[1.01 Call to Order]
[00:00:06]
SO GOOD AFTERNOON AND I WOULD LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF CECIL COUNTY WORK SESSION FOR TODAY, JULY THE 27TH OF 2026.
ALSO, I WANTED TO MAKE NOTE THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT.
[1.02 Pledge of Allegiance]
AND ISAIAH, WOULD YOU PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.[1.03 Adoption of the Agenda ]
ADOPT TODAY'S AGENDA? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ADOPT THE MEETING AGENDA AS PRESENTED.[1.04 Personnel Actions ]
PERSONNEL ACTIONS.AND BEHALF OF THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AND THE SUPERINTENDENT'S CABINET, THANK YOU TO THE BOARD FOR ALLOWING US TO SLIDE A COUPLE.
AGENDA ITEMS IN HERE BEFORE WE DISCUSS THE CHARTER SCHOOL.
THE FIRST IS PERSONNEL ACTIONS THAT SPEAKS TO OUR TEACHER APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE I ASK FOR A VOTE? I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF CECIL COUNTY APPROVE THE PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS LISTED BELOW FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 2026-2027.
LAWSON HAS MADE A RECOMMENDATION.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
[1.05 Contract Award for A&E Services for NEMS & NEHS Replacement Project – Change Order ]
NEXT WE HAVE THE CONTRACT CHANGE ORDER.LAWSON? BEFORE I ASK FOR A VOTE ON 105, I'D LIKE TO HAVE MS. SOPA JUST BRIEFLY EXPLAIN THE WHY BEHIND THIS CONTRACT REQUEST.
MS. SOPA? GOOD AFTERNOON, PRESIDENT HEATH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
THIS THIS REQUEST IS FOR GRIMMAN PARKER, WHO IS THE ARCHITECT ON THE PROJECT, TO ASSIST WITH CHOOSING AND ORDERING THE FURNITURES, FIXTURES, AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE NEW SCHOOL.
SO DUE TO THE SIZE OF THE PROJECT, WE DON'T HAVE THE MANPOWER OR THE EXPERIENCE TO OUTFIT A SCHOOL OF THAT SIZE AND WORK THROUGH ALL OF THE ORDERING OF FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT, AND SO WE'RE CONTRACTING WITH THEM TO HELP FACILITATE THE PROCESS.
WE'LL STILL BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS, SELECTING THE ITEMS AND BEING AS COST-EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE.
BUT IT'S A HUGE, HUGE PROJECT.
IF I COULD ADD ON TO THAT, KEEPING IN MIND A LOT OF THE LEGWORK BEHIND THIS ASK, IF YOU WILL, IS ACTUALLY GOING TO THE DIFFERENT CLASSROOMS AT NORTHEAST MIDDLE AND NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL AND SAYING, OKAY, IN THIS CLASSROOM OF 25 DESKS, WE THINK 18 ARE SERVICEABLE.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THOSE TO THE NEW SCHOOL AND DISCARD THE OTHER SEVEN.
AND SO THAT IS A ONE-ON-ONE, ROOM-BY-ROOM KIND OF PROCESS.
WHAT WE HAVE VERSUS WHAT WE NEED AND A DIFFERENCE WOULD BE PURCHASED UNDER THE FFE LINE.
FURNITURE, FIXTURES AND EQUIPMENT I BELIEVE IS FFE.
QUESTIONS? SO THIS WORK WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE INITIAL SCOPE OF WORK BUT IT ALWAYS NEEDED TO BE DONE AND IF WE DON'T APPROVE THIS MOD THAT WORK STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE AND THERE'S A COST TO THAT.
WE'RE JUST GOING FOR EFFICIENCIES BY USING THE VENDOR THAT HAS THAT EXPERTISE.
I RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF CECIL COUNTY AMEND RFP NUMBER 21-01 FOR THE NORTHEAST MIDDLE AND NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL REPLACEMENT PROJECT TO INCLUDE THE PRESENTED CHANGE ORDER IN THE AMOUNT OF $119,225.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
BETTER PUT THAT BACK ON OR I'LL GET IN TROUBLE.
[1.06 Cecil Classical Charter School Application Review ]
IS THE CECIL CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATION REVIEW.LAWSON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO START? YEAH, THANK YOU, MS. HEATH.
I THINK BEFORE WE GET STARTED ON OUR DISCUSSION, WE HAVE SOME INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD AND HOPEFULLY IT'LL PROMPT.
I'D LIKE TO READ A STATEMENT BEFOREHAND.
I'D LIKE TO START MY REMARKS BY THANKING THE BOARD FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THIS AFTERNOON IN GREATER DETAIL THE RECENT RECOMMENDATION TO DENY THE CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATION BEFORE YOU.
AS THE BOARD KNOWS, WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW A 250-PAGE APPLICATION AS WELL AS MORE THAN THREE
[00:05:01]
HOURS OF INTERNAL CAPACITY VIDEO RECORDINGS.WE LOOK FORWARD TO ENGAGING WITH YOU AT A GRANULAR LEVEL OF DETAIL ABOUT OUR THOUGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES REGARDING THIS DECISION.
BEFORE WE BEGIN, I BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS REGARDING THE BROADER ISSUE OF SCHOOL CHOICE IN GENERAL.
IT'S WIDELY BELIEVED THAT THE FATHER OF SCHOOL CHOICE IS MILTON FRIEDMAN, A RENOWNED ECONOMIST WHO BELIEVED THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION WOULD RESPOND WELL TO THE FREE MARKET CONCEPT OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND.
FRIEDMAN POSITS THAT MARKET DEMAND WOULD DRIVE SCHOOL CHANGE IN WAYS THAT IMPROVE SERVICE DELIVERY TO PUBLIC EDUCATION STUDENTS.
IF STUDENT DEMAND IS HIGH FOR A PARTICULAR SCHOOL, THAT SCHOOL WOULD BE REWARDED.
CONVERSELY, IF THE MARKET DEMAND IS NOT THERE FOR LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOLS, THE SCHOOL WOULD ACCORDINGLY BE STARVED OUT OF THE MARKET.
WHILE THERE IS CONSIDERABLE DISAGREEMENT WITH FRIEDMAN'S APPROACH, IT REMAINS NONETHELESS A POPULAR REFORM BELIEF.
MUCH OF THIS HAS GROUNDS IN AMERICA'S CAPITALIST SOCIETY THAT SUBSCRIBES TO THE FREE MARKET THEORY.
IF A LOCAL CONVENIENCE STORE ISN'T SUCCESSFUL, MARKET DEMAND FORCES CHANGES.
SCHOOLS, TOO, ARE SUBJECT TO THE SAME DYNAMIC.
I BELIEVE THAT THIS ASSUMES THAT A LOCAL BUSINESS IS HELD IN THE SAME LIGHT AND REGARD AS A LOCAL SCHOOL IN A TOWN, WHICH I CONTEND IS NOT THE CASE.
IT'S CRITICAL THAT OUR STAKEHOLDERS UNDERSTAND, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT, THAT ONE CAN SUPPORT THE NOTION OF A CHARTER SCHOOL WHILE ALSO RECOGNIZING THAT NOT ALL CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE OF HIGH QUALITY.
THIS IS BEST HIGHLIGHTED BY THE FACT THAT IN DELAWARE, 13 CHARTER SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN CLOSED.
FOR REASONS RANGING FROM FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT TO POOR ENROLLMENT PATTERNS.
AND RIGHT HERE IN MARYLAND, NEARLY 25 CHARTER SCHOOLS HAVE ALSO CLOSED FOR SIMILAR REASONS.
GIVEN THIS ISSUE AND ITS HIGH PROFILE IN OUR COMMUNITY CURRENTLY, IT'S WORTHWHILE FOR ME TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO ARTICULATE MY OWN EXPERIENCES AS IT RELATES TO CHARTER SCHOOLS.
I'VE BEEN RELATIVELY SILENT ON THE ISSUE UNTIL NOW.
IN 2001, I WAS CO-CHAIR OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL REVIEW COMMITTEE FOR THE DELAWARE MILITARY ACADEMY.
IN 2002 AND 2003, I WAS PART OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL OF WILMINGTON'S CHARTER RENEWAL PROCESS.
IN 2007, I AUTHORED A RESTRUCTURING PLAN TO CHANGE CONRAD MIDDLE SCHOOL INTO A MAGNET PROGRAM FOR GRADES 6 THROUGH 12, KNOWN TODAY AS THE CONRAD SCHOOLS OF SCIENCE.
AS A 25-YEAR RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, I'VE HAD A FRONT ROW SEAT TO THE GENESIS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF NEWARK CHARTER SCHOOL, LOCATED JUST THREE MILES FROM WHERE WE SIT RIGHT NOW.
WHILE NONE OF MY CHILDREN ATTEND A NEWARK CHARTER, SEVERAL OF MY RELATIVES HAVE, AND I CONTINUE TO HAVE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH MANY OF THEIR STAFF.
FINALLY, IN 2000, I WROTE MY UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE DOCTORAL DISSERTATION ON THE EFFECTS OF SCHOOL CHOICE IN THE RED CLAY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
I SHARE THIS HISTORY TO ESTABLISH THAT I LIKELY HAVE MORE GROUNDING IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE REGION AREA, INCLUDING CHARTER SCHOOLS AND MAGNET SCHOOLS, AS ANY PROFESSIONAL IN THE REGION.
IN ALL OF THE AFOREMENTIONED EXAMPLES, A COMMON DENOMINATOR IS A CHARTER SCHOOL ESTABLISHING GROUP THAT WAS DEEPLY GROUNDED IN PUBLIC EDUCATION, SERVICE DELIVERY, AND EXPERIENCE IN OPERATING SCHOOLS.
I WOULD NOW GO AND TAKE THE NEXT FEW MINUTES AND SHARE SOME OF THE CONCERNS I HAVE AS IT RELATES TO THE APPLICATION IN FRONT OF YOU.
