The Montgomery County Board of Education (Board) met on Tuesday, January 8, 2019, at Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville.  During the meeting, the Board discussed and adopted curriculum and instructional materials; discussed Board Policy JEE, Student Transfers; took tentative action on Policy KBA, Policy on Public Information; received a presentation and discussed the upcoming legislative session; and took action on previous new business items regarding class size review and a boundary assessment study in light of the revisions to Policy FAA, Educational Facilities Planning.

The agenda for the meeting, with links to related materials, can be viewed on the Board of Education website.

Curriculum and Instructional Materials

In accordance with Board Policy IFA, Curriculum, there was a review of English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics (Math) curriculum in Grades pre-K–8.  Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) contracted with Johns Hopkins Institute for Educational Policy (Johns Hopkins) in order to conduct a review of the written, taught, and learned aspects of Curriculum 2.0. 

In response to Johns Hopkins’ recommendations to the Board, a multistakeholder team was assembled to develop a Request for Proposal (RFP), to purchase externally created curricular and instructional materials for ELA and Mathematics curricular and instructional materials for elementary and middle school.  The RFP detailed requirements that emphasized meeting the needs of all learners in every classroom.  After an extensive review and a thorough evaluation of each proposal was conducted, involving community members and stakeholders across the district, the superintendent of schools proposed to the Board his recommendation to purchase the following curricular and instructional materials: 

• Grades prekindergarten through Grade 5 Mathematics: Eureka Math by Great Minds, LLC;
• Grades 6, 7, and 8 English Language Arts: StudySync by McGraw-Hill Education, Inc.; and
• Grades 6, 7, and 8 Mathematics: Illustrative Mathematics by LearnZillion, Inc.

At its January 8, 2019, meeting, after additional discussion with MCPS staff members, the Board approved the purchase of the recommended curricular and instructional materials and professional development.

Read the memorandum to the Board.

For additional information, visit: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/curriculum-review.aspx

Board Policies

Policy JEE, Student Transfers

On June 25, 2018, the Board approved a resolution requesting that the Board’s Policy Management Committee (Committee) review Board Policy JEE, Student Transfers, to ensure it is responsive to the needs of all students, especially the provisions that determine the nature of the hardships that qualify a student for a transfer. 

In response to the Committee’s review and recommendations, the Board discussed and considered the following topics, relative to Policy JEE:  The impact of school capacity on student transfer decisions; demographic characteristics of students requesting and receiving a Change of School Assignment (COSA); whether COSAs should be permitted to provide access to academic courses or programs; current policy provisions that permit continuation of transfers to specific middle or high schools based on students having attended an elementary or middle school in the feeder pattern; the idea of granting COSAs based on parent employment status with MCPS; and possible criteria for COSAs based on social-emotional, childcare, and medical issues.  Furthermore, staff noted that the Board would receive a future presentation (emanating from the Choice Study) that may inform discussions related to modifying Policy JEE.

Framing questions were provided to the Board to guide the discussion during the January 8 meeting.  By consensus, the Board agreed that the Committee would continue the discussion and review various options for the Board to consider at a later date.  Subsequent to a Board discussion on Choice, the Committee will bring the policy back to the full Board for a focused discussion regarding potential changes to the policy.

Read the Committee’s memorandum to the Board.

Tentative Action:  Policy KBA, Policy on Public Information

On October 23, 2018, the Board’s Policy Management Committee reviewed Policy KBA, Policy on Public Information.  During the review process, the Committee recommended revisions to set forth a vision for effective communication with members of the Montgomery County community across a variety of existing and emerging media and communication channels appropriate to the purposes, needs, opportunities, and obligations of the school district and the community.  After discussion of the proposed revisions, Board members took tentative action, voting to send the revised policy out for public comment for 30 days, along with information about the possibility of rescinding Policy KBB, Release of Data, with the adoption of Policy KBA.

Read the Committee’s memorandum to the Board and the recommended draft of Policy KBA.

Items of Legislation

The Board of Education Staff Assistant for Governmental Affairs and Community Outreach, Danielle Susskind, provided a brief summary on items of legislation that may come to the Board for discussion at a future date.  There were no specific bills presented.

Human Resources Appointment

The Board approved the following administrative appointment: 

Yolanda R. Allen, currently principal, Goshen Elementary School, as principal, Clarksburg Village Site #2 Elementary School.

Previous New Business Items

During the December 4, 2018, Board meeting, Board members proposed the following two resolutions for the Board’s consideration, which remained on the table until the January 8, 2019, meeting: 

Board Member Patricia O’Neill proposed a resolution regarding reviewing issues related to class size.   The Board engaged in further discussion and approved the revised resolution.

Resolution

Student Board Member Ananya Tadikonda proposed a boundary assessment study in light of the revisions to Policy FAA, Educational Facilities Planning.  During the discussion of the revised resolution, the following two amendments were proposed and the resolution was subsequently approved as amended:

• That “March 2020” be revised to “spring 2020” in the second resolution, to allow additional time for community feedback;
• That clarifying language be added to the first resolution to include additional language that the superintendent of schools should hire a consultant through the Request for Proposal process with approval from the Board.

Resolution

Facilities and School Construction

The Board approved a resolution allowing the president of the Board of Education and the superintendent of schools to accept the No Consideration Deed for 4.3 acres for the WMAL Bethesda property for use as a future school site for MCPS.

Recognitions

The Board approved the resolution declaring February 2019 as African American History Month.

The Board also approved the week of February 4–8, 2019 as National School Counseling Week.

Future Meetings

The Board of Education will hold its next regular business meeting on Tuesday, February 12, 2019.  Please check the Board of Education website and meeting calendar for further information. 

About the Board of Education
The Montgomery County Board of Education is the official educational policymaking body in the county. The Board is responsible for the direction and operation of the public school system. The Board consists of seven county residents elected by voters for a four-year term and a student elected by secondary school students for a one-year term. Board members are elected countywide but run at-large or from the Board district in which they reside.

Montgomery County Board of Education: Mrs. Shebra Evans, president; Mrs. Patricia O’Neill, vice president. Members: Ms. Jeanette E. Dixon, Dr. Judith Docca, Ms. Karla Silvestre, Mrs. Rebecca Smondrowski, Ms. Brenda Wolff, and Ms. Ananya Tadikonda, student member. Dr. Jack R. Smith, superintendent of schools and secretary-treasurer. Office of the Board: 240-740-3030.