Notes from Board of Education Work Session, 1/24/22

The Board of Education Work Session on Monday, January 24, 2022 was streamed live on ccboe.com and aired live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOs Channel 12.  The meeting 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. Individual names are spelled to the best of my ability.

Call to order – 6 p.m.

Public forum – preregistered speakers only - NONE

Work session

• Superintendent’s proposed FY2023 operating budget
• Abell - How does this help us get to the $60,000 starting teacher salary by 2026 requirement from Blueprint.  (Acton - we are dividing it evenly among the years and keeping that in mind collective bargaining.)
• Wilson - Reserve Fund explain (Acton - can only be used for one time expenses, heating system, field replacement etc, not salaries.)
• Wilson - Possibility of expansion of summer camps?  Enough Guidance Counselors?  Allow students who missed Nanjemoy Field Trip in 5th grade the opportunity to go now.  FARM students offered additional seats in summer programs.
• Lukas - Cost of adding activity buses

Adjournment 

Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 1/11/22

The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 was streamed live on ccboe.com and aired live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOs Channel 12.  The meeting 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. Individual names are spelled to the best of my ability.

Executive session – 11 a.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m.  

• Election of Board Chairperson (Needs 5 votes)

Motion to nominate Tina Wilson by Brown; Second by Hancock

Round 1:  Brown, Hancock, Wilson

Round 2:  Brown, Hancock, Wilson

Round 3:  Brown, Wilson

Motion to nominate Mike Lukas by Battle-Lockhart; Second by Abell

Round 1:  Abell, Battle-Lockhart, Herd, Lukas

Round 2:  Abell, Battle-Lockhart, Herd, Lukas

Round 3:  Abell. Battle-Lockhart, Hancock, Herd, Lukas

Lukas is the Chair Person

• Election of Board Vice-Chairperson (Needs 5 votes)

Motion to nominate Tina Wilson by Hancock; Second by Brown

Round 1: Unanimous

Wilson is the new Vice Chair Person

Superintendent’s update - Report

• CCPS - Organization Chart
• CCPS Leadership Chart

Board Member correspondence

• Hancock - Congratulations on leadership roles; Happy New Yeart; Clarification on Policy 3772 regarding inclement weather, dismissals and closures.  Dr. Navarro clarified the process.
• Abell - Transportation bus issues and posting on social media; COVID testing for athletes and waived for yesterday?

Education Association of Charles County (EACC) update - Report

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

Partnership with College of Southern Maryland update - Report

• Hancock - Underserved students at other schools and opportunities from them.  Lowndes - they will still have dual enrollment opportunities.
• Battle-Lockhart - Thank you

Superintendent’s proposed FY2023 operating budget - Report

• FY23 Proposed Budget
• Wilson - How many years have we requested mental health support.

Project status update - Report

Legislative update - Report

• HB68/SB40 - School Systemic Construction Bill - Support
• HB146 - Reportable Offenses - police will no longer report offenses to schools - Dont Support
• MSEA - focusing on class sizes; broaden the scope of blueprint slaries; state boe mask mandate
• Abell - HB0126 - Permanent Daylight Saving Time & School

New website update - Report

Unfinished business - None

New business

• Calendar Revisions Suggested by Superintendent Navarro. Move the end of the 2nd marking period up by a week to the 26th.  27th 3rd marking period begins and 2 hour dismissal on the 28th for teacher grading.  Add February 16th and March 23rd as early dismissal days.

Motion to approve calendar revisions by Abell; Second by Brown

Yes = Abell, Battle-Lockhart, Brown, Hancock, Herd, Lukas, Wilson

Future agenda items

• Wilson - Calendar policy
• Wilson - Legal responsibilities as it pertains to special needs population and discipline requirements.

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.

