Notes from Board of Education Work Session, 1/28/19

The Board of Education work session on Monday, January 28 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.

Public hearing  - FY 2020 Superintendent’s proposed operating budget

• Maureen Mears - Reading instruction should be the highest priority.  Sent email to board members yesterday.  Half a million line item for a reading program that is inferior.

Work session - FY 2020 Superintendent’s proposed operating budget 

• Superintendent's Proposed 2020 Operating Budget
• Budget Report Item
• MSDE Calculations Report Item
• Lukas  - requested the board to consider activity buses at some select schools.
• McGraw - Supplemental budget requests

Adjournment - 6:30

Board of Education Work Session Agenda, 1/23/19

The Board of Education of Charles County is holding a work session 6 p.m., Monday, Jan. 28 in the boardroom at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building in La Plata. The meeting will be aired live on Comcast Channel 96/Verizon FiOS Channel 12 and the school system website, ccboe.com. The agenda is subject to change and is as follows:

Call to order – 6 p.m.

Public hearing 

·         FY 2020 Superintendent’s proposed operating budget

Work session

·         FY 2020 Superintendent’s proposed operating budget 

Adjournment

Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 1/8/19

The Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, January 8 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, St. Charles High School

Recognition of 2019 Maryland General Assembly Student Pages

Election of Chairman and Vice Chairman

• Nomination for Chair of McGraw by Brown; second by Wilson
• Nomination of Chair of Lukas by Hancock; second by Abell
• Vote for McGraw resulted in 4 votes; Battle-Lockhart, Brown, McGraw, Wilson thereby winning the role of Chair
• Nomination of Vice-Chair of Wilson by McGraw; second byBrown
• Nomination of Vice-Chair of Battle-Lockhart by Battle-Lockhart; second by Hancock
• Nomination of Vice-Chair of Abell by Hancock; second by Lukas
• Vote for Wilson resulted in 3 votes; Brown, McGraw, Wilson
• Vote for Battle Lockhart resulted in 1 vote; Battle-Lockhart
• Vote for Abell resulted in 3 votes; Abell, Hancock, Lukas
• Repeat = Vote for Wilson resulted in 4 votes; Battle-Lockhart, Brown, McGraw, Wilson thereby winning the role of Vice-Chair

Superintendent update - Report

Correspondence/Board member updates

• McGraw - Apply for scholarships
• Hancock - visited some schools

Education Association of Charles County update - Report

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

Student Board member update - Report

Strategic plans/goals - Report

• Lukas - Goal 2 bullet 4...can we legally perform background checks on current employees; we will need a waiver

Kirwan update - Report

Textbooks: “Therapeutic Exercises: Foundations and Techniques” and “Muscles: Testing and Function with Posture and Pain” - Report

Project updates - Report 1; Report 2

• Hancock - Stoddert renovation, will it relieve overcrowding at Somers; up to committee
• Lukas - Stoddert time frame opening Aug 2022

Proposed FY2020 operating budget - Report 1; Report 2

• Lukas - Litmus test with relationship with commissioners; compare to last year
• Abell - Alternative Elementary School vs. ASPIRE - both will still be implemented

Legislative update - Report

Unfinished business

• Abell - Grading Policy 5132.2 clarification needed for students attending Stethem.
• Hill - They are given at minimum a 50% upon entry (one time) and then they earn what they get.  Policy needs to be clarified if this board approves this deviation.  This practice gives a student hope. 

New business - None

Future agenda items

• Hancock - hear alot of discipline issues in the school system.  wants another presentation.
• Lukas - Planning of town hall meeting
• Board retreat

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.
Resolutions:

• Black History Month: Accepting:  The Walker Family from Berry Elementary School; Mr. John Walker & Mrs. Katrina Walker; John Walker, kindergarten; Aniya Walker, second-grade; Jordyn Walker, fourth-grade; Kaela Walker, fifth-grade
• Career and Technical Education Week: Accepting:  Kayla Berry, eleventh-grade, North Point High School; Instructor: Alan Badeaux, Welding Technologies;  Taylor Estep, eleventh-grade, Westlake High School and Robert D. Stethem Educational Center; Instructor:  Todd Wogamon, Academy of Health Professions: Physical Rehabilitation); Donya Forohar, twelfth-grade, La Plata High School; Instructor: Michelle Schoenbauer, PLTW Biomedical Sciences
• Gifted and Talented Education Month: Accepting:  Kaylee Alvey, eighth-grade; General Smallwood Middle School; Edwin Hall, eighth-grade; Smallwood; Sean Pearson, learning resource teacher, Milton M. Somers Middle School 
• National School Counseling Week: Accepting: Logan Berchtold, school counselor, Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School; Melonese Williams, school counselor, T.C. Martin Elementary School

