevelt had crops of produce appeared on the presidential lawn. Besides First Lady Michelle Obama, the groundbreaking ceremony featured recently appointed Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a proponent of sustainable living, and two dozen fifth-graders from a nearby elementary school who would tend and harvest the 1,100-square foot plot sprinkled with 55 varieties of vegetables, herbs, berries, honeycombs, and bees.

By February, Obama had turned her passion into a Cabinet-level cause, unveiling Let’s Move!, a White House initiative that calls on everyone, from parents to policymakers, to make the health of future generations a priority.

Every week since then, it seems like a new group, program, or campaign is being waged in the fight against childhood obesity. PepsiCo recently announced it would stop selling sugar-laden drinks in primary and secondary schools worldwide by 2012. And the new Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation -- a consortium of nearly 80 U.S. retailers, food manufacturers, and nonprofits pledging to reduce 1.5 trillion calories from Americans’ annual food consumption by 2015 -- was set to release a nutrition and exercise curriculum for elementary schools at press time.

Read more HERE

Report: Head Lice Is No Reason to Keep Kids Out of School

By Alice Park
Monday, July 26, 2010
Time.com

They are miniscule, measuring at most 2 mm to 3 mm long, yet few things induce more panic or fear among parents than head lice. But while an infestation of head lice on a child can be uncomfortable, the critters do not pose enough of a contagious hazard to justify the strict policies that many schools use to keep infected children out of class, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

In the clinical report, released by the journal Pediatrics on Monday, the AAP updates its 2002 guidelines for the treatment of lice infestation. The pediatricians group once again urges schools to abandon their strict no-nits policies, which require children to be free of nits, the empty casings left behind by lice once they hatch from their eggs, before they may return to school. Both the AAP and the National Association of School Nurses have long discouraged this policy because it is not proven to lower overall infestation rates and puts children who miss class at a disadvantage...

Read more HERE.

Tasers in School

This serves as follow-up to a previous post. There is a list of article links below involving tasers and their use in schools. Please review them and give me your thoughts. Officers, including the Juvenile Resource Officers in the schools, currently are armed with tasers. There is NOT a policy in place either with the Charles County Sheriff's Office or the Charles County Board of Education regarding the use of tasers on school grounds.

My opinion....if a juvenile warrants being tased and they aren't on school grounds, they will be tased. Are officers supposed to stop them and ask their age before tasing them? Some of these "juveniles" are bigger than I am.

• November 18, 2004 - http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/november2004/081104tasersinschools.htm
• January 13, 2006 - http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=3806891
• January 14, 2010 - www.chicagonow.com/.../should-cops-taser-kids-in-school.html
• February 7, 2007 - http://pierretristam.com/Bobst/07/cn020707.htm
• March 13, 2010 - www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9021323
• March 23, 2010 - http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2010-03-23/story/glynn-county-school-board-rejects-taser-proposal
• April 29, 2010 - www.charlotteobserver.com/.../deputy-uses-taser-on-teen-at-school.html
• June 11, 2010 - http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/orange_news/061110girl-shot-with-taser-during-school-fight
• OVERALL - http://www.schoolsecurity.org/trends/tasers.html

19 File to run for Board of Education

Let me know if you have ever heard of any of these people before. Some are complete strangers. Quite a few have come before the board for one thing or another and haven't gotten their way and are now running. Others are just...you've go to be kidding me :)

Jennifer Abell (incumbent)
Douglas Bonaro (anyone know this guy; Never heard of him before)
Patricia Bowie
Maura Cook (incumbent)
Barbara Cooksey-Feeney (Anyone know her; never heard of her before)
Paul Donato
Michael Green
Robert Harlan
Jason Henry Sr. (anyone know this guy; Never heard of him before)
Blaine Lessard (sounds familiar but can't place him)
Mike Lukas
Narain Mathur
Monifa Tarjamo
Shanetta Oliver (Anyone know her; never heard of her before)
Pamela Pederson (incumbent)
Sue Richards (Anyone know her; never heard of her before)
Donald Wade (incumbent) (I can't believe he is doing this)
Michael Wilson (anyone know this guy; Never heard of him before)
Roberta Wise (incumbent)

What to name the new high school? Weigh in before August.

