Oct 21, 2026 Board of Education Work Session

THE

[00:00:01]

[A.CLOSED SESSION]

THIS EVENING'S BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING IS BEING BROADCAST THROUGH THE BCPS ONLINE LIVE MEETING BROADCAST AND ON BCPS TV, COMCAST AFFINITY CHANNEL 1 0 7 3 AND VERIZON FIOS, CHANNEL 34.

IN ORDER TO EFFICIENTLY CONDUCT THIS MEETING, ALL VOTING ITEMS THIS EVENING WILL BE DONE BY ROLL CALL VOTE.

MAY 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 THREE DASH 3 0 5 B ONE B SEVEN 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 OTHER PERSONNEL MATTER THAT AFFECTS ONE OR MORE SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS.

CONSULT COUNSEL TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE AND CONDUCT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING NEGOTIATIONS OR CONSIDER MATTERS THAT RELATE TO THE NEGOTIATIONS.

SO MOVES LESKI.

THANK YOU.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND FOR PATRICK.

THANK YOU.

MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL? VOTE PLEASE.

MR. YOUNG? YES.

MS. JI? YES.

MS. DOKI? YES.

MS. DOKI? YES.

DR.

SAVOY.

MR. FITZPATRICK? YES.

MS. HUMPHREY? YES.

THANK YOU.

MS. THORNTON? YES.

MR. MCMILLIAN? YES.

MS. FONG.

MS. HEN? YES.

MS. TER? YES.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU TER.

I NOW CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21ST, 2026.

I INVITE YOU TO RECITE

[B.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/SILENT MEDITATION (6:30 p.m.)]

WE WILL THEN HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND RECOGNITION OF THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED EDUCATION IN BALTIMORE COUNTY.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

THANK YOU.

TONIGHT'S BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING IS BEING BROADCAST THROUGH THE BCPS ONLINE LIVE MEETING BROADCAST ON A-B-C-P-S TV, COMCAST XFINITY, CHANNEL 1 0 7 3 AND VERIZON FIO CHANNEL 34.

IN ORDER TO EFFICIENTLY CONDUCT THIS MEETING, ALL VOTING ITEMS THIS EVENING WILL BE DONE BY ROLL CALL VOTE.

THE FIRST ITEM

[C.AGENDA (6:35 p.m.) ]

DR.

HEISER, ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO TONIGHT'S AGENDA? I'M UNAWARE OF ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES TO THE AGENDA.

THANK YOU.

HEARING NONE.

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, DISCIPLINED DEMOTION, COMPENSATION REMOVAL, RESIGNATION OR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF APPOINTEES, EMPLOYEES OR OFFICIALS OVER WHOM IT HAS JURISDICTION OR ANY OTHER PERSONAL MATTER THAT AFFECTS ONE OR MORE SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS.

CONSULT WITH COUNSEL TO OBTAIN LEGAL ADVICE 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 DILIGENT COMMUNITY UNDER THIS BOARD MEETING AGENDA DATE.

THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA

[D.NEW BUSINESS - PERSONNEL MATTERS (Mr. McCall) (6:45 - 6:50 p.m.)]

GOOD EVENING.

GOOD EVENING.

CHAIR LICHTER, VICE CHAIR, YOUNG SUPERINTENDENT, DR.

HEISER AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

I'D LIKE THE BOARD'S CONSENT FOR THE FOLLOWING PERSONNEL MATTERS.

WE HAVE RETIREMENTS, RESIGNATIONS, LEAVES OF ABSENCE, EDUCATED LICENSURE, APPOINTMENT, DECEASED RECOGNITION OF SERVICE, CENTRAL AREA EDUCATION ADVISORY COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS.

THANK YOU.

DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE PERSONNEL MATTERS AS PRESENTED IN EXHIBITS D ONE THROUGH D SIX? SO MOVED.

JI.

THANK YOU.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND THORNTON.

THANK YOU.

ANY DISCUSSION? MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL THOUGH, PLEASE? MR. YOUNG? YES.

MR. JI? YES.

MS. DOKI? YES.

MS. KY? YES.

DR.

SAVOY? YES.

MR. FITZPATRICK? YES.

MS. EY? YES.

MS. THORNTON? YES.

MR. MCMILLION? YES.

MS. FAL? YES.

MS. HEN? YES.

MS. LICHTER? YES.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THE NEXT ITEM ON

[E.NEW BUSINESS - ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENTS (Dr. Heiser) (6:50 - 7:00 p.m.)]

HEISER.

THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR, LICHTER, VICE CHAIR YOUNG AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

I'M BRINGING FORWARD THE FOLLOWING ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENT FOR YOUR APPROVAL ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT MILFORD MILL

[00:05:01]

THANK YOU.

DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENT AS PRESENTED? EXHIBIT E ONE.

SOKI.

THANK YOU.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

THANK YOU.

ANY DISCUSSION? MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL? VOTE PLEASE.

MR. YOUNG? YES.

MR. JI? YES.

MS. DOKI? YES.

MS. STALOWSKI? YES.

DR.

SAVOY? YES.

MR. FITZPATRICK? YES.

MS. POEY? YES.

MS. THORNTON? YES.

MR. MCMILLIAN? YES.

MS. FONG? YES.

MS. HAN? YES.

MS. LECTER? YES.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU DR.

HEISER.

THANK YOU MS. BROWN.

PLEASE STAND MS. WITH MORE THAN 19 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.

LASHAUN RECENTLY SERVED AS A SCIENCE TEACHER AT MILFORD MILL ACADEMY.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING LASHAUN BROWN, WHO IS BEING APPOINTED AS THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT MILFORD MILL ACADEMY.

SHE'S HERE TODAY WITH HER FAMILY.

CONGRATULATIONS, MS. BROWN.

THANK.

THANK YOU, AND CONGRATULATIONS.

OUR

[F.PUBLIC COMMENT (7:00 - 7:30 p.m.) ]

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 AND DEPARTMENT OF SECURITY, I'M SORRY, THE BALTIMORE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT'S HOMELAND SECURITY UNIT AND OFFICE OF SCHOOL SAFETY HAVE RECOMMENDED SAFETY AND SECURITY PROTOCOLS, WHICH ARE POSTED IN THE BOARDROOM AND AVAILABLE IN DILIGENT COMMUNITY 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 FORM 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 OF THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD CHAIR.

WE'LL START WITH OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AFFILIATED GROUPS, AND OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS ERICA WILLIAMS, WHO'S REPRESENTING THE OWINGS MILLS HIGH SCHOOL, PTSA.

OKAY.

UM, OUR NEXT SPEAKER FOR SCHOOL SYSTEM AFFILIATED GROUPS IS RAMONA BAS, WHO IS REPRESENTING THE PTA COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE COUNTY.

GOOD EVENING.

GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR.

SUPERINTENDENT HEISER, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

MY NAME IS RAMONA BASILIO.

I'M VICE PRESIDENT OF THE PTA COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE COUNTY, INCORPORATED.

NORMALLY, I COME TO THIS BOARD THIS TIME OF YEAR TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S VERY SPECIAL AND THAT IS BULLY PREVENTION WEEK, AND IN PARTICULAR, UNITY DAY .

