[00:00:01]
          BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE DOWN THE STREET, AS YOU SAID. YEAH. SO LIKE. ALL RIGHT Y'ALL, WE GOOD. 
          [1. Call to Order - 5:30 p.m.]
THE TIME IS NOW. 531 AND THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER. I AM BRANDON JACKSON, CHAIRMAN. GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE MARCH 27TH, 2025, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION BUSINESS MEETING. MISS BARTON, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. 
          GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. DOCTOR. ANDREW. MISS. PRESENT. MR. BRIGGS. PRESENT. MISS BROWN. 
          MISS GOINS MCCANTS. PRESENT. MR. JANGO. PRESENT. DOCTOR. MOSS. PRESENT. MISS WALKER. PRESENT. 
          MR. JACKSON. PRESENT. WE HAVE. SEVEN IN THE. WE HAVE SEVEN PRESENT. THANK YOU. A QUORUM IS 
          [2. Reading of the Closing Statement]
PRESENT. THIS MEETING WILL BE CLOSED UNDER THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONS FROM GENERAL PROVISION ARTICLE THREE 305 B12789 12. WE WILL DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING MATTERS. INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL AUDIT REPORTS. BECAUSE DISCUSSING PERSONAL INFORMATION IN A PUBLIC SETTING COULD LEAD TO FINANCIAL LOSSES, REPUTATIONAL DAMAGE OR LEGAL ACTION. LEGAL MATTERS BECAUSE DISCUSSING PENDING LITIGATION IN PUBLIC MAY IMPACT ONGOING LEGAL ISSUES TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE DISTRICT. PERSONAL APPOINTMENTS AND STAFFING. BECAUSE PUBLICLY DISCLOSING APPLICANTS PERSONAL INFORMATION WILL NOT PROTECT THEIR IDENTITIES AND COULD DISCOURAGE CANDIDATES FROM APPLYING. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT UPDATES. BECAUSE PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF THE AGREEMENT TERMS BEFORE THEY ARE FINALIZED MAY RESULT IN LAWSUITS AND FINANCIAL FINES. THIS STATEMENT WAS READ BY BRANDON JACKSON, CHAIRMAN OF THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION. THE QUESTION IS, SHALL THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION CLOSE THE MARCH 27TH, 2025, MEETING? ANY DISCUSSION? MISS BARTON, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. DOCTOR. I MISS A. 
          MR. BRIGGS. I. MISS BROWN. I. MISS GOINS MCCANTS. I. MR. JOHN. GO. I DOCTOR MOSS. I. MISS WALKER. I. MR. JACKSON. I. WE HAVE NINE IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THE MOTION TO CLOSE THE MARCH 27TH, 2025. PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING IS ADOPTED. BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE PROCEED TO THE EXEC THE TIME IS NOW. 704. GOOD 
          [5. Call to Order - 7:00 p.m.]
EVENING, AND WELCOME TO THE MARCH 27TH, 2025, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING. I AM BRANDON JACKSON, THE CHAIRMAN. TO HEAR THE MEETING INTERPRETED LIVE IN SPANISH, PLEASE CALL (508) 924-5155. AGAIN, THAT'S (508) 924-5155. PLEASE FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION ON THE SCREEN TO HEAR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IN SPANISH. TELEFONICA SIMULTANEA DISPONIBLES PARA LAS PERSONAS ESCUCHAR LA REUNION DE LA JUNTA EN ESPANOL. ESCUCHAR LA REUNION EN ESPANOL. 90 CUATRO CINCO CINCO CINCO. WE HAD TO PLAY THE SPANISH VIDEO. GO AHEAD. 
          UNA LINEA TELEFONICA SIMULTANEA DISPONIBLE PARA LAS PERSONAS DECIAN ESCUCHAR LA REUNION DE LA JUNTA EN ESPANOL. SI ESCUCHAR LA REUNION EN ESPANOL 089 70. CUATRO CINCO DE CINCO. THANK YOU. LASTLY, FOR COURT RECORDING PURPOSES, THE CHAIRMAN REMINDS ALL BOARD MEMBERS TO ENSURE THAT THEIR MICROPHONES ARE TURNED ON WHEN SPEAKING. DOCTOR MOSS, PLEASE LEAD US IN BOARD PRAYER. 
          OH, GOD. WE PRAY TO ADMINISTER THAT WHICH IS JUST IN ALL EDUCATIONAL POLICIES. BEING EVER MINDFUL OF YOUR GUIDANCE STEER US TO ACTION WITH LOVE, WISDOM, AND UNDERSTANDING. AMEN. AMEN. 
          PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF 
          [00:05:07]
AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. MISS BARTON, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. 
          DOCTOR. PRESENT. MISS STROTHER. PRESENT, MR. BRIGGS. PRESENT, MRS. BROWN. PRESENT. MISS GOINS MCCANTS. PRESENT, MR. DJANGO. PRESENT. DOCTOR. MOSS. PRESENT. MISS WALKER. PRESENT. MR. JACKSON. HERE WE HAVE NINE PRESENT. THANK YOU. A QUORUM IS PRESENT. IF THERE IS NO 
          [7. Adoption of Agenda]
OBJECTION, THE MARCH 2027. EXCUSE ME IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION. MARCH 27TH, 2025 MEETING AGENDA WILL BE ADOPTED, AS AMENDED. ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MARCH 13TH, 
          [8. Approval of Minutes]
2025 WORK SESSION? MEETING MINUTES. THERE BEING NO CORRECTION, THE MEETING MINUTES 
          [9. NewsBreak]
ARE APPROVED. THE CHAIRMAN RECOGNIZES SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE FOR THE PGC SPOTLIGHT. THANK YOU, CHAIR JACKSON. I'D LIKE FOR EVERYONE TO MOVE THEIR ATTENTION TO THE SCREEN. WE'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT OUR MOST RECENT LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY DAY, SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED AROUND STUDENT LEARNING. SO AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND ROLL THE FOOTAGE. SO WHEN WE COME TOGETHER AND WE LOCK ARMS AS FOLKS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO EQUITY AND FAIRNESS, WHILE IMPASSIONED SPEECHES OUTSIDE MARYLAND STATE HOUSE DO GET THE ATTENTION OF LEGISLATORS, SO TOO DO THE PERSUASIVE VOICES OF INFLUENCERS INSIDE THE HOUSE. AND TO PROVE IT. 50 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SPENT WHAT THEY CALLED AN ADVOCACY DAY TALKING TO THEIR SENATORS AND DELEGATES, WITH THE HOPE THAT THEIR CONCERNS FOR THEIR SCHOOLS WOULD PERSUADE THEIR REPRESENTATIVES TO INCREASE WHAT IS SORELY NEEDED FUNDING. WELL, THE WHOLE POINT OF US BEING HERE IS FOR OUR VOICES TO BE HEARD. AND IF WE WEREN'T HERE AT ALL, THEN WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FIGHT TO GET OUR BUDGET RAISED. AND THE WHOLE PART OF OUR SCHOOL AND WHAT OUR TEACHERS ARE TEACHING US IS WE NEED TO BE CONFIDENT, AND WE NEED OUR VOICES TO BE HEARD SO WE CAN MAKE A CHANGE IN THIS WORLD. SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OUR STUDENTS UNDERSTAND HOW OUR BUDGET FLOWS TO OUR COUNTY, AND HOW ULTIMATELY WE'RE ABLE TO DO THINGS LIKE BUILDING NEW SCHOOLS. WITH THE PARTNERSHIP OF OUR LEGISLATORS. AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED FOR THEM TO BE HERE. WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO LIFT THEIR VOICE, TO HAVE THEM ASK QUESTIONS, AND ALSO PUT OUT A CALL TO ACTION AND SAY, WE WANT YOU TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR LEGISLATORS. WE WANT YOU TO ASK QUESTIONS. WE WANT YOU TO SCHEDULE MEETINGS. WE WANT YOU TO WRITE LETTERS, AND WE WANT YOU TO CALL THEM. BUILD THE RELATIONSHIPS SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE EXPERIENCE IS LIKE FOR STUDENTS. DO YOU GUYS DISTRIBUTE MONEY TO THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE NOW TAKING THOSE EXTRA STUDENTS IN THAT WEREN'T ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR BECAUSE OF THE RECONSTRUCTION, OR DO YOU HAVE TO REPORT THAT TO SOMEBODY ELSE SO THAT THEY CAN DISTRIBUTE MONEY FOR THOSE STUDENTS THAT ARE NOW INCOMING? THE EXTRA STUDENTS THAT ARE NOT COMING TO THOSE SCHOOLS? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION. EXCELLENT QUESTION. YEAH. EXCELLENT QUESTION. SO WHEN A NEW SCHOOL IS BEING BUILT OR SERIOUS RENOVATIONS ARE BEING DONE, OFTENTIMES STUDENTS SWING WE CALL IT, THEY SWING OVER TO ANOTHER BUILDING BECAUSE OF INFLATION AND CURRENT TARIFFS, THE COST OF MATERIALS FOR REPAIRING OUTDATED SCHOOLS IS SOARING. SO TOO ARE THE PRICES FOR STEEL AND LUMBER, FOR CONSTRUCTING NEW SCHOOLS. WITH SUCH DAUNTING PROBLEMS, CAN THE VOICES OF STUDENTS REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE? IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS AND PHYSICALLY BEING HERE, BEING ABLE TO PUT A FACE TO A NAME I THINK IS SO IMPORTANT. IT GIVES IT THAT PERSONAL TOUCH THAT SOMETIMES WE MIGHT NOT ALWAYS GET WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT POLICY ISSUES OR DIFFERENT BUDGETARY MATTERS. AND SO THEM BEING HERE, TALKING ABOUT HOW THE FUNDING IS IMPACTFUL FOR THEM PERSONALLY IS SUPER IMPORTANT. I THINK WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED SO FAR TODAY IS THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO ADVOCATE, WHETHER IT'S HERE DURING THESE 90 DAYS OR, YOU KNOW, THE ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, TEN, NINE, TEN MONTHS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR WHERE THEY CAN COME TO BOARD MEETINGS, WHERE THEY CAN GO TO COUNCIL MEETINGS, WHERE THEY CAN GO TO IAC MEETINGS, WHERE THEY CAN WRITE FOLKS IN THE LEGISLATURE, DELEGATES, SENATORS TO VOICE 
          [00:10:04]
THEIR CONCERNS. AS FOR THE STUDENTS WHO WERE RECOGNIZED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE AND WILDLY APPLAUDED BY THE MEMBERS DOWN BELOW, THE DAY WAS A BIG HIT AS THEIR ADVOCACY HIT HOME. 
          I'M PART OF STUDENT GOVERNMENT. I'M PART OF MOCK TRIAL. AND, YOU KNOW, SO THIS JUST FITS IN. 
          YEAH, THIS FITS IN. ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. ARE YOU HAVING A GOOD TIME? I AM HAVING A GOOD TIME JUST LISTENING TO ALL THE DELEGATES, ALL THE REPRESENTATIVES THAT SUPPORT US. 
          STUDENTS HERE TONIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU. SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE AND THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM FOR THE PRESENTATION. MOVING ON TO COMMUNITY. SHOUT OUT THE BOARD CHAIR RECOGNIZES DOCTOR FELTON MORSE FOR THE COMMUNITY. SHOUT OUT. THANK YOU, CHAIR JACKSON FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. TONIGHT. I HAVE THE WONDERFUL AND AMAZING PRIVILEGE TO RECOGNIZE THE GENTLEMAN FROM THE SEVENTH DISTRICT WHO ATTENDS BENJAMIN STODDERT MIDDLE SCHOOL. I LEARNED ABOUT THIS GENTLEMAN FROM MISS MONICA MILLER, WHO IS ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATORS OVER AT BENJAMIN STODDARD MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND OVERWHELMING BUT POWERFUL STORY. MISTER JOHN PRITCHETT IS AN EIGHTH GRADE STUDENT AT BENJAMIN STODDERT. HE'S BEEN DEDICATED TO BOXING SINCE THE AGE OF SIX. BUT IF YOU READ THE NEWS ARTICLE THAT MONICA MILLER SHARED WITH ME, YOU'LL FIND THAT AN UNFORTUNATE SITUATION INCREASED HIS MOTIVATION. THE DEATH OF HIS BROTHER, WHO ALSO WAS A BOXER. 
          BUT WHAT IS SO POWERFUL ABOUT THIS YOUNG MAN IS THAT HE IS NOW A THREE TIME USA BOXING CHAMPION. HE'S RANKED NUMBER ONE IN THE COUNTRY AND THE 2024 GOLDEN GLOVES CHAMPION. IN ADDITION TO HIS SUCCESSES IN TERMS OF BOXING AND IN THE RING, HE IS ALSO A TALENTED BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYER. SO AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO ASK MISTER JOHN PRITCHETT, HIS FAMILY AND PRINCIPAL MORGAN FROM BENJAMIN STODDARD MIDDLE SCHOOL TO PLEASE COME DOWN AND ANYONE ELSE THAT CAME FROM BENJAMIN STODDARD. AND I THINK HE BROUGHT SOME RECEIPTS WITH HIM. 
          SO. 
          [10. Report of the Chair]
THANK YOU. NOW, TIME FOR THE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT. MARCH IS CELEBRATED AS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, A TIME TO HONOR AND RECOGNIZE THE ACHIEVEMENTS, CONTRIBUTIONS, AND IMPACT OF WOMEN THROUGHOUT HISTORY. IT IS NOT ONLY A TIME TO HIGHLIGHT THE TRAILBLAZERS WHO BROKE BARRIERS, BUT A TIME TO CELEBRATE THE EVERYDAY WOMEN WHOSE WORK AND RESILIENCE CONTINUE TO INSPIRE FUTURE GENERATIONS. TO ALL THE LADIES HERE TONIGHT, YOU PROBABLY NOTICED THE FLOWERS ON YOUR SEATS WHEN YOU ARRIVED, AND YOU PROBABLY WONDERED WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT. THIS IS THE BOARD, THE GENTLEMEN OF THE BOARD'S WAY OF SAYING THANK YOU AND EXPRESSING GRATITUDE FOR THE ESSENTIAL ROLE YOU PLAY IN SHAPING A BETTER WORLD FOR PJC. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALSO, AT THIS 
          [00:15:15]
TIME, THE CHAIRMAN WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, IN HONOR A FEW INDIVIDUALS. I WILL SHARE THEIR STORIES. AND AFTERWARD THE BOARD WILL GATHER FOR PHOTOS. THE FIRST PERSON I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE IS MISS EGYPT MIDDLETON. MISS MIDDLETON, A DEDICATED SCHOOL NURSE AT KETTERING MIDDLE SCHOOL. SHOUT OUT TO DISTRICT SIX, HAS BEEN NAMED MARYLAND'S 2025 SCHOOL NURSE OF THE YEAR BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NURSES. WE GOING WE GOING TO WAIT TILL WE LIST. ALL OF THEM ARE TOGETHER. YEAH, IT'S ALL GOOD. IT'S ALL GOOD. SHE'S A STAR, SO WE HAVE TO GET TO HER FIRST, I UNDERSTAND. WHERE WAS I? YEAH. WITH 21 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS A REGISTERED NURSE, INCLUDING TWO YEARS WITH PGC, A NURSE, MIDDLETON HAS SHOWN AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO STUDENT HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. SHE PROVIDES EXCEPTIONAL CARE, HEALTH, EDUCATION AND CRISIS RESPONSE, PLAYING A VITAL ROLE IN FOSTERING A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. THROUGH HER PROFESSIONALISM, COMPASSION AND DEDICATION, SHE HAS MADE A LASTING IMPACT ON COUNTLESS STUDENTS AND STAFF WITHIN THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY. 
          SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE, DID YOU WANT TO SHARE ANY WORDS? WE WERE EXCITED TO SHARE. JACKSON AND I GO OUT TO HER SCHOOL AND SURPRISE HER. SHE DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE COMING. CHAIR JACKSON HAD FLOWERS, I HAD BALLOONS. YOU'RE WELL-DESERVED. WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING CARE OF OUR BABIES IN THE MANNER THAT YOU DO. IT'S DEARLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO I WANT YOU TO SIT TIGHT FOR A MINUTE BECAUSE WE HAVE ANOTHER DISTINGUISHED PERSON WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE, MR. WAYNE HILL, COULD YOU COME UP HERE, PLEASE? THIS. THIS MIGHT HAVE CAUGHT HIM BY SURPRISE. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY TOLD YOU ABOUT IT. SORRY TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU GUYS ABOUT MR. HILL. 