A committee was comprised of county residents, staff, and students to review the submitted suggestions. The committee came before the board on June 28, 2010 and presented their unanimous top three suggestions in no particular order.

• Zekiah
• St. Charles
• Lagrange Point

Other suggestions submitted to the committee are listed below...

• Awossi
• Free State
• Freedom
• Greenway
• High Tech
• Orion
• Perihelion
• Piney Branch
• Piney Forest
• Piney
• Piney Tech
• The Stem

The Board unanimously decided that the new high school should be named after a location not a person and therefore the following submissions would be mute.

• Kris Romeo Bishundat
• Jane Bowie
• Cox/Williams
• Dr. John H. Cox
• Vicki A. Daniels
• George Calvert
• Robert A Heier
• Roy S. Johnson
• Walter Melvin "Johnny" Johnson
• Peter Welford Kendrick
• Lord Calvert
• Willie McCool
• Eleanor G. Robey
• Clarence T. Rodgers
• Robert D. Stetham
• Vietnam Veterans Suggestions (8 names submitted)

Two suggestions were submitted to the committee but were disqualified because they did not follow board policy stating that if a school is to be named after a person, the person must be deceased for five or more years.

• James E. Richmond
• Cecil Marshall

The Board will be voting on the name at the August Board Meeting. Please respond with your vote.

REMINDER: Board Work Session, 06/28/10

The Board of Education of Charles County will hold a work session at 6 p.m., Monday, June 28, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building in La Plata. The meeting will be aired live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and streamed on the school system Web site at www.ccboe.com/boe/live. The agenda is as follows:

Call to order - 6 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance

Public Forum

Action Items

• AFSCME signing
• 2011 budget

Report

• School naming

Executive Session

Adjournment

Committee recommends names for new high school

BOARD OF EDUCATION OF CHARLES COUNTY
AGENDA ITEM

SUBJECT
Naming of new high school off Piney Church Road in Sheffield Neighborhood in St. Charles.

OVERVIEW
The Capital Improvement Program (CIP) plans call for the opening of a high school by August 2013. At the present, no formal name has been given to the school. Charles County Board of Education policy stipulates schools shall have names of either deceased persons or places of significance to Charles County.

The Board appointed an eight-member advisory committee to review recommendations submitted by the public. Seven members actually served. The Board charged the committee to gather public input and offer three recommendations to the Board for naming the new high school.

The committee solicited names from the community both personally and through postings in the Maryland Independent, radio spots and on the school system Web site. It was also advertised on Channel 96. The committee reviewed 35 names for consideration.

The Committee suggests the following three names for consideration:

• Zekiah High School
• St. Charles High School
• La Grange Point High School

RECOMMENDATION/FUTURE DIRECTION
That the Board accept the naming report for the new high school and prepare for a vote at the August meeting.

Notes from the Board of Education Meeting, 6/01/10

The Board Meeting on Tuesday, June 1st will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

The below notes are my personal notes and are not intended to be all-inclusive or official minutes for the Board of Education meetings and are provided as a request from my supporters and the general public in a personal effort to be more transparent. Although I have diligently tried to make these notes as unbiased and accurate as possible, I am only human and do make mistakes.

Executive session 12 p.m.

Call to order 1 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance La Plata High School's JROTC unit

Swearing-in of new Student Board member

Recognition

• Westlake High School coed indoor track team
• Maurice J. McDonough High School's unified track team
• Indian Head Elementary School's Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) team
• SMART team, Henry E. Lackey High School
• Alexander Smith, La Plata High School, Maryland 2010 Trigonometry Competition

Reports of officers/boards/committees

Superintendent's update - read report

Correspondence/Board member updates - None

Education Association of Charles County update - Read report

Deputy Superintendent Update - Graduation & Project graduation

Student Board Member update - Thank you's & introduction of new members

CIP update - See report; capacity for new high school approved at 1600; Gwynn Center renovation has been approved