YOU'RE ALL DECKED OUT.

WE'RE ALL DECKED OUT.

OKAY.

AND I'M HOPING IT'S FOR UNITY DAY, NOT HALLOWEEN.

OH, YEAH, ME TOO.

OKAY.

UM, BUT I COME TODAY WITH A HEAVY HEART AND MIXED EMOTIONS.

ON ONE HAND, WE WANT TO CELEBRATE THE OUTSTANDING WORK THAT BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, IN PARTICULARLY OUR OFFICE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY, HAS DONE PROTECTING OUR STUDENTS WITH THEIR SYSTEMS, WITH STAFF INVOLVED.

I CANNOT, I WILL BE REMISS IF I DID NOT MENTION THE RECENT DEVELOPMENT AT BEN OREGON.

WE WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR CHILDREN ALWAYS HAVE BEEN.

I'M ALMOST AFRAID TO MENTION IT BECAUSE I'M AFRAID WE WILL BRING BAD LUCK TO BALTIMORE COUNTY SCHOOLS AND WE'VE DONE SO MUCH TO IMPROVE THE SYSTEMS HERE SINCE SANDY HOOK.

I BELIEVE IT'S LESS THAN HALF A DOZEN OF INCIDENTS.

I'M THE ALERT STAFF, TEACHERS, RESOURCE OFFICERS HAVE REALLY HELPED TO MOVE US FORWARD.

AND IN TERMS OF SAFETY AND UNITY, I THINK WE ARE MAKE GREAT.

WE'VE MADE GREAT STRIDES.

I WOULD ASK HOWEVER, THAT WE USE THE UPCOMING AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK OPPORTUNITY, WHICH IS IN NOVEMBER, TO HAVE A SERIOUS, AUTHENTIC CONVERSATION WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND PARENTS ABOUT SAFETY.

WE HAD A UNITY DAY TODAY, INCLUSION, ACCEPTANCE AND KINDNESS.

ONE OF MY SIXTH GRADERS CAME TO ME AND SAID, MS. RAMONA, WHY CAN'T PEOPLE BE KIND? AND THAT WAS A VERY POWERFUL QUESTION COMING FROM A SIXTH GRADER.

AND WHAT I WILL SAY IS

[00:10:01]

IT IS EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE.

WE NEED OUR PARENTS TO STEP UP.

WE NEED OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO STEP UP.

WE CANNOT TEACH THE VALUE OF BEING KIND UNLESS ALL PARTIES ARE INVOLVED.

SO I ENCOURAGE US TO THINK ABOUT TAKING AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK SERIOUSLY BEYOND BAKED SALES AND BEYOND BAGELS.

THE OTHER THING, SUPERINTENDENT, HE, I CALL UPON YOU, WE CALL UPON YOU TO THINK SERIOUSLY ABOUT FINDING ANY BUDGET SUPPORT FOR OUR SAFETY ASSISTANCE.

THEY ARE THE PERSONS IN THE BUILDING THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AND THAT YOU TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

I APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER, UM, FROM UNIONS IS KELLY OLDS REPRESENTING TAPCO.

GOOD EVENING.

GOOD EVENING.

GOOD EVENING.

CHAIR TER, VICE CHAIR, YOUNG DR.

HEER AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

AS I'M OFTEN HERE TALKING ABOUT ISSUES THAT TABCO IS ADDRESSING, I WANT TO MAKE SURE TO HIGHLIGHT THE POSITIVES TOO.

LAST WEEK WE HAD A GREAT CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION AND CLIMATE COMMITTEE MEETING WITH JEN CRAFT AND JOHN STALEY FROM BCPS.

WE WERE ABLE TO COLLABORATE, ASK QUESTIONS, AND WORK TO PROBLEM SOLVE.

TOGETHER WE THANK DR.

HEISER AND DR.

MULLINAX FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

SPEAKING OF ISSUES, I THINK IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT WE ARE UNFORTUNATELY IN A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER CRISIS.

I KNOW THAT HR IS WORKING CONTINUOUSLY IN AN EFFORT TO ONBOARD SUBSTITUTES AND I HAVE BEEN IN COMMU CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION WITH THE HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE AND SCHOOLS ACROSS THE SYSTEM CANNOT GET THE SUBSTITUTES THEY NEED.

AND THIS IS CAUSING MAJOR INCREASES TO WORKLOAD FOR EDUCATORS AS WELL AS CASCADING PROBLEMS AS PEOPLE WHO HAVE OTHER CRITICAL ROLES ARE PULLED IN TO FILL THE GAPS.

THIS HAPPENS WITH ADMINISTRATORS, PARAEDUCATORS, AND OTHER GROUPS, INCLUDING THOSE PROVIDING DIRECT SERVICES TO STUDENTS LIKE ENGLISH, ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT TEACHERS AND SPECIAL EDUCATORS.

THIS IS UNSUSTAINABLE.

AS YOU ALL KNOW.

ENSURING ACCESS TO THESE SERVICES PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE EDUCATION OF THE STUDENTS THAT THEY SERVE A ROLE THAT ONLY THEY CAN FILL.

WHEN SPECIAL EDUCATORS AND ELD TEACHERS ARE PULLED FROM PROVIDING DIRECT SERVICES, THIS IS A DETRIMENT TO OUR STUDENTS.

WE ARE SEEING THIS HAPPEN THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WHERE EDUCATORS ARE PULLED FROM CO-TAUGHT CLASSES IN ORDER TO FILL IN WHERE THERE SHOULD BE A SUBSTITUTE.

AS WE ARE WORKING ON SOLVING THE ROOT OF THIS PROBLEM, ONBOARDING MORE SUBSTITUTES, THERE NEEDS TO BE RELIEF.

I HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ABOUT COLLABORATING ON SOLUTIONS TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO OUR EDUCATORS AND ENSURE OUR STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO ACCESS THEIR NECESSARY SERVICES.

I HAVE MADE INQUIRIES AND SUGGESTIONS, BUT I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE.

CURRENTLY, WE HAVE STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY WHO ARE UNABLE TO ACCESS CURRICULUM AS INTENDED.

THIS MUST BE ADDRESSED.

I STARTED BY SHARING AN EXAMPLE OF PRODUCTIVE OF A PRODUCTIVE COLLABORATIVE MEETING.

THIS SHOULD BE THE NORM.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO ADDRESS THIS TOGETHER? THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT CATEGORY ARE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY GROUPS AND OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS VIRTUAL AND DARIUS BECKFORD.

I'M REPRESENTING PUZZLE PIECES LEARNING ACADEMY.

GOOD EVENING.

READING THE STATEMENT FOR DARIUS BECKFORD.

GOOD EVENING SUPERINTENDENT.

DR.

HEISER, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

MY NAME IS DARIUS BECKFORD.

I SERVE AS AN ELECTED MEMBER OF THE DEMOCRATIC STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE FOR THE FOURTH DISTRICT.

AND AS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT FLOWERS WHINING INITIATIVE, I JOINED THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR PUZZLE PIECES LEARNING ACADEMY PCS THIS PAST AUGUST.