FIRST, THERE ARE SEVERAL WAIVERS REQUESTED.
WHILE TYPICALLY WAIVERS ARE DISCUSSED AND AGREED UPON AFTER A CHARTER SCHOOL HAS BEEN APPROVED, THESE ARE INCLUDED IN THE APPLICATION AND DO WARRANT DISCUSSION.
SPECIFICALLY, WAIVERS REGARDING SUPERINTENDENT AND BOARD OVERSIGHT, CALENDAR, CURRICULUM ARE THE MOST CONCERNING AS THEY HAVE ON THE SURFACE APPEAR TO CONFLICT WITH COMAR, MSDE GUIDELINES, AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS.
AS A SUPERINTENDENT, I CANNOT SUPPORT A CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATION THAT DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE POTENTIAL SCHOOL IS UNDER THE OVERSIGHT OF BOTH THE LOCAL SUPERINTENDENT AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
AND IS EXPECTED TO ENTER COLLABORATION WITH OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING GROUPS.
THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE IN CCPS AND IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND.
A CONSISTENT THEME THROUGHOUT THE APPLICATION AND RHETORIC OF THE PROPOSED CHARTER SCHOOLS BOARD HAS BEEN FOUNDING FAMILIES.
AS I UNDERSTAND THIS, CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN OF FOUNDING FAMILIES ARE GIVEN PREFERRED ENROLLMENT STATUS.
FAMILIES WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS THAT THE FOUNDING FAMILIES REQUIRE ARE EXCLUDED.
TO THE POINT WHERE UP TO 35% OF THE SCHOOL SEATS ARE SET ASIDE FOR THESE FAMILIES.
THE ENROLLMENT PLAN CURRENTLY IDENTIFIED INDICATES AN APPLICATION PROCESS IN THE WINTER BEFORE THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH TYPICALLY LASTS SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS.
TO REQUIRE A FAMILY TO APPLY FOR A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN A NARROW WINDOW SEVERAL WEEKS DURING THE JANUARY-FEBRUARY OF THE YEAR PRIOR BY NATURE SERVES AS A FILTER THAT DISENFRANCHISES CHILDREN IN POVERTY.
WHEN THIS PROCESS IS CONSIDERED WITH THE FACT THAT TRANSPORTATION...
AS CURRENTLY PLANNED WILL NOT BE PROVIDED, THE SCHOOL IMMEDIATELY BECOMES EXCLUSIONARY TO A FAMILY THAT IS NOT ABLE TO TRANSPORT THEIR CHILD TO AND FROM SCHOOL.
[00:10:01]
SUBSEQUENTLY, EVEN IF A FAMILY FROM POVERTY IS AWARE OF AN APPLICATION PROCESS IN JANUARY, THEY THEN LEARN THAT THERE'S NO TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED.SO IN ESSENCE, WHILE THE APPLICANT CHARTER SCHOOL ADVOCATES IT WILL SERVE ALL CHILDREN, THE VERY PROCESS AND PRACTICE EXCLUDES LARGE NUMBERS OF FAMILIES.
SO WHEN A NEW SCHOOL GIVES PRIORITY TO FAMILIES WHO ARE VERY INVOLVED, REQUIRES A CUMBERSOME APPLICATION PROCESS, AND DOES NOT PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION, FOR WHICH, BY THE WAY, THEY ARE BEING FUNDED, STUDENTS FROM FAMILIES ARE DRAWN TO A SCHOOL DEVELOPED EXCLUSIVELY FOR FAMILIES WHO TEND TO ACHIEVE AT A HIGHER LEVEL.
THE SCHOOL BEGINS TO LOOK LIKE A PRIVATE SCHOOL BEING RUN AT TAXPAYER'S EXPENSE.
IN FACT, THE BROCHURE A CHARTER SCHOOL PRODUCED SEEMS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS.
AS ONE OF THE BROCHURES HIGHLIGHTS WHEN IT STATES, IF YOU'RE SEEKING THE QUALITY OF A PRIVATE SCHOOL EDUCATION WITHOUT THE COST, YOU'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
AND HERE'S THE BROCHURE RIGHT HERE.
AS I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF MY REMARKS, MY EXPERIENCE WITH SUCCESSFUL CHARTER SCHOOLS SHOWS THAT THEIR BOARDS AND STAFF ARE HIGHLIGHTED BY PROFESSIONALS WITH DEEP EXPERIENCE IN SERVING SCHOOLS.
THIS APPLICATION AND PARTICULARLY THE CAPACITY INTERVIEWS REFLECT THAT THERE IS NO SUCH EXPERTISE ON THIS BOARD.
WHILE WELL-INTENTIONED, THE OPERATING ERRORS THROUGHOUT THE DOCUMENT ARE GLARING AND CANNOT BE SUPPORTED.
IT'S INCUMBENT UPON THE CCPS BOARD OF ED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE BOARD IS LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY OPERATIONS OF A CHARTER SCHOOL.
MS. DENISE SOPA, OUR ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT FOR FINANCE AND OPERATIONS, WILL SHARE THE PROPOSED CHARTER SCHOOL BUDGET.
IN HER PRESENTATION, YOU WILL SEE A PROPOSED BUDGET THAT DOES NOT ALIGN RESOURCES WITH EXPENDITURES.
IN FACT, THERE APPEARS TO BE NEARLY A $1 MILLION DISCREPANCY IN JUST THE STAFFING EXPENDITURES ALONE.
THIS IS PARTICULARLY CONCERNING AS THE SCHOOL CONTINUES TO TOUT A 20-TO-1 CLASS SIZE AS A FEATURE OF THEIR SCHOOL.
AT THIS POINT, IT DOESN'T SEEM POSSIBLE GIVEN THEIR STAFFING PLAN.
THE COMMUNITY MUST BE AWARE OF THIS, AND AGAIN, MS. SOPA WILL SPEAK TO THIS IN GREATER DETAIL IN JUST A MOMENT.
MOVING NOW TO THE AREAS OF CURRICULUM AND STUDENT SUPPORTS.
THE FOLLOWING CONCERNS AND OBSERVATIONS ARE RELEVANT.
FIRST, ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND ARE REQUIRED TO TEACH THE MARYLAND COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS STANDARDS.
HOW THESE STANDARDS ARE TAUGHT, THE MATERIALS USED, AND THE SEQUENCE OF THOSE STANDARDS ARE CONSIDERED CURRICULUM.
THE CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATION DOES NOT HAVE A CONSISTENT, CLEAR ARTICULATION OF WHAT CURRICULUM THEY PLAN TO USE.
THERE IS AN ARTICULATED PREFERENCE FOR A CURRICULUM CREATED BY HILLSDALE COLLEGE.
WHICH IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF MARYLAND.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SUPPORT.
MOREOVER, THE REASONING PROVIDED TO THIS SELECTION IS UNCLEAR.
IN BOTH A WRITTEN APPLICATION AND INTERNAL CAPACITY INTERVIEW, IT'S APPARENT THAT THERE IS NO UNDERSTANDING OF OR A PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTING MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT FOR EITHER ACADEMICS OR DISCIPLINE.
THESE ARE BOTH MANDATED PRACTICES IN MARYLAND'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND HAVING SUCH A PLAN IS FUNDAMENTAL.
IN FACT, THROUGHOUT THE INTERVIEW WITH THE POTENTIAL CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, WHAT BECAME CLEAR WAS THAT WHEN THEIR PANEL BECAME UNABLE TO ARTICULATE A PLAN, THEY DEFERRED TO THEIR COMMITMENT TO WORKING WITH US AND HAVING A COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH CCPS.
IF THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY ANSWER A QUESTION, THE FALLBACK WAS TO RELY ON OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
THERE IS NO CLEAR APPROACH TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM'S NEEDIEST STUDENTS EFFECTIVELY.
WHETHER STUDENTS HAVE SIGNIFICANT LEARNING DISABILITIES, BEHAVIOR CHALLENGES, FOR OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCES, THE POTENTIAL CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD PROVIDES LITTLE TO NO DETAIL.
THROUGHOUT THE APPLICATION, SIMILARITIES TO THE FREDERICK COUNTY CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL ARE EVIDENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE TRIVIUM IS USED AS A PRINCIPLE THAT WOULD MAKE IT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IS USED IN OTHER PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHEN THE ARGUMENT COULD BE MADE THAT THIS IS SIMPLY FALSE.
TRIVIUM IS LITTLE MORE THAN FOCUSING ON TOPICS SUCH AS GRAMMAR, CRITICAL THINKING, CLEAR COMMUNICATION.
THERE'S NOTHING NOVEL IN THIS APPROACH AND IT SEEMS TO BE LITTLE MORE THAN A MARKETING PLOY AS THE TOPIC IS NOT FULLY EXPLAINED OR CONNECTED TO THE STATE STANDARDS.
IN THE AREAS OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT, THE FOLLOWING BRING US CONCERN.
ANY SCHOOL OPERATION IN CCPS REQUIRES AN UNDERSTANDING OF NEGOTIATED AGREEMENTS.
OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS MULTIPLE EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS TO NAVIGATE AND THEY ARE CONSIDERED IN MANY ASPECTS OF SCHOOL OPERATIONS.
THE PROPOSED CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD APPEARS TO HAVE NO EXPERIENCE WITH COLLECTIVE BARGAINING OR ANY AWARENESS OF ITS ROLE, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO TEACHER TRANSFERS AND THE FACT THAT POTENTIAL VACANCIES IN A CHARTER SCHOOL WOULD BE SUBJECT TO TEACHER TRANSFERS CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION CONTRACT.
THERE APPEARS TO BE AN OVER-RELIANCE ON USING NON-EMPLOYEES TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO STUDENTS, WHETHER VOLUNTEERS OR FOUNDING FAMILY MEMBERS.
