The Montgomery County Board of Education (Board) met on Tuesday, March 12, 2019, at Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville.  During the meeting, the Board received an update and discussed the innovative schools program at Arcola and Roscoe R. Nix elementary schools; submitted names for consideration for Clarksburg Village Site #2 Elementary School; discussed positions on items of legislation; and approved preliminary plans for the John F. Kennedy High School and Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School addition projects.

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

Innovative Schools Program Update

Staff members provided the Board with an update regarding the implementation of the innovative schools program at Arcola and Roscoe R. Nix elementary schools, which extends their school years by 30 days with a calendar that begins on July 8, 2019, and continues through June 11, 2020. 

Discussion focused on the instructional program and professional development to be implemented with the innovative school year calendar.  Since last school year, leaders in the Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs have convened an Innovative School Calendar Planning and Implementation Team, which meets monthly to strategize, discuss, and recommend various parts of the project. Consisting of central services staff, as well as staff and parents/guardians from Arcola and Roscoe R. Nix elementary schools, the team spent the past eight months deciding on what an innovative instructional program would look like within the schools.   Staff members provided an overview of the team’s work, which included the vision of the program; what they would like to see in an innovative school that is aligned with that vision; and project-based learning and social emotional development using mindfulness.  Additional details about the program may be found in the memorandum to the Board.

Memoranda of Understanding between the Associations and MCPS for the Innovative School Year Calendar Initiative

Board members approved memoranda of understanding (MOU) between the Montgomery County Association of Administrators and Principals (MCAAP) and MCPS; the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) and MCPS; and the Service Employees International Union Local 500 (SEIU) and MCPS for the innovative school year calendar initiative.

Read the MOU for MCAAP.

Read the MOU for MCEA.

Read the MOU for SEIU.

Names for Consideration for Clarksburg Village Site #2 Elementary School

The deputy superintendent of school support and improvement advised the

Board that she has asked the newly designated principal of Clarksburg Village

Site #2 Elementary School to begin the process for recommending to the Board of Education a permanent name for the school.  Board members submitted the following four names to the principal for consideration by the school naming committee:  Mary McLeod Bethune, Harriet R. Tubman, Clarksburg Village, and Ida B. Wells.

Read the resolution.

Recommended Positions on Items of Legislation

The Board’s 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.  An overview of specific bills was presented, and Board members voted on recommended positions for each bill.

Read the memorandum to the Board.

Preliminary Plans Presentation for John F. Kennedy High School Addition Project

The Board approved the preliminary plans for the John F. Kennedy High School addition project. 

Read the resolution.

Preliminary Plans Presentation for Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School Addition/Facility Upgrade Project

The Board approved the preliminary plans for the Col. E. Brooke Lee Middle School Addition/Facility upgrade project. 

Read the resolution.

Recognitions

The Board approved the resolution declaring April 2019 as National Autism Awareness Month.

The Board also approved the week of April 21–27, 2019, as National Student Leadership Week.

The Board approved the resolution declaring April 2019 as Month of the Young Child.

Future Meetings

The Board of Education will hold its next regular business meeting on Monday, March 25, 2019, which will include facilities and boundaries decisions.  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.