WORKING CLOSELY ALONGSIDE FOUNDING CEO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SHAZA SHIELD, AS WELL AS MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS.

IN MY WORK ACROSS THE COMMUNITY AND IN MY EXECUTIVE ROLE, MY PRIMARY FOCUS CENTERS ON YOUTH ADVOCACY, OPERATIONAL LEADERSHIP, PHYSICAL SECURITY, AND STUDENT WELLBEING.

I JOINED THE MISSION BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT EVERY CHILD IN BALTIMORE COUNTY DESERVES A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT IS NOT ACADEMICALLY RIGOROUS, BUT ALSO PHYSICALLY SAFE, STRUCTURALLY SOUND, AND PURPOSELY BUILT FOR THEIR GROWTH.

TO DELIVER ON THAT COMMITMENT TO SAFETY AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, OUR ORGANIZATION MUST BE ABLE TO EXECUTE COMMERCIAL FACILITY NEGOTIATIONS THAT FOLLOW SOUND, BUSINESS LOGIC AND PLAN.

CONTRACTUAL LANGUAGE TO DATE PUZZLE PIECES HAS TWICE SUBMITTED

[00:15:01]

THE BOARD REJECTED OUR FIRST PROPOSAL AND PUZZLE PIECES IS CURRENTLY AWAITING THE BOARD'S FORMAL DECISION.

ON OUR SECOND SUBMISSION AT 16 6 4 0 CROSSROAD CIRCLE AND WHITE MARSH, I WANT TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE LEGAL AND PRACTICAL REALITY OF WHERE WE STAND UNDER FIRST AMENDMENT TO OUR CHARTER AGREEMENT.

THE LANGUAGE EXPLICITLY REQUIRES PUZZLE PIECES TO SUBMIT PROPOSED LEASES NOT FULLY EXECUTED BINDING COMMERCIAL LEASES.

THIS DISTINCTION IS DELIBERATE AND STANDARD ACROSS THE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE.

NEITHER A PROSPECTIVE COMMERCIAL LANDLORD NOR A CHARTER SCHOOL ENTITY CAN JUSTIFY INCURRING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN LEGAL FEES ARE ARCHITECTURAL EXPENSES AND BIDDING LEASE LIABILITIES TO DRAFT A 50 PLUS PAGE COMMERCIAL CONTRACT LEASE BEFORE AUTHORIZED OR FORMALLY APPROVES IT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER ALSO VIRTUALLY IS ARA S BODI, S FA, BODI, AND ALSO REPRESENTING PUZZLE PIECES.

GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR, SUPERINTENDENT, DR.

HEISER BOARD AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

I AM ALSO, UM, A MEMBER OF THE PUZZLE PIECES EXECUTIVE BOARD, AND I ALSO SERVE AS THE BOARD TREASURER.

I WOULD LIKE TO DRAW THE BOARD'S ATTENTION TO A FEW THINGS AND HOPE THAT WE CAN GET, UM, APPROVAL TO OPEN OUR BUILDING.

WE HAVE CURRENTLY, UM, REWORKED OUR MARYLAND CSP GRANT.

THAT FILE WAS SHARED AND SENT WITH THE APPROPRIATE PARTIES TO SEE THE INTENTIONALITY BEHIND THE MONEY THAT WE WERE AWARDED AND HOW IT WOULD BE SPENT, INCLUDING MONEY TOWARDS THE, UM, SECURITY DEPOSIT OF A BUILDING.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE ALSO FOUND A NEW LOCATION TO POSSIBLY OPEN AND WITH OUR LOI AND OPENING THE BUILDING IN THIS LOCATION, WE HAVE ALSO SECURED A POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE FUNDING THROUGH STRETCH SOLUTIONS IF NECESSARY.

WE HAVE HAD TWO BOARD MEETINGS TO THIS DATE AS AN EXECUTIVE BOARD WHERE WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

IN ADDITION TO THE LOI AND THE CSP GRANT, WE HAVE ALSO TALKED ABOUT OTHER FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AS WELL AS OUR GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES.

UM, WE BELIEVE AND WE HOPE THAT THE BOARD WILL SEE, UM, THE PURPOSE AND THE INTENTIONALITY OF THE SCHOOL AND THE AVAILABILITY TO GET, UM, APPROVAL SO THAT WE CAN OPEN UP STARTING NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.

I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR THIS MATTER.

THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MONICA MUGNIER.

AND OKAY.

AND FROM SCHOOLS BEYOND SCREENS BALTIMORE COUNTY.

UH, THANK YOU MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT HEISER FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TONIGHT.

UH, THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE READY SCHOOLS ACT REQUIRED EACH SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND TO ADOPT AN AI POLICY IN ALIGNMENT WITH GUIDANCE FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND, UH, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

BY TOMORROW, WE ARE ABOUT TO MISS THAT DEADLINE.

WHILE I KNOW NOTHING I SAY IS GOING TO CHANGE THAT FACT, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT HOW URGENT THIS ISSUE IS AS A MEMBER OF SCHOOLS BEYOND SCREENS.

I'VE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS RECENTLY ABOUT THIS AND OTHER TECH RELATED TOPICS WHERE BOARD MEMBERS OR CANDIDATES FOR THE BOARD SPEAK ABOUT HOW WE NEED TO BE DELIBERATE, CONSIDER UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES AND DO OUR RESEARCH.

THAT'S TOTALLY FAIR.

BUT TODAY I WANNA POINT OUT THAT WE ALSO HAVE TO CONSIDER THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH WAITING.

I WOULD ARGUE THAT THERE IS MORE RISK, AT LEAST WHEN IT COMES TO AI ASSOCIATED WITH WAITING RIGHT NOW THAN THERE IS WITH IMPLEMENTING AN IMPERFECT POLICY.

THE PRELIMINARY DATA AROUND AI AND LEARNING ARE NOT PROMISING.

ONE STUDY TRACKING OVER 26,000 STUDENTS IN CHINA FOUND THAT WHILE USING GENERATIVE AI FOR HOMEWORK, RAISED HOMEWORK SCORES BY 18%, IT CAUSED CLOSED BOOK EXAM SCORES TO DROP BY 20%.

THE 2025 PIECE, A STUDY PERFORMED BY THE ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT SHOWED THAT HIGHER PERFORMING STUDENTS TEND TO BE THE ONES WHO DON'T USE AI.

MULTIPLE STUDIES HAVE SHOWN NEGATIVE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN FREQUENT AI USAGE AND CRITICAL THINKING.

AND ANECDOTALLY, AS A SCIENTIST WORKING IN THE KIND OF COMPETITIVE STEM JOB THAT WE TALK ABOUT PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR, WHAT I FIND IS THAT CRITICAL THINKING AND CREATIVITY ARE KEYS TO SUCCESS.

THE PRECISE SKILLS THAT THESE AI TOOLS TAKE AWAY FROM US.

SO IF WE PUT ALL THIS TOGETHER, WHAT WE DON'T KNOW IS WHETHER AI HELPS LEARNING, BUT THE PRELIMINARY DATA SAYS IT'S PROBABLY ACTIVELY DETRIMENTAL TO IT.

WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT KIDS CAN LEARN WITHOUT AI BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS HAVE.