[00:15:01]
USING THESE SERVICES ON A SUSTAINED BASIS IS FRAUGHT WITH CHALLENGES RANGING FROM TRAINING AND EXPERTISE TO RELIABILITY.THIS DYNAMIC WILL BE EXACERBATED BY THE SHORTFALLS IDENTIFIED IN THE BUDGET PLAN, AS IT SEEMS THAT MORE RELIANCE WILL BE PLACED ON VOLUNTEERS.
THE PROPOSED CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT IS LEGALLY REQUIRED TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
IN FACT, THE GROUP HAS BEEN CONSISTENT IN ARTICULATING THIS DESIRE TO ENROLL STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
HOWEVER, WHAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED IS THAT UNDER THEIR CURRENT PLAN, TWO CHILDREN LIVING ON THE SAME STREET, ONE HAVING A DISABILITY AND THE OTHER NOT, WHERE ONE WOULD BE PROVIDED TRANSPORTATION TO THE CHARTER SCHOOL AND THE SECOND WOULD HAVE TO FIND THEIR OWN.
AGAIN THIS HIGHLIGHTS THE LACK OF A WELL THOUGHT OUT PLAN.
IN CLOSING, I CAN'T HELP BUT REFLECT ON THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS AS I'VE WATCHED THE PROCESS PLAY OUT AND SEE WHERE WE ARE NOW.
AND I FIND MYSELF SAYING, I SEE NO DIFFERENCE IN WHAT THE PROPOSED CHARTER SCHOOL WANTS TO DO VERSUS WHAT'S ALREADY BEING DONE.
PERHAPS THE BEST EXAMPLE IS THEIR CONTINUED USE OF ORTON-GILLINGHAM AS THEIR PRIMARY FOCUS ON STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA.
TO BE CLEAR, ORTON-GILLINGHAM WAS DEVELOPED IN THE 1930S.
AND IS NOT A NEW APPROACH TO LITERACY.
INSTEAD IT IS A BROAD SET OF PRACTICES THAT INCLUDE MULTI-SENSORY EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION AND MASTERY BASED INSTRUCTION THAT USES INDIVIDUAL PROGRESS AS A HALLMARK.
CCPS HAS USED PRACTICES ALIGNED WITH ORTON-GILLINGHAM FOR YEARS.
WE USE THIS THROUGH STRUCTURED LITERACY INCLUDING WILSON READER AND FUNDATIONS.
ONCE AGAIN PRACTICES THAT ARE BEING DESCRIBED AS CLASSICAL OFTENTIMES ARE ALREADY HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND WITH THAT, ONCE AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE.
I HAVE A FEW OPENING REMARKS MYSELF, AND THEN I'LL OPEN IT UP TO THE BOARD FOR ANY OPENING REMARKS THAT YOU MAY HAVE, AND THEN WE'LL GET STARTED.
FIRST, I JUST WANT TO SAY GOOD AFTERNOON.
THANK YOU FOR THE TIME AND EFFORT YOU'VE PUT IN.
I'D LIKE TO THANK BOTH THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE.
AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PROPOSED CHARTER SCHOOL FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
I APPRECIATE THE CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME AND EFFORT THAT HAS GONE INTO BOTH PREPARING THIS APPLICATION AND CONDUCTING A THOROUGH REVIEW OF IT.
I RECOGNIZE THAT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM HAS INVESTED SIGNIFICANT TIME IN THIS PROCESS AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC EDUCATION AND TO THE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES OF CECIL COUNTY.
THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S MEETING IS TO HELP THE BOARD BETTER UNDERSTAND THE REVIEW COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION AND TO PROVIDE BOARD MEMBERS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS AND GATHER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BEFORE WE ASKED OR BEFORE WE WERE ASKED TO VOTE ON THIS APPLICATION.
THIS MEETING IS INTENDED TO INFORM OUR DECISION MAKING BY HELPING US BETTER UNDERSTAND THE EVIDENCE, THE ANALYSIS, AND THE REASONING BEHIND THE RECOMMENDATION AS WELL AS TO ALLOW THE APPLICANT TO CLARIFY QUESTIONS THAT WE MAY HAVE.
I ALSO WANT TO SET FORTH A FEW EXPECTATIONS.
FIRST, THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC HEARING.
AND IT IS NOT A DEBATE BETWEEN THE REVIEW COMMITTEE AND THE APPLICANT.
OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE A RESPECTFUL, PROFESSIONAL, AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION FOCUSED ON UNDERSTANDING THE APPLICATION AND THE ISSUES BEFORE US.
I ASK THAT WE DIRECT COMMENTS TO THE BOARD, THAT WE ALLOW ONE ANOTHER THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITHOUT INTERRUPTION, AND THAT WE KEEP OUR RESPONSES FOCUSED ON PROVIDING INFORMATION THAT WILL ASSIST THE BOARD IN CARRYING OUT OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
WHILE WE MAY HAVE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON THIS APPLICATION, I BELIEVE WE ALL SHARE THE SAME FUNDAMENTAL GOAL.
TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR ALL THE STUDENTS OF CECIL COUNTY.
AS BOARD MEMBERS, OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO CAREFULLY EVALUATE THE EVIDENCE, APPLY THE REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED UNDER MARYLAND LAW, AND MAKE A THOUGHTFUL, WELL-INFORMED DECISION.
I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S WILLINGNESS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT PROCESS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO A RESPECTFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSSION.
ANYONE ELSE ON THE BOARD HAVE ANY OPENING COMMENTS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? YES, MS. HEATH, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS HERE, NOT TO BE REPETITIVE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK A COUPLE OF THINGS FOR THE RECORD THE CHARTER SCHOOL AUTHORIZATION IS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT RESPONSIBILITIES ENTRUSTED TO SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND IT DESERVES A THOUGHTFUL TRANSPARENT AND EVIDENCE-BASED REVIEW AS BOARD MEMBERS OUR RESPONSIBILITY EXTENDS BEYOND JUST RECEIVING THE REVIEW COMMITTEES FINDING THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS WE HAVE AN INDEPENDENT OBLIGATION TO CAREFULLY REVIEW THE ENTIRE RECORD INCLUDING APPLICATIONS THE COMMITTEE'S REPORT THE APPLICANTS PRESENTATION AND OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS SUBMITTED DURING THIS PROCESS OUR DECISION MUST BE BASED ON THE EVIDENCE BEFORE US ON WHETHER THE APPLICATION CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES THE ACADEMIC, OPERATIONAL, GOVERNANCE AND FINANCIAL CAPACITY NECESSARY TO SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISH AND SUSTAIN A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL THAT SERVES ALL STUDENTS WHO ATTEND CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
OUR PRIMARY PURPOSE TODAY IS TO FORMALLY MEET WITH THE REVIEW COMMITTEE TO LISTEN, ASK QUESTIONS AND
[00:20:01]
DETERMINE WHETHER THE COMMITTEE'S REVIEW WAS CONSISTENT, EVIDENCE-BASED, OBJECTIVE.AND ALIGN WITH MARYLAND LAW BOARD POLICY AND THE PUBLISHED REVIEW RUBRIC.
THE GOAL IS TO UNDERSTAND THE BASIS FOR THE RECOMMENDATION RATHER THAN ADVOCATE FOR A PARTICULAR OUTCOME.
REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEDICATION OF THE APPLICANTS AND EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS PROCESS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THE COMMITTEE'S PRESENTATION AND TO ASKING QUESTIONS THAT WILL HELP US ENSURE THAT OUR DECISION IS INFORMED, NON-BIASED, THOROUGH, AND IN THE BEST INTEREST OF STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN CECIL COUNTY.
SEATH, IF I MAY, THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT AT NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION SITE THIS AFTERNOON, JUST A FEW MOMENTS AGO.
ONE WORKER SEEMED TO BE PRETTY SERIOUSLY HURT.
HE'S IN THE PROCESS OF BEING MEDEVACED OUT.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A FEW PEOPLE BUZZING IN AND OUT.
AND I JUST TOOK A CALL FROM THE SHERIFF.
SO PARDON ME AND I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED.
BUT RIGHT NOW HE'S BEING MEDEVACED OUT.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE WE GET STARTED? OKAY.
DO YOU WANT TO START WITH THE SLIDES? YEAH, I WILL.
AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DIFFERENT STAFF.
AS YOU KNOW, IN PUBLIC, I'D LIKE TO THANK DR.
HAMMER FOR HER WORK ON LEADING THE CHARTER SCHOOL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
BUCKLEY WAS AT HER SIDE, AND HE HAS SINCE RETIRED.
AND MS. SOPA HAS KIND OF SLID IN FROM THE SIDE TO MS. SLOPA, MATH TEACHER.
BUT IN ANY EVENT, THANK YOU TO DR.
AND SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE HAVE LAID OUT SOME SLIDES.
THE SLIDES ARE NOT NECESSARILY MEANT TO BE A PRESENTATION, BUT REALLY TO, BY CATEGORY, GIVE YOU SOME IDEAS OF WHERE OUR THINKING IS AND SOME OF THE THINGS WE FOUND IN THE APPLICATION THAT MAY HAVE BEEN CONCERNING.
SO I THINK IN YOUR EYES, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU LOOK AT THESE AS ALMOST LIKE THOUGHT PROMPTS.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU WANT TO ASK A QUESTION, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OF YOUR OWN.
AND WE START OUT WITH WAIVERS.
HAMMER, IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND BEGIN.
JUST TO GET US STARTED, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT HEATH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
WE'RE GRATEFUL TO BE HERE TODAY, AND I'M ALSO GRATEFUL MEMBERS OF THE CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL REVIEW COMMITTEE ARE HERE AS WELL.
WE HAVE OUR CHARTER SCHOOL REVIEW TEAM HERE WITH US.
