Board of Education Meeting: May 24, 2010

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Full Agenda (PDF)

Approval of the Agenda; Champions for Children Awards; Recognition of the Asian American Education Association Scholarship Recipients; The George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy, Inc. High Achievement Scholarship Recipients; Resolution on Recognition of MCPS-University Partnership; Buds in the Schools Week

Champions for Children Awards: The Board recognized recipients of Champions for Children Awards, honored at an April 28 awards celebration held by the Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education (MCBRE). Recognized at the event were:

• Montgomery County Teacher of the Year—James Schafer, physics and math teacher, Montgomery Blair High School
• Dr. Edward Shirley Award for Excellence in Education Administration and Supervision—Jeffrey Martinez and Carolyne Starek, consulting principals, MCPS Office of Organizational Development
• Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership Award—Eric L. Minus, principal, Francis Scott Key Middle School
• Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award—Allison Finn, English teacher, James Hubert Blake High School
• 2010 Rookie Teacher of the Year—Amber M. Dinisio, kindergarten teacher, Arcola Elementary School
• SEIU Local 500 Supporting Services Employee of the Year—Justin Martin, Security Assistant, Newport Mill Middle School
• Business Champion for Children—Deloitte
• Volunteer Champion for Children—Springbrook High School Padres y Alumnos Latinos en Acción

The George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy, Inc. High Achievement Scholarship Recipients: The Board approved a resolution congratulating recipients of the George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy, Inc. High Achievement Scholarship awards:

• Aiyda Akmel, Wheaton High School
• Danielle Bustos, Northwood High School
• Matthew Fernandes, Paint Branch High School
• Saada Jobe, John F. Kennedy High School
• Hiwot Kassaye, Wheaton High School
• Baoquyen Le, John F. Kennedy High School
• Aditya Malik, Thomas S. Wootton High School
• Alphonse Mbu, Gaithersburg High School
• Nicholas Merriman, John F. Kennedy High School
• Brittanie Morris, John F. Kennedy High School
• Nega Mahlet, Wheaton High School
• Andrea Rua, Watkins Mill High school
• Amir Saranjam, John F. Kennedy High School
• Novia Soeparno, Col. Zadok Magruder High School
• Rebecca Sum, Albert Einstein High School
• Amanda Washington, Gaithersburg High School
• Beacon Yitbarek, John F. Kennedy High School

Resolution on Recognition of MCPS–University Partnerships: The Board recognized and congratulated the school system’s higher education partners and the 288 graduates of 2009–2010 partnerships who have earned certifications, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and doctoral degrees. Partners include Bowie State University, Washington Adventist University, Hood College, The Johns Hopkins University, McDaniel College, Montgomery College, Towson University, The George Washington University, The University of Maryland at College Park, The University of Maryland University College, and The University of Maryland Baltimore County.

“Buds” in School Week: The Board and superintendent proclaimed the week of May 23, 2010, as “Buds” in the Schools Week. May has been designated as Better Hearing and Speech Month by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Recognizing that long-term exposure to loud music may cause permanent hearing loss, the association is bringing its safe-listening public education campaign, “Listen to Your Buds,” to MCPS to address the risk of hearing loss due to the misuse of personal audio technology.

Public Comments

Board/Superintendent Comments

Human Resources Appointments

The Board approved the appointments of the following administrators:

• Sean W. Bulson, currently acting community superintendent, Office of School Performance, as community superintendent, Office of School Performance
• Marinda Thomas Evans, currently assistant principal, New Hampshire Estates Elementary School, as principal, New Hampshire Estates Elementary School
• Tamisha L. Sampson, currently principal intern, Sargent Shriver Elementary School, as principal, Sargent Shriver Elementary School
• James P. Fliakas, currently acting supervisor, Pre-K–English Language Arts, Department of Curriculum and Instruction Programs, as supervisor, Pre-K–English Language Arts, Department of Curriculum and Instruction Programs

Recommendation to Approve the Agreement with the Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals

The Board approved an agreement with the Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals (MCAAP) for the period of July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2014, concerning salaries, wages, hours, and other working conditions.

The agreement encompasses MCAAP and the Montgomery County Business Operators and Administrators unit and includes agreement on the total contract for four years, through FY 2014.

MCAAP, and the other employee associations, have worked collaboratively with MCPS this year to address the difficult economic times, while remaining focused on the needs of students.

Goal 1: Ensure Success for Every Student Update on English for Speakers of Other Languages Program

The Board of Education discussed an update on the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program, an initiative that is part of Goal 1 of the Strategic Plan: Ensure Success for Every Student.

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has the largest ESOL program in Maryland, with a current enrollment of more than 18,000 students. More than 60 percent of ESOL students are born in the United States, as are more than 82 percent of ESOL students in prekindergarten through grade 2.

The Division of ESOL/Bilingual Programs is focusing efforts on ESOL curriculum and instruction, parent outreach, and counseling.

Performance data show that ESOL students are benefiting from these efforts, with consistent improvement in overall reading and mathematics MSA scores; decline in middle school MSA performance, however, underscores the need for redoubled efforts.

MCPS continues to advocate before the Maryland State Department of Education for increased time for ESOL students to master English and meet graduation requirements.

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