[00:00:03]
THIS IS CHAIRWOMAN JANE LICHTER.
I CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF BALTIMORE COUNTY FOR TUESDAY, TUESDAY, MAY 20TH, 2025.
THIS EVENING'S BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING IS BEING BROADCAST THROUGH THE BCPS ONLINE LIVE MEETING BROADCAST AND ON BCPS TV, XFINITY CHANNEL 73 AND VERIZON FIOS, CHANNEL 34.
IN ORDER TO EFFICIENTLY CONDUCT THIS MEETING, ALL VOTING ITEMS THIS EVENING WILL BE DONE BY ROLL CALL VOTE.
[A. CLOSED SESSION]
I HAVE A MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION AS PERMITTED BY THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT AS FOUND IN THE ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND GENERAL PROVISIONS ARTICLE SECTION THREE DASH 3 0 5 B ONE B SEVEN B EIGHT, AND B NINE TO DISCUSS THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT ASSIGNMENT, PROMOTION, DISCIPLINE, DEMOTION, COMPENSATION, REMOVAL, RESIGNATION OR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF APPOINTEES, EMPLOYEES OR OFFICIALS OVER WHOM IT HAS JURISDICTION OR ANY OF THEIR PERSONNEL MATTER THAT AFFECTS ONE OR MORE SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS.CONSULT WITH COUNSEL TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE.
CONSULT WITH STAFF, CONSULTANTS OR OTHER INDIVIDUALS ABOUT PENDING OR POTENTIAL LITIGATION AND CONDUCT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING NEGOTIATIONS OR CONSIDER MATTERS THAT RELATE TO THE NEGOTIATIONS.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND FROM PONG.
MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE PLEASE.
THIS IS CHAIRWOMAN JANE LICHTER.
I NOW CALLED ORDER THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF BALTIMORE COUNTY FOR TUESDAY, MAY 20TH, 2025.
[B. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/SILENT MEDITATION (6:30 p.m.)]
THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO BE LED.IS THIS THE LAST TIME? NO, IT'S NOT.
WE'LL THEN HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND RECOGNITION OF THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED EDUCATION IN BALTIMORE COUNTY.
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR FANS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, THE INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
TONIGHT'S BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING IS BEING BROADCAST THROUGH THE BCPS ONLINE LIVE MEETING BROADCAST AND ON BCPS TV, XFINITY CHANNEL 73 AND FIOS CHANNEL 34.
IN ORDER TO EFFICIENTLY CONDUCT THIS MEETING, ALL VOTING ITEMS THIS EVENING WILL BE DONE BY ROLL CALL VOTE.
THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE CONSIDERATION OF THE MAY 6TH AGENDA.
DR. ROGERS, ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO TONIGHT'S AGENDA? I'M UNAWARE OF ANY CHANGES TO THIS EVENING'S AGENDA.
THE AGENDA STANDS AS PRESENTED EARLIER THIS EVENING.
THE BOARD MET ENC CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS TO DISCUSS THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT ASSIGNMENT, PROMOTION, DISCIPLINE, DEMOTION, COMPENSATION, REMOVAL, RESIGNATION OR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF APPOINTEES, EMPLOYEES OR OFFICIALS OVER WHOM IT HAS JURISDICTION OR ANY OTHER PERSONNEL MATTER THAT AFFECTS ONE OR MORE SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS.
CONSULT WITH COUNSEL TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE AND CONSULT WITH STAFF, CONSULTANTS OR OTHER INDIVIDUALS ABOUT PENDING OR POTENTIAL LITIGATION AND CONDUCT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING NEGOTIATIONS OR CONSIDER MATTERS THAT RELATE TO THE NEGOTIATIONS.
THE CLOSED SESSION SUMMARY AND THE OPEN SESSION INFORMATION SUMMARY CAN BE FOUND ON BOARD DUCKS UNDER THIS BOARD MEETING AGENDA DATE.
[D. NEW BUSINESS - PERSONNEL MATTERS (Mr. McCall) (6:45 - 6:50 p.m.)]
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS PERSONNEL MATTERS, AND FOR THAT I CALL ON MR. MCCALL.CHAIR LICHTER, VICE CHAIR, HARVEY, SUPERINTENDENT, DR. ROGERS AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, LIKE THE BOARD'S CONSENT FOR THE FOLLOWING PERSONNEL MATTERS.
TONIGHT WE HAVE TERMINATIONS, RETIREMENTS, RESIGNATIONS, LEAVES, AND DECEASED RECOGNITION OF SERVICE.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE PERSONNEL MATTERS AS PRESENTED IN EXHIBITS D ONE THROUGH D FIVE? SO MOVE.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND FROM PAUL.
ANY DISCUSSION? MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL? VOTE PLEASE.
[00:05:01]
YES.MS. POEY AB SUSTAIN MR. YOUNG? YES.
THE NEXT ITEM? THANK YOU MR. MCCALL.
[E. NEW BUSINESS - ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS (Dr. Rogers) (6:50 - 7:00 p.m.)]
IS ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS, AND FOR THAT I CALL ON DR. ROGERS, MADAM CHAIR, LICHTER, VICE CHAIR HARVEY, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.I'M BRINGING FORWARD THE FOLLOWING ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS FOR YOUR APPROVAL.
PRINCIPAL JACKSONVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COORDINATOR, INSTRUCTION, BEHAVIOR AND PLACEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION COORDINATOR, LITERACY, K THROUGH 12, DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, SENIOR SUPERVISOR, PROCUREMENT AND DISTRIBUTION, DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES, AND SPECIALIST TRANSITION DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE PERSONNEL MATTERS AS PRESENTED IN EXHIBIT E ONE? SO MOVED KY.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND HARVEY.
ANY DISCUSSION? MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL? VOTE PLEASE.
OUR FIRST APPOINTMENT THIS EVENING IS MATTHEW BAIN.
PLEASE STAND TO BE RECOGNIZED.
MATTHEW IS ATTENDING WITH HIS WIFE CHRISTINA, PLEASE STAND.
MATTHEW IS BEING APPOINTED AS THE PRINCIPAL AT JACKSONVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WITH 20 YEARS OF BCPS EXPERIENCE.
PRIOR EXPERIENCES INCLUDE ENGLISH TEACHER AT PARKVILLE HIGH AND TOWSON HIGH SCHOOLS, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT PATAPSCO HIGH, OUR BUTAS MIDDLE DEER PARK, MIDDLE MAGNET GLEN MA ELEMENTARY AND VICTORY VILLA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
OUR NEXT APPOINTMENT THIS EVENING IS MEL CARTER, WHO'S ATTENDING WITH HIS WIFE.
PLEASE STAND TO BE RECOGNIZED.
MEL IS BEING APPOINTED AS THE SENIOR SUPERVISOR OF PROCUREMENT AND DISTRIBUTION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES WITH 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCES.
FORMER EXPERIENCES INCLUDE GENERAL MANAGER AT RUTH CHRIS STEAKHOUSE, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS MANAGING PARTNER AT FINN MCCOOL'S IRISH PUBLIC HOUSE AND DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS MANAGING PARTNER AT 9 38 CONKING, LLC.
CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME TO BCPS.
OUR NEXT APPOINTMENT IS ERIN ROBERTS.
PLEASE STAND WITH HER HUSBAND, DEREK ROBERTS.
ERIN IS BEING APPOINTED AS THE COORDINATOR OF LITERACY K THROUGH 12 IN THE DEPARTMENT OF LITERACY AND HUMANITIES WITH 21 YEARS OF BCPS EXPERIENCE.
HER PRIOR EXPERIENCES INCLUDE ELEMENTARY TEACHER AT VILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT TEACHER AT MIDDLESEX ELEMENTARY, SANDY PLAINS ELEMENTARY, VILLE ELEMENTARY AND WINFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS RESOURCE TEACHER IN THE OFFICE OF STUDENT SERVICES, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT SCOTTS BRANCH ELEMENTARY AND EDMONDSON HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS PRINCIPAL AT EDMONDSON HEIGHTS AND SPECIALISTS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF LITERACY AND HUMANITIES.
NEXT APPOINTMENT IS BERNADETTE PHOTO.
BERNADETTE IS BEING APPOINTED AS THE SPECIALIST TRANSITION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION WITH 20 YEARS OF BCPS EXPERIENCE.
BERNADETTE'S EXPERIENCES INCLUDE SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER AT HOLABIRD MIDDLE KENWOOD HIGH AND DUNDALK HIGH SCHOOLS AND THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION.
PRIOR TO THAT, SHE SERVED AS A SPECIAL EDUCATOR AT CASE MIDDLE SCHOOL WITH WATERTOWN CITY SCHOOLS.
CONGRATULATIONS TO BERNADETTE.
AND FINAL APPOINTMENT FOR THE EVENING IS JACQUELINE HARDWICK.
JACQUELINE IS BEING APPOINTED AS THE COORDINATOR OF INSTRUCTION, BEHAVIOR AND PLACEMENT IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION WITH 16 YEARS OF BCPS EXPERIENCES.
JACQUELINE'S FORMER EXPERIENCE INCLUDE SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER AT KENWOOD HIGH SCHOOL AND RESOURCE TEACHER AND SPECIALISTS IN THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION.
SO AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR APPOINTEES.
[00:10:01]
OUR NEXT ITEM IS PUBLIC COMMENT.THIS IS ONE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THE BOARD PROVIDES TO HEAR THE VIEWS AND RECEIVE THE ADVICE OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
IF NOT SELECTED TO ADDRESS THE BOARD, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY SUBMIT THEIR COMMENTS TO THE BOARD MEMBERS VIA EMAIL@BOEATBCPS.ORG.
THE BALTIMORE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT'S HOMELAND SECURITY UNIT AND THE OFFICE OF SCHOOL SAFETY HAS RECOMMENDED SAFETY AND SECURITY PROTOCOLS, WHICH ARE POSTED IN THE BOARDROOM AND AVAILABLE IN BOARD DOCS AND ON THE BOARD'S PARTICIPATION BY THE PUBLIC WEBSITE.
WHILE WE ENCOURAGE PUBLIC INPUT ON POLICY PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THIS BOARD AND THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM, THIS IS NOT THE PROPER FORUM TO ADDRESS SPECIFIC STUDENT OR EMPLOYEE MATTERS OR TO COMMENT ON MATTERS THAT DO NOT RELATE TO PUBLIC EDUCATION IN BALTIMORE COUNTY.
INAPPROPRIATE PERSONAL REMARKS OR OTHER BEHAVIORS SUCH AS LANGUAGE THAT PROMOTES VIOLENCE AGAINST A-B-C-P-S EMPLOYEE OR THAT DISRUPTS OR INTERFERES WITH THE CONDUCT OF THIS MEETING ARE OUT OF ORDER AND WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.
PERSONS WHO OTHERWISE DISRUPT OR DISTURB THIS MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE THEIR REMARKS AND WILL BE ESCORTED FROM THE MEETING.
PLEASE OBSERVE THE THREE MINUTE CLOCK, WHICH WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP.
THE MICROPHONE WILL BE TURNED OFF AT THE END OF YOUR TIME OR PRIOR TO THAT TIME AT THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD CHAIR.
IT'S THE PRACTICE OF THIS BOARD TO ALLOW ELECTED OFFICIALS TO PROVIDE THEIR COMMENTS TO THE BOARD.
AND FIRST TO SPEAK IS DELEGATE CHERYL PE WHO IS SPEAKING WITH US, UM, VIRTUALLY DELEGATE PASTOR.
OKAY, I THOUGHT I SAW THAT SHE WAS THERE.
DID YOU CALL ME? I DID DELEGATE.
PASTOR, ARE YOU THERE
I'M AT A-A-J-C-C MEETING, SO IT'S OKAY.
I KNOW THAT NORMALLY I COME AND AND TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS GOING ON OUT THERE IN THE GENERAL WORLD, BUT I JUST REALLY WANTED TO COME TONIGHT TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY VISIT TO OWINGS MILLS HIGH SCHOOL.
YESTERDAY, ON MONDAYS, I TRIED TO GO OUT AND VISIT A SCHOOL, GENERALLY SCHOOLS IN MY DISTRICT, BUT I'LL GO ANYWHERE.
BUT THREE YEARS AGO I WENT TO OWINGS MILLS HIGH SCHOOL AND IT NEEDED JUST AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF WORK AND WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT'S HEALTH AND, AND FACILITIES AND THE PTA ESPECIALLY.
UM, WE WERE JUST SURPRISED YESTERDAY TO SEE JUST HOW WONDERFUL OWINGS MILL IS LOOKING.
UM, THAT AUDITORIUM IS INCREDIBLE.
THREE YEARS AGO, THEY HAD TO USE A FLASHLIGHT SO I COULD GET FROM THE STAGE DOWN TO THE FLOOR.
THEY HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL LIGHTING AND SOUND BOARD.
I'M EXCITED AT THE PRO BY THE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN INSTITUTED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
THERE IS THAT THE LOCKERS HAVE BEEN PAINTED.
THE THE BEHAVIORS AND THE ATTITUDES AND THE TEACHERS FEEL BETTER BECAUSE WHEN WE TAKE CARE OF OUR SCHOOLS, WE MAKE OUR CHILDREN FEEL WORTHWHILE AND LOVED.
AND, AND IT, IT, IT WAS JUST WONDERFUL.
AND SO I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU, NOT JUST TO GO OUT TO OWINGS MILLS, BUT TO REMEMBER WHILE WE GET CAUGHT UP IN ALL OF THE BUSINESS OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, JUST HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO SEE OUR SCHOOLS, TO ARTICULATE THE NEEDS OF OUR SCHOOLS AND THE THINGS THAT WE CAN REALLY DO TO, TO JUST BOOSTER WHAT IS GOING ON THERE, UM, AND BOLSTER AND JUST MAKE IT BETTER FOR OUR CHILDREN SO THEY FEEL GOOD.
SO I WANTED TO COME WITH GOOD NEWS TONIGHT AND THAT'S IT, BUT I'M JUST SO FULL.
SO I WANNA THANK THE SCHOOL BOARD, ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET OUT AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.
UM, THE ADMINISTRATION FOR BALTIMORE COUNTY SCHOOLS AND FACILITIES FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME SOMETIMES AND ALSO PUTTING UP WITH THE PTSA THAT IS HARD, BUT THEY ARE THERE AS YOUR ADVOCATE, SO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
AND NOW I'M GOING BACK TO MY MEETING.
[00:15:01]
HAVE A GOOD EVENING.THANK YOU DELEGATE PE OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS FROM PT COUNCIL BOMBER COUNTY, MS. LESLIE WEBER, WHO IS ALSO VIRTUAL.
GOOD EVENING, CHAIR LICHTER, VICE CHAIR HARVEY, BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS AND DR. ROGERS.
I'M LESLIE WEBER, PRESIDENT OF THE PTA COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE COUNTY.
UM, I WANNA GO OFF, OFF SCRIPT REAL QUICK JUST TO SAY THANK YOU, DELEGATE PASTOR FOR, UM, HIGHLIGHTING THE WORK OF THE WONDERFUL PTSA AT OWINGS MILLS HIGH SCHOOL.
I WAS, UM, HAPPY JUST TO HEAR THAT.
UM, SO BACK TO MY COMMENTS, UM, ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA, IN AN UPDATE ON THE BCPS CELL PHONE PILOT.
WE'RE GRATEFUL TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PARTNERSHIP, WHICH ADDRESSES THE CRITICAL NEED FOR RESPONSIBLE CELL PHONE USE IN OUR SCHOOLS.
ALL OF US STUDENTS, FAMILIES, STAFF, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS NEED TO BE PART OF THIS IMPORTANT EFFORT TO ADDRESS THE EFFECTS OF CELL PHONES AND SOCIAL MEDIA ON OUR CHILDREN'S HEALTH, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING AND ACADEMICS.
AT OUR JUNE 9TH LEADERSHIP TRAINING FOR NEW AND RETURNING PTA OFFICERS, WE'LL PRESENT ON EDUCATING PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS ON THE APPROPRIATE USE OF SMARTPHONE TECHNOLOGY.
THANKS TO OUR FAMILY SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR RAMONA BAIO FOR SPEARHEADING OUR RESPONSIBLE CELL PHONE USE CAMPAIGN OVER THE SUMMER, OUR MULTILINGUAL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP LED BY BCPS EDUCATOR, EDWIN PEREZ, WILL CONTINUE TO PLAN DROP-IN MEETINGS TO INFORM IMMIGRANT FAMILIES AND NEW AMERICANS ABOUT RIGHTS, COMMUNITY RESOURCES, AND STUDENT SUPPORTS.
WE'RE REACHING OUT TO CASA AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO BE A PART OF A RESOURCE PANEL.
PTA'S COUNCIL POLICY IS NOT TO COMMENT ON PERSONNEL AND BARGAINING UNIT MATTERS, BUT I WANNA SPEAK BROADLY ABOUT BUDGET CUTS AFFECTING TEACHER SALARIES AND THE STAFFING OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS AND SCHOOL COUNSELOR, DEPARTMENT CHAIR, COUNSELOR DEPARTMENT CHAIRS.
WE'RE IN A BUDGET CRISIS, BUT RETAINING OUR EDUCATORS AND KEY SUPPORT STAFF IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE.
WE ALSO HOPE THAT MUSIC AND ART CAN BE PROTECTED TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE IN THIS DIFFICULT FISCAL CLIMATE.
THESE CS STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ARE ROUTINELY RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR EXCELLENCE AND THEIR CONTINUED OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT DESERVES TO BE SUPPORTED.
OUR NEXT CATEGORY IS OUR UNIONS AND OUR SPEAKER IS LLOYD ALLEN REPRESENTING TAPCO.
CHAIR LICHTER, VICE CHAIR HARVEY, SUPERINTENDENT ROGERS AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
HE, HIM BRINGING GREETINGS FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TABCO.
PROMISES MADE SHOULD BE PROMISES KEPT.
WHEN THE THREE YEAR CONTRACT WAS ORIGINALLY PASSED, THERE WAS MUCH CELEBRATION.
THE THREE YEAR CONTRACT WAS A THREE YEAR PROMISE.
AS RECENTLY AS SUNDAY, PRESIDENT SEXTON HAD PLANNED TO BE HERE HERSELF.
HOWEVER, SHE IS OUT KNOCKING ON DOORS OF NORTHEAST VOTERS TO ASK THEM TO ASK FOR THE PROMISE TO BE KEPT.
COUNTY EXECUTIVE KLAUS MEYER HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN A CHAMPION FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.
TABCO HAS ENGAGED WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS THROUGH ITS MEMBERS, INCLUDING VISITING STATE LEGISLATORS IN ANNAPOLIS, WHERE OVER A BUSLOAD OF BALTIMORE COUNTY EDUCATORS SHARED STORIES ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE BUDGET AND THE BLUEPRINT ON THE STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOLS.
THROUGH MSEA AND BY MEMBER VISITS TO ANNAPOLIS, WE HELPED TO GET THE BLUEPRINT PASSED IN THE FIRST PLACE AND TO CONTINUE TO BE FUNDED IN THE CURRENT YEAR.
ADDITIONALLY, WE TESTIFIED AT MULTIPLE COUNTY COUNCIL TOWN HALL OPERATING BUDGET HEARINGS.
AT THE HEARINGS WE HEARD FROM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE ABOUT THE NINE UH, MILLION $460,061 FOR A TEACHER RETIREMENT THAT WAS SHIFTED FROM THE STATE TO THE COUNTY.
INDEED, TOGETHER WITH NON-PUBLIC PLACEMENT COMMUNITY COLLEGE RETIREMENT AND PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS, THE STATE APPEARS TO HAVE SHIFTED ALMOST $18 MILLION FOR TO THE COUNTY.
WHAT I DON'T REMEMBER HEARING AT THE HEARING WAS THAT ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT OFFSET BY THE $2.1 MILLION IN INCREASED REVENUE DUE TO INCOME TAX CHANGES, IT IS COVERED FIVE FOLD BY A $91 MILLION, 7.7% INCREASE IN STATE AID, INCLUDING AN 8.9% INCREASE IN STATE FUNDING OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THIS COVERS THE $55 MILLION NEEDED TO FUND THE FIVE NEGOTIATED AGREEMENTS.
WE'RE CONCERNED TO SEE REOPENING NEGOTIATIONS LISTED AS A COST SAVING MEASURE ON THE MARYLAND ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES IN THE SAME LIST AS REDUCING FUNDING FOR SUPPLIES BY ALMOST A QUARTER.
AS THAT LEVEL OF REDUCED FUNDING FOR SUPPLIES HAD BEEN IN THE ORIGINAL DRAFT BUDGET, TABCO THROUGH ITS MEMBERS WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR WORKING CONDITIONS, WHICH ARE THE LEARNING CONDITIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS, BREAKING THE PO PROMISE OF THE THREE-YEAR CONTRACT END DANGEROUS SHORT-TERM PROSPECTS FOR ATTENTION AND LONG TERM PROSPECTS
[00:20:01]
FOR RECRUITMENT.WE NEED BOTH TODAY'S AND TOMORROW'S COHORT OF EDUCATORS TO REMAIN INTACT SO THAT EDUCATORS CAN DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS THROUGH REASONABLE RATIOS AND SCHOOLS CAN SERVE STUDENTS' NEEDS, EDUCATIONAL AND OTHERWISE.
MAY WE RETURN ON JUNE 10TH TO CELEBRATE THE FULL FUNDING OF THE NEGOTIATED AGREEMENTS.
PLEASE KEEP THE PROMISE THAT WE MADE TO EACH OTHER THROUGH THE AGREEMENT THAT WE SIGNED WITH EACH OTHER BY FUNDING IT THROUGH YOUR BUDGET.
OUR NEXT CATEGORY IS NONPROFIT COMMUNITY GROUPS AND OUR SPEAKER IS JENNIFER GAN FROM THE STUDENT SUPPORT NETWORK.
SUPERINTENDENT ROGERS AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
I'M JENNIFER BERGENS AND I'M THE DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR FOR THE STUDENT SUPPORT NETWORK AND I'M ALSO THE MOM OF TWO BCPS STUDENTS.
THE STUDENT SUPPORT NETWORK IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION PROVIDING FOOD AND BASIC NECESSITIES FOR BCPS STUDENTS IN NEED.
THE STUDENT SUPPORT NETWORK PROVIDES ROOMS OF SUPPORT IN OUR 21 PARTNER SCHOOLS AND WE NOW HAVE A WAIT LIST OF 30 SCHOOLS.
THE ROOMS OF SUPPORT ARE SAFE HAVENS FOR STUDENT IN POVERTY, WHERE WE PROVIDE BASIC ITEMS FOR STUDENTS IN NEED, AS IDENTIFIED BY THE SCHOOL STAFF AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO IMPROVE A STUDENT'S ABILITY TO ATTEND AND PERSONALLY PARTICIPATE IN SCHOOL.
WE KNOW CHILDREN OF LOW INCOME FAMILIES FREQUENTLY LACK ADEQUATE CLOTHING, SHOES THAT FIT WINTER COATS, SCHOOL SUPPLIES, PERSONAL HYGIENE PRODUCTS, AND THE FOOD NEEDED TO CONCENTRATE AND SUCCEED IN SCHOOL.
THE NETWORK PROVIDES ALL OF THESE ITEMS AND MORE AND NO COST TO BCPS STUDENTS IN NEED.
WE KNOW HUNGER AND FOOD INSECURITY AFFECT CONCENTRATION AND BEHAVIOR, AND THEY PRESENT MAJOR CHALLENGES TO SUCCESSFUL ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE BECAUSE HUNGRY CHILDREN CANNOT LEARN.
WE PROVIDE FOOD INCLUDING SNACKS, WEEKEND FOOD BAGS, AND MAJOR FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS BEFORE THE SCHOOL BREAKS.
LAST YEAR WE SUPPORTED 15,000 BCPS STUDENTS IN OUR 21 NETWORK SCHOOLS WITH OVER 600 STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AS HOMELESS.
WE WORK AS A TEAM WITH OUR PARTNER BCPS SCHOOLS, AND WE ASSIST STUDENTS IN NEED BEYOND WHAT THE SCHOOL SCHOOLS ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE.
OUR WRAPAROUND SERVICES FOLLOW MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS LEARNING THEORY THAT A CHILD MUST FIRST HAVE FOOD, SHELTER, AND SAFETY IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO LEARN MEETING BASIC NEEDS, SUPPORTS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S QUANTITATIVE GOALS OF HIGHER ATTENDANCE TEST SCORES AND GRADUATION RATES.
FOR EXAMPLE, AMONG OUR FIVE PARTNER HIGH SCHOOLS WITH ROOMS OF SUPPORT IN THE PAST YEAR, THE GRADUATION RATE ROSE 3.9% WITH FOUR OF OUR FIVE SCHOOLS SHOWING AN INCREASE POVERTY AND BALTIMORE COUNTY IS STILL INCREASING.
AND A RECENT STUDY BY JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY REPORTED THAT ONE IN THREE BALTIMORE COUNTY CHILDREN ARE NOW EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY, WHICH IS A CHRONIC LACK OF ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS FOOD.
WE ARE WORKING IN UNCERTAIN TIMES.
WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER DURING AN ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING WHERE FUNDING SOURCES ARE CHANGING FOR BOTH THE SCHOOLS AND FOR THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR PARTNER NONPROFITS PROVIDING ESSENTIAL ITEMS STUDENTS NEED TO MAKE IT TO SCHOOL AND TO LEARN.
WE STRONGLY URGE TO ALLOCATE MORE FUNDING AND TO INCREASE FLEXIBILITY ON SPENDING FUNDS FOR IMMEDIATE NEEDS, ESPECIALLY IN COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.
AND WE HOPE YOU'LL CONSIDER STUDENT WRAPAROUND SERVICES IN BUDGETS AND AS FUTURE GRANT APPLICATIONS.
STUDENTS CANNOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL BCPS HAS TO OFFER WHEN THEIR BASIC NEEDS ARE NOT MET.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARIETTA ENGLISH FROM BALTIMORE COUNTY NAACP.
CHAIR LECTER, VICE CHAIR HARVEY, DR. ROGERS AND MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
I AM MARIETTA ENGLISH AND I CHAIR THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE AND THE AXO COMMITTEE FOR THE NAACP BALTIMORE COUNTY BRANCH.