AND WE HOPE TO ENGAGE IN A DIALOGUE WITH YOU IF YOU HAVE PARTICULAR QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK.
LAWSON STATED, WE HAVE BROAD IDEAS ON THESE SLIDES AND REALLY THAT SUMMARIZE A LOT OF THE MEMORANDUM THAT THE REVIEW COMMITTEE PRESENTED TO DR.
LAWSON, WHICH HE IN TURN WAS ABLE TO PRESENT TO YOU.
SO TO GET US STARTED, WE'RE GOING TO START WITH SEVERAL OF THE WAIVERS.
THERE WERE 12 WAIVERS, I BELIEVE, THAT WERE PRESENTED AS A PART OF THIS APPLICATION.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THEM THAT WE HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT, SO WE'D LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT.
JOHNSON IS GOING TO GET US STARTED WITH THE FIRST TWO WAIVERS THAT WE SEE HERE.
SO WE'VE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL OF THE WAIVERS TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION, AND THESE ARE INCLUDED IN THE APPLICANT'S MATERIALS AT PAGES 88 AND 89 IN THAT AREA.
SO OF THE 12 WAIVERS THAT WERE PRESENTED, WE'RE GOING TO BRING A HANDFUL JUST, AGAIN, FOR CONSIDERATION, DIALOGUE.
CERTAINLY TO THE BOARD'S AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE, BOTH THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OVERSIGHT AND BOARD OVERSIGHT HAVE BEEN REQUESTED TO BE WAIVED BY THE APPLICANT.
LAWSON MENTIONED IN HIS INTRODUCTORY REMARKS, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU FACE IN THAT REGARD IS SERVING AS A CHARTER AUTHORIZER WITHOUT HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE SUSTAINED OVERSIGHT.
SIMILARLY, IN THIS SECTION AS IT RELATES TO WAIVERS, THE THIRD ONE.
IT RELATES TO THE BOARD'S ADOPTION OF POLICIES AND THE MANAGEMENT THEREOF.
ONE THING TO NOTE AS IT RELATES TO THAT IS THAT OUR BOARD HAS A PRACTICE OF IMMEDIATELY ADOPTING STATE LEGISLATION INTO POLICY.
SO A WAIVER FROM THIS POLICY WOULD MEAN THAT LEGISLATIVE CHANGES WOULD NOT AUTOMATICALLY BE ENACTED IN THE OPERATION OF THE APPLICANT SCHOOL.
AND SO THAT WAS OF CONCERN TO US TO BRING FORWARD FOR YOUR INFORMATION AS WELL.
I BELIEVE MS. SOPA IS GOING TO SPEAK TO THE NEXT WAIVER ON THE CHART HERE AS IT RELATES TO THE PROCUREMENT POLICY.
THE LAST ONE ON THIS SLIDE IS THE PROCUREMENT POLICY, AND THE REASON FOR REQUESTING A WAIVER FROM THIS IS THAT SCHOOL-LEVEL PURCHASES, IT WOULD NOT TYPICALLY BE SEEN IN TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WE CAN'T IDENTIFY WHAT TYPE OF PURCHASE A CHARTER SCHOOL WOULD MAKE THAT YOU WOULD NOT ALSO MAKE IN A TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL.
THERE'S ALSO TOWARD THE BACK OF THE APPLICATION AROUND 238, 239, A PROPOSED PROCUREMENT POLICY.
AND IT PROPOSES NOT GOING OUT TO COMPETITIVE BID UNTIL THE $250,000 MARK.
SO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE REQUIRE
[00:25:02]
A BID AT THE $50,000 THRESHOLD, AND THE STATE PROCUREMENT LAW IS $100,000.SO THOSE ARE SOME OF OUR CONCERNS WITH THE PROCUREMENT WAIVER.
IS THIS THE TIME TO, OH, YOU'RE NOT FINISHED, WAIVERS, GO AHEAD.
OH, WAIT UNTIL, DID YOU WANT TO ASK A QUESTION? YES, I GUESS I CAN JUST GO NOW SINCE I'M ALREADY TALKING.
I HAD A LOT OF NOTES, QUESTIONS ON THIS SECTION, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT MAINTAINING FULL AUTONOMY AND FULL OPERATIONAL AUTONOMY IS CONSISTENT WITH MARYLAND CHARTER SCHOOL LAW.
SO ASKING FOR WAIVERS IS OBVIOUSLY THE MECHANISM WRITTEN INTO THE LAW.
TO GRANT CHARTER SCHOOLS OPERATIONAL AUTONOMY.
AND THAT REQUESTING WAIVERS IS COMMON FOR LIKE SPECIFIC POLICIES OR ADMIN REGULATIONS, STATUTORY PROVISIONS, CURRICULUM SCHEDULING, THINGS LIKE THAT.
ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS IS WHAT THEY SEEM TO BE DESCRIBING IN THIS SECTION AND IN THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART ON PAGE 38 IS CONSISTENT WITH THIS RED FLAG FOR ME.
THEY HAVE CCPS AND CCCPS PARALLEL IN THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART, WHICH INDICATES TO ME NOT OVERSIGHT BUT PARTNERSHIP.
AND THE CONCERN I HAVE WITH THAT IS THE BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITY.
IF THE SCHOOL FAILS FINANCIALLY, IF IT VIOLATES CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS, IF IT...
FAIL SPECIAL ED MANDATES, OUR BOARD IS LEGALLY LIABLE.
LIKE, WE'RE THE LEGAL ENTITY WHO'S LIABLE.
AND THEREFORE, THE BOARD CANNOT SURRENDER POWERS AND DUTIES OVER TO THE SCHOOL AT ALL BASED ON THAT.
AND SAME WITH SUPERINTENDENT OVERSIGHT.
THE WAIVER CAN'T STRIP THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE OVERSIGHT DUTY.
SO I HAD A LOT OF RED FLAGS ON THAT SECTION.
AND I JUST, THE QUESTION IS, IS...
WITH THE WAIVERS OF THESE POLICIES, THE ONLY PARTIAL WAIVER IS THE LAST WAIVER.
SO I ASSUME THAT MEANS A WAIVER IS FOR THE WHOLE ENTIRE POLICY, NOT JUST PARTS OF IT.
IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S KIND OF A STATEMENT QUESTION, LIKE A BIG CONCERN FOR ME.
LIKE, THAT'S A HUGE CONCERN FOR ME.
SORRY, ONE SIMILAR QUESTION, A NARROWER SCOPE.
BUT EVERY YEAR, MARYLAND SCHOOLS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE AN INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL AUDIT CONDUCTED.
WE'LL PROBABLY BE GETTING THE RESULTS OF THOSE AT THE SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER BOARD MEETING.
RIGHT NOW, IF THERE ARE ANY DISCREPANCIES, THE RESPONSIBILITY FALLS ON THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE BOARD OF ED.
A CHARTER SCHOOL WILL ALSO HAVE AN AUDIT DONE.
IF THEY FIND ANY DISCREPANCIES, DOES THAT THEN TRANSFER TO...
THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE CCPS BOARD OF ED AS WELL? YES, CERTAINLY.
CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION ON CLARIFICATION AS FAR AS THE PROCUREMENT POLICY WAIVER? IS IT MORE OF THE AMOUNT THAT'S THE ISSUE OR MORE OF THE WAIVER IN GENERAL? IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.
THE WHOLE POINT OF THE PROCUREMENT POLICY IS COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION.
SO IT'S NOT TO PUT A ROADBLOCK AND MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE.
IT'S TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING THE BEST VALUE FOR OUR MONEY.
IT'S TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST PICKING SOMETHING, NOT SAYING THAT THEY WOULD, BUT IN GENERAL YOU GET COMFORTABLE WITH A PRODUCT OR YOU GET COMFORTABLE WITH A VENDOR.
IT'S TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING OUT THERE AND YOU'RE HAVING COMPANIES PARTICIPATING FOR THE BEST PRICE.
AND WHEN WE PIGGYBACK, WHEN WE USE OTHER GOVERNMENTAL BIDS, THAT MEANS SOMEBODY HAS SOLICITED IT, WHETHER WE HAVE OR SOMEBODY ELSE HAS, THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME TYPE OF COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION.
SO WE GET THE BEST VALUE FOR OUR DOLLAR.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT ABOUT $250,000 IS A LOT AND EXCEEDS THE STATE THRESHOLD, AND IT'S ABOUT GETTING THE BEST VALUE FOR OUR DOLLAR AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR THE BEST VALUE FOR OUR DOLLARS.
MOVING ON TO THE NEXT SECTION.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER WAIVERS THAT WERE REQUESTED THAT THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT.
FIRST OF ALL, STARTING WITH THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, AND DR.
LAWSON TOUCHED ON THAT BRIEFLY IN TERMS OF AN EQUITY ISSUE OF ACCESSING THE ACTUAL SCHOOL FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO MAY BE MARGINALIZED, NOT BE ABLE TO ACCESS TRANSPORTATION.
THERE IS SOMEWHAT OF A PLAN LAID OUT BASICALLY INVOLVING CARPOOLING.
[00:30:03]
FROM A LIABILITY PERSPECTIVE FOR THOSE.PARENTS WHO ARE TRANSPORTING OTHER PARENTS' CHILDREN TO AND FROM OUR SCHOOL IS A CONCERN.
IT'S ALSO A CONCERN ABOUT CONSISTENCY OF TRANSPORTATION AND MAKING SURE STUDENTS ARE COMING TO SCHOOL ON A REGULAR BASIS.
IT'S NOT A RELIABLE AND CONSISTENT FORM OF TRANSPORTATION.
WERE THERE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE? AGAIN, THIS IS A CLARIFICATION ON WHAT THAT INTENT MEANS.