Unfinished business - None

New business and future agenda items

• EACC negotiations

  Motion by Pedersen; Second by Wade
  (yes) unanimous

• AFSME negotiations

Motion by Bailey; Second by Pedersen
(yes) unanimous

• Award bid to Scheibel Construction for Phase 1 of new high school

Motion by Abell; Second by Pedersen
(yes) unanimous

Future agenda items

• Pedersen - nutrional values of lunches

Here there was a 90-minute recess so , a side note for your amusement and for me to see who actually reads these notes...right before the recess I received a frantic call from my 13 year old saying the downstairs ceiling was "leaking" and there was water everywhere. After answering all my questions we concluded that the AC unit in the attic of the second floor was leaking through the second floor ceiling onto the carpet and then trough the first floor ceiling and onto the hardwood. Needless to say a quick trip home was needed. After doing a quick change from my dress clothes, grabbing a ladder, flashlight, screw driver, and placing buckets out I hoisted myself into the attic (ladder was too short). Upon investigating, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Some insulation was absorbing condensation running down a section of a tape and leaking onto an area outside of the drain pan. So after removing some foil tape and wet insulation, problem solved.Clean-up is needed but that part can wait till after the meeting later tonight. Now I rushed and put the dress clothes back on, ran to Lowe's for more foil tape, and now I'm finishing the meeting with a very itchy fiberglass rash and cough. Why the heck do they put fiberglass in the insulation and what do you have to do to get it off? Life, as always, is never boring.

Recognition 4:30 p.m.

• Maryland Retired School Personnel Association book donation
• Students
• 2009-10 Student Liaisons
• Outstanding vice principal award
• Outstanding support staff awards
• Resolution Charles County Teacher of the Year Mark Howell, social studies teacher, Westlake High School
• Resolution Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award Jill Jowdy, physical education teacher, Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School
• Recognition of Charles County Teacher of the Year nominees Joy Thompson, reading teacher, Milton M. Somers Middle School; Mary Long, reading resource teacher, Higdon; and Jennifer Gimmel, prekindergarten teacher, Williams A. Diggs Elementary School
• Recognition of Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award nominees Richard Ivanac, art teacher, Somers; Linda McLaughlin, foreign language teacher, North Point High School; Jo Anne Shelak, elementary teacher, Diggs; and Gina Tallon, mathematics teacher, Westlake
• Employees' retirement resolution

Public Forum 6 p.m. - none

Action items

• Minutes

Motion by Carrington; Second by Wade
(yes) unanimous


• Personnel

Motion by Carrington; Second by Wade
(yes) unanimous


• Educational facilities master plan

Motion by Pedersen; Second by Carrington
(yes) unanimous

• Out-of-county tuition fees

Motion by Cook; Second by Pedersen
(yes) unanimous


• Policy 3910 (debt management); 4740 (severance); 4820 (general policies and procedures: duties and responsibilities); and policy series 6000

Motion by Carrington; Second by Pedersen

(yes) unanimous

• 3320 (expenditure: purchasing procedures)

Motion by Cook; Second by Pedersen

(yes) Abell, Cook, Carrington, Pedersen, Wade, Wise

Adjournment

REMINDER: Board Meeting, 06/01/10

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, June 1, 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 Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and is rebroadcast throughout the week. Program schedules for Channel 96 are available on the Charles County Public Schools Web site at www2.ccboe.com/publicinfo/channel96/schedule.cfm.

Executive session 12 p.m.

Call to order 1 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance La Plata High School's JROTC unit

Swearing-in of new Student Board member

Recognition

• Westlake High School coed indoor track team
• Maurice J. McDonough High School's unified track team
• Indian Head Elementary School's Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) team
• SMART team, Henry E. Lackey High School
• Alexander Smith, La Plata High School, Maryland 2010 Trigonometry Competition

Reports of officers/boards/committees

Superintendent's update

Action item

• EACC/AFSME contract and signing

Correspondence/Board member updates

Education Association of Charles County update

Student Board Member update

CIP update

Unfinished business

New business and future agenda items

Recognition 4:30 p.m.