          SO MR. HILL BEGAN HIS CAREER WITH PGC IN 1994 AS AN AUTO SERVICE ATTENDANT AT THE CENTRAL GARAGE. OVER THE YEARS, HE'S ADVANCED THROUGH SEVERAL ROLES, SHOWCASING HIS EXPERTISE AND DEDICATION. HE SERVED AS AN AUTOMOTIVE TRADES HELPER, AUTOMOTIVE MECHANIC, ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN, AND MANY, MANY MORE, ULTIMATELY CONCLUDING HIS CAREER AS A LEAD ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN. SINCE 2005, MR. HILL HAS ALSO PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN SUPPORTING THE BOARD AND ITS MEETINGS, ENSURING SMOOTH OPERATIONS AND SUCCESS. NOW, AFTER A 31 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE, HE IS BIDDING FOR FAREWELL. MR. HILL, WE SINCERELY THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT AND CONTRIBUTIONS OVER THE YEARS AND WISH YOU A JOYFUL AND WELL-DESERVED RETIREMENT. 
          NO PROBLEM, NO PROBLEM BOSS, WE GOT A LOT OF STARS AND STARS IN HERE TONIGHT. ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE. SOMEONE ELSE THAT'S SPECIAL TO THE BOARD. MISS JANICE WALTER SEMPLE. 
          THIS MAY COME AS A SURPRISE TO HER, TOO. WE'VE BEEN CATCHING PEOPLE OFF GUARD TODAY. SORRY ABOUT THAT, MISS SEMPLE. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START. WE JUST APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH, MISS SEMPLE. WE CANNOT FULLY EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE FOR EMPLOYEES WHO STEP UP AND TAKE ON MULTIPLE ROLES TO SUPPORT OUR ORGANIZATION. FOR THE PAST NINE MONTHS, MISS SEMPLE HAS SERVED AS THE INTERIM DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL AUDIT DEPARTMENT, SEAMLESSLY BALANCING NUMEROUS RESPONSIBILITIES, HER HARD WORK AND DEDICATION AND LEADERSHIP HAVE BEEN ESSENTIAL IN 
          [00:20:03]
MAINTAINING THE DEPARTMENT'S SMOOTH OPERATIONS. WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE HER COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE AND HER ABILITY TO UPHOLD THE DEPARTMENT'S HIGH STANDARDS DURING THIS TRANSITION. THANK YOU, MISS SEMPLE, AND TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN ON MULTIPLE ROLES TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF OUR OFFICES, YOUR INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS AND UNWAVERING SUPPORT DO NOT GO UNNOTICED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL OF THE YEAR. IMMA DO IT REAL GOOD. 
          AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE ONE LAST INDIVIDUAL MOST RECENTLY AND THIS IS ANOTHER BIG ONE. MISS VICTORIA JACKSON WAS NAMED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR OF THE YEAR FOR THE STATE OF MARYLAND. SHE'S A COUNSELOR AT ANDREW JACKSON. IF YOU WOULD COME UP AND JOIN US AT THIS TIME, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO SHOW YOU LOVE AS WELL. LOLITA, LOLITA, THAT'S DISTRICT NINE. ANDREW JACKSON. NO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD HAVE BEEN ALL THE WAY OUT THERE. 
          EXCELLENT. SO, SO PGK HAS THE COUNSELOR OF THE YEAR AND THE NURSE OF THE YEAR. LET'S GO. 
          CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. COUNSELOR. 
          ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE. SO WE. SO CONGRATS AGAIN. CONGRATULATIONS. 
          OH. OKAY. NOW, ON A MORE SOMBER NOTE, AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE AS WE HONOR THE MEMORY OF THE FOLLOWING PGC STAFF, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. REUBEN ALEXANDER, MEHAR URBINA, STUDENT AT LAUREL HIGH SCHOOL. TROY WILLARD, TEACHER AT LEGENDS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL. DORA TO TAKIPO, TEACHER AT CARROLLTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. BONNIE BARNWELL, PARAPROFESSIONAL AT FAIRMONT HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL. DANIELLE J. STEVENSON CLEANER BUILDING SERVICES. GLENARDEN WOODS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. JAMES W H. SPRINGS JUNIOR CLEANER AT BUILDING SERVICES ELEANOR ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOL. THANK YOU. NOW MOVING ON TO ANNOUNCEMENTS. THE BOARD INFORMS THE PUBLIC OF THE FOLLOWING UPCOMING MEETINGS. PLEASE TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SCREEN FOR THE LIST OF MEETINGS. OKAY. THANK YOU. PLEASE CONTINUE TO CHECK THE BOARD WEB PAGE FOR UPDATES AND MORE INFORMATION. NOW, IN THE SECTION THAT WE'VE 
          [11. Public Comment]
ALL BEEN WAITING ON TONIGHT. PUBLIC COMMENT. THE CHAIR I KNOW WE CAN CLAP IT UP, MAN. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. CLAP IT UP. SO I WANT TO SEE EVERYBODY HERE FOR OUR NEXT MEETING TO. 
          ALRIGHT. THE CHAIRMAN RECOGNIZES THE REGISTERED SPEAKERS FOR THEIR PUBLIC COMMENT. SO REGISTERED SPEAKERS HAVE THREE MINUTES TO MAKE THEIR PRESENTATIONS AND MAY NOT RELINQUISH ANY PART OF THEIR SPEAKING TIME. THE BOARD WILL RECOGNIZE YOUR COMMENTS BUT WILL NOT ADDRESS THEM. SPEAKERS MAY NOT ADDRESS INDIVIDUALS OR ISSUE PROFANITY OR DEROGATORY TERMS. 
          [00:25:04]
YOU WILL BE WORN ONCE. IF YOU CONTINUE, YOUR COMMENTS WILL BE MUTED AND YOU MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE MEETING. SPEAKERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO USE THE TITLES RATHER THAN NAMES. FOR EXAMPLE, CHAIR, BOARD MEMBER, SUPERINTENDENT, PRINCIPAL, ETC. THEY ARE 15. LIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS TONIGHT. OUR FIRST PUBLIC SPEAKER IS JENNIFER EPPS. INDIVIDUAL ON THE BUDGET. OKAY. 
          MOVING ALONG. AND FORGIVE ME IF I PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME WRONG. ASHISH BHADELIA CHESAPEAKE LIGHTHOUSE FOUNDATION STEM. THANK YOU. SO BEFORE I START, I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GOING TO LEAD OFF, SO I THINK I'LL TAKE A SECOND BEFORE I GET INTO ANYTHING SPEECH WISE TO RECOGNIZE ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, PARENTS WHO TOOK TIME OUT TONIGHT TO BE WITH US. SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE STAND. THANK YOU GUYS. GOOD EVENING BOARD. MY NAME IS ASHISH VADALA. I'M THE I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT I'M A PRODUCT OF PG COUNTY SCHOOLS. SO I GREW UP IN LAUREL, WENT TO THE LAUREL FEEDER SYSTEM AND GRADUATED FROM LAUREL HIGH SCHOOL. TOP OF MY CLASS, NOT BRAGGING. SO I GREW UP IN THE SAME SYSTEM A LOT OF US DID, WALKED THE SAME HALLS AND WENT TO THE SAME CLASSROOMS AND DID THE SAME THINGS. SOME OF THOSE THINGS, THOUGH, UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME, WERE NOT STEM RELATED AT THE TIME. WHEN I WENT TO SCHOOL, I WAS PASSIONATE IN STEM, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE THOSE OPTIONS. SO WHAT DID I DO? I WENT INTO THE FIELD, GRADUATED WITH A CHEMISTRY DEGREE AND THEN A TEACHING DEGREE, AND THEN A MASTER'S IN TEACHING, BECAME A TEACHER, AND NOW I HAVE A PRIVILEGE OF SERVING AS THE STEM PROGRAMS MANAGER AT CHESAPEAKE LIGHTHOUSE FOUNDATION, THE LARGEST CHARTER OPERATOR IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND. WHY DO I WAKE UP EVERY MORNING? BECAUSE I HAVE A SINGLE MISSION. MAKE SURE THAT NO ONE ELSE HAS TO DO WHAT I HAD TO DO. LOVE SCIENCE, BUT NOT HAVE AN OPTION. SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY. PG COUNTY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL. SEE MIT NORTH AND SOUTH HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THE MISSION OF MINE TO SPREAD STEM. THEY ARE SOME OF THE TOP PERFORMING SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT, AND THEY SERVE THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES WHO CHOSE THEM FOR THAT REASON. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THAT MAY BE IN JEOPARDY. REASON WHY? IF THE COUNTY DECIDES TO IMPOSE POSSIBLE SPECIAL EDUCATION OVERAGES DEDUCTIONS FROM CHARTER SCHOOLS, THEY COULD BE SAVING THEMSELVES MONEY AS A DISTRICT LESS THAN HALF A PERCENT OF THEIR BUDGET. BUT AT WHAT COST? THESE STUDENTS AND THEIR SCHOOL, IS THAT HALF A PERCENT WORTH IT? PLEASE DON'T LET SOME FINANCIAL SHIFTS UNDO THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE IN THE COUNTY AND IN OUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. NEXT UP, MISS BEVERLY DONOVAN. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DOCTOR BELLEVUE DONOVAN. I'M SPEAKING TODAY AS AN EDUCATOR, A CURRENT CHARTER SCHOOL OPERATOR EXECUTIVE, AND A PROUD MOTHER OF THREE CHILDREN WHO ATTENDED TWO PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS HERE IN THE COUNTY. I HAVE DEDICATED MUCH OF MY LIFE TO EDUCATION IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, WORKING TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH THE BEST POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITIES TO SUCCEED. AND IT'S IN THAT SPIRIT OF SERVICE THAT I COME BEFORE YOU TODAY TO ADVOCATE FOR FAIR FUNDING FOR OUR PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS. PBS, CHARTER SCHOOLS, RPGS, PUBLIC SCHOOLS. YET THE FUNDING FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS OFTEN DOESN'T REFLECT THIS SIMPLE TRUTH. UNDER THE MARYLAND BLUEPRINT FOR EDUCATION, WHICH COMPENSATES SCHOOLS BASED ON DEMOGRAPHICS. CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE LIMITED TO RECEIVE AT LEAST 75% OF THE BLUEPRINT FUNDING ALLOCATED TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT. WHILE THIS FUNDING IS GUARANTEED, OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS FACE UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES, PARTICULARLY REGARDING THE DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP OF OUR STUDENTS. UNLIKE TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS, CHARTER SCHOOLS, SPECIALTY SCHOOLS AND LOTTERY ENROLLS, PROGRAMS MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME NUMBERS OF STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH, SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES, OR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. THAT SAID, THERE ARE TRADITIONAL AND 
          [00:30:02]
SPECIAL SPECIALTY SCHOOLS WITHIN THE COUNTY THAT HAVE EVEN LOWER PERCENTAGES OF THESE STUDENTS THAN OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS. YET THEY DO NOT FACE THE SAME POTENTIAL FINANCIAL BURDENS AS CHARTER SCHOOLS. WE HAVE LEARNED THAT PEG PLANS TO SHIFT DISTRICT INCURRED SPECIAL EDUCATION OVERAGE COSTS ONTO OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS, FURTHER EXACERBATING AN ALREADY EXISTING EQUITY GAP. 
          IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE NOT ASKING FOR SPECIAL TREATMENT. THEY ARE ASKING FOR THE SAME FAIRNESS AND EQUITY THAT ALL PK SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS DESERVE. CHARTER SCHOOL OPERATORS, EDUCATORS AND PARENTS WORK TIRELESSLY TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY, RIGOROUS EDUCATION. WE SERVE EVERY CHILD WITH THE SAME COMMITMENT, WHETHER THEY SPEAK ENGLISH, WHETHER THEY QUALIFY FOR FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH, OR WHETHER THEY REQUIRE ADDITIONAL SPECIAL ED SERVICES. FOR YEARS, WE HAVE PROVIDED COUNTY STUDENTS WITH ACCESS TO EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING THIS TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE. BUT WE CANNOT DO THIS ALONE. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO ENSURE THAT CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE NOT UNFAIRLY BURDENED WITH COSTS THAT ARE BEYOND OUR CONTROL, ESPECIALLY WHEN THOSE CARS ARE INCURRED BY THE DISTRICT, NOT THE SCHOOLS THEMSELVES. WE ARE ASKING THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO CHOOSE EDUCATIONAL JUSTICE, CHOOSE EQUITY FOR ALL STUDENTS IN PEG, WHETHER THEY ATTEND A TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL OR A CHARTER SCHOOL. DO NOT LET A POLICY THAT SHIFTS FINANCIAL BURDENS ONTO CHARTER SCHOOLS UNDERMINE THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE STUDENTS WE SERVE. LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT EVERY STUDENT, REGARDLESS OF THE SCHOOL THEY ATTEND, HAS THE RESOURCES THEY NEED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. THE BOARD CHAIR RECOGNIZES RANDOLPH MEEKINS. 
          GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS RANDOLPH MEEKINS, AND I'M THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE PROMOTER PATHWAY AT THE LATIN AMERICAN YOUTH CENTERS LIKE MARYLAND MULTICULTURAL YOUTH CENTERS. ON BEHALF OF LIKE, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THE IMPACT OF OUR WORK WITHIN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS THROUGH OUR LONG TERM PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STRATEGIC INITIATIVE OFFICE. WE ORIGINALLY STARTED THIS WORK UNDER THE TRANSFORMING NEIGHBORHOODS INITIATIVE IN 2014, AND HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE SUSTAINED, CONSISTENT AND CRITICAL SUPPORT TO STUDENTS AT BLADENSBURG HIGH SCHOOL, POTOMAC HIGH SCHOOL, HIGH POINT HIGH SCHOOL, AND OXON HILL HIGH SCHOOL. PROMOTORAS, OR YOUTH ADVOCATES, ARE HIGHLY TRAINED, LIKE STAFF WHO PROVIDE LONG TERM, ONE ON ONE MENTORING, INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT TO YOUTH FACING A MULTIPLICITY OF CHALLENGES AND SOCIOECONOMIC BARRIERS. BY BUILDING TRANSFORMATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS AND PROVIDING LINKAGE TO SUPPORT STUDENTS FAMILIES WITHIN AND BEYOND THE SCHOOL WALLS, PROMOTORAS WORK TO SUPPORT STUDENT SUCCESS. SINCE 2014 TO NOW WITH PROMOTERS EMBEDDED INTO THE FABRIC OF SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTY, WE HAVE SERVED JUST UNDER A THOUSAND STUDENTS TO DATE AND 270 STUDENTS HAVE GRADUATED. WITH OUR HELP, A STUDENT I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT WAS REFERRED TO THE PROMOTER PATHWAY WHILE FACING NUMEROUS CHALLENGES INCLUDING SUBSTANCE ABUSE, LEGAL INVOLVEMENT, UNSTABLE HOUSING, ACADEMIC DIFFICULTIES, NEGATIVE PEER INFLUENCES, AND WAS ON THE VERGE OF EXPULSION. RECOGNIZING THIS URGENCY, THE PROMOTER ADVOCATED FOR THE STUDENT BY ENGAGING WITH STUDENT AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION COUNSELORS AND REQUESTING TIME TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP AND PROVIDE NECESSARY SUPPORT. THE ADVOCACY RESULTED IN THE STUDENT BEING GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE. INITIALLY, THE STUDENT STUDENT WAS VERY GUARDED AND HAD A LOW LEVEL OF TRUST. HOWEVER, THROUGH CONSISTENT SUPPORT REPORT BUILDING THE PROMOTER HELP THE STUDENT FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE AND ACKNOWLEDGING HIS NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS. THE PROMOTER MET THE STUDENT WHERE HE WAS ASSISTED IN SETTING ACHIEVABLE GOALS SUCH AS ATTENDING SCHOOL REGULARLY, ABSTAINING FROM SUBSTANCE USE, ATTENDING THERAPY, AND IMPROVING FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS. REGULAR MEETINGS WITH THE PROMOTER ALLOW THE STUDENT TO DISCUSS GRADES, IDENTIFY CHALLENGES, DEVELOP SOLUTIONS, AND ADDRESSES WELL BEING. THIS LED TO A REFERRAL FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. AS A RESULT, THE PROMOTERS CONSISTENT SUPPORT. THE STUDENT RECONNECTED WITH HIS FAMILY, IMPROVE HIS MENTAL STABILITY, ABSTAIN FROM SUBSTANCES, GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, AND ENROLLED IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION. TODAY, THIS STUDENT IS ENROLLED AT TOWSON UNIVERSITY, MAJORING IN BROADCAST JOURNALISM. HIS JOURNEY IS A TESTAMENT TO THE TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT OF THE PROMOTER PATHWAY AND THE DEDICATED SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THE STRATEGIC INITIATIVE OFFICE. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS. THESE FUNDS ARE BEING CUT. THANK YOU. NEXT, 
          [00:35:02]
WE'LL HAVE REBECCA MUSE. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I'M REBECCA MUSE, PARENT PGC, AND I'M HERE TO REPRESENT KEMET SOUTH MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL AS THEIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. 