TO PARAPHRASE THE CHARLES DICKEN PHRASE, IT IS THE BEST OF TIMES AND THE WORST OF TIMES, THE BEST OF TIMES BECAUSE BALTIMORE COUNTY HAS MADE GREAT IMPROVEMENTS ACADEMICALLY WITH THE MOST FIVE STAR SCHOOLS IN THE STATE.
[00:25:01]
SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS, AS YOU HEARD, DELEGATE, UM, HAS SURE SAY ABOUT OWINGS MILLS.THE, UH, I'VE GONE TO CARVER, IT'S GREAT.
SO WE, THE SUP, WHAT'S GOING ON IN BALTIMORE COUNTY IS THE IMPROVEMENT AS WE ARE MOVING FORWARD.
THE NATIONAL CLIMATE IS NOT SUPPORTING THE IMPROVEMENTS IN EDUCATION, CLOSING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND CUTTING FUNDING FOR EDUCATION, ESPECIALLY SPECIAL EDUCATION AND PROGRAMS FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION.
THEREFORE, IT BECOMES THE WORST OF TIMES.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK DR. ROGERS AND THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE AXO PROGRAM.
BECAUSE OF YOUR SUPPORT, WE HAVE HELPED, YOU'VE HELPED US DEVELOP LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE EIGHT GOING TO THE NATIONAL EIGHT GOLD MEDAL WINNERS.
I HOPE YOU WILL CONTINUE TO FUND THIS PROGRAM.
EVEN THOUGH THESE ARE HARD TIMES, DR. ROGERS AND THIS AND BOARD, I AM SO PROUD OF OUR PARTNERSHIP.
WE ARE PROUD OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
NAOMI MUST WORK TOGETHER TO COMBAT THESE CUTS AND CHALLENGES, THE NEED TO SUPPORT THE LABOR CONTRACTS AND THE EDUCATION WORKERS AND HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO SUPPORT THE BOARD IN OUR EDUCATION PER PERSONNEL IN THIS CLIMATE OF SLASH AND CUTS.
AS A FORMER UNION LEADER, I HAVE FACED THESE CHALLENGES AND I FEEL THAT IF WE WORK TOGETHER, WE CAN OVERCOME AND CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
I AM WILLING TO WORK WITH YOU IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
OUR NEXT CATEGORY IS INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS OR STUDENTS, AND OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS KYLE POTTER, WHO I THINK IS VIRTUAL.
UH, GOOD EVENING, UH, BOARD MEMBERS, DR. ROGERS.
I'M A LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST IN PRIVATE PRACTICE HERE IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, AS WELL AS A CERTIFIED SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST WORKING THANKFULLY FOR ANOTHER SCHOOL SYSTEM.
I HAVE A CHILD THAT IS A BPS STUDENT AND I HAVE ANOTHER IN KINDERGARTEN.
UH, NEXT YEAR I'M SPEAKING TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE CUTS TO SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST POSITIONS IN BCPS AND HOW HARMFUL THAT DECISION IS AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE.
I DECIDED TO TESTIFY AT THE BOARD TONIGHT BECAUSE DESPITE EMAILING EVERY PERSON AT YOUR TABLE BACK IN MARCH AND THEN FOLLOWING UP WITH THREE MORE EMAILS AND A PHONE CALL TO MY OWN REPRESENTATIVE, MS. HARVEY DIRECTLY, I'VE GOTTEN ZERO RESPONSES.
THIS IS A BEHAVIOR THAT I CAN ONLY SURMISE IS INTENTIONAL SINCE THE ONLY MEANINGFUL PUBLIC STATEMENT THAT I'VE HEARD ANY OF YOU MAKE ABOUT THIS WAS A REALLY, UH, FECKLESS PRE-WRITTEN STATEMENT READ BY THE BOARD CHAIR AT THE LAST BUSINESS MEETING.
WITH THAT OUTTA THE WAY, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ACTUAL CUTS FIRST, THE DECISION WAS MADE WITHOUT TALKING TO EVEN ONE APPROPRIATE STAKEHOLDER.
NO PSYCHOLOGISTS OR PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATORS WERE CONSULTED.
INSTEAD, THE DECISION WAS MADE IN THE IVORY TOWER BY PEOPLE THAT I WOULD BET DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT A SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST ACTUALLY DOES OR KNOW HOW THEIR WORK IMPACTS STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND SCHOOLS.
WITHOUT THIS PROPER CONSULTATION, THERE IS NO CHANCE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS WILL DO.
YOU WILL BE OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH STATE AND FEDERALLY MANDATED SPECIAL EDUCATION 5 0 4 TIMELINES.
THERE WILL BE EVALUATIONS AND IEPT MEETINGS THAT WON'T BE COVERED AND STUDENTS WILL BE TOLD THEY NEED TO WAIT UNTIL THE FALL FOR THEIR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
HOPEFULLY, OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES CAN HOLD ONTO THEIR PROBLEMS AND CONCERNS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2ND.
YOUR TREATMENT OF YOUR OWN STAFF IS DEPLORABLE.
THE PSYCHOLOGIST FOUND OUT ABOUT THEIR POSITIONS BEING CUT.
98 INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE DURING A 15 MINUTE STAFF MEETING, THEIR SUPERVISORS FOUND OUT ONLY A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THEY DID.
THIS WAS DONE IN A WAY THAT WAS COMPLETELY DEVOID OF ANY EMPATHY FOR STAFF WHO WERE ABOUT TO HAVE THEIR SALARIES CUT BY 10 TO 20%.
THEY WERE TOLD SO LATE IN THE YEAR THAT THE HIRING SEASON IS BASICALLY DONE AND THEY HAVE VERY FEW OPTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR.
NOW TO WORRY THOUGH, BCPS WILL UNDOUBTEDLY EXPERIENCE OF MASS EXODUS WITH PSYCHOLOGISTS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AS THEY MOVE ON TO OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEMS WHERE THEY WILL BE TREATED WITH RESPECT AND PAID THE SALARY THEY'VE EARNED.
FURTHER, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FILL THOSE NEWLY OPEN POSITIONS BECAUSE PROSPECTIVE STAFF HAVE NOW SEEN HOW YOU TREAT YOUR CURRENT STAFF AND HOW LITTLE YOU WANNA PAY THEM.
STARTING SALARY FOR BCPS PSYCHOLOGISTS IS NOW GOING TO BE $17,000 LOWER THAN CARROLL COUNTY, $21,000 LOWER THAN HOWARD COUNTY AND $23,000 LOWER THAN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY.
LASTLY, FOR TONIGHT, THE THE TOTAL COST SAVINGS OF THIS DECISION IS REALLY AN INSIGNIFICANT TO BCPS.
THE TOTAL SAVED BY CUTTING THESE POSITIONS IS $1.8 MILLION OR 0.06% OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
IN CLOSING, YOU ALL HAVE MADE A REALLY HORRIBLE DECISION THAT WILL HAVE LASTING IMPACTS ON STAFF AND STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
YOU MADE IT WITHOUT PROPER INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS AND TO TOP IT OFF, YOU COMMUNICATED IT IN THE CRUELEST POSSIBLE WAY.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO FIX IT.
IT'S OKAY TO ADMIT THAT YOU MADE A MISTAKE AND CHANGE COURSE, AND I HOPE FOR THE SAKE OF OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM YOU DO.
[00:30:04]
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SCOTT DERITE.SUPERINTENDENT ROGERS MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND COMMUNITY.
MY NAME IS SCOTT CATTERIES AND I'VE BEEN A BALTIMORE COUNTY TEACHER FOR 26 YEARS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE BUDGET CRISIS FACING ALL LOCAL DISTRICTS DUE TO THE MARYLAND BLUEPRINT, BUT A DEAL IS A DEAL.
THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TABCO AND BCPS LEADERSHIP CELEBRATED THE TEACHER RAISES IN SALARY COMPRESSION LAST ELECTION YEAR, ALL RECEIVED GOOD PRESS AND CITED THE BCPS TEACHERS WOULD BE SOME OF THE BEST COMPENSATED IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND ACCORDING TO PUBLIC RECORD.
DESPITE A DIFFICULT ECONOMIC FORECAST THIS YEAR, THE BOARD APPROVED A $21,700 RAISE FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT.
ADDITIONALLY, THE CHIEF OF STAFF RECEIVED A $25,000 RAISE AND THE CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER RECEIVED A $21,000 RAISE.
THE AVERAGE CENTRAL OFFICE RAISE WAS 5.1%, BUT THE AVERAGE TEACHER RAISE WAS 2.7%.
DO YOU BELIEVE IT IS EQUITABLE THAT THESE SIGNIFICANT RAISES WERE GIVEN WHEN POSITIONS AND RESOURCES WERE CUT AND SALARY RAISES ARE SET TO BE RENEGOTIATED IN 2021.
THE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY REPORT BY PUBLIC WORKS LLC INDICATED THAT STAKEHOLDERS LACK CONFIDENCE AND TRUST IN BCPS BUDGETING AND FINANCE REPORTING.
IT SUGGESTED A REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF EXECUTIVES FROM 11 TO SEVEN, WHICH BCPS DID AND OFTEN SITES, HOWEVER, A CLOSER LOOK REVEALS THAT BPS HAS MORE MID AND HIGH LEVEL ADMINISTRATORS THAN SIMILARLY SIZED COUNTIES.
IN 2023, ACCORDING TO M-S-D-E-B-P-S HAD THE FEWEST SUPERINTENDENTS AT SEVEN, BUT THE MOST DIRECTORS, COORDINATORS AND SUPERVISORS AT 334 BY COMPARISON, MONTGOMERY COUNTY WITH 160,000 STUDENTS HAD 249.
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY WITH 131 STUDENTS HAD 162 EXECUTIVES.
PUBLIC WORKS ALSO REPORTED THAT BCPS HAS A PRACTICE OF EMPLOYING INDIVIDUALS TO HIGH LEVEL LEADERSHIP POSITIONS WHO ARE NOT HIGHLY QUALIFIED OR WITH DIRECT EXPERIENCE IN THAT SPECIALTY AREA.
CHANGING THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE IS ONLY EFFICIENT IF THE PERCENTAGE OF MONEY SPENT ON EXECUTIVES DECREASES TITLE CHANGES.
BUT EXECUTIVES TITLES CHANGE, BUT EXECUTIVE SALARY EXPENDITURES DO NOT.
THE 2024 MSD REPORT CARD FOR BCPS INDICATED THAT ONLY 5% OF STUDENTS IN SEVENTH GRADE AND UM, 15.1% OF STUDENTS IN ALGEBRA ONE WERE PROFICIENT.
IN FAIRNESS, THESE WERE INCREASES.
IT IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND THOUGH HOW THE BOARD CITED SYSTEM PERFORMANCE AS THE RATIONALE FOR THE RAISE GIVEN TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.
THE WAY TO INCREASE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IS TO HIRE AND RETAIN HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS.
IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT DESERVES A RAISE, WHAT DOES IT SAY TO RENEGOTIATE TEACHER RAISES NEWS WAS THE NEWS THAT WAS GIVEN NO LESS.
DURING TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK, PUBLIC WORKS FOUND LOW EMPLOYEE MORALE AND HIGH EMPLOYEE TURNOVER.
FOR YEARS AT BCPS, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT BCPS ADDRESSED THE SALARY DISPARITY WITH NEIGHBORING SCHOOLS.
RENEGOTIATING LEAVES THE DISPARITY AND FURTHER WEAKENS MORALE.
60% OF NEW TEACHERS HIRED BY BPS THIS YEAR WERE PROVISIONALLY CERTIFIED.
TEACHERS REGULARLY WORK BECOME CONTRACTUAL TIME WITHOUT COMPENSATION.
WE UNDERSTAND CARING AND KINDNESS CAN BE EXPLOITED, BUT STUDENTS ARE OUR PRIORITY.
SO WE DO, WE DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SHENAE HERBECK.
MY NAME IS SEAN HERBECK AND I'VE BEEN A SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST FOR 32 YEARS.
MY CAREER HAS TAKEN ME THROUGH HOSPITAL'S, PRIVATE PRACTICE AND EDUCATION.
I'VE RUN A DEPARTMENT AT JOHNS HOPKINS, TREATED A STROKE PATIENT IN SWITZERLAND AND BUILT MY OWN BUSINESS.
I JOINED BCPS AT THE AS THE SLP AT COCKEYSVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL, DRAWN BY THE PROMISE OF SHORTER DAYS, DUTY DAYS, BUILT IN VACATIONS AND SUMMERS OFF SOMETHING I NEEDED FOR MY FAMILY.
BUT THAT PROMISE OF BALANCE TURNED OUT TO BE AN ILLUSION.
THIS HAS BEEN THE HARDEST YEAR OF MY CAREER.
I SPENT THE FIRST MONTHS CRYING IN THE SCHOOL HALLWAYS, SOBBING ON MY COMMUTE HOME AND DREADING EACH MORNING.
I DIDN'T WANNA GIVE UP, SO I KEPT PUSHING.
I TOLD MYSELF IT WOULD GET BETTER, BUT EVEN NOW, NEARLY AT THE END OF THE YEAR, IT STILL FEELS IMPOSSIBLE.
BY NOVEMBER, I WAS PRESCRIBED MEDICATION JUST TO GET THROUGH THE WORKDAY.
MY DOCTOR AND THERAPIST BOTH WERE HESITANT.
NOTHING ELSE IN MY LIFE WARRANTED MEDICATION EXCEPT TO DO THIS JOB.
THAT'S HOW MUCH THIS JOB TOOK FROM ME.
I WORK MOST EVENINGS AND NEARLY EVERY WEEKEND, ALL UNPAID.
I'VE HAD TO PUT MY PRIVATE PRACTICE ON HOLD.
[00:35:01]
MY FAMILY, AND MY FRIENDSHIPS HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT, BUT I KNOW I'M NOT ALONE.I'M SPEAKING TONIGHT ON BEHALF OF SLPS ACROSS THE COUNTY.
BECAUSE MY EXPERIENCE IS NOT UNIQUE, THE WORKLOAD IS SIMPLY UNSUSTAINABLE.
CASELOADS RANGE FROM 60 TO A HUNDRED STUDENTS.
WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR EACH STUDENT'S IEP MEETINGS.
SOME WEEKS I HAVE OVER 10 HOURS OF MEETINGS.
WE NEED TO MAKE UP MISSED MINUTES DUE TO IEP MEETINGS, PERSONAL OR SICK LEAVE.
WE SCORE, ANALYZE AND WRITE COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT REPORTS, WHICH CAN TAKE THREE TO SIX HOURS EACH.
WE DOCUMENT DAILY NOTES FOR 20 TO 30 STUDENTS AND ARE EXPECTED TO DO ALL OF THIS PLUS PLAN INDIVIDUALIZED GROUP SESSIONS WITH JUST ONE HOUR OF PLANNING AND DOCU DOCUMENTATION TIME A DAY.
THIS IS DRIVING EXPERIENCED CLINICIANS OUT OF BCPS AND DETERRING NEW APPLICANTS.
JUST TODAY I HEARD ABOUT AN SLP WHO LEFT THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS FOR A PRIVATE JOB WORKING THREE DAYS A WEEK FOR TWICE THE PAY AND WHO COULD BLAME THEM? NO ONE WANTS TO WORK UNDER THESE CONDITIONS.
BURNOUT ISN'T A PERSONAL FAILURE, IT'S A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM.
THE SYSTEM HAS SET US UP FOR FAILURE AND EVERY DAY I TRY TO MAKE AN IMPOSSIBLE JOB WORK WHEN DOZENS OF HIGHLY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS ARE EXHAUSTED AND WALKING AWAY.
IT'S NOT WEAKNESS, IT'S A SIGN THAT THE STRUCTURES BROKEN.
WE'RE ASKING THE BOARD TO TAKE ACTION.
CONSIDER CASELOAD CAPS, IMPLEMENT WORKLOAD BASED STAFFING MODELS, PRO PROVIDE PROTECTIVE TIME FOR PLANNING AND DOCUMENTATION WITHIN THE DUTY DAY.
PLEASE HEAR OUR VOICES SUPPORT YOUR SOPS SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GAIL VANDER.
MY NAME IS GAIL VANDERBEEK AND I'M ALSO A SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST.
CURRENTLY WORKING AT GUNPOWDER AND VICTORY VILLA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
MAY'S DESIGNATED IS BETTER HEARING AND SPEECH MONTH AND I FEEL THE NEED TO ADVOCATE FOR MY STUDENTS AND COLLEAGUES DURING THIS MONTH.
SET ASIDE TO HIGHLIGHT COMMUNICATION SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS DO NOT JUST HELP PEOPLE SAY THEIR S AND R SOUNDS.
WE SUPPORT LANGUAGE, STUTTERING, VOICE, SOCIAL SKILLS, AND OTHER AREAS OF COMMUNICATION, AND THIS IMPACTS OUR STUDENTS' ABILITIES TO COMMUNICATE AND LEARN.
MORE THAN 10% OF PRIMARY AGE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED WITH SPEECH LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENTS.
THIS HAS BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING YEAR IN MY 33 YEAR CAREER.
AFTER WORKING AS A CONTRACTUAL SLP AT MANY BALTIMORE COUNTY SCHOOLS AND OTHER SETTINGS, 14 YEARS AGO, I DECIDED I WANTED TO WORK FULL-TIME FOR BCPS LAST SPRING, I WAS INFORMED THAT I WOULD NOW BE SPLIT BETWEEN TWO SCHOOLS.
I AM NOW STRETCHED BETWEEN TWO SCHOOLS WITH A MUCH HIGHER CASELOAD AND I STRUGGLE TO ADEQUATELY SERVE MY STUDENTS AND I AM NOT ALONE.
IN A PREVIOUS MEETING, YOU WERE TOLD THAT THERE IS A NATIONWIDE CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS.
WE APPRECIATE THAT YOU WERE TOLD HOW MUCH WE CARE ABOUT OUR STUDENTS AND HOW FLEXIBLE WE HAVE BEEN, BUT THE WORKLOAD THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN IS NOT MANAGEABLE AND THE CONDITIONS WE ARE WORKING UNDER WILL NOT KEEP OR ATTRACT SKILLED SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS.
AS A RESULT, OUR STUDENTS ARE MISSING LEGALLY MANDATED THERAPY AND CONSULTATIVE SERVICES.
WHILE WE ARE ALSO ASKED TO ASSESS CASE MANAGE, ATTEND IEP TEAMS AND DOCUMENT OUR SERVICES APPROPRIATELY, PARENTS ARE COMPLAINING TO SCHOOLS AND TO MSDE.
LAST YEAR WE LEARNED THAT BALTIMORE COUNTY HAD ENDED MOST, IF NOT ALL IN-PERSON SLB CONTRACTS AND MOVED TO A VIRTUAL CONTRACTUAL MODEL TO SUPPLEMENT BCPS EMPLOYEES.
MANY SCHOOLS NOW HAVE VIRTUAL PROVIDERS SERVICING MANY OF OUR STUDENTS, AND WHILE RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT THIS CAN BE AN EFFECTIVE SERVICE MODEL, THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS WITH HOW THIS HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN THE COUNTY.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE SLP EDUCATORS COUNCIL, WHICH HAS BEEN WORKING WITH TABCO TO TRY TO SOLVE THE MANY ISSUES IN DELIVERING SPEECH LANGUAGE AND OTHER RELATED SERVICES TO OUR STUDENTS.
ACCORDING TO OUR NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, ASHA, THE NATIONAL AVERAGE CASELOAD IS 50 STUDENTS WITH A MANAGEABLE CASELOAD SIZE OF 40 WITH TAB CO'S HELP.
WE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF OUR CASELOADS EARLIER THIS YEAR.
IT REVEALED THAT 62% OF OUR SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS HAVE CASELOADS OF 61 TO 100 STUDENTS, AND 95% INDICATED THAT THEY WERE NOT SATISFIED IN THEIR JOBS.
SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE DOUBLED THEIR CASELOADS THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
THE SLPS OF BALTIMORE COUNTY ARE TIRED AND FRUSTRATED.
WE HAVE TRIED TO WORK WITH OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND WITH TABCO FOR SUPPORT AND RELIEF AND HAD HOPED FOR AN IMPROVEMENT IN WORKLOADS IN THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
MANY OF US DO NOT SEE THAT IN OUR NEW ASSIGNMENTS AND ALLOCATIONS FOR NEXT YEAR.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH TABCO TO DEVELOP AN MOU TO HELP PROVIDE US WITH MANAGEABLE WORKLOADS.
WE ASK THAT THE BOARD PROVIDE THE SUPPORT WE NEED TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS, CAP OUR CASELOADS, KEEP CURRENT SLPS FROM MOVING TO NEW POSITIONS AND ATTRACT MORE HIGHLY QUALIFIED SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS TO BALTIMORE COUNTY.
[00:40:01]
YOUR CONSIDERATION AND HAPPY BETTER HEARING AND SPEECH MONTH.WE DID HAVE ONE, UM, INDIVIDUAL, UM, THAT WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND WHO HAD BEEN SELECTED.
SO FROM THE WAIT LIST, THE FIRST PERSON TO SIGN UP IS MS. SHARON SOFF.
I'M GONNA DO A LITTLE BIT OF AN ECHO CONCERNING THE SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPIST CONCERNING THE SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST CONCERNING THE FACT THAT THIS COUNTY IS SIGNIFICANTLY OUT OF COMPLIANCE RIGHT NOW AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE OUT OF COMPLIANCE EVEN MORE IF WE CONTINUE.
I HAVE STUDENTS WHOSE TIMELINES ARE THREE AND FOUR MONTHS BEHIND THE TYPICAL TIMELINE FOR DOING AN ASSESSMENT TO QUALIFY A STUDENT ON AN IEP IS 60 DAYS.
WE MAKE UP THE RULES AS WE GO ALONG, WHICH IS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BALTIMORE COUNTY.
I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO GO TO COMPLIANCE TO ASK FOR THE ENOUGH PERSONNEL STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT AN IEP IS IN COMPLIANCE.
IF YOU TAKE SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS OUT OF THE PICTURE FOR THE SUMMER, YOU'RE GONNA WIDEN THOSE TIMELINES.
I HAVE SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS THAT ARE NOT WILLING TO DO MORE TESTING IF IT'S GONNA TAKE THEM OVER THE SUMMER WHEN THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEIR CONTRACT WAS CUT.
YOU ARE OUT OF COMPLIANCE WHEN YOU HAVE STUDENTS WHO HAVE NO SERVICES FOR AN ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR.
I HAVE THREE STUDENTS ON MY CASELOAD RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE NO, HAVE NOT RECEIVED SPEECH AND LANGUAGE SERVICES FOR AN ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR.
YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE OF HOW YOU'RE TREATING THOSE PEOPLE IN THE BACK THERE, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS OUT OF COMPLIANCE.
I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SAY THAT MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT I HAVE BEEN HERE IN FRONT OF YOU MULTIPLE TIMES THE SCHOOL YEAR AND I FEEL LIKE I'M TALKING TO A BRICK WALL BECAUSE NOTHING IS BEING DONE TO FIX IT.
WE NEED TO KEEP THOSE CONTRACTS FOR THESE PEOPLE SO WE CAN KEEP THE VERY WELL-TRAINED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SITTING BEHIND ME WHO WE, SO WE CAN KEEP THOSE SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS AND GET BACK IN COMPLIANCE.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMENT ON BOARD POLICY 64 0 1 AND THEN 6,500 FOR 64 0 1.
THE FIRST PERSON TO COMMENT IS, UM, DR.
I'M RECOVERING FROM FLU, SO MY VOICE.
OKAY, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN HEAR ME.
THE FIRST POLICY IS 64 0 1, PAGE TWO, LINE ONE AND FOUR.
UH, BASICALLY TALKS ABOUT DISABILITY, GENDER, ETHNICITY.
I, I DON'T HAVE REALLY WITH ALL OF THEM EXCEPT ONE AND THAT ONE IS THE ONE ABOUT MULTILINGUAL, UM, STATUS.
AND I REALLY WANT TO THROW THIS IDEA FOR YOU.
WHAT DOES MULTILINGUAL MEAN IN A POLICY LIKE THIS? I REALLY DON'T KNOW NOW HOW FAR YOU WOULD ACCOMMODATE A CHILD THAT IS SPEAKING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND NOW, UH, COME IN AS ILLEGAL OR LEGAL RESIDENT AND WANTS TO LEARN IN AN ENGLISH SCHOOL LIKE OURS.
I WOULD SUPPOSE KNOWING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM MAY ATTENDING FOR SO MANY DECADES THAT YOU PROBABLY WILL HIRE SPECIAL EDUCATORS, BILINGUAL TEACHERS, SPEND
[00:45:01]
EXTRA EFFORT, ET CETERA, AND THAT REALLY COST MONEY.THE WAY I LOOK AT ENGLISH, ESPECIALLY AS AN IMMIGRANT 51 YEARS BEFORE I CAME HERE TO BALTIMORE, IS IT'S ABOUT IDENTITY.
OKAY? SO WHEN I GREW UP IN, IN SYRIA, I LEARNED ENGLISH FROM THIRD GRADE ON MY OWN AND NOBODY REALLY HAD TO PUSH ME OUT AND THE CULTURE BASICALLY PERMEATES IN.
SO WHEN I IMMIGRATED, BASICALLY IT WAS RELATIVELY EASY.
UM, ENGLISHNESS AND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SHOULD BE THE FOCUS OF STUDENTS IN THIS SYSTEM BECAUSE IF WE TAKE CARE OF BILINGUAL TOO MUCH, THERE WOULD BE LITTLE INCENTIVE FOR THEM TO LEARN ENGLISH OR TO PRONOUNCE ENGLISH THE RIGHT WAY, THE UNDERSTANDABLE WAY.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE IMMIGRANTS, UH, THEIR KIDS AND THEM THEMSELVES, YOU REALLY CAN'T UNDERSTAND THEM.
AND OFTENTIMES THEIR ALLEGIANCE IS NOT REALLY WITH THE UNITED STATES OR PARTIALLY IS NOT WITH THE UNITED STATES.