• Resolutions
• Black History Month: Accepting: Kim Hairston, director, Equity and Diversity
• Career and Technical Education Month: Accepting: Rebecca Pearson, director, Career and Technical Education
• Gifted and Talented Education Month: Accepting: Kristen Modes, content specialist, Gifted Education
• National School Counseling Week: Accepting:
• Maryland’s Classrooms of Distinction
• Erin Amore, third-grade teacher at Dr. James Craik Elementary School
• Nina Beard, fourth-grade teacher at T.C. Martin Elementary School
• Nina Capuano, third-grade teacher at Martin
• Kelly Lundeen, third-grade teacher at Craik
• Molly Reip, first-grade teacher at Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School
• Taryn Walker, second-grade teacher at Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School
• Melinda Wright, second-grade teacher at Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy
• Students
• Synai Ferrell, Grade 12, Academic Achievement, Thomas Stone High School, Principal: Shanif Pearl
• Madelyn Sopher, Grade 8, Personal Responsibility, General Smallwood Middle School, Principal:  Brenda Tillotson
• Jurniah Young, Grade 5, Career Readiness, William A. Diggs Elementary School, Principal: Debra Calvert
• Kevin Mejia Trochez, Grade 5, Academic Achievement, J. P. Ryon Elementary School, Principal:  Melinda Tyler, Ed.D.
• Staff
• Joyce Dorsey, building service worker, Stone
• Valerie Morris,guidance secretary, Smallwood
• Michelle Garcia, pre-k instructional assistant, Ryon 
• Jordan Combs, special education teacher, Diggs

Public forum – 6 p.m.

• Preregistered speakers only
• Melissa Carpenter - Teacher.  Thank you for the calendar adjustments.  Educators spent it planning for virtual.  Discouraged with return to school.  Quarantine and positives are missing schools.  in person learning has been disrupted all year.

Action items

• Minutes

Motion to approve minutes from 12/14/21 board meeting by Abell; Second by Wilson

Yes = Abell, Battle-Lockhart, Brown, Hancock, Herd, Lukas, Wilson

Motion to approve minutes from 12/14/21 board executive session by Abell; Second by Wilson

Yes = Abell, Battle-Lockhart, Brown, Hancock,, Lukas, Wilson

Motion to approve minutes from 1/3/22 board meeting by Abell; Second by Brown

Yes = Abell, Battle-Lockhart, Brown, Hancock, Herd, Lukas, Wilson

• Personnel 

Motion to approve personnel by Abell; Second by Brown

Yes = Abell, Battle-Lockhart, Brown, Hancock, Lukas, Wilson

Adjournment 

Agenda for Board of Education Meeting, 1/11/22

 The Board of Education’s next regular meeting is 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 11. The Board will meet in person at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building. The Starkey Building is located at 5980 Radio Station Road in La Plata.

The meeting is open to the public. However, the Board is limiting the number of in-person attendees to the first five arrivals in order to support social distancing in the boardroom. Visitors are required to wear a face mask and must check-in with staff at the main desk. Visitors will be seated in the back of the boardroom. If more than five visitors come to the meeting, staff may ask any additional people to follow the Board meeting online.

The meeting will stream live on the Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) website, www.ccboe.com. CCPS also will post the meeting on its YouTube channel.

Public forum for this meeting will be held in a hybrid format of both in-person and virtual speakers. Speakers must register in advance to participate in public forum. The registration form is available here. Deadline to register is 12 p.m., Monday, Jan. 10. No late registrations will be accepted. Registered speakers will receive additional information by email.

Executive session – 11 a.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m.  

• Election of Board Chairperson, Vice Chairperson

Superintendent’s update

Reports of officers/boards/committees

• Board Member correspondence
• Education Association of Charles County (EACC) update
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) update
• Partnership with College of Southern Maryland update
• Superintendent’s proposed FY2023 operating budget
• Project status update
• Legislative update
• Policy series 2000 and 7000 update
• New website update

Unfinished business 

New business and future agenda items

• New business
• Future agenda items

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.

• Resolutions
• Maryland’s Classrooms of Distinction
• Students
• Staff

Public forum – 6 p.m.

• Preregistered speakers only

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel 

Adjournment 

Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 12/14/21

The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, December 14, 2021 was streamed live on ccboe.com and aired live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOs Channel 12.  The meeting 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. Individual names are spelled to the best of my ability.

Executive session – 11 a.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m.  

• Special recognition

Superintendent’s update - Report

Board Member correspondence

• Lukas - Blueprint Subcommittee; MABE Legislative Committee; Winter Sports Attendance; McDonough It's Academic Achievement; MACO Conference panel member in Cambridge; Help those less fortunate
• Abell - MABE budget committee - budget approved with a 4.5% increase in dues.  I was a dissenting vote.  The committee has requested a breakdown of the salaries for the past 3 years and still has not received it.  Without this information, I cannot approve of the budget. Bueprint Subcommittee Area 4 for Resources, looking for outside the box ideas and needs.
• Herd - Secondary school visits; State Supt Board Member tour Charles County; All County Chorus; Its Academic McDonough Victory
• Brown - Dr. Brown visit; JP Ryon visit African American program for black males, please volunteer.
• Battle-Lockhart - CTE Advisory Council; Chorus Concert
• Hancock - Teachers overworked; be kind; students think twice before making false statements and alarms.  Parents get tough on student behavior.
• McGraw - MABE panel for state regarding mask mandates; Educational Equity Committee handbook almost done; All County Chorus; It's Academic!  McDonough congratulations.
• Wilson - More information coming on Blueprint; MABE Board Service Academy; numerous sporting events; JP Ryon African American male program.

Education Association of Charles County (EACC) update - Report

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) update

Expanding access to advanced coursework in high schools (equal opportunity schools) update

• Report
• Herd - leveraging role models is key
• Abell - Could enrollment be down due to COVID?  How does our enrollment numbers compare to surrounding counties, state and national?  Are all decreasing?  Have college waiver numbers gone down during the same time period?  Concern about pushing enrollment to students that may not be at the level and therefore slowing down the curriculum for others in the class.  Lowndes - will get me the data requested.
• Lukas - Are we identifying kids in the elementary school for accelerated programs?
• Battle-Lockhart - Barriers currently in Charlotte?  Need adult encouragement.

Virtual program and other learning options for school year 2022-2023

• Report
• Lukas - I like what i see.
• Hancock - Expand virtual academy next year, criteria?  Lowndes - attendance
• McGraw - COVID opened the door to expand our virtual options.

Project status update

• Report
• 75% projected funding received from IAC and we expect to receive $6.9M for CIP out of request of $46M.  Down significantly from previous years.  An additional $1.7M from another fund.  

Bus stop camera enforcement program update

• Report
• Abell - March 2019 the board agreed to move forward with Vera Mobility.  Now we are with Bus Patrol.  2018 Bus Patrol in MCPS was under internal audit for missing citation fees, CEO pled guilty to fraud, IG report in 2019 indicated scheme and fraud.  July 2020, Baltimore rejected the contract after reading the IG report on the scheme at MCPS.  Contract is with CCSO and MOU with CCPS.  60% of fees go to Bus Patrol and 40% goes to county.
• McGraw - 471 warning citations in 15 days; camera ticket will be $250 whereas if an officer pulls you over, it's $500.

Unfinished business - None

New business - None

Future agenda items

• Lukas - Policy 2000 & 7000 is ready to come before the board in January
• Hancock - Mask mandate, statistics and metrics needed to move away from masks?
• Wilson - Fights and disruption in the classroom

Recognition – 4:30 p.m.

• Students
• Martin Spinner, Grade 12, Academic Achievement, North Point High School, Principal: Daniel Kaple
• Demitri Hicks, Grade 8, Academic Achievement, Mattawoman Middle School, Principal: Sonia Blue
• Jace Williams, Grade 5, Personal Responsibility, Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School, Principal: Nicholas Adam
• Lewis Benton, Grade 5, Career Readiness, Mary B. Neal Elementary School, Principal: Deborah Brown
• Staff
• Sherry Mistry, instructional assistant, North Point
• Mildred Alexander-Moses, pupil personal worker, Matthew Henson Middle School
• Joseph Evans, science teacher, Mattawoman
• Logan Berchtold, counselor, Mitchell
• Beverly Gaskins, special education instructional assistant, Neal

Public forum – 6 p.m. - Preregistered speakers only

• Melissa Carpenter - Teacher CCPS; 1 of 20 schools surveyed has been fully staffed since the start of this school year.  Special Ed IA's are leaving.  Special Ed teachers are overwhelmed. Resignations are astronomical.  Staff burning out.  Start a conversation with teachers not about us.
• Josh Torres - Teacher at John Hanson.  Asked for the boards transparency on COVID protocol on masks and vaccine mandates.  State and Federal inconsistencies in protocols.  What happens when data is manipulated to push a political agenda?  How many teen suicides to pandemic?  How many deaths due to flu?  Omicron is not the big bad wolf, most doctors acknowledge that Omicron is not as bad as the Delta variant.  Hogan says just wear the damn mask and get the damn vaccine.  Is he going to come into my class and ensure everyone is abiding by the rules.  Our constitutional rights are being violated.

Action items

• Minutes

Motion to approve the 11/2/21 executive session minutes by McGraw; second by Abell

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

Motion to approve the 11/9/21 executive session minutes by Abell; second by Brown

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

Motion to approve 11/9/21 regular meeting minutes by Abell; second by Brown

Yes = Abell, Brown, Hancock, Herd, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson; Abstain = Battle-Lockhart

Motion to approve the 11/22/21 work session minutes by Brown; second by Hancock

Yes = Battle-Lockhart, Brown,  Hancock, Herd, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson; Abstain = Abell

• Personnel 

Motion to approve Personnel by Lukas; second by McGraw

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

Adjournment 

Notes from Board of Education Meeting, 11/9/21

The Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 was streamed live on ccboe.com and aired live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOs Channel 12.  The meeting 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. Individual names are spelled to the best of my ability.

Executive session – 11 a.m.

Call to order – 1 p.m.

Superintendent’s update to the Board - Report

Board Member updates

• Herd - Visit several schools.  Ms Ford at Lackey is amazing.  Attended Legislative breakfast and it was productive.  McDonough Little Women performance. LaPlata won it's first play off game in school history. Visiting all MS and HS by end of year.
• Brown - Lackey play "Stop Light"; Blue Print subcommittee on Policy
• Lukas - Legislative breakfast.  Fine Arts education advisory panel for the state.  Attended plays Little Women and Stop Light.  Attended state play off games.  Attended virtual Meet & Greet for new teachers,
• McGraw - Congratulations to thespians at Lackey and McDonough for two great plays.
• Wilson - Play at Laplata HS "Trapped" and McDonough Little Women.  North Point is coming up with Romeo and Juliet and Stone is doing Shakespeare in the Parking Lot St. Charles "As She Likes It" and Westlake is doing a Hitchcock.  Virtial New teacher Meet & Greet.  Legislative breakfast.  Partnerships with our parents/guardians and community organizations are important and needed to reinforce positive activities.  Feedback from public needed for use of COVID funds.  

Education Association of Charles County (EACC) update - Report

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

FY2021 Independent financial audit: CliftonLarsenAllen

• Charles County Financial Statements FY21

Fall assessments (i-Ready)

• Fall Assessments November 2021
• Lukas - 16 counties participating.  Does I-Ready replace another test?  Roberts - we didn't do a pre and post test this year.
• Herd - Class implementation?  Navarro - next presentation but basically don't stay focused on remediation and exposure to grade level material will help those below.
• Brown - Thank you
• McGraw - Thank you; can reports be grouped by class?  Yes.  When and how to unpack date?  Next presentation.

Instructional programs to support students impacted by the pandemic

• Three Year Plan November 9t
• Very lengthy well put together report.  very few questions of substance

Project status update

• Project Status Report November 2021

Middle School Redistricting

• Superintendent Revised Recommendation
• Hancock - Doesnt think the two Laplata neighborhoods should be sent to Piccowaxen.  Confirmation on which blocks are which.
• Lukas - Number of students in those blocks.  43 1nd 15.
• Abell - hard time moving forward with uprooting existing residents from schools for new development that hasn't even started yet .  More apt to move new development residents to Piccowaxen as they are developed and until next middle school is built.

Recognition — 4:30 p.m.

• Students
• Eric Thompson, Grade 12, Career Readiness, Robert D. Stethem Educational Center, Principal: Curry Werkheiser
• Peyton Lewis, Grade 8, Academic Achievement, Matthew Henson Middle School, Principal: Christina Caballero
• Lionel Saravia, Grade 5, Academic Achievement, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary School, Principal: Kevin Jackson, Sr.
• Yaretzy Alegria-Hernandez, Grade 5, Personal Responsibility, Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School, Principal: Orlena Whatley
• Samuel Binsol, Grade 5, Academic Achievement, William B. Wade Elementary School, Principal: William Miller
• Employees
• Todd Wogaman, physical rehabilitative teacher, Robert D. Stethem Educational Center
• Mildred Alexander-Moses, pupil personal worker, Matthew Henson Middle School
• Andrew Shanbarger, science teacher, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary School
• Lea Flynn, prekindergarten instructional assistant, Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School
• Alisha Sweatt, secretary, William B. Wade Elementary School

Unfinished business - None

New business

• Suspension of Board policies

Motion to approve the Susoension of Board Policies by Lukas; Second by Brown

Yes = Brown, Herd, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson; No=Abell, Hancock; Absent = Battle-Lockhart 

Future agenda items

Public forum – 6 p.m. (preregistered speakers only)

• Vontosha Simms - introduce herself as a parent and political activist.  Support for Board of Education..  Engage community and families in a positive way that is inclusive.  Public health and safety for our students both in buildings and on buses.   Safety gear for all staff and students. Mental health advocate.  Renewable energy.
• Melissa Carpenter - teacher and lifelong resident.  Colleagues are resigning.  Overworked.  We need more planning time and collaboration with colleagues.  Not sessions from outside vendors or self-care.
• Tina Osborne - Parent of third grader at J.P. Ryon with suspected ADHD, anxiety, IEP needs that are not being addressed.  Resistance from administration.  Teachers need to be taught how to teach children to read.  No different that failing to provide a ramp for a person in a wheelchair.
• Dee Shelton- Bus driver 101 from  Stone Bus Company.  Only speaks for herself. Hourly raise is 3-5%.  Last raise was in 2019 and it was 3%.  But real estate tax went up.  Started driving 21 years ago.  Steps are not adequate. Paid holidays are non existent. This is NOT a part time job.  No more excuses.  We can tolerate anymore.
• Pascale Small - Inequities with virtual learning.  Move away from proximity learning and move back to adequate virtual learning.
• Joshua Torres - teach at Hanson MS.  Questions regarding COVID mandates.  Why just on infection rates for mask mandates.  PCR test is effective.  Affects of wearing a mask all the time on students and staff.  Natural immunity is better than vaccines.  Why vaccines mandates still happening.  Asking for transparency on these matters.

Action items

• Minutes
• 10/12/21 Board Minutes

Motion to approve the minutes from 10/12/21 Meeting by Herd; Second by Brown

Yes = Brown, Hancock, Herd, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson; Abstain = Abell; Absent = Battle-Lockhart 

• 10/25/21 Legislative Breakfast Minutes

Motion to approve the minutes from 10/25/21 Breakfast by Abell; Second by Brown

Yes = Abell, Brown, Hancock, Herd, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson; Absent = Battle-Lockhart 

• 10/25/21 Board Minutes

Motion to approve the minutes from 10/25/21 Work Session McGraw; Second by Herd

Yes = Brown, Hancock, Herd, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson; Abstain = Abell;  Absent = Battle-Lockhart 

Motion to approve the minutes from 10/12/21 Executive Session by McGraw; Second by Brown

Yes = Brown, Hancock, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson; Abstain = Abell, Herd; Absent = Battle-Lockhart 

Motion to approve the minutes from 10/28/21 Executive Session by Brown; Second by Hancock

Yes = Abell, Brown, Hancock, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson; Abstain = Herd; Absent = Battle-Lockhart 

• Personnel

Motion to approve Personnel by Abell; Second by McGraw

Yes = Abell, Brown, Hancock, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson; Abstain = Herd; Absent = Battle-Lockhart 

• Middle School Redistricting - Revised Recommendation

Motion to approve Middle School Redistricting Recommendation by McGraw; Second by Brown

Motion to Amend the motion to grandfather Block 2643 by Lukas; No Second  

Motion to Amend the motion to leave Block 3451 & 3441 at Somers by Abell; Second by Hancock

Yes = Abell, Hancock, Wilson; No = Brown, Lukas, McGraw; Absent = Battle-Lockhart 

Motion Fails

Vote for original motion

Yes = Brown, Lukas, McGraw, Wilson; No = Abell, Hancock; Absent = Battle- Lockhart

Motion passes

Adjournment