Board Meeting, April 29, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYveMMaGMNU
Dr. Miller apologizes for the meeting
starting late, stating there were technical glitches.
Roll is taken.
Present: Adams-Stafford, Ahmed,
Boozer-Strother, Burroughs, Jackson, Monteiro, Queen, Thomas, Valentine,
Williams, Miller
Absent: Harris, Murray
Agenda for the April 29, 2021,
meeting and board meeting minutes for April 15, 2021, are approved unanimously.
Board chair presents her report.
She asks for moment of silence for staff and relatives who have passed away. Miller then reads a summary about
an Open Meetings Act violation. In response to a complaint regarding the December
16, 2020, emergency closed meeting of the board staff reorganization committee,
the State of Maryland Open Meetings Compliance Board found the BOE failed to
provide advance notice of the Dec. 16 meeting. The notice was not posted and
made available to the public until approximately 20 minutes before the meeting
was scheduled to convene. The Compliance Board also found that portions of the
committee’s discussions during that Dec. 16 meeting were also in violation. The
committee’s discussion of the elimination of positions within the board office
did not fall within the personnel exception for closed meetings. It did not
focus on specific employees. The Compliance Board concluded the committee’s
discussion of elimination of positions should have occurred in an open meeting.
They also determined the board committee’s discussion on the process of
notification to board staff about the reorganization was an improper topic for closed
session and should have occurred in public. Miller concludes the board has
reviewed the Compliance Board’s decision and will ensure it follows the Open
Meetings Act.
Mr. Roger Thomas asks for point of personal
privilege to comment on the opinion. He acknowledges that as board counsel, one
of his roles is to advise BOE on compliance issues around Open Meetings Act. It
was his opinion that the Board’s discussion of the elimination of positions from
Board office was permissible. He thanks the Compliance Board for providing the
corrective guidance.
Dr. Goldson provides her report.
PGCPS now has 141 Green schools, roughly 70 percent of the county’s schools.
Seven schools were also listed in the US News and World Report best high
schools. May is Mental Health Awareness. Next week is teacher appreciation
week, ground will be broken on two new schools, and there will be college and
career signing day.
Public comment on agenda and
non-agenda items is next.
Theresa Dudley, president of
PGCEA, speaks about expected influx of Federal funds to school system from
American Rescue Plan. They are excited about collaboration on summer school.
She is also concerned about a letter she received regarding abolishment of the
Peer Assistance and Review Program.
Janna Parker urges BOE to accept
recommendations from the English Language Learners focus group.
Michele Clarke thanks PGCPS for the
industrial-strength air filtration units they finally received in their
building. There are still buildings that need these units, and employees are
still concerned about their health and safety in the buildings. She also urges
Board to accept the ELL focus group recommendations.
Tonya Wingfield states that at April
28 meeting in which seven members met to go into closed session, the Board was
informed by counsel that it could be challenged. In the past, she notes, you
have set precedent in having Student Board Member vote to go into closed
session. Therefore, the April 28 meeting should not have taken place. Item 5.2
on consent agenda should be removed [Policy and Governance Committee, approve
Policy 5151, Student Journalists and School-Sponsored Media and Policy 5143,
Bullying, Harassment and Intimidation]; the consent agenda is reserved for CEO,
not for committee chairs to approve what you think. Those have to be
vetted by public. The meeting for March 22 where these policies were created
and revised was never advertised to the public, so that was also in violation
of the Open Meetings Act.
Sarah Christopherson, parent of
HMS and Thomas Stone students, speaks about swing space for HMS and the
decision-making process. Thomas Stone will welcome the 6th grade
students from HMS as part of the swing space. She asks for Board support for
HMS while it is split among multiple locations and also that the BOE stay out
of operational decisions.
Timothy Meyer, Mount Rainier ES
PTO, speaks about HMS swing space. Since the last BOE meeting, the group of
impacted schools met with the CEO and agreed to work together. There is a plan
we can work with, and everyone should know that parents support the CEO. From
the start, too many politicians got involved. One mayor took a victory lap on FB.
All the meddling made it harder. No one won. Far too many local elected
officials jumped to RGMS’ side and did not reach out to HMS. Parents see these
games, and we know who used our kids as a pawn to undermine Goldson or the P3
process or create leverage in Annapolis. There will be more swing space issues
in the years to come, and our kids are not bargaining chips in the club rooms
of Annapolis or stepping stones to the next political office. Keep the politics
out, and let Dr. Goldson do her job.
Catarina Correia, HMS PTSO
president and parent, also testifies about the swing space issue. Eventually
all the 7th and 8th graders will be at RGMS and 6th
graders will be at HMS. But the new modular at RGMS will not be ready at start of
school year, so for a period of time, HMS will be at three locations: Thomas
Stone, RGMS, and Meadowbrook. The principal and staff face the monumental task
of administering a school at three locations. Needs include: extra buses; buses
for after school activities; extra teachers and staff for all three locations:
administrator, support staff, more elective teachers. She thanks Goldson, her
team, and the BOE for addressing the backlog of improvements.
Patrick Paschall, Hyattsville ES
PTA, speaks about FY22 Educational Facilities Master Plan. There was only one
speaker at prior night’s public hearing and half of the board was not there. He
points out HES was supposed to have a new building completed by 2021, which has
not yet started. It is urgent that HES remain second in line for replacement.
He states that we have learned a lot in Hyattsville about swing space and
school construction. It is “outrageous” that HMS will be at three locations,
one of which will take an hour to get to. A swing space plan is absolutely
necessary for each construction project, and they should be started RIGHT NOW. Hyattsville
ES PTA is willing to help any school in cycle 1 and 2--just reach out. There is
a strong coalition of schools available to help.
Pre-recorded video testimony is
also available from a student at Flowers HS on BoardDocs.
Item 4.1 is the recommendations from
the English Language Learners Focus Workgroup, which met from January to April
2021 to “discuss local and national best practices for decreasing the
achievement gap of immigrant students in order to provide policy and budget
recommendations to the full Board for adoption and implementation.” There are
specific recommendations under the topics of: Human Resources, Academic Achievement,
Curriculum and Instruction, Translation and Family Support with an
implementation timeline spanning 2023-2030. The memos are available on BoardDocs.
Raaheelah Ahmed and Nina
Jackson present the report. Ahmed notes they have already received feedback
from administration and others and will discuss at their next focus group meeting
on May 5. They will then present their revised recommendations at the May 12
BOE meeting if that is consensus of the Board.
Sonya Williams point out that
this is not considered first reader, it is just for discussion. Miller clarifies
this will come before Board at May 12 meeting as first reader? Williams responds
it’s her understanding that the focus work group recommendations go to
committees whose work it may impact before it comes to BOE for approval. Ahmed
clarifies that there is no requirement that focus work group reports go to
committees. Since it has been included in tonight’s meeting, it could be
considered first reader so could go to second reader at next meeting. Williams
notes this was brought for discussion at this meeting, not action. Miller decides
that the ELL focus group report will go on the May 12 BOE meeting as a first
reader.
Consent Agenda includes a Proclamation
Commemorating Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (May 2-8). Passes
unanimously.
It also includes Approval for
Public Comment: Policy 5151, Student Journalists and School-Sponsored Media and
Policy 5143, Bullying, Harassment, and Intimidation. Ahmed presents the policies,
which are included in BoardDocs. They will be posted for public comment for a minimum
of 2 weeks and then comments will be considered by committee. Queen clarifies that Policy 5143
also covers staff, not just students. Motion passes unanimously.
Budget Consent Agenda is for final
payments for various maintenance and construction projects. Valentine clarifies
if the change order is something PGCPS requested or if the contractor made
request. Queen also asks that explanations be presented with change orders. Goldson
introduces Dr. Mark Fossett,
who is now Chief of Operations. He explains that as the school system is doing renovations
at schools, there are times when other work is required throughout the rest of
the school (such as the change order to update the fire alarm system throughout
an entire school) to meet current regulations. Change orders are reported
monthly to BOE as part of reporting requirements. Motion passes unanimously.
Second readers include 8 items
for adoption of textbooks and the 2021-2022 School Calendar (8.9). The school
calendar will be addressed separately. The first 8 items pass unanimously.
Williams notes the CEO is recommending
approval of calendar option B for approval. She had a question about starting
on Sept. 7, as that is actually Rosh Hashanah. She would like to move the start
of school back one day to Sept. 8. Goldson accepts that friendly amendment. Queen states she does not want
to extend school year, she wants to remove one of the teacher work days or have
it on a Saturday or some other solution. She does not understand how the school
year got so long. Ahmed points out that Rosh Hashanah is two days and there are
concerns from Jewish community about not being able to attend the first couple
of days of school, so she is inclined to support option A. Goldson explains she spoke to a
rabbi regarding this holiday. He spoke of his appreciation for giving staff Yom
Kippur as a holiday and that they were amenable to having one day for Rosh Hashanah,
which is why she accepted Williams’ friendly amendment.
Vote is taken on approval of
option B for school calendar.
No: Adams-Stafford, Ahmed
Yes: Boozer-Strother, Jackson,
Monteiro, Queen, Valentine, Williams, Miller
Abstain: Burroughs
Not present: Harris, Murray, Thomas
There is some confusion as to whether
this motion passed. Mr. Roger
Thomas explains that the Student Board Member’s vote counts, so 8 ayes are
needed. Goldson points out that this her recommendation. In that case, it would
take 2/3 vote to overturn her recommendation. Ahmed states point of order that
it does not mean motion passes. It just means the CEO’s recommendation stands
to accept Option B with Williams’ friendly amendment.
Motion to approve actions taken in
executive session, April 29, 2021, cannot be done at this time because they did
not complete the items in that session. The BOE then goes back into executive
session.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5JLL8XOQLs
The BOE reconvenes to approve
actions taken in executive session:
1. receive report from CEO
regarding administration of school system
2. discuss personnel matters
3. consult with legal counsel,
including State Board appeal and Open Meetings Act violation
4. discuss investigative
proceeding
Motion passes unanimously.