SO DR. LAWSON SAID THAT A CHARTER SCHOOL RECEIVES FUNDS FOR TRANSPORTATION WHETHER THEY OPT TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION OR NOT.
IN THE CASE OF CCCS, THEY'RE OPTING NOT TO ACCEPT FOR STUDENTS WHERE TRANSPORTATION IS IDENTIFIED AS A NEED IN THEIR IEP.
SO DOES THAT MEAN, LET'S JUST SAY AS AN EXAMPLE, THERE'S 10 STUDENTS IN CCCS THAT IDENTIFY TRANSPORTATION NEEDS IN THEIR IEP.
DOES THAT MEAN THE REMAINDER OF THE STUDENTS ARE FUNDED WITH THE TRANSPORTATION AND THE 10 STUDENTS THAT HAVE THE IEP LISTED IN THEIR, OR TRANSPORTATION LISTED IN THEIR IEP, TRANSPORTATION WILL BE PROVIDED BY CCPS? CCPS WILL ORGANIZE THE TRANSPORTATION.
IT WOULD BE THE CHARTER SCHOOL'S RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY FOR THAT TRANSPORTATION FOR THOSE STUDENTS, BUT YES, THEY DO RECEIVE THE TRANSPORTATION FUNDING FOR THEIR STUDENT POPULATION REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION.
SO FOR THE, IN THE EXAMPLE I PROVIDED, THE 10 THAT HAVE IT LISTED IN THEIR IEP, IT'D BE A BUYBACK SERVICE? IS THAT HOW IT WOULD WORK? IT WOULD, YEAH, WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THE COST FOR THAT.
A PER PUPIL ALLOCATION INCLUDES...
THE TRANSPORTATION AND WHATEVER THE CHARTER SCHOOL NEEDS TO BUY BACK TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE STUDENTS, THEY COULD BUY IT BACK THAT SERVES.
OKAY, THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION.
THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT BUYBACKS, AND IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT THE ISSUE IS, WHAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN BUYING BACK, HOW MUCH THAT WOULD COST, WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD CHOOSE TO DO THAT.
SO THAT'S MORE OF A NEGOTIATION AFTER.
APPROVAL OF AN APPLICATION BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT COULD BE BUYBACK SERVICES.
BUT YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION ON THE INTENT OF WHAT WAS MEANT TO HAPPEN.
SO IS ANYONE ELSE RAISING THEIR HAND? SO THE WE'RE REQUIRED TO GIVE CHARTER SCHOOLS PROPORTIONAL SHARES OF TRANSPORTATION REGARDLESS IF THEY USE IT.
HOW THEY REALLOCATE THAT MONEY IN THEIR PROPOSED BUDGET IS UP TO THEM.
I DON'T KNOW IF I SAW HOW THAT HAPPENED IN THE BUDGET, BUT I ALSO JUST DENYING TRANSPORTATION IS JUST CECIL COUNTY IS SO SPREAD OUT.
AND I JUST SEE A HUGE EQUITY ISSUE HERE WITH BARRIERS TO ENTRY FOR LOWER INCOME FAMILIES, FOR WORKING PARENTS WHO CAN'T DRIVE THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL.
AND THEY TOUCHED ON THE CARPOOLING.
THEY TOUCHED ON AFTERCARE, BEFORECARE.
BUT I DO THINK THAT IT REALLY DOES UNDERMINE AND THE EQUITY OBLIGATION AND EXPOSES US POSSIBLY TO LIKE A CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT IF IT RESULTS IN SYSTEMIC EXCLUSION, WHICH IT COULD, ESPECIALLY FOR THE CANAL AND BEYOND THE CANAL BECAUSE IT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT BARRIER TO ENTRY.
THAT'S MY CONCERN HERE FOR THAT WAY.
I MEAN, I WOULDN'T, I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT WAIVER AT ALL.
I AGREE FOR THE TRANSPORTATION WAIVER.
I DON'T THINK HOW, I MEAN, I JUST THINK IT'S EQUITY, TOTAL EQUITY.
I'M IN THE SOUTH PART OF, YOU KNOW, MY DISTRICT IS CHESAPEAKE CITY, CECILTON.
THERE'S NO ONE FROM THAT AREA THAT'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO, WELL, I SHOULDN'T SAY NO ONE, VERY FEW THAT WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE SCHOOL WITH WHERE WE LIVE, WHERE IT'S LOCATED WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION.
ISSUE FOR ME, ESPECIALLY BEING DISTRICT 1.
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT ANY OF THE WAIVERS YOU SEE? CALENDAR, CURRICULUM, TRANSPORTATION, ANYTHING? I JUST HAVE ONE OTHER QUICK QUESTION ABOUT TRANSPORTATION.
I NOTICED ABOUT CCCS POSSIBLY PURCHASING A BUS.
WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT WE, BEING CCPS, WOULD WE PAY FOR THAT OR WOULD THEY PAY FOR IT? HOW WOULD THAT WORK? THAT'S A PART OF THE APPLICATION? I MEAN, IT WOULD DEPEND.
IT WOULD BE A LARGE EQUIPMENT PURCHASE, SO IT WOULD DEPEND ON HOW THEY BUDGET FOR THAT, WHETHER THEY'RE USING GRANT FUNDING, HOW THEY...
THAT WOULD BE IN THEIR PURVIEW
[00:35:01]
FOR THEIR BUDGET EVENTUALLY.THERE'S NOTHING TO PRECLUDE THEM FROM USING THEIR PER-PUPIL ALLOCATION TO BUY A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT A CAPITAL PROJECT, SO...
I WOULD GUESS IT WOULD PROBABLY BE MORE ALONG THE LINES OF A GRANT, SOME TYPE OF GRANT FUNDING.
IS THAT OUTSIDE OF NORMAL PROTOCOLS? I MEAN, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU'VE SEEN IN THE PAST? I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT OTHER CHARTER SCHOOLS HAVE DONE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION AS FAR AS THAT.
HOW DOES A CHARTER SCHOOL END FOR YOU? BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN THERE.
NEW CASTLE COUNTY, LIKE A DMA, WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPORTATION, ARE THEY USING...
THEY USE CONTRACTORS, AS DOES WILMINGTON CHARTER.
NEWARK CHARTER RIGHT NOW I BELIEVE HAS THEIR OWN BUSES.
NOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY OWN THOSE BUSES, I'M NOT SURE.
BUT I'M TELLING YOU, FOR EVERY BIT OF 15 YEARS, NEWARK CHARTER DID NOT PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION.
NOR DID THEY PROVIDE LUNCH AT SCHOOL.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN ACCUSED HARD IN NEWARK.
THE TERM WITH ENROLLMENT IN CHARTER SCHOOL WORLD IS CALLED SKIMMING.
AND IT KIND OF DEFINES ITSELF.
THAT CERTAIN PRACTICES ARE PUT INTO PLACE.
TO TAKE CERTAIN KINDS OF KIDS AND THAT IS NOT A AN ALLEGATION OF CONCERN IN CECIL COUNTY OR FREDERICK COUNTY THAT IS A NATIONAL ISSUE AS IT RELATES TO CHARTER SCHOOLS MAGNET SCHOOLS THAT SKIMMING OCCURS AND I CAN TELL YOU FIRSTHAND IT OCCURS AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST FEAR WHEN IT COMES TO ISSUES SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION BUT DIRECTLY TO YOUR POINT IT'S EITHER A COMBINATION BECAUSE KEEP IN MIND THERE ARE ONLY TWO SCHOOLS IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE WHERE THEIR CHARTERS ARE HELD BY THE LOCAL AND THAT'S UH DELAWARE MILITARY ACADEMY AND WILMINGTON CHARTER.
THOSE CHARTERS ARE HELD BY RED CLAY.
ALL THE OTHER CHARTERS IN DELAWARE ARE HELD BY THE STATE OF DELAWARE.
AND SO WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS THAT WITH WILMINGTON CHARTER AND DMA, DELAWARE MILITARY ACADEMY, IT'S EITHER CONTRACTED BUSES THROUGH RED CLAY OR CONTRACTED BUSES THROUGH THEIR OWN SCHOOL.
BUT THEY PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION, AND NEWARK CHARTER NOW ALSO PROVIDES TRANSPORTATION.
I THINK WE CAN GO AHEAD TO THE NEXT SECTION.
SO THE NEXT SECTION, WE WANTED TO CLARIFY SOME CONCERNS THAT THE CHARTER SCHOOL REVIEW COMMITTEE HAD INVOLVING THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS.
AND THE FIRST PIECE WAS THIS IDENTIFICATION OF FOUNDING FAMILIES.
IT WASN'T CLEARLY ARTICULATED HOW A FOUNDING FAMILY WAS BUILT, SHORT OF FAMILIES THAT WERE PUT ON A LIST THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE CSRC AS WELL.
AS THE BOARD AT THE CAPACITY INTERVIEWS.
SO RIGHT AWAY THERE'S FAMILIES WHO ARE NOT ON THAT LIST.
THEY PROBABLY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT IT EXISTED THAT THEY NEEDED TO GET ON THAT LIST.
BUT FOUNDING FAMILIES HAVE PREFERENTIAL ADMISSION TO THE THE CHARTER SCHOOL AS FAR AS WE CAN SEE.
WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT BEING AN EXCLUSIONARY PROCESS NOT ONLY WITH THE FOUNDING FAMILIES HAVING THESE AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT.
BUT ALSO THAT LACK OF TRANSPORTATION IN THIS VERY SMALL ENROLLMENT WINDOW THAT DR.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT SYSTEM-WIDE BALANCED ENROLLMENT.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, THE PROPOSED LOCATION OF THE CECIL CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL IS AT THE CURRENT NORTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THAT IS RIGHT DIRECTLY NEXT TO NORTHEAST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND WHAT WOULD THAT ENROLLMENT DO TO THE ENROLLMENT AT NORTHEAST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL? IT'S NOT OVERCROWDED AT THIS TIME.