• Maryland Retired School Personnel Association book donation
• Students
• 2009-10 Student Liaisons
• Outstanding vice principal award
• Outstanding support staff awards
• Resolution Charles County Teacher of the Year Mark Howell, social studies teacher, Westlake High School
• Resolution Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award Jill Jowdy, physical education teacher, Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School
• Recognition of Charles County Teacher of the Year nominees Joy Thompson, reading teacher, Milton M. Somers Middle School; Mary Long, reading resource teacher, Higdon; and Jennifer Gimmel, prekindergarten teacher, Williams A. Diggs Elementary School
• Recognition of Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award nominees Richard Ivanac, art teacher, Somers; Linda McLaughlin, foreign language teacher, North Point High School; Jo Anne Shelak, elementary teacher, Diggs; and Gina Tallon, mathematics teacher, Westlake
• Employees' retirement resolution

Public Forum 6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• Educational facilities master plan
• FY 2011 budget
• Out-of-county tuition fees
• Policy 3910 (debt management); 4740 (severance); 3320 (expenditure: purchasing procedures): 4820 (general policies and procedures: duties and responsibilities); and policy series 6000

Adjournment

Maryland endorses core standards for public schools

By Michael Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Maryland on Tuesday became one of the first states to endorse academic standards that are part of a movement to unify reading and math instruction across the nation, a move that would affect every public school student in the state and require new teacher training and standardized tests.

The new common standards for math and reading, developed by a state-led coalition with encouragement from President Obama, are part of national efforts to improve public education. Current standards and tests are a patchwork of varying quality.

The reforms mean that Maryland's 844,000 students would study the same topics in the same year as peers in other states that sign on to the standards. The changes come alongside others that will tie student performance to teacher evaluations and toughen graduation requirements in math and science -- all part of Maryland's effort to win as much as $250 million in federal Race to the Top education grants.

Read more HERE.

Executive Session Meeting, May 24, 2010

The Board of Education will be meeting in executive session at 6:00 p.m. tonight, May 24, 2010 to perform the superintendents annual evaluation.

Notes from the Board of Education Meeting, 5/11/10

The Board Meeting on Tuesday, May 11th will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

The below notes are my personal notes and are not intended to be all-inclusive or official minutes for the Board of Education meetings and are provided as a request from my supporters and the general public in a personal effort to be more transparent. Although I have diligently tried to make these notes as unbiased and accurate as possible, I am only human and do make mistakes.

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 update

• Read report

Correspondence/Board member updates

• Pedersen - mentioned various system-wide events
• Carrington - Gale-Bailey's spring concert
• Wade - kudos to Richmond on forging forward and swaying state officials to approve the high school at 1600 student capacity.
• Wise - North Point High School Engineering Projects

Education Association of Charles County update

• Read Report

Student Board member update

• Read report
• Thank you to all board members and staff

CIP update

• Read Report
• Lights at North Point complete and adjusted
• Gwynn Center Renovation
• All Day Kindergarten renovations

Educational Facilities Master Plan

• Read report

Instruction Update - Title I Parent Involvement Update

• Read report and power point presentation

FY 2011 Budget

• Read report

Out-of-County Tuition Fees

• See report

Policy: 3910 (debt management); 4740 (severance); 3320 (Expenditure: Purchasing Procedures); 4820 (General Policies and Procedures: Duties and Responsibilities) and Policy Series 6000

• Bailey - proposed change to Policy 3320. "THE SUPERINTENDENT SHALL OBTAIN BOARD APPROVAL PRIOR TO EXECUTION OF ALL CONTRACTS SUBJECT TO THE PROCUREMENT LAWS OF THE EDUCATION ARTICLE."

Motion by Bailey; Second by Pedersen
(yes) Abell, Bailey (no) Carrington, Cook, Wise, Wade, Pedersen

Unfinished business

• Pedersen - What Counts in Education Committee is working on consolidating responses before publishing on the web-site. Proposes all responses go out to those invited to attend the event, a letter to the editor, and the possibility of encouraging PTO and PTSO Presidents to hold similar meetings.

New business and future agenda items

• Wise - Pedersen reappointed to Blue Ribbon Commission
• Bailey - Staff provide list of requirements for different recognitions given at graduation.

Recognition 4:30 p.m.

• Students
• Employees
• Ruth Ann Hall Awards

Public Forum 6 p.m.

• None

Action items

• Minutes

Motion by Carrington; Second by Pedersen
(yes) Abell, Carrington, Cook, Bailey, Wise, Wade, Pedersen


• Personnel

Motion by Pedersen; Second by Carrington

(yes) Abell, Carrington, Cook, Bailey, Wise, Wade, Pedersen

• Policy #6411.21 Physical Education and Athletic Programs for Students with Disabilities

Motion by Abell; Second by Pedersen

(yes) Abell, Carrington, Cook, Bailey, Wise, Wade, Pedersen

Adjournment

Police Tasers and their use ...on our students, our BABIES?

