The Montgomery County Board of Education met on Monday, February 22, and, among other items, discussed and approved summer school fees for Fiscal Year 2011 and recognized educators who earned National Board Certification in 2009. The Board also held a work session on boundary recommendations and an elementary school satellite location, and passed a resolution in honor of Women’s History Month.

FY 2011 Summer School Fees
In light of the difficult economic times faced by many families, the Board of Education voted to maintain all full and reduced summer school fees at the same level as FY 2010, with no increases. The Summer School Revenue-based Program full fees remain at $335 for elementary courses, $300 for high school core courses, and $310 for high school non-core courses, including student online learning. Reduced fees will remain at $85 or $120, depending on family income.

“Given the tough financial times for our students’ families, we felt it was important to not increase fees for summer school classes if at all possible,” said Board Vice President Christopher Barclay.

Recognition of Educators Who Earned Certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 2009
The Board passed a resolution honoring 86 MCPS educators for completing the certification process of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and receiving National Board Certification in 2009. This brings the total number of MCPS teachers who have earned National Board Certification to 529. National Board certification was recently recognized by the National Research Council as having a positive impact on student achievement, teacher retention, and professional development. The skills, competencies, and rigor of the National Board’s core propositions are the foundation for the Teachers Professional Growth System Facilities work.

Session on Boundary Recommendations and Oakland Terrace Elementary School Plan
The Board held a work session, including a staff presentation and Board review, of the superintendent’s recommendations for three studies that were conducted over the winter:

§ A recommendation for a new middle school assignment for Lois P. Rockwell Elementary School.
§ A recommendation for a new elementary school assignment for the western portion of the Bethesda Elementary School service area.
§ A recommendation to establish a satellite location for Oakland Terrace Elementary School kindergarten students at Sligo Middle School for the 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 school years.

“Thank you to staff and to the community members involved for all of their hard work on these boundaries and facilities issues,” said Board President Patricia O’Neill.

A public hearing will be held on these recommendations on March 3 at 7 p.m., and final decisions will be made at the all-day board meeting on Tuesday, March 9.

Women’s History Month
The Board passed a resolution recognizing the month of March as Women’s History Month. The National Women’s History Project has selected the theme, “Writing Women Back into History,” to commemorate women’s History Month in 2010. The Board and the superintendent of schools urged schools and staff members to observe the month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to honor the history, accomplishments, and contributions of American women and the school system’s female parents, students, and staff members.

Items of Legislation
The Board discussed and took positions on a range of proposed state legislation that would affect Montgomery County Public Schools. Areas of proposed legislation included construction/maintenance, human resources, reporting, transportation, and student athletics, curriculum, and health.

Power Loss
About 20 minutes into the Board of Education meeting, power was lost in the Carver Educational Services Center where the meeting was held. A generator allowed the meeting to continue, but the live feed to TV and the Internet was lost, and the meeting could not be video recorded for our archives. However, minutes were taken of the meeting and will be on file upon completion.


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Montgomery County Board of Education: Mrs. Patricia O’Neill, president; Mr. Christopher Barclay, vice president. Members:, Ms. Shirley Brandman, Ms. Laura Berthiaume, Dr. Judy Docca, Mr. Michael Durso, Mr. Phil Kauffman, and Mr. Timothy Hwang, student member. Dr. Jerry D. Weast, superintendent and secretary-treasurer. Office of the Board: 301-279-3617. 
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.