SO WHAT WILL THAT DO TO THE RESOURCES AND ENROLLMENT AT THAT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SINCE THEY'RE RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO ONE ANOTHER? THE CLASS SIZE ISSUE IS ANOTHER CONCERN.
THE CECIL CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL IS CLAIMING THAT IT'S A 20 TO 1 RATIO AND THERE'S SOME MISINFORMATION IN THE COMMUNITY THAT OUR CLASS SIZE IS THE CLASS SIZES IN THE CURRENT CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE BECAUSE WE'RE CHOOSING IT TO BE HIGHER.
IT'S BECAUSE WE CAN'T AFFORD THE TEACHERS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE TO BRING THOSE CLASS SIZES DOWN.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO GO INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT, MS. SOPA.
SO I WANTED TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO POSITION ALLOTMENT AND INITIAL ONBOARDING.
SO IN THE FIRST YEAR, OUR BUDGET IS ALWAYS BASED ON OUR ENROLLMENT FROM THE YEAR BEFORE.
SO THE YEAR THAT A CHARTER SCHOOL WOULD OPEN, WE'RE OPERATING OFF OF LAST YEAR'S ENROLLMENT.
SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING TO PROVIDE POSITIONS FOR THIS CHARTER SCHOOL, WE WON'T AUTOMATICALLY HAVE AN EXTRA $3 MILLION TO ALLOCATE 40-SOME POSITIONS TO THE CHARTER SCHOOL.
IT'LL BE US LOOKING AT THE POSITIONS WE HAVE AND TAKING FROM THE POSITIONS WE HAVE TO FUND THIS BUILDING, ABSENT ANY ADDITIONAL REVENUE.
NOW, IN THE OUT YEARS, AS IF THE CHARTER SCHOOL BRINGS IN ADDITIONAL STUDENTS, RIGHT,
[00:40:02]
SO IT'S NOT JUST A MIGRATION OF STUDENTS FROM OTHER SCHOOLS, BUT ALSO STUDENTS COMING BACK TO OUR SCHOOL FROM PRIVATE SCHOOLS OR HOMESCHOOLING.IT MAY RESULT IN INCREASED REVENUE FOR THE CHARTER SCHOOL, BUT AT THE ONSET, IT'LL BE US REALLOCATING POSITIONS WE ALREADY HAVE, ABSENT ADDITIONAL REVENUE TO ADD POSITIONS.
SO IT GOES BACK TO, AGAIN, THE MISNOMER OF CLASS SIZE IS NOT BECAUSE OUR SCHOOLS ARE OVERCROWDED BECAUSE THERE'S TOO MANY STUDENTS IN A BUILDING, BUT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE STAFFING FOR THE 1 TO 20 RATIO.
THE OTHER THING WITH THE 1 TO 20 RATIO FOR THE CHARTER SCHOOL IS THAT ASSUMES THAT THEY RECEIVE THAT THE ENROLLMENT OF THEIR STUDENTS MATCHES THE ENROLLMENT THAT WE PROPOSE.
I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT LATER, ABOUT USING CHARLESTOWN AS A MODEL.
BUT IF THE NUMBER OR PERCENT OF STUDENTS WITH IEPS DON'T MATERIALIZE AT THE CHARTER SCHOOL, IF THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS COMPENSATORY ED RECEIVING FREE AND REDUCED PRICE MEALS DON'T MATERIALIZE, ALL OF THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WILL REDUCE THE OVERALL REVENUE FOR THE CHARTER.
AND AT SOME POINT, YOU STILL CAN'T PROVIDE A 20 TO 1 RATIO.
IF YOU DON'T GET 240 STUDENTS TO ENROLL, IF YOU ONLY HAVE 30 THIRD GRADERS, HOW DO YOU STAFF A BUILDING IF YOU DON'T HAVE FULL CLASS SIZES? THEY'LL BE FORCED TO MAKE THE SAME DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE, AND IT'S, WELL, CAN I AFFORD TO HAVE 15 STUDENTS IN THE CLASS? AND WHEN I CAN'T, THEN I HAVE TO DECIDE WHICH GRADE LEVEL IS GOING TO HAVE 30 STUDENTS IN THE CLASS.
IT'S THE SAME PHENOMENON THAT HAPPENS IN THE OTHER PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
IT'S PROBABLY A GOOD TIME TO POINT OUT THAT STATE BOARD CASE LAW WILL TELL YOU THAT A LOCAL BOARD CANNOT DENY A CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATION BECAUSE OF MONEY, FUNDING.
THAT IS THEIR MOST RECENT RULING IN A CASE.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE BOARD SHOULD NOT CONSIDER THE FACT THAT BRINGING ON ANOTHER SCHOOL WOULD BE A 30TH PRINCIPAL, A 30TH NURSE, AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, I BELIEVE, IS WHAT'S IN THE PLAN TO...
BE THE, I GUESS, OVERSEER OF ALL OF IT, THESE WOULD ALL BE ABOVE POSITIONS.
SO THAT I THINK WE COUNTED PROBABLY SIX, WHAT I WILL CALL ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS, THAT INCLUDES BOOKKEEPER, SECRETARY, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, TO THE TUNE OF PROBABLY $650,000.
AND SO DOES THAT MEAN YOU VOTED CHARTER SCHOOL DOWN BECAUSE OF THAT? IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT.
BUT IT MEANS THAT AS A BOARD OF ED, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WILL BE A FINANCIAL IMPACT.
AND SO AGAIN, IT'S WORTH CONSIDERING AT LEAST.
OTHER QUESTIONS AS IT RELATES TO ENROLLMENT? YOU KIND OF, YES, AND YOU KIND OF PROVIDE ME WITH SOME NEW INSIGHT ON THAT.
SO YEAR ONE, IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE EASIER FROM A BUDGETARY STANDPOINT IF ALL THE CCCS STUDENTS ARE CCPS TRANSFERS.
THEREFORE, OVERALL STUDENT ENROLLMENT WOULD BE THE SAME WITH OR WITHOUT A CHARTER SCHOOL.
WELL, IN THE WORLD OF PREDICTABILITY IT WOULD, BUT IN TERMS OF GENERATING REVENUE.
WELL, THE DIFFERENCE THOUGH IS JUST THE OUT YEARS WOULD BE WORSE.
FOR YEAR ONE, THE DIFFERENCE WOULD BE OPERATING 18 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS INSTEAD OF 17.
AND CURRENTLY, PER THE, I'M JUST NOTING THIS, THAT PER THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES MASTER PLAN, FOUR OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE WELL BELOW 70% CAPACITY.
TWO ARE AT 100, AND THE REST, TWO ARE IN THE 90S, AND THE REMAINING NINE ARE 70 TO 90%.
BOTTOM LINE, RIGHT NOW, THERE IS ROOM FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS, BUT YOU JUST MADE THE POINT THAT I WASN'T THINKING OF THAT IN YEAR ONE.
TRANSFER FROM AN EXISTING CCPS SCHOOL, IT'D BE LESS BUDGETARY IMPACT ONLY FOR THAT FIRST YEAR AND THEN IT PROBABLY GETS MORE PROBLEMATIC.
YEAR ONE IF ALL STUDENTS ARE NEW TO CCPS LIKE THEY'RE CURRENTLY HOMESCHOOLED OR PRIVATE SCHOOL WOULD PROBABLY BE MORE BURDENSOME BECAUSE THERE'D BE AN INFLUX OF 240 NEW STUDENTS WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON A BUDGET THAT DIDN'T INCLUDE THOSE STUDENTS.
OUT YEARS MAY BE BETTER BECAUSE THEY WOULD BRING IN BLUEPRINT PER PUPIL FUNDING.
DO I HAVE THAT RIGHT? I THINK SO.
I THINK SOMETHING ELSE WORTH INJECTING HERE IS WE RECENTLY MET WITH THE INTERAGENCY FOR CONSTRUCTION, THE IAC, THE SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PEOPLE, AND THEY HAVE REAL CONCERNS AND PAUSE ABOUT SUPPORTING A NEW THOMPSON ESTATES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THAT ISSUE, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE EMPTY SEATS AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.
RIGHT NOW THEIR POSITION WOULD BE THAT YOU NEED TO REBALANCE AND REDISTRICT.
BEFORE WE CONSTRUCT A NEW $35-40 MILLION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO IT DOVETAILS WITH YOUR POINT IN TERMS OF THE BROADER
[00:45:01]
ENROLLMENT ISSUE AS IT RELATES TO CREATING WHAT WOULD BE AN 18TH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.SO THEY'RE SAYING THAT IF THOMPSON, IF ANY OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WERE DEEMED NOT WORTHY OF HOUSING STUDENTS, IF THEY WERE CONDEMNED, LET'S SAY, THEY WOULD SAY THAT WE WOULD REALLOCATE TO OTHER SCHOOLS RATHER THAN BUILD A NEW SCHOOL.
LIKE IF SOMETHING CATASTROPHIC HAPPENED TO ONE OF OUR BUILDINGS? THAT WOULD BE THEIR PREFERENCE TO SEE US REDISTRICT IN THE AREA.
THEY WOULD SEE US GET RID OF THE BUILDING.
AND THAT'S AS RECENT AS TWO WEEKS AGO WE MET WITH THEM.
IF, LET'S SAY, BACK TO BRIAN'S SCENARIO, IF, MR. HAMM.
IF THEY WERE ALL NEW, I MEAN, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, SUNSHINE AND FLOWERS, BUT IF THEY WERE ALL BRAND NEW STUDENTS TO CCPS 260, IS THERE AN AVENUE OR A WAY TO PETITION FOR NEW FUNDING BECAUSE OF THAT, BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING, BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY CAN, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY MR. SCHRATE IS SUPPORTING THE CCCS SCHOOL, SO WOULD WE BE ABLE TO GO TO THE COUNTY AND SAY, HEY, THESE ARE 270 NEW STUDENTS, CAN THE COUNTY SUPPORT THIS? AND THEN GO TO THE STATE AND SAY THESE ARE NEW STUDENTS.