This is a topic that was recently brought to my attention by a parent. Does CCPS have a policy on the use of Tasers on students (by law enforcement, of course). My answer, "No, we do not." Next question was whether CCSO has a policy on the use of Tasers on students? Answer...no, it does not. Here is the statement I received from CCSO:

"To date there have been no Taser deployments in the schools against students. The Use of Force Continuum is the same for all persons. The only variances for the Taser are for age, weight and known medical conditions. Please remember that the Taser is an intermediate weapon that has through study been proven to reduce injury to both the officer and violator in a physical confrontation as well as avoiding the use of deadly force where if the Taser was not available the officer would have been forced to fire their pistol. The use of the properly deployed Taser has been proven to bring an immediate resolution to dangerous confrontations. As an entity we conduct an extensive basic Taser User Course, as well as a mandatory yearly re-certification, with the system to include practical exercises, legal updates, manufacturer updates and following a policy review a written test. I would invite any interested party upon completion of a written waiver to attend the course and experience an exposure. The exposure breaks no bones, leaves no scars and knowledge of the Tasers presence and existence deters resistance. Please let me know if there is any other questions."

With that being said....how do you feel? Give me your opinions. Do we need a policy? If so, provide me with wording so we can discuss the pros and cons.

As with all policy, I believe in doing my homework thoroughly; therefore, I will, in the near future, allow CCSO to Taser ME. Why, you might ask? Because I want to see how bad it really is BEFORE one of our students is hit with it.

REMINDER: Board of Education Meeting 5/11/10

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, May 11, 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 Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and is rebroadcast throughout the week. Program schedules are available at www2.ccboe.com/publicinfo/channel96/schedule.cfm.

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 update
Correspondence/Board member updates
Education Association of Charles County update
Student Board member update
CIP update
Educational Facilities Master Plan Update
Title I parent progress update
FY 2011 budget update
Out-of-county tuition fees
Policy Updates 3910 (debt management); 4740 (severance); 3320 (expenditure: purchasing procedures); 4820 (general policies and procedures: duties and responsibilities); and series 6000

Unfinished Business

New business and future agenda items

Recognition 4:30 p.m.

• Ruth Ann Hall award winners, presented by EACC
• Students
• Employees

Public Forum 6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• Policy 6411.21: Physical education and athletic programs for students with disabilities

Adjournment

About those school lunches...

From Jamie Oliver to Rear Admirals, the quality of school lunch offerings is under ever-increasing scrutiny. Some current blurbs:

Jamie Oliver improves Huntington, W.Va.’s eating habits

By Jane Black
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 21, 2010

It's happy-ending time for Huntington, W.Va.: Six-year-olds can now distinguish between tomatoes and potatoes. Cooks are tossing apple-cucumber salads with honey dressing for the lunch line. College students and parents are learning to make omelets and soups in free cooking classes. And Jamie Oliver, the crusading British chef who arrived last fall to help change habits in "the unhealthiest town in America," has apparently won the hearts, minds -- and stomachs -- of the locals.

With the finale of his ABC program this Friday, "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" has officially been televised. But can the six-part, prime-time series help a real revolution take root?

There is progress!

Report says school food making kids unfit to serve

By MARY CLARE JALONICK
The Associated Press
Tuesday, April 20, 2010; 9:30 PM

WASHINGTON -- Too fat to fight? Many American children are so overweight from being fed french fries, pizza and other unhealthy foods at school lunchrooms that they cannot handle the physical rigors of being in the military, a group of retired officers say in a new report.

National security is threatened by the sharp rise in obesity rates for young people over the last 15 years, the group Mission: Readiness contends. Weight problems are now the leading medical reason that recruits are rejected, the group says, and thus jeopardize the military's ability to fill its ranks.


Read more HERE.

Notes from the Board of Education Meeting, 4/20/10

The Board Meeting on Tuesday, April 20th will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

The below notes are my personal notes and are not intended to be all-inclusive or official minutes for the Board of Education meetings and are provided as a request from my supporters and the general public in a personal effort to be more transparent. Although I have diligently tried to make these notes as unbiased and accurate as possible, I am only human and do make mistakes.

