Board of Education Meeting: August 21, 2008

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Full Agenda (PDF)

Approval of the Agenda

Public Comments

Board/Superintendent Comments

Consent Items

Human Resources

The Board approved the following administrative appointments:

• Kyle J. Heatwole, currently acting principal, Rock View Elementary School, as principal, Rock View Elementary School
• Regina P. Breiterman, currently acting coordinator, Education, Hospitality and Human Services, Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs, as coordinator, Education, Hospitality and Human Services, Division of Career and Technology Education, Office of Curriculum and Instructional Program
• Rosanna C. Thomas, currently acting coordinator, Biosciences and Health Professions, Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs, as coordinator, Biosciences and Health Professions, Division of Career and Technology Education, Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs

Readiness for Opening Schools

The Board discussed readiness for opening schools on Tuesday, August 26. Among the items addressed in the presentation:

• Fourteen projects— including eight classroom additions, four gymnasiums, one school-based health center, and Richard Montgomery High School site work—are scheduled to be complete and ready when school opens.
• Twelve new principal positions have been filled this year and nearly 600 teachers have been hired. Also, MCPS will begin the school year with a full complement of bus drivers.
• Six new middle schools will be phased in during the second year of the middle school reform initiative.

Organizing for Innovation: Supporting Instruction through an Online Learning Community

The Board was briefed on and discussed the school system’s new online learning community. The first step of the two-pronged project—creating an online curriculum archive—was completed in June 2008. Principals and teachers now can access available curriculum documents—at least 40,000 pages previously published in notebooks—through the new MCPS Curriculum Archive web site . Work toward the ultimate goal of developing an online collaborative web-based environment is under way, starting with teachers as the customer. Resources for parents and students will be provided in later phases.

Board of Education Items

Annual Report of the Policy Committee The Board’s Policy Committee presented its annual report to the Board. The report summarized the committee’s activities in the three focus areas of reviewing and revising policy, evaluating policy implementation and achievement of desired outcomes, and monitoring implementation of major policy revisions.

Items of Information

• Board Meetings & Calendar
• Board Members
• Public Participation