Minutes for MCCPTA Delegates Assembly

April 26, 2005, Carver Education Center

 

 

Program

 

The program began at 7:40 pm.  Jinhee Wilde introduced Linda Ferrell, MCPS Middle School Coordinator and Director of Middle School Programs.

 

MCPS initiated a program review to assess the status of instructional program of the existing 36 middle schools.  The Program review had 14 Commendations and 32 Recommendations. 

 

COMMENDATIONS

Rigorous and Challenging Curriculum

  • Standards Based Curriculum
  • Standards Based Grading and Reporting System
  • Higher percentage of Grade 8 students enrolled in rigorous math courses
  • Exemplary acceleration programs
  • Integration of Information literacy skills
  • Middle School Brochure

 

Effective Staff and Professional Development

  • Require subject area certification for new middle school teacher applicants

 

Student-focused School Structure and Organization

  • Commitment and support of Board of Education, superintendent and central office to meet middle schools’ needs

 

Collaborations and Community Partnerships

  • Quality programs to involve parents and the community
  • Grants to improve middle school programs

 

Technology

  • State-of-the-art Website
  • Exemplary middle school’s Career and Technology Education (CTE) Program

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

Rigorous and Challenging Curriculum

  • Revise the middle school mathematics course sequencing
  • Implement the Baldrige Guided Improvement Process
  • Develop a written plan to support schools that did not meet adequate yearly progress
  • Develop system wide process to monitor instructional practices and procedures
  • Conduct and an alignment study of middle school assessments
  • Develop a comprehensive reading and math intervention plan
  • Continue full implementation of recommendations of the Special Education Classical Program Review
  • Develop and infuse multi-cultural education into curriculum

 

Effective Staff and Professional Development

  • Revise middle school instructional staffing formulas
  • Provide focused professional growth for middle school teachers
  • Focust leadership training on topics specific to the unique needs of middle school
  • Review, develop, and adopt BOE policies to provide support to middle school instructional initiatives
  • Conduct an analysis of block versus seven-period scheduling configurations
  • Establish and require the use of criteria for student placement in gifted and talented courses

 

Collaborations and Community Partnerships

  • Incorporate parent and community involvement initiative into the school improvement planning process

 

Technology

  • Develop and implement an assessment of the level of technology integration in student instruction

 

PRELIMINARY ACTION STEPS

Align recommendations to the MCPS Strategic Plan

 

Align recommendations to research-based comprehensive reform elements

  • Standards-based curriculum, assessment and instruction
  • Monitoring & Accountability
  • Extended Learning Opportunities
  • On-Going Professional Development
  • Collaboration and Engagement of Parent and Community Partners

 

Standards-based curriculum, assessment and instruction

Develop processes to ensure consistent implementation of the written curriculum

Implement diagnostic assessments and other benchmarking instruments to examine and monitor student progress in reading and mathematics

Identify and Implement prevention and intervention strategies for students in need of additional support

 

Monitoring & Accountability

Implement summative and diagnostic metrics to measure student progress

Set targets to monitor and analyze student performance

Develop and implement monitoring tools

 

Extended Learning Opportunities

Continue and expand the extended day middle school program

Continue and expand the extended year middle school program

 

On-Going Professional Development

 

Collaboration and Engagement of Parent and Community Partners

 

 

Business Meeting

 

OPENING BUSINESS

Call to Order: MCCPTA President Cindy Kerr called the meeting to order at 8:30

Pledge of Allegiance: Ted Willard led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Objects of the PTA: Victor Salazar recited the Mission of the PTA.

Review of Minutes: The minutes to the March Delegates Assembly were reviewed and stand as approved.

Treasurer’s Report:  There was no Treasurer’s Report. 

 

ELECTIONS

Bylaws Revision: Ted Willard reviewed the proposed changes to the Bylaws (highlighted below) that had been presented to the delegates at the March Delegates Assembly.