Students:

• Emily Maljak; twelfth-grade; Personal Responsibility; Maurice J. McDonough High School; Principal: Steven Roberts
• Trinity Treadway; eighth-grade; Career Readiness; Milton M. Somers Middle School; Principal Sandra Taylor
• Imani Spencer; fifth-grade; Academic Achievement; Arthur Middleton Elementary School; Principal: Benjamin Harrington
• Sherline Avila-Hernandez; fifth-grade; Academic Achievement; Gale-Bailey Elementary School; Principal: Verniece Rorie
• Evelyn Michael; fifth-grade; Academic Achievement; Mary H. Matula Elementary School; Prinicipal: Carolyn Richardson 

Employees:

• Nathan Mouli, social studies teacher, McDonough
• Kristen Barrett, social studies teacher, Somers
• Meagan Fox, fifth-grade teacher, Middleton
• Kelly Kavlick, reading resource teacher, Gale-Bailey
• Robin Figurelle, fourth-grade teacher, Matula

Public Forum – 6 p.m. 

• Kara Vermillion - Special Education IA and two children in CCPS.  Last year has seen the decline in respect from students.  Lots of behavior issues.  Level 2 referrals are just a piece of paper.  Basics are not taught at home.  Has to be consequences for actions.  Mostly in middle school.   Cursed out by student.  Transferred to HS.  Doesnt seem to be as bad.
• Linda McLaughlin - teacher and EACC President.  Times change and we cant continue to teach as we have in the past.  Discipline is a BHUGE issue and is driving teachers away.  Environment is toxic.  Stop pointing fingers, it takes a village.  Engage parents, train students, educators are being attacked, lets support them, no One group is at fault.  Need more counselors and psychologist.  We have to do more.
• Maureen Mears - Parent of HS and Member of Decoding Dyslexia,  Raised awareness on additional staff training.  www.decodingdyslexiamd.com. Lobby day coming up.  Make Reading and reading instruction a priority.  85% of juveniles in court system are illiterate.  
• Karl Grebe - 7th grade parent at Somers and also on PTSO.  Wife is teacher in school but lately barely gets to teach much (Berry) because of all the discipline issues.  It's a handful of students that allow the entire school community to be disrupted on a daily basis.  Most are 5-7 years old that run the halls and terrify the school.
• Tom Earnest - son graduated from LaPlata in 1996.  Real Estate in 1977.  BOE members are failures for allowing teachers to flee and did not enforce discipline.  The white employees are scared of being called racist.  CCPS lawyers are not strong enough to take on changes at the state level.  Hire outside counsel to support BOE in making changes.  implement a new discipline policy with teeth not suspension or expulsion.  Disruptive children should be put in seperate education environment.  
• Melissa Williams - teacher at Somers.  Thank you to Hancock for visiting.  Overcrowding at schools.  not enough resources and staff.  Trailers are negative education environment and are a severe safety issue.  Trailers should be temporary..  Read a letter from a student noting the cursing, lack of discipline, teacher assault, fights, no repercussions.  Sometimes I don;t feel safe going to school.
• Lynn Higgs - curriculum - senior math class changed from college prep course to college level math this year.  Negatively affects those not ready or just entering work force.  Please review and consider functional math.  SOAR program no linger exists and courses should be added for adaptive life skills.  purpose of regionalized program.  Review curriculum and courses offered.
• Kayla Tiller - NP HS student and president NAACP youth council..  looking for ways to partner.  Bullying is a serious issue.  Not all staff seem to care enough to make changes but the see something say something is NOT being used consistently.  Reported bullying to admin and they just receive a warning with no follow up from admin.  
• Davonte Simms - Junior at TSHS.  Member NAACP Youth Council;  Mental health first aid in schools is needed.  Staff should be trained., added to health curriculm, have SRO's trained, more mental health counselors in school, mental healt first aid bus aids.
• Alisha Thomas  and Nikea Burroughs - Juniors at St. Charels HS.  Discipline issues.  Suspension is a vacation.  Walking out of class is a laugh.  CCPS should take more interest in discipline students.  Students should not be excused when walking out of class and should not be made up (work).  Students leave to visit VP's and case managers in every class with no reprecussions or being told to go back to class, 
• Kayla Harris - student at St. Charles HS.  older HS need more resources such as new textbooks.  some dont even have any.
• Jada ???? - St. Charles HS student.- resources are need for students to be equal.

Action items

• Minutes from the Legislative Breakfast

Motion to accept the Minutes by Abell; Second by Brown

Yes = Abell, Brown, Hancock, Lockhart, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson

• Minutes from the December Board Meeting


Motion to accept the Minutes by Abell; Second by Lukas
Yes = Abell, Brown, Hancock, Lockhart, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson


• Personnel 

Motion to accept Personnel by Abell; Second by Hancock
Yes = Abell, Brown, Hancock, Lockhart, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson

Adjournment 

Agenda for Board of Education Meeting, 1/8/19

The Board of Education’s next monthly meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 8, 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 starts at 4:30 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 www.ccboe.com. Select the graphic on the center of the home page to launch 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, St. Charles High School

Recognition of 2019 Maryland General Assembly Student Pages

Election of Chairman and Vice Chairman

Superintendent update

Reports of officers/board/committees

·         Correspondence/Board member updates

·         Education Association of Charles County update

·         American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees update

·         Student Board member update

·         Strategic plans/goals

·         Kirwan update

·         Textbooks: “Therapeutic Exercises: Foundations and Techniques” and “Muscles: Testing and Function with Posture and Pain”

·         Project updates

·         Proposed FY2020 operating budget

·         Legislative update

Unfinished business

New business and future agenda items

·         New business

·         Future agenda items

- Board retreat

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.

·         Resolutions: Black History Month, Career and Technical Education Month; National School Counseling Week; and Gifted and Talented Education Month

·         Students

·         Employees 

Public Forum – 6 p.m. 

Action items

·         Minutes

·         Personnel 

Adjournment 

Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 12/11/18

The Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, December 11 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 a.m.

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

Recognition of student state winner

• Bailey Davis, tenth-grade, North Point High School; 2018 Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) Golf Championships; Class 3A/4A Girl's Individual Competition; Individual State Champion

Superintendent’s update to the Board - Report

Correspondence/board member updates - 

• McGraw - It's Academic, Col. Wade Military Ball, MABE Board of Directors meeting, Thank you to outgoing board  members
• Crawford - Memories and thank you
• Kelly - Middle School Archery Tournament; thank you
• Marshall - Juvenile Services Education System MSDE; thank you
• Lukas - Ditto events; winter sports; congrats to NP football team; CC Arts Alliance; thank you
• Abell - MABE Budget Committee, 2.5% increase in dues for FY20202; thank you
• Palko - Senior Interviews; Culinary Arts Students; Thank you

Education Association of Charles County update - Report

Student Board member’s update - Report Polar Plunge 1/24

Grant funding use to enhance instruction - Report

• Kelly - Dyslexia Portion of Grant = Just Words; Parent Center at Gwynn Center

Student suspension: the data, the law and the alternatives - Report

• MD Law - 7-305.1 - PK-grade 2 cannot be suspended; very specific exceptions
• MD Law -  13A.08.01.11 Principal of a school can only suspend up to 10 days.  School is still required to provide work and we have to accept it.
• Reportable offense law- 73 crimes are reportable offenses in MD.  If under the age of 22, law has to report to school system.  Principal and system decides if it is safe for student to attend school.  If not safe, alternative education is provided under Safe Schools.  Could be home schooled.  If the student commits one of the 73 offenses AT THE SCHOOL...it is not a reportable offense and Safe Schools does not apply. (This has GOT to change.)
• If they are Special Education - we cannot educate them in an alternative environment. 
• Alternative Program for elementary school students to open next school year on Stetham campus
• Matthew Henson has a program called Huskies.  Suspension numbers have decreased YOY.  Therapeutic component, in school education.  A whole team of support to keep them in the building.  
• Abell - Who can get to the discipline/incidents stats in Synergy? Principals/teachers = yes; Tracking incidents and suspensions compared to other years...tracking below; Suggest transportation aids or other adults for Alternative Program for elementary students.; Huskies program similar to in school suspension with therapeautic component.
• Lukas - Reportable Offense Law pertain to field trips, sporting events, etc.  because they can get school dscipline.  Synergy referrals are parents notified?  Yes.
• McGraw - negotiated agreement states a conference with school, student, parents.  Hollstein - only if teacher requests and on severe incidents.
• Kelly - Special Ed - have to educate in our facilities - does it have to be there home school - no.  Parent Shadowing parents not taking advantage - why?  need to collect more hard data is that they cant take off work.  Similar to SHIELD at high school.  

Project updates - PRESENTATION POSTPONED UNTIL JANUARY

• Project Status Report December 2018
• Supporting Services Report December 2018

Health insurance update - Report

Unfinished business - NONE

New business - NONE

Future agenda items

• Abell - Board Member Retreat

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.

• Students - Ja'Nae Pickeral, twelfth-grade; Personal Responsibility; La Plata High School; Principal: Douglass Dolan; Steven McPhee, eighth-grade; Academic Achievement; Piccowaxen Middle School; Principal: Wendell Martin; Brandon Lin; fifth-grade; Personal Responsibility; Berry Elementary School; Principal: Louis D'Ambrosio; Anthony Cave; fifth-grade; Career Readiness; Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School; Principal: Kathleen Morgan; Tre'Joir Washington; third-grade; Academic Achievement; Eva Turner Elementary School; Principal: Ingrid Williams-Horton
• Employees - Jennifer Joyner, theater arts teacher; La Plata; Maggie Fitzgerald, Spanish teacher; Piccowaxen; Eileen Holden, third-grade teacher; Berry; Laura Kelly, art teacher; Higdon; Keith Juarez, technology facilitator; Turner

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

• Christy Wright - bus safety, distracted motorists, misconduct on bus, vulgar language.  safety issues, she drives her own kids to school.  Need another adult on the bus as a monitor.  Volunteer bus monitors if there isnt enough funds.
• Melissa Williams - teacher at Somers Middle School, views and support from speech last month has been overwhelming.    Hard to get high fliers out of the building.  We understand it's state law but there is maybe 5 at each school.  Use Stethem.  Not set number of days.  Discipline problem is not happening everywhere and accept our problem.  why is it up to teachers to come up with a solution.  Charles County is in a crisis situation.  
• Yolanda Michelle Coleman-Brown - mother of 6 in Charles County for years.  Twins in middle school and one in high school.  concerned with discipline and lack of pipe lining, lack of intervention.  Not utilizing all of our resources.  Child was suspended and she is very concerned.  Suspension is not the answer.  Boys across all races are bot being treated fairly.  Communication is not getting out to parents.  PPW, Tri-County Youth Services, Charles County Mediation Services.

Action items

·         Minutes

Motion to accept the minutes by Kelly; Second by McGraw

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

·         Personnel

Motion to accept Personnel by Marshall; Second by Kelly

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

·         Grading policy #5132.2

Motion to accept Policy 5132.2 by Kelly; Second by Lukas

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

Adjournment 

Board of Education announces December 11 agenda

The Board of Education’s next monthly meeting is Tuesday, Dec. 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. 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 Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) website, www.ccboe.com. Click on the middle of the main page to start the live streaming. The following agenda is tentative and subject to change.

Executive session – 11 a.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance – Westlake High School

Recognition of student state winner

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’s update

·         Grant funding use to enhance instruction

·         Student suspension: the data, the law and the alternatives

·         Project updates

·         Health insurance update

Unfinished business

New business and Future agenda items

·         New business

·         Future agenda items

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.

·         Students

·         Employees

Public Forum – 6 p.m.

Action items

·         Minutes

·         Personnel

·         Grading policy #5132.2

Adjournment