IS THERE A WAY TO DO THAT? I WOULD SAY IT'S THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR.
SO SOME YEARS WE END UP WITH MORE STUDENTS THAN WE HAD LAST YEAR.
SO WE'RE EDUCATING MORE STUDENTS ON LAST YEAR'S FUNDING.
AND LATELY IT'S BEEN THE OPPOSITE, RIGHT? WHERE WE'RE RECEIVING FUNDING FOR LAST YEAR'S STUDENTS, BUT NOW WE HAVE LESS.
SO JUST LIKE THEY DON'T TAKE MONEY AWAY WHEN YOU HAVE LESS STUDENTS ENROLLED, THEY DON'T ADD IT MID-YEAR EITHER.
LAWSON SAID, IT'S NOT A REASON TO APPROVE OR DENY A CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATION, BUT JUST UNDERSTANDING.
THAT AT THE BEGINNING, IT'S NOT THAT THERE'S AUTOMATICALLY 43 NEW POSITIONS THAT GET APPLIED TO A NEW SCHOOL.
THOSE POSITIONS HAVE TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE.
AND SO WHETHER WE'RE BRINGING IN 240 NEW STUDENTS OR WE'RE MOVING STUDENTS, WE STILL HAVE A PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T ALWAYS MOVE IN EQUAL NUMBERS EITHER, RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT GOING TO BE LIKE AN EVEN 20 STUDENTS FROM THIS SCHOOL.
IT NEVER WORKS OUT THAT WAY, WHICH IS ALWAYS PART OF THE ISSUE.
THE OTHER PROBLEM IS OUR SMALLEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE THE ONES THAT WE REALLY STRUGGLE TO STAFF AND BUDGET, ESPECIALLY WITH MINIMUM SCHOOL FUNDING REQUIREMENTS FOR BLUEPRINT.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT A SCHOOL THAT'S UNDER 300 STUDENTS, SO OUR CHARLESTOWNS, KENMORE'S, LEEDS, CECILTON'S, THOSE TYPES OF SCHOOLS, IT GETS REALLY EXPENSIVE BY THE TIME YOU PUT IN YOUR PRINCIPAL, YOUR ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, THE POSITIONS THAT DR.
AND THEN DEPENDING ON YOUR SUBGROUP POPULATION, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS WITH IEPS OR STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE FREE OR REDUCED-PRICE MEALS AND YOU'RE NOT GETTING A LOT OF THAT EXTRA FUNDING, IT BECOMES REALLY DIFFICULT AND SO DR. LAWSON HAS DONE SOME MINIMUM SCHOOL FUNDING SCENARIOS WHERE YOU'VE SEEN WHAT MONEY WOULD GO INTO A HOLLY HALL VERSUS A CALVERT.
AND SO THESE SMALLER SCHOOLS ACTUALLY BECOME REALLY HARDER TO STAFF AND FUND, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE GET PUSHED INTO THAT $25.75 AND MAKING SURE WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS OF OTHER SCHOOLS.
KEEP IN MIND, MR. FERNANDO, IN THE EVENT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE DID DECIDE TO SUPPORT...
EXTRA FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY EARN IT THROUGH THE BLUEPRINT, THAT THAT'S ONLY A ONE-YEAR STOPGAP.
LET'S SAY HE GAVE AN EXTRA $3 MILLION.
HE WOULD HAVE TO DO THAT EVERY YEAR BECAUSE THIS YEAR'S $3 MILLION BECOMES PART OF NEXT YEAR'S MOE.
SO HE'D HAVE TO GO $3 MILLION ABOVE.
SO HE'D HAVE TO GO MOE PLUS $3 MILLION IN PERPETUITY TO MAKE THAT WORK.
BUT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
THERE'S NO SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE BECAUSE OF THE CREATION OF A SCHOOL.
AND THE BOTTOM LINE FUNDING WOULD BE HOWEVER MANY STUDENTS, WHETHER IT'S $9,651 FOR A FOUNDATION STUDENT, $10,000 AND CHANGE FOR A STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY, $7,700 FOR A STUDENT FROM POVERTY, AND ML IS LIKE $9,000 AND CHANGE.
SO WHATEVER A CHARTER SCHOOL WOULD EARN IN TERMS OF ITS STUDENTS, THAT'S WHAT WOULD BE ASSIGNED, AND THEN THEY WOULD GET THREE-QUARTERS OF THAT.
FOLLOW-UP ON THIS, AND I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THIS THE RIGHT WAY, AND SOMEBODY MIGHT BE UPSET ABOUT IT, BUT WHATEVER.
THAT YOU AGREED WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF A CHARTER SCHOOL.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THE APPROPRIATE THING TO DO WOULD BE TO MAKE ONE OF OUR CURRENT SCHOOLS BECOME THE CHARTER SCHOOL MORE THAN ACTUALLY ADD A SCHOOL BASED ON OUR CURRENT CAPACITY.
LIKE ACTUALLY HAVE ONE OF THE SCHOOLS BECOME THE CHARTER SCHOOL BASED ON OUR CURRENT CAPACITY.
IF YOU NOTICE IN MY EPISTLE, MY SIX PAGES OF READING TO BEGIN, I AUTHORED THE RESTRUCTURING PLAN FOR WHAT WAS CONRAD MIDDLE SCHOOL.
CONRAD MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR YEARS WAS GETTING CRUSHED WITH SCHOOL CHOICE BECAUSE ALL THE CONRAD MIDDLE SCHOOL FAMILIES WERE CHOOSING TO GO TO H.B.
DUPONT, SKYLINE MIDDLE, TAKE YOUR PICK.
CAB CALLOWAY SCHOOL OF THE ARTS WAS A 6TH THROUGH 12TH.
NOBODY WAS GOING TO CONRAD, SO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DID? THEY CLOSED CONRAD.
THE KIDS THAT WERE AT CONRAD, THEY PAWNED OFF TO ALL THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN THE AREA, AND THEN THEY STARTED BRINGING IN AND MADE IT A 6TH THROUGH 12TH SCHOOL, AND AT THE CONRAD SCHOOLS OF SCIENCE, A 6TH GRADER HAS TO GO IN AND INTERVIEW.
THE SPRING BEFORE THEY GET ADMITTED AND DECIDE IF THEY'RE ENTERED AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS.
[00:50:01]
AND GUESS WHAT? CONRAD'S A REALLY HIGH ACHIEVING SCHOOL.DOES THAT SHOCK ANYBODY? SO THE KIDS THAT STRUGGLED AND THE FAMILIES THAT DIDN'T KNOW ENOUGH TO CHOOSE OUT, THEY STAYED UNTIL THE SCHOOL CLOSED.
THEN THEY GOT ASSIGNED OUT AND THEY'RE LEFT WITH AN EMPTY BUILDING AND THEY PUT IT ALL WITH SIX THROUGH 12 KIDS WHO HAD TO APPLY AND COME IN WITH THEIR SCIENCE PROJECT.
I KNOW THIS BECAUSE MY SIXTH GRADE SON WENT THERE.
SO THIS IS SOME OF THE CONCERN YOU HEAR WHEN IT COMES TO SKIMMING AND SOME OF THESE THINGS OF ENROLLMENTS.
DONE RIGHT, CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT SIMPLY TAKE A POPULATION OF STUDENTS, NOT THE ONES THAT ARE INTERESTED, NOT THE ONES THAT ARE FOUNDING FAMILIES, BUT THEY TAKE ANY CHILD.
THAT'S HOW IT HAPPENS THE RIGHT WAY.
AND IT DOES HAPPEN IN POCKETS.
THE NEXT SECTION INVOLVES CURRICULUM DELIVERY.
AND THE CSRC FOUND THAT THERE WERE SOME INCONSISTENCIES WITH, FIRST OF ALL, THE CURRICULUM THAT WAS REQUESTED TO BE TAUGHT.
FROM THE PROSPECTUS TO THE ACTUAL APPLICATION TO THE CAPACITY INTERVIEWS.
ULTIMATELY, I BELIEVE THAT THE CCCS IS INTERESTED IN THE HILLSDALE COLLEGE CURRICULUM, BUT I THINK THEY HAVE SOME LICENSING ISSUES, I BELIEVE, THAT THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO OFFICIALLY GO IN ON THAT YET.
BUT THAT IS THE CURRICULUM THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN.
THEY'RE INTERESTED IN THE ORTON-GILLINGHAM APPROACH AS WELL AS THE SCIENCE OF READING AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY MODEL, WHICH IS VERY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AS YOU CAN HEAR, BLUEPRINT HAS A LENS ON ALL OF THIS BECAUSE IT IS REQUIRED BY LAW.
AND THERE ARE SOME BLUEPRINT PIECES AS A PART OF CURRICULUM AND DELIVERY.
AND THAT IS THAT MATERIALS NEED TO BE HQIM, WHICH ARE HIGH-QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, AS PER BLUEPRINT.
AND THEY DID MAKE A COMMITMENT TO TEACHING THE COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS STANDARDS.
HOWEVER, THEY WANTED TO HAVE A WAIVER ON A COUPLE OF THE STANDARDS.
SPECIFICALLY, THERE WAS A WAIVER FOR THE HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM, AS WELL AS A WAIVER FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CURRICULUM IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND.
SO WE WEREN'T SURE ABOUT THAT.
THE COMMITTEE ALSO WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE LIMITED ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY WHEN THERE ARE MARYLAND DIGITAL LITERACY STANDARDS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO BE TAUGHT SO THAT OUR STUDENTS CAN RESPONSIBLY USE TECHNOLOGY IN TODAY'S WORLD AND HAVE DIGITAL LITERACY.