 

Article VIII: Officers and their Election

Section 1. The elected officers of MCCPTA shall be a president, a vice president for educational issues, a vice president for administration, a vice president for programs, vice president for legislation, a recording secretary, a corresponding secretary, and a treasurer. These officers shall be elected by ballot at the Annual Meeting. If there is only one candidate for any office, upon adoption of a motion from the floor, the election for that office (or offices) may be by voice vote.

Section 2. The president, vice president for educational issues, vice president for administration, vice president for programs, vice president for legislation, recording secretary, corresponding secretary, and treasurer shall be elected annually for a term of one (1) year. None of these officers, except the treasurer may serve more than two successive terms. The treasurer may serve no more than five successive terms.

Article VIII: Officers and their Election, Section 6. Nomination of Officers

d. The nominating committee annually shall nominate one (1) candidate for the offices of president, vice president for educational issues, vice president for administration, vice president for programs, vice president for legislation, recording secretary, corresponding secretary, and treasurer.

Article IX: Duties of Officers, Section 2. Vice Presidents

d. The vice president for legislation shall preside in the absence of the president, the vice president for educational issues, the vice president for administration and the vice president for programs; shall serve as an aide to the president in supporting the legislative and advocacy work of the council. and shall perform such other duties as he/she may be assigned by the Executive Board.

Ted Willard made a motion to amend the bylaws as proposed.  The motion was seconded and a voice vote was taken and passed with a more than a two-thirds majority.  As had been announced last month, the nominating committee will not put forward suggestions for this position.  Nominees for Vice President of Legislation will be accepted from the floor instead.

 

MCCPTA Treasurer: Cindy Kerr informed the delegates that the Watkins Mill PTA had discovered an unauthorized charge to their checking account.  In investigating this charge, they discovered that it had been made over the internet by someone at the address of MCCPTA Treasurer Linda Dutka.  Apparently someone in her home (but not her) had taken the routing number of off check for the Watkins Mill PTA dues and used that routing number to make the charge.  While not personally responsible for this action, Linda Dutka has made sure that the Watkins Mill PTA is reimbursed.  She is also profoundly sorry for this event happening and has taken precautions to make sure that no one in her household has access to any of the checks she has in her possession as treasurer.  She has also offered her resignation as Treasurer to MCCPTA.  Cindy then informed the Delegates that the Executive Board met briefly before the Delegates Assembly and voted unanimously to recommend that the Delegates not accept Linda’s resignation.  JR Smart made a motion to not accept her resignation.  The motion was seconded and passed unanimously by voice vote.

 

Officer Elections: Jane deWinter reviewed the nominations that the Nominating Committee had announced at last months Delegates Assembly.  The recommendations from the committee were:

  • Cindy Kerr for President
  • Shirley Brandman for Vice President for Educational Issues
  • Victor Salazar for Vice President for Administration
  • Sharon St. Pierre for Vice President for Programs
  • Linda Dutka for Treasurer
  • Liz Wheeler for Recording Secretary
  • April Keyes for Corresponding Secretary

 

Cindy Kerr called for other nominations from the floor for each of the offices.  There were no nominations from the floor for any of the offices for which the nominating committee put forward nominees.  Terry Schott nominated Jinhee Wilde for the position of VP for Legislation.  Richard Edelman seconded the nomination. Jinhee Wilde accepted the nomination.  There were no other nominees for this position.  Since there was only one nominee for each office, the election could be done by voice vote.  The nominees were elected by voice vote.

