Board of Education Meeting: June 8, 2010

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Full Agenda (PDF)

Approval of the Agenda; Recognition of Distinguished Hispanic Scholars; Leadership Montgomery—Youth Community Leadership Awards; The Gates Millennium Scholars Program Scholarship Recipients; Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators Scholarship Recipients; Recommendation to Approve the Agreement with the Montgomery County Education Association; Recommendation to Approve the Agreement with the Service Employees International Union Local 500

Recognition of Distinguished Hispanic Scholars: The Board congratulated the 23 recipients of this year’s Distinguished Hispanic Scholars Awards, selected by the Hispanic Employees Association of MCPS. The organization awarded scholarships totaling $4,350 to distinguished scholars with the highest grade point averages who are committed to exemplary community involvement. The students honored are:

• Sofía Vega-Ormeno from Northwest High School
• Isabelle Zeledón from Walt Whitman High School
• Sonia Matos from Wheaton High School
• César López from Winston Churchill High School
• Javier Vandeyar from Paint Branch High School
• María Escobar from James Hubert Blake High School
• Angelica Joya from Seneca Valley High School
• Vanessa Salgado from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
• Enid Acosta from Clarksburg High School
• Nicole Urps from Damascus High School
• Milton García from Albert Einstein High School
• Julia Navarro from Gaithersburg High School
• Irma Méndez from Walter Johnson High School
• Mileyni Alvarenga from John F. Kennedy High School
• Rodrigo Lozada from Col. Zadok Magruder High School
• Paola Aldana from Richard Montgomery High School
• Carlos Cuéllar-Castil from Poolesville High School
• Patricia García from Quince Orchard High School
• Gabriela Perla from Rockville High School
• Ariana Rodríguez-Gitler from Sherwood High School
• Michell Salinas from Springbrook High School
• Dennis Anaya-Granados from Watkins Mill High School
• Zohair Asmail from Thomas S. Wootton High School

Leadership Montgomery—Youth Community Leadership Awards: The Board congratulated this year’s Leadership Montgomery–Youth Community Leadership Award recipients for their outstanding demonstration of leadership in community service. The Board also expressed appreciation to Leadership Montgomery and to Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy and Ecker, P.A., for promoting and honoring youth leadership in community service. Students honored are:

• Natalie Astor—Thomas S. Wootton High School
• Unheh Ok—Thomas S. Wootton High School
• Philip Smith—Sherwood High School
• Jigisha Srivastav—Poolesville High School

The Gates Millennium Scholarship Program Scholarship Recipients: The Board congratulated the six MCPS Class of 2010 Gates Millennium Scholars. The awards amount to four-year scholarships funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Recipients are:

• · Leuk Mulugeta Woldeyohannes—Wheaton High School
• Cecilia Adriana Ramirez—Richard Montgomery High School
• Gabriela Monserrat Medina—Colonel Zadok Magruder High School
• Mehrit Tekeste—Montgomery Blair High School
• Hyun Min Park—Walter Johnson High School
• Sofia Milagros Vega-Ormeno—Northwest High School

Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators Scholarship Recipients: The Board congratulated the 25 recipients of this year’s Montgomery County Alliance of Black School Educators’ Distinguished African American Scholar Awards. The alliance promotes the academic, community service, and extracurricular achievements of some of MCPS’s most talented African American high school seniors. Students honored are:

• Serge Amouzou from Clarksburg High School Lammi Asrat from Springbrook High School Holland Broadus from James Hubert Blake High School Michelle Byamugisha from Poolesville High School Yasmin Dagne from Richard Montgomery High School Staci Daniels from Col. Zadok Magruder High School Sarah Demeke from Watkins Mill High School Sandrine Emambu from Montgomery Blair High School Samirna Esteve from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Yohannes Ghenbot from Northwest High School Serge Gould from Walt Whitman High School Laura Hopkins from Gaithersburg High School Quentin Jefferies from Winston Churchill High School Lauren Lee from Sherwood High School Jenay McNeil from Thomas S. Wootton High School Lukwesa Morin from Walter Johnson High School Grace Mutuku from Quince Orchard High School Sandra Okonofua from Paint Branch High School Joseph T. Smithey from John F. Kennedy High School Miriam Stevens from Albert Einstein High School Janelle Thomas from Northwood High School Selorm Quist from Seneca Valley High School Leuk Woldeyohannes from Wheaton High School Denzel Woode from Damascus High School Robel Yared from Rockville High School

Recommendation to Approve the Agreement with the Montgomery County Education Association: The Board approved an agreement with the Montgomery County Education Association for the period of July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2014, concerning salaries, wages, hours, and other working conditions. (See related news release.)