[00:20:01]

ONE OF THE MAJOR POINTS OF DISCUSSION WAS, WHAT IF THIS DOESN'T WORK? WHAT IF THEIR UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES AND THEIR CONCLUSION IN THE END WAS, WE'RE THE BOARD.

IF SOMETHING ISN'T WORKING, WE CAN CHANGE THE POLICY.

AND SO WE URGE YOU TO IMPLEMENT A SIMILAR POL BAN ON AI IN BCPS SCHOOLS AND TO CONSIDER WHETHER THERE'S ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN QUICKLY.

OUR GROUP RECOMMENDED AN AI MORATORIUM PREVIOUSLY AS PART OF A BROADER TECH POLICY.

IF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE BROADER POLICY IS HOLDING UP A BAN ON AI, WHY NOT SEPARATE IT OUT, WHICH SHOULD BE MUCH MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD.

IF YOU NEED FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY, WHY NOT SEND OUT A SURVEY TO STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND PARENTS TOMORROW? I GET SURVEYS FROM YOU GUYS ALL THE TIME.

UH, THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR STUDENTS' CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AND THERE MAY BE MORE RISK WITH ASSOCIATED WITH WAITING ON THIS THAN THERE IS WITH IMPLEMENTING A BAND.

TO THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARIETTA ENGLISH FROM BALTIMORE COUNTY NAACP.

GOOD EVENING.

GOOD EVENING.

GOOD EVENING.

GOOD EVENING.

UH, CHAIR, WOMAN LECTER CHAIR, VICE CHAIR YOUNG AND SUPERINTENDENT HEISER.

I AM MARIETTA ENGLISH AND I CHAIR THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE AND AXO FOR THE BALTIMORE COUNTY BRANCH OF THE NAACP.

THANK YOU TO THE BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR BEING TRUE PARTNERS IN THE WORK OF HELPING EVERY STUDENT LEARN, GROW, AND SUCCEED.

I'M ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL TO THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR SELECTING ME TO SERVE ON PART OF THE TRANSITION TEAM.

I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN, CONTRIBUTE, AND HELP STRENGTHEN THE CONNECTION BETWEEN OUR SCHOOLS AND THE COMMUNITY.

AS WE MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER, I ASK YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE NAACP AXO PROGRAM.

AXO GIVES YOUNG PEOPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP THEIR TALENTS, BUILD CONFIDENCE, AND PURSUE EXCELLENCE IN THE SCIENCE, SCIENCES, HUMANITIES, BUSINESS, AND THE ARTS.

BY SUPPORTING THIS PROGRAM, WE AFFIRM THAT OUR STUDENTS DESERVE OPPORTUNITIES NOT ONLY TO ACHIEVE, BUT ALSO TO BE SEEN ENCOURAGED AND CELEBRATED.

WE HOPE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO USE NEWTOWN HIGH SCHOOL AS WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST.

PUT THAT IN YOUR POCKET.

.

WE ARE ALSO COMMITTED TO PREPARING STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE FULLY IN CIVIC LIFE.

WE ARE GONNA WORK WITH THE SOCIAL STUDY TEACHERS TO HELP ELIGIBLE STUDENTS REGISTER TO VOTE AND UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR VOICES MATTER.

VOTER REGISTRATION IS MORE THAN PAPERWORK.

IT IS AN INVITATION TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, ENGAGE WITH THE ISSUES, AND HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP, YOUR LEADERSHIP, AND YOUR INVESTMENT IN OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.

TOGETHER WE CAN EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES, STRENGTHEN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND ENSURE THAT EVERY STUDENT KNOWS THEY HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

THIS IS OUR TIME.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT CATEGORY ARE INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS OR STUDENTS, AND OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS DR.

FARONE.

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

UM, LAST MEETING, I BROUGHT A LIFE JACKET WITH ME.

I DIDN'T BRING IT TODAY, BUT MY THOUGHT IS THAT WHEN YOU AS THE BOARD GRADUATE STUDENTS WITH A GREAT EDUCATION, YOU ARE GIVING THEM LIFE JACKETS IN A VERY DIFFICULT WORLD.

YOU ARE GIVING THEM THE ENGINE TO SUCCEED, TO SEE THE FUTURE, TO BE ENTREPRENEURS.

AND FOR THAT, I'D LIKE TO MENTION TO TO YOU, UH, THE WORDS OF OUR STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD ON THE MEETING OF, UH,

[00:25:01]

AND IT'S A GREAT REALLY PRESENTATION OF OF OUR STUDENT MEMBER ON THE BOARD.

IT IS GOING CERTAINLY BE IN MY BOOK, AND SHE SAID, AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT.

MR. BAJI.

I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER A PIECE OF ADVICE FOR STUDENTS, STAFF, AND FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS.

WE CANNOT BECOME WHAT WE WANT BY REMAINING WHAT WE ARE.

WE CANNOT BECOME WHAT WE WANT BY REMAINING WHAT WE ARE.

THIS NEW YEAR MEANS WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE AND GROW.

WE ALL NEED TO TAKE OUR OPPORTUNITY AND ALLOW OURSELVES TO DEVELOP AND EVOLVE.

NOT ONLY SHOULD WE STRIVE FOR GROWTH WITHIN OURSELVES, BUT WE NEED TO PUSH FOR GROWTH TOGETHER.

IN ORDER TO GROW, WE MUST TAKE RISKS, PUT OURSELVES IN NEW SITUATION AND IMAGINE NEW POSSIBILITIES.

I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU THAT WE MOVE FORWARD IN A SCHOOL YEAR TO TAKE RISKS, PUSH OURSELVES TO GROW AND BE IT CHANGE.

I SEE FOUR BOARD MEMBERS ENGAGED AND FOCUSED ON STUDENT AT ACHIEVEMENTS, MAYBE FIVE, BUT HONESTLY, MY OBSERVATION IS THAT THE REST ARE HERE FOR MORE POLITICAL ISSUES THAN EDUCATION.

AND AS LONG WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT AS LONG WE ARE NOT FOCUSED ON QUALITY EDUCATION, WE WILL NEVER SUCCEED EVEN IF WE HAVE A GOOD SUPERINTENDENT LIKE DR.

HEISER.

SO YOUR WORDS WILL BE IN MY BOOK FOR SURE.

I AM REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THEM AND I'M REALLY SURPRISED THAT NO BOARD MEMBER HAS PICKED UP ON THE THOUGHTS OF MS. JI.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LIAM WHEELER.

GOOD EVENING.

GOOD EVENING.

SUPERINTENDENT HEISER, MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

I AM A 10TH GRADER AT GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY, AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT STAFFING SHORTAGES AND LOSS OF VALUABLE PROGRAMS AT OUR SCHOOL.

THIS PROBLEM CAME TO MY ATTENTION WHEN MY SCHOOL STOPPED OFFERING A FEW COURSES LAST YEAR, INCLUDING THE FRENCH PROGRAM.

THEY WOULD OFFER A SECOND YEAR TO THOSE OF US WHO NEEDED IT TO GRADUATE, WHICH I'M CURRENTLY TAKING, AND AFTER THAT, THE ONLY LANGUAGE TAUGHT AT CARVER WOULD BE SPANISH.