AS I TOLD YOU EVER IN MY CAREER WITH YOU, I DON'T BELIEVE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO SOLVE EVERY SOCIAL PROBLEM.
YOU REALLY DON'T NEED IT THERE.
I RECOMMEND THAT YOU WOULD NOT REALLY PUT THE MULTILINGUAL TWO WORDS IN THAT SENTENCE.
WE HAVE OTHER SPEAKERS FOR THAT SAME POLICY.
ALRIGHT, SO ARE YOU? WELL, NO.
ARE YOU FINISHED FOR 64 0 1? YEAH, I'M FINISHED.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER FOR 64 0 1 IS SHARON SOFF.
I READ THIS POLICY THROUGH TWICE AND A COUPLE OF THINGS STAND OUT TO ME THAT I THINK NEED TO BE CLARIFIED.
DOUBLE DOWN ON WHATEVER YOU WANNA REFER TO IT AS.
TEACHERS OF STUDENTS WHO ARE GIFTED NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF IT'S SOMETHING WRITTEN IN A POLICY, THEY NEED TO FOLLOW IT.
AN ADMINISTRATOR NEEDS TO KNOW THAT AS WELL.
IT SAYS IN YOUR POLICY THAT STUDENTS WHO HAVE, UH, DISABILITY OR SPECIAL EDUCATION STATUS WILL NOT BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST.
I SEE THAT HUNDREDS OF TIMES, INCLUDING WITH MY OWN TWO CHILDREN.
THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED TWICE EXCEPTIONAL.
NO, IT'S NOT A CATEGORY AN IDEA, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE.
KIDS WITH DISABILITIES CAN BE GIFTED.
TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS NEED TO KNOW THAT AND IT NEEDS TO BE PROMINENT IN YOUR POLICY.
IT NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THAT YOU TRAIN YOUR TEACHERS ON AND YOU DON'T OFFER THEM THAT TRAINING.
YOU PROVIDE IT AND MAKE SURE IT'S REQUIRED AND THAT, AGAIN, SHOULD BE IN THE POLICY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF KIDS WHO HAVE SPECIAL EDUCATION CONCERNS AND ACCORDING TO FEDERAL LAW, THEY ARE ALSO ALLOWED TO BE IN GIFTED CLASSES AND BECAUSE OF THEIR SPECIAL EDUCATION STATUS, THEY AREN'T IN IT.
AND THERE ARE TEACHERS WHO LITERALLY PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING.
SO THAT NEEDS TO BE IN YOUR POLICY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER FOR POLICY 64 0 1 IS JAMIE SCOTT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ASHLEY CUNNINGHAM.
OKAY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO POLICY 6,500 RESEARCH AND ASSESSMENT.
FARONE, MADAM CHAIR BOARD MEMBERS, THIS IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST IN MY HISTORY WITH THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
I HONESTLY COULD NOT FIND ONE THING WRONG WITH IT
[00:50:01]
AND I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY TO YOUFARONE, OUR NEXT SPEAKER ON POLICY 6,500.
UM, AGAIN, JAMIE SCOTT, KATHLEEN MCDERMOTT.
I THINK THAT PERSON'S VIRTUAL.
[G. UNFINISHED BUSINESS - BOARD POLICIES (Ms. Pumphrey) (7:30 - 7:45 p.m.)]
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS UNFINISHED BUSINESS REPORT ON BOARD POLICIES.THIS IS THE SECOND READER FOR THESE POLICIES AND I THINK I'M CALLING ON MS. HARVEY.
UM, MS. HARVEY OR THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR ON BEHALF OF CHAIR EY, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, THE POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE ASK THAT THE BOARD ACCEPT THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION TO AMEND THE FOLLOWING BOARD POLICIES, BOARD POLICY 1240 VISITORS TO SCHOOLS AND OFFICE BUILDINGS.
BOARD POLICY 40 0 2 OBLIGATIONS OF EMPLOYEES OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF BALTIMORE COUNTY BOARD POLICY 40 10 NEPOTISM, BOARD POLICY 63 0 4 COMMEMORATIONS AND OBSERVANCES AND BOARD POLICY 63 0 7 PATRIOTIC EXERCISES.
THESE POLICIES ARE PRESENTED TO YOU ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA AS EXHIBITS G ONE THROUGH G FIVE.
BOARD MEMBERS, ARE THERE ANY SEPARATIONS REQUESTED? OKAY.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD POLICIES REVIEW COMMITTEE FOR BOARD POLICIES? 1240 4,000 2, 40 10 63 0 4 AND 63 0 7.
SINCE THE RECOMMENDATION COMES FROM THE COMMITTEE, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL? VOTE PLEASE.
[H. NEW BUSINESS - ACTION TAKEN IN CLOSED SESSION (Board Counsel) (7:45 - 7:50 p.m.)]
ON THE AGENDA IS ACTION TAKEN IN CLOSED SESSION.AND FOR THAT I CALL ON MR. BURNS.
GOOD EVENING, CHAIR LICHTER, VICE CHAIR HARVEY.
DR. ROGERS MEMBERS OF THE BOARD EARLIER THIS EVENING, ENCLOSED SESSION YOU CONSIDERED AND TOOK ACTION ON TWO, UH, APPEAL CASES, ONE HEA 25 DASH 0 22 AND THE OTHER HEA 25 DASH 0 24.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ACTION TAKEN ENCLOSED SESSION ON HEARING EXAMINER'S CASE HEA 25 DASH 22 AND AUTHORIZE MS. GOR TO SIGN FOR THOSE BOARD MEMBERS NOT PHYSICALLY PRESENT? SO MOVED.
ANY DISCUSSION? MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL? VOTE PLEASE.
THE NEXT NEXT MAY HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ACTION TAKEN ENCLOSED SESSION ON HEARING EXAMINER CASE HEA 25 DASH OH 24 AND AUTHORIZE MS. GOR TO SIGN FOR THOSE BOARD MEMBERS NOT PHYSICALLY PRESENT.
MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND SAVOY.
ANY DISCUSSION? MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL? VOTE PLEASE.
[I. NEW BUSINESS - OFFICE OF INTERNAL AUDIT WORKPLAN FY2026 (Ms. Booker-Dwyer) (7:50 - 8:00 p.m.)]
ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS CONSIDERATION OF THE FY 2026 INTERNAL AUDIT WORK PLAN.AND FOR THAT I CALL ON MS. BOOKER DWYER.
AND SO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, WHICH CONSISTS OF MS. ONG, MS. HARVEY, MR. MCMILLION AND MR. YOUNG HAD THE OPPORTUNITY IN MARCH TO REVIEW THE WORK PLAN THAT WAS PRESENTED BY THE, UM, AUDIT TEAM LED BY MS. BARR.
AND, UM, IN APRIL, THE COMMITTEE, UH, UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE WORK PLAN TO BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION, UM, TO, FOR APPROVAL.
[00:55:01]
YOU NOTICE, THE WORK PLAN IS HEAVILY FOCUSED ON PAYROLL AND STUDENT ACTIVITY FUNDS.AND SO, UM, WE WOULD LIKE, AND MS. BARR IS PRESENT IF THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORK PLAN, BUT WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE, UM, MS. BARR AND HER TEAM AND THIS INTENTIONAL FOCUS ON PAYROLL, UM, STUDENT ACTIVITY FUNDS AND THINGS THAT ARE, UM, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON, UM, THE FINANCES OF BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND SO AT THIS TIME, THE COMMITTEE WOULD, UM, WOULD REQUEST THAT THE BOARD APPROVES THE FY 26 WORK PLAN.
AND AS I SAID, MS. BARR IS AVAILABLE IF BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
MS. BOOKER DWYER, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE FY 2026 INTERNAL AUDIT WORK PLAN? SO MOVED FROM PONG.
MAY I, DO I NEED A SECOND? SINCE IT WAS A RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD? NO.
UM, ANY DISCUSSION? ANY QUESTIONS? MS. HEN I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MS. BARR.
IS MS. BARR, ARE YOU ON THE LINE? SHE'S HERE.
AND I BELIEVE MY QUESTION IS FOR, FOR MS. FARR OR OTHER, UM, STAFF.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, AS MS. BOGGER DWYER SAID, UM, SCHOOL ACTIVITY FUNDS IS A, UM, SIGNIFICANT PORTION OR FOCUS OF THE WORK PLAN.
DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE BCPS BUDGET, UM, SCHOOL ACTIVITY FUNDS ENCOMPASSES SCHOOL ACTIVITY? FUNDS ARE NOT PART OF THE BCPS BUDGET.
THEY'RE A FIDUCIARY FUND AND THEY'RE SEPARATE FROM THE OPERATING BUDGET.
DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE, IF WE WERE TO INCLUDE THOSE IN THE OVERALL BUDGET, UM, OPERATING WHAT PERCENTAGE? I WOULDN'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT IT WOULD BE, UM, A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE.
UM, THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE THE PUBLIC WORKS EFFICIENCY REPORT CITED THE SCHOOL ACTIVITY FUNDS SPECIFICALLY IN THEIR RECOMMENDATION THAT, UM, THE OFFICE OF INTERNAL AUDIT FOCUSES ON LOW RISK INVESTIGATIONS AND DOES NOT PRIORITIZE HIGH RISK THREATS TO THE SCHOOL SCHOOL SYSTEM.
UM, IN FY 21, WHICH IS SOMEWHAT DATED, UM, THEY CITE SCHOOL ACTIVITY FUNDS REPRESENTING 0.7, 0.7% OF THE FY 21 OPERATING BUDGET, YET RECEIVE 28% OF THE ALLOTTED HOURS FOR INTERNAL AUDIT STAFF.
AND THEY RECOMMEND THAT INTERNAL AUDIT FOCUS ON MORE SIGNIFICANT, UM, ITEMS, UM, IN REGARDS TO FINANCIAL IMPACT.
UM, AND I'M AGAIN READING FROM THAT.
SO THEY RECOMMEND THAT THE INTERNAL AUDIT DEPARTMENT USE SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF ITS RESOURCES, UM, TOWARDS THOSE HIGH DOLLAR AMOUNT ITEMS. SO DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW WHAT PORTION OF THE HOURS OF YOUR TEAM ARE ALLOCATED TOWARDS SCHOOL ACTIVITY FUNDS IN THIS WORK PLAN? MM-HMM
SO MOST OF THE SCHOOL ACTIVITY FUND RELATED AUDITS WILL BE, UH, WILL BE USING DATA ANALYTICS, ESPECIALLY FOR THE THREE YEAR, UM, CASH ANALYSIS AND LOOKING AT THE, UH, ACCOUNTS THROUGH THE, UM, SFO FOR SCHOOL ACTIVITY FUNDS.
SO WHEN WE DO DATA ANALYTICS, THAT IS NOT AS MUCH TIME AS GOING OUT AND COMPLETING FULL BLOWN, FULL FLEDGED AUDITS, UM, AT THE SCHOOLS.
SO I'M HOPING THAT IT'LL BE A, UM, NOT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME FOCUSED ON SCHOOL ACTIVITY FUNDS.
BUT THE REASON THAT WE'VE, UH, REINCORPORATED AND WE'RE LOOKING MORE INTO, UM, SCHOOL ACTIVITY FUNDS AND INCLUDING IT IN OUR WORK PLAN FOR SEVERAL REASONS.
UM, THE EXTERNAL AUDITORS RELY ON THE WORK THAT WE DO RELATED TO SCHOOL ACTIVITY FUNDS AND, UM, IT IS PART OF WHAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT NOT BE A LOT DOLLAR WISE, PUBLIC RELATIONS WISE, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE FIND THERE, UM, IT COULD BE A, A SIGNIFICANT LIABILITY OR CONCERN FOR THE, UM, SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND DOLLAR WISE, AND THIS IS MY LAST QUESTION.
ONE OF THE ITEMS I WAS HAPPY TO SEE IN THE, UM, WORK PLAN WAS THE ERP SYSTEM BECAUSE THERE ARE, UM, SIGNIFICANT OPERATIONAL IMPACTS TO THE SYSTEM.
HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO FINANCIAL, UM, ITEMS INCLUDED IN THE WORK PLAN.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU CONSIDERED LOOKING AT THE ERP EXPENDITURES THEMSELVES, GIVEN THE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN, UM, PUBLIC DOLLARS IN THE ERP SYSTEM? SO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE CONTRACT FOR THE EP SYSTEM AND LOOKING AT THE CONTRACT AND THE EXPENDITURE OF DOLLARS SPENT ON THE ERP SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION AND SPENDING? OVERALL, THAT WAS NOT GONNA BE THE FOCUS OF, OF THE REVIEW OF THE ERP SYSTEM IN FY 26.
OUR CONCERN WAS MORE WITH, UH, DATA MIGRATION AND THE INTERNAL CONTROLS OVER THE DATA, MOVING FROM THE OLD SYSTEM INTO THE NEW SYSTEM, MAKING SURE THAT THE FOLKS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE ACCESS TO CERTAIN DATA WITHIN THE SYSTEM HAVE THE, THE APPROPRIATE ACCESS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
[01:00:01]
PAYROLL, UM, ARE THE FIRST MODULES TO BE IMPLEMENTED, WE DO HAVE, WE ARE HEAVY ON PAYROLL, IF YOU NOTICE, UM, FOR FY 26.AND THEN WE DO ALSO HAVE A HUMAN RESOURCE AUDIT INCLUDED IN THE FY 26 WORK PLAN AS WELL.
UM, THERE WAS NOT A PLAN TO LOOK AT THE ACTUAL, UH, CONTRACT FOR ORACLE.
SO TWO OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND I'M SORRY, FOLLOW UP.
UM, TWO OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF PUBLIC WORKS WERE TO LOOK AT IN ADDITION TO, UH, OVERALL, UM, HIGH DOLLAR EXPENDITURES SPECIFICALLY WERE IT AND SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION.
AND IT, ONE OF THE SIZABLE RECENT EXPENDITURES WERE AROUND THE ERP SYSTEM, BUT ALSO ON SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION.
SO I'M SURPRISED THAT, UM, THAT WASN'T GIVEN, UM, MORE CONSIDERATION TO LOOK AT THE ERP EXPENDITURES GIVEN THE SIZE OF THAT INVESTMENT.
AND THEN IT'S A MULTI-YEAR PROJECT IN LOOKING AT, UM, THOSE CONTRACTS, THOSE VENDOR CONTRACTS, AND LOOKING AT THE EXPENDITURES.
WELL, ALSO INCLUDED IN THE WORK PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR, OUR CONTRACTS AND CONSULTANT AGREEMENTS.
SO IF IT'S, UH, A SUGGESTION OR RECOMMENDATION THAT WE LOOK AT THAT CONTRACT, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD EXPLORE AND INCLUDE THAT IN THAT PARTICULAR AUDIT IF IT IS A CONCERN OF THIS BOARD.
OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORK PLAN, MS. DOKI? YES.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, UM, ON PAGE SEVEN, THE ASSESS THE ASSET MANAGEMENT SPECIAL EDUCATION.
UM, WHAT, WHAT EXACTLY ARE, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT AUDIT IS ABOUT? IT'S INVENTORY.
TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL THE APPROPRIATE YES.
SO, UM, THIS PAST YEAR WE, UM, WORKED ON AN INVENTORY RELATED TO SPECIAL EDUCATION EQUIPMENT, EQUIPMENT, AND THERE WAS A CONCERN BECAUSE OF, UM, SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT WAS, WAS MISSING, WAS UNACCOUNTED FOR THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO WE JUST ARE GOING IN TO MAKE, AND, AND THEY'RE IN PROCESS OF REVISING THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, UM, UH, ACTUALLY PUTTING CONTROLS IN PLACE.
SO WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO GO OUT AND MAKE SURE THAT THE, THAT THE APPROACH THAT THEY'RE USING IS NOW EFFECTIVE IN MANAGING THE INVENTORY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION.
WE HEARD A LOT TONIGHT AND, AND IN THE PAST ABOUT, UM, SLPS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS AND, YOU KNOW, BEING IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR IEP, IS THAT SOMETHING THE AUDIT COMMITTEE CAN DO? UM, MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, AUDIT COMPLIANCE WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS AS, AS OPPOSED WITH, YOU KNOW, GOING TO THROUGH THE IEPS AND MAKING SURE OUR STUDENTS ARE RECEIVING THEIR REQUIRED SERVICES? WE CAN, WE CAN AUDIT COMPLIANCE.
UM, KEEP IN MIND THAT, UH, THE EXTERNAL AUDITORS DO A SINGLE AUDIT AND ON, ON A, UM, MAYBE A TWO TO THREE YEAR ROT ROTATION, SPECIAL EDUCATION IS INCLUDED IN THEIR ROTATION.
I'M NOT SURE THAT THEY NECESSARILY LOOK TO MAKE SURE THAT SERVICES ARE DELIVERED OR PROPERLY OR APPROPRIATELY DELIVERED.
THAT WOULD REQUIRE, UH, THAT WOULD BE ALMOST LIKE A PERFORMANCE AUDIT SLASH COMPLIANCE AUDIT THAT WOULD REQUIRE US TO GO OUT AND, AND COMPLETE OBSERVATIONS IN THE CLASSROOM.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT OUR OFFICE DID BACK IN 1999.
AND, UM, I WAS INVOLVED IN THAT AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
WE ACTUALLY WORKED WITH, UH, UH, SPECIAL EDUCATION FOLKS AND VISITED CLASSROOMS AND, AND MADE THOSE OBSERVATIONS.
AND, UH, I MEAN, IT'S NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION, BUT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE PLANNED.
SO TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE, THE LAST TIME IT WAS DONE WAS 1999? YES.
I JUST HAVE A FOLLOW UP TO MR. ROMANOWSKI.
UM, AND YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW THE ANSWER.
DOES MSDE USUALLY DO AUDIT COMPLIANCES OF SPECIAL EDUCATION? MSDE DOES DO I I THEY DO PROGRAM AUDITS, RIGHT? I AM NOT AWARE OF SPECIFICALLY WHAT THEY DO.
UM, WITH RELATION TO SPECIAL EDUCATION, I, I DON'T KNOW.
DR. ROGERS, CAN YOU GET AN ANSWER ON THAT AT SOME POINT? YEAH.
AND THEN WHEN THE, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THAT THAT AUDIT WAS DONE? IF MSDE DOES THAT TYPE OF AUDIT? YES.
UH, MSDE REGULARLY, UM, MONITORS COMPLIANCE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A REGULAR PROCESS THAT THEY FOLLOW.
SO I CAN GET THAT INFORMATION AND SHARE IT.
E EACH AUDIT GROUP HAS A PARTICULAR FOCUS.
SO, UH, I WOULD NOT WANNA SPEAK FOR EXTERNAL AUDITORS, YOU KNOW, UM, AND IF IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE OBJECTIVE IS.
OTHER, UM, QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FY 26 INTERNAL AUDIT PLAN.
MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE ON APPROVING THE FY 2026 INTERNAL AUDIT WORK PLAN.
[01:05:01]
YES.[J. NEW BUSINESS - BOARD POLICIES (Ms. Pumphrey) (8:00 - 8:10 p.m.)]
ON THE AGENDA IS NEW BUSINESS REPORT ON BOARD POLICIES.THIS IS THE FIRST READER FOR THIS POLICY, AND FOR THAT I CALL ON MS. HARVEY, VICE CHAIR OF THE POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE.
I AM CATCHING UP ON BEHALF OF CHAIR HUMPHREY.
THE POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE ASKED THAT THE BOARD ACCEPT THIS REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION OF PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE FOLLOWING BOARD POLICIES, BOARD POLICY 64 0 1 ADVANCED ACADEMICS AND GIFTED EDUCATION AND BOARD POLICY 6,500 RESEARCH AND ASSESSMENT.
THESE POLICIES ARE PRESENTED TO YOU ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA AS EXHIBITS J ONE THROUGH J TWO.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE FOR BOARD POLICY 64 0 1 AND 6,500? SO MOVE YOUNG.
SINCE THE RECOMMENDATION COMES FROM THE COMMITTEE, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION MS. BOOKER DWYER FOR POLICY 64 0 1? THERE'S LANGUAGE IN, UH, ITEM B WHERE IT SAYS, STUDENTS WHO SHOW THE POTENTIAL FOR PERFORMING AND THEN IT GOES ON.
DON'T ALL STUDENTS HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR PERFORMING? IS THIS SPECIFIC ENOUGH TO ADDRESS THE, THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF STUDENT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO TARGET? BECAUSE I BELIEVE WHEN WE SAY THE STUDENTS WHO SHOW POTENTIAL, I WOULD SAY THAT'S ALL STUDENTS HAVE THE POTENTIAL AND COULD POTENTIALLY SHOW THE POTENTIAL.
UM, COULD WE INCLUDE A DEFINITION OF WHAT WE MEAN? BECAUSE THEN WHEN I GO DOWN TO, UM, TWO A ON PAGE ONE, AND IT SPEAKS TO THE POTENTIAL.
AGAIN, ALL STUDENTS HAVE POTENTIAL.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING, COULD WE DEFINE WHAT WE MEAN BY POTENTIAL? THANK YOU.
OTHER DISCUSSION COMMENTS? OKAY.
DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? NO.
MS. HARVEY, DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? I, I'M JUST LOOKING FOR THE REFERENCE, UH, TO WHAT MS. DWYER DWYER AND LOOKING AT THE ANALYSIS, AGAIN, I, I DON'T WANT HER COMMENT TO GO COMMENT, TO GO UNADDRESSED.
AND, AND IF THE IN INTENTION IS TO KEEP IT OPEN ENOUGH FOR ANY STUDENT TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO THESE PROGRAMS, THEN KEEP IT.
BUT IF THE INTENT OF THE POLICY IS TO TARGET A SPECIFIC GROUP OF STUDENTS, THEN WE MAY NEED TO, YOU KNOW, TIGHTEN UP THE LANGUAGE.
SO IT'S WHATEVER THE BOARD'S INTENT IS.
YES, MS. HUMPHREY, I, I BELIEVE THE INTENTION, UM, WHAT MS. BOOKER DWYER SAID IS CORRECT, THAT WE WERE TRYING TO LEAVE IT AS OPEN AS POSSIBLE TO BE ABLE TO INCLUDE ALL STUDENTS.
I'M TRYING, AT THIS POINT, THE REFERENCE, REFERENCE, THE RULE, THE, UM, ACCOMPANYING RULE TO SEE IF IT MORE DEFINES EXACTLY HOW THAT, UM, HOW WE COME ABOUT DECIDING WHO IT HAS THE POTENTIAL, LIKE YOU SAID, ALL HAVE POTENTIAL.
I THINKING THAT DEFINITION MAY BE PROVIDED MORE PRECISELY IN THE RULE.
I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT THAT NOW, BUT I DO BELIEVE THE INTENT IS TO LEAVE IT OPEN FOR ANY STUDENT TO BE ABLE TO, BECAUSE AS YOU SAID, ALL STUDENTS HAVE POTENTIAL.
GOOD EVENING, MS. BOOKER DWYER, I THINK YOU TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUTTA MY MOUTH.
I THINK THE WORD POTENTIAL IS IN THE POLICY FOR THAT EXACT REASON OF MAKING SURE THAT, THAT, BECAUSE IN THE SAME SENTENCE, IT TALKS ABOUT NOT RESTRICTING ACCESS.
SO I THINK IT'S JUST ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING WE DON'T WANNA RESTRICT ACCESS.
WE WANT TO, UM, TAP INTO EVERYONE'S POTENTIAL.
AND SO THEN STU THEN THERE SHOULD BE NO, THERE'S NO TESTING REQUIREMENTS THEN.
LIKE A, A PARENT COULD OPT THEIR CHILD INTO THIS, INTO A ADVANCED ACADEMIC PROGRAM OR DUAL OR WHATEVER PROGRAM IT IS WITHOUT HAVING
[01:10:01]
TO DO ANYTHING EXTRA BECAUSE THEIR CHILD HAS THE POTENTIAL, RIGHT? IS THAT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING, I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE DETERMINED IN THE RULE, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT THE POLICY IS SAYING.SO THE RULE IS THE POLICY IS MEANT TO BE VERY OPEN-ENDED, WHICH IS WHY WE IDENTIFY THAT, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS WITH ANY EXCEPTIONALITY WOULD BE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ADVANCED ACADEMIC, UM, PROGRAM OR COURSES.
WHAT THE RULE OUTLINE ARE THOSE MULTIPLE MEASURES THAT ALIGN WITH COM R THAT WE DO LOOK AT, SO THAT IT'S A SINGLE ISOLATED ITEM IS NOT USED TO DETERMINE A STUDENT'S PARTICIPATION, INCLUSION OR EXCLUSION FROM AN ADVANCED ACADEMIC COURSE.
SO IT'S NOT JUST A STUDENT'S PER, UH, SCORE ON MCAP, BUT THAT A HOLISTIC VIEW IS LOOKED AT OF A STUDENT.
SO PARENT INPUT IS PROVIDED, IS ONE OF THE MEASURES, BUT ALSO GRADES, CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE AND ACHIEVEMENT.
THERE'S STANDARDIZED MEASURES.
IN SECOND GRADE, WE DO THE KGA ASSESSMENT, OUR UNIVERSAL SCREENER DATA.
SO IT'S, IT'S MULTIPLE MEASURES.
SO THE POTENTIAL CAN SHOW UP IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT PLACES AND IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS, UM, THAT WOULD HAVE US LOOK FURTHER TO, TO IDENTIFY A STUDENT.
MR. OW, UH, I JUST HAD A, A RECENT PARENT COME UP TO ME ASKING ME ABOUT THIS.
UM, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF YOU CAN ANSWER IT, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO LIKE A STUDENT THAT MAYBE IS ON THE EDGE OR ON THE VERGE, CAN GET AN AP COULD GO GO TO AN ADVANCED COURSE, ESPECIALLY IN LIKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHAT IS THE RULE IN LIKE KEEPING THEM OUT OR LIKE DENYING THEM? WHY WOULD WE DENY THEM? OR IS THAT IN THE, IS THAT IN A RULE WE HAVE? THAT WOULD BE IN THE RULE, BUT ALSO, I MEAN, THERE ARE, UH, DIAGNOSTICS, THERE ARE CONSIDERATIONS THAT THE, THE GT TEAM AT EACH SCHOOL CONSIDERS WHEN THEY ARE DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT THEY WILL IDENTIFY A STUDENT AS GIFTED AND TALENTED AND TAKING COURSES THAT ARE RELATED TO THAT IDENTIFICATION.