          TODAY, I STAND BEFORE YOU TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PROPOSED CUTS THAT WILL AFFECT KEMET SOUTH MIDDLE CHARTER SCHOOL. A DECISION THAT THREATENS TO UNDERMINE THE EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR LIVELIHOODS, AND OUR DEDICATED TEACHERS. THESE CUTS WILL HAVE DEVASTATING IMPACTS ON OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES OF PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, AND WE CANNOT STAND IDLE AS THIS HAPPENS. WE ARE ALL AWARE THAT OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM IS ALREADY FACING IMMENSE CHALLENGES. TEACHERS ARE WORKING TIRELESSLY, OFTEN WITHOUT RESOURCES, TO PROVIDE THE BEST EDUCATION FOR ALL OF OUR CHILDREN. CLASSROOMS ARE OVERCROWDED, SUPPLIES ARE SCARCE, AND TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE REMAINS OUTDATED. IN THIS ALREADY STRAINED ENVIRONMENT. FURTHER CUTS TO VITAL FUNDING PUSHES OUR SCHOOL INTO CRISIS MODE. FOR STUDENTS, THESE CUTS ARE NOT JUST NUMBERS ON A PAGE. THESE CUTS MEAN FEWER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, LESS ACCESS TO CRITICAL RESOURCES AND DIMINISHED CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, WHICH, AS WE KNOW, PROMOTE BETTER STUDENTS. OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY WILL SUFFER. 
          THEY WILL BE DEPRIVED QUALITY EDUCATION THAT THEY DESERVE. THAT IS SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE. 
          TEACHERS ARE THE HEART OF OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM AND WITHOUT THE NECESSARY FUNDING, WE ARE ASKING THEM TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE. HOW CAN WE ASK THEM TO BE THEIR BEST WHEN WE DON'T GIVE THEM THE TOOLS TO DO SO? WE MUST NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN. OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE. WE INVEST IN THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY, OUR COUNTY AND THIS COUNTRY. EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY, CREATING LEADERS AND ENSURING THAT EVERY CHILD, NO MATTER THEIR BACKGROUND, NO MATTER THEIR RACE, HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED. BUT WITHOUT ADEQUATE FUNDING, WE ARE DENYING THEM THEIR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT. OUR CHILDREN ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR. OUR TEACHERS ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR. OUR EDUCATION IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR. WHILE I STAND BEFORE YOU AS A PARENT OF TWO, I FIGHT FOR EVERY TEACHER, EVERY STUDENT, AND EVERY COMMUNITY ADVOCATE IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY. LET US ENSURE THAT PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY REMAINS THE PLACE WHERE EVERY CHILD HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO THRIVE. TOGETHER, WE CAN DO THIS. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS JOSE. 
          GOOD EVENING. SO, DEAR BOARDS BOARD MEMBERS, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK DURING THIS MEETING. I SPEAK AS A PROUD FATHER OF A NINE YEAR OLD STUDENT AT MIT, A LONGTIME EDUCATOR AT MIT SINCE 2011, AND AN ADVOCATE FOR THE COMMUNITY I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF BEING A PART OF FOR MANY YEARS. I HAVE CALLED PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY MY HOME SINCE I, TOO, WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND I'M SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE BEEN RAISED IN A COUNTY WHERE EQUITY AND JUSTICE HAVE BEEN THE FOREFRONT OF THE WORK THAT IS DONE IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM. FUNDING CMIT, A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IN OUR DISTRICT, IS THE EQUITABLE AND JUST THING TO DO. I ASK THAT YOU NOT DENY OUR COMMUNITY THE OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP OUR SCHOOL OPEN THROUGH EQUITABLE FUNDING. I ASK THAT YOU ALLOW OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS TO CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THE HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION THEY DESERVE AT CMIT ACADEMY. THANK YOU. DOCTOR. 
          DONNA. CHRISTY. GOOD EVENING. I'M DOCTOR DONNA CHRISTY, PRESIDENT OF PGC. I RISE TONIGHT TO SHARE WHY PGC HAS JOINED A LAWSUIT FILED BY A BROAD COALITION INCLUDING THE NEA, THE NAACP, AFSCME COUNCIL THREE AND PUBLIC SCHOOL PARENTS TO CHALLENGE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S ATTEMPT TO DISMANTLE THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. THE PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE ORDER HAS SEEKS TO CUT FUNDING TO PROGRAMS LABELED AS DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION AND WHAT THEY REFER TO AS GENDER IDEOLOGY TERMS WEAPONIZED TO VILIFY THE VERY VALUES OUR DISTRICT HAS EMBRACED AND INSTITUTIONALIZED. PLEASE MAKE NO MISTAKE THIS IS A DIRECT ATTACK ON OUR STUDENTS, OUR EDUCATORS, AND OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY. JOINING THIS EFFORT DOES 
          [00:40:04]
NOT POLITICIZE OUR SCHOOLS. IT MEANS PROTECTING THE FOUNDATIONAL STRUCTURES THAT MAKE OUR SCHOOLS SAFE, RESOURCED, AND EQUITABLE. THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION EXISTS TO HELP BRIDGE OPPORTUNITY GAPS. WHEN THAT BRIDGE IS DISMANTLED, IT IS OUR STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY OUR MOST VULNERABLE, WHO FALL THROUGH. I RECOGNIZE THAT LEGAL ACTION CAN RAISE SOME LEGITIMATE CONCERNS. IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE TO BE IN THE HEADLINES, BUT PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO TAKE THIS STAND. WE ARE FORTUNATE TO OPERATE IN A STATE WITH STRONG, PROGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP, AND WE ARE NOT. SO WE ARE NOT ALONE. SO, IN FACT, IF NOT US, THEN WHO? WE CAN BE BOLD BECAUSE WE ARE PROTECTED. WE CAN BE LEADERS BECAUSE THE NATION NEEDS US TO. AND WE CAN ACT TOGETHER BECAUSE PUBLIC EDUCATION IS NOT JUST WORTH DEFENDING. IT IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR. WE MUST NOT UNDERESTIMATE THIS MOMENT. THE ADMINISTRATION IS NOT SIMPLY ATTEMPTING TO DOWNSIZE A FEDERAL AGENCY. IT IS TARGETING CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT, SPECIAL EDUCATION OVERSIGHT, AND THE FUNDING MECHANISMS TO ENSURE OPPORTUNITY REACHES ALL STUDENTS. AND WHEN THE ORDER OPENLY SEEKS TO TERMINATE PROGRAMS UNDER THE LABEL OF DEI, WE MUST BE CLEAR THEY ARE COMING FOR US. WHETHER WE SPEAK OUT OR NOT. SILENCE WILL NOT SHIELD US, BUT SOLIDARITY MIGHT. OUR ACTION IS ABOUT PROTECTING THE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS THAT SUPPORT STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, ENFORCE ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS, ADMINISTER PELL GRANTS, AND ENSURE THAT LOCAL FUNDING SERVES STUDENT NEEDS. PPG IS STANDING UP FOR STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS, AND WE ASK PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO DO THE SAME. WE MUST NOT BE SILENT. WE ARE EVERYTHING. THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER SEEKS TO ELIMINATE. AND THAT IS PRECISELY WHY WE MUST LEAD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR CHRISTIE. JOCELYN. LONG. 
          JOCELYN. LONG. GOOD EVENING. I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GOING TO GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, BUT THANK YOU. I'LL BE BRIEF. I, I COMMEND EVERYONE WHO HAS STOOD BEFORE ME, AND I AGREE WITH THEM WHOLEHEARTEDLY. I WOULD ASK THAT THE BOARD RECONSIDER ITS POSITION. CHARTER SCHOOL PARENTS ARE TAXPAYING CITIZENS JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING BEYOND WHAT IS FAIR. AND SO WE WOULD ASK THAT YOU RECONSIDER. BUT MY LARGER QUESTION CAME UP UNDER THE ASK OF WHERE IS THE CASINO MONEY? THE CASINOS THAT WE AGREED TO COME INTO OUR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD GIVE US MONEY. SO WE SHOULD HAVE PLENTY OF MONEY BECAUSE THEY'VE MADE PLENTY OF MONEY FROM US FROM ALL THESE YEARS. SO TO KEEP TAKING AWAY FROM US. WE NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON THEM. SO I STILL HAVE THE QUESTION. THIS STILL HASN'T BEEN ANSWERED. WHERE'S THE MONEY FROM THE CASINOS. I WOULD ASK THAT THE BOARD REFOCUS ITS ENERGY TOWARDS GAINING SOME OF THOSE OBLIGATIONS AND COMMITMENTS THAT WE WERE SAID WOULD BE FOR OUR CHILDREN AND FOR THEIR EDUCATION. THANK YOU. LATASHA JAMES, LEGENDS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL. SORRY. GOOD EVENING. DOCTOR. HOUSE BOARD CHAIR JACKSON AND ESTEEMED BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS NATASHA JAMES, AND I'M THE CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF LEGENDS CHARTER SCHOOL, WHERE I PROUDLY SERVE 900 STUDENTS FROM K THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK FROM MY HEART, NOT JUST AS A SCHOOL LEADER, BUT ALSO AS A MOTHER AND AN ADVOCATE FOR THE 7000 STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WHO HAVE CHOSEN PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS IN THIS VERY COUNTY. I STOOD BEFORE YOU ALMOST FIVE YEARS AGO SEEKING APPROVAL FOR LEGENDS CHARTER. ON THAT DAY, I PROMISED TO CREATE A SAFE, LOVING, AND ACADEMICALLY RIGOROUS ENVIRONMENT WHERE OUR STUDENTS, MY LEGENDS, COULD THRIVE. I PROMISED TO BUILD A SCHOOL GROUNDED IN LOVE, WHERE 
          [00:45:02]
CHILDREN FELT VALUED, PROTECTED AND CHALLENGED TO BECOME THEIR BEST SELVES. TODAY, I CAN PROUDLY SAY I'VE KEPT THAT PROMISE, BUT TONIGHT I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED WITH THE CHANGES IN BLUEPRINT FUNDING AND THE UNCERTAINTY AROUND OUR OUR PER PUPIL ALLOCATION. WE RISK FACING SIGNIFICANT BUDGET SHORTFALLS THAT COULD JEOPARDIZE OUR PROGRESS. WHILE WE HAVE YET TO RECEIVE OUR PER PUPIL ALLOCATIO, WITHOUT CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT FUNDING PRACTICES, OUR ABILITY TO SUSTAIN OUR PROGRAMS AND KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES IS IN JEOPARDY. AS THE SONG GOES, EVERYTHING MUST CHANGE. THIS IS A PIVOTAL MOMENT, AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE PARITY, RIGHT SIZE, LOCAL FUNDING POLICIES AROUND CHARTER SCHOOLS IN THIS COUNTY. WE ARE HERE, ABOVE ALL ELSE, TO PROVE WHAT'S POSSIBLE AND GO FURTHER, FASTER WITH OUR AUTONOMY IN EXCHANGE FOR THE HIGHER ACCOUNTABILITY THAT WE FACE. BUT AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS A TEAM SPORT AND WE CANNOT DO IT ALONE. WE'RE JUST NOT ASKING FOR FUNDING. WE'RE ASKING FOR FAIRNESS. WE ASK YOU TO WORK WITH US IN ALL THE CHARTER SCHOOLS, SERVING THE NEARLY 7000 STUDENTS ACROSS OUR COUNTY. WE ASK AND BEG OF YOU TO PLEDGE YOUR FULL AND UNWAVERING SUPPORT TO HONOR OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES CHOICES. THE WORLD IS THROWING MAJOR CURVEBALLS AT OUR FAMILIES ECONOMIC STRUGGLES, SOCIAL CHALLENGES, AND UNCERTAINTIES BEYOND THEIR CONTROL. IN MY VIEW, ALL SCHOOLS SHOULD BE A HAVEN ABOVE PARTIZAN DEBATES AND BEYOND POLITICAL DIVIDES. AS THE SAYING GOES, WHEN ELEPHANTS FIGHT, IT IS THE GRASS THAT SUFFERS. MY JOB IS TO PROTECT MY GRASS, MY BABIES, MY LEGENDS. WE MUST. WE MUST ACT WITH URGENCY AND INTEGRITY TO ENSURE THAT FUNDING DECISIONS HONOR THE TRUE SPIRIT OF THE BLUEPRINT. LET US FORGE AHEAD, WORKING TOGETHER TOWARDS COLLECTIVE LIBERATION FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THE CHILDREN WE HAVE PLEDGED TO SERVE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, YOUR COMMITMENT, AND YOUR PARTNERSHIP. I KNOW THAT YOU'LL DO RIGHT BY OUR KIDS AND FAMILIES. THANK YOU. HERBERT RUFFIN, JUNIOR. GOOD EVENING BOARD. I COME ON BEHALF OF MYSELF, MY WIFE. COMMITTEE NORTH. ALTHOUGH CMBT SOUTH IS REPRESENTED HERE AS WELL. AND SITTING HERE LISTENING TO A LOT OF THE OTHER SCHOOLS AND REPRESENTATION. I COME ON BEHALF OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL COMMUNITY. I SPEAK MORE SO FROM A FATHER'S ASPECT ON THIS ONE. SEEING MISS NORTH HAS HELPED MY WIFE AND I. WE HAVE TWINS WHO ARE FIRST GRADERS. WHEN OUR SON STARTED KINDERGARTEN WITH THEM. HE WAS VERY IMAGINATIVE. VERY CREATIVE. WHILE MY WIFE AND I HELPED TO FOSTER THAT ENERGY FROM THEM, GOING TO THIS PARTICULAR CMBT NORTH HAS HELPED HIM WITH THAT. 
          IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS THAT HE'S THERE. HE'S BEEN THERE. HE'S GONE FROM DOING LEGO MEN ON THE IN THE IN THE LIVING ROOM TO NOW DOING SOME LEGO COMMUNITIES. AND THAT'S BEEN FOSTERED FROM AGAIN, US AS PARENTS OF COURSE. BUT THE COMMUNITY OF THE SCHOOL. AND WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THAT. THE FUNDING THAT THEY'VE HAD THUS FAR. AND I'LL BE QUITE FRANK, PRIOR TO THIS, WE REALLY DIDN'T KEEP UP WITH HOW WHAT THE FUNDING WAS. WE KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO SCHOOL. WE KNEW THEY WERE GETTING WHAT THEY NEEDED TO GET. AND WE KNEW WE WERE HAPPY WITH THE OUTCOME. NOW THAT THIS HAS COME UP AND IT SEEMS LIKE FUNDING WILL BE CUT. WE CAN ONLY THINK OF HOW THAT WILL AFFECT OUR KIDS. AND IT'S A NUMBER OF WAYS IT COULD AFFECT THEM, OBVIOUSLY, BUT WE THINK OF THE STAFF THAT ARE THERE TILL 630 7:00. THEY'RE NOT RUSHING US TO GET THERE. THEY'RE THERE TO SUPPORT US. THEY COME WITH A SMILE EVERY DAY, SOMETIMES SICK, SOMETIMES WE KNOW JUST LIKE ANYONE ELSE. THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE BEING THERE, BUT THEY'RE THERE AND THEY HELP OUR KIDS EVERY DAY. AND THAT'S A BLESSING. AND I REALLY EVEN WANT TO JUST USE THE FORM TO THANK THEM PUBLICLY FOR EVERYTHING THAT THEY'VE DONE. AND. AND, AND I HOPE AS A BOARD, YOU ALL CAN HEAR AND SEE THAT WE ARE HERE AS A COMMUNITY. WE'RE HERE TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER. WE REALLY LOOK TO YOU GUYS TO ALSO GET SUPPORT AND HELP US WITH THE FUNDING AND HELP MAKE THE CORRECT DECISION TO KEEP THIS GOING, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE HAVE AND AS ONE OF THE YOUNG LADIES 
          [00:50:01]
SAID, OVER SEVEN, 9000 KIDS WHO ARE AFFECTED BY THE DECISIONS THAT YOU GUYS MAY MAKE. SO PLEASE CONSIDER THAT. CONSIDER EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN THERE. AND WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU. JODI ANN HODGE. GOOD EVENING. DEAR BOARD. I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF KEMET NORTH AND SOUTH SCHOOLS. AS A PROUD GRADUATE EMPLOYEE AND PARENT WITHIN PGC, I AM BOTH INVESTED IN AND COMMITTED TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR SCHOOLS. HOWEVER, THE UNFAIR AND TARGETED CUTS BEING DIRECTED TOWARD THE PGC CHARTER SCHOOLS WHERE MY CHILDREN HAVE THRIVED SINCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ARE DEEPLY TROUBLING. I HAVE AN IMMENSE LOVE AND APPRECIATION FOR MY CHILDREN'S SCHOOLS. THESE INSTITUTIONS HAVE NOT ONLY SUPPORTED MY CHILDREN ACADEMICALLY, BUT HAVE ALSO PROVIDED A SAFE AND NURTURING ENVIRONMENT FOR THEM TO GROW INTO INTELLIGENT, COMPASSIONATE, AND CURIOUS YOUNG INDIVIDUALS. IN OUR STATE OF MARYLAND, THESE SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN A CORNERSTONE IN HELPING THEM NAVIGATE THE CHALLENGES OF ADOLESCENCE. JUST AS I BENEFITED FROM FULLY FUNDED PROGRAMS DURING MY TIME AS A PGC STUDENT, I BELIEVE MY CHILDREN DESERVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES THAT ARE AFFORDED TO ALL PGC STUDENTS. THEY SHOULD NOT BE VIEWED AS CHARTER SCHOOL STUDENTS, BUT AS PGC SCHOLARS EQUALLY DESERVING OF SUPPORT. 
          CHARTER SCHOOL PARENTS PAY TAXES JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. YET OUR CHILDREN RECEIVE FEWER RESOURCES AND LESS FUNDING. NOW WE ARE BEING ASKED TO BEAR THE BURDEN OF EVEN FURTHER CUTS. THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND IT IS TIME FOR EQUITABLE TREATMENT FOR ALL STUDENTS, REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF SCHOOL THEY ATTEND. STAND UP FOR EQUITY. IT'S TIME TO TREAT CHARTER STUDENTS WITH THE FAIRNESS THEY DESERVE. OUR TEACHERS, OUR PGC CHARTER SCHOOLS POUR THEIR HEARTS INTO NOT JUST MEETING, BUT OFTEN EXCEEDING THE STANDARDS SET IN OUR COUNTY. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR MORE RESOURCES. WE'RE ASKING FOR EQUAL RESOURCES. WE'RE NOT SEEKING SPECIAL TREATMENT. WE'RE DEMANDING FAIRNESS. IT'S TIME TO FUND US EQUITABLY BECAUSE EVERY STUDENT DESERVES A FAIR SHOT AT SUCCESS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALICIA. RENEE. 
          MISS. MEGAN. SALLY. CELESTINE. HELLO. GOOD AFTERNOON. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND ALL. PARENTS, TEACHERS, COMMUNITY STUDENTS. MY NAME IS MEGAN CELESTINE, AND I'M A PROUD PARENT OF A STUDENT AT MIT NORTH. I RECENTLY MOVED TO LAUREL ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO, AND WENT TO A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY WHERE MOST OF THE KIDS WENT TO CMIT NORTH. I GOT TO SEE MY NEIGHBOR GRADUATE AND GO TO STANFORD, AND I KNEW THAT THIS SCHOOL WAS A SCHOOL I WANTED MY CHILD TO GO TO. OUR SCHOOL IS ONE OF THE MOST HIGHEST PERFORMING IN THE DISTRICT. HOWEVER, OUR FUTURE IS AT RISK WITH THE BLUEPRINT CUTS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION OVERAGES BEING PASSED ON TO CHARTERS. MY CHILD AND ALL OF OUR CHILDREN DESERVE THE SAME ACCESS TO QUALITY EDUCATION AS ANY OTHER STUDENT IN THIS COUNTY. PLEASE PROTECT THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN. THANK YOU. TARIKA. BOLLINGER. GOOD EVENING. I'M A PARENT OF A SIXTH GRADER AT CMIT SOUTH, AND I'M ALSO AN EDUCATOR IN DC AND A GRADUATE OF OXON HILL HIGH SCHOOL IN PG COUNTY. WHEN LOOKING FOR A SCHOOL FOR MY CHILD, I WAS LOOKING FOR A SPACE WHERE SHE WOULD BE EDUCATED, FELT SAFE, AND BUILT A COMMUNITY. KEMET SOUTH FULFILLS ALL THREE OF THOSE OPTIONS AT KEMET. I DIDN'T HAVE TO SACRIFICE AN OPTION OVER ANOTHER, AND THAT IS A VERY UNIQUE SITUATION IN 2025 WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION. I HAVE SEEN MY CHILD ANNOTATE TEXTS, TAKE THE ANNOTATIONS AND CREATE DRAFTS AND THAT THAT ARE THEN ANALYZED AND EDITED AND BECOME BOUNTIFUL. PARAGRAPHS OF INFORMATION. KEMET OFFERS INTERVENTIONS BEFORE, AFTER AND 
          [00:55:07]
ON SATURDAYS FOR STUDENTS WHO NEED HELP IN VARIOUS SUBJECT MATTERS. IT FOSTERS A COMMUNITY AS PARENTS HAVE COME TOGETHER IN SUPPORT OF ONE ANOTHER AND EMBRACE NEW FAMILIES TO THE COMMUNITY. WE WORK TOGETHER IN AN EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT WE PARENTS ARE KEPT UPDATED ON EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES, AND MAKING SURE OUR STUDENTS TURN IN ALL NECESSARY ASSIGNMENTS. WE ARE ALL IN SIXTH GRADE WITH OUR STUDENTS. LASTLY, IT IS SAFETY THAT IS OF GREAT CONCERN TO EVERY PARENT WHO IS CHOOSING TO SCHOOL. THE VIOLENCE THAT IS IN OUR SCHOOLS AFFECTS THE EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN. BEING AFRAID TO WALK INTO A BUILDING OR FRUSTRATED BECAUSE OF CONSTANT DISRUPTIONS CAN TAKE A TOLL ON OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. HOWEVER, AT KEMET, THERE ISN'T AN ISSUE IF SAFETY IN OUR STUDENTS. CAN SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR CHILDREN CAN CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THE HIGHEST SCORES IN THE COUNTY? I ASK YOU, PLEASE, ON BEHALF OF EVERY PARENT BEHIND ME, WHETHER IT'S LEGENDS, WHETHER IT'S IMAGINE ANY ANY CHARTER SCHOOL, WE ARE STILL PUBLIC SCHOOL PARENTS. I GREW UP IN PG COUNTY, WHERE WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE THIS MANY MEETINGS ABOUT CUTTING ANY BUDGET. I WENT TO OXON HILL HIGH SCHOOL. IT HAS AN ENGINEERING AND MATH PROGRAM. THERE ARE ART PROGRAMS AT SUITLAND HIGH SCHOOL. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE RECEIVING THE BEST EDUCATION POSSIBLE, SO THAT THEY CAN LEAD PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY THE WAY THAT YOU GUYS ARE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. MR. ISHMAEL AJIBOLA. 
          ALRIGHT. SO WE RECEIVED 122 WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS. ALL OF WHICH HAVE BEEN UPLOADED TO THE BOARD DOCS FOR VIEWING. THERE WERE NO PRERECORDED VIDEOS. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS. 
          THE BOARD THE BOARD CHAIR RECOGNIZES. BOARD MEMBER ZAKIYA GWEN MCKENZIE. THANK YOU, CHAIR JACKSON. AND THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF THE PARENTS AND EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT. OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS IN OUR COUNTY ARE AMAZING, DOING AN AMAZING JOB, AND WE ARE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR NOT ONLY THE SERVICE THAT YOU PROVIDE TO OUR STUDENTS, BUT ALSO FOR THE WAY YOU ALL ARE ABLE TO MOBILIZE YOUR PARENTS. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS BEAUTIFUL TO SEE. AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO BE RESPONSIVE TO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE HEARING. JUST SO THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE, THIS DID NOT START JUST TONIGHT. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FROM THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS TO EVERYWHERE, HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT TO BOARD MEMBERS, HELPING TO MAKE US AWARE OF ISSUES THAT WE HAD NOT KNOWN ABOUT BEFORE. SO WITH THAT CHAIR, JACKSON, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT OUR SUPERINTENDENT CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH OUR CHARTER NETWORK LEADERS BY COLLECTING POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE CLEAR PER-PUPIL ALLOCATIONS AND GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN OUR CHARTER SCHOOL AGREEMENT. OUR CHARTER SCHOOL AGREEMENTS, EXCUSE ME, INCLUDING OUR RENEWAL PROCESSES AND THE BUDGET. AND SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE REQUESTS THAT YOU PRESENT THAT AT OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING. THAT I BELIEVE IS APRIL 24TH. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I NEED TO REPHRASE THE MOTION. SO CAN CAN YOU REPEAT THAT MOTION ONE MORE TIME, PLEASE? GIVE ME ONE MORE TIME TO GET ALL OF THE SPECIFIC ASK TOGETHER. SO TO COLLABORATE WITH OUR CHARTER. OUR CHARTER ORGANIZATION LEADERS TO GET THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AND PROPOSALS AND ADD THAT TO A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE CLEAR PER PUPIL ALLOCATION AND THEN ALSO TRANSPARENCY IN OUR CHARTER AUTHORIZATION. EXCUSE ME, OUR CHARTER AUTHORIZATION RENEWAL PROCESSES AND THEIR FUNDING 
          [01:00:07]
STREAMS TO BE PRESENTED AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING. WHAT WAS DECIDED? I'VE GOT A POINT OF ORDER, MR. CHAIRMAN. I DO, I THINK THE MOTION IS GREAT. I SUPPORT THE MOTION. I THINK WE SHOULD DO THIS DURING NEW BUSINESS, THOUGH, JUST TO BE IN ORDER WITH OUR AGENDA. I DON'T WANT US TO HAVE ANY VIOLATIONS. I THINK THE GENTLELADY'S MOTION IS PERFECT. IT'S AMAZING. BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES OF THE BOARD. AND SO I THINK WE SHOULD DO THAT DURING NEW BUSINESS JUST TO JUST TO BE SAFE. YEAH. THANK YOU. HOLD ON. LET ME CHECK WITH THE PARLIAMENTARIAN. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO WE'RE GOING TO JUST PULL YOUR MOTION OFF THE FLOOR UNTIL NEW BUSINESS. THANK YOU. RECOGNIZES THE SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE FOR HIS 
          [12. Report of the Superintendent]
REPORT. THANK YOU, CHAIR JACKSON. AND GOOD EVENING TO BOARD MEMBERS, COMMUNITY EMPLOYEES, STUDENTS, EVERYONE WITHIN OUR COUNTY. I'D LIKE TO START WITH SOME EXCITING NEWS THAT HAS REALLY MADE ME PROUD AS SUPERINTENDENT OF THE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
          HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS IN OUR DISTRICT HAVE HAVE BEEN NAMED AS POSSE SCHOLARS AND WILL RECEIVE FOUR YEAR, FULL TUITION COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS TO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE POSSE PROGRAM HAVE A 90% COLLEGE GRADUATION RATE, AND HAVE PROVEN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON CAMPUSES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, AND MOVED ON AND HAD INCREDIBLE PROFESSIONS AS WELL. SINCE 2023, MORE THAN 70, I REPEAT 70 PGCC STUDENTS HAVE RECEIVED FULL RIDES IN REFERENCE TO POSSE SCHOLARSHIPS. THIS YEAR, PGC RECIPIENTS INCLUDE GOING TO BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY. FIRST OF ALL, ON A FULL RIDE. KYRA LEE CHARLES FROM FLOWERS HIGH SCHOOL, JASMINE VONG FROM BOWIE HIGH SCHOOL. CADEN WILKINS FROM FREDERICK DOUGLASS HIGH SCHOOL, GOING TO LAFAYETTE COLLEGE ON A FULL RIDE. CLOVIS. FREDERICK DOUGLASS, FREDERICK DOUGLASS HIGH SCHOOL, GOING TO LEWIS AND CLARK UNIVERSITY ON A COLLEGE ON A FULL RIDE. 
          MANHATTAN. DOLES FROM FREDERICK DOUGLASS HIGH SCHOOL, GOING TO SUWANEE. THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH ON A FULL RIDE. EMMANUEL OJO FROM LARGO HIGH SCHOOL. NICK HERNANDEZ FROM COLLEGE PARK ACADEMY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL, JADA JOHNSON, FREDERICK DOUGLASS HIGH SCHOOL, JESSE WAMBACH FROM CHARLES FLOWERS HIGH SCHOOL, AND GOING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER ON A FULL RIDE. AISHA MUHAMMED, CHESAPEAKE MATH IT ACADEMY NORTH. ABRAHAM, ALSO FROM CHESAPEAKE MATH IT ACADEMY SOUTH AND THEN OSCAR RAMIREZ SOTO FROM BOWIE HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL. I'M PLEASED TO SHARE. AND ALSO THAT THIS WEEK WE WERE AWARDED THE FIRST RECIPIENTS OR WE AWARDED THE FIRST RECIPIENTS TO A REINSTATED SUPERINTENDENT EMPLOYEE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS ACROSS AMERICA, AND THIS PROGRAM ALLOWS FOR US TO TAKE SOME OF OUR CURRENT EMPLOYEES THAT MAY EITHER NOT HAVE A DEGREE OR WANT TO PURSUE OR FURTHER THEIR DEGREE. THIS IS A VITAL INVESTMENT IN PROFESSIONAL GROWTH FOR OUR EDUCATORS AND STAFF. SO AFTER A FOUR YEAR HIATUS, WE BROUGHT THIS OPPORTUNITY BACK TO SUPPORT EMPLOYEES PURSUING THEIR HIGHER EDUCATION WITH FULL AND PARTIAL TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WALDEN UNIVERSITY THAT WE'RE REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS. WE HAD THREE PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS, BUT OUR FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS, WE HAVE TWO, DEREK DRAKE THAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT WILL RECEIVE A FULL, FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP TO GET HIS BACHELOR'S DEGREE. HE'S CURRENTLY SERVING AS A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER, AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT HIS JOURNEY MOVING FORWARD. AND KAMALA ARCHER WILL WILL MOVE FORWARD TO FURTHER HER EDUCATION AS WELL. OUR PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS ARE THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO LEARNING, LEADERSHIP AND REALLY CONTINUE TO ENRICH OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES BY EDUCATING OUR STUDENTS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. NOW, ADDITIONALLY, LET ME HIGHLIGHT OUR HIRING CAMPAIGN, WHICH IS, QUITE FRANKLY, IN FULL SWING. 
          WE'VE HEARD QUITE A BIT ABOUT FEDERAL WORKERS THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED ACROSS NOT ONLY PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, BUT THE DMV AS A WHOLE. AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD TO ENSURE THAT NOT ONLY 
          [01:05:03]
SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS, BUT SUPPORT STAFF AND BUS DRIVERS FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEARS HAVE INDIVIDUALS TO COME JOIN THEM WITH. WITH RECRUITING REALLY RAMPED UP AND ACTIVITIES ENGAGING, CANDIDACY, MOVING DOWN THE ROAD, TRAVELING ACROSS THE REGION AND HOSTING DIFFERENT EVENTS. OUR HR STAFF IS REALLY DOING THE WORK TO ENSURE THAT WE BRING IN AS MANY INDIVIDUALS THAT CAN WALK INTO THE DOORS, POTENTIALLY AS EDUCATORS, HIRING EVENTS THAT WE HAVE COMING UP. 
          WE HAVE ONE THIS SATURDAY. KUDOS TO OUR HR TEAM FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND BRINGING TOP TALENT TO PGC. NEXT CHAIR JACKSON AND BOARD MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY. I WANT TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN TWO UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FEEDBACK AND ENGAGEMENT. FIRST, OUR CELL PHONE USE SURVEY. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF A LOT OF CONVERSATION ACROSS THE STATE AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY AROUND CELL PHONES, AND WE'VE GATHERED QUITE A BIT OF INPUT FROM PRINCIPALS, FROM COMMUNITY. 
          AND THIS IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR FAMILIES AND STUDENTS AND STAFF TO HELP SHAPE POLICIES AROUND CELL PHONE USE IN OUR SCHOOLS. SO I URGE YOU AND URGE EVERYONE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY AND SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVE. NEXT WEEK, I INVITE OUR COMMUNITY TO JOIN ME FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT'S COMMUNITY FORUM ON APRIL THE 1ST AT FAIRMONT HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL. 
          THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FAMILIES, STUDENTS, AND STAFF TO REALLY ASK QUESTIONS, SHARE FEEDBACK, AND HEAR IMPORTANT DISTRICT UPDATES AS WELL. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP AS WE WORK TO SUPPORT OUR EMPLOYEES, ENGAGE OUR FAMILIES, AND ENSURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE SUCCESSFUL. CHAIR JACKSON, THAT CONCLUDES MY SUPERINTENDENT'S UPDATE AND 
          [13. Reports of the Committees]
REPORT. THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE. THE CHAIRMAN RECOGNIZES THE BOARD COMMITTEE CHAIRS FOR THEIR COMMITTEE REPORTS. FIRST, WE'LL START WITH DOCTOR ANDOVER FROM THE AUDIT COMMITTEE. THANK YOU, CHAIR JACKSON. I WILL BE PROVIDING THE BOARD AUDIT COMMITTEE OUTCOMES AND OUTPUTS. UPDATE. THE BOARD AUDIT COMMITTEE IS CHARGED WITH ENSURING THE PUBLIC FUNDS ARE SPENT EQUITABLY ACROSS ALL SCHOOLS IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THE AUDIT COMMITTEE SHALL REVIEW THE FINANCIAL REPORTING PROCESS, THE AUDIT PROCESS, THE PGC SYSTEM OF INTERNAL AUDIT AND THE STATUS REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON RECOMMENDATIONS AND CORRECTIVE ACTION ITEMS PROPOSED BY PGC INTERNAL AUDITORS AND EXTERNAL AUDITORS. THE BOARD'S DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL AUDITS REGULARLY ATTENDS THE MEETINGS OF THIS STANDING COMMITTEE. THE AUDIT COMMITTEE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR FOCUSING ON THE FOLLOWING PRIOR PRIOR INTERNAL CONTROL ISSUES AND HOW THEY'VE BEEN RESOLVED. COMPLEX ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING AREAS AND HOW MANAGEMENT ADDRESSES THEM. CURRENT AUDITS BY EXTERNAL OR INTERNAL AUDITORS. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES, JUDGMENTS, MANAGEMENT ESTIMATES AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS WITH REGARD TO OUR MEETING SCHEDULE FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2024 AND 2020 5TH SEPTEMBER 2024. THE. THE BOARD AUDIT COMMITTEE HAS HELD MONTHLY MEETINGS DURING WHICH MEMBERS HAVE ENGAGED WITH THE INTERNAL AUDIT STAFF AND THE ADMINISTRATION. MONTHLY MEETINGS WILL CONTINUE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF APRIL. OUR LAST TWO MEETINGS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR ARE SCHEDULED FOR MAY 5TH AND JUNE 2ND. A COMPLETE BREAKDOWN OF OUR OUTCOMES FOR EACH TOPIC COVERED THIS SCHOOL YEAR CAN BE FOUND ON BOARD DOCKS. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. THANK YOU. DOCTOR ANDOVER. NOW MOVING TO. THE OPERATION BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE REPORT. BOARD MEMBER GOINS MCCANTS. THANK YOU. CHAIR JACKSON. THE OPERATIONS, BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEWING MATTERS OF BUDGET, OPERATIONS AND FISCAL AFFAIRS OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. THE COMMITTEE EXAMINES ISSUES ABOUT THE MANAGEMENT AND AUDITING OF OPERATIONS AT PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND THUS MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL, CAPITAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES, SUCH AS THE BOARD'S OPERATING BUDGET, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, STAFFING PLANS AND ALLOCATIONS. THE COMMITTEE HAS MAINTAINED MONTHLY MEETINGS ON THE THIRD WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, WHICH BEGAN IN AUGUST OF 2024, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2024, WHEN THERE WAS NO QUORUM. THE FINAL MEETING OF THIS COMMITTEE IS SCHEDULED TO BE HELD ON JUNE 18TH, 2025. THE COMMITTEE, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE GCPS ADMINISTRATION, HAS DISCUSSED AND ACTED ON THE FOLLOWING TOPICS. THIS SCHOOL YEAR, TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVES. BLUEPRINT SCHOOLS PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 26 TO 31. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND COMPREHENSIVE MAINTENANCE PLAN. 
          STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM ISSUES, BUILDING SERVICES, MAINTENANCE AUDIT, SUMMER 
          [01:10:01]
PROJECTS AND PERMITTING DELAYS. PURCHASING PROCESS. SCHOOL LUNCH DEBT. FISCAL YEAR 26. BOARD OF EDUCATION REQUESTED OPERATING BUDGET. A FULL BREAKDOWN OF THE OUTCOMES FOR EACH TOPIC CAN BE FOUND ON BOARD DOCKS IN THE FULL COMMITTEE REPORT. THE COMMITTEE COMMITTEE CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON RESOLVING ISSUES RECEIVED FROM THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT AND COMMUNITIES AND IS ON TRACK TO COMPLETE ITS OUTLINED OBJECTIVES IN THIS 2425 WORK PLAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBER. NOW MOVING TO THE POLICY AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE REPORT. DOCTOR MOSS. THANK YOU, CHAIR JACKSON, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THE POLICY AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE REPORT. AS WE BEGIN THIS REPORT TODAY, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO NOT ONLY RECOGNIZE THE COLLEAGUES ON THE POLICY AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE WHO SPENT CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. IT'S BEEN LOTS OF COMMENTS TODAY ABOUT THE BLUEPRINT. THIS BOARD HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN ANNAPOLIS PROTECTING FIGHTING TO PROTECT THE BLUEPRINT FOR ALL STUDENTS IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY SCHOOLS. AND SO BOARD MEMBER WALKER HAS BEEN THERE. BOARD MEMBER BOOZER STROTHER HAS BEEN THERE. ALL OF OUR COLLEAGUES ON THIS COMMITTEE, OUR VICE CHAIR, BRIGGS, HAS SPENT TIME WITH US IN ANNAPOLIS. I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE LEADERSHIP FROM OUR ADMINISTRATION, STARTING WITH CHIEF QUINCY BOYD, DOCTOR BOYD, WHO HELPED ORGANIZE OUR ADVOCACY DAY AS A POLICY AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE. SO JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN ACTIVELY FIGHTING AS A COMMITTEE TO PROTECT ALL THE ELEMENTS OF THE BLUEPRINT, SO THAT NO CHILD IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTIES PUBLIC SCHOOLS WON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAME EDUCATION THEY HAD LAST YEAR, AND EVEN BETTER ONES IN THE FUTURE. GIVEN THAT UNDERSTANDING, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF POLICIES TONIGHT THAT WE WANT TO ADVANCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH BOARD POLICY. 9340 POLICY DEVELOPMENT, THE BOARD, THE POLICY AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE ACTS AS THE BOARD TO CONSIDER THESE POLICIES FOR FIRST CONSIDERATION TONIGHT. FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING CURRICULUM DOCUMENTS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS IN BOTH ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF POLICIES TONIGHT THAT ARE UP FOR SECOND CONSIDERATION. A NEW POLICY THAT IS FOCUSED ON POSSESSION AND USE OF ALCOHOL AND DRUGS ON SCHOOL GROUNDS. WE HAVE POLICY 1113 AROUND INFORMATIONAL MATERIAL AND ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT ARE MADE IN SCHOOLS. POLICY 5168 AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS. POLICY 8265 EVALUATING THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS. POLICY 50 204 BUS TRANSPORTATION FOR CHEERLEADERS. MAJORETTES. ET CETERA. THAT POLICY IS UP FOR RECEPTION TONIGHT. POLICY 5205 PROMS. THAT POLICY IS UP FOR RECEPTION TONIGHT. POLICY 9110. THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS IN TERMS OF OFFICE. THAT POLICY IS UP FOR RECEPTION TONIGHT AND THEN POLICY 9310 ADOPTION OF POLICIES. THAT POLICY IS ALSO UP FOR RECEPTION. AND THEN FINALLY POLICY 9330 ADOPTION AND AMENDMENTS OF ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS IS UP FOR RECEPTION TONIGHT. AT THIS TIME, THE POLICY AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THESE TEN POLICIES FOR THE BOARD CONSIDERATION. 
          THANK YOU. CHAIR. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MOSS. IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION, THE POLICY AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE APPROVED. HEARING NO OBJECTION, THE POLICY AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE APPROVED. NOW MOVING TO THE 
          [14. Presentations]
CLIMATE SURVEY RESULTS. THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE AND HIS TEAM TO PRESENT. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR JACKSON AND BOARD MEMBERS, I'D LIKE TO INVITE MY CHIEF OF ACCOUNTABILITY, DOCTOR DOUG STRADER, AND HIS TEAM, TO SHARE A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW ABOUT THE RECENT CLIMATE AND CULTURE. CULTURE SURVEY. DOCTOR. DOCTOR. SCHRADER, THANK YOU. 
          SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE. I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE. DIRECTOR WETHERINGTON. DIRECTOR OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OFFICE, WHO WILL BE GUIDING US THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION. THERE WE GO. GOOD EVENING. WE HAVE A CONDENSED VERSION OF THE PRESENTATION TO PRESENT TO YOU ALL TONIGHT. AND WE CAN PROVIDE A LONGER VERSION AS WELL AS A DATA SUPPLEMENT. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THIS PRESENTATION. SO TODAY WE JUST WANTED TO CELEBRATE HIGHLIGHTS AND SUCCESSES FROM THE 2024 SURVEY IMPLEMENTATION. IDENTIFY AND SHARE SOME EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES AND SUCCESSES AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM OUR IMPLEMENTATION, AND SHARE DISTRICT WIDE DATA AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR PARTNERS AT HANOVER RESEARCH. 
          AGAIN, JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND ABOUT THE SURVEY. IT WAS ADMINISTERED ONLINE IN OCTOBER OF 2024 BY OUR PARTNERS AT HANOVER, AND OUR RESPONDENT ROLES INCLUDE STUDENTS IN GRADES FOUR THROUGH FIVE, WHICH IS THEIR FIRST TIME TAKING THE SURVEY, AS WELL AS STUDENTS IN 
          [01:15:01]
GRADES SIX THROUGH 12. STAFF AND FAMILIES. WE WERE REALLY EXCITED THIS YEAR TO HAVE RECORD BREAKING PARTICIPATION OF ALMOST 60,000 STAKEHOLDERS. HERE YOU CAN SEE A SAMPLE BY STAKEHOLDER GROUP. OUR STUDENTS REALLY CAME THROUGH AND SHARED THEIR EXPERIENCES AND THEIR OPINIONS, WITH ALMOST 47,000 OF THEM SHARING FEEDBACK WITH 12,628 OF OUR YOUNGEST SCHOLARS SHARING FEEDBACK. OUR STAFF AND PARENTS ALSO CONTRIBUTED CONTRIBUTED ENORMOUSLY TO THIS NUMBER, AND WE WERE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE A VERY ROBUST DATA SET. WE WENT ON THE ROAD. WE SHARED OUR DATA WITH OUR LEADERS AT OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING INSTITUTE, WITH PCAC AND PIAS WITH P GRASS. 
          WITH STUDENT SERVICE AND OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS SCHOOL LEADERS. AND TODAY'S DATA, WE ARE REALLY GOING TO FOCUS IN ON WHAT OUR SCHOOL LEADERS HAD TO SAY AROUND. A COMMON CONCERN IS THE NEED FOR A CLEAR, DISTRICT WIDE DEFINITION OF BULLYING TO ENSURE CONSTANT, CONSISTENT TERMINOLOGY AMONG STAFF, STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. THESE ARE A FEW RECOMMENDATIONS, AS WELL AS PGC ACTIONS AND NEXT STEPS BASED ON THE SURVEY. OUR PARTNERS IDENTIFIED THAT WE SHOULD FOCUS ON IMPROVING OUR STUDENTS SENSE OF SAFETY AT SCHOOL BY WORKING ON MITIGATING INSTANCES OF BULLYING AND FURTHER INVESTIGATING STUDENTS CONCERNS. AND TONIGHT, YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT DATA AND OUR ALIGNMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF WELCOMING SCHOOLS AND OUR ANTI-BULLYING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT WIDE, AS WELL AS A FOCUS ON IMPROVING THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AT SCHOOL SITES BY STRENGTHENING MEASURES TO ENHANCE FACILITY MAINTENANCE AND CLEANLINESS. WE WILL DO ADDITIONAL LISTENING CAMPAIGNS AS WELL AS CONTINUE ADVOCACY FOR ADDITIONAL SCHOOL FUNDING. THREE ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS WAS AROUND STRENGTHENING THE FOCUS ON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF. RECENTLY, WE ALL PARTICIPATED IN OUR CENTRAL OFFICE INSTITUTE. WHICH WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR STAFF TO TAKE PART IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMICALLY. CONSIDER CONDUCTING FURTHER RESEARCH TO IDENTIFY BARRIERS TO STUDENTS AND STAFF USE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS SUPPORTS. WE WILL CONTINUE THE LAUNCH OF OUR FOCUS GROUPS AND INTERVIEWS ON BARRIERS TO ACCESSING HEALTH, OR THEIR RATIONALE FOR OPTING OUT, AND CONTINUING TO RAMP UP COMMUNICATIONS EFFORTS AROUND OUR HAZEL TELEHEALTH AND OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE. AND LASTLY, STRENGTHENING OUR ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS AND FAMILIES. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE IMPLEMENTING A MORE ROBUST COMMUNICATION CHANNEL THAT PROVIDES REGULAR AND ON TIME UPDATES AND FOSTERING TRANSPARENT DIALOG BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES, AS WELL AS CONTINUING OUR FORUMS AND COUNCILS THAT ALLOW PARENTS TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS AND PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY IN SCHOOL GOVERNANCE. TONIGHT, THE DATA SET YOU'LL SEE IS HONED IN ON OUR IMPROVEMENT OF STUDENTS SENSE OF SAFETY AT SCHOOLS. WE PARTNER VERY CLOSELY WITH DOCTOR REESE IN OUR EQUITY AND BELONGING DIVISION, AND THIS SCHOOL YEAR, WE WILL BE ALIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING OUR WELCOMING SCHOOLS AND OUR ANTI-BULLYING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS DISTRICT WIDE. AND HERE ARE SOME DATA WHY WE SELECTED THAT AREA. SO OUR YOUNGEST SCHOLARS IN FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE. THEY REALLY SHARED HOW THEY FEEL WHEN THEY ENTER SCHOOL EVERY DAY, IF THEY LIKE SCHOOL, AND IF THEY THINK OTHER STUDENTS WOULD LIKE THEIR SCHOOL. AND WE CAN SEE THAT OUR YOUNGEST BABIES. THEY THEY REALLY ENJOY GOING TO SCHOOL. THEY FEEL WELCOME AT SCHOOL. AND THEY AGREE BY HALF THAT OTHER STUDENTS WOULD LIKE TO GO TO THEIR SCHOOL. AND HERE YOU WILL NOT SEE LONGITUDINAL DATA BECAUSE OUR FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADERS, THIS WAS THEIR FIRST TIME TAKING THE SURVEY. 
          OUR OLDER STUDENTS IN GRADES SIX THROUGH 12 WERE ASKED THE SAME QUESTION AS WELL AS PARENTS. AND HERE YOU CAN SEE OUR PARENTS AND TEACHERS HAVE A VERY DIFFERING PERCEPTION OF FEELING WELCOME AT SCHOOL, LIKING SCHOOL, AND FEELING CONNECTED TO SCHOOL, WHICH IS WHY OUR EFFORTS ARE FOCUSED ON IMPROVING STUDENTS SENSE OF SAFETY AT SCHOOL BUILDINGS BY MITIGATING INSTANCES OF BULLYING AND FURTHER INVESTIGATING STUDENTS CONCERNS. OUR OLDEST STUDENTS, A SLIGHT UPTICK OF 1% FEEL WELCOME AT SCHOOL. THE SAME FOR LIKING SCHOOL AND FEELING CONNECTED TO SCHOOL. OUR YOUNGEST BABIES WERE ALSO ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT BULLYING. HOW MUCH DO YOU AGREE THAT YOU FEEL SAFE AT SCHOOL, AND AROUND 66% DO FEEL SAFE AT SCHOOL? OUR OLDER STUDENTS AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERING PERCEPTIONS BETWEEN PARENTS AND STAFF VERSUS OUR STUDENTS. OUR 
          [01:20:04]
PARENTS AND STAFF REALLY DO FEEL SAFE AT SCHOOL AND WORK, AND OUR STUDENTS HAVE SLIGHTLY DECREASED PERCEPTION, SLIGHTLY INCREASED PERCEPTION, AROUND 43% FROM 41% LAST YEAR. FEEL SAFE AT SCHOOL. 
          AND HERE YOU'LL SEE OUR YOUNGEST BABIES WERE ALSO ASKED. BULLYING. BULLYING IS A PROBLEM AT MY SCHOOL, AND AROUND 55% AGREE THAT BULLYING IS A PROBLEM AT THEIR SCHOOL. AND FOR OUR PARENTS, OUR STUDENTS AND PARENTS, YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT THE AGREE AND STRONGLY AGREE AROUND 41% AND 35%. SAY THAT THEY BELIEVE THAT BULLYING IS A PROBLEM AT THEIR SCHOOL AS WELL. 