I WAS DEVASTATED.

I HAD BEEN TAKING FRENCH SINCE SIXTH GRADE AND ENJOY IT VERY MUCH, AND I KNOW MANY OF MY FRIENDS FEEL THE SAME WAY.

MORE THAN THAT, THOUGH, THIS CHANGE FUNNELS EVERY INCOMING STUDENT INTO ONE OF A FEW SPANISH CLASSES.

OUR LANGUAGE CLASSES ARE OVER FULL, AND IF THIS CHANGE GOES THROUGH, OUR FOREIGN LANGUAGES PROGRAM WILL CONSIST OF ONE SINGULAR FOREIGN LANGUAGE.

THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO TEACH LANGUAGES WHEN EVERYONE STARTS AT A DIFFERENT PLACE.

LANGUAGE LEARNING IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT SOME DEGREE OF INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION, WHICH A TEACHER CANNOT POSSIBLY PAY TO 37 STUDENTS IN EVERY CLASS.

THE EXPECTATION FOR THEM TO DO SO IS RIDICULOUS.

WE NEED MORE TEACHERS.

THIS ISN'T JUST A PROBLEM IN LANGUAGE CLASSES.

I'M HOPING TO TAKE CALCULUS AND PSYCHOLOGY NEXT YEAR, BUT HAVE BEEN WARNED THAT DUE TO THERE ONLY BEING ONE TEACHER, CLASSES FILL UP QUICKLY AND THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT ANY PERSON GETS A SPOT.

THERE'S ALWAYS DEMAND FOR THESE CLASSES AND ALWAYS PEOPLE WHO TRY TO TAKE THEM AND ARE UNABLE TO BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE ROOM DENYING US OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN THINGS THAT INTEREST US IS THE OPPOSITE OF THE DIRECTION WE WANT OUR SCHOOLS GOING.

WHEN KIDS AT THIS AGE HAVE INTERESTS, ESPECIALLY THESE IN THESE CRUCIAL AREAS OF LEARNING, THEY SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED.

A FEW YEARS AGO, STUDENTS AT CARVER WERE ABLE TO LEARN GERMAN IF THEY WANTED TO OR ITALIAN, AND NEXT YEAR IT WILL JUST BE AN OVER FULL SPANISH CLASSROOM.

THESE PROGRAM CUTS WILL HARM THE SCHOOL AND MAKE IT MORE LIKELY THAT MIDDLE SCHOOLERS WILL ELECT TO GO ELSEWHERE FOR HIGH SCHOOL.

THIS IS JUST THE CASE OF ONE SCHOOL, BUT I KNOW SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTY HAVE BEEN FORCED TO OFFER FEWER COURSES.

THAT IS NOT WHAT I WANT FROM MY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE OR FOR THE GENERATIONS TO COME AFTER ME.

EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES SHOULD BE EXPANDING, BUT THEY'RE STEADILY DECREASING AND IT NEEDS TO STOP IMMEDIATELY.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR

[00:30:01]

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHERYL BO, WELCOME BACK .

THANK YOU .

UM, UH, GOOD EVENING, UH, CHAIRWOMAN LICHTER, VICE CHAIR YOUNG AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND WELCOME TO BALTIMORE COUNTY, SUPERINTENDENT HEIZER.

UM, I AM CHERYL BOAST.

UH, IT'S RETIRED BALTIMORE COUNTY TEACHER AND AS SOME OF YOU KNOW, THE FORMER TABCO PRESIDENT AND MSEA PRESIDENT.

UM, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN THIS THIS ROOM.

UM, THIS EVENING, I'M HERE AS A CITIZEN AND A FOREVER TEACHER AND PUBLIC EDUCATION ADVOCATE.

UM, I'M A VETERAN ELEMENTARY TEACHER FROM MARS ESTATES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN PRETTY BOY ELEMENTARY AND THE 2003 BALTIMORE COUNTY TEACHER OF THE YEAR.

I STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO MANY TEACHERS ACROSS THE STATE, IN PARTICULAR HERE IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TONIGHT.

I FELT COMPELLED TO COME BEFORE YOU TO EXPLAIN AND DEFEND TEACHER PLANNING TIME.

NON-TEACHERS REALLY HAVE NO UNDERSTANDING OF THE EXPECTATIONS AND WORKLOAD OF TEACHERS.

THERE IS NO OTHER PROFESSION THAT PAYS FOR A VERY LIMITED TIME FOR EMPLOYEES TO PREPARE FOR AND COMPLETE ASPECTS OF THEIR JOB AND HOLDS THE EXPECTATION THAT THEY WILL DO MOST OF THIS WORK DURING OFF PAID HOURS.

A 2022 SURVEY DONE BY ED WEEK FOUND THAT A TYPICAL TEACHER WORKS ABOUT 54 HOURS A WEEK.

IF WE LOOK AT THE AVERAGE COMPARED TO A TEACHER PAID WORKDAY RIGHT HERE IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, OUR TEACHERS WORK ALMOST 50% MORE THAN WHAT THEY GET PAID FOR.

THE DEMANDS OF TEACHING HAVE GREATLY INCREASED OVER THE YEARS I'VE PROVIDED TO BE PASSED OUT TO YOU.

A LIST OF JUST SOME OF THE TASKS THAT TEACHERS TRY TO GET DONE DURING DAILY PLANNING TIME.

TRUTHFULLY, THE TERM PLANNING TIME IS NOT ACCURATE BECAUSE RARELY DO TEACHERS GET ENOUGH TIME TO ACTUALLY PLAN LESSONS BECAUSE OF THE MYRIAD OF OTHER TASKS THAT NEED TO BE ACCOMPLISHED DURING THE SCHOOL DAY.

BALTIMORE COUNTY TEACHERS CURRENTLY HAVE 325 MINUTES OF PROTECTED INDIVIDUAL WEEKLY TIME PRIOR TO THAT LANGUAGE.

I KNOW BECAUSE I WAS HERE, PLANNING TIME WAS ALWAYS ENCROACHED UPON, LEAVING MORE TEACHERS FOR THINGS TO DO OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL DAY.

IF TEACHERS ARE TO BE THE BEST AND BE THE INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS, LEADERS IN EACH CLASSROOM THAT WE EXPECT, BUT THAT OUR STUDENTS DESERVE, THEN THEIR INDIVIDUAL PLANNING TIME MUST NOT BE REDUCED OR INFRINGED UPON IN ANY WAY.

OUR EDUCATORS DESERVE TO BE RESPECTED AS PROFESSIONALS AND PROVIDED WITH THE TIME NEEDED TO DO THEIR JOB.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.

THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DARA FRIEDMAN WHEELER.

I THANK THE PARENT OF THE VERY ARTICULATE STUDENT, SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT.

GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR, SUPERINTENDENT HEISER AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

MY NAME IS DARA FRIEDMAN WHEELER AND I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR ADEQUATE STAFFING TO SUPPORT OUR ACADEMIC PROGRAMS. I UNDERSTAND THAT BCPS IS FACING FISCAL CHALLENGES AND THAT AS A RESULT MANY PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN CUT IN THE PAST YEAR.