THEY UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERYTHING THEY'RE READING IS ACCURATE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THERE WAS ALSO THE STAFFING MODEL WAS NOT FULLY CLEAR TO THE TEAM, THAT THEY HAD A PROPOSED SCHEDULE, BUT WE WEREN'T SURE HOW THE STAFF THAT THEY WERE PROPOSING WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE EXPECTATIONS OF ALL OF THE CONTENT AREAS AND MEET THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS.
SO THOSE WERE SOME OF THE OVERARCHING CONCERNS ABOUT THE CURRICULUM DELIVERY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANTED TO ADD.
I WOULD JUST ADD AND KIND OF SPEAK TO THE MASTER SCHEDULE COMPONENT THAT DR.
SO ON PAGE 47 OF THE APPLICATION, YOU CAN SEE A SAMPLE OF WHAT A MASTER SCHEDULE COULD LOOK LIKE.
SO TO GIVE THE BOARD SOME CONTEXT, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IN OPERATING A SCHOOL-WIDE SCHEDULE WHERE YOU'RE DELIVERING THE SAME CONTENT AT THE SAME TIME IS YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY MEETING THE NEEDS OF DIVERSE LEARNERS WHEN EVERYONE DOES AT THE SAME TIME.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR A SPECIAL EDUCATOR TO BE SPLIT ACROSS GRADE LEVELS.
AND WHEN THOSE SCHEDULES ARE DEVELOPED, THAT SPECIAL EDUCATOR IS ABLE TO BE PRESENT IN GRADE FOUR AND FIVE AND PROVIDE SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION OR SUPPORTS.
WHEN YOU TRY TO DELIVER YOUR SCHEDULE WHERE THE ENTIRE SCHOOL IS RECEIVING THAT CONTENT AT THE SAME TIME, IT PUTS A REAL TENSION ON THE NUMBER OF STAFF MEMBERS THAT YOU HAVE TO DELIVER THE SERVICES.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE STRUGGLED WITH IN REVIEWING THE APPLICATION WAS HOW THE...
PROPOSED NUMBER OF STAFFING THAT ARE IN THE APPLICATION WOULD MEET THE MASTER SCHEDULE REQUIREMENT.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD WHEN I WAS READING THROUGH EVERYTHING.
IT JUST SEEMED LIKE THERE'S GREAT ASPIRATIONS WHICH I REALLY APPRECIATE THE GREAT ASPIRATIONS.
WE ALL WANT THE BEST FOR OUR STUDENTS.
BUT WITH YOUR EXPERTISE, HOW DO YOU THINK THE CHARTER SCHOOL CAN DELIVER SMALL CLASS SIZES, PERSONALIZED LEARNING, MTSS, PROJECT BASED LEARNING, SPECIAL EDUCATION, PD FOR FOR AN EL EDUCATOR, PULL-OUTS FOR SMALL GROUPS FOR ELA AND MATH, WITH ALL OF THOSE THINGS, PLUS MORE, WITH THE STAFF THAT THEY HAVE.
I MEAN, YOUR EXPERTISE, POSSIBLE? PIE IN THE SKY? VOLUNTEERS? I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU? SO MY INITIAL THOUGHT TO THAT IS THAT ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT COMES IS RECONCILING THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF STAFF PROPOSED.
SO I DO AGREE WITH YOUR POINT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STAFFING TABLE AND THE APPLICATION, THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS RECONCILE
[00:55:04]
AGAINST OTHER PARTS OF THE APPLICATION AND SO I KNOW MS. SOPA PLANS TO SPEAK ABOUT THAT IN A LITTLE BIT AS WELL AS IT RELATES TO THE BUDGET AND SO MS. HEATH TO MORE DIRECTLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YOU KNOW THE APPLICATION DOES INCLUDE A NUMBER OF SPECIALISTS AND STAFF MEMBERS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS AND IF THE BUDGET CAN FULLY FUND THOSE I THINK THERE'S A CHANCE AT MEETING THOSE THOSE NEEDS.THE CHALLENGE IS WE DON'T SEE A CONNECTION BETWEEN WHAT IS PROPOSED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE APPLICATION.
WITH WHAT'S BUDGETED? JUST ONE OTHER, AND THIS MAY BE BUDGET, BUT ALSO CHANGING CURRICULUM HAS A COST.
AND IS THAT, I DIDN'T SEE, I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S STUFF IN THE BUDGET FOR CURRICULUM, BUT.
THAT WOULD BE ANYTIME THEY GO TO CHANGE THAT CURRICULUM, IT'S EXPENSIVE.
THEY HAVE A START-UP YEAR BUDGET, WHICH MOST OF THEIR CURRICULAR MATERIALS ARE PURCHASED IN THEIR START-UP YEAR BUDGET, NOT THEIR YEAR ONE BUDGET.
BUT IF THEY CHANGE THAT TO HILLSDALE AFTERWARDS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THAT, THAT WOULD BE AN EXTRA COST.
I DON'T THINK THAT WAS, FROM WHAT I READ, I DON'T THINK THAT WAS THEIR PLAN.
I THINK HILLSDALE WAS THEIR PLAN, BUT BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHTS TO USE IT RIGHT NOW, THAT'S WHY IT WASN'T MENTIONED IN THE APPLICATION.
I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A PLAN TO CHANGE IT.
I THINK IT'S JUST NOT BEING MENTIONED BY NAME.
I JUST DON'T SEE A REALITY WHERE THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S APPROVING A HILLSDALE COLLEGE.
THERE'S NO WAY THAT'S GOING TO BALTIMORE AND BEING APPROVED AS A HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL.
I HAVE ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE...
THE COMPUTER LAB AND I THINK IT SAID THERE WERE 25 COMPUTERS IN THE COMPUTER LAB.
IS THAT ENOUGH TO DO MCAT? SO CERTAINLY DEVELOPMENT OF A TESTING SCHEDULE WOULD REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, CAREFUL CONSIDERATION.
IT MAY REQUIRE THAT THE WINDOW FOR THE ASSESSMENT BE LONGER IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE IT.
THE OTHER CHALLENGE WOULD BE THAT IN ORDER TO ASSESS A STUDENT IN MARYLAND, THE ONLY WAY TO OPT OUT OF AN ELECTRONIC ASSESSMENT IS THROUGH AN IEP ACCOMMODATION AND SO THERE WOULD BE A REQUIREMENT THAT THESE STUDENTS ASSESS ONLINE AND A BEST PRACTICE WOULD INCLUDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO PRACTICE WITH THOSE ASSESSMENTS BEFORE SO IT WOULD REQUIRE THAT THAT LAB BE SCHEDULED VERY INTENTIONALLY IF IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TO GIVE THOSE STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO PRACTICE THE ASSESSMENTS.
I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION RELATED TO CURRICULUM.
DID THE COMMITTEE CONCLUDE THAT THE PROPOSED CLASSICAL CURRICULUM ITSELF WAS DEFICIENT OR THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN LACKED SUFFICIENT DETAIL? MR. DAVIS, I BELIEVE THE LATTER.
THERE REALLY WASN'T SPECIFICITY ABOUT WHAT A CLASSICAL MODEL LOOKS LIKE.
AND THEY SPOKE TO A TRIVIUM, BUT THAT REALLY INVOLVES CRITICAL THINKING, WHICH DOESN'T SEEM MUCH DIFFERENT THAN MANY OF THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
SO THERE WAS LACK OF SPECIFICITY TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT CLASSICAL MODEL REALLY IS, SHORT OF STUDENTS ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE TECHNOLOGY AS MUCH.
AND YOU MENTIONED COMMITMENT TO STANDARDS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN'T BE WAIVED, CORRECT? THEY ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE CURRENT MCAT AND THE ASSESSMENT OF MCAT, AND THEY'RE BASED ON THE STANDARDS.
OKAY, MOVING ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
WE WANTED TO SPEAK TO STUDENT SERVICES AND SUPPORT.
THERE WAS REALLY A LACK OF CLARITY REGARDING MTSS PROCESSES.
IN FACT, IN ONE PORTION OF THE APPLICATION THE MTSS PYRAMID WAS INVERTED.
IT WAS IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, IF YOU DIDN'T CATCH THAT.
THERE IS, WE SEEM, WE'RE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE OVER-RELIANCE ON VOLUNTEERS.
THEY ARE NOT CONSISTENT, THOUGH I BELIEVE THE CECIL COUNTY CHARTER, CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL IS INTERESTED IN REALLY HAVING PARENTS COMMIT TO BEING A PART OF THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATION, WHICH WE ALL STRIVE FOR, BUT THEY REALLY ARE BUILDING THEM INTO THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE ON A CONSISTENT BASIS AND WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THAT TYPE OF A MODEL.
THEY DID NOT REALLY OVER ARTICULATE THE SUPPORT FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO MAYBE ARE STUDENTS WHO ARE ENGLISH LEARNERS OR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES OR STUDENTS FROM POVERTY OR THOSE MARGINALIZED GROUPS THAT WE HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT.
WASN'T ARTICULATED CLEARLY ENOUGH FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH SUPPORT FOR THEM.
WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SCHOOL SAFETY PROCESSES.
THEY DID ENTER A NEW PROCESS FOR AN ALERT OR A SECURE STATUS SITUATION THAT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, WHICH IS FINE.
HOWEVER, ALICE IS WHAT IS USED IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
IT'S RESEARCH-BASED, AND IT'S CONSISTENTLY BEING USED IN OUR SCHOOLS.
[01:00:01]
AND BUT WAS NOT REFLECTED IN THE ACTUAL APPLICATION AND DR.LAWSON THE THE SCHOOL BOARD LIABILITY DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT MISS HOLLY TOUCHED ON IT JUST UNDERSTANDING THAT WHEN IF ISSUