Board of Education Discusses NCLB; Approves Study for B-CC Middle School

April 29, 2011

The Montgomery County Board of Education held its monthly evening meeting on Thursday, April 28, 2011 in the Board Meeting Room of the Carver Educational Services Center in Rockville. You can view the agenda for the meeting online and, in the near future, minutes and video of this meeting will also posted on the Board website. Below is a brief summary of the meeting:

Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

The Board held a wide-ranging discussion on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently known by the name No Child Left Behind (NCLB). President Barack Obama has called on Congress to take action on ESEA reauthorization before the start of the 2011–2012 school year. Several stakeholder groups have suggested if reauthorization cannot be completed by that time, legislation should be enacted to defer implementation of sanctions in the current bill. After the history of ESEA was reviewed, Board members discussed their views of what should be changed in the current version of the law. Read the Board briefing paper on ESEA.

Site Selection for New Bethesda-Chevy Chase Middle School

The Board selected a site to be studied for a second middle school in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster. A site selection advisory committee reviewed 10 sites in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase cluster for the new middle school. The Board selected the Rock Creek Hill Local Park, 3701 Saul Road in Kensington, as the site to be studied for the location of a new middle school. A feasibility study will be conducted to determine the scope and cost of the project. A new school would be considered for inclusion in the 2013-2018 Capital Improvements Program.

Administrative Appointments

The Board of Education approved the following administrative appointments, effective July 1:
- John W. Haas, currently acting principal, Silver Spring International Middle School, as principal, Silver Spring International Middle School
- Julie S. Hall, currently administrative assistant, Office of School Performance, as director, Division of Business, Fiscal, and Information Systems, Office of Special Education and Student Services
- Christopher S. Garran, currently principal, Walter Johnson High School, as community superintendent for the Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Walter Johnson, Wheaton, and Walt Whitman Clusters, Office of School Performance
- Karen Gregory, currently acting principal, Maryvale Elementary School, as principal, Maryvale Elementary School
- Sean P. McGee, currently acting principal, Damascus Elementary School, as principal, Damascus Elementary School
- Kelly Morris, currently acting principal, Somerset Elementary School, as principal, Somerset Elementary School
- R. Kevin Payne Jr., currently principal, Fallsmead Elementary School, as principal, Greencastle Elementary School
- Donna M. Sagona, currently acting principal, Laytonsville Elementary School, as principal, Laytonsville Elementary School
- Darryl L. Williams, currently principal, Montgomery Blair High School, as community superintendent for the Clarksburg, Damascus, Gaithersburg, Colonel Zadok Magruder, and Watkins Mill Clusters, Office of School Performance

Resolutions

The Board approved the following resolutions:
- The Board recognized May, 2011 as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in Montgomery County Public Schools. Read the Resolution
- The Board recognized May 2-6, 2011 as Teacher Appreciation Week. Read the Resolution

Other Business

During its meeting, the Board also:
- Officially accepted the modernization project at Carderock Springs Elementary School
- Awarded contracts for re-roofing projects at Beall Elementary School and Montgomery Knolls Elementary School.

About the Board of Education

Montgomery County Board of Education: Mr. Christopher S. Barclay, president; Ms. Shirley Brandman, vice president. Members: Ms. Laura Berthiaume, Dr. Judy Docca, Mr. Michael Durso, Mr. Phil Kauffman, Ms. Patricia O’Neill, and Mr. Alan Xie, 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.

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