School system enhancing badge requirements for staff

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) has enhanced security and identification badge requirements for all staff, including substitute teachers, bus drivers and attendants, retirees and contractors. Any CCPS identification badge will now feature an annual sticker depicting the school year in which the badge is active. This is new for the 2018-19 school year.

Enhancements also include the creation of distinct identification badges for substitute teachers. Substitutes will receive an identification badge at the start of their workday, and return daily at the end of their teaching assignment. Substitute badges are blue and white and include the name of the issuing school or center.

Badges for CCPS bus drivers and attendants are issued by bus contractors and expire at the end of each school year. The badge includes the driver/attendant name, name of the contractor in which the driver or attendant are employed with, and their picture. The badge confirms employment as a CCPS bus driver or attendant and must be worn for school or center access.

CCPS issues badges to employees who retire from the school system. The badges include the name of the retiree and grants free access to CCPS sporting events and other school-sponsored events. Retiree badges are issued to former employees upon request and do not expire. Additionally, retiree badges may be used at local businesses who provide CCPS staff with discounts.

CCPS often employs food and nutrition service employees from Abacus, a company that provides contracted employees in specialized need areas, such as food services. All contractors with Abacus are issued a specialized badge that confirms authorization to work within a CCPS school or center. These badges include an expiration date for when the contracted service ends.

Additional information, including examples of each CCPS issued staff badge, is posted on the CCPS website at https://www.ccboe.com/myccps/. The staff badge enhancements are part of the school system’s strategic focus on enhancing school safety and security. “They ensure we know who is supposed to be in our buildings,” Jason Stoddard, director of safety and security for CCPS, said.

The Office of Safety and Security supplies all badges, including the annual school year stickers. CCPS is using funding from the Maryland Safe Schools and Security Grant issued by the Maryland Center for School Safety to support the enhancements to staff identification badges.

School system pilots student identification badge program, plans to launch systemwide in 2019

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) is piloting the use of student identification (ID) badges. The pilot program is part of the school system’s increased focus on school safety and security. Pilot schools include J.P. Ryon Elementary School, John Hanson Middle School and La Plata High School. CCPS plans to implement student ID badge use at all schools and centers next year.

Each student will receive an ID badge featuring their name, school of attendance, class grade and school year. The IDs feature a barcode at the bottom for use with procedures such as tracking student late arrivals and early dismissals. Each pilot school has an iPad for use with the barcode that connects to the school system’s student information system, Synergy.

Students will also be able to use their badge barcode to purchase meals in the school cafeteria and check out books in the school library. Principals can implement additional uses for ID badges at their discretion. Students at the pilot schools will receive their ID badges at school, and are responsible for wearing them daily. A main goal of the program is for all students to have a form of identification with them during the school day.

“The program will provide us with an immediate recognition of who belongs in the school, but also creates a 21^st century environment for our students. The use of ID cards is a part of our daily lives and a fundamental part of our safety and security strategy,” said Jason Stoddard, director of safety and security for CCPS.

La Plata is launching badge use among students on Nov. 27. Students will receive their ID badges at school Nov. 26 during their English classes. This week, students participated in safety presentations in which school administrators announced the pilot badge use and reviewed its uses at school.

La Plata will initially use the badges for all student late arrivals and early dismissals. The school will also feature an express line in the cafeteria for those students who buy breakfast or lunch. Additionally, seniors who leave school for the day at the start of the school’s one-hour lunch/activity period will use their badge to sign out daily.

Stoddard said the badges are also essential for use during an emergency. “In the event of a school emergency, it will help us be more seamless in accounting for our students. It will also help us if there is a family reunification side of it,” Stoddard added.

Plans for the implementation of the program at both Hanson and Ryon are underway.

All badges will feature student photos taken by Lifetouch, which also provides CCPS with the initial set of badges per school. Students who lose or misplace their badge will have to wear a temporary badge until a replacement is issued by CCPS staff. Principals also can identify consequences by school for the loss of a badge or if the student forgets to wear it during the school day.

New students will have their picture taken at school and provided a badge shortly after. CCPS is using funding from the Maryland Safe Schools and Security Grant issued by the Maryland Center for School Safety to support the badge program.

Kirwan Commission Seeks Public Input

Conduit Street by Kevin Kinnally

The [Kirwan] Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education is inviting representatives of Statewide and local organizations, as well as members of the general public, to participate in a public hearing on November 29, 2018.

Known as the Kirwan Commission because it is chaired by former University System Chancellor Brit Kirwan, the Commission is set to recommend the first major revision to Maryland’s school funding formula since the Bridge to Excellence in Public Schools Act passed in 2002, potentially shaping pre-K-12 education in the state for a decade or more.

Public Hearing – Thursday, November 29 – Annapolis, Maryland

3:00-5:00 p.m. Representatives of Statewide or local organizations testifying on behalf of
the organization (in Room 120 House Office Building)

5:30-7:30 p.m. Members of the public including those affiliated with organizations
(including above) but not speaking on behalf of the organizations (in the Joint Hearing Room Legislative Services Building)

Sign-up Procedures

To sign up for either timeframe, by 12:00 noon on November 29, send an email to:
PreK-12InnovationandExcellenceCommission@mlis.state.md.us or call Sarah Bice at (410) 946-5510/(301)970-5510.

Sign-up sheets will also be available the day of the hearing.

Please provide the following information: (1) name and contact information and (2) if you are speaking on behalf of a group, please include the name of the group.

Testimony will generally be limited to 3 minutes per person, however, the Chair has the discretion to make adjustments depending on how many people sign up. While it is not necessary to bring a written statement, if you do, please bring 60 copies with you to the hearing. Staff will collect and distribute it to the commission members. If you are unable to attend but wish to submit written testimony, you may email your testimony to the email address listed above.

Note: The Commission will also hold a regularly scheduled meeting from 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. on November 29.

Read more HERE

Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 11/13/18

The Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, November 13 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 – 11:30 a.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m. - Pledge of Allegiance – North Point High School

Superintendent’s update to the Board - Report

• Teacher Data

Correspondence/board member updates

Education Association of Charles County update - Report

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees update - No report

Student Board member update - Report

Bridge program - Presentation

• Lukas - how many  450 will need the project for math and English about 600

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) update and Maryland Report Card - Report

• Lukas - Score is the score, no enhancement.  Addition of bridge project would make a positive to graduations.  Median score for student growth.
• Kelly - update BoardDocs with presentation actually presented.

Grading policy - Proposed Policy

• McGraw - why wording change from Rules.
• Marshall - Concerned about the non-standardization of the INCOMPLETE
• Abell - Incomplete to be addressed bu Superintendent.

Project status update - Report

High school athletic expenditures - Report

• Lukas - Page 5 Athletic Boosters vs Page 4 (3 years); Slide 6 miscellaneous - rentals for PG Sports complex or dues for SMAC, CPR, etc; Liability Insurance?  Covered; Utilities -too hard to break out; Security - is under contracted services

2019 legislative positions - Report

Unfinished business

• Kelly - Official enrollment numbers; Hill will forward in update.

New business - None

Future agenda items - None

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.

• Students - Pamela Rentz, twelfth-grade; Personal Responsibility; Westlake High School; Principal: Diane Roberts; Adebola Oluyede, eighth-grade; Academic Achievement; Theodore G. Davis Middle School; Principal: Kim McClarin; Donovan Smith, fifth-grade; Career Readiness; Indian Head Elementary School; Principal: Shane Blanford; Nathan Schuessler, fifth-grade; Academic Achievement; Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School; Principal: William Miller
• Staff - Teresa Higgs, special education teacher; Westlake; Victor Woodland, building service manager; Davis; Andrea Landis, special education teacher; Indian Head; Toni Kim, third-grade teacher; Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy; Paula Schiller, teacher; Infant & Toddler program, F.B. Gwynn Educational Center, Principal: Daphne Burns

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

• Sean Heyl - Teacher at Mcdonough and parent.  Good-bye to friends, Ms. Marshall, Ms. Kelly, Ms. Palko.
• Angela Collins - Transportation issue.  resides in Glen Eagles.  Son in CTE at NP.  Over two hours a day on the bus.  
• Lynn Higgs - lived in county 16 years.  Concerned about Intro to Advanced Math class.  Because it models CSM class she can not modify it for those with special needs.  Please look into it and develop a functional curriculum.  Need adaptive skills and structures.
• Janet Gomery - Teacher for 32 years, history, Spanish esol, counselor and principal.  Request CCPS begin teaching a second language at the primary level.  Early exposure to other languages increase empathy for others and learning a second language is easier at an earlier age.  Use some of the money allotted from gaming.
• Melissa Williams - Milton Somers teacher.  Discipline in school continues to deteriorate.  Students cursing at teachers.  Threatening teachers.  Yet nothing is being done.  Every day teachers are being mentally abused, emotionally and physically abused due to a discipline policy that is dysfunctional.  "The Crew" is out roaming the hall again is not an unusual occurrence.
• Karl Glebe - Son at Milton Somers in Ms. Williams class.  Volunteer at the school.  I've watched the kids do whatever they want.  No one should have to go through what those teachers go through.  Son in Art class with subs and then long term sub that is inadequate.  Teacher is non-responsive.  Finally had child moved to another class.