WE MUST PRIORITIZE RESTORING THESE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE FRENCH PROGRAM AT GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY.

FRENCH IS PARTICULARLY RELEVANT TO MANY OF THE MAGNET PROGRAMS AT CARVER AND BEYOND THAT CUTTING, IT WOULD LEAVE JUST ONE WORLD LANGUAGE AT CARVER.

AS YOU JUST HEARD, WE NEED TO BE OFFERING OUR CHILDREN THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MORE LANGUAGES OVER MORE YEARS, NOT FEWER LANGUAGES OVER FEWER YEARS.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING IS IMPORTANT FOR INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING, COMMUNITY BUILDING AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION.

IN OTHER WORDS, EVERYTHING FROM THE SOCIETAL LEVEL TO THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL.

FURTHER, BY REMOVING FRENCH, WE'RE REDUCING STUDENTS' FUTURE EMPLOYABILITY, PARTICULARLY IN THE BALTIMORE WASHINGTON AREA WHERE MANY INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES ARE LOCATED.

FRENCH IS AN IMPORTANT LANGUAGE FOR INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY AND GLOBAL NGOS.

IT IS HELPFUL IN BUSINESS IN AFRICAN AND EUROPEAN MARKETS.

FRENCH IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING LANGUAGES IN THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY IN AFRICA, WHERE EMERGING MARKETS HAVE ATTRACTED SIGNIFICANT INVESTOR INTEREST.

I HAVE DISTRIBUTED TO YOU TONIGHT A LETTER WHICH I ALSO EMAILED, AND THANK YOU CHAIR LICHTER AND DR.

HEISER FOR YOUR REPLIES.

ALREADY.

THE LETTER HAS NOW BEEN SIGNED BY MORE THAN 140 COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PARENTS, EDUCATORS, ALUMS, STUDENTS, AND RESIDENTS WHO FEEL THAT FRENCH IS AN ESSENTIAL PROGRAM TO THE STUDENTS FROM

[00:35:01]

I HOPE YOU'LL CONSIDER THE PERSPECTIVES SHARED IN THE LETTER.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU.

AND OUR LAST SPEAKER IS CARMEL COX? NOPE.

OKAY, THEN I BELIEVE MS. COX.

NO, THEN ON THE WAITING LIST.

UM, RACHEL GOLDBERG.

GOOD EVENING.

HI, GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS RACHEL.

UM, I'M A PARENT OF A KINDERGARTNER AT FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY.

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, UM, OUR SAFETY PROTOCOLS IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT TRAGEDY IN OREGON.

SO, UM, I UNDERSTAND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DOWN THE STREET DOES HAVE AN ARMED GUARD.

UM, WE ALL HAVE AN ARMED GUARD RIGHT NOW, WHOEVER OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DOES NOT.

AND, UM, THAT LEAVES OUR MOST YOUNG STUDENTS VULNERABLE.

UM, WHILE WE DO HAVE GREAT SAFETY PROTOCOLS IN PLACE, THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY IN TODAY'S DAY AND AGE, NOT ENOUGH.

I THINK IN THE MOST RECENT TRAGEDY, THE ASSAILANT, UH, SHOT THROUGH THE WINDOW.

UM, I JUST WANT MY SON, MY KINDERGARTNERS, UH, THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF PROTECTION THAT THEIR OLDER PEERS ENJOY AND THAT WE ENJOY RIGHT NOW.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR COMMENT SECTION OF THE MEETING.

THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA

[G.UNFINISHED BUSINESS - PUZZLE PIECES LEARNING ACADEMY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL (Dr. Mullenax) (7:30 - 7:50 p.m.) ]

AND FOR THAT, I CALL ON DR.

MULLINAX.

GOOD EVENING, BOARD CHAIR LICHTER, VICE CHAIR YOUNG.

DR.

HEISER.

I APOLOGIZE.

I'M GONNA READ MY NOTES JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M VERY CLEAR.

SO, GOOD EVENING.

THE CHARTER, UM, FOR PUZZLE PIECES LEARNING ACADEMY, PPLA WAS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD ON MARCH 25TH, 2025, APPROVED ON APRIL 16TH, 2025, AND FULLY EXECUTED ON AUGUST 28TH, 2025.

AT THE JUNE 9TH, 2026, BOARD MEETING, BCPS STAFF RECOMMENDED REVOCATION OF THE SCHOOL'S CHARTER DUE TO ITS EVICTION FROM ITS DESIGNATED FACILITY AND ONGOING CONCERNS REGARDING ITS FISCAL CONDITION.

IN RESPONSE, PPLA REQUESTED AN EXTENSION OF THE SCHOOL'S OPENING DATE, THEREBY PERMITTING ADDITIONAL TIME TO SECURE A FACILITY.

THE BOARD VOTED TO GRANT PPPS REQUEST AND DIRECTED THE CHARTER TO BE AMENDED ACCORDINGLY.

THEREAFTER, AN AMENDMENT WAS DRAFTED AND APPROVED BY THE PARTIES ON JULY 13TH, 2026.

PPLA EXECUTED THE AMENDMENT WITH THE BOARD SIGNING ON JULY 14TH, 2026.

THE AMENDMENT REVISED FOUR SECTIONS OF THE ORIGINAL CHARTER AND INCLUDED A REVISION TO SECTION 4.1, WHICH REQUIRED PPLA TO A TO PROVIDE A PROPOSED LEASE AGREEMENT WITH A THIRD PARTY TO BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR APPROVAL BY SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026.

SECTION 4.1 ALSO PERMITS PPLA TO REQUEST A 30 DAY EXTENSION.

IF DESPITE GOOD FAITH EFFORTS, IT IS UNABLE TO PROVIDE A PROPOSED THIRD PARTY LEASE AGREEMENT BY THE DEADLINE.

THE BOARD RETAINED SOLE DISCRETION TO GRANT OR DENY SUCH A REQUEST.

ON SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2026, PPLA REQUESTED A 30 DAY EXTENSION OF ITS DEADLINE AS PERMITTED.

THE BOARD VOTED TO DENY THE REQUEST.

PPLA DID NOT SUBMIT A PROPOSED LEASE BY THE SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026 DEADLINE AS REQUIRED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT OF THE CHARTER AGREEMENT.

AS A RESULT ON OCTOBER 5TH, 2026, THE ADMINISTRATION NOTIFIED PPLA PURSUANT TO SECTION 16.7 OF THE CHARTER AGREEMENT OF ITS INTENT TO RECOMMEND REVOCATION.

AT THE FIRST 2026 BOARD MEETING, PPLA WAS ALSO ADVISED OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTATION FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION AND TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AT TODAY'S MEETING.

ALTHOUGH PPLA HAS SUBMITTED DOCUMENTATION BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026 DEADLINE, IT HAS NOT PROVIDED A PROPOSED LEASE AGREEMENT AS REQUIRED BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT OF THE CHARTER.