Executive session 12 p.m.

Call to order 1 p.m.

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

Reports of officers boards/committees

Superintendent's update

• Read report

Correspondence/Board member updates

• Wade - kudos to board members attending national conferences
• Cook - spoke on sessions attended at conference
• Pedersen - spoke on sessions attended at conference
• Carrington - ditto
• Wise - attended conference in Colorado Springs

Education Association of Charles County update

• Read Report

Student Board member update

• Read report

CIP update

• Read Report
• One Room School House - Edward L. Sanders, wife and son attended and spoke of the donation of the school house to CCPS. It has been relocated to the Davis Middle School Site.
• New High School - reviewed design & floor plan. Budget is $59,580,000 without pool. Pool would cost $6.2M. Bidding to start soon & bidding is very competitive. Possible for budget to include pool. Still planning on 1600 seat HS (school will open overcrowded)...state wants 1300; building designed for plan to cut back, but would delay planned opening of 2013.

Instruction Update

• Career & Technology - See Report

Budget Update

• See Report

Legislative Update

• Maintenance of Effort bills did NOT pass
• Labor Relations Board PASSED (mediators b/n boards and unions)
• Race to the Top PASSED
• Policy on Gangs and violence PASSED
• Youth Crisis hotline PASSED
• Parents of Multiple Births student placement PASSED
• Ethics - Conflict of Interest Policy PASSED
• Virtual Schools PASSED
• Transfer of Pension committee

Draft policy update 6411.11 Physical education and athletic programs for students with disabilities

Unfinished business

New business and future agenda items

• Request from Michelle Obama to have one member from every Board to be on the Let's Move committee

Recognition 4:30 p.m.

Public Forum 6 p.m.

• Latrina Carr - concern about implementation of topics discussed at the What Counts Forums? Wants to see topics implemented. Concerned about communication between parents and teachers and the lack thereof. Has asked on numerous occasions for responses from teachers. Needs attention.

Action items

• Minutes

Motion by Carrington; Second by Cook
(yes) Abell, Carrington, Cook, Bailey, Wise, Wade, Pedersen

• Personnel

Motion by Carrington; Second by Pedersen

(yes) Abell, Carrington, Cook, Bailey, Wise, Wade, Pedersen

• Revision to Superintendent's Contract

Motion by Wade; Second by Pedersen
(yes) Carrington, Cook, Wise, Wade, Pedersen: (no) Bailey: (abstain) Abell

• SY2011 - 2012Calendar

Motion by Pedersen; Second by Wade
(yes) Abell, Carrington, Cook, Bailey, Wise, Wade, Pedersen

Adjournment

REMINDER: Board of Education Meeting, 4/20/10

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, April 20, 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 Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and is rebroadcast throughout the week. Program schedules are available at www2.ccboe.com/publicinfo/channel96/schedule.cfm.

Executive session 12 p.m.

Call to order 1 p.m.

• Pledge of Allegiance, Maurice J. McDonough’s JROTC Unit

Reports of officers/boards/committees

• Superintendent’s update
• Correspondence/Board members updates
• EACC update
• Student Board member update
• Deputy Superintendent’s update
• CIP update
• Oral update on high school project 2013
• Instruction update – Career & Technology Education
• Budget
• Legislative update
• Draft Policy update – Policy #6411.21 - PE & Athletic Programs for Students with Disabilities

Unfinished business

New business and future agenda items

Recognition 4:30 p.m.

• Students
• Employees
• Teacher Appreciation Week
• Administrative Professionals’ Week
• Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week
• National PE & Sport Week
• Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leader

Public Forum 6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• SY 2011-2012 Calendar

Adjournment

Study of space becoming a victim of school budget cuts

By Michael Alison Chandler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 2, 2010

The David M. Brown Planetarium opened a few months after the United States put a man on the moon. More than 40 years later, little has changed in the weathered white dome that marks the entrance to the Arlington County school system's headquarters. Students sit in the same faded electric blue stadium seats and stare up at a stellar showcase provided by 16 slide projectors, two laserdisc players and the original Spitz A4 star projector.

School officials estimate that it would cost $500,000 to make the facility, named for an Arlington graduate killed in the 2003 Columbia space shuttle disaster, state of the art again. Instead, Superintendent Patrick K. Murphy has proposed closing the dome and converting it to standard classrooms. His proposal follows a decision last year by the Fairfax County School Board to cut funding for elementary field trips to the nine planetariums there.

