MINUTES OF THE MCCPTA DELEGATE ASSEMBLY
Tuesday, February 28,
2006 at the Carver Educational
(This summary includes motions and resolutions passed at the February meeting.)
Approval of Minutes:
The minutes from the January 24, 2006 Delegate Assembly were reviewed. The minutes stand approved as written.
Treasurer’s
Report:
The treasurer’s report was filed.
Business Items:
The
delegate from
Delegate Lechner’s Resolution
on IB Programs (and High Consortia):
Whereas “Self-Select/Self Succeed” admissions policies avoid potential
gate-keeping and bias problems and allow rigorous programs to be made open to
all students willing to meet prescribed entrance requirements and pursue the
more rigorous curriculum, and
Whereas
it appears that there are only about a quarter of the potential MCPS students
enrolled in the highly challenging curriculum of International Baccalaureate
(IB) programs, which utilize a standards based and world-wide recognized
curriculum in a challenging program for highly motivated and capable students
using a criterion referenced grading system, and
Whereas
there appears to be a definitive lack of more rigorous Fine Art and
Math/Computers/Science programs throughout the county as well as a lack of more
practical technical/Vocational programs in the upper county area,
Therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
1)
MCPS should target the creation of several additional IB programs at MCPS Highs
Schools in order to provide similar nearly-local access to all MCPS students,
2)MCPS
should create and maintain several additional and complementary programs that
focus on more rigorous Science/Computers/mathematics, advanced Fine Arts, and
more practical Technical/Vocational skills training, and that these programs
each be hosted in different High Schools,
3)MCPS
and MCCPTA should conduct a study into grouping al county High Schools into
Consortiums, possibly based on the quad-cluster grouping, in order to provide
High School students with access to the specialized programs within the
consortia High School,
4)the
programs should be “self-select/Self-Succeed” or “open enrollment” with
prescribed academic admission standards, in order to eliminate the potential
for bias in screening and selection processes, and no student shall be shut out
of attending their “home area High School” due to the consortia admissions
process,
5)The
creation of the additional programs should not significantly increase the
over-crowding at any of the High Schools, and the creation of the additional
programs should consider the ability of providing relief for future HS
over-crowding and avoiding the need to make difficult school boundary changes,
and
6)MCPS
should maintain the current Blair and planned Poolesville magnet HS programs,
with a focus on serving student that perform academically at levels that are
several standard deviations above the norm.
Delegate
Lechner read his proposed changes to the resolution
and offered them as an amendment:
Omit “avoid potential gate-keeping and bias problems”
in the first whereas
Number
3 should read, “…putting county High Schools into groups possibly based on
quad-clusters, in order to provide High School students with equal self-select
access to the specialized programs within the High Schools”
In
number 4 delete “consortia”
The
amendment was seconded and passed by a voice vote.
Chris
Barclay made a motion to take a vote on the resolution as amended. It was
seconded. It was passed by a standing vote of more than two thirds. The vote on the resolution as amended was taken. The
resolution failed by a standing vote.
Board of Director’s motion regarding candidates for
public office:
Chris
Barclay, nominating committee chair, made a motion to nominate
Discussion of action taken at the February 2, 2006 Board of Directors meeting that included a motion made and seconded that executive officers of the Board of Directors shall resign within a week of filing for candidacy for public office and that all members of the Board of Directors shall refrain from public speaking on behalf of MCCPTA within a week of filing for candidacy for public office. It was seconded. An amendment was made and seconded and passed by standing vote that instead of a week that they no longer speak on behalf of MCCPTA effective immediately upon filing for office. It was seconded. It passed by a voice vote. The question was called and passed on a standing vote.
Motion reads:
Executive
officers of the Board of Directors shall resign within a week of filing for
candidacy for public office and that all members of the Board of Directors
shall refrain from public speaking on behalf of MCCPTA immediately upon filing
for candidacy for public office. The motion was seconded.
A
delegate made a motion to allow a five minute time limit for discussion. It was
seconded and passed on a voice vote.
Victor
Salazar proposed an amendment to strike “executive officers” and replace it
with “any member of the Executive Committee of MCCPTA.” The motion was
seconded. It passed on a voice vote.
Sharon
St. Pierre made a motion to extend the discussion another five minutes. It was
seconded
and passed by a voice vote.
Jane
de Winter made an amendment that added, “If elected to a public office, a
member of the
MCCPTA
Board of Directors shall resign from the MCCPTA Board of Directors effective
immediately.” It was seconded. The amendment was passed by a standing vote.
The
motion as amended was passed by a standing vote.
The motion as amended now reads:
Any member of the Executive Committee of MCCPTA shall
resign within a week of filing for
candidacy
for public office and that all members of the Board of Directors of MCCPTA
shall refrain from public speaking on behalf of MCCPTA immediately upon filing
for candidacy for public office. If elected to a public office, a member of the
MCCPTA Board of Directors shall resign from the MCCPTA Board of Directors
effective immediately.
Rocky
A delegate made a motion to allow five minutes for
discussion. It was seconded and passed
by a voice vote.
Our
PTA proposes that the MCCPTA adopt the following resolution. This resolution is
the result of a parent recognizing a convicted sex offender contracted by a
construction company working at
Whereas,
MCPS is continually building, maintaining, modernizing, and expanding school
facilities,
Whereas,
such construction requires MCPS to use contractors and subcontractors not
affiliated with MCPS,
Whereas,
the above said contractors and subcontractors employ personnel at MCPS
facilities that come in direct or indirect contact with administrators, staff,
teachers, students, and community members,
Whereas,
MCPS requires criminal background checks be performed for all individuals employed
by the school system so as to protect its personnel and children from a variety
of risks, including threat of physical harm,
Whereas,
MCPS is risking the safety of its students and employees by allowing potential
convicted felons, including convicted sex offenders, to work as employees of
contractors performing services at the schools,
Be
it Resolved that all contractors, and their subcontractors, who engage in
contracts with MCPS must provide proof of state and federal criminal background
checks for any and all employees who work for them at MCPS facilities;
Be
it Further Resolved, that individuals found to have been convicted of sex
offenses and other violent offenses be prohibited from working in any capacity
at MCPS facilities; and
Be
it Further Resolved, that MCPS impose sanctions an any contractors who fail to
abide by any policies prohibiting the employment of sex offenders and other
violent offenders at MCPS facilities.
Suzanne
Weiss proposed a further resolve stating, “We further resolve that criminal
background checks of any compensated person who has contact with MCPS students
and staff, are required to be obtained, renewed, and reviewed at least every 24
months.” It was seconded. It passed by a
voice vote.
A
delegate made a motion to extend the time of discussion for five more minutes.
It was seconded and passed by a voice vote.
A
delegate made motion to amend the original resolution at the end to add the
phrase, “while students and staff or members of the
community are present” in the first resolve. It was seconded. It failed on a
voice vote after the question was called.
A
delegate called the question. A standing vote passed calling the question.
The
resolution as amended passed by a standing vote.
Andrea
Bernardo made a motion for MCCPTA to support Nancy King’s legislation House
Bill 531. It was seconded. It passed by a voice vote.
Curriculum Committee Resolution to Support Science and Social Studies in MCPS Elementary Schools:
A
delegate made a motion to allow five minutes for discussion of this resolution.
It was seconded
and passed by a voice vote.
Whereas,
social studies teaches the content knowledge, analytical skills and civic
values necessary for fulfilling the duties of citizenship in a participatory
democracy and it serves as a forum for all students to explore issues of
culture, identity, and diversity as a community,
Whereas,
science teaches the content knowledge and methods of inquiry necessary for
examining and understanding the world around us and participating in our
increasingly technology-based society and its economy,
Whereas,
both science and social studies motivate and engage students through
stimulating interest in the world around them, and provide a context for
acquiring a breadth of academic skill,
including creative problem-solving, comprehension of complex system, and
multi-dimensional thinking,
Whereas,
the federal No Child Left Behind legislation and regulations require that
studen6s be taught the full range of knowledge in all areas where a state has
standards, not just in mathematics, reading, and language arts,
Whereas,
the state of Maryland has developed standards for all students in science and
social studies, will start testing elementary and middle school students in
science in 2007 and will require students graduating in 2009 and later to pass
high school assessments in science, history, and civics,
Whereas,
subject area knowledge in science and social studies is necessary for the
application of skills in reading and mathematics and contributes to improving
achievement levels in those subjects,
Whereas,
parents and teachers in
Therefore
be it
Resolved,
the Board of Education and MCPS should require elementary schools to have
schedules that provide time every day devoted to social studies and science
instruction that is adequate to teach all state and county standards
effectively,
Resolved,
the Board of Education and MCPS should monitor and publicly report on time
allocated to social studies and science in elementary schools.
Resolved,
the Board of Education and MCPS should review and revise its entire elementary
curricula to pursue disciplined inquiry by improving integration across all
subjects and by incorporating more engaging and extended opportunities for
students in science and social studies
Resolved,
the Board of Education and MCPS should provide assistance that is adequate to
enable teachers to implement such curriculum revisions effectively.
Resolved,
the Board of Education and MCPS should ensure that school improvement plans
include attention to what the school needs to do to enable all students to meet
the county and state standards for science and social studies.
Resolved,
the Board of Education and MCPS should monitor and report progress toward
meeting county and state standards for science and social studies in elementary
schools.
A
delegate made a motion to propose an amendment to the resolution for the first
resolve that would delete the word “everyday” and add at the end of that first
resolve add “and MCPS should include guidelines for the minimum time necessary
to teach these subjects in their instructional guides.” It was seconded. It passed by a voice vote.
The
delegate from
The
resolution as amended passed by a standing vote.
Health:
A delegate made a motion to modify the language of the wellness policy letter to not make the physical education/activity comments specific to elementary schools. It was seconded and passed by a voice vote.
The
letter from the health committee as modified by the past amendment was approved
by a voice vote.