ACCORDINGLY, PURSUANT TO SECTION 16.6 OF THE CHARTER, THE ADMINISTRATION RESPECTFULLY RECOMMENDS THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE IMMEDIATE REVOCATION OF THE CHARTER AGREEMENT FOR PUZZLE PIECES LEARNING ACADEMY.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

MAY I HAVE THE, CAN YOU READ YOUR LAST STATEMENT AGAIN WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? YES, MA'AM.

ACCORDINGLY, PURSUANT TO SECTION 16.6 OF THE CHARTER, THE ADMINISTRATION RESPECTFULLY RECOMMENDS THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE IMMEDIATE REVOCATION OF THE CHARTER AGREEMENT FOR PUZZLE PIECES LEARNING ACADEMY.

OKAY.

MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION FOR AN IMMEDIATE RE REVOCATION OF THE PUZZLE PIECES CHARTER AGREEMENT.

SO MOVE.

SO MOVED.

MS. HE SECOND THORNTON.

OKAY.

WE GOT FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD THERE.

OKAY.

ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY.

MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL?

[00:40:01]

MR. YOUNG? YES.

MS. JI? YES.

MS. DOKI? YES.

MS. KY? YES.

DR.

SAVOY? YES.

MR. FITZPATRICK? YES.

MS. HUMPHREY? YES.

MS. THORNTON? YES.

MR. MCMILLIAN? YES.

MS. FPA? YES.

MS. HEN? YES.

MS. LICHTER? YES.

THANK YOU.

MOTION PASSES.

THANK YOU DR.

MULLINAX.

THANK YOU.

THE NEXT ITEM

[H.NEW BUSINESS - ACTION TAKEN IN CLOSED SESSION (Board Counsel) (7:50 - 7:55 p.m.) Item 7]

AND FOR THAT I CALL ON MR. BURNS.

GOOD EVENING, CHAIR.

LICHTER, VICE CHAIR YOUNG DR.

HEISER, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD THIS EVENING, ME ENCLOSED SESSION.

UH, THE BOARD TOOK ACTION ON, UM, AN APPEAL ENTITLED HEA 26 DASH THREE SEVEN AND NOW BE AN APPROPRIATE TIME FOR THE BOARD TO AFFIRM THE ACTION THAT IT TOOK.

THANK YOU.

MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ACTION TAKEN ENCLOSED SESSION ON HEARING EXAMINER CASE HE 8 26 DASH 0 3 7 AND AUTHORIZED MS. GOR TO SIGN FOR THOSE BOARD MEMBERS NOT PHYSICALLY PRESENT.

SO MOVED.

THANK YOU.

MAY I HAVE A SECOND? GI? THANK YOU.

ANY DISCUSSION? MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL? VOTE PLEASE.

MR. YOUNG? YES.

MR. BCI? YES.

MS. DOKI? YES.

MS. KY? YES.

DR.

SAVOY? YES.

MR. FITZPATRICK? YES.

MS. HUMPHREY? YES.

MS. THORNTON? YES.

MR. MCMILLION? YES.

MS. FONG? YES.

MS. HEN? YES.

MS. LICHTER? YES.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU MR. BURNS.

THE NEXT ITEM ON THE

[I.NEW BUSINESS - BOARD'S BUDGET PRIORITIES FOR FY2028 (Ms. Henn) (7:55 - 8:10 p.m.)]

AND FOR THAT I CALL 'EM MS. CHEN.

MS. HEN CHAIR OF THE BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.

THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, THE BOARD'S BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MET ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14TH, 2026.

THE PROPOSED BUDGET PRIORITIES FOR FY 2028 WERE FORWARDED TO THE FULL BOARD FOR APPROVAL.

THANK YOU.

MS. HEN, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE BOARD'S FFY 2028 BUDGET PRIORITIES AS PRESENTED IN EXHIBIT I SO MOVED.

DOKI.

THANK YOU.

NO SECOND IS NEEDED.

SINCE THE RECOMMENDATION COMES FROM THE COMMITTEE, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE PLEASE.

MR. YOUNG? YES.

MS. JI? YES.

MS. DOKI? YES.

MS. STALOWSKI? YES.

DR.

SAVOY? YES.

MR. FITZPATRICK? YES.

MS. HUMPHREY? YES.

MS. THORNTON? YES.

MR. MCMILLIAN? YES.

MS. FONG? YES.

MS. HEN? YES.

MS. LICHTER? YES.

THANK YOU.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU MS. HEN FOR YOUR WORK ON THAT DOCUMENT.

THE NEXT ITEM

[J.REPORT - UPDATE ON SUBSTITUTES (Mr. McCall and Ms. Stansbury) (8:10 - 8:30 p.m.)]

GOOD EVENING.

GOOD EVENING.

CHAIR LICHTER, VICE CHAIR, YOUNG SUPERINTENDENT DR.

HEISER AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

THANK YOU.

WHAT'S HE SAY? UPON THE BOARD'S REQUEST, MS. SUSAN STANSBERRY, THE DIRECTOR OF STAFFING AND I ARE PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON THE RECRUITMENT, UM, HIRING AND ONBOARDING OF OUR SUBSTITUTES.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS TRANSITION FROM KELLY SERVICES BACK TO BCPS HAS PRESENTED CHALLENGES TO OUR SCHOOLS AS WELL AS TO OUR STAFF.

DURING LAST WEEK'S PRINCIPAL'S LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SESSION, WE SHARED THE STATUS OF OUR EFFORTS AND HEARD DIRECTLY FROM PRINCIPALS ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES.

THAT DISCUSSION WAS BUILT FROM AN EARLIER MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM DIVISIONS ACROSS THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES.

AS YOU MAY KNOW, RELIABLE SUBSTITUTE COVERAGE HELPS MAINTAIN CONTINUITY OF INSTRUCTION FOR STUDENTS AND SUPPORTS THE DAILY OPERATION OF OUR SCHOOLS.

SINCE WE BROUGHT SUBSTITUTE STAFFING BACK IN-HOUSE, OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ON BUILDING A SUBSTITUTE POOL AND HELPING ADMINISTRATORS SECURE THE COVERAGE THAT THEY NEED.

TONIGHT WE'LL REVIEW OUR CURRENT STAFFING DATA AND THE STEPS WE'VE TAKEN BEEN TAKING TO STRENGTHEN SUBSTITUTE COVERAGE AND SUPPORT SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS.

[00:45:01]

WE RECOGNIZE THAT WORK SUPPORTS TWO OF OUR PILLARS OF EXCELLENCE.

THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE.

PROVIDING SUBSTITUTE COVERAGE HELPS MAINTAIN INSTRUCTION FOR STUDENTS WHILE IN EFFECTIVE STAFFING PROCESS HELPS SCHOOLS MANAGE DAILY OPERATIONS.

TO PROVIDE SOME BACKGROUND.

BCPS MANAGED SUBSTITUTE RECRUITMENT, HIRING, AND ONBOARDING THROUGH HUMAN RESOURCES BEFORE TRANSITIONING TO KELLY EDUCATION BACK IN 2022.

2023 SCHOOL YEAR, LAST YEAR, DUE TO PHYS FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, BCPS DECIDED TO BRING THESE FUNCTIONS BACK IN-HOUSE WITH HR RESUMING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE 26TH.