Action items

• Minutes

Motion to accept the minutes by Abell; Second by Lukas

Yes = Abell, Crawford, Lukas, Kelly, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

• Personnel

Motion to accept Personnel by Abell; Second by Marshall

Yes = Abell, Crawford, Lukas, Kelly, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

• 2019 legislative positions

Motion to accept the legislative positions by McGraw; Second by Lukas

Yes = Abell, Crawford, Lukas, Kelly, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

Adjournment 

Board of Education Meeting Agenda, 11/13/18

The Board of Education’s next monthly meeting is Tuesday, Nov. 13, 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. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and is rebroadcast throughout the week.

Board meetings are streamed live on the Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) website, www.ccboe.com. Click on the middle of the main page to start the live streaming. The following is a meeting agenda and is subject to change.

Executive session – 11:30 a.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance – North Point High School

Superintendent’s update to the Board

Reports of officers/boards/committees

·         Correspondence/board member updates

·         Education Association of Charles County update

·         American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees update

·         Student Board member update

·         Bridge program

·         Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) update and Maryland Report Card

·         Grading policy

·         Project status update

·         High school athletic expenditures

·         2019 legislative positions

Unfinished business

New business and future agenda items

·         New business

·         Future agenda items

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.

·         Students

·         Staff

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

Action items

·         Minutes

·         Personnel

·         2019 legislative positions

Adjournment 

Notes from Board Work Session, 10/22/18

The Board of Education work session on Monday, October 22 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.

Call to order – 6 p.m. - 

Overview of Grading Policy - Amy Hollstein

Town Hall on Grading Policy

• Peter Ullman - Teacher.  Against policy and giving students for nothing.  Students could fail all 4 quarters with a 59.5 and still pass the class.  Texas actually enacted a law to prevent policies like this.
• Sean Heyl - Teacher and parent.  Against policy.  Already offer summer school, grade recovery, and offered re-take.  Colleges do not endorse this type of policy.Students will have atrophy.
• Ryan Newsted - Teacher.  Against policy.  We need to stop lowering the bar. Adjusting the scale to just make the numbers look good.  Students have to WORK for it.  Kids need to experience failure.  It's part of success.
• Linda Mclaughin - Teacher.  EACC.  Was on the committee.  People are against it because they dont understand the recommendation.  Students need motivation.  students should not be punished by grades.  Equal is not equitable.  
• James Hojnowski (sp) - Teacher.  Against Policy.  Are we preparing them for college and career ready?  Are we preparing them for the workforce.  Extenuating circumstances should be allowed individual professional courtesy.
• Susan Peterson - Graduate of CCPS.  Business Owner. Against Policy.  Grade recovery.  Professional discretion for individual students.  College and Career ready, this is not.  This policy will make it harder for students to transition into real world situations.

Work Session on Grading Policy - Report

• Kelly - read speech.  Thanks committee. staff could not get her the data she requested.  Against policy
• Abell - Thanked committee.  Against policy

Motion by Abell - All middle and high schools use the grading scale as follows, and no minimum grades be assigned.  This is to be effective immediately.  

A=90-100, B=80-89, C=70-79, D=60-69, F=0-59

Second by Kelly

• Crawford - questioned whether notes that board members had are public
• McGraw - respect work of committee; equity in schools; advocate for children; cannot support policy as proposed.
• Lukas - thanks to committee;  who are these kids.  Didn't get information he asked for.
• Palko - struggled with this decision for weeks.

McGraw motioned to amend the motion making it effective for the 19-20 school year.

Second by Palko

• McGraw - asked Dr. Hill a timeline for adequate implementation.
• Lukas - we don't have a policy
• Abell - could implement it at beginning of next quarter.