More than 500 planetariums were built in the heat of the space race, many of them proud additions to public schools made possible by federal funding. Today, school boards across the country are debating whether the costs of maintaining or updating the aging domes are worth it for a generation of students shaped more by the Information Age than the Space Age. Read more HERE.

What makes a teacher great? (School reformers, take note.)

Our kids need great teachers. Who makes the grade?
By Marc Fisher

Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 28, 2010

The YouTube video shows an anonymous first-grade teacher trying, and failing, to get her students to discuss a book. You see kids yammering away, wandering off, squabbling with each other. The teacher snaps her fingers at one child, sends another to the corner and tells a boy, "You're really bugging me."

My job was to study a roomful of would-be teachers as they watched -- and gauge their reactions to determine if these candidates for a fellowship had what it takes to be "inspired teachers." But what could I really tell about a person's aptitude for teaching from how they responded to a few minutes of video?

When one candidate praised that first-grade teacher for her classroom management -- and then recommended using candy to get the kids to quiet down (Starbursts would be particularly effective, she said) -- even I knew that was the wrong answer.

But that same aspiring teacher, a few hours later, was the only one in the room to challenge a competitor who suggested that the way to teach geography to D.C. schoolchildren was to ask parents to talk to their kids about where their families lived before they came to the District. "You can't assume they can help their kids," she said. "You have to focus not on giving the kids the facts, but on getting them to want to know the facts."

Now I was confused; her ideas about discipline were flawed, but couldn't she become a teacher who opens up a child's world?

Read more HERE.

Character More Important Than Winning

By: Gregory Kane
Examiner Columnist
March 11, 2010

Nick Romero is my new hero.

It is at this point many readers might be saying, "I don't know Nick Romero from a tree stump." And the truth is, neither do I.

Romero is a wrestler for LaPlata High School in Maryland's Charles County. Don't tune out just yet.

This isn't a story about high school wrestling; it's a story about character, which is in shorter and shorter abundance these days.

Last Saturday, at Cole Field House on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park, Romero taught me a lesson about character that will stick with me for the rest of my days. It's a lesson all of us would do well to learn.

After Romero's lesson, the crowd gathered at Cole Field House to watch the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association wrestling championships was on its feet cheering, and I'm willing to bet there was nary a dry eye in the place.


Read more HERE

Governors, state school superintendents propose common academic standards

By Nick Anderson

Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 11, 2010

Maryland and several other states are pushing rapidly toward adoption of new academic standards proposed Wednesday for English and math, adding momentum to the campaign to establish common expectations for public school students across the country.

The District also is on track to adopt the common standards drafted by experts in a project led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. However, it is possible that Virginia will not join the apparent surge toward approval.

Widespread adoption of common standards would mark a watershed for schools, triggering consequences for curricula, textbooks, testing and teaching. Some critics say common standards amount to a thinly disguised ruse to establish national standards under federal control -- an allegation that state and federal officials deny.

In most places, power to adopt standards rests with state boards of education.

Read more HERE.

Notes from the Board of Education Meeting on 3/09/10

The Board Meeting on Tuesday, March 9th will be re-broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, Verizon FIOS Channel 12 and is available via webstream at http://www.ccboe.com/ . To view the full agenda and the various reports, please visit BoardDocs.

The below notes are my personal notes and are not intended to be all-inclusive or official minutes for the Board of Education meetings and are provided as a request from my supporters and the general public in a personal effort to be more transparent. Although I have diligently tried to make these notes as unbiased and accurate as possible, I am only human and do make mistakes.

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

• Read report

Correspondence/Board member updates

• Carrington - What Counts, Spelling Bee etc. Attended awards at McDonough & would like to see more participation
• Cook - What Counts has been posted on Channel 96 and all participants will be receiving the results personally. Attended awards at LaPlata and it was well attended and had several different presentations
• Pedersen - Over 70 participants non-school related...thanks to everyone; Westlake High School awards recognition successful; attended band and orchestra events and wow!
• Bailey - requests that results be mailed to ALL who were invited
• Wise - congrats to Stone for going to regionals in basketball

Education Association of Charles County update

• Read Report

Student Board member update

• Read report

Deputy Superintendent Update

• Haitian Relief; read report

CIP update

• Read Report - snow was not detrimental to ongong projects
• New high school - into the "small details" stage planning. Department of Environment has reclassified "good" dirt to "bad" dirt at the site. Meeting tomorrow

Early childhood

• See report - I requested more information on the Judy Centers

Race to the Top grant

• Federal funds could in jeopardy for those systems not participating early.

2011-2012 school calendar

• Abell requested a second look at in-service days in November and February to see if they can be moved closer to existing holidays to provide for a 4-day weekend.

Legislative update

• Senate Bill 590 Labor bill; we oppose, hearing this week
• Maintenance of Effort - bunch of bills in Annapolis...one waives the penalty to Montgomery County

Draft policy 6411.11 Physical education and athletic programs for students with disabilities

• Draft new policy; Abell requested a review of the assigned number....

Unfinished business

• Pedersen - Policy 6000 -- Should we wait to review after "Race to the Top"
• Abell is prepared to discuss and make changes now; last reviewed in 2005, then we have a fresh, good policy before "Race to the Top"

New business and future agenda items

• Race to the Top proposal

Motion by Wade; Second by Carrington

(yes) Carrington, Wade, Wise, Bailey

(no) Abell, Cook, Pedersen

• Request for waiver of school days

Motion by Bailey; Second by Pedersen

(no) Abell

(yes) Carrington, Cook, Bailey, Wise, Wade, Pedersen

• School naming committee - Each board member submit a name by April 1

Recognition 4:30 p.m.

• Students
• Employees
• Maryland Society for Educational Technology Outstanding Educator Using Technology Award winner: Sandra Chisholm, Piccowaxen Middle School
• Resolutions: Month of the Young Child and National Student Leadership Week.

Public Forum 6 p.m.

• Female - Child at Lackey High School. Needs to attend a full day of classes to monitor problems with child. Parent visitation policy and principal doesn't allow
• Female - EACC Representative believes the teachers should receive a 3.5% COLA worked into our budget

Action items

• Minutes

Motion by Carrington; Second by Pedersen
(yes) Abell, Carrington, Cook, Bailey, Wise, Wade, Pedersen


• Personnel

Motion by Carrington; Second by Pedersen

(yes) Abell, Carrington, Cook, Bailey, Wise, Wade, Pedersen

Adjournment

How to ruin a child: too much esteem, too little sleep

By George F. Will

Thursday, March 4, 2010
The Washington Post

Memo to that Massachusetts school where children in physical education classes jump rope without using ropes: Get some ropes. And you -- you are about 85 percent of all parents -- who are constantly telling your children how intelligent they are: Do your children a favor and pipe down.

These are nuggets from "NutureShock: New Thinking About Children" by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. It is another book to torment modern parents who are determined to bring to bear on their offspring the accumulated science of child-rearing. Modern parents want to nurture so skillfully that Mother Nature will gasp in admiration at the marvels their parenting produces from the soft clay of children.

Those Massachusetts children are jumping rope without ropes because of a self-esteem obsession. The assumption is that thinking highly of oneself is a prerequisite for high achievement. That is why some children's soccer teams stopped counting goals (think of the damaged psyches of children who rarely scored) and shower trophies on everyone. No child at that Massachusetts school suffers damaged self-esteem by tripping on the jump rope.

Read more HERE.

REMINDER: Board of Education Meeting, 3/9/10

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, March 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 Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and is rebroadcast throughout the week. Program schedules are available at www2.ccboe.com/publicinfo/channel96/schedule.cfm.

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
Education Association of Charles County update
Student Board member update
CIP update
Early childhood
Race to the Top grant
2011-2012 school calendar
Legislative update
Draft policy 6411.11 Physical education and athletic programs for students with disabilities

Unfinished business

New business and future agenda items

• Race to the Top proposal
• Request for waiver of school days
• School naming committee

Recognition 4:30 p.m.

• Students
• Employees
• Maryland Society for Educational Technology Outstanding Educator Using Technology Award winner, Sandra Chisholm, Piccowaxen Middle School
• Resolutions: Month of the Young Child; and National Student Leadership Week.

Public Forum 6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel

Adjournment