27TH SCHOOL YEAR B-C-S-B-C-P-S BEGAN PARTNERING WITH KELLY EDUCATION DURING THE 20 22 20 23 SCHOOL YEAR.

ON SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2022.

IN ITS FIRST YEAR MANAGING SUBSTITUTE HIRING FOR BCPS KELLY EDUCATION ACHIEVED A FIELD RATE OF 71.8% BASED ON FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS FOR THE 26 27 SCHOOL YEAR.

AGAIN, BCPS RESUMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR RECRUITING, HIRING, AND ONBOARDING SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS.

AND ON THAT SAME DATE, SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026, THE FILL RATE WITH BCPS WAS AT 74%.

AH, NOW HE WANTS TO JUMP AHEAD.

LET'S GO BACK.

OKAY.

IT'S GOING TOO FAST.

LET ME BE PATIENT.

CAN WE ADVANCE IT? YEAH.

UH, BACK THERE.

THANK YOU.

ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025, DURING ITS FOURTH YEAR MANAGING THE PROGRAM, KELLY EDUCATION HAD ACHIEVED A SUBSTITUTE RATE OF 95.4%.

AT THAT TIME, APPROXIMATELY 18 KELLY EDUCATION EMPLOYEES SUPPORTED SUBSTITUTE RECRUITMENT, HIRING AND ONBOARDING.

THIS DIS, THIS DECREASE FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR AND FILL RATES IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CONCERNS.

AND WE'VE HEARD THE CONCERNS EXPRESSED BY SCHOOL LEADERS AND STAFF.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT UNFILLED ASSIGNMENTS CREATE ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SCHOOL TEAMS AND THAT THE TRANSITION BACK TO IN-HOUSE STAFFING HAS PRESENTED CHALLENGES.

HR REMAINS FOCUSED ON RECRUITING, HIRING, AND ONBOARDING ADDITIONAL SUBSTITUTES TO EXPAND THE POOL AVAILABLE TO SCHOOLS.

AND AT THIS TIME, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO SUSAN STANSBERRY, WHO WILL NOW PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON OUR PAST AND CURRENT HIRING STATUS AND THE STRATEGIES THAT WE HAVE IN CURRENTLY ARE IMPLEMENTING TO STRENGTHEN OUR SUBSTITUTE GOALS.

THANK YOU.

GOOD EVENING.

CURRENTLY, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 1000 SUBSTITUTES HIRED, 700 IN PROCESS OF ONBOARDING AND 800 ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS.

ONCE THE BOARD WAS NOTIFIED LAST SPRING THAT BCPS WOULD BE ENDING THE CONTRACT WITH KELLY EDUCATION SERVICES, WE BEGAN ACTIVELY RECRUITING.

WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SUBSTITUTES WHO HAVE JOINED US FROM KELLY.

HOWEVER, NOT ALL OF THE SUBS HAVE CHOSEN TO REAPPLY TO BCPS.

WE HAVE RECRUITED MANY OTHERS TO JOIN THE SUBSTITUTE POSITIONS WITH US AS WELL.

WE HAVE SEVERAL STRATEGIES IN PLACE CURRENTLY TO DO OUR VERY BEST TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOLS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

WE ARE CONTINUING ALL HANDS ON DECK IN THE DEPARTMENT OF STAFFING FOR SCREENING, HIRING, AND ONBOARDING CANDIDATES.

WE ARE HOSTING NETWORKING FAIRS ACROSS THE DISTRICT FOR CURRENT SUBS TO LEARN ABOUT SCHOOLS AND MATCH WITH SCHOOLS WITH NEED.

DURING THE FAIRS, WE WILL MEET ADDITIONAL CANDIDATES AND MAKE OFFERS AS WELL AS MAKE ADDITIONAL SCHOOL CON CONNECTIONS.

AS THE EVENT AT THE EVENTS, HR WILL BE ABLE TO SUPPORT SUBS IN THE PROCESS OF ONBOARDING WHO NEED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

THE SUBSTITUTE OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TRAINING WITH SMART FIND EXPRESS OPERATORS.

THE SMART FIND EXPRESS OPERATORS ARE THE OFFICE PROFESSIONALS IDENTIFIED BY PRINCIPALS TO HELP ENSURE CLASSROOM COVERAGE.

THE TRAINING PROVIDES TOOLS TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOL'S CONTACTING AND SECURING SUBS, AND PROVIDE SUPPORTIVE SUGGESTIONS TO REACH OUT TO ADDITIONAL SUBS TO GAIN INTEREST.

[00:50:01]

AUTOMATED CALLING, EMPLOYEE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT AND ACADEMICS ARE STAGGERING PD TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS WHO ARE OUT OF THE BUILDING AT ANY ONE GIVEN DAY.

SINCE WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 800 PLUS, APPLICANTS STAFFING CONTINUES TO WORK WITH SCHOOLS TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE SUBMITTED THE NAMES OF THE SUBS.

THEY WOULD LIKE TO US TO PRIORITIZE HIRING.

SO WE DO SO MOST QUICK.

THE DEPARTMENT OF STAFFING REVIEWED SUBSTITUTE FILL RATES ACROSS ALL 174 LOCATIONS FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, 2026.

52 SCHOOLS HAD FILL RATES BELOW 70% SCHOOLS WITH FILL RATES OF LESS THAN 70% RECEIVED A PERMANENT SUBSTITUTE WHO WILL REPORT TO THAT SCHOOL EVERY DAY.

THE PERMANENT SUBSTITUTE CAN BE ASSIGNED TO A CLASSROOM EACH DAY BASED ON NEED.

IN ADDITION, HIGH NEEDS SCHOOLS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REGULARLY REVIEW THE SMART FIND EXPRESS REPORT OF SUBS WHO HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN WORKING AT THEIR SPECIFIC LOCATION.

WHILE OUR INITIAL SHORT-TERM STRATEGY WILL FOCUS ON ASSIGNING PERMANENT SUBSTITUTES TO HIGH NEED SCHOOLS, OUR LONG-TERM PLAN IS TO EXPLORE EXPANDING THE SUPPORT TO ALL SCHOOLS.

SCHOOLS COULD THEN ASSIGN THESE SUBS TO CLASSROOMS AS NEEDED.

WE'RE COLLABORATING WITH FISCAL SERVICES, STAFF RELATIONS, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOLS AND APPLICABLE BARGAINING UNITS TO EXPLORE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO CURRENT EMPLOYEES DURING THIS TRANSITION PERIOD.

AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND WE'RE OPEN FOR QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS.

IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS, MS. DOKI? YES.

THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE.

UM, THIS MIGHT BE TOO SOON OR HOW, HOW SOON WILL WE BE ABLE TO, UM, EVALUATE THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FROM CHANGING FROM, UM, KELLY SERVICES TO BRINGING IT IN-HOUSE LIKE THE COST SAVINGS, THE EFFECTIVENESS? UM, HOW SOON WOULD YOU THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO REPORT ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT? WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO, UM, DETERMINE THAT, BUT I WOULDN'T, I WOULD NOT WANT TO GIVE YOU A FIGURE HERE AT THE TABLE AT THIS MOMENT, BUT I WOULD SAY WITHIN ABOUT A WEEK OR SO.