AVP and Cluster Coordinator Elections: Jane deWinter announced the nominees for Area Vice Presidents and Cluster Coordinators.  Cindy Kerr than took nominations from the floor.  The only nomination from the floor was for Karen Smith to be Wheaton Cluster Coordinator.  Delegates from each area were then asked to vote for the leaders of their area only.  The following individuals were elected:   

 

Sherwood, Paint Branch,
Blake, & Springbrook

Area VP (Sherwood)

        Sharon St. Pierre

Area VP (NE Consortium)

        Phil Kaufman

Sherwood Cluster:

        Sharon St. Pierre

        Deborah Stevens-Panzer

Paint Branch Cluster (NEC)

        Geri Ginsberg

Blake Cluster (NEC)

        Bob Braun

        Dawn Dolan

        Janet Friedman

Springbrook Cluster (NEC)

        Leslie Ridgeway

        Melissa Rosenberg

        Mary Thorngren

 

Churchill, Rockville, Richard Montgomery, & Wootton

Area VP

        Rosanne Hurwitz

Churchill Cluster

        Lilo Mitz

        Janis Sartucci

        Suzanne Weiss

Richard Montgomery Cluster

        Lori Merrill

        Kate Savage

        Liz Wheeler

Wootton Cluster

        Rich Edelman

        Nina Hamburg

        Stu Levin

Rockville Cluster

Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Walter Johnson, Wheaton, & Whitman

Area VP

        Marney Jacobs

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Cluster

        Deborah Missal

        Terry Salus

Walter Johnson Cluster

        Jane de Winter

        Pam Moomau

        Ellen Paul

Wheaton Cluster

        Karen Smith *

Whitman Cluster

        Deborah DeMille-Wagman

        Carly Lee

 

Damascus, Gaithersburg,
Magruder & Watkins Mill

Area VP

        Karen Fritz

Damascus Cluster

        Leslie Cuneo

        Kristen Trible

Gaithersburg Cluster

        Carroll Lovelace

Magruder Cluster

        Linda Kuserk

        Susie Scofield

        Ted Willard

Watkins Mill Cluster

        Allyson Morrison

 

Blair, Einstein,
Kennedy, & Northwood

Area VP

        Alies Muskin

Blair Cluster

        Chris Barclay

Einstein Cluster

        Kelly Giblin

        Alies Muskin

        Margaret Plank

Kennedy Cluster

        Mark Rother

Northwood Cluster

        Patrick Herendeen

        Pam Megna

        Will Rabinovich

 

Northwest, Poolesville,
Quince Orchard, & Seneca Valley

Area VP

        Victoria Campbell-Carter

Northwest Cluster

        Lauren Haven

Poolesville Cluster

        Melanie Dahlin

        John Leach

Quince Orchard Cluster

        Jud Ashman

        Jim Keenan             

Seneca Valley Cluster

        Juan Johnson

        April Keyes

        Kim Woodring

 

* Nominated from the floor

 

REPORTS

Capital Improvement Plan (CIP): Marney Jacobs announced that the Board of Education approved the Superintendent’s Recommendations for the CIP.  Unfortunately, construction costs have risen dramatically.  Cluster coordinators are scheduled to testify to the County Council on Tuesday, May 3rd and anyone who can attend the testimony is encouraged to do so.  Everyone should also be contacting the council to encourage them to fund school construction.

 

Policy FAA:  Shirley Brandman informed the Delegates that the Board of Education Policy Committee held a special evening meeting and invited members of the MCCPTA Executive Board to attend.  The Committees Working Draft was released today and distributed to the Delegates. The new draft does specifically mention the PTA.  It also makes specific that the CIP will include capacity calculations, school size guidelines and other elements that had previously been specifically defined in the policy.  The committee draft also puts back several items from the old policy about the process for boundary changes.  Many of the other items that are in the old policy would be in regulations.  Jo Lavorna has offered to convene a task group to review the proposed regulations.  Cindy Kerr then said that the delegates need to consider whether the newest draft of the policy was acceptable to the delegates.  If so, then fine.  If not, then they must also consider what action they would like her to take on behalf of the Delegates.  Neal Myerson made the following motion:

 

MCCPTA opposes the Board of Education’s adopting the revised Long Range Educational Facilities Policy (Committee Working Draft)  The proposed new policy significantly reduces participation by the Board of Education, the PTAs, and the public in the facilities planning process.  A policy change of this magnitude should be thoroughly discussed by the whole Board and the public. There is a no compelling need to adopt this policy this spring without any hearing or adequate time for public participation.