Recommendation to Approve the Agreement with the Service Employees International Union Local 500: The Board approved an agreement with the Service Employees International Union Local 500 for the period of July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2014, concerning salaries, wages, hours, and other working conditions. (See related news release.)

Public Comments

Board/Superintendent Comments

Final Adoption of the FY 2011 Operating Budget

The Board of Education approved the final FY 2011 Operating Budget of $2.1 million. The MCPS budget, as passed by the County Council, is about $160 million less than the Board of Education requested in February and is nearly $100 million lower than this year’s operating budget, a reduction of 4.4 percent. To meet the budget reductions, the Board of Education also approved budget cuts and cost savings for FY 2011, including an increase of the average class size by one student; the elimination of 444 positions and reductions to numerous instructional, school, and student service areas, including reduced funding for textbooks, fewer maintenance workers, and no after-school buses for elementary school activities. Central office funding also is being reduced by 6.5 million.

Read related news release

Consent Items

Approval of Contract with Pearson Education, Inc.: The Board approved a contract with Pearson to develop an integrated curriculum that will prepare elementary school students for a lifetime of learning. The integrated curriculum will be aligned to the new Common Core Standards and is based upon the successful and highly rigorous curriculum already implemented in MCPS. (See related news release.)

Human Resources

The Board approved the appointments of the following administrators:

• Jeffrey M. Martinez, currently consulting principal, Leadership Development Team, as director, Department of Recruitment and Staffing
• Marla R. Caplon, currently acting director, Division of Food and Nutrition Services, as director, Division of Food and Nutrition Services
• Myriam A. Rogers, currently principal intern, Montgomery Blair High School, as principal, Francis Scott Key Middle School
• Renee D. Stevens, currently principal intern, Potomac Elementary School, as principal, North Chevy Chase Elementary School
• Laura F. Evans, currently teacher, reading initiative, College Gardens Elementary School, as supervisor, Elementary Integrated Curriculum Team
• Niki T. Hazel, currently principal, Gaithersburg Elementary School, as supervisor, Elementary Integrated Curriculum Team
• Andrew W. Miller, currently acting supervisor, Innovative Professional Development Team, as supervisor, Pre-K–12 Student Online Learning and Online Professional Development
• A. Raymond Myrtle, currently principal, Highland Elementary School, as supervisor, Elementary Integrated Curriculum Team
• Victor B. Caroscio, currently acting coordinator, Bridge Plan for Academic Validation, as coordinator, Bridge Plan for Academic Validation

Retirees: The Board passed a resolution expressing appreciation to the more than 550 individuals who are retiring or have retired from Montgomery County Public Schools this year. The Board expressed appreciation to each person for their dedication to the education to the children of the county and their contribution to the school system.

Monthly Financial Report

Preliminary Plans for Glenallan ES Modernization Project

The Board approved the architectural preliminary plans report for the Glenallan Elementary School modernization project.

Charter Schools Application Recommendations

The Board voted not to approve two applications to open charter schools in Montgomery County. Applications received for Global Garden, a proposed Grade K–8 International Baccalaureate school, and Crossways Community Montessori, a proposed Grade K–6 Montessori school with wraparound services, were reviewed extensively by a panel consisting of internal and external representatives.

Board of Education Items

Appointment to the Collaboration Board for Career and Technology Education The Board appointed the following individuals to one-year terms on the Montgomery County Collaboration Board for Career and Technology Education:

• Arts, Humanities, Media, and Communications - Joseph Malouf
• Biosciences, Health Science, and Medicine - Lisa McDonald
• Business Management and Finance - Beth Berk and Miara A. Rasamoelina
• Construction and Development - Mark Drury
• Education, Training, and Child Studies - Stewart Edelstein
• Engineering, Scientific Research, and Manufacturing Technologies - Nafiz Karabudack and Sanj Malushte
• Environmental, Agricultural, and Natural Resources - Marie Rojas
• Human and Consumer Services, Hospitality, and Tourism - Andy Chaves
• Information Technologies - Dalila Bonilla Wortman
• Law, Government, Public Safety, and Administration - Wanda Martinez
• Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics - Harold Redden
• MCPS student member - Molly Long
• MC student member - Adam Shirazi

Thomas DeGonia will continue as president of the Montgomery County Collaboration Board for Career and Technology Education for a term due to expire June 30, 2011. Appointees are named jointly with the Board of Trustees of Montgomery College.

Appointment to the Ethics Panel: Arielle Grill was appointed to serve a three-year term on the Ethics Panel. The panel was established by the Board of Education in 1984.

Student Appointments to the Citizens Advisory Committee: Two students were appointed to one-year terms on the Citizens Advisory Committee on Family Life and Human Development. The students are Lucia Campos and David Oganesyan.

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