Vote on Amendment

Yes=Palko, McGraw

No=Abell, Crawford, Lukas

Lukas motioned an amendment commencement to begin the second semester of the 2018/19

Second by Marshall

Vote on Amendment

Yes=Abell, Crawford, Kelly , Lukas, Marshall, Palko

No=McGraw

Vote on original motion

Yes=Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

Admission criteria for North Point CTE programs change

Students interested in applying for one of 17 career and technology education (CTE) programs at North Point High School will complete a shorter application process this year. In prior years, eighth graders were required to participate in a face-to-face interview with CTE staff and submit letters of recommendation by teachers. These steps have been eliminated from the application process for the coming school year.  

The changes to the application process will help to standardize admissions and provide a better level of program access and equity among students. Earlier this year, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Division of Career and College Readiness updated CTE guidelines for local school systems to implement in program application processes. The state guidelines require Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) to provide students with equal opportunity for selection into a CTE program. The removal of the interview and recommendation portion eliminate any possible bias or preference for student acceptance.

Starting with the application process for the 2019-20 school year, which begins Dec. 3 and ends Dec. 21, admission decisions will be based on the following criteria:

• Student interest expressed on survey (40 percent)
• Academic performance as it relates to program of choice (28 percent)
• Application questions (25 percent)
• Attendance during middle school (7 percent)

Students who apply to North Point CTE programs will complete the interest survey at school in January. Teachers will receive a list of students who have applied and arrange for them to complete the survey. The application provides space for students to select two CTE program choices. Questions for students to complete as part of the application include topics about career aspirations, how to manage academic challenges, how the applicant feels their CTE program of choice will support their career goals and characteristics their peers and/or teachers would use to describe them. 

Minimum qualifications for students include: both the student and parent must be a resident of Charles County, and be enrolled as an eighth grader for the 2018-19 school year in a Charles County Public middle school or private school. Students who attend private schools will be contacted by North Point CTE staff to complete the student interest survey in January.

The application process is available online only. Interested students should review the Guide to Career Majors for North Point CTE programs posted on the school website at https://www.ccboe.com/schools/northpoint/index.php/cte-programs.

North Point is hosting an open house at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14 for students and parents interested in learning more about the CTE programs and application process.

The online application will be live on the North Point website, https://www.ccboe.com/schools/northpoint/index.php/cte-programs, on Dec. 3 at 8 a.m. The application window closes at 3 p.m. Dec. 21.

Call 301-753-1759 for more information

Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 10/9/18

The Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, October 9 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 

Superintendent’s update - Report

Correspondence/Board Member updates

• Abell - Great Roctoberfest, thank you to LaPlata Business Association, Island Music and Tim Bodamer; New Teachers Reception at Middleton Hall, Chef Kendal with music by Randy Runyon and Tim Bodamer; SECAC meeting, please visit charlescountysecac.com for a quick IEP checklist and binder organization; MABE Conference; October Dyslexia Awareness Month, simulation on 10/21 2-5pm at Crofton Library
• Lukas - College Fair; MABE Conference; Rocktoberfest
• Kelly - MABE Conference Committee request feedback; Rocktoberfest; #choosekind; monitor children on internet; sign up to volunteer on ccboe.com deadline approaching
• Crawford - Fox 5 Report on attendance; Thank you to all staff!
• McGraw - MABE Conference Equity Lens; SECAC Meeting; Innocence Lost
• Palko - CTE Meeting; SECAC; College Fair; Farm to School Week; Teacher Reception Diversity; Innocence Stolen; MABE Conference; Kirwan Commission AdHoc Committee

Education Association of Charles County update - Report

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

Student Board Member update - Report

Career and technology education programs - 

• New Good News - Just received a grant for $150k to start a new CTE program at McDonough
• 28 high school completer programs
• 9 out of 10 career clusters represented
• 10 - 4 year programs
• 12 - 3 year programs
• 6 - 2 year programs
• ccboe.com/cte

Student Services update - Report; Additional Material

• EVERY student in high school will have an individual meeting with their counselor before the end of the calendar year.
• ASPIRE - Neal Ryon and Parks
• SHIELD program at Stone, Henson and Smallwood.  eventually to ALL HS in near future.
• Center for Children partnership

Literacy grant - Report

• The Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy (SRCL) Program awards competitive grants to advance literacy skills, including preliteracy skills, reading, and writing, for children from birth through grade 12, with an emphasis on disadvantaged children, including children living in poverty, English learners, and children with disabilities.
• CCPS awarded $2.7M over three years
• Interventions, strategies, support

Project status update - Report

FY 2018 Independent financial audit - Report

• clean financial audit

Unfinished business - None

New business - None

Future agenda items - None

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.

• Resolutions
• American Education Week - Accepting: Linda McLaughlin, EACC president
• American Freedom Week - Accepting:  Army: Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Xavier Winford, Senior, Maurice J. McDonough High School; Navy: Cadet Lieutenant Commander Christopher Holmes, Senior, La Plata High School; Air Force: Cadet Major Sydni Bolton, Senior, North Point High School; Marine Corps: Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Lynne Ngo Gwet, Senior, St. Charles High School

• Students
• Cassidy Burch; twelfth-grade; Academic Achievement; Thomas Stone High School; Principal: Michael Charlton
• Evann Yake; eighth-grade; Career Readiness; General Smallwood Middle School; Principal: Brenda Tillotson
• Simon Dean; fifth-grade; Academic Achievement; William A. Diggs Elementary School; Principal: Debra Calvert
• Julia Taboga; fifth-grade; Personal Responsibility; J.P. Ryon Elementary School; Principal: Thadine Wright
• Staff
• Gwendolyn Todd, resource teacher; Stone
• Elizabeth Adams, language arts teacher; Smallwood
• Natalie Wagner, fifth-grade teacher; Diggs
• Sarah Kilikewich, reading recovery teacher; Ryon

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

• Rachel Perella - NP CTE Programs; Parent; CISCO Program, asking for transparency and data on number of actual graduates in each program and certificates.  Requested information and it was denied.  From reports she did get, she calculated 150 students left programs over the last 6 years.  
• Tracey Wolf - Decoding Dyslexia decodingdyslexiamd.com upcoming events offered to volunteer for pilot program
• Maureen Mears - Decoding Dyslexia all elementary school teachers should be trained in how to teach to read.  Please consider research fromother organizations when developing programs.  Is reading recovery the best for CCPS?
• Elizabeth Bradshaw - Dyslexic child.  Should make the word Dyslexic as a common term in schools.  Give assistive technology.  Properly equip students and train teachers.

Action items

• Minutes

Motion to accept the Minutes by Abell; Second by Marshall

Yes=Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

• Personnel

Motion to accept the Personnel by Abell; Second by McGraw

Yes=Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

• FY 2019 Comprehensive Maintenance Plan

Motion to accept the FY19 Comprehensive Plan by Lukas; Second by Kelly

Yes=Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

• Policy 3000 series

Motion to accept the Policy 3000 by Abell; Second by Marshall

Yes=Abell, Crawford, Kelly, Lukas, Marshall, McGraw, Palko

Adjournment 

Board of Education announces October 9 agenda

The Board of Education’s next monthly meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 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. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and rebroadcast throughout the week.

Board meetings are streamed live on the school system website at ccboe.com. Select the live streaming image posted on the front page to access the meeting. The following is a tentative meeting agenda and is subject to change.

Executive session – 12 p.m.   

Call to order – 1 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance, Maurice J. McDonough High School 

Superintendent’s update 

Reports of officers/boards/committees

• Correspondence/Board Member updates
• Education Association of Charles County update
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees update
• Student Board Member update
• Career and technology education programs
• Student Services update
• Literacy grant
• Project status update
• FY 2018 Independent financial audit

Unfinished business

New business and future agenda items

• New business
• Future agenda items

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.

• Resolutions – American Education Week and American Freedom Week
• Students
• Staff

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• FY 2019 Comprehensive Maintenance Plan
• Policy 3000 series

Adjournment 

Board considers proposal to change grading policy, seeks community feedback through survey

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) is asking the Board of Education to consider a grading change that would standardize the scale middle and high school teachers use to determine an “F” grade. Under consideration is the CCPS grading committee’s recommendation that the Board consider a 10-point scale, 50 to 59 percent, as the universal scale for an “F” at secondary schools.

The Board wants feedback on the grading proposal. CCPS has developed a survey for use in gathering community input. The survey is posted at https://tinyurl.com/y9wm5p68. Responses are anonymous and the survey is open until Oct. 15.

The Board will hold a Town Hall on the grading policy prior to its Oct. 22 grading policy work session. Staff will provide a brief overview at 6 p.m. Questions and comments will be accepted starting at 6:10 p.m. and the work session will follow at 7 p.m. Board meetings are held at 5980 Radio Station Road, La Plata, MD 20646.

Details about the proposed changes are posted at https://www.ccboe.com/pr/board-considers-proposal-to-change-grading-policy/.