 

The motion was seconded.  Cindy noted that if the motion passed, she would use language from the Executive Board’s original letter to the Board of Education in her communication to them. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote. The Board of Eduction will meet next on May 11 and then take action on the proposed changes to the policy on May 23.  Local Clusters and PTAs are encouraged to contact the Board and testify at the meetings.  It was suggested that MCCPTA prepare a basic letter that local PTAs could use.

Health Committee:  Tracy Fox, Health Committee Chair, noted that in response to concerns raised on the listserve since the March Delegates meeting, several minor changes had been made to the Resolutions the committee presented last month.  She then moved the following resolutions on behalf of the Health Committee:

 

Resolution #1:  to support and to urge Board of Education adoption of the proposed changes in MCPS Physical Education Curriculum for grades K-12 

Whereas, the new physical education curriculum has been developed by the MCPS Office for Physical Education Curriculum in conjunction with the State of Maryland with input from experts in the field of physical education.

Whereas, the revised curriculum is standards-based and covers important areas not previously covered, including exercise physiology, biomechanical principles, motor learning principles and overall health and nutrition, with the ultimate goal of establishing a strong foundation of physical activity in the formative years to develop a lifelong practice in fitness, sport, dance and movement education.

Whereas, poor exercise and eating habits are linked to obesity and other chronic illnesses including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke and cancer.  Obesity poses one of the most significant threats to youth today - obesity rates have doubled in children and tripled in teens in the last 30 years.

Whereas, regular physical activity provides children and adolescents with health-related benefits including weight control, muscular strength, aerobic fitness, improved bone mass, and blood pressure control, and research has shown that physical exercise aids in brain development, improves test performance, helps to alleviate or reduce stress, reduces behavioral problems and increases self esteem.

Whereas, successful implementation of the new Physical Education curriculum will require ongoing modifications to meet the needs of the students in learning the skills and principles of physical education, be it now therefore

RESOLVED that the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations recognizes the importance of instruction aimed at developing an understanding of physical education and requests that the Board of Education approve the new physical education curriculum and work to ensure its successful and full implementation.

 

The motion required no second since it was proposed by a committee.  It passed by voice vote.

 

Resolution #2:  to promote a movement towards increasing physical education at the elementary school level to ensure full implementation of the new MCPS Physical Education Curriculum.

Whereas, the proposed Physical Education (PE) curriculum provides a standards-based approach and if appropriately implemented will provide instruction in important areas not previously covered that reflect the strengths of the discipline including exercise physiology, biomechanical principles, motor learning principles and overall health and nutrition, with the ultimate goal of establishing a strong foundation of physical activity in the formative years to develop a lifelong practice in fitness, sport, dance and movement education.

Whereas, most elementary school students in Montgomery County only receive 30 minutes of PE a week;

Whereas, the U.S. Surgeon General, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of daily physical activity and PE taught by certified instructors for every elementary and secondary school student;

Whereas, to provide students with the recommended amount of PE established by both national organizations and public health experts, MCPS elementary school students must experience an increase in PE instructional minutes;  

Whereas, to fully implement the new PE curriculum, elementary students must be provided with additional instructional time in physical education to allow satisfactory understanding of the academic concepts being taught and to ensure that the academic nature of the new lessons will not reduce the amount of time that children are physically active during PE classes; 

Whereas, a growing body of evidence suggests that providing students with more PE and physical activity opportunities help reduce the cost schools incur due to reduced absenteeism and improved student health, and reduced staff time spent addressing academic performance. Furthermore, improvement in test scores and overall academic achievement can be linked to increased time in PE;

Whereas, MCCPTA recognizes that increased PE in elementary schools will impact overall class scheduling and funding issues;

Whereas, MCCPTA is willing to work with MCPS and the BOE to develop an approach to increasing PE in schools that recognizes the cost constraints and impact on the school day;

Whereas, the MCCPTA’s position regarding the importance of PE instruction in the education of every child is aligned with that of both the National PTA and the Maryland PTA, be it now therefore  

RESOLVED that the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations recognizes the importance of regular physical education programs as an integral part of children’s education and requests the Board of Education to examine opportunities to increase physical education in elementary school to ensure successful and full implementation of the new physical education curriculum.

 

The motion required no second since it was proposed by a committee.  It passed by voice vote.

 

Special Education Committee: Two motions that the committee had presented to the Delegates at the March meeting were formally put forward.  Ann Turner, Co-chair of the Special Education committee made the following motion on behalf of the committee

 

Whereas data produced the State of Maryland in response to No Child Left Behind reveals that fewer than 1 in 10 African American and Hispanic students with disabilities passed all the High School Assessments in the 2003-04 academic year; and

Whereas the same data reveals that white students with disabilities performed significantly better on the same High School Assessments in the 2003-04 academic year; and

Whereas these data confirm that there is a tremendous gap in achievement between African American and Hispanic students and white students within special education despite the fact that each of these students, regardless of race, has an individualized education plan; be it therefore

RESOLVED that MCCPTA urges MCPS to investigate the achievement gap among children of different races within the special education community for the express purpose of designing and immediately implementing corrective action; and be it further

RESOLVED that MCCPTA urges MCPS to provide the resources necessary to meaningfully address this achievement gap so that all students, irrespective of race, may have the opportunity to succeed.

 

The motion required no second since it was proposed by a committee.  It passed by voice vote.  Kay Romero, co-chair of the Special Education committee, then made the following motion on behalf of the committee:

 

Whereas MCPS has proposed a Least Restrictive Environment Placement Initiative to better address the needs of the special education population; and

Whereas this initiative is an important and necessary step but is not appropriate for responding to the needs of all children within special education; be it therefore

RESOLVED that MCCPTA urges MCPS to broaden the scope of its strategic plan for special education to provide more and various alternatives to the Least Restrictive Environment placement for those students who will not be able to derive educational benefit from an LRE placement, and be it further

RESOLVED that MCPS shall specifically broaden the continuum of services available to students in special education by exploring and providing a full continuum of services and placement choices with a full range of options within and be it further

RESOLVED that MCCPTA urges MCPS to consider implementation of a choice based model of special education similar to the choice based placements offered through consortiums within MCPS so that special education students may similarly exercise more control over their educational options.

 

The motion required no second since it was proposed by a committee. 

One small change to first resolved.  Madeline Hamilton made a motion to replace “to the Least Restrictive Environment” with “in the Least Restrictive Environment” in the first Resolved and to include the phrase “in the least restrictive environment” to the second Resolved.  The motion to make the changes was seconded and passed by voice vote.  An additional suggestion to add the word “otherwise” to the first Resolved was agreed to by unanimous consent.  The motion, as amended, was passed by voice vote.  The passed motion read as follows:

 

Whereas MCPS has proposed a Least Restrictive Environment Placement Initiative to better address the needs of the special education population; and

Whereas this initiative is an important and necessary step but is not appropriate for responding to the needs of all children within special education; be it therefore

RESOLVED that MCCPTA urges MCPS to broaden the scope of its strategic plan for special education to provide more and various alternatives in the Least Restrictive Environment placement for those students who will not be otherwise able to derive educational benefit from an LRE placement, and be it further

RESOLVED that MCPS shall specifically broaden the continuum of services in the least restrictive environment available to students in special education by exploring and providing a full continuum of services and placement choices with a full range of options within and be it further

RESOLVED that MCCPTA urges MCPS to consider implementation of a choice based model that requires consideration of multiple alternatives so that special education students may exercise more control over their educational options.

 

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 10:55