          AND SO THIS IS WHY OUR STRATEGY IS TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON OUR ANTI-BULLYING AND BIAS BASED BULLYING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT BULLYING IS, DEFINING BULLYING, AND FURTHER RESEARCHING AND LISTENING TO STUDENTS PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERIENCE AT SCHOOL. WE SHARE THIS DATA WITH OUR PEA GRASS LEADERS AND THEY GAVE US A LOT OF FEEDBACK. JUST AROUND NOT JUST SUPPORTING STUDENTS THAT BELIEVE THEY ARE BEING BULLIED, BUT THOSE THAT ARE PERCEIVED AS MAYBE INSTIGATORS SO THAT ON BOTH SIDES IT'S NOT. ANY STUDENT IS BEING LEFT OUT. BUT EVERYONE HAS A RENEWED SENSE OF SAFETY AND FEELING WELCOME AT SCHOOL. WE ALSO RECEIVED AROUND 20,000 OPEN ENDED COMMENTS THIS YEAR, AND WE WANTED TO SHARE A FEW OF THOSE INSTANCES. WE HAD AN OVERWHELMING POSITIVE COMMENT SET WITH A LOT OF OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS SAYING THINGS LIKE, I HAVE BEEN TEACHING AT PGK SCHOOLS FOR THE PAST 18 YEARS, AND I FEEL THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT HAS IMPROVED A LOT OVER THESE YEARS. A PARENT IS VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE SPECIALTY PROGRAMS, ALLOWING LIKE MINDED STUDENTS TO LEARN AND GROW IN A SAFE AND HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT, AND OUR STUDENTS HAVE BEEN IN PGK THEIR WHOLE LIFE. BUT THEY HAVE TO SAY IT WASN'T SO BAD MINUS MIDDLE SCHOOL. BUT THE HIGH SCHOOL DAYS ARE GOING GREAT SO FAR. AND SO WE KNOW THAT WHILE WE HEAR A LOT OF STORIES, THERE IS A LOT OF POSITIVE AND A LOT OF POSITIVE THINGS HAPPENING. AND SO WE WANT TO WORK HARD TO FURTHER SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS. AND AGAIN, THIS IS A CONDENSED VERSION FOR TONIGHT. 
          BUT WE DO HAVE A SUPPLEMENTAL DATA SET AND ANOTHER PRESENTATION TO SHARE. AND WE'RE OPEN FOR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. SO BOARD MEMBERS. ALRIGHTY. SO THE FIRST PERSON I HAVE IS 16 IS. MISS GOINS. MCCANTS. THANK YOU, CHAIR JACKSON. AND THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR COMING TO PRESENT THIS AT THE BOARD. I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT YOU ALL HAVE HAD SUCH A MAJOR INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF PARENT, STUDENT AND STAFF INVOLVEMENT AS SOMEBODY WHO DOES THIS WORK ADJACENT? NOT DIRECTLY THIS WORK, I UNDERSTAND FIRSTHAND HOW DIFFICULT THAT IS. 
          AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE REALLY PUSHING FOR. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HIGHLIGHT THAT AND COMMEND YOU ALL FOR GETTING THIS MANY PEOPLE TO RESPOND TO THIS SURVEY. THANK YOU. WITH THAT, I KNOW WE HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME, SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL HAVE TIME FOR A SECOND ROUND, BUT JUST WANTED TO ASK IF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS CAME FROM THE VENDOR THAT WE PARTNERED WITH TO HAVE THIS OR IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT INTERNALLY STAFF, YOU KNOW, COMPILED THE SURVEY RESULTS AND SAID, THIS IS WHAT NOW WE THINK ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN DO WE HAVE SOMEWHERE WHERE WE CAN SEE WHERE WE ARE WITH THESE ACTIONS AND NEXT STEPS IN TERMS OF A TIMELINE? YES. SO OUR THIRD PARTY PARTNERS, HANOVER, BASED ON THE ANALYSIS OF THIS DATA. THESE ARE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS. AND WE WORKED ACROSS DIVISIONS TO IDENTIFY STRATEGIES THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT IN ORDER TO RESPOND TO THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CONCLUDES YOUR COMMENTS. OKAY. DOCTOR MOSS. YEAH, I APPRECIATE YOU ALL FOR BRINGING THE CLIMATE AND CULTURE SURVEY TONIGHT. YOU KNOW, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE SEXINESS OF THIS AND THE GREAT COMMENTS, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THERE WERE COMMENTS IN THIS SURVEY WHERE YOUNG FOLKS AND PARENTS DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME LIVED EXPERIENCES OF THE PARTICIPANTS THAT YOU ALL CHOSE TO HIGHLIGHT HERE. SO I'M NOT GOING TO ASK YOU TO DIVULGE 
          [01:25:01]
WHAT THOSE COMMENTS WERE. BUT WHAT I AM GOING TO ASK MIGHT PERHAPS IS DOCTOR DAVIS AND THE LIKE, WHAT DO WE DO WITH THIS DATA WITH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS? I APPRECIATE YOU DOING THIS. IT LOOKS REALLY GREAT. IT'S GOOD, BUT PERHAPS IT'S DOCTOR DAVIS OR DOCTOR WHITE THAT ACTUALLY IT'S DOCTOR DAVIS. IT'S NOT DOCTOR WHITE. I CALLED DOCTOR WHITE NAME FOR EVERYTHING. BUT DOCTOR DAVIS, WHO ACTUALLY USES THIS DATA IN SERVICE OF IMPROVING SCHOOLS. SO DO YOU MIND TELLING US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU ALL DO WITH THIS DATA? THANK YOU. SURE. SO MONITORING ACCOUNTABILITY CAME A FEW MONTHS AGO WHEN THE DATA WAS FIRST AGGREGATED AND SHARED WITH THE PRINCIPALS IN OUR SYSTEMIC MEETING. SO THEY WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT THEIR OWN DATA FOR THEIR OWN SCHOOL. AND THEN MAKE SOME PLANS AND ACTION STEPS AROUND WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO BASED ON WHAT THEY WERE HEARING FROM STUDENTS, STAFF AND FAMILIES. AND STRENGTHENING SCHOOL CULTURE AND CLIMATE IS ONE OF OUR FOCI THIS YEAR, ALONG WITH BUILDING CAPACITY. AND SO THEY ALL SET GOALS AROUND THAT. AND THEIR IDS WORK WITH THEM AS WELL. JUST ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION. WHEN I WAS A SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, THIS STUFF COUNTED IN TERMS OF IF I KEPT MY JOB OR NOT. IT ALSO COUNTED WITH RESPECT TO IF I WAS TRULY IMPROVING THE SCHOOL. HOW DO WE USE THIS IN SERVICE OF ENSURING THAT WE HAVE PRINCIPALS WHO ARE TRULY IMPROVING THE CLIMATE AND CULTURE OF A BUILDING? YEP. SO WE LOOK AT ALL ALL TYPES OF DATA. SO THIS ALONG WITH SUSPENSION DATA ALONG WITH IN-SCHOOL SUSPENSION OUT OF SCHOOL SUSPENSION, SUSPENSION. SO THAT DOES BECOME PART OF THEIR EVALUATION WHEN THE IDS SIT WITH THEM AND THEY SET GOALS. AND MANY OF THEM DO SET GOALS BASED ON THE DATA OF THEIR SCHOOL AROUND CLIMATE AND CULTURE. NOT EVERY SCHOOL NEEDS A GOAL AROUND IT OR HAS ONE, BUT FOR THOSE WHO DO, THEN THE IDS WORK WITH THEM AND IT BECOMES PART OF THEIR EVALUATION IF THEY MAKE GROWTH OR NOT. AND CHIEF STRADER, THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF MY WILD REQUESTS. IS IT POSSIBLE TO SEE THIS AGGREGATED BY SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT IN THE FUTURE? YOU'VE PROBABLY ALREADY DONE IT AS A. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION EARLIER TOO, ABOUT PRINCIPALS. 
          WE DO HAVE A DASHBOARD THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR PRINCIPALS TO SEE THIS THIS DATA DOWN TO THE DETAIL. THEY CAN EVEN SEE THE COMMENTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR SCHOOLS. AND YES, YOU ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO THE DASHBOARD. AND WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE WALK YOU THROUGH THAT. 
          THANK YOU. IF I COULD. CHAIR JACKSON, SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE, I'D ALSO LIKE TO INTRODUCE ONE OF THE STAFF MEMBERS, RASHIDA TYLER. SHE'S A SUPERVISOR OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING OFFICE AND HAS A MAJOR LIFT AS PART OF THIS WORK. SO SHE IS HERE, SEATED BEHIND US. SO I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER WALKER, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION THAT I REALLY HAVE IS AROUND BULLYING. I'M SO GLAD THAT THIS IS ONE OF OUR FOCUS POINTS. MY SON WAS BULLIED IN THE FIRST GRADE AND I THINK IT STARTS SO YOUNG. SO MY QUESTION IS ESPECIALLY SEEING THE DATA THAT REALLY STARTED AT FOURTH GRADERS, DO WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OR CAN YOU CONSIDER A FOCUS GROUP THAT IS WITH EACH OF OUR LEVELS. SO FROM FOURTH TO I MEAN HONESTLY FROM FIRST TO 12, SO THAT YOU CAN REALLY HEAR HOW THEY'RE DEFINING BULLYING BECAUSE OFTENTIMES THAT DIFFERS ACROSS EVEN IN GRADE LET ALONE ACROSS THE GRADES. THAT WOULD BE JUST AMAZING JUST TO GET THEIR INPUT AND SEE HOW THEY WOULD TACKLE IT IF THEY WERE IN CHARGE. I THINK WE JUST NEED TO TAP IN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY, BECAUSE WE CONTINUOUSLY SEE THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING TREND. AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR THAT. ONE OF THE UPTICKS THAT WE'VE SEEN, NOT ONLY NATIONWIDE BUT BUT ALSO IN THE DISTRICT AS WELL, AND THAT'S REFLECTED EVEN IN SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE COME IN, IS AROUND SOCIAL, SOCIAL MEDIA BULLYING. YEAH. AND THAT IS A DIFFICULT APPEAL TO ADDRESS BECAUSE IT'S ADDRESSING THE UNKNOWN THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS HAVE ACCESS TO. BUT OF COURSE THERE IS QUITE A BIT GOING ON IN REFERENCE TO THE USE OF CELL PHONES IN SCHOOL. BUT AGAIN, CELL PHONES ARE NOT JUST ABOUT BEING AT SCHOOL. IT'S SOCIAL MEDIA IS WRAPPED ALL AROUND US IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT AS WELL. YEAH. AND THAT'S WHY IN MY A COUPLE OF MY MINUTE LEFT. THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR CONSIDERATION FOR US TO HAVE THESE YOUNG PEOPLE AT THE TABLE. 
          SO SHOULD WE DECIDE TO DO THAT, WHICH I HOPE WE DO. I'D LOVE TO BE A PART OF THAT, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. THANK YOU. YEAH. AND WE DO HAVE A PLAN FOR FOCUS GROUPS THIS YEAR. AND THAT IS ONE OF OUR FOCUS AREAS. WE ATTEND P GRASS TWICE A YEAR AND WE SHARE THIS DATA WITH P GRASS. 
          SO SMOG DJANGO IS THERE AND HIS TEAM AND THEY SUPPORT US WITH LEADING STUDENT GOVERNMENT MEMBERS THROUGH LOOKING AT THIS DATA ANALYZING THIS DATA. AND SO WE ALSO CIRCLE BACK TO THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN FOCUS GROUPS. WE PARTNER CLOSELY WITH DIRECTOR MOODY AND THE STUDENT SERVICES OFFICE TO FIND STUDENTS THAT WANT TO PARTICIPATE AS WELL. SO THAT IS ON OUR RADAR FOR THIS YEAR. THANK YOU. SPEAKING OF GRASS, BOARD MEMBER JUNCO. WELL, I ALREADY SEEN MOST OF THIS 
          [01:30:06]
DATA, BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BRINGING IT TO THE BOARD MEETING. MY QUESTION MORE IS, WELL, I DO AGREE WITH BOARD MEMBER WALKER WITH HAVING A SOME TYPE OF GROUP WHERE OUR STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO BE AT THAT TABLE TO SEE WHERE THEY WOULD APPROACH BULLYING. I THINK ANOTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MAYBE NEXT YEAR, IS I KNOW WE'VE SOME OF OUR STUDENTS, SOME OF OUR SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE STARTING TO GET MORE PEER MEDIATORS. SOME OF THE, I THINK, MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE IF AT LEAST OUR RATES IN LIKE, YOU KNOW, PHYSICAL VIOLENCE OR MENTAL EVEN JUST MENTAL, YOU KNOW, JUST MENTAL WELL-BEING HAS DECREASED IN CERTAIN SCHOOLS SO THAT WE CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, SOME AT LEAST GET A PERSPECTIVE OF HOW THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, BENEFITING OUR STUDENTS. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S REALLY JUST MORE OF LIKE A COMMENT. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD REALLY HELP US ANALYZE THIS DATA. AND OF COURSE, WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING TO GRASS, MISS TYLER. YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, GRASS LOVES YOU AND THEY WANT YOU TO COME BACK. SO JUST JUST WANT TO LEAVE IT AT THAT. AND I HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT EVENING. THANK YOU. SO I DID HAVE A COMMENT IN REGARDS TO THE CLIMATE SURVEY. 
          SO I THINK IT'S I THINK IT'S A REALLY GREAT JOB OF, YOU KNOW, CAPTURING THE OVERALL SENTIMENT OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. THE ONE QUESTION I, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD WAS, IS THERE A WAY TO SEE OUR PROGRESS, HOW WE HOW WE DID PRIOR YEARS? BECAUSE THE NUMBER, AS IT STANDS ALONE, WE REALLY DON'T KNOW THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE MADE AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, HOW DID WE DO IN FY 2024 OR 2023 2022? ARE WE STAGNANT? ARE WE MAKING INCREASES? WHAT DO WE DO TO INCREASE IT? HOW DO WE GET HERE IF WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, TRACKING, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD WE DO BETTER IN ORDER TO GET TO WHERE WE WERE. SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL AS WE WORK THROUGH IMPROVEMENTS. AND I KNOW WE DO HAVE THE DASHBOARDS THAT AVAILABLE, BUT IF IT CAN BE LIKE A POOL REPORT THAT CAN SHOW US THAT INFO, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT. AND ALSO ON ON THE I THINK ON THE MORE ON THE OTHER VERSION, IT WAS LIKE SLIDE 12. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD WAS LIKE IT SAID, 38% OF THE STUDENTS FEEL CONNECTED TO THE SCHOOL OR SOMETHING. TO THAT EXTENT, A LITTLE BIT OVER ONE THIRD OF THE STUDENTS FEEL CONNECTED. SO THAT MEANS LIKE ALMOST TWO THIRDS DON'T FEEL CONNECTED. AM I READING THAT RIGHT? SO I JUST I JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, UNDERSCORE THAT, THAT BULLET POINT. BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T FEEL CONNECTED TO THE SCHOOL, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN REALLY LEARN. YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, WANT A MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS IS BELONGINGNESS. SO IF YOU DON'T FEEL CONNECTED OR BELONGING TO THAT SCHOOL SYSTEM, THEN I DON'T KNOW REALLY HOW YOU CAN BE VULNERABLE TO LEARN. SO I THINK THAT'S DEFINITELY AN AREA THAT WE GOT TO PUT MORE ENERGY INTO. AND I JUST WANT TO KNOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO KIND OF INCREASE THAT SCORE. BOARD CHAIR JACKSON, MAY I MAKE ONE QUICK COMMENT? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ABOUT THIS DATA AND THE USE OF THIS DATA, IS THAT OUR T26 STRATEGIC PLAN IS WRAPPING UP AND COMING TO AN END. AND SO SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE HAS GRACIOUSLY, HAS GRACIOUSLY EXTENDED TIME DURING OUR EXECUTIVE CABINET MEETINGS AND AFTER OUR CABINET MEETINGS TO HAVE THIS TEAM COME IN, LOOK AT THE DATA, AND START TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IS OUR NEXT STRATEGIC PLAN GOING TO LOOK LIKE. SO WE'RE SUPER PROUD AND LOOKING FORWARD TO INCORPORATING SOME OF THE FEEDBACK FROM OUR COMMUNITY. SORRY, MY BUTTON IS STICKY OVER HERE. WE DO ALSO HAVE A DATA SET THAT SHOWS LONGITUDINAL DATA. IT IS LENGTHY, SO WE DO HAVE A DATA DOWNLOAD TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL WHERE YOU CAN SEE LONGITUDINAL DATA YEAR OVER YEAR, AND WE WILL PROVIDE FOOTNOTES. ET CETERA. SO THAT YOU ALL KNOW LIKE HOW TO LOOK AT IT AND READ IT, WHICH YEARS TO COMPARE THE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LAST THREE YEARS BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE THE MOST ROBUST DATA SET. BUT WE ARE PREPARED WITH THAT TO SHARE WITH YOU AFTER THIS MEETING. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. DOES THAT CONCLUDE YOUR PRESENTATION, SUPERINTENDENT? YES. THANK YOU 
          [15. Consent Agenda]
SO MUCH. MOVING ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA AND JUST A NOTE FROM THE CHAIR, BECAUSE I THINK 
          [01:35:02]
WE HAD A TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY WITH BOARD DOCS. SO ITEM FIVE 15.1 WAS MOVED TO THE GENERAL SECTION. SAY THAT AGAIN. YEAH. SOME SOME PEOPLE'S COPIES DON'T SAY THAT. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS 15.12. THE CONTRACT EXTENSION FOR METROPOLITAN INTERPRETING SERVICES THAT WAS MOVED. SO I DID GET SOME MESSAGES TO SAY IT STILL SHOWS UP IN SOME PEOPLE'S CONSENT AGENDA. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR THAT IT THAT IT WAS MOVED, THAT WAS THE INTENTIONS OF IT TO BE MOVED. SO THE, THE CHAIRMAN RECOGNIZES SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE TO PRESENT THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS 15.1 THROUGH 15.11 AND 15.1 13 THROUGH 15.22 FOR THE BOARD APPROVAL. THANK YOU, CHAIR JACKSON. AND AS AS INDICATED, 15.1 THROUGH 15.22 REQUIRE BOARD APPROVAL OF PROCLAMATIONS COMMEMORATING SPECIAL EVENTS IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. OF COURSE, FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL AND APPROVAL OF FIRST OF ALL, 15.1 CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS. 15.2 PROCLAMATION IN REFERENCE TO NATIONAL SCHOOL NURSE DAY IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 15.3 POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION SUPPORT, KNOWN AS PBIS EMPHASIS WEEK 15.4 AUTISM ACCEPTANCE DAY ON APRIL 2ND 15.5 OBSERVATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARY WEEK. AND THAT'S APRIL 7TH THROUGH 11TH. 15.6 OBSERVATION WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD TM APRIL 7TH THROUGH 11 PROCLAMATION PROCLAMATION 15.7 OBSERVATION OF EARTH DAY ON APRIL 22ND. 15.8 FINANCIAL LITERACY MONTH DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL 15.9. MONTH OF THE MILITARY CHILD DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL AS WELL 15.10 OBSERVATION OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTIC AWARENESS DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL. 15.11 COMMEMORATING 2024 MARYLAND CLIMATE TECH IN AND AS INDICATED, 15.12 WOULD BE PULLE. 15.13 RESOLUTION FOR BUSINESS PROGRAMS. ADVANCING BUSINESS MAGNATE AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT. CAPSTONE BUSINESS PRINCIPLES OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP. ELECTIVES. BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS. ENTREPRENEURSHIP ONE AND TWO WEB PAGE DESIGN AND PATHWAY. OFFICE SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT ONE AND TWO AS WELL 15.1 FOR GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS, AP PSYCHOLOGY AND AP AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES. 15.15 IB STANDING FOR INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE, ART IB BIOLOGY, IB BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND IB CHEMISTRY 15.16 AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE ONE AND TWO. LATINO AMERICAN LITERATURE ONE AND TWO ENGLISH COMPOSITION, CREATIVE WRITING AND SPEECH ONE AND TWO AS WELL 15.17 HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY AP ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE 15.18 IMMERSION PROGRAMS, SPANISH LANGUAGE ARTS GRADE 11 AND CHINESE LANGUAGE ARTS GRADE 11 AS WELL 15.19 MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWCOMER, ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT AND MIDDLE SCHOOL BEGINNER ELD 15.20 RESOLUTION FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES GRADES K THROUGH TWO. 
          15.21 WORLD LANGUAGES. INTRODUCTION OF CHINESE AND THEN FINALLY 15.22. THIS IS A LONG ONE. DIGITAL TEXTBOOK EXTENSIONS RECORDING TECHNOLOGY CHINESE IMMERSION K THROUGH FIVE. 
          ALGEBRA ONE LAB. INTRODUCTION TO ITALIAN CHINESE ONE THROUGH FOUR. SPORTS MEDICINE. COMPUTER SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS IB MUSIC ONE AND TWO IB THEATER ONE AND TWO AP CALCULUS, QUANTITATIVE MODELING, AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY DRAMA TWO THROUGH FOUR. ACTING STUDIO ONE AND TWO SCENE STUDY AP LITERATURE, COMPOSITION, FAMILY LIVING, INTERNATIONAL CULTURE AND CUISINE, FOOD TRENDS, MEDICINE, SCIENCE, ART HISTORY, ELEMENTARY READING THREE THROUGH FIVE, GEOGRAPHY, HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM, US HISTORY ONE AND TWO, JAPANESE ONE THROUGH FOUR. FRENCH LANGUAGE ARTS MIDDLE SCHOOL SIX THROUGH EIGHT. PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS AP LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION, BUSINESS LAW, PRACTICAL LAW AND ITALIAN. LEVEL ONE THROUGH FOUR. ART, DRAMA, TEACHING AND PROFESSION. TEACHING AS A PROFESSION. EXCUSE ME. FOOD SERVICE PROFESSIONALS ONE AND TWO. PROFESSIONAL COOKING ALGEBRA ONE AND TWO AP MICROECONOMICS. SPANISH K 
          [01:40:08]
THROUGH THREE, LATIN ONE AND TWO. CERAMICS ONE AND TWO. HIGH SCHOOL ART TWO THROUGH FOUR. ART APPRECIATION ONE AND TWO. PHOTOGRAPHY ONE AND TWO. COMPUTER GRAPHICS ONE AND TWO. 
          AND FINALLY GERMAN ONE THROUGH FOUR. THAT WAS A MOUTHFUL. SUPERINTENDENT. GOOD JOB. THANK YOU. SUPERINTENDENT. HOUSE BOARD MEMBERS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO PULL ANY OF THESE ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION UNDER GENERAL ORDERS? PULLING AN ITEM DOES NOT DENOTE A NO. IT INDICATES A DESIRE TO DISCUSS FURTHER. OKAY. IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION, IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS, THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS 15.1 THROUGH 15.11 AND 15.1 13 THROUGH 15.22 WILL BE ADOPTED. MOVING ON TO THERE'S NO 
          [17. General Order]
UNFINISHED BUSINESS. SO MOVING ON TO GENERAL ORDERS. AND I THINK THIS WAS THE APPROPRIATE. 
          THIS WAS THE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO DISCUSS THE TOPIC THAT YOU WANT, THE MOTION THAT YOU WANTED TO MAKE. BOARD MEMBER MCCANTS. EXCUSE ME. SORRY. I'M SORRY. IT'S A GENERAL CONTRACT. GENERAL CONTRACT EXTENSION. EXCUSE ME. FOR THE METROPOLITAN INTERPRETING SERVICES. SO THE CHAIRMAN RECOGNIZES SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE TO PRESENT THE CONSENT AGENDA. ITEM 15.12 FOR BOARD APPROVAL. THANK YOU. CHAIR JACKSON, I'D LIKE TO INVITE OUR ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, DOCTOR TRANEL BOWMAN, TO THE MICROPHONE TO SHARE SOME INSIGHT. BEFORE WE DO THAT, I'D LIKE OUR CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER, DOCTOR JUDY, AND WE HAVE THE WRONG NAME TAG THERE. THAT'S JUDY OVER THERE AND RASHEEN OVER THERE. SO SWITCH IT UP. 
          EXCELLENT. DOCTOR JUDY WHITE, GOOD EVENING. I'M GOING TO BRING SOME CLARITY TO IT AND THEN ALLOW TRANEL BOWMAN, OUR ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT, TO ADD ANY ADDITIONAL CONTEXT, SHOULD YOU HAVE QUESTIONS. SO THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY MONEY. THIS MONEY IS ALREADY IN OUR CURRENT BUDGET. WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS BASED ON THE SERVICES WE NEED, WE SPEND ABOUT $135,000 A MONTH IN INTERPRETATION SERVICES FOR OUR STUDENTS. THESE CONTRACTS ARE ALSO IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR INTERPRETATION OFFICE. SO THIS COULD BE SERVICES IN THEIR CLASSROOM. IT'S JUST THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INTERPRETERS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS AND OR PARENTS WHO NEED SERVICES HAVE THEM. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH AN RFP, AND WE KNOW THAT OUR CONTRACTS CAN ONLY GO UP TO 250. AND SOME OF THOSE CONTRACTS HAVE COME BACK AND SAID THEY CANNOT FULFILL THE NEED THAT WE HAVE. 
          THIS PARTICULAR COMPANY CAN. BUT BECAUSE THE CONTRACT IS ONLY SET AT 250, WE ARE COMING BEFORE YOU SAYING CAN WE EXTEND THEIR AMOUNT BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY CAN SERVICE OUR STUDENTS. WE ALREADY HAVE THE FUNDS. YOU'VE APPROVED THOSE FUNDS. THOSE FUNDS WERE IN THE BUDGET THAT WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR. FOR THE CURRENT YEAR THAT WE'RE IN, WE JUST NEED YOUR PERMISSION TO EXCEED THE 250. 
          THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? NUMBER 16 IS. MCCANN'S. NO. JUST HAD YOU LAID OFF. ALL RIGHT. THERE BEING NO OBJECTION IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION TO GENERAL ORDER ITEM 15.12 WILL BE ADOPTED. MOVING ON TO NEW BUSINESS. IF THERE IS ANY NEW BUSINESS. OKAY. BOARD MEMBER 
          [18. New Business]
GOINS MCCANN'S. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR. NOW I PRESSED IT. APPARENTLY I'M A LITTLE BIT SHORT. SO SOMETIMES I HIT IT WITH MY ARM HANDLE. SO AT THIS POINT. THANK YOU SO MUCH DOCTOR MOSS FOR CLARIFYING. I'M STILL LEARNING ALL OF OUR PARLIAMENTARY PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES AT THIS POINT. I'D LIKE TO SAY I MOVE THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT CONTINUES TO COLLABORATE WITH OUR CHARTER NETWORK LEADERS BY COLLECTING POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO DETERMINE PER PUPIL ALLOCATIONS AND GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE CHARTER AGREEMENT, AUTHORIZATION, RENEWAL PROCESS AND FUNDING, AND THEN REQUEST TO PRESENT THAT PLAN TO THE BOARD AT THE APRIL 24TH GENERAL BOARD MEETING. AND HAPPY TO REPEAT THAT AGAIN, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WAS A VERY LONG MOTION. THANK YOU. SO THE 
          [01:45:03]
QUESTION IS THE SUPERINTENDENT CONTINUES TO COLLABORATE WITH ALL CHARTER NETWORK LEADERS BY CONNECTING POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ONE DETERMINE PER PUPIL ALLOCATION TO GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE CHARTER, AGREEMENT AND RENEWAL PROCESS IN THE SUPERINTENDENT SHALL PRESENT THIS PLAN TO THE BOARD AT APRIL 20TH ON APRIL 24TH GENERAL BOARD MEETING. IS THAT CORRECT? YES. BOARD MEMBERS, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY. BOARD MEMBER BROWN. YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CHAIR JACKSON. I UNDERSTAND THAT IN DECEMBER THERE WAS A. A RULING THAT HAPPENED. I THINK WE SHOULD WAIT TO ALSO GET LEGAL INTERPRETATION ON WHAT THAT RULING WAS AND HOW THAT AFFECTS CHARTER SCHOOLS. THANK YOU. 
          BOARD MEMBER. WALKER, THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU KNOW, ALONGSIDE WHAT BOARD MEMBER BROWN SAID, I THINK JUST FOR CLARIFICATION FROM THE MOTION MAKER, KNOWING THAT FUNDING DATA, INCLUDING PER PUPIL DATA, IS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE NEXT WEEK AND TO OUR UNDERSTANDING, HAS BEEN ONGOING COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE CHARTER OFFICE WHERE POLICY. WELL, MY UNDERSTANDING IS AT LEAST THAT POLICY UPDATES CAN BE MADE INSIDE OF THOSE FORUMS. I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT GAP WE'RE FILLING, MAINLY BECAUSE I HAVE CHARTERS WE HAVE INSIDE OF DISTRICT NINE. I'M ALL IN FOR INCREASED TRANSPARENCY, BUT I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT GAP YOU'RE TRYING TO FILL WITH THIS AND WHERE YOU THINK WHAT DOESN'T EXIST. WITH THE DATA THAT WE'RE HAVING ISSUED NEXT WEEK, WITH US SEEING IT IN ADVANCE? THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION. I THINK THE GAP THAT I'M TRYING TO FILL IS THE TRANSPARENCY ASPECT. I THINK A LOT OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE GONE ON, AT LEAST FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THERE JUST SEEMS TO BE A DISCONNECT AS TO WHAT IS ACTUALLY POLICY COMING FROM THE STATE VERSUS WHAT IT IS THAT PGC IS SAYING AND DOING WITH THE BUDGET. SO WANTING TO HAVE THAT SPACE FOR SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE TO COME BACK AND PRESENT THAT AT A BOARD MEETING, AND THEN ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CHARTERS AND THEIR POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE HEARD BEFORE SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE PRESENTS THAT FOR NOT JUST US, BUT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND BECAUSE I STILL HAVE A MINUTE LEFT, I'LL JUST GO. YEAH. I THINK IT'S AWESOME TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS. I GUESS I THOUGHT WHAT I UNDERSTOOD IN OUR MEETING PRIOR TO THIS WAS THAT THAT INFORMATION WAS GOING TO BE GIVEN TO NOT ONLY US, BUT ALSO THE CHARTER SCHOOLS. SO I WOULD HAVE WHEN I WHEN I HEARD THE MOTION, ALTHOUGH I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE MOTION, I JUST THOUGHT THAT THAT DATA WAS ALREADY GIVEN TO US. SO WHEN WE JUST LITERALLY TALKED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT EXECUTIVE SESSION CONVERSATION. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE GAP, BUT THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT. IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSED. THANKS. IF I MAY. THE JUST THE PART ABOUT THE TRANSPARENCY FOR THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY SINCE I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL ARE USED TO SEEING 100 AND SOMETHING COMMENTS PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT THE SAME THING WITH THE SAME GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OR I SHOULD SAY LACK OF CONNECTION. SO GIVING THAT OPPORTUNITY PUBLICLY TO CLARIFY WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING AS PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS VERSUS AS BOARD MEMBER, BROWN SAID. THANK YOU. DOCTOR MOSS. YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. BOARD MEMBER GOINGS MCCANTS. I TRUST YOUR LEADERSHIP AS THE CHAIR OF OUR BUDGET COMMITTEE THAT YOU WOULD PUT FORTH A MOTION LIKE THIS, I ALSO TRUST LET ME SAY THIS MY SUPPORT FOR THIS MOTION DOESN'T MEAN I DON'T TRUST THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR SUPERINTENDENT. WHAT THIS SAYS TO ME AND SIGNALS IS THAT ANYTIME OVER 100 FOLKS PUT FORTH THE TIME AND EFFORT TO SEND A LETTER TO THIS, AND FOLKS PACKED THIS ROOM, THAT THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT OUR SYSTEM THAT WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB ENGAGING FOLKS IN A THOUGHTFUL AND TRANSPARENT WAY. AND THIS MOTION, WHAT I DO RESPECT ABOUT IT IS THAT IT SAYS CONTINUES IN THAT THAT MEANS THE LEADERSHIP IN THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN DOING SOMETHING, BUT THERE ARE OVER 150 FOLKS WHO DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT'S BEEN TRANSPARENT. AND SO AS FOLKS WHO ARE ELECTED TO DO A JOB, IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE PEOPLE. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S MORE THAN ONE CHARTER IN THIS ROOM TONIGHT. THERE ARE MULTIPLE CHARTER LEADERS IN THIS ROOM. AND SO IT'S NOT LOST ON ME THAT THEY HAD SOME TYPE OF EXPERIENCE. NOW, LET ME SAY THIS. I FUNDAMENTALLY, AS A FORMER BOARD CHARTER SCHOOL 
          [01:50:05]
BOARD MEMBER, I SUPPORT, I SUPPORT THE WORK OF CHARTER SCHOOLS. BUT I ALSO BELIEVE WITH AUTONOMY AND WITH FUNDING COMES A RESPONSIBILITY. AND SO MY MOTION TONIGHT ALSO COMES WITH A DEMAND THAT IF WE CONTINUE TO DO THIS WORK OF FUNDING OUR SCHOOLS AND ASKING OUR SUPERINTENDENT TO DO THIS WORK, WE EXPECT TO SEE UNPRECEDENTED ACHIEVEMENT FROM OUR FOLKS. AND SOME OF OUR CHARTERS ARE ALREADY DOING THAT EVERY DAY. SO LET ME SAY THIS. LET ME SAY THIS. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THIS, AND I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR TO THE PUBLIC, THIS DOES NOT SIGNAL A LACK OF SUPPORT FOR OUR SUPERINTENDENT. THIS IS ADDITIVE IN THAT WE ARE JUST LITERALLY STAMPING TONIGHT THAT WE SUPPORT THE WORK YOU'RE DOING. BUT WE'VE GOT TO STEP IT UP A BIT. IF FOLKS FEEL LIKE IT'S NOT TRANSPARENT, THEN WE'RE GOING TO DO MORE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ELECTED TO DO TONIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CHAIR GOINS MCCANTS, FOR YOUR MOTION. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY TO ALL THE CHARTER LEADERS AND FAMILIES THAT ARE OUT THERE TONIGHT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION. AND AS OUR CHAIR SAID EARLIER, I HOPE TO SEE YOU HERE NEXT MONTH TO. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MOSS. DOCTOR ANDOVER. YES, THANK YOU, CHAIR JACKSON. SO I ALSO FULLY SUPPORT THIS MOTION. I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO ECHO WHAT SOME OF WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID, YOU KNOW, WITH THE LARGE AMOUNT OF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT WE'VE SEEN HERE TONIGHT, THE LARGE AMOUNT OF WRITTEN COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN SENT IN TO THE POINTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE, I'M ESSENTIALLY GOING TO DOUBLE STAMP AND SAY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST A NEED FOR INCREASED TRANSPARENCY, INCREASED COMMUNICATION AND INCREASED CLARITY. YOU KNOW, THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE HEARING TONIGHT AND EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE SPACE THIS EVENING JUST REALLY, I THINK, EMPHASIZES THE NEED FOR THAT. THE INFORMATION THAT, YOU KNOW, MANY HAVE RECEIVED, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT IT'S CLEAR THAT IT'S ACCURATE AND THAT EVERYONE JUST HAS THE NECESSARY INFORMATION MOVING FORWARD. SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS MOTION IS ABOUT, ENSURING THAT, AGAIN, THE WORK THAT SUPERINTENDENT HOUSE AND HIS TEAM HAS ALREADY STARTED JUST CONTINUES, AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO INCREASE OUR EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS ALIGNED WITH WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENED AND HAVE ALL OF THE NECESSARY INFORMATION MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU. DOCTOR. BOARD MEMBER, VICE CHAIR BRIGGS I'M SORRY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH. AND THANK YOU FOR THE MOTION AND THE DISCUSSION. 
          COLLEAGUES, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TRANSPARENCY, I WOULD LIKE, YOU KNOW, US TO BE VERY, YOU KNOW, ATTENTIVE TO HOW WE'RE USING THE TERM EQUITY AND EQUITABLE FUNDING AND PER PUPIL FUNDING BECAUSE WE DID NOT HEAR COMPLETE ACCURACY THIS EVENING AND THAT EVERY, YOU KNOW, DOLLAR. YOU KNOW, OUR BOUNDARY SCHOOLS THAT CURRENTLY COMMIT NORTH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IS PER PUPIL FUNDING IS $4,000 MORE PER YEAR THAN A HIGH POINT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AND JUST ABOUT EVERY OTHER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. SO I WANT US TO JUST BE I'M NOT TRYING TO GIVE THAT A, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT. I JUST WANT US TO BE ACCURATE. LIKE, LET'S LET'S NOT MISSTATE PER PUPIL FUNDING. AND THE OTHER THING IS EVERY SINGLE CPS STUDENT IS IN A FIGHT FOR PER PUPIL FUNDING RIGHT NOW. AND OUR OWN SENATORS NEED TO HEAR FROM EVERY SCHOOL COMMUNITY. AND THERE ARE SENATORS WHO ARE READY TO VOTE ON SB 429 THAT WILL REDUCE PER PUPIL FUNDING AND THAT WILL IMPACT EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL. AND SO I HOPE WE CAN PACK ANNAPOLIS AS WELL AND RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE SCHOOL COMMUNITIES WITH MORE RESOURCES AROUND PARENT ENGAGEMENT. SO LET'S JUST CALL OUT ALL OF THAT. AND THIS PROBLEM DOES NEED TO BE SOLVED. AND I'VE SAID THAT TO THE LEADER OF CHESAPEAKE LIGHTHOUSE FOUNDATION. BUT I DON'T I DON'T WANT US TO GET CAUGHT UP IN EQUITY FIGHT WITHIN CPS BECAUSE OUR EQUITY FIGHT IS WITH AT THE STATE LEVEL AND FUNDING FOR THE ENTIRE SYSTEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER STRUTHERS, VICE CHAIR BRIGGS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CHAIR JACKSON. I JUST WANT TO ECHO MY COLLEAGUES IN SAYING, YEAH, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? OKAY. I WANT TO ECHO MY COLLEAGUES IN SAYING THAT I THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT MOTION, AND I APPRECIATE BOARD MEMBER GOINS MCCANTS IN PRESENTING THIS ON THE FLOOR. I THINK WHAT I HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY WAS THAT THERE IS A DESIRE TO ENSURE THAT 
          [01:55:01]
OUR, YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS, OUR STUDENTS CONTINUE TO THRIVE IN ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THERE THEY'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL OR WHERE THEY'VE BUILT FRIENDSHIPS AND LASTING RELATIONSHIPS. AND WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT EDUCATION LONG TERM, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, HOW MANY GREAT TEACHERS WE HAVE OR HOW MUCH FUNDING IS THERE. BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT THOSE RELATIONSHIPS THAT STUDENTS HAVE. SO I KNOW THAT. I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I THINK THIS MOTION IS GETTING AT REALLY GETTING TO THE FACTS OF THE INFORMATION, ENSURING THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, BOTH FROM A BUDGETARY STANDPOINT AT THE STATE AND COUNTY LEVEL, AS WE'RE PROJECTING OUT BUDGETS AND AS WE ALL KNOW, THERE'S A THERE'S A STATE DEFICIT AS WELL AS A COUNTY DEFICIT. BUT I THINK WE CAN STILL, YOU KNOW, GET CLEAR ANSWERS, SUPPORT OUR CHARTER NETWORKS AND PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE. THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT I CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM THEM. AND I THINK ALSO THIS MOTION IS TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION WITH OUR CHARTER NETWORK. WE I GOT AMAZING RECOMMENDATIONS AND POLICY PROPOSALS FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE GROUND EVERY DAY, WHO DO THIS WORK, AND WHO KNOW CHARTERS FAR BETTER THAN MANY OF US AT THE DAIS HERE. SO THIS MOTION, GETTING TO THE INTENT IS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS. I THINK, WHILE BEING RESPONSIVE AND FACT BASED. SO HOPEFULLY COLLEAGUES WILL AGREE WITH THAT AS WE TAKE A VOTE AT SOME POINT. THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBER BRIGGS. SO I DO HAVE A COMMENT. IT'S TOUGH BEING A CHAIR BECAUSE YOU GOT TO GO LAST AND EVERYBODY SAID ALL THE GOOD STUFF, BUT BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSET IN THIS IN THIS COUNTY. AND SO I JUST WANT YOU TO SEE THE BOARD IS UP HERE TODAY FIGHTING TO MAKE SURE YOU GET HEARD. WE SUPPORT OUR SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF AND THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, BUT WE JUST FEEL LIKE THERE IS NO HARM AND JUST SHOWING THE FRAMEWORK ON HOW THINGS ARE CALCULATED, HOW FUNDING IS ALLOCATED. I JUST THINK GIVING YOU GUYS A CLEAR PICTURE AND I KNOW INFORMATION IS ASYMMETRICAL. SO SOMETIMES WE MAY THINK WE PRESENT IT IN A WAY THAT EVERYBODY GRASP IT, BUT SOMETIMES WE MAY MISS SOME POINTS. AND SO THIS IS JUST ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO JUST SHOW WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT'S BEHIND THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S UNDER THE HOOD. AND I THINK THAT THIS WILL BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO JUST HAVE THAT COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITY. SO WE'RE SENSITIVE TO THE COMMENTS THAT WERE PRESENTED TONIGHT. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU MOBILIZING YOUR COMMUNITIES TO BE HERE AND STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. AND IT JUST SHOWS THE REFLECTION OF THE HEART THAT YOU HAVE THAT YOU'RE FIGHTING FOR YOUR KIDS. AND IN THIS POLITICAL CLIMATE RIGHT NOW, OUR KIDS ARE ALL WE GOT. SO WE GOT TO KEEP FIGHTING FOR OUR KIDS AND OUR STUDENTS. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING HERE TONIGHT AND SHOWING UP IN FORCE. AND I JUST HOPE Y'ALL SHOW UP TO THE 24TH MEETING THE SAME WAY, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT. AND I SAY THAT JOKINGLY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES THAT ARE GOING ON THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTY THAT WE NEED PARENTS. PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT IS LIKE THE MARQUEE INDICATOR OF EVERY SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES. AND I FEEL LIKE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WE HAVE SO MANY AMAZING PEOPLE. 
          WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE THEM SHOW UP FOR THEIR KIDS THE SAME WAY. I KNOW I'M PREACHING TO THE CHOIR, BUT I JUST WANT US TO SHOW UP FOR OUR KIDS CONTINUALLY. SO TELL YOUR PEERS, TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO SHOW UP. ALSO. THANK YOU. IS THERE TIME FOR SO I. YEAH, I GOT TWO PEOPLE, DOCTOR. I MEAN BOARD MEMBER. WALKER YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, TO MY DISTRICT NINE PARENTS. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE STILL HERE, BUT FOR CMT SOUTH AND I'LL SAY THAT FOR CMA. OH HEY. HEY, YOU KNOW, I GET YOUR EMAILS AND I'M RIGHT THERE WITH YOU. OUR KIDS, LIKE EVERYONE SAID, ARE IMPORTANT. I THINK WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US IS TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE TIME THE GAP THAT WE ARE SOLVING FOR. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE CLEAR, WE CAN BE COMMITTED AND WE CAN ADVOCATE TOGETHER. OUTSIDE OF THAT, WE'RE FIGHTING FOR ALL DIFFERENT THINGS. YOU GOT TO UNDERSTAND THE GAP TO GET CLEAR SO THAT THEN YOU CAN MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS MOVING FORWARD, AND WE'LL HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT AS WE NOT ONLY GO TO ANNAPOLIS, BUT AS WE TALK AS A COLLECTIVE BOARD HERE, SO THAT WE DO THE BEST WITH THE LIMITED BUDGET THAT WE HAVE. BECAUSE WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS DEFICIT IN MARYLAND, IT'S SERIOUS. WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE DEFICIT IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY. I KNOW YOU ALL SAW THE BUDGET HEARINGS, HOPEFULLY. AND I THINK WHAT THIS DOES DEMONSTRATE TO PARENTS IS THAT WHEN SOMETHING HITS YOU AT YOUR SCHOOL, YOU START DIGGING IN, AND WHEN YOU START DIGGING INTO ONE THING, YOU START DIGGING INTO ALL OF THE THINGS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN IT OPENS UP. SO THIS ADVOCACY IS BEYOND APPRECIATED. SO WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT FOR YOU. WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT FOR ALL OF OUR SCHOLARS IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, THE WHOLE 133,000 OF THEM. AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S EQUITY ACROSS ALL OF THOSE. BUT TO DO THAT, WE'VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE GAP IS SO THAT WE CAN ALL FIGHT THIS FIGHT TOGETHER. AND I JUST WANT FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND, ESPECIALLY MY DISTRICT NINE PEOPLE IN THE OTHER COMMITTEE, PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT TONIGHT TO. THANKS. DOCTOR MOSS. YEAH, I JUST WANT TO ARTICULATE TO THE LARGER PUBLIC WITH RESPECT TO ADMINISTRATION, I GOT LOTS OF EMAILS AND I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT NO DECISIONS 
          [02:00:07]
HAVE BEEN MADE AND THAT THESE FOLKS ARE WORKING TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE BUDGET IMPLICATIONS. BUT I'M GOING TO TAKE A PAGE OUT OF BOARD MEMBER AND BOARD MEMBER WALKER'S BOOK, AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, WHEN YOU GO HOME TONIGHT, I HOPE YOU WILL SEND AN EMAIL TO THE FOLKS IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WHO ARE JUST TWO HOURS AGO HAD A PROPOSAL FOR SENATE BILL 429 THAT WOULD REDUCE STATE FUNDING FOR OF. $126,506,426 OVER FOUR YEARS, WITH AN IMMEDIATE REDUCTION OF STATE FUNDING OF $12,079,993 IN FY 26 TO PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
          AND SO THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE CATEGORIES IN THE BLUEPRINT THAT IS CHALLENGING. AND SO YOUR YOUR ADVOCACY PAID OFF TONIGHT. I HOPE YOU WILL SEND AN EMAIL TO THE FOLKS IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND SAY, YOU KNOW, STOP STEALING OUR KIDS MONEY. DON'T BALANCE MARYLAND'S BUDGET ON THE BACKS OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. SO I WOULD BE REMISS AS THE CHAIR OF POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, NOT GIVING YOU THE AMMUNITION TO GO OUT. AND SO I SAY THIS WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, AND THESE WORDS CAN BE CODIFIED ANYWHERE. MY GRANDMOTHER SAID, IF YOU CAN SAY IT ONCE, SAY IT AGAIN, THIS BOARD, THIS ADMINISTRATION IS NOT YOUR ENEMY WHEN IT COMES TO FINANCE. THERE IS AN ENEMY BREWING. IF THEY VOTE THE WRONG WAY ON THE BLUEPRINT. AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO YOUR ADVOCACY PUSH. WE'RE GOING TO DO THE RIGHT THING HERE TO PROTECT KIDS IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY. 
          BUT LET'S JUST MAKE SURE THE FOLKS IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DO THE SAME THING. AND SO TONIGHT, PLEASE SEND THOSE EMAILS. THE TEACHER IN ME IS GOING TO ASK YOU TO DO SOMETHING WHEN YOU SEND THOSE EMAILS, CC ME TONIGHT SO I'LL KNOW THAT YOU ACTUALLY DID IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY KINDLY. HELLO. BOARD MEMBER MCCANTS, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON THIS MOTION AND ALSO TO THANK OUR ADMINISTRATION. ALSO, THANK OUR ADMINISTRATION FOR THEIR RESPONSIVENESS TO ALL OF THE QUESTIONS AND TO CLARIFY AND MAKE SURE THAT IT TO REITERATE WHAT MY COLLEAGUES SAID ABOUT TAKING THIS ADVOCACY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE APPLYING IT, NOT JUST HERE FOR THIS BOARD, NOT JUST IN ANNAPOLIS, BUT LITERALLY THIS ENERGY THAT WE SAW TONIGHT. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS ANYTIME YOU SEE A PROBLEM. THIS WAS AMAZING TO SEE. OBVIOUSLY OUR ROOM DOESN'T LOOK QUITE THE SAME ANYMORE, BUT THIS WAS AMAZING TO SEE AND WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT. AND THEN THANK MY COLLEAGUES ALSO FOR ALL OF YOUR ADVOCACY AS WELL. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT. SO THE QUESTION IS I READ THIS LONG MOTION AGAIN THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT CONTINUES TO COLLABORATE WITH ALL CHARTER NETWORK LEADERS BY COLLECTING POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ONE DETERMINE PER PUPIL ALLOCATIONS, AND TWO, GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE CHARTER, AGREEMENT AND RENEWAL PROCESS. THE SUPERINTENDENT SHALL PRESENT THIS PLAN TO THE BOARD AT THE APRIL 24TH GENERAL BOARD MEETING. MISS BARTON, CHAIR. GO AHEAD. JUST ONE. THE FUNDING STREAM AS WELL WAS A PART OF THAT. AND ALSO THE FUNDING STREAM. MISS BARTON, PLEASE TAKE THE ROLE. DOCTOR ANDOVER I MISS I MR. BRIGGS I MRS. BROWN I MISS GOINES MCCANN I MR. JOHN GO I DOCTOR MOSS. I MISS WALKER I MR. JACKSON I YOU HAVE NINE IN THE AFFIRMATIVE MOTION IS ADOPTED. ALL RIGHT. THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS. THE TIME IS NOW 905 IN MARCH 20TH 2027 2025 PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING IS NO
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.