OR EVEN JUST LIKE ADVANCED PLACEMENT.
LIKE AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE A FOURTH GRADER, THEY WANTED TO TAKE FIFTH GRADE MATH, THEY WOULD HAVE TO, THEY COULD DIDN'T, ASIDE FROM, YOU KNOW, REALLY NOT PERFORMING ANYWHERE NEAR THAT LEVEL.
BUT LIKE, IF THEY WERE CLOSE TO THAT LEVEL AND THE PARENT REALLY WANTED THEM TO, WHY WOULD, IS THAT A, IS THAT AN ISSUE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO, A, A PARENT COULD REQUEST THAT, UM, THE GT AND ADVANCED ECONOMICS TEAM TAKE A LOOK AT THAT REQUEST FOR SURE.
UM, PARENTS ARE ALWAYS ABLE TO MAKE THAT REQUEST AND THEN THE, THE TEAM WOULD FOLLOW THE, UM, OUTLINE OF THE RULE TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THAT STUDENT'S BEST NEEDS WOULD BE BEST MET IN A DIFFERENT MATH CLASS OR THE MATH CLASS THEY'RE CURRENTLY IN.
WOULD, JUST FOLLOWING WITH THAT ROLE OF LIKE ALL STUDENTS THAT SHOW, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, ABILITY OR, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, WOULDN'T THAT APPLY TO THEM? SO, OR IS THAT MORE NUANCED IN THE ROLE? SO I GUESS IT'S HARD TO INFER FROM A SPECIFIC STUDENT CASE THAT YOU'RE SORT OF REFERENCING.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT I CAN SAY IS EACH SCHOOL TEAM HAS A ADVANCED ACADEMIC LIAISON THAT HAS SOMEONE WHO IS, WORKS WITH THE ADVANCED ACADEMIC OFFICE, WHO GETS TRAINING, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN WORKS WITH THEIR SCHOOL TEAM TO, UM, REVIEW VARIOUS DATA POINTS FOR STUDENTS TO IDENTIFY STUDENTS TO BE PLACED IN ADVANCED ACADEMIC COURSES OR, UM, DIAGNOSTICALLY PLACED IN THE CASE OF WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING, COULD A STUDENT? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
UM, IN THE CASE OF MATH, THERE IS, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT A STUDENT WHO FROM FOURTH TO FIFTH GRADE, UM, WE DO HAVE VARIOUS PATHWAYS TO HELP COMPACT CURRICULUM BECAUSE WHAT WE SAW WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR MATH DATA HISTORICALLY, IS WE DID DO A STRATEGY WHERE WE HAD STUDENTS JUST ABSOLUTELY SKIP AN ENTIRE YEAR OF MATH CONTENT THAT HAS NOT BOWED WELL FOR US.
AND SO IT WOULD BE A MATTER OF LOOKING AT IS THAT A POINT WHERE WE CAN COMPACT CURRICULUM SO THAT WE CAN PUT THEM, SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS, UM, SO THAT THEY MIGHT, UH, DO A BEGINNING OF THE YEAR ASSESSMENT FOR WHAT THE FIFTH GRADE CLASS IS DOING TO SEE WHAT ARE THOSE PREREQUISITE SKILLS THAT THE STUDENT HAS IN PLACE.
BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE IF A PARENT WAS HAVING A CHALLENGE WITH THAT TO TALK WITH THEIR ADVANCED ACADEMIC SCHOOL TEAM, AND IF NOT, CERTAINLY REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE THAT WE CAN ASSIST.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE ON SIXTY FOUR OH ONE AND 6,500 MS. KY? YES.
[K. REPORT - GREENLEIGH COMMUNITY BOUNDARY RECOMMENDATION (Dr. Grim and Mr. Taylor) (8:10 - 8:25 p.m.)]
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE REPORT ON THE GREENLAKE COMMUNITY BOUNDARY RECOMMENDATION.[01:15:04]
GOOD EVENING.GOOD EVENING, CHAIR LICHTER, VICE CHAIR HARVEY, SUPERINTENDENT DR. ROGERS, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
WITH ME THIS EVENING IS MR. PAUL TAYLOR, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF STRATEGIC PLANNING.
WE'RE HERE THIS EVENING TO SHARE WITH YOU THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE GREENLEY COMMUNITY BOUNDARY STUDY.
AS SHARED WITH YOU PREVIOUSLY, THIS SLIDE NOTES THE PROCESS FOR BOUNDARY STUDIES IS OUTLINED BY BOARD POLICY AND SUPERINTENDENTS RULE, UH, 1280.
THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PARTICULAR STUDY WAS NARROW.
IT WAS TO REALIGN THE ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES FOR THE GREENLEE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION TO MITIGATE POTENTIAL TRANSPORTATION ISSUES.
THIS STUDY CONSISTED OF TWO COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND A PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSION.
THIS SLIDE DEPICTS SOME EXAMPLES OF OUR FOCUS ON COMMITTEE ENGAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THE SPECIFIC BOUNDARY STUDY, INCLUDING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR STAKEHOLDERS TO PROVIDE COMMENTS ONLINE COMMUNICATION FROM SCHOOLS TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND EACH COMMITTEE MEETING WAS LIVE STREAMED.
THIS MAP SHOWS THE BOUNDARY AREAS FOR CHASE AND VINCENT FARM ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN RELATION TO THE STUDY AREA, WHICH IS IN THAT SMALL BOX, WHICH YOU'LL SEE LARGER.
THE CURRENT BOUNDARY INCLUDES 105 RESIDENTIAL UNITS AT GREENLEY THAT ARE WITHIN THE AREA ZONED TO CHASE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
NO STUDENTS CURRENTLY RESIDE IN THIS AREA.
THE RECOMMENDED BOUNDARY ALIGNS THE VINCENT FARM BOUNDARY TO THE GREENLEY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTS A SOLUTION BEFORE STUDENTS ARE AFFECTED.
THIS RECOMMENDATION SUPPORTS CURRENT TRANSPORTATION ROUTES AS NO STUDENTS CURRENTLY RESIDE IN THE CHANGE AREA.
THERE IS NO CHANGE TO THE UTILIZATION OR DEMOGRAPHIC DATA.
FURTHER, THE ENTIRETY OF THE GREENLEY DEVELOPMENT HAS ALWAYS BEEN INCLUDED IN VINCENT FARM ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS.
SO THERE IS NO CHANGE IN THE PROTECTED UTILIZATION.
THE SURVEY RESULTS FOR THIS STUDY WERE MIXED.
THOSE IN FAVOR FELT THE COMMUNITY CONTINUITY WAS IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS, AND THAT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY SHOULD ATTEND THE SAME SCHOOL.
THOSE OPPOSED WERE CONCERNED WITH OVERCROWDING.
WITH RESPECT TO NEXT STEPS, THE BOARD WILL HOST A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED BOUNDARY RECOMMENDATION ON JUNE 18TH, 2025 AT 6:30 PM AT THE VINCENT FARM ELEMENTARY.
TO GATHER ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION IS THEN SCHEDULED TO VOTE ON THE BOUNDARY CHANGE AT ITS JULY 8TH, 2025 MEETING.
WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK ALL OF OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ENGAGE WITH PCPS THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
QUESTIONS, MS. FONG? GOOD EVENING, GENTLEMEN.
UM, NO, I LOVE THE BOUNDARY STUDIES.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO ASK A LITTLE BIT MORE IN MORE DETAIL.
UM, CONSIDERING THAT IT SAID THAT THERE WERE NOT, UM, STUDENTS IN THAT AREA, UM, I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THE 24% AND THE 6% THAT WERE EITHER STRONGLY OR SOMEWHAT OPPOSED.
SO WHAT IS SPECIFICALLY THAT CONCERN WITH OVERCROWDING IF THERE'S NO STUDENTS THERE NOW? WELL, THERE, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S NO STUDENTS IN THE AREA WHERE THEY'RE LIVING, WE IMAGINE, AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT STUDENTS WILL COME FROM THOSE HOUSES ONCE THEY'RE BUILT.
THAT'S WHAT WE DO WITH OUR, UM, STUDENT YIELD STUDIES.
AND THOSE SCHOOLS, THOSE STUDENTS WOULD END UP GOING TO VINCENT FARM AND WITH THIS CHANGE.
AND VINCENT FARM IS CURRENTLY OVERCROWDED.
SO THAT WAS THE CONCERN THAT EVEN THOUGH THE STUDENTS AREN'T THERE NOW, WE'RE GOING TO PUT THEM INTO A SCHOOL THAT WAS OVERCROWDED.
BUT THEN THERE WAS THE OTHER PART THAT SAID SOMETHING ABOUT, I GUESS IN YOUR PROJECTIONS YOU ALREADY CONSIDER THAT.
SO I GUESS WITH THOSE PROJECTIONS, WHAT DID THAT LOOK LIKE? SO BENSON FARM IS ALREADY OVERCROWDED.
LIKE HOW MUCH MORE ARE WE TALKING? UM, HONESTLY, I'D HAVE TO A CALCULATION TO SEE 21 STUDENTS OUT OF THE, THE WHOLE TOTAL, UM, UH, CAPACITY OF SIX OR 700 AT THAT SCHOOL.
UM, BUT IT WAS A SMALL, IT WAS A SMALL INCREMENT THAT THESE STUDENTS WOULD, WOULD REPRESENT AND THE, AND THE PROJECTION WITH THE CHANGE OVER TIME.
SO WHEN WE DO THE PROJECTIONS FOR 10 YEARS OUT, AS, AS MR. TAYLOR SAID, IT WOULD, THERE, THERE MAY
[01:20:01]
BE AN IMMEDIACY IF, IF FAMILIES WITH KOY CHILDREN AUTOMATICALLY MOVE IN VERSUS FAMILIES THAT DO NOT YET HAVE CHILDREN, BUT WILL HAVE CHILDREN THAT ATTEND IN THE SUBSEQUENT YEARS OVER THE, OVER THE 10 YEAR PROJECTION, UM, WE, WE DID NOT SEE, AGAIN, A, A SIGN, A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN, UM, IN THE, IN THE DATA.UH, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE SCHOOL IS ALREADY A SCHOOL THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR SOLUTIONS BECAUSE IT IS, UM, OVERCROWDED.
THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION AS FAR AS THEN WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS TO HELP ALLEVIATE THAT OVERCROWDING? AND, AND THAT'S, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE NEXT STEPS THAT WE HOPE TO BRING YOU NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, NEXT SCHOOL YEAR IN, IN THAT AREA AND, AND SOME OF THE OTHERS.
WA WAS, UM, OLIVER BEACH CONSIDERED AT ALL IN THIS BOUNDARY STUDY, OR IT WAS JUST CHASE, SENECA AND, UH, CHASE AND VINCENT FARM? I MEAN, SO FOR, FOR THIS, FOR THIS PARTICULAR PIECE, BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT IT, IT LANDED IN THE ZONING AND THE FACT THAT THESE ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND THE CURRENT TRANSPORTATION BOUNDARIES, THIS WAS PART OF, UM, THE, THE LIST, IF YOU WILL, THAT WE LOOKED AT AND WE SAID, WE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO CORRECT, BECAUSE WE'D HAVE A COMMUNITY THAT WOULD BE SPLIT IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTATION BEFORE THOSE HOUSES WERE BUILT.
SO, UH, THERE COULD BE CONSIDER, UH, CONSIDERATION IN THE FUTURE TO USE, UH, CHASE AND OLIVER BEACH FOR SOME, UH, OTHER MOVES DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, WE ARE STILL IN THE EARLY EXPLORATION STAGES OF WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
OTHER QUESTIONS, MS. BOOKER? DWYER.
YEAH, SO, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT HAVING, UH, 105 HOMES BUILT IN THAT AREA.
AND YOU'RE PROJECTING ABOUT 21 STUDENTS WILL BE ADDED TO THE, TO THE CURRENT POPULATION OF CHASE, OF NO VINCENT FARM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND, AND THEN WE WOULD STILL NEED TO DO A, A BOUNDARY STUDY BECAUSE, SO MY, MY QUESTION IS STUDENTS THEN, SO WHEN ARE, WHEN ARE FAMILIES SET TO MOVE INTO THESE HOMES? I DROVE BY THERE TODAY, AND ABOUT HALF OF THE HOMES THAT ARE IN THIS AREA ARE BUILT.
THE OTHER HALF IS STILL VACANT.
SO I DON'T KNOW, UM, WHEN THE OTHER HALF WILL BE BUILT.
BUT LAST TIME WE CHECKED, NO STUDENTS HAVE REGISTERED FOR CLASSES FROM THE BUILT HOMES, AND THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT, UH, PARENTS WHO PURCHASE HOMES IN HE IN THIS AREA AND THEY THINK THEY'RE GOING TO VINCENT FARMS, VINCENT FARMS. AND THEN IT COULD BE A YEAR LATER OR TWO YEARS LATER THAT THEIR SCHOOL IS MOVED BECAUSE OF THE REDISTRICTING OR THEIR, UM, CHANGING OF THE BOUNDARY.
WE TRY NOT TO CHANGE BOUNDARIES FOR THE SAME STUDENTS WITHIN A THREE YEAR PERIOD.
AND I, I WOULD ALSO CONTEND WITH ITS PROXIMITY TO VINCENT FARM MM-HMM
THAT IT'S UNLIKELY THAT, THAT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD, WOULD BE IMPACTED BY, UH, BY THOSE KINDS OF CHANGES.
AND THERE'S 105 HOUSES AND YOU SAID ABOUT A HALF OF 'EM ARE FINISHED.
ARE, IS THAT HALF OCCUPIED? YES.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY, I, I, I SAW CARS THERE.
UM, SO THEY CLEARLY, SO APPROXIMATELY 50 52 OF THE HOUSES ARE FINISHED AND OCCUPIED AND THEY, HAVE THEY STARTED THE OTHERS OR NO, IT'S, IT'S ALL DIRT.
THEY HAVEN'T STARTED FOUNDATIONS.
SO THERE'S NO STUDENTS COMING OUT OF THE APPROXIMATE 50 HOUSES RIGHT NOW? RIGHT NOW, THEY DEFINITELY ARE NOT, BECAUSE IF WE HAD THOSE STUDENTS, THEY WOULD'VE BEEN REGISTERED.
BUT WE CHECK THE ADDRESSES AND WE HAVE NO STUDENTS WITH THOSE ADDRESSES.
IS THERE ANY WAY TO DETERMINE HOW MANY FAMILIES EVEN HAVE KIDS OUT OF THOSE HOUSES? NO, NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
SO HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH THESE PROJECTIONS? 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU, YOU KNOW, IN PREVIOUS YEARS THEY USED TO BRAG ABOUT HOW ACCURATE THE PROJECTIONS ARE DOWN THE ROAD.
SO HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY DO THAT? WELL, PROJECTIONS ARE DIFFERENT THAN PUPIL YIELDS.
STUDENT YIELDS ARE BASED ON EXISTING HOUSING AND WHAT STUDENTS COME OUT OF THOSE EXISTING HOUSING.
AND WE DO IT IN A LARGE GROUP SO THAT WE, THAT THOSE NUMBERS CAN BE USED FOR FUTURE PLANNING.
UM, PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON TRENDS OF ACTUAL ENROLLMENTS THAT HAPPEN EVERY YEAR.
SO IF A SCHOOL IS, HAS A TREND OF INCREASING ENROLLMENT, THEN WE WOULD APPLY THAT FACTOR TO THAT SCHOOL FOR THE FUTURE.
SO THEY, THEY'RE JUST TWO DIFFERENT
[01:25:01]
CALCULATIONS.AND, AND TO LOOK AT THE, AND TO LOOK AT THE STUDENT YIELDS, WE WORK WITH VERY CLOSELY WITH BALTIMORE COUNTY GOVERNMENT, WITH THE TYPE, THE TYPES OF HOMES THAT ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED.
UM, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, UH, THE SIZE OF THOSE HOMES.
SO IT'S, SO IT'S THE STYLE, IT'S THE TYPE, UM, IT'S OTHER TYPES OF AMENITIES THAT ARE CLOSE BY.
WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM, AND THEY HELP US DETERMINE THE YIELD BASED ON, BASED ON, IT'S A LOT OF IT'S BASED ON, UM, THE TRENDS THAT WE SEE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY ALREADY AND IN SPECIFIC PLANNING BLOCKS.
AND IF I COULD ADD THE, UM, AGRI PUBLIC FACILITY ORDINANCE, THE A PFO ALSO DICTATES HOW STUDENT YIELDS ARE CALCULATED, AND WE FOLLOW THAT GUIDELINE.
OTHER QUESTIONS? THIS IS MS. PUMPHREY.
UM, FOR THE SURVEY RESULTS, THE 34 RESULTS, ARE THEY COMPLETELY ANONYMOUS? DO WE KNOW ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT THOSE 34 STAKEHOLDERS? UM, YOU ARE THEY CHASE PARENTS, FAMILIES, ARE THEY VISIT FARM FAMILIES? DO WE HAVE ANY INFORMATION AT ALL ABOUT THOSE 34 STAKEHOLDERS? UM, NO, WE DON'T.
WE, IT IS ANONYMOUS, SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
I WAS JUST LOOKING TO SEE IF WE'VE REACHED AS MANY FAMILIES AS POSSIBLE.
ANYONE ELSE? MS. HEN? THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
SO JUST TO CONFIRM, UM, BASED ON THIS RECOMMENDATION, ALL 105 UNITS WILL BE MOVED INTO THE, WITHIN THE VINCENT FARM BOUNDARY? YES.
THE ENTIRE GREENLY DEVELOPMENT AND THE PUPIL YIELD, IT'S BASED ON THE PUPIL YIELD THAT WE'RE ONLY EXPECTING 20 21, 21 BASED ON THE, THE CALCULATION BASED ON ALL ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE, FIVE, A HUNDRED AND FIVE TOWNHOUSE UNITS.
BASED ON THE STUDENT YIELD CALCULATIONS, WE PRODUCE 21 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS.
AND WE HAVE ALREADY COUNTED THEM IN THE PROJECTIONS FOR VINCENT FARM.
WHICH RESULTS IN THEM BEING, AND WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT THE PERCENT OF THE CAPACITY.
WELL, IT DOESN'T CAUSE THEM TO BE OVERCROWDED.
THEY'RE ALREADY OVERCROWDED CAPACITY.
SO, AND DO WE KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD DO TO CHASE'S NUMBERS IF WE DID NOTHING AS AN ALTERNATIVE? UH, CHASE IS, CHASE IS CURRENTLY, UM, CHASE IS CURRENTLY NOT A CONCERN IN TERMS OF BEING OVERCROWDED.
SO IT WOULDN'T, IT, IT WOULDN'T, IT WOULDN'T TIP THEM ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
IT WOULDN'T IMPACT THEM ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
THEY WOULD STILL BE WITHIN THEIR UTILIZATION.
SO THE IMPETUS THEN WOULD BE TRANSPORTATION, AS YOU EXPLAINED? YES.
THE WAY THE DEVELOPMENT IS BUILT, THE ACCESS TO THESE HOUSES COMES IN FROM 43 MM-HMM
INTO THE GREENLAND DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO PASS ALL OF THIS VINCENT BOUNDARY KIDS JUST TO GET TO THE CHASE KIDS IF THEY KEPT IT IN THE CHASE.
SORRY, MS. HARVEY, I, CAN YOU, UM, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, THE, THE NEW DEVELOPMENT, THOSE KIDS WOULD GO TO CHASE? YES, MA'AM.
BUT BECAUSE OF, EXPLAIN TO ME AGAIN, BECAUSE OF WHAT WE'RE ADDING MORE STUDENTS OR PROJECTED TO ADD MORE STUDENTS TO.
UM, SO THE REC, SO THE RECOMMENDATION, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMITTEE WAS, UM, IN, IN LOOKING AT THE GREENLEY COMMUNITY, THIS UNDER, UNDER THE CURRENT, UH, BOUNDARIES, IT, IT DIVIDES THE COMMUNITY BETWEEN CHASE AND VINCENT FARM.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S HOW IT CURRENTLY SITS.
THE NEW BOUNDARY, OR THE PROPOSED BOUNDARY WOULD ALLOW ALL THE STUDENTS THAT RESIDE WITHIN GREENLEY, INCLUDING THESE 105 UNITS, WHICH HAVE NOT ALL BEEN BUILT YET TO ALL FOR THE, FOR THE STUDENTS TO LIVE THERE, TO ALL ATTEND VINCENT FARM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND AS MR. TAYLOR SAID, THE, UM, TRANSPORTATION HAS SHARED THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS ONE THAT WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS PART, THIS SECTION OF GREENLEE HAS AS, AS WE'VE SAID, HAS NOT YET BEEN BUILT.
AND SO WE WOULD BE DRIVING PAST, UM, WE WOULD BE DRIVING PAST THE STOPS THAT WE'RE ALREADY MAKING FOR VINCENT FARM TO GO PICK UP STUDENTS TO GO TO CHASE, AND THEN WE'D BE PICKING THEM UP AND DRIVING PAST THEM TO GO, UH, TO A DIFFERENT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE IMPETUS FOR THAT CHANGE.
AND WE DO REAL, WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS CONCERNING BECAUSE OF THE OVERCROWDED NATURE OF VINCENT FARM.
DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, MS. HARVEY? IT DID.
DO, WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF VINCENT FARM?
[01:30:01]
IS IT LIKE 130% OR IS IT 105% CAPACITY? DO YOU HAVE IT'S DEFINITELY OVER 115% OVER.AND CHASE IS NOT, NOT AT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
CHASE IS LOWER THAN A HUNDRED PERCENT.
SO THEN THE REASON, THE REAL REASON IS THIS IS THE TRANSPORTATION PIECE? IS THAT THE WOULD BE, YEAH, IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE TRANSPORTATION.
UM, I THINK THAT THIS WOULD ALSO FALL UNDER, UH, COMMUNITY CONTINUITY.
IF, IF THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE WANTED TO DISCUSS FURTHER, WE COULD, BUT THE, BUT THE IMPETUS WAS REALLY ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, BECAUSE THIS PART OF THE COMMUNITY HASN'T EVEN BEEN FULLY BUILT YET.
SO FOR CONTINUITY, IF THEY ALL WENT TO CHASE, IT WOULD HELP THE CONTINUITY, BUT IT WOULDN'T HELP THE TRANSPORTATION.
SO IT WOULD, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE VINCENT FARM IS LOCATED, IT'S, IT'S CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE GREENLY DEVELOPMENT THAT, UM, IT WOULD, IT WOULD CREATE AN INEFFICIENCY IF WE MOVED ALL THE GREENLY KIDS TO CHASE.
SO I KNOW YOU SAID THIS A A FEW TIMES, THERE ARE NO STUDENTS REGISTERED TO ATTEND PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT, CORRECT? RIGHT NOW.
SO IF THERE'S NONE IN THERE NOW, THEN THE CONTINUITY DOESN'T REALLY APPLY BECAUSE IF YOU'RE, YOU, WE WOULD CREATE THE CONTINUITY BY WHATEVER SCHOOL WE ASSIGN THEM TO.
SO THE, I THINK THE, WHAT WHAT COULD END UP HAPPENING IS TO, TO SAY IT A DIFFERENT WAY, IS THERE ARE NONE THERE.
NOW, LET'S SAY THAT, UM, LET'S SAY THAT LESS THAN THE PROJECTED YIELD OCCURS WITH THE 105 UNITS AND IT'S 10 STUDENTS, THEN WE WOULD BE, WE WOULD BE SENDING A BUS FAR BACK INTO THAT COMMUNITY PAST ALL THE OTHER, PAST THE KIDS THAT ARE GOING TO VINCENT FARM TO PICK THEM UP AND THEN TO TAKE THEM TO CHASE.
SO FROM, FROM THE TRANSPORTATION, FROM THE EFFICIENCY PERSPECTIVE, IT, IT, IT IS, IT MAKES MORE SENSE FOR EFFICIENCY FOR US TO INCLUDE THIS ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR ONE, FOR ONE SCHOOL, WHICH WOULD MAKE SENSE TO BE VINCENT FARM.
SO MY ONLY CONCERN THERE IS THE POTENTIAL IF THAT BECAME MORE AND VINCENT FARM GETS EVEN MORE OVERCROWDED, AND THEN WE'RE AT A BOUNDARY STUDY AGAIN, AND WE'RE GONNA TAKE KIDS, WE COULD POSSIBLY TAKE KIDS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING TO VINCENT FARM FOR YEARS AND HAVING THAT NEIGHBORHOOD SWITCH TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL.
AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE COMPLEXITIES OF, OF GROWTH IN THAT AREA.
AS WE SAID, WE DO KNOW THAT WE NEED, UM, TO ADDRESS VINCENT FARM.
I THINK, UM, FIRST THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE'S, UH, FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS.
I THINK, UM, THE CONCERNS HAVE BEEN, UH, NOTED AND THEY ARE FAIR AND REASONABLE.
AND SO, UM, WE WILL HAVE AN UPDATE.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL GO BACK TO WHAT, WHAT MS.
SO, UM, YOU GUYS MAY NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT WHY, WHY WAS IT SPLIT UP ORIGINALLY? DO YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE WE NORMALLY TRY TO KEEP THAT CONTINUITY IN A NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I, I GUESS DID IT ORIGINALLY HAVE A PART FOR CHASE AND THEN A SEPARATE PART FOR KINSON FARM? IS IT POSSIBLE TO BRING UP THIS, THE, UH, SLIDE AGAIN, PLEASE? YOUR DRIVE CONTROL? I DON'T THINK YOU, HAVE YOU PULLED UP? WELL, I WAS GONNA SHOW YOU THE, THE ORIGINAL DEVELOPMENT.
WHEN WE GET, OUR OFFICE GETS DEVELOPMENT PLANS FROM THE COUNTY, AND THEY'RE IN THE EARLY STAGES WHEN WE GET THEM.
SO WE FIGURE OUT WHAT, UM, WHERE THAT DEVELOPMENT IS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THIS PLAN RIGHT HERE, THE YELLOW IS THE GREENLY DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT'S ONLY PART OF THE GREENLY DEVELOPMENT.
THE GREENLY DEVELOPMENT EXTENDS VERY FAR TO THE LEFT.
SO ONCE THE DEVELOPER, THEY SAY THEY'RE GONNA, THIS IS HOW MANY HOUSES WE'RE GONNA BUILD, WE FIGURE OUT THE STUDENT YIELDS, WE BUILD IN OUR CALCULATION, WE MAKE ASSUMPTIONS OF WHEN THE HOUSES MIGHT BE BUILT.
WE USE CONSULTANTS, WE USE THE COUNTY'S ADVICE, AND THEN WE BUILD IT IN.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID IN TERMS OF PROJECTIONS.
THEN AS YEARS GO BY, THE DEVELOPERS STARTS TO COME UP WITH REAL PLANS THAT ACTUALLY SHOW WHAT THE BUILD OUT'S GONNA BE.
AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS THEY ENDED UP BUILDING IT IN A DIFFERENT MANNER THAN WE ASSUMED.
WE DIDN'T KNOW, UH, THAT WE HAVE MADE CHANGES, BUT IT ENDED UP, THAT SMALL SECTION ENDED UP BEING OVER
[01:35:01]
THE LINE, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO LOOK AT BEFORE.WHEN THEY DID THAT, IT SHOWED A SMALL SECTION OVER THE LINE.
SO IT SEEMED TO US, AND AND ACCESS TO THAT SMALL SECTION IS ONLY FROM THE NORTH AND WEST.
YOU CAN'T GET THERE FROM THE SOUTH.
SO IT MADE SENSE TO US FOR CONTINUITY OF THAT COMMUNITY TO MOVE THE LINE SOUTH SO THAT IT WAS PART OF THE GREATER COMMUNITY VERSUS, UM, A SMALL PIECE THAT PEOPLE WOULD'VE TO DRIVE THROUGH THE GREATER COMMUNITY TO GET TO.
I HOPE THAT HELPS ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
ROGER'S COMMENT, I THINK WE WILL SUSPEND THE DISCUSSION, UM, PENDING MORE INFORMATION.
BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ANSWERING ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS.
[L. REPORT - ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT (Dr. Jones) (8:25 - 8:45 p.m.)]
ON THE AGENDA IS A REPORT ON GRADUATION.AND FOR THAT, I CALL ON DR. JONES.
AND MS. MUST GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.
BOARD CHAIR, LIQUOR, LTER,
AND WE WERE PARTNERS AT ONE POINT, DR.
GOOD EVENING, BOARD CHAIR, LICHTER, VICE CHAIR HUMPHREY AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND DR. ROGERS.
UM, WE ARE HAPPY AND EXCITED TO BRING TO YOU THE, UM, GRADUATION UPDATE FOR THIS EVENING.
I'M JOINED BY MR. TAG LANDON AND MS. PATRICIA MUSTER.
TO BEGIN OUR PRESENTATION, WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE OF THE FACT THAT WE CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR EYE ON OUR MILESTONES BENCHMARKS AS IT RELATES TO PRE-K THROUGH 12 HERE IN BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS, BUT WE HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR OURSELVES TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ACHIEVE AND SUCCEED ACCORDING TO THESE METRICS.
UH, IN ORDER GRADUATE, YOU DON'T WANNA TRY OUR NAMES.
LTER, HARVEY ROGERS AND THE REST OF THE BOARD.
UM, IN ORDER TO GRADUATE, UH, STUDENTS STILL NEED TO MEET ALL COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND, UM, HIGH SCHOOL ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS ALONG WITH THE 75 HOURS FOR STUDENT SERVICE LEARNING.
IF WE, UH, GET A QUICK REMINDER OF LAST YEAR'S NUMBERS, OUR FOUR YEAR ADJUSTED COHORT RATE WAS UP BY 0.85 POINTS TO 85.84%.
AND THIS WAS NEARLY DOUBLE THE PROGRESS OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
UH, IT INCLUDED 12 SCHOOLS INCREASING THEIR GRADUATION RATE, UH, WITH THE BIGGEST INCREASES COMING FROM PARKVILLE HIGH, FOLLOWED BY OWINGS MILLS AND WOOD LONG HIGH.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, WE ALSO HAD SIX SCHOOLS WITH A GRADUATION RATE GREATER THAN 95%.
IF WE TURN TO THIS YEAR'S CLASS, THERE ARE SOME NEW MSDE REQUIREMENTS THAT THE CLASS OF 2024 DID NOT HAVE.
SO THIS YEAR'S CLASS IS THE FIRST TO REQUIRE FOUR MATH CREDITS RATHER THAN THREE.
IT'S THE FIRST CLASS TO REQUIRE A FULL CREDIT OF HEALTH RATHER THAN A HALF CREDIT.
WHEN COMPLETING THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SYSTEM, COMPLETER, STUDENTS MUST EARN TWO WORLD LANGUAGE CREDITS IN THE SAME LANGUAGE, RATHER THAN JUST TWO CREDITS.
AND FINALLY, THE ADVANCED TECH COMPLETER HAS BEEN PHASED OUT.
SO WE ONLY HAVE THE BEFORE MENTIONED UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COMPLETER, ALONG WITH THE CTE COMPLETER AS THE PATHWAYS FOR, UH, CREDIT REQUIREMENTS.
SO EVERY SCHOOL AND BCPS HAS A HIGH SCHOOL, HAS A HIGH, UH, PROJECT GRADUATION TEAM, AND THE MAKEUP OF THAT TEAM DIFFERS BY SCHOOL.
BUT, UM, WE'LL INCLUDE FOR THE MOST PART, ADMINISTRATORS, COUNSELORS, DEPARTMENT CHAIRS, PPWS RECORDS, SECRETARIES, SOCIAL WORKERS, SCHOOL NURSES, MYSELF, UM, THE CORRESPONDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND, UH, SCHOOLS.
AND THE TEAMS USE REPORTS LIKE THE ONES THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW THAT ARE UPDATED NIGHTLY TO GIVE THE MOST UPTODATE INFORMATION ON PROGRESS FOR STUDENTS EARNING CREDITS, EARNING, UM, MAKING PROGRESS TOWARD EARNING CREDITS IN THE CLASSES THAT THEY NEED FOR GRADUATION.
THIS ALLOWS SCHOOLS TO BE PROACTIVE RATHER THAN REACTIVE, AND ALLOWS US TO HAVE NO SURPRISES.
[01:40:01]
NOW I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MRS. MUSTER, HER.SO, UM, AS WE TALK ABOUT GRADUATION, EARLY INTERVENTION IS KEY.
UM, THE COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR FAMILIES, OUR STUDENTS, UM, AND OUR STAFF AT OUR SCHOOLS, IT'S KEY, UM, OUR RELATIONSHIPS THAT COME THROUGH.
IT'S KEY, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ALL AWARE OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S OUT THERE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.
SO ONE OF THE GREATEST, UM, PATHWAYS THAT WE HAVE FOR INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND GUARDIANS IS 24 7.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UM, WE HAVE STUDENTS AND STAFF AS FAR AS AND ADMINISTRATORS, UM, THAT ALSO ENGAGE IN GRADUATION CONFERENCES.
AND IF WE DO HAVE CONCERNS, SOMETIMES WE ALSO INCLUDE OUR PARENTS AND REQUIRED PARENT CONFERENCES TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW DO WE MAKE SURE AND IN HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT WE GET OUR STUDENTS ON THE PATHWAY TO GRADUATION AND MEET WITH THAT SUCCESS.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE VARIOUS LETTERS WITH STATUS UPDATES AND SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE MAILED TO STUDENTS AND FAMILIES AS WELL.
UM, WE'VE ALSO ENGAGED IN HOME VISITING THAT'S, UM, COMPLETED BY OUR PUPIL PERSONNEL WORKERS TO TALK ABOUT MAKE SURE YOU'RE ATTENDING SCHOOL, BUT ALSO WHEN YOU'RE IN SCHOOL, WE WANT YOU TO BE IN THOSE CLASSES EARNING YOUR CREDITS.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, COURSE REVIEWS AND CREDIT CHECKS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND REGULARLY ENGAGED IN BY OUR SCHOOL COUNSELORS, UM, AT MINIMUM TWICE A YEAR, BUT CAN BE MORE FREQUENTLY.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE EARLY INTERVENTIONS WHEN WE RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS WE WANNA BE REVIEW, REVIEWING THOSE COURSES AND WORKING WITH OUR STUDENTS TO GET SUPPORT.
ADDITIONALLY, UM, BCPS, UM, HAS CREDIT RECOVERY OPTIONS THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE, UM, TO OUR STUDENTS AND ARE LISTED ON THE SLIDE IN FRONT OF YOU.
SO, IN SUMMARY, UM, WHAT YOU SEE HERE, THE BULLETS SHOW, UM, HOW WE CAN MAXIMIZE, UM, SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS TOWARDS THE GRADUATION RATE.
YOU HEARD MR. LANDON SPEAK ABOUT PROJECT GRADUATION TEAMS. THAT IS THE STARTING POINT.
UM, AS WE HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND WE'RE THINKING FORWARD ABOUT WHAT THE DATA TOOLS ARE, UH, WE ALSO HAVE, EVERY SCHOOL HAS AN ATTENDANCE TEAM, AGAIN, REINFORCING THE FACT THAT WE DO NEED TO BE IN THE SCHOOL, UM, TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THOSE, UM, CREDITS.
AND THEN ALSO SUPPORT STAFF DIGGING INTO IF A STUDENT'S NOT ATTENDING OR NOT MEETING WITH SUCCESS, WHAT IS HAPPENING AND HOW CAN WE LEVERAGE OUR SUPPORTS AND THAT OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UM, INTERVENTIONS AS WELL AS CREDIT RECOVERY SO THAT STUDENTS, IF THEY ARE STRUGGLING, THEY CAN MAKE UP THOSE CREDITS, UM, ON THEIR JOURNEY.
AND ALSO, AS MR. LANDON REFERENCED, THE DATA TOOLS, USING DATA TO DRIVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BE IT A PROJECT, GRADUATION MEETING, ATTENDANCE MEETING, OR JUST SIMPLY TAKING A LOOK AT HOW OUR STUDENTS ARE DOING ACADEMICALLY.
AND FINALLY, WE WANT TO ABSOLUTELY WISH AS WE START THE GRADUATION SEASON FOR 2025.
WE KICKED OFF TODAY WITH RIDGE RUXIN AND WE'LL FINISH THIS WEEK WITH OUR SPECIAL SCHOOLS.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO START OFF NEXT WEEK WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS.
UM, WE ARE WISHING ALL OF OUR GRADUATES IN BALTIMORE COUNTY TREMENDOUS SUCCESS, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EACH OF YOU AT THE GRADUATIONS AHEAD.
UM, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? MS. CHIKA KALU? YES.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO IF A SENIOR DOESN'T COMPLETE A DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSE IN THE FALL SEMESTER WITH SUCCESS, LIKE A GRAD REQUIRED GRADUATION CREDIT, SO MAYBE THEIR FINE ARTS OR ENGLISH 1 0 2 FOR THE SPRING SEMESTER, KIND OF WHAT IS THE SOLUTION FOR THAT STUDENT TO STILL GRADUATE AT THE END OF THE YEAR SINCE IT'S A ONE CREDIT COURSE? YOU'RE NODDING, DUDE.
YOU WANNA ANSWER? YOU WANT ME TO GO AHEAD, JACK? WELL, YOU, YOU COULD RETAKE AT FOR, FOR DUAL CREDIT IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS.
UM, WE COULD ALSO DO CREDIT RECOVERY, UM, IN ONE OF THOSE OPTIONS THAT WAS MENTIONED UP THERE, UH, BEFORE TOO.
UM, THANK YOU MS. BOOKER DWYER, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
AND WHEN I SEE THE PRESENTATION, IT MAKES ME THINK, UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION AROUND DEVELOPING A PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE FOR BCPS? BECAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT THIS AND I LOOK AT OUR VISION, PURPOSE, AND CORE VALUES, AND I LOOK AT OUR, UH, UH, PRIORITIES, AND YOU LOOK AT ALL THOSE DIFFERENT PIECES, I FEEL LIKE WE, WE HAVE A PORTRAIT OF WHAT WE EXPECT FOR WHEN STUDENTS GRADUATE,
[01:45:01]
BUT IT'S JUST NOT ALL IN ONE TIGHT STORY.WE HAVE SOME HERE, SOME THERE, SOME THERE, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OF THAT OR ANY INTEREST IN THAT? SO I COULD SPEAK TO THE FACT THAT, UH, INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS CONTINUE TO COMPILE THEIR DATA AND CREATE THAT PORTRAIT.
MANY TIMES YOU'LL FIND THE COUNSELORS, UH, OR THE REGISTRARS INCLUDE IT WITH THE TRANSCRIPT AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE BEING SENT TO COLLEGES.
BUT WE HAVEN'T COMPILED ALL OF THE SCHOOLS AND CREATED ONE, UM, AT A SYSTEM LEVEL.
WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT THAT THOUGH.
OTHER COMMENTS? MS. DOMKE, EACH OF YOUR YES, I DID.
UM, SORRY, WHAT IS THE GRADE LEVEL REQUIREMENT? FOR A CREDIT TO COUNT? YOU HAVE TO GET A D OR A HIGHER, A D OR HIGHER MM-HMM
AND THEN ALSO, WHAT ARE THE, THE ELA AND ENGLISH REQUIREMENTS? HOW MANY CREDITS DO THIS? NO, I'M 4 4, 4 ELA FOR MATH.
AND THEY'RE ALL, UH, NINE, 10.
I MEAN, THEY'RE, FOR MOST PART FOR ENGLISH, IT'S ELA 9, 10, 11, 12.
AND THEN, UM, THE HEALTH REQUIREMENT IS THERE LIKE A, A CERTAIN HEALTH CLASS OR COURSE THAT COUNTS TOWARDS THAT CREDIT? SO THERE'S A HALF CREDIT CALLED, UM, HEALTH NINE 10, AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER HALF CREDIT CALLED, UM, HEALTH 1112.
SO THEY, THEY HAVE TO TAKE BOTH OF THOSE COURSES.
YOU HAVE TO GET ONE CREDIT NOW, RIGHT? INSTEAD OF A HALF LIKE WE USED TO DO.
OTHER QUESTIONS, MS. LESKI? THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
FOR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS THAT ARE WATCHING THAT ARE INTERESTED IN CREDIT RECOVERY FOR THEIR CHILD.
UM, CAN YOU, UM, JUST BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT WHAT'S THE KIND OF NEXT STEPS SO THAT THEY CAN START THE PROCESS OR KNOW FOR THE FUTURE? THANK YOU.
UM, IF A PARENT OR EVEN A STUDENT IS INTERESTED IN CREDIT RECOVERY, UM, ABSOLUTELY REACHING OUT TO THEIR SCHOOL COUNSELOR TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION AND THEN TO EXPLORE WHAT THE PA WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE WITH RESPECT TO, UM, RECOVERING CREDITS WOULD BE THE FIRST APPROACH THAT I WOULD USE.
UM, AND YOU CAN ALSO TALK, IF YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR ADMINISTRATOR, THAT'S CERTAINLY A CONVERSATION YOU CAN HAVE, BUT THEY WILL, UM, THEY WILL ALWAYS BE MEETING WITH THEIR SCHOOL COUNSELOR TO GET THAT PROCESS STARTED.
UM, WITH THE FOUR MATH CREDITS.
SO IF A STUDENT WANTS TO GRADUATE A YEAR EARLY, JUST CONFIRM WOULD THEY HAVE TO TAKE AN ADDITIONAL MATH CREDIT ELECT CCBC TO GET FOUR CREDITS TO GRADUATE? THEY, IN THEIR JUNIOR YEAR, AS SOON AS THEY HIT THAT FOURTH CREDIT, THEY'RE GONNA BE ELIGIBLE TO GRADUATE.
SO, YOU KNOW, EACH INDIVIDUAL STUDENT COULD BE DIFFERENT, BUT THE SITUATION THAT YOU MENTIONED, IT WOULD BE ONE PATHWAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO IT DEPENDS ON, UM, INDIVIDUAL BASIS.
AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S, UM, AGAIN, THAT COMMUNICATION, WORKING WITH YOUR COUNSELOR ON WHAT'S BEST FOR INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS IS THE WAY TO GO.
AND I KNOW WITH ENGLISH 1 0 2, THAT'S NOT REQUIRED TO BE TAKEN YEAR ROUND, BUT FOR YOUR MATH COURSE, DO YOU HAVE TO ACTIVELY BE ENROLLED IN THE COURSE FOR BOTH SEMESTERS? IT'S, IT'S, IT'S CREDITS THAT THE MATH IS, UM, COMPUTED BY CREDIT.
SO IT'S SIMPLY, UM, IT SIMPLY DEPENDS.
RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ON THE, THE HALF, UM, THE HALF CREDIT.
SO ESSENTIALLY YOU WOULD BE ENROLLED, YOU WOULD BE ENROLLED IN MATH TO GET THE, THE ONE CREDIT.
UM, IF YOU ARE TAKING OTHER CLASSES OUTSIDE OF, OF BCPS, YOU COULD ALSO ACCUMULATE OTHER CREDITS.
SO THE STUDENT, IF LET'S SAY THEY WERE A SENIOR OR JUNIOR, THEY COULD TAKE THE MATH CREDIT AT LIKE CCBC TO SUPPLEMENT IT IN THEIR SENIOR YEAR RATHER THAN TAKING MATH ALL FOUR QUARTERS.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO SPEAK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT STUDENTS, AND I KNOW YOU KNOW THIS, UM, I THINK A REVIEW OF THE, THE STUDENT AND THE PROFILE COULD LEND ITSELF TO SOME OF THE SCENARIOS YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, MR. WILLIAM? I, I JUST WANNA SAY IF, IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBSERVE THE CREDIT RECOVERY PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE WHEN I WAS ACTIVELY TEACHING, AND IT'S REALLY SOMETHING TO OBSERVE.
UH, AS A FORMER ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, I'D GO INTO THAT PROGRAM AND, AND CHECK ON KIDS THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO, UH, RECOVER.
UH, SO IT'S REALLY SOMETHING TO SEE.
SO I RECOMMEND THAT IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
AND I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THE REORG THAT YOU DID LAST YEAR TO PUT MR. LANDON WITH, UM, DR. JONES.
BECAUSE I'VE HEARD PRINCIPALS REALLY TALK ABOUT THE HEALTH AND SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE GIVEN THEM TO REALLY LOOK AT THEIR DATA IN A DIFFERENT WAY AND REALLY TRY TO MAKE DIFFERENCES.
SO I THINK THAT REORG REALLY BENEFITED, UM, OUR HIGH SCHOOLS.
AND I, I SEE MS. CASTOR IN THE BACK NODDING HER HEAD.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE
[01:50:01]
DOING WITH OUR, WITH OUR HIGH SCHOOLS.[M. REPORT - UPDATE ON THE CELL PHONE PILOT (Ms. Charley-Greene) (8:45 - 9:00 p.m.)]
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE UPDATE ON THE CELL PHONE PILOT.AND FOR THAT I CALL MS. CHARLIE GREEN, MS. CASTOR, MR. CARNEY, MS. SOMERVILLE, AND MS. BI.
WE'LL REARRANGING FOR HOW DO WE NEED ONE MORE, ONE MORE CHAIR, CHAIR ON THAT END? YOU SURE? THANK YOU.
WELL, GOOD EVENING, CHAIR LICHTER, VICE CHAIR HARVEY, SUPERINTENDENT ROGERS MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
I'VE GOT BY SOME INCREDIBLE COLLEAGUES AND I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THEM.
I HAVE WITH ME PRINCIPALS, CASTOR AND CARNEY WHO WILL TALK ABOUT THEIR INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL EXPERIENCES.
I HAVE WITH US OUR DIRECTOR OF, UM, HEALTH SERVICES, DEB SOMERVILLE, WHO WILL TALK ABOUT SOME WORK THAT SHE'S DONE AS IT RELATES TO OUR DEVELOPMENT OF A SYSTEM-WIDE CELL PHONE POLICY AND PLAN.
AND THEN CERTAINLY OUR PTA PARTNER, MS. RAMONA BAIO.
SO WE ARE PLEASED TONIGHT TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON OUR CELL PHONE PILOT AND TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THE SLIDE BEFORE YOU JUST PROVIDES A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT WHERE WE'VE BEEN.
UM, AS YOU RECALL, WE CAME TO YOU, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TO SAY THAT WE WANTED TO PUT IN PLACE A PILOT PROGRAM BASED ON A GROWING CONCERN WE HAD ABOUT STUDENTS, STUDENT DISTRACTIONS IN SCHOOL THAT WE FELT WERE IMPACTING NOT ONLY THEIR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, BUT ALSO THEIR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL WELLBEING.
WE WEREN'T ALONE IN THIS CONCERN.
WE SEE THAT OUR LAWMAKERS AT THE STATE LEVEL HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS, AND IN FACT HAVE PASSED LEGISLATION, WHICH ACTUALLY REQUIRES EVERY SYSTEM IN THE STATE TO HAVE A CELL PHONE POLICY.
WE'RE VERY PLEASED THAT WE ARE AHEAD OF THE CURVE WITH THIS BECAUSE WE HAD ALREADY BEGUN PILOTING A CELL PHONE, UH, PILOT IN OUR SYSTEM.
OUR GOAL WAS TO REDUCE DISTRACTIONS FOR STUDENTS BY SEPARATING STUDENTS FROM THEIR PHONES, BY MAKING SURE THAT THEIR PHONES WERE NEARBY SO THAT THEY CERTAINLY KNEW THAT THEY WERE SAFE, BUT THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO FOCUS ON WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM AND ENGAGE WITH PEERS, ENGAGE WITH TEACHERS, AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE LEARNING AND ACHIEVING AT HIGH LEVELS.
WE REACHED OUT TO A NUMBER OF SCHOOLS TO SEE WHO WOULD VOLUNTEER.
WE HAD 17 SCHOOLS DECIDE THAT THEY WANTED TO BE PART OF THE PILOT AND OUR EARLY DELIVERABLES.
WE CAME BEFORE YOU IN DECEMBER TO SHARE WITH YOU JUST SOME PERCEPTIONS ABOUT HOW PEOPLE FELT, ABOUT HOW THEY WERE DOING.
AND WE'RE HERE NOW THAT WE ARE AT NEARING THE END OF THE YEAR.
WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET, ALTHOUGH GRADUATION SEASON IS UPON US TO OUTLINE SOME KEY COMPONENTS OF WHAT WILL BE THE FALL.
AND IT SAYS ON THIS SLIDE, 2025, UH, IT SHOULD SAY 20 20, 25, 20 26.
SYSTEM-WIDE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
SO AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO FULL SCALE IMPLEMENTATION, WHAT ARE SOME LESSONS LEARNED AND WHAT CAN FAMILIES EXPECT TO SEE FAMILIES, STUDENTS, ALL STAKEHOLDERS EXPECT TO SEE IN SCHOOLS ACROSS BCPS? AND SO, AGAIN, JUST TO SHOW YOU WHERE WE'VE BEEN, UM, WE, WHEN WE LEFT YOU LAST, WE DECIDED THAT THE SCHOOLS THAT WERE THE 17 SCHOOLS WHO WERE ENGAGED IN THE PILOT WOULD CONTINUE THEIR WORK.
AND THEY HAVE THAT WE WOULD ONBOARD ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS, THAT WE WOULD COLLECT SOME QUANTITATIVE DATA, RECOGNIZING FULLY THAT MUCH OF THE DATA WE SHARED WITH YOU IN DECEMBER.
DECEMBER WAS QUALITATIVE DATA AND PERCEPTION DATA.
AND THEN CERTAINLY TO EVALUATE THAT DATA AND PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO THE EXPERTS ARE HERE WITH ME WHO'VE BEEN PILOTING THESE PROGRAMS IN THEIR SCHOOLS.
THEY ARE GOING TO SHARE SOME OF THEIR QUANTITATIVE DATA, SOME OF WHAT THEY FOUND IN TERMS OF PERCEPTION AND OVERALL CLIMATE, AND SO THAT WE ARE ABLE TO LEARN FROM THEM AND PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR.
BEFORE WE GET TO THEM, WE CERTAINLY WANNA HEAR FROM OUR PTA PARTNER, MS. BASILIO, WHO WILL TALK ABOUT THE ROLE THAT FAMILIES HAVE TO PLAY, AS WELL AS MS. SOMERVILLE WHO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE ACROSS THE NATION AS WE TRY TO WORK TO MAKE SURE THE STUDENTS HAVE WHAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
SO I WILL TURN IT OVER AT THIS TIME TO MS. LIO AND THERE SHOULD BE A SLIDE FOR HER.
WELL, WHAT A DIFFERENCE 18 MONTHS MAKE.
UM, I WANNA THANK, UM, THE SUPERINTENDENT, MS. CHARLIE GREEN, UM, OUR PARTNERS HERE AND ALL OF THE SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN THE POLL IN THE SPRING OF 2023, UM, WE FELT LIKE EVERYONE'S HAIR WAS ON FIRE.
WE HAD TEACHERS COMPLAINING ABOUT STUDENTS BEING RESPECT DISRESPECTFUL.
WE HAD PARENTS ANXIOUS ABOUT STUDENTS NOT HAVING THEIR PHONES.
WE HAVE STU WE HAD STUDENTS LITERALLY FIGHTING
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TEACHERS TO KEEP THEIR PHONES.WE HAD PARENTS SAYING, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS, SO I NEED THE SCHOOLS TO HANDLE IT.
SO I'M, I'M HERE TO SAY, AND WE'RE PLEASED TO SAY THE SCHOOL SYSTEM SUPERINTENDENT AND THE BOARD IS REALLY TRYING TO HANDLE THIS.
WE, UM, HAD A GOAL OF TRYING TO ADVOCATE FOR RESPONSIBLE CELL PHONE USE.
OUR PRIMARY GOAL WAS ALSO TO CONNECT WITH PARENTS AND TO PROVIDE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES TO PUT IT IN PLAIN ENGLISH, TO HELP PARENTS UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT TRYING TO TAKE THE STUDENT'S PHONE AWAY FROM THEM FOR LIFE.
AND WE JUST WANT TO SUPPORT BCP S'S PRIME DIRECTIVE.
AND THAT IS TO, UM, PREPARE OUR STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE AND CAREERS AND TO FOCUS ON QUALITY INSTRUCTION AND A POSITIVE CLIMATE.
WE BELIEVE THAT THE CELL PHONE DISTRACTION HAD INTERFERED WITH THAT.
SO WE WANTED TO AS A PTA WORK WITH PARENTS TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO HOW DO WE DO IT? WE HAD INTERVIEWS AND CONVERSATIONS WITH ABOUT A HUNDRED PARENTS.
UM, SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS, SURVEYS, FOCUS GROUPS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE ISSUE? WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM? AND WE HAVE A VARIETY OF RESPONSES AND SOME ARE INCLUDED IN THE PILOT STUDY, I'M SURE.
WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH EIGHT SCHOOLS TO HELP PARENTS AND STUDENTS AND TEACHERS REALLY HAVE A VISUAL AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF CELL PHONE MISUSE, COMPULSIVE USE AND ISSUES AROUND CELL PHONE, BUT MAINLY AROUND THE DISTRACTION THAT IT CAUSES.
SO WE GOT TOGETHER PARENTS, UM, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WE GOT TOGETHER AND WE SPONSORED SCREENINGS AND WE WERE PLEASED.
WE WERE PLEASED TO REPORT THAT OVER 700 PARENTS, STUDENTS, AND TEACHERS ATTENDED THOSE VIEWINGS.
WE HAD SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS.
SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS WERE PRETTY INTENSE.
AND I'M JUST GONNA SAY WE'RE REALLY HAPPY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO SCREENINGS.
UM, WE REVIEWED ABOUT SIX DOCUMENTATION DOCUMENTARIES AND THAT WAS THE ONE THAT WAS THE MOST IMPACTFUL.
AND I JUST WANNA CLOSE WITH WHAT TWO STUDENTS SAID IN ONE OF THE DISCUSSIONS.
ONE STUDENT SAID, THIS IS MY PHONE, IT HAS EVERYTHING THAT I WANT ON IT.
WHY? AND DAD WAS THERE, WHY WOULD I HAVE THE PHONE IF I CAN'T USE IT WHEN AND WHERE I WANT TO USE IT? ANOTHER STUDENT, YOUNG MAN SAID TO SAID TO HER, GET OVER IT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
I'M THE PRINCIPAL OF SPARES POINT HIGH SCHOOL AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME BACK.
UM, SO TONIGHT I'M GONNA SHARE A FINAL UPDATE ON OUR PROGRESS WITH THE CELL PHONE PILOT PROGRAM.
I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, WE WERE ONE OF THE EIGHT SCHOOLS FOR UM, SCREENERS.
AND I ECHO EVERYTHING THAT MS. LIO SAID.
IT WAS A PHENOMENAL PROGRAM FOR OUR KIDS.
WE SHOWED IT TO EVERY STUDENT IN HEALTH, NINE, 10, AND 1112, AND QUITE A FEW PARENTS AS WELL.
SO HOPING WE CAN BRING THAT BACK NEXT YEAR.
UH, AS I SHARED WITH YOU WHEN I WAS HERE IN DECEMBER, OUR STAFF IDENTIFIED CELL PHONES AS REALLY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT, UM, DISRUPTION TO INSTRUCTION AND ALSO TO ENGAGEMENT TEACHER TO STUDENT AND STUDENT TO STUDENT.
SO THROUGH THE PROGRAM, WE REALLY HOPE TO WORK WITH OUR OLDER STUDENTS, OUR HIGH SCHOOLERS, TO LEARN TO BALANCE, BALANCE THOSE BENEFITS WITH THE NEED TO RES, UH, SUPPORT THAT RESPONSIBLE DIGITAL USE AS THEY'RE GOING ON TO POST-SECONDARY AND CAREER.
SO IT'S BEEN NINE MONTHS, UM, AND I'M PLEASED TO SHARE THAT YES, WE ACTUALLY HAVE MET THOSE GOALS.
I CAN SAY THAT WITH CERTAINTY WE HAVE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN CELL PHONE, RESPONSIBLE USE FROM OUR STUDENTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE LEARNED THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A QUICK FIX AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE EMBRACING THE ATTITUDE OF PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION.
SO I'D LIKE TO SHARE SOME OF THE LESSONS LEARNED, UM, SINCE I WAS HERE LAST TIME.
SO ONE OF THE, UM, MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE'VE SHIFTED TO IS TALKING ABOUT THE WHY AND REALIZING THAT THAT IS EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT AS THE POLICY ITSELF.
SO REALLY WIDELY SHARING THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS THAT WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT.
UM, SOME OF THOSE EXCESSIVE USE BEHAVIORS, THE IMPULSIVE BEHAVIORS.
UM, AT MY SCHOOL WE USED OUR ADVISORY LESSONS.
WE ACTUALLY DID A BOOK STUDY WITH OUR STAFF, UM, WHICH WAS REALLY HELPFUL TO,
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TO TALK ABOUT THE WHY BEHIND THE POLICY.I WOULD ALSO SHARE THAT HAVING THAT STAFF BUY-IN AND REALLY CONSISTENTLY COMMUNICATING WITH WITH YOUR STAFF IS GOING TO BE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
LIKE EVERYTHING WE DO, IT'S GOING, IT'S ONLY GOING TO BE AS EFFECTIVE AS WE ARE AS BEING CONSISTENT WITH THAT.
UM, THAT POLICY ALSO BEING REALLY SPECIFIC, HAVING, UM, A SCHOOL-WIDE STRATEGY THAT DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF GRAY AREA, MAKING SURE THAT KIDS REALLY UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING OF THEM.
AND UM, IN ALL HONESTY, STUDENTS WILL FIND WAYS TO CIRCUMVENT OUR POLICIES.
THEY WILL, ESPECIALLY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WE ADAPT, WE TALK ABOUT IT.
UM, AND WE JUST FIND WAYS TO WORK THROUGH IT.
UM, ADDITIONALLY WE NOTICED THAT OUR STUDENTS MAY INITIALLY FEEL MORE ANXIOUS WITHOUT THEIR PHONES.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AGAIN, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT.
WE HAVE TO NAME IT AND WE JUST HAVE TO WORK WITH THE KIDS AND THE FAMILIES ON ALSO, UM, CONSIDERING CELL PHONE MISUSE IS REALLY ITS OWN BEHAVIOR.
SEPARATING THAT FROM OTHER DISCIPLINE THAT WE MAY BE WORKING ON IN OUR SCHOOLS.
AND AS MS. BASILIO SAID, PARTNERING WITH CAREGIVERS, THEY AGREE WITH US.
I HAVE NOT WORKED WITH ONE PARENT THIS YEAR THAT HAS NOT BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO.
SO WE UM, SURVEYED OUR STAFF SINCE I WAS HERE LAST TIME.
OVER 90% OF OUR STAFF REPORTED THAT WE WERE MAKING PROGRESS TOWARDS HOLDING STUDENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS, INCLUDING CELL PHONE, RESPONSIBLE USE.
AND AT THAT POINT, JUST OVER HALF HAD SAID, WE HAVE SEEN A MARKED IMPROVEMENT, WHICH WAS GREAT NEWS.
I WANNA SHARE SOME OF THE QUOTES FROM SOME OF OUR TEACHERS.
SINCE STUDENTS ARE OFF THEIR PHONES IN CLASS, THEY ARE ATTENDING TO INSTRUCTION AND MAKING PROGRESS EACH DAY.
STUDENTS ARE MORE RECEPTIVE TO LISTEN AND BEHAVE IN THE CLASSROOM.
THEY CARE MORE ABOUT THEIR GRADES AND ARE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD.
NO, PHONES ARE BY FAR THE BIGGEST CHANGE.
IT WORKS WELL IN MY CLASS WITH MY STUDENTS.
CELL PHONE POLICY HAS BEEN A GODSEND IN GENERAL, I JUST LOVE MY INTERACTIONS WITH STUDENTS EVERY DAY.
AND THE LAST ONE, STUDENTS ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE DURING CLASS TIME.
PHONE USE HAS MOST DEFINITELY DECREASED.
WE ALSO SURVEYED OUR KIDS JUST LAST MONTH AND THEY, UM, ANSWERED SOME OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS.
UM, SOME QUESTIONS THAT ALLOWED US TO GATHER SOME DATA.
AND I FOUND SOME OF THIS TO BE VERY INTERESTING.
SO AT THE, AT THE START OF MARKING PERIOD FOUR, THEY WERE OFFERED THIS SURVEY, UM, TO PROVIDE INPUT, WHICH I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, WHAT YOU'LL SEE, AND THIS IS JUST A SMALL SNAPSHOT, UM, WITHOUT A CELL PHONE POLICY, MOST OF OUR STUDENTS SAID THEY WILL CHECK THEIR PHONE BETWEEN ONE AND FIVE TIMES PER CLASS PERIOD.
17% OF THEM SAID THEY WOULD CHECK THEIR PHONE FIVE OR MORE TIMES JUST FOR EACH CLASS PERIOD.
THEY ALSO REPORT THEIR PRIMARY ACTIVITY AFTER FINISHING AN ASSIGNMENT OR TASK EARLY, IS TO CHECK THEIR PHONE.
SO TO ME, THIS REALLY SUPPORTS THE NEED FOR THE SCHOOL-WIDE CELL PHONE POLICY.
THEY ALSO HAD SOME INTERESTING COMMENTS AS TEENAGERS DO, UH, WHAT THEY HOPED WOULD COME OUT OF THIS POLICY.
SO I'D LIKE TO SHARE A FEW OF THOSE.
AND THESE ARE THE WORDS OF OUR STUDENTS.
MORE SUCCESS IN CLASSWORK FOR STUDENTS WHO DON'T DO THEIR WORK BECAUSE OF PHONES, IMPROVEMENTS IN ACADEMIC RESULTS PROGRESS, DECREASED WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS FROM SCREEN TIME ADDICTIONS, BETTER CLASS ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN PEERS, TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, STUDENTS IN THE LESSON AND ACTUALLY TALKING TO CLASSMATES INSTEAD OF SITTING ON PHONES AFTER CLASS.
AND I'M, UH, PLEASED TO TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE, PRINCIPAL, ADAM KARNEY.
I'M PRINCIPAL AT COCKEYSVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THIS IS JUST WHO WE ARE.
'CAUSE I WAS NOT HERE LAST TIME.
UM, SO, UM, WE ARE ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE SCHOOLS IN ALL OF BCPS.
UM, AND THAT IS A LOT OF FUN, UM, IN A LOT OF WAYS.
BUT IT ALSO MAKES US A GREAT SPOT TO DO SOME, GET SOME DATA THAT SPANS ACROSS EVERY DEMOGRAPHIC.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE ARE EXTREMELY HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT TONIGHT.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
UM, WE HAVE, EXCUSE ME, WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED IN THIS CONVERSATION AT COCKEYSVILLE SINCE RIGHT AFTER COVID.
UM, WE DOVE RIGHT IN WHEN WE CAME BACK AND WE WERE KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF AN EARLY ADOPTER ON TRYING TO PREVENT CELL PHONES IN SCHOOLS.
SO I WANNA START OUT BY SAYING WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY A PILOT SCHOOL.
UM, WE PUT SOME THINGS IN PLACE, UM, ALREADY, UH, BEFORE THE PILOT STARTED.
SO WE WANTED TO CONTINUE WHAT WE WERE DOING 'CAUSE IT WAS WORKING.
UM, SO WE ARE, WE ARE KIND OF DOING OUR OWN KIND OF THING BEFORE THAT.
UM, AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO KIND OF GET IN ON THAT AFTER.
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UM, THE BIGGEST THING FOR US IS IN 21, 22 WE CAME BACK TO SCHOOL AND I SENT OUT A SURVEY TO STAFF.WHAT'S THE BIGGEST PROBLEM AT CMS? YOU KNOW, YOU CANNOT GET 80 TEACHERS AND STAFF MEMBERS AGREE ON ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR THIS TIME.
WE DID NUMBER ONE, CELL PHONES, GET RID OF THE CELL PHONES.
THAT WAS UNANIMOUSLY THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM THEY STATED AT THE SCHOOL.
SO OUR ILT OVER THE SUMMER, WE WENT TO WORK AND WE CAME UP WITH SOMETHING.
WE DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WOULD WORK.
WE HAD NO IDEA IF IT WOULD WORK, BUT WE GAVE IT A SHOT.
UM, AND EVERY TEACHER WAS READY TO TAKE IT ON.
AND IT SHOWS THAT WHEN EVERYBODY IN THE BUILDING IS BEHIND SOMETHING AND READY TO GET ON BOARD, UM, YOU CAN DO A LOT OF REALLY GOOD STUFF.
UM, 'CAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO REALLY CRACK DOWN ON CELL PHONES THAT FIRST YEAR TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING HOW LITTLE WE SAW THEM.
UM, AND WHAT HAPPENS FOR US IS EVERY TIME A STUDENT HAS A PHONE OUT, ALL THE TEACHER HAS TO DO IS MARKET EMAIL.
THE TEAM LEADER, WE KEEP A SPREADSHEET.
SO WE TRACK EVERY TIME A KID PULLS THEIR PHONE OUT AT CMS. NOW, DO WE MISS A FEW? ABSOLUTELY.
I'M SURE WE CAN'T GET ALL OF 'EM, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, WE, WE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT AND WE MIX IN SOME CONSEQUENCES.
LUNCH DETENTIONS REQUIRED PARENT CONFERENCES, UM, AND WE'VE ADJUSTED THEM IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND NOW WE'RE DOWN TO, LIKE, WE, WE MAKE THEM LOCK IT UP AFTER, YOU KNOW, A MUCH SHORTER TIME PERIOD THAN WE USED TO.
BUT OUR GOAL IS TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL.
UM, WE DON'T WANT TO NECESSARILY TELL THEM, NO, YOU CAN'T USE YOUR PHONE.
IT'S NO, LET'S TEACH YOU HOW TO USE IT RESPONSIBLY.
AND WHEN YOU'RE NOT, WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR MIDDLE OF YOUR CLASSROOM, THAT'S NOT RESPONSIBLE USAGE WHEN TEACHER'S TALKING, EVEN IF IT, YOU KNOW, IS WHEN YOUR WORK IS DONE.
UM, SO, UM, THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR US AND WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE NOW ABLE TO TRACK DATA.
UM, SO I CAN PUT IN A SPREADSHEET HOW MANY VIOLATIONS EVERYBODY HAS, AND THAT MEANS I CAN LOOK AT YOUR TEST SCORES, YOUR GPA AND ALL OF THAT ACADEMIC IMPACT ON DATA BECAUSE WE TRACK EVERYONE.
AND I HAVE FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND I SHARE THIS WITH ALL OF OUR PARENTS AT FIFTH GRADE ORIENTATION NIGHT, AT BACK SCHOOL NIGHT, AS MS. MINOSKI WOULD KNOW, UM, WE WANT THEIR, WE WANT THEIR CHILDREN.
UH, WE WANT THEM TO KNOW THE IMPACT ON EDUCATION ON THEIR CHILDREN.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, MOST OF OUR PARENTS COME TO ME AND SAY, I HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS WAS SUCH A SERIOUS PROBLEM.
I WANT MY CHILD TO HAVE IT 'CAUSE OF SAFETY, BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THIS WAS SUCH CAUSING SUCH AN ISSUE THAT MY AC MY CHILD'S ACADEMICS ARE, ARE SUFFERING.
UM, AS A PARENT MYSELF, I'M, I NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO I PRESENT NATIONAL DATA.
I DO RESEARCH EVERY SUMMER JUST TO TRY TO PRESENT THAT.
UM, AND I ALSO HAVE OUR, UM, CMS DATA.
SO I'M JUST GONNA SHARE THAT REALLY BRIEFLY WITH YOU RIGHT NOW.
SO HERE'S SOME NATIONAL RESEARCH DATA, UM, ON CELL PHONES.
UM, I SHARE THIS WITH PARENTS.
I PUT AN INFOGRAPHIC TOGETHER, I GIVE IT OUT.
UM, I LIKE TO MAKE SURE OUR FAMILIES ARE EDUCATED BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM IS WORKING TOGETHER AS PARTNERS.
IT CAN'T BE, THE SCHOOL IS CRACKING DOWN AND THE PARENTS DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY.
UM, SO THE PARENTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND LIKE, THIS IS THE NEGATIVE IMPACT.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, HALF OF KIDS OWN A CELL PHONE BY THE TIME THEY'RE AGE 11, WHICH IS ABOUT SIXTH GRADE.
UM, AND SO WHEN PARENTS COME IN, THEIR SIXTH GRADERS ARE ALWAYS LIKE, EVERYBODY'S GOT A CELL PHONE.
ONLY HALF OF YOU HAVE CELL PHONES AND WE MAKE SURE WE HAMMER THAT HOME.
SO IF YOU'RE STANDING STRONG ON THAT CELL PHONE DEBATE, WE CAN HELP YOU STAND STRONG.
UM, AND MOST OF OUR FAMILIES DO APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE THEY GET THAT PRESSURE FROM THEIR CHILD.
BY EIGHTH GRADE, YEAH, THEY'VE ALL PROBABLY GOT ONE, BUT SIXTH GRADE, ABOUT HALF.
UM, AVERAGE AGE OF STUDENT JOINS SOCIAL MEDIA IS 14, WHICH IS GOOD BECAUSE 13 IS THE AGE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO JOIN SOCIAL MEDIA.
SO ANYBODY BEFORE THAT, NOT GOOD.
UM, BUT 28% OF KIDS REPORT BEING ON IT BEFORE AGE 13.
UM, ONCE THEY DO JOIN, HOWEVER, 63% OF TEENS SAID THEY USE SOCIAL MEDIA EVERY DAY.
AND THAT'S AN INCREASE IN 18% FROM THE LAST 10 FROM THE STUDY.
UM, 53% IS THE AMOUNT OF TIME THEY SPEND WATCHING VIDEOS.
31% OF THEIR SCREEN TIME IS SPENT GAMING, YET ONLY 32% OF THEM READ FOR PLEASURE ONCE A MONTH.
SO IF YOU COMPARE THOSE NUMBERS, IT'S EASY TO SEE WHAT AN IMPACT WE'RE HAVING OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL AND THAT'S COMING INTO SCHOOL.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE NOT READING FOR PLEASURE, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS, BUT WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, MY TEACHER TOLD ME ALL THE TIME, BEST WAY TO MOVE YOUR SAT SCORE AND MOVE YOUR ACADEMIC SCORES TO READ A LOT.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT I DID AND, UH, WORKED FOR ME.
UM, BUT IF ONLY 32% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE READING FOR PLEASURE ONCE A MONTH, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
UM, HERE'S THE OTHER STAT THAT USUALLY GETS EVERYBODY.
ONLY 50% OF MIDDLE SCHOOL AGED PARENTS CHECK THEIR CHILD'S PHONE.
50% ACCORDING TO THIS 2003 COMMON SENSE MEDIA STUDY WHERE TEENS AND PARENTS SELF-REPORTED, ONLY HALF ACTUALLY CHECK WHAT'S GOING ON ON THEIR CHILD'S PHONE.
SO THAT'S A BIG ONE THAT I FELT LIKE NEEDED TO BE BROUGHT TO EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION AS WELL.
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TEENS AVERAGE NINE HOURS ONLINE.THAT IS WHAT THEY SELF-REPORTED.
THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE HOMEWORK.
UM, I FELT THAT WAS ALSO INTERESTING.
UM, SO WHAT WE DO IS WE ALSO MAKE SURE WE SEND HOME IN OUR NEWSLETTER EVERY MONTH A VIDEO THAT SHOWS PARENTS HOW TO SET YOUR SETTINGS, HOW TO MAKE IT SO THEY CAN ONLY CONTACT YOU, HOW TO BLOCK IT DURING SCHOOL HOURS, HOW TO SHUT IT DOWN.
WE REALLY TRY TO PARTNER WITH THEM AND OUR KIDS WHO ARE AT HIGH LEVEL OF PHONE VIOLATIONS.
WE MAKE SURE WHEN WE SIT DOWN FOR THE PARENT CONFERENCE, THEY SEE THOSE, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN DO THAT.
SO NOW LET'S TAKE IT FROM NATIONAL LEVEL TO OUR CMS LEVEL.
UM, AND BECAUSE WE TRACK EVERY VIOLATION, LIKE I SAID, WE CAN PROVIDE YOU THIS DATA DIRECTLY.
THIS IS ACTUAL VILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL DATA.
THIS IS NOT SOME NATIONAL VAGUE DATA FROM SOMEWHERE NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT.
IF YOU LOOK KIDS WHO DIDN'T HAVE ANY CELL PHONE VIOLATIONS ALL YEAR LONG, DENVER GOT CAUGHT WITH THEIR PHONE OUT ONCE, HAD AN AVERAGE OF A 3.37 GPA, YOU HAD IT OUT JUST FIVE TIMES ALL YEAR LONG, 2.58.
NOW I KNOW STATISTICS, CORRELATION AND CAUSATION ARE NOT ALWAYS THE SAME THING, BUT THAT'S A PRETTY STRONG CORRELATION TO ME.
LOOK AT YOUR MATH, YOUR MATH, UH, MATH AND READING ABOVE 61ST PERCENTILE.
I LIKE TO PARTICULARLY ADDRESS MATH BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE ALL BEEN LOOKING AT MATH.
I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO TAKE A LOOK.
'CAUSE IF YOU GET DISTRACTED IN MATH AND YOU MISS A STEP, GUESS WHAT? YOU MIGHT MISS AN ENTIRE STANDARD.
SO THAT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME THAT THERE IS SUCH A LARGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IF YOU ARE GENERALLY DISTRACTED VERSUS IF YOU'RE ON TASK.
UH, OUR GPA DATA FROM THIS YEAR BACKS THAT UP AS WELL.
AND I PUT WE DO TRACK LATENESS THE SAME WAY.
UM, LIKE MS. CASTOR WAS SAYING, WE TRACK IT SEPARATE FROM A DISCIPLINARY THING.
THERE ARE VIOLATIONS ON A SHEET AND WE HAVE A DIFFERENT SEPARATE PROCESS FOR THAT.
IT IS WORSE FOR YOU TO BE DISTRACTED BY YOUR CELL PHONE THAN IT IS TO SHOW UP LATE TO CLASS.
AND ALL RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE FIRST 10 AND THE LAST 10 MINUTES OF CLASS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR GETTING THE OBJECTIVE AND, AND MAKING SURE YOU'D WRAP EVERYTHING UP.
COMING LATE TO CLASS ISN'T AS BAD AS HAVING YOUR PHONE OUT.
SO TO ME THAT THAT'S ABOUT AS BIG A REASON AS ANY, UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AT CMS HAS HAD A REALLY POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR ENVIRONMENT.
UH, I WILL ALSO ADD THAT ASIDE FROM JUST ACADEMIC MEASURES BEHAVIOR, WE SPEND A LOT LESS TIME DEALING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA DRAMA IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY.
DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT IN THE MORNING AND IN THE AFTERNOON, BUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, WE DON'T HAVE KIDS MEETING UP TO DO THINGS THEY SHOULDN'T BE DOING IN SCHOOL.
WE DON'T HAVE BEHAVIOR ISSUES STEMMING FROM KIDS ON THEIR PHONE, MESSAGING EACH OTHER NONSTOP.
'CAUSE WE HAVE TO REMEMBER WHEN A LOT OF US GREW UP, PEOPLE PASS NOTES, YOU SAID SOMETHING, BUT YOU GO HOME AND IT'S DONE.
EVERYBODY GETS TO COOL OFF OVERNIGHT AND COME BACK.
THEY ARE BOMBARDED 24 7 AND THAT WILL RAMP UP OVERNIGHT RATHER THAN THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
AND THE SAME THING HAPPENS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY IF WE LET THEM HAVE THEIR PHONES.
AND, UM, IN ADDITION, THE ADDITION OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO THAT, AND THAT'S MORE OF A HIGH SCHOOL THING BASED ON THE DATA, BUT LIKE BY EIGHTH GRADE, IT BECOMES A REALLY BIG DEAL.
THERE'S NO SHERIFF AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, PANDORA'S BOX SHUT ONCE THE STUDENTS ARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND THEY'RE ENGAGING IN BEHAVIORS ON SNAPCHAT AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT CUTS DOWN DURING THE SCHOOL DAY AS WELL.
AND THAT'S BEEN A HUGE HELP FOR US AS WELL.
SO HOPEFULLY THIS, UM, DATA KIND OF ILLUMINATES THE LEVEL OF DISTRACTION THAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT.
UM, I CAN IMAGINE BY HIGH SCHOOL THIS WOULD PROBABLY BE EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT.
SO, ALRIGHT, SO AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR PRINCIPALS ARE ENGAGED IN THIS WORK AND THEY HAVE THE DATA TO SHOW IT.
THE CLIMATE IN THEIR SCHOOLS CERTAINLY IS IMPACTED, BUT WE ALSO SEE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE IMPACTED IN TERMS OF THEIR PERFORMANCE.
AND SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THESE LESSONS LEARNED AND USE THOSE TO INFORM WHAT WILL BE OUR SYSTEM-WIDE PLAN FOR, UH, CELL PHONE ENFORCEMENT ACROSS THE SYSTEM.
WE HAVE SOME OTHER VOICES THAT WE WANTED TO INCLUDE.
SO I'VE GOT JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS HERE, UH, FROM THE QUESTIONNAIRE THAT I JUST WANTED TO READ TO YOU SO THAT YOU GET A SENSE OF WHAT OTHER PRINCIPALS WHO ARE EITHER ENGAGED IN THE PILOT AS EITHER PHASE ONE SCHOOL OR PHASE TWO SCHOOL, WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE.
UM, THE FIRST QUOTE, ONE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE IN, UH, OUTCOME OF THE CELL PHONE PILOT, UH, POLICY PILOT WAS THE HIGH LEVEL OF STUDENT COMPLIANCE WITH MINIMAL COMPLICATIONS.
WHEN THE POLICY WAS CONSISTENTLY ENFORCED BY STAFF, STUDENTS RESPONDED POSITIVELY AND ADHERED TO THE EXPECTATIONS.
THIS DEMONSTRATED THAT CLEAR GUIDELINES AND UNIFIED ENFORCEMENT STUDENTS ARE CAPABLE OF MEETING BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS, CONTRIBUTING TO A MORE FOCUSED AND DISTRACTION FREE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
[02:15:01]
AND SO I'LL ALLOW YOU TO READ THE OTHER TWO, JUST POINTING OUT THAT THESE ARE THE THREE KEY INGREDIENTS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT SYSTEMWIDE IMPLEMENTATION LOOKS LIKE, THE IMPACT ON GRADES, THE IMPACT ON SOCIAL EMOTIONAL WELLBEING, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSISTENCY AND COMMUNICATING THE WHY.YOU HEARD THAT FROM OUR PRINCIPALS.
IT BEARS OUT IN THE OTHER SURVEY DATA.
AND WE THINK THAT IT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF ANYTHING THAT WE DECIDE TO DO AS A SYSTEM.
AND SO AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR, WE HAVE EXPECTATIONS THAT WE ARE GOING TO ENFORCE AT ALL OF OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS A CELL PHONE, UM, RESTRICTION POLICY.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE KIND OF PLAYING AROUND WITH THE WORDS IS WE'VE DONE A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH AND I KNOW MS. CECILIO HAS ON OUR OWN, ATTENDED A COUPLE OF WEBINARS AND SESSIONS WHERE THE LANGUAGE IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A STUDENT POLICY AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GETTING PEOPLE TO COME ON BOARD, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IT'S NOT JUST PUNITIVE.
SO IT CAN'T JUST BE RESPONSIBLE USE.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN TERMS OF STUDENT LANGUAGE? UM, OFTEN AWAY, UM, SEPARATING STUDENTS FROM THEIR PHONES.
THIS IS LANGUAGE THAT WE AS ADULTS USE.
BUT WHAT WE KNOW FROM SOME OF THE WORK THAT ALL OF US ON THIS PANEL HAVE DONE IS THAT STUDENTS NEED TO SEE THE STUDENT BENEFIT TO THIS.
SO REALLY WE'D LIKE TO BRING IN THE STUDENT VOICE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW ARE WE PROTECTING THEIR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL WELLBEING? HOW ARE WE EMPOWERING THEM TO BE BETTER STUDENTS? SO REALLY LOOKING AT POSITIVE STUDENT FRIENDLY LANGUAGE SO THAT THEY FEEL THAT THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT'S BEING DONE TO THEM, BUT SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY PROTECTS THEM AND HELPS THEM BE BETTER STUDENTS AND ACHIEVE MORE.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING ON WHAT THAT SOUNDS LIKE AND I'M SO GRATEFUL TO STACY WADE AND A NUMBER OF OUR STUDENT LEADERS WHO ARE GOING TO BE PART OF THAT EFFORT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE HIT IT, UH, CORRECTLY.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS HAVE A ROBUST ROLLOUT THAT STARTS WITH SUMMER TRAINING FOR OUR LEADERS.
SO OUR SUMMER TRAINING THIS SUMMER WILL INCLUDE CLEAR, CONSISTENT EXPECTATIONS ARE SET FOR ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING MODEL LESSONS, OR NOT LESSONS, BUT MODEL IMPLEMENTATION PLANS CREATED BY OUR PRINCIPALS WITH LEARNING, UH, THAT THEY'VE GOTTEN FROM BEING PART OF THE PILOT OR SOME OF THE EARLY WORK THAT PRINCIPAL KEARNEY DESCRIBED SO THAT A PRINCIPAL INTERESTED IN IMPLEMENTATION WILL BENEFIT FROM THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY COME FORWARD.
AND THEN CERTAINLY FAQS THAT CAN BE SHARED WITH FAMILIES, ANSWERING ALL OF THE WHAT IF QUESTIONS WE HEAR.
WHAT IF STUDENTS HAVE A NEED FOR ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW IS THAT MANAGED? UM, AND WHAT IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY? HOW DO PARENTS LEARN? YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON AND HOW DO THEY HEAR FROM THEIR CHILD? AND SO WE WANNA BRING OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM IN TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT PARENTS ARE AWARE OF THE MULTIPLE WAYS THAT THEY CAN GET INFORMATION FROM THEIR CHILD'S SCHOOL IN CASE OF EMERGENCY.
BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE ON BOARD.
YOU HEARD ME SAY EARLIER, EXPLAINING THE WHY AND REALLY FOCUSING ON THE BENEFIT, THE ACADEMIC BENEFIT, THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL BENEFIT, THE CLIMATE BENEFIT, REALLY LEADING WITH THOSE THINGS AS OPPOSED TO ALL OF THE THINGS YOU CAN'T DO.
UM, WE CERTAINLY KNOW WE DON'T GET TO THE BENEFIT IF YOU ARE NOT SHARING WHAT OUR RESTRICTIONS ARE, BUT WE WANNA LEAD WITH ALL OF THOSE BENEFITS.
WE WANNA PLAN FOR MULTIPLE WAYS TO COLLECT DATA THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
UH, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE ASKED PRINCIPAL KEARNEY TO JOIN US IS BECAUSE SOME OF THE EARLY WORK THAT HE HAD DONE WITH COLLECTING DATA AS IT RELATES TO THE NUMBER OF TIMES STUDENTS WERE, UH, ON THEIR PHONES OR DISTRACTED BY THEIR PHONES AND THE DIRECT IMPACT IT HAD ON THEIR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO INCORPORATE IN A SYSTEM-WIDE PLAN.
WE WERE ALSO VERY INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE LEARNING THAT WE HEARD FROM PRINCIPAL CASTOR AND THAT THE CELL PHONE HAS TO BE SEPARATE.
IT CAN'T BE SOMETHING THAT'S BUNDLED INTO ONE OF THOSE CHECK MARKS ON FOCUS.
STUDENT WAS DISRUPTIVE AND HAD PHONE AND DID THIS AND DID THAT.
WE'RE LOSING THE CELL PHONE PIECE.
SO MAKING SURE THAT THAT IS A CATEGORY THAT WE CAN TRACK SO WE CAN SEE WHAT THE DIRECT IMPACT IS AND THEN CERTAINLY ENFORCE THE POLICIES THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE.
BUT TO DO THAT CONSISTENTLY, CONSISTENTLY, WE DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE SYSTEMS THAT DID NOT HAVE POLICIES IN PLACE.
WE DID, ONE OF THE ISSUES WE HAD WAS WITH IMPLEMENTATION.
AND SO CERTAINLY WE THINK WITH A ROBUST ROLLOUT, WE THINK WITH EDUCATION FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS, PARENTS, STUDENTS, STAFF MEMBERS, MAKING CERTAIN THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS IN PLACE AND SO THAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN MAKE SUGGESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THINGS BETTER, THAT WE WILL HAVE A VERY STRONG POLICY, UH, NEXT YEAR.
AND SO THE EXPECTATIONS AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL, IF WE DO OUR WORK IN THE SUMMER, WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT AT EVERY SCHOOL, EVERY SECONDARY SCHOOL IN BCPS, IS THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, SCHOOL LEADERS WILL PROACTIVELY COMMUNICATE WHAT THE POLICY IS AT THEIR SCHOOL.
THEY WILL COMMUNICATE WHAT THAT PLAN LOOKS LIKE.
THEY WILL HOST INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS, PERHAPS A SCREENING OF SCREEN AGES OR SOMETHING THAT THAT SCHOOL, UH, COMMUNITY CHOOSES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THEIR PTA.
SO EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE MUST DO TOGETHER.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THE SCHOOL CAN HANDLE ALONE.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT HOME CAN HANDLE ALONE.
AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WILL WORK IF INDIVIDUAL CLASSROOMS INSIDE A SCHOOL BUILDING OR DOING
[02:20:01]
SOMETHING WILDLY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IT IS THAT WE PLAN.AND THEN CERTAINLY THE TEAM AT A SCHOOL WOULD ESTABLISH THEIR CLEAR PLAN, COMMUNICATE THAT PLAN, AND THEN RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S NOT PERFECT, UM, THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE TIMES WHERE STUDENTS EITHER CIRCUMVENT OR DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE NIMBLE WITH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY MONITORING AND THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE IT BETTER.
AND SO WITH THAT, THAT IS WHERE WE ARE.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE THE NITTY GRITTY DETAILS OF WHAT EVERY PLAN WILL LOOK LIKE BECAUSE WE BELIEVE STRONGLY THAT IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE SUCCESSFUL, IT'S GOTTA BE SOMETHING THAT WE DO COLLABORATIVELY.
AND SO I'M GRATEFUL TO PRINCIPAL CASTOR WHO IS LEADING A WORK GROUP OF PRINCIPALS WHO ARE DEVELOPING WHAT THOSE MODEL IMPLEMENTATION PLANS WILL LOOK LIKE.
I KNOW IT'LL BE INFORMED BY ALL OF HER COLLEAGUES.
AND I DO ALSO KNOW THAT WHEN WE GET THE STUDENTS ENGAGED IN THIS WORK, AS YOU START HEARING COMMUNICATION IN EARLY SUMMER, UM, IT'LL BE CRYSTAL CLEAR WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE AT EVERY SCHOOL.
AND SO WITH THAT, THAT IS WHERE WE ARE AND THAT IS WHAT WE EXPECT FOR THE ROLLOUT.
I DO WANNA THANK, UM, UM, DIRECTOR SOMERVILLE FOR BEING HERE WHILE SHE DID NOT HAVE A SLIDE, SHE IS DEFINITELY WELL VERSED IN ALL OF THIS WORK, AND WE WANTED HER HERE JUST IN CASE YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS, UM, FROM, YOU KNOW, THE CLINICAL SENSE ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT THE IMPACT IS ON STUDENTS, UM, WHEN THEY ARE ENGAGED WITH THEIR PHONES MORE THAN THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM OR THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON.
AND SO WE ARE OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT VERY COMPREHENSIVE PRESENTATION AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DOING THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING ALL YEAR LONG TO GET THE RESULTS THAT YOU'RE GETTING.
SO IT'S WONDERFUL TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM PRINCIPALS AND HOW IT'S WORKING IN YOUR SCHOOLS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS, MS. DOKI? SO, YES, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND, UM, I FULLY WELL REMEMBER BEING IN THAT, UH, AUDITORIUM, LISTENING TO THAT PRESENTATION.
I MEAN, LIKE, MR. CARNEY NEEDS TO COME TO THE BOARD AND DO THIS PRESENTATION FOR THEM.
SO I'M REALLY GLAD YOU WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT BECAUSE THOSE, THAT DATA IS, IS, IS KEY.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST, YOU CAN'T, SO ANYWAY, MY QUESTIONS WOULD BE, UM, IS MR. CARNEY OR AND MS. CASTOR, ARE THEY GONNA BE INVOLVED IN THAT THE SUMMER TRAININGS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO LESSONS LEARNED AND THE DATA? ABSOLUTELY.
MS. UH, CASTOR IS LEADING THE WORK GROUP, AND SO SHE WILL BE INVOLVED.
MR. KEARNEY HAS NOT BEEN DIRECTLY ASKED YET, BUT I HOPE HE CAN INFER FROM HIS PRESENCE HERE THAT HE WILL BE.
UM, I WILL SHARE THAT MR. CARNEY HAS PRESENTED TO OUR PRINCIPALS, UH, BEFORE ABOUT THE GREAT WORK THAT'S GOING ON AT HIS SCHOOL.
AND SO CERTAINLY WE WOULD WANT HIM TO BE PART OF THAT.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, UM, AS FAR, LIKE WHEN YOU'RE SAYING THAT SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS ARE JUST NOT ENFORCING THIS POLICY ON A CONSISTENT BASIS, IS THERE GONNA BE ACCOUNTABILITY LEVEL MOVING FORWARD WITH THOSE SCHOOLS THAT ARE CONSISTENTLY NOT, YOU KNOW, ENFORCING THESE, THESE POLICIES? SO I DO KNOW THAT OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS OF SCHOOLS ARE LOOKING VERY CLOSELY AT SCHOOL-WIDE DATA.
AND THIS IS DIRECTLY LINKED TO ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AS WELL AS CLIMATE.
AND THESE ARE KEY MEASURES FOR HOW SUCCESSFUL OUR SCHOOLS ARE.
SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION ON ANY SCHOOL SUPERVISOR, REVISIT WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN TERMS OF THE CLIMATE, HOW ARE THE STUDENTS DOING, WHY OR WHY NOT? AND SO THERE WILL BE ACCOUNTABILITY ABSOLUTELY FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, FIRST JUST TO REITERATE MS. DOMINO'S COMMENTS, UM, ABOUT PRINCIPAL KEARNEY, JUST THE PRESENTATION OF THAT DATA IS, IS JUST EYE-OPENING, SO I APPRECIATE THAT AND I ALSO APPRECIATE THE WAY YOU DISCUSSED, UM, CONSISTENCY AND HOW YOU COLLECTED THE DATA THAT EVERY CLASSROOM COLLECTED FOR EVERY INSTANCE THAT THEY OBVIOUSLY SAW.
MY, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, IT WAS ON SLIDE 17 WHERE YOU TALKED ABOUT EACH SCHOOL PROACTIVELY COMMUNICATING THEIR PLAN.
UM, SO MY QUESTION IS, ARE WE THINKING, AND I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE DETAILS YET, BUT IS THE THOUGHT TO BE CONSISTENT ACROSS ALL SCHOOLS WITH WHATEVER IS IMPLEMENTED? OR IS IT MORE OF A SCHOOL BY SCHOOL BASIS THAT WE'RE THINKING OR YOU'RE NOT SURE YET? SO WE ARE NOT SURE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHAT IT IS NOT, IT IS NOT ON A SCHOOL BY SCHOOL BASIS.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING TO, AS PART OF THE WORK GROUP, COME UP WITH A COUPLE OF MODELS.
AND SO THE EXPECTATION IS ACROSS SCHOOLS IN BCPS, WE WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, 1, 2, 3 MODELS AND I MADE UP THAT NUMBER.
BUT I THINK I WOULD RELY ON MY PRINCIPAL COLLEAGUES TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS.
BUT YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULD NOT SEE A GREAT DEAL OF VARIANCE IN TERMS OF HIGH SCHOOLS ACROSS ALL 26 HIGH SCHOOLS.
WHAT WE ARE ENVISIONING ARE A COUPLE OF MODELS THAT PEOPLE COULD USE, UM, THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, MOST APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR SCHOOL.
SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR CONSISTENCY.
UM, I, BECAUSE I THINK PART OF OUR ISSUE EVEN FROM THE BEGINNING WAS NOT THE POLICY ITSELF OFTEN A WAY, IT WAS MORE ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION, UM, AND CONSISTENCY WITH IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, A CONCERN THAT WE ALSO HEARD FROM TEACHERS, SOME TEACHERS WAS JUST, UM, ENFORCEMENT, INCONSISTENCY AND ENFORCEMENT FROM CLASSROOM TO CLASSROOM.
[02:25:01]
IT WASN'T BECAUSE THE TEACHER JUST DIDN'T WANT TO ENFORCE, BUT BECAUSE SOME CLASSROOMS WEREN'T, AND SOME CLASSROOMS WERE, IT WAS INCONSISTENT.AND SO THEY FELT THAT WHEN THEY WERE PUSHED TO ENFORCE THE POLICY, UM, AND THEY HAD A GOOD, A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR STUDENTS, THEY FELT THAT THEY WERE BREAKING THAT RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE SO MANY STUDENTS ARE SO ADDICTED TO THEIR PHONES.
UM, SO ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW WE WERE GONNA MAKE, MAKE SURE THAT ALSO THE CONSISTENCY GOES FROM CLASSROOM TO CLASSROOM AND THAT TEACHERS AREN'T FELT LIKE THIS IS ALL PUT ON THEM, BUT IT'S JUST SCHOOL WIDE, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING AND EVERYONE'S DOING IT AND THERE'S NO, UM, THERE'S NO EXCEPTION.
AND I, WE, WE HAVE ALSO HEARD THAT CONSISTENCY IS KEY AND WE THINK THAT, THAT THE APPROACH WE ARE LOOKING AT IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN PERHAPS SCHOOLS HAVE USED IN THE PAST WHO EITHER WERE NOT A PART OF THE PILOT OR DIDN'T BENEFIT FROM SOME OF THE LEARNING.
AND THAT IS IF YOU APPROACH IT FROM A PUNITIVE AND AN AN, AN ABSOLUTE ACCOUNTABILITY AND OVERSIGHT MEASURE, THEN YOU DO END UP WITH A GREAT DEAL OF VARIANCE.
IF YOU START WITH THE WHY AND WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT, AND THIS IS A CLIMATE ISSUE AND THIS IS A STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT ISSUE, THEN I THINK WE ARE ABLE TO GET A GREATER DEGREE OF BUY-IN.
AND THAT WE'VE GOT ALL STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE ON BOARD.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM OUR SURVEY DATA.
AND SO OUR GOAL REALLY IS TO BEGIN WITH THE WHY.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, IT HAS BEEN SAID BY A COUPLE OF PEOPLE, THE DATA PRESENTED BY BOTH PRINCIPAL CASTOR AND CARNEY IS VERY COMPELLING.
STARTING THERE AND THEN SAYING, AS A SCHOOL, WE COMMIT TO, YOU KNOW, DOING THIS WORK.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT THEN FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TEACHER TO MAKE A DIFFERENT DECISION OR ANYONE TO MAKE A DIFFERENT DECISION WHEN AS A SCHOOL WE'RE COMMITTED TO POSITIVE CLIMATE AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT APPROACH WILL HELP.
AND REMEMBER, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO BRING STUDENT LEADERS ON BOARD.
UM, AND SO WE THINK THAT IF WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR STUDENT LEADERS WHO ARE VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND HELP THEM, UH, SEND THAT MESSAGE AND BE PARTNERS IN THIS WORK, THAT WE'LL GET A BETTER RESULT AS WELL.
AND SO THOSE ARE OUR ASPIRATIONS.
UH, WE WILL CERTAINLY BE BACK HERE AGAIN TO SHARE WITH YOU WHERE WE ARE AND IF WE NEED TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, WE WILL.
BUT WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE'VE LEARNED AND WE THINK THAT THE, THE APPROACH OF BEGINNING WITH THE Y INVOLVING STUDENTS AND ALL STAKEHOLDERS WILL YIELD BETTER RESULTS THAN PERHAPS WE'VE SEEN WITH IMPLEMENTATION IN THE PAST.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I SHARE MY COLLEAGUES' ENTHUSIASM.
THE DATA ARE INCREDIBLY POWERFUL, AND I ALSO SHARE THE ENTHUSIASM ABOUT THIS APPROACH.
I, I AM ENCOURAGED BY THE RESULTS AND I, IT'S POWERFUL.
SO I'M, I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE THE COLLABORATIVE APPROACH, THE INVOLVEMENT OF PARENTS, FAMILIES.
UM, REGIONALLY, I HOPE TO SEE A REGIONAL ROLLOUT OF THIS AND INVOLVEMENT OF, OF PARENTS THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM, UM, AS WELL.
I, I, I REALLY SEE THIS WORKING, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, MY QUESTION FOR MS. CHARLIE GREEN IS THAT NO MATTER WHAT METHOD IS CHOSEN, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT TAKING THIS APPROACH WILL REQUIRE DATA COLLECTION AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF THAT, THAT ACCOUNTABILITY THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE TALKED ABOUT, UM, REGARDLESS OF WHICH, WHICH METHOD IS CHOSEN.
IS THAT A FAIR ASSUMPTION? ABSOLUTELY.
AND IN FACT, I THINK WHAT IS MOST COMPELLING IS THE DATA THAT IS VERY SPECIFIC, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF INSTANCES AND THE IMPACT ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, UM, THE, UH, ENFORCEMENT AND THE IMPACT ON CLIMATE.
I THINK THERE ARE LOTS OF WAYS TO TRIANGULATE THAT DATA AND WE WILL BE DOING THAT.
AND SO WITHOUT A QUESTION, THE ACCOUNTABILITY IS KEY.
AND SHARE AND SHARING THAT WHY I THINK THAT'S ABSOLUTELY, THAT'S POWERFUL.
AND, AND WHAT PARENT DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THEIR, THEIR STUDENT'S ACHIEVEMENT.
UM, SAME THING WITH LIKE, SOMETHING LIKE AIRPODS.
LIKE IF SOME KID'S HIDE IN AIRPODS, UM, UNDER, YOU KNOW, LIKE UNDER THEIR HAIR OR SOMETHING, THAT'S ALSO A PHONE VIOLATION FOR US BECAUSE AGAIN, WHAT ARE THEY HOOKED TO? SO THAT JUST HERE FOR ME, BUT
S UH, ARE THEY ABLE TO GET THE APPLE WATCH IN ANY WAY IN THE CLASSROOM? OH, THEY, THEY WILL TRY TO SNEAK, UM, THEY'LL BE LIKE, WELL, I WASN'T ON MY PHONE, I WAS ON MY WATCH.
BUT YOU KNOW, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE
IT MAKES IT A LITTLE OBVIOUS IF YOU'RE LIKE, HMM.
WELL GOOD LUCK WITH THE PROGRAM OTHER SO MUCH WITH PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU ALL OF YOU, MS. CHIKA.
KALU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I THINK I WAS ESPECIALLY HAPPY ABOUT THE STUDENT GROUP AND I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOOD.
YOU HAD ME CROSS IT OFF, SO THANK YOU.
AND JUST EVEN ABOUT EXPLAINING THE WHY BEHIND IT, 'CAUSE I THINK THAT IS THE, ONE OF THE GREATEST BARRIERS.
BUT I HAD A QUESTION FOR PRINCIPAL KEARNEY.
AND SO WITH VILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND YOU TALKED ABOUT TEACHERS MARKING THE VIOLATION ON THEIR PAPER.
SO WITH IT BEING TRACKED CENTRALLY, DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE TEACHER DOESN'T
[02:30:01]
DIRECTLY CONFRONT THE STUDENT AND TAKE THE PHONE? AND IF THAT IS THE CASE, HAVE YOU SEEN ANY INSTANCES OF THIS ESCALATING INTO A BIGGER ISSUE OR BIGGER CONFLICT? IT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF THE WAY WE DO IT IS THEY DON'T HAVE TO, THEY JUST LET 'EM KNOW THEY GOT THE VIOLATION.THEY EMAIL IT IN, THEY CAN GET TWO, THREE A PERIOD.
IF IN THEORY THEY WERE, IT'S MORE ABOUT TRYING TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR.
UM, SO WE'LL CATCH THEM LATER WITH THE CONSEQUENCES FOR THAT BECAUSE IT ELIMINATES THAT CONFRONTATION.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AS WE'VE KNOWN AND SOMEBODY SAID EARLIER, THE CONFRONTATIONS BETWEEN TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WITH THEIR PHONE, WE TRY TO CUT THAT OUT, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S A POWER STRUGGLE.
AND YOU DON'T NEED, YOU ALWAYS LOSE WHEN YOU GET IN A POWER STRUGGLE IN THE MIDDLE OF A CLASSROOM, UM, BECAUSE YOU'RE LOSING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME EITHER WAY.
UM, SO WE DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE DO THAT.
AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED SYSTEM WIDE, THE TRACKING, LIKE THE TEACHER JUST TRACKING IT AND THEN IT'S COMMUNICATED CENTRALLY FOR THEM TO GET THE DISCIPLINE? AND THAT MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR MS. SHIRLEY GREEN, AND, AND THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE A QUESTION FOR OUR WORK GROUP, TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD EXPLORE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE, UH, SOME WAYS THAT WE CAN TRACK THE DATA AND WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY SOUNDS GREAT IN THEORY, BUT PERHAPS IN TERMS OF THE ACTUAL IMPLEMENT IMPLEMENTATION, THERE'S SOME HICCUPS.
AND SO WE WANNA LEARN FROM OUR PRINCIPALS, WE WANNA HEAR, HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THEM.
AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT IT IS A LOT OF WORK.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA LIE, IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK AND TIME AND ADULT ENERGY TO TRACK THOSE DOWN, GIVE THE CON LIKE IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK AND A LOT OF SCHOOLS MAY NOT, YOU KNOW, WANT TO SET IT UP THE WAY WE'VE SET IT UP.
UM, SO I MEAN, IT WORKS FOR US BECAUSE OF WHAT WE HAVE AS A STAFF IN PLACE, BUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT WOULD WORK FOR EVERYBODY.
AND MS. CHARLIE GREEN, IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT STUDENTS WHO MIGHT NEED IT FOR ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY.
SO FOR THOSE PARENTS THAT MIGHT BE WATCHING, HOW ARE YOU PROTECTING STUDENTS FROM RECEIVING DISCIPLINARY ACTION IF THEY USE IT FOR TRANSLATION, MEDICAL NEEDS, HOME OBLIGATIONS, OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE? WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO DO IS, IS SPEAK WITH OUR PRINCIPALS DIRECTLY.
SO THERE'S SENSITIVITY TO THAT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT MANY OF THE CONCERNS THAT I'VE SEEN, UH, FROM PARENTS RELATED TO THAT IS THE LACK OF DIFFERENTIATION OR CONCERN FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE NEEDS BEYOND THE, YOU KNOW, OTHER COMPULSIVE NEED THAT A STUDENT MIGHT HAVE TO CHECK THEIR PHONE.
AND SO WE WANT TO, UH, RECOGNIZE, AND THERE WAS A LITTLE BOX THAT SAID, RECOGNIZE THE ATTACHMENT, UH, STUDENTS HAVE TO THEIR PHONES.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO ADD TO THAT, RECOGNIZE THE NEED.
THIS IS A TOOL AND, YOU KNOW, MANY OF OUR STUDENTS, UM, IT IS A VALUABLE TOOL.
IT IS AN IMPORTANT TOOL, AND WE NEED TO EDUCATE OUR PEERS SO OTHER STUDENTS KNOW WHY THEY ARE USING OR, OR AT LEAST ARE AWARE, AND THEN EDUCATE TEACHERS AS WELL.
AND SO THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF THE ROLLOUT.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN, LIKE, OF COURSE ON A STUDENT BY STUDENT BASIS, BUT IT WOULD BE ON A STUDENT BY STUDENT BASIS.
BUT THERE WOULD BE AN AWARENESS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE THIS AS A CONSIDERATION.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY A ONE SIZE FITS ALL DOESN'T WORK.
BUT I DO THINK IDENTIFYING THOSE EXCEPTIONS, UM, IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT.
AND SO THAT'S SOME OF THE WORK OF THE WORK GROUP.
AND FOR MY, I'M SORRY, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE FOR EVERYONE WHO IS WATCHING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOCUMENTED CONCERNS.
THAT WE WOULD BE ANALYZING ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, MAKING SURE THAT THE STUDENT'S SAFETY WAS TAKEN, CARE WAS PRIORITIZED.
JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP, UM, PRINCIPAL KEARNEY'S COMMENTS.
UM, AND TO MR. CHARLIE GREEN AS WELL, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO LOOK AT BCP S'S EXISTING TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE IN TERMS OF PROVIDING A CENTRALIZED TOOL FOR TRACKING AND MAYBE PRINCIPAL KEARNEY, YOU'VE THOUGHT OF SOMETHING THAT YOU SAID, IF THIS WERE ONLY TWEAKED, THIS WOULD ENABLE US TO DO THIS MORE EASILY, THAT PERHAPS THIS COULD BE A CENTRALIZED SOLUTION THAT WOULD MAKE IT MORE EASIER.
I MEAN, WE USE AN EXCEL SHEET EASIER.
I, I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE I WOULD DO IT BESIDES THAT.
UM, I, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN MAYBE LIKE, I GUESS I WOULD HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT.
I MEAN, THE EXCEL SHEET'S BEEN WORKING FOR US, SO I HAVEN'T REALLY THOUGHT MUCH FURTHER THAN THAT, TO BE HONEST, BUT EXPLORED, I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS AND, AND HEAR THAT IT'S LABORIOUS.
SO PERHAPS MORE PRINCIPLES WOULD BE RECEPTIVE TO THE IDEA IF WE COULD, UM, MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM.
MS. BOOGER DWYER OR MS. FONG OR SOMEBODY? WHICH ONE? MS. F, YOU HAD YOUR HAND.
AND SO MY QUESTION WAS ABOUT MIDDLE SCHOOL VERSUS HIGH SCHOOL.
SO WE HEARD FROM PRINCIPAL AT HIGH SCHOOL AND WE HEARD FROM PRINCIPAL AT MIDDLE SCHOOL.
UM, ARE THE PLANS THAT DIFFERENT OR ARE WE LOOKING AT ALSO WITH KIND OF AS WE ROLLED THIS OUT, KIND OF TAKING DIFFERENT APPROACHES FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL VERSUS THE HIGH SCHOOL? I BELIEVE SO.
I THINK THERE ARE SOME KEY DIFFERENCES.
SO AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, WE'RE PREPARING THEM FOR ADULTHOOD, AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL IS DOING THAT AS WELL.
THEY'RE PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR HIGH SCHOOL.
[02:35:01]
WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT RESPONSIBLE USE, BUT ALSO REASONABLE USE.SO AT OUR SCHOOL, WE DO OFFER STUDENTS SOME CELL PHONE BREAKS, BRAIN BREAKS THROUGHOUT A 90 MINUTE CLASS.
THAT'S VERY REASONABLE FOR A TEENAGER.
WE CANNOT EXPECT THEM TO NOT HAVE ANY ACCESS, CERTAINLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY, EVEN IN THAT, THAT 90 MINUTE CLASS PERIOD.
SO WE FOUND A LOT OF SUCCESS WITH THAT.
THAT MAY BE LESS APPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENTALLY FOR A MIDDLE SCHOOLER.
UM, ALSO JUST THINKING ABOUT PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE, FOR THE WORLD OF WORK, UM, FOR DIFFERENT CAREER PATHS AND MAKING SURE WE'RE REALLY GETTING TO THAT WHY THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ALL EVENING.
AND REALLY HELPING THEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE GONNA BE AS THEY GO INTO ADULTHOOD.
AND THEN FOR THE PARENTS COMING ON BOARD, I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS THE RIGHT NEED, THAT PARTNERSHIP.
SO IS THERE A DIFFERENCE, I GUESS, AGAIN, BETWEEN HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL, HOW DO WE BRING PARENTS ON BOARD TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS A GOOD THING THAT WE'RE DOING? SURE.
I CAN, UM, SPEAK TO WHAT WE DID THIS YEAR.
I DID START TALKING ABOUT THIS IN JUNE AND JULY WITH OUR FAMILY.
SO THE NEWSLETTER'S HOME, THE EMAIL'S HOME.
I THINK JUST MAKING SURE NO ONE IS SURPRISED IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, I THINK, UM, PARENTS HAVE BEEN SUPER RECEPTIVE.
LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I HAVE NOT TALKED WITH ONE PARENT OR CAREGIVER WHO HAS NOT BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE WHY WE REALLY SHIFTED.
SO AT THE START OF THE YEAR, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PLAN AND THE STEPS AND THE CONSEQUENCES, AND WE REALLY SHIFT TO SHIFTED TO WHY ARE WE DOING THIS AND HOW ARE WE HOPING TO HELP YOUR CHILD? AND I THINK PARENTS WERE MUCH MORE RECEPTIVE TO THAT PIECE.
I WOULD SAY THAT'S ABOUT THE SAME AS MIDDLE SCHOOL IN THAT RESPECT IS THE WHY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
AND BEING ABLE TO SHARE THE DATA THAT WE JUST HAVE BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TRACKING IT.
BUT THAT'S WHAT OPENS PARENTS' EYES TO, OH WOW, THIS IS WORSE THAN I THOUGHT.
YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T, SOME PARENTS INITIALLY FEEL LIKE IT'S NOT THAT BIG A DEAL.
WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL IF THEY CHECK THEIR PHONE A COUPLE TIMES DURING CLASS? BUT WHEN YOU SHOW THEM THAT IMPACT, USUALLY IT'S LIKE, OH, IT IS A BIG DEAL.
SO, AND UM, SO YES, WE'RE LOOKING AT MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS, BUT THE ONE, UM, RESEARCH DATA, SLIDE 12 WAS TALKING ABOUT THE 53% OF THE CHILDREN OWNING THE SMARTPHONE BY AGE 11.
SO I GUESS AT SOME POINT, ARE WE GONNA HAVE TO BE LOOKING AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR THIS AS WELL? SO NO.
OH, I'VE BEEN REMOVED A LONG TIME.
THIS IS REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL.
AND, UM, MS. CASTOR AND MR. KEARNEY, YOU ARE DOING A FABULOUS JOB WITH THIS AT YOUR SCHOOLS.
AND MS. CASTOR, I KNOW YOU PRESENTED TO US BEFORE, SO MR. KEARNEY, I HAVE A TON OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU,
UH, SO THE DATA THAT, UM, THAT YOU'RE COLLECTING, SO THE TEACHERS THERE, THEY'RE MARKETING OFF ON THE EXCEL SHEET.
IS THERE ANY TYPE OF APPEAL PROCESS FOR THE STUDENT? NOT REALLY.
I MEAN, YOU HAD YOUR PHONE OUT.
UM, I WILL, I WILL SAY THEY, THEY GET A SHEET AT LUNCH AND THAT TELL IT CIRCLES LIKE, HERE'S WHAT VIOLATION YOU'RE ON, THIS IS YOUR CONSEQUENCE, WHETHER IT'S LUNCH, DETENTION, WHATEVER.
UM, IF THEY FEEL LIKE I JUST DROPPED IT AND I WAS PICKING IT UP, THEY WILL TELL THE TEAM LEADER.
THEY WILL TELL THE TEACHER AND IT'S UP TO THE TEACHER DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY SAW.
UM, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, I DIDN'T SEE IT IN THE CLASSROOM AND HOW IT CAME OUT.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I ALWAYS TELL KIDS.
DID YOU HAVE IT OUT? BECAUSE ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO HAVE IT OUT? IF IT FELL ON THE FLOOR, IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE OUT, WHICH MEANS IT WASN'T SECURE VERY WELL.
SO WERE THESE STUDENTS THAT YOU'RE IDENTIFYING, WERE THEY ALREADY, UM, PERFORMING LOWER PRIOR TO COLLECTING THIS DATA? IT, YOU KNOW, I'D HAVE TO GO LOOK AT MY SPREADSHEET.
BUT, UM, I THINK, UH, BEFORE WE STARTED COLLECTING IT, WE WEREN'T TRACKING THEIR PHONE USE.
SO ODDS ARE, I WOULD BET IF THEY'RE DISTRACTED ON THEIR PHONE NOW, THEY WERE PROBABLY EVEN WORSE BEFORE WE EVEN PUT THIS IN PLACE.
UM, BECAUSE IF, YOU KNOW, TEACHERS ARE LOOKING FOR IT RIGHT NOW AND IT IS A POLICY AND IT IS A RULE IN THE SCHOOL AND WE HAMMER IT HOME OVER AND OVER AND MAYBE OVER TOO MUCH AGAIN.
BUT, UM, IF YOU WERE GOING TO HAVE THAT OUT IN THE FIRST PLACE, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING FOR IT, ODDS ARE YOU HAD IT OUT A LOT MORE.
SO I WOULD IMAGINE THEIR GRADES WOULD PROBABLY BE COMPARABLE.
IF I WERE TO LOOK, I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE ONE QUICK COMMENT ABOUT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PIECE AND THE PARENT RESPONSES.
[02:40:01]
THE PHONES BEING TAKEN AWAY AFTER A SERIES OF VIOLATIONS AND INFRACTIONS.UM, IN OUR INTERVIEWS AND CONVERSATIONS WITH PARENTS, ESPECIALLY MANY OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENTS, THE COMMENT HAS BEEN, I HAVE ONE TIME TO COME UP THERE BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY,
UM, AND SO THE CONSEQUENCE CARRIED OVER AT HOME THE NEXT DAY.
THE KIDS GOT THEIR PHONE BACK, UM, AND HAD IT PUT AWAY.
AND, UM, WE THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS A VERY EFFECTIVE DETERRENT AS WELL.
AND THEN I KNOW IN HIGH SCHOOL THEY GET THE, THE BRAIN BREAKS AND THEY GET TO PULL IT OUT SOMETIME.
UM, ARE THERE ANY BRAIN BREAKS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR IT? LUNCH.
LUNCH IS ON, AND THAT'S KIND OF A OUR TIME, MY TIME THING.
UM, IF YOU CAN RESPECT OUR TIME, WE WILL.
BUT IT, BUT THEY'RE VERY CLEAR.
LIKE IF, IF IT BECOMES A PROBLEM DURING THE DAY WHERE WE'RE SEEING TOO MANY PHONES OUT, WE WILL TAKE IT AWAY AT LUNCH TOO, AND YOU JUST WON'T BE ABLE TO HAVE IT AT ALL.
BUT WE ALSO LIKE PAR LIKE PARENTS TO KNOW, LIKE IF YOU, YOU TEXT THEM IN THE MORNING, YOU TEXT THEM AT THEIR LUNCH OR YOU TEXT THEM RIGHT AFTER THE END OF THE DAY, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE TEXTING THEM.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING TOO, 'CAUSE A LOT OF PARENTS WANT TO COMMUNICATE, YOU KNOW, IS PRACTICE CANCELED OR, YOU KNOW, IS THERE A MEETING AFTER SCHOOL? LIKE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO LUNCH IS A GOOD TIME FOR KIDS TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT.
AND MISS SUMMERVILLE, THIS IS WHERE MY QUESTION IS AROUND, UH, THE LUNCHTIME USE FOR LIKE BEFORE OR AFTER, YOU KNOW, LIKE ON THE BUS OR DOES THAT IMPACT THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF STUDENTS, UM, IF THEY HAVE THESE KIND OF STRATEGIC BREAKS DURING THE DAY TO USE THEIR PHONES, IS BECAUSE I KNOW LUNCH IS A GOOD TIME FOR THEM TO KIND OF SOCIALLY INTERACT AND TO GET TOGETHER IN PERSON.
UM, AND SO YEAH, IF YOU COULD JUST SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
SO WHAT I WOULD SPEAK TO IS BALANCE, YOU KNOW, SO WE ARE NOT THE CELL PHONE BANNERS FROM LIFE.
WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT CELL PHONES ARE THE WORST THING.
THEY'RE WONDERFUL TOOLS WHEN USED APPROPRIATELY, ALL ABOUT TEACHING CHILDREN TO EXPERIENCE CELL PHONES BEING OFF IN SCHOOL AND TO LEARN TO VALUE THAT KIND OF SOCIAL INTERACTION.
THEY'RE GETTING THAT, THAT OPPORTUNITY IN THE CLASSROOM.
I THINK MORE AND MORE STUDENTS MAY CHOOSE TO DO THAT AT LUNCH, RECOGNIZING THAT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE'S DAYS WHERE PROBABLY MOST PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM DON'T SOCIALIZE AT A LUNCHTIME OR TO BREAK, BUT GET OUT THEIR PHONE TO HANDLE THINGS.
SO THAT'S, THAT CAN BE APPROPRIATE AND HEALTHY USE AND WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON THAT.
WELL, I LOVE THIS APPROACH THAT WE'RE TAKING IN BALTIMORE COUNTY.
I THINK THIS IS, IT'S GONNA LONG TERM, I THINK WE'LL SEE THE, UM, IMPROVEMENTS WITH THIS APPROACH.
ANY MS. LESKI? YEAH, JUST VERY QUICKLY, I REMEMBER, UM, DR. ROGERS IN HER ADDRESS TO GRADUATING SENIORS LAST YEAR, PUT A PLUGIN ABOUT BALANCING LIFE, WHICH WAS BEAUTIFUL.
I THINK I TOLD YOU THAT LAST YEAR AND LOOKING AT THIS PROGRAM, THIS IS THE POTENTIAL TO BE THE ABSOLUTE BEST GIFT FOR STUDENTS.
SO THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO'S INVOLVED.
REALLY QUICK, MS. DOKI SAID, UM, ARE WE ENLISTING THE STUDENT WHO SAID GET OVER IT TO HELP, BECAUSE SHE SOUNDS AMAZING.
MS. CHI ALLUDED YOU HAVE A LAST COMMENT? YES, ONE MORE QUESTION.
OKAY, SO YOU MENTIONED HOW THE FORM INFRACTIONS ARE A SEPARATE CHECKBOX IN FOCUS NOW.
SO GIVEN HOW SUBJECTIVE DISCIPLINARY MIGHT BE, ESPECIALLY FOR DISCRETIONARY DISCIPLINE, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR UNDERREPRESENTED GROUP, LIKE OUR BLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS, WELL WE HAVE THAT DATA DISAGGREGATED FOR STUDENTS ACROSS LIKE JUST FOR GENDER RACE, AND IF YOU'RE MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS, SPECIAL EDUCATION, SO WE KNOW WHO'S MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THAT INFRACTION.
SO ALL OF OUR BEHAVIORAL AND DISCIPLINARY DATA IS DISAGGREGATED, SO WE CAN SEE WHAT THE IMPACT OF IT IS.
BUT I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT WE, WE HAVE MADE ADJUSTMENTS IN FOCUS, BUT AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, PRINCIPAL KEARNEY, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY WHAT THE WORK GROUP WILL DECIDE IS THE BEST WAY TO TRACK IMPLEMENTATION MOVING, UM, MOVING FORWARD THOUGH.
BUT WE WOULD DIS DISAGGREGATE DATA ABSOLUTELY FOR ALL DISCIPLINE OR FOR THE CELL PHONE FOR ALL DISCIPLINE, INCLUDING THIS.
ONE OF, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY A TOOL LIKE FOCUS IS IMPORTANT IS WE ARE ABLE TO DISA AGGREGATE DATA AND IT LOOKS LIKE DR. ROGERS WANTS TO ADD SOMETHING.
NO, THAT, THAT WAS IT NOW, BUT I SAW YOU DO THIS, SO I FIGURED YOU HAD SOMETHING.
DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? SURE.
ALRIGHT, WELL, UM, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR, FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT.
ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, HIGHLIGHT IS WHILE MR. KEARNEY WAS NOT A PART OF THE PILOT, UM, TWO YEARS AGO, I THINK WE INVITED HIM TO SPEAK TO ALL THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS BECAUSE OUR DATA SHOWED US THAT THE TOP VIOLATORS ACROSS THE SYSTEM WERE OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY TWO YEARS AGO WE INVESTED IN THOSE LOCK BOXES FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS, FOR STUDENTS THAT HAVE SEVERAL, UM, INFRACTIONS.
UH, AS YOU HAVE HEARD THIS EVENING AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, CONSISTENCY IS KEY, BUT ALSO THAT PARTNERSHIP
[02:45:01]
ALONG, UH, AMONGST ALL GROUPS.AND SO WHAT EVERYONE WHO IS WATCHING CAN EXPECT THIS UPCOMING YEAR IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE MAKING A CONCERTED EFFORT IN ALL OF OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS THAT YOU DON'T SEE PHONES.
AS WE GO INTO SCHOOLS TO, UM, OBSERVE LESSONS, WE GO FOR EVENTS, THE FEEL OF A BUILDING THAT IS PARTICIPATING IN THIS PILOT FORMALLY OR INFORMALLY IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN A SCHOOL THAT IS NOT, YOU DON'T SEE STUDENTS, UM, ASKING FOR PASSES TO GO TO THE RESTROOM AND NOT EVEN LOOKING UP BECAUSE THEY'RE ON THEIR PHONES, THEY'RE IN CLASS SPEAKING WITH EACH OTHER, THEY'RE SPEAKING TO THE TEACHER.
AND IT MAKES THAT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE THAT WE KNOW, UM, THAT IT IS WORTH IT FOR US TO TAKE THIS APPROACH AND REALLY BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION ACROSS, UH, TEAM BCPS.
IT ALSO IS ALIGNED WITH WHAT THE STATE IS ASKING US TO DO.
UM, THERE'S A REQUIREMENT FOR A POLICY WHICH WE HAD, BUT UM, IT'S REALLY THE IMPLEMENTATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON.
AND SO I REALLY, UM, APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK THAT HAS PROVIDED.
EXCEL SPREADSHEETS ARE A LOT OF WORK, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THE COSTS VERSUS THE BENEFITS.
AND SO REALLY THE PRINCIPLES WILL CONTINUE TO INFORM WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS NEED TO BE SO WE CAN HELP OUR STUDENTS.
BUT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT PEOPLE CAN DO TO HELP EDUCATE PEOPLE ON THE WHY THE BROADER COMMUNITY, THE WHY WE NEED TO PUT OUR CELL PHONES DOWN, UM, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TOOLS, UH, IS TRULY HELPFUL TO THE WORK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TO ADVANCE, UM, THE ACADEMIC PROGRESS OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND TEAM BCPS.
SO I WANTED TO THANK THE WHOLE TEAM THAT IS HERE, BUT ALSO THANK EVERYONE, UM, ALL BOARD MEMBERS AT THE DEAS FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE AND, UH, OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU HAVE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, WORK WITH STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MOVING THIS FORWARD.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE SO LATE IN THE EVENING TOO.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS BOARD COMMITTEE
[O. BOARD COMMITTEE UPDATES AND AGENDA SETTING (9:00 - 9:10 p.m.)]
UPDATES.AND WE'LL START WITH THE AUDIT COMMITTEE THOUGH.
MS. GOLD, IF YOU COULD PULL UP MY SLIDE DECK.
SO WE HAD AN AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING ON MAY 13TH.
UH, MS. BARR AND HER TEAM, THEY SHARED THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS AUDIT REPORT AND THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS AUDIT WAS TO ASSESS THE ELIGIBILITY OF ACTIVE EMPLOYEES AND THEIR DEPENDENTS FOR ENROLLED BENEFITS INTERNAL AUDIT FOUND NO REPORTABLE ISSUES TO THE BENEFITS ELIGIBILITY PROCESS FOR ACTIVE EMPLOYEES AND THEIR DEPENDENTS.
OUR NEXT AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING IS JUNE 17TH AT 4:30 PM THANK YOU.
I SKIPPED AHEAD, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
THAT THE NEXT ITEM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE INFORMATION, WHICH INCLUDES THE MEETING MINUTES FROM MARCH.
THE MEETING MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 24TH SOUTHEAST AREA EDUCATION ADVISORY COUNCIL, THE QUARTER THREE AUDIT REPORT, WHICH WAS PRESENTED AT THE APRIL 22ND AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING AND THE REVISED SUPERINTENDENT'S RULE 51 40.
NOW BACK TO OUR COMMITTEE UPDATES AND BUILDING AND CONTRACTS, MR. YOUNG.
THE NEXT BUILDING AND CONTRACTS MEETING WILL BE MONDAY, JUNE 9TH AT 5:00 PM THANK YOU.
UM, CURRICULUM COMMITTEE WE MET LAST WEEK ON THE 15TH, AND OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE JUNE 12TH AT 4:30 PM AND THEN MS. FONG HAS OUR EQUITY COMMITTEE.
THE COMMITTEE MET, UH, MAY 8TH.
AND THE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION WAS THE NATIONAL BOARD, UH, CERTIFIED TEACHERS LOOKING AT INCREASING NUMBERS AND UM, LOOKING AT THE WAYS TO SUPPORT TEACHERS IN ENROLLING AND SUPPORTING THE TEACHERS WHILE THEY'RE DOING THE WORK, WORKING TOWARDS CERTIFICATION.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE 162 AND KUDOS THAT WE HAVE 373 THAT ARE EXPECTED TO, UM, COMPLETE, UM, THE CERTIFICATION.
UM, THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE, UM, TEACHERS THAT HAVE THE CERTIFICATION HAVE HIGHER OUTCOMES FOR THEIR STUDENTS, SO IT'S A BENEFIT TO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AS WELL.
THURSDAY, MAY 22ND IS THE NEXT EQUITY COMMITTEE MEETING WITH THE EQUITY ADVISORY COUNCIL.
WE ARE GONNA HAVE A STUDENT PANEL AND THE STUDENT PANEL WILL SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES AS WELL AS THEIR IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS.
LEGISLATIVE AND GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, MS. BOOKER DWYER.
UM, THERE ARE NO UPDATES FOR THIS COMMITTEE.
WE HAD OUR LAST MEETING ON APRIL 30TH AND THERE ARE NO UPCOMING MEETINGS SCHEDULED.
AND THEN POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE.
I KNOW MS. PUMPHREY OR MS. HARVEY.
UM, OUR LAST MEETING WAS ON MAY 12TH.
WE DISCUSSED POLICY 52 10 GRADING AND REPORTING 54 40 TELEHEALTH SERVICES, 55 50 STUDENT CONDUCT AND 82 70 DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND BOARD COMMITTEES.
WE DISCUSSED SPECIFICALLY 55 50 IN DEPTH, ALL IN DEPTH, BUT WE HAD, UM,
[02:50:02]
UH, LONG DISCUSSION ON 55 50 BECAUSE WE NEED TO TRY TO APPROVE, APPROVE THIS POLICY, UM, SOON SO THAT, UH, THE, THE INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, IN THE STUDENT HANDBOOK FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.WE DID HAVE ON OUR AGENDA DISCUSSION ABOUT A COMMUNITY SCHOOL'S POLICY THAT WAS POSTPONED UNTIL THE NEXT NEXT MEETING AND, AND ORDER TO ADJUST FOR TIME.
UM, AND WE WERE PROVIDED WITH THE COMMITTEE MEETING DATES FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND OUR NEXT POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE IS MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 6TH AT FOUR 30.
THE NEXT ITEM IS, UM, ANY CONSIDERATION FOR AGENDA ITEMS BEFORE I ASK FOR BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE ANY.
I JUST WANNA FOLLOW UP LAST TIME.
UM, MR. MCMILLIAN, YOU ASKED ABOUT DELAYED START TIMES STAFF IS LOOKING INTO, UM, THAT TOPIC AND THEN WE'LL REPORT BACK WHEN THEY HAVE MORE INFORMATION FOR US.
ARE THERE ANY BOARD MEMBERS THAT HAVE, UM, AN AGENDA ITEM? MR. MCMILLIAN? I WANNA EXPAND ON THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT.
WE RECEIVED AN EMAIL, WE RECEIVED AN EMAIL ON THURSDAY, MAY 15TH TALKING ABOUT A FREE WEBINAR.
IT'S SOLVING THE SCHOOL BUS PUZZLE, SMART TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS FOR HEALTHIER START TIMES.
SO THE WEBINAR IS ON THURSDAY, MAY 29TH AT ONE, UH, 1230.
SO IT'S A FREE THING IF YOU'RE INTERESTED GETTING A JUMPSTART ON IT.
UM, MS. LESKI, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? I DID.
UM, I HAVE TWO ITEMS. UM, NUMBER ONE, UM, IN LIGHT OF THE, UM, EMPLOYEE AND COMMUNITY CONCERNS REGARDING SPECIAL ED SPEECH, UH, SPEECH AND LANGUAGE AND SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS, UM, I THINK LOOKING INTO BOTH A CASELOAD CAP AND A PERFORMANCE AUDIT, UM, IS SOMETHING WORTH CONSIDERING.
AND THEN OF COURSE, A RESPONSE TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN MY SECOND ITEM IS I DO WANNA MAKE A MOTION, UM, TO RESCIND THE CENTER OF MAGGIE DOKI.
IS THERE A SECOND FOR THAT MOTION? SECOND MS. HEN.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION, MS. LESKI? SURE.
UM, JUST IN REFLECTION WITH THE TIME THAT HAS PASSED, I'M JUST CONSIDERING KIND OF, OF COURSE, WHAT'S BEST FOR THE BOARD.
IT'S, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY AND IN UNITY AND, YOU KNOW, I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT SHE HAS CONDUCTED HERSELF WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT.
ANYBODY OTHER FURTHER DISCUSSION? MAY I HAVE A, WE HAD A SECOND, RIGHT? MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL? VOTE PLEASE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UM, AGENDA ITEMS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? HEARING NONE.
[P. ANNOUNCEMENTS (9:10 p.m.)]
UM, OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, JUNE 10TH, 2025 AT 6:30 PM THE MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.