The following individual has been appointed to the Southeast Area Education Advisory Council:
In response to the motion made at the Board of Education meeting on September 26, 2023, staff have provided alternate proposed 2024-2025 school calendars to minimize the number of half days.
Online registration was open to the public one week prior to tonight's Board meeting and was closed at 3 p.m. yesterday for anyone wishing to speak at this evening's meeting. Each speaker is allowed three minutes to address the Board. No speaker substitutions will be allowed.
Based on Policy 8315 (as amended on July 11, 2023), representatives from the following categories are invited to address the Board during the public comment period of the Board's meetings. A maximum of five (5) spaces will be allocated in each of these categories:
So that a diversity of viewpoints receives the opportunity to address the Board, when there are more requests than available spaces in any of the categories, first priority will be given to those groups or individuals who have not spoken during the two prior Board meetings. When the spaces reserved in any of the four categories are not filled, those spaces will be offered, on a first-come, first-served basis, through the wait-list sign-up sheet.
If not selected, the public may submit their comments to the Board members via e-mail at boe@bcps.org. More information is provided on the Board's Web site at bcps.org, under Board of Education, Participation by the Public.
Maiden Choice School was identified as having a significant need where students who attend the school could focus on functional learning activities. The addition of a kitchen and laundry area in the newly developed Vocational Center at the school will provide students with significant special needs ample opportunities to attain new skills in these areas. The student benefit is immeasurable. Having a kitchen and laundry room on site will significantly impact our students’ lives both individually and in the workplace. This initiative is in an authentic learning environment that will provide our students with continuous learning to enhance their independence when they exit BCPS. Without access to a kitchen and laundry room students are unable to generalize skills to their home or group home living situations.
Students will gain an internal sense of self-worth and accomplishment as well as being able to contribute to family life and provide possible employment opportunities. Being able to consistently practice learned and newly attained skills allows us to appropriately prepare them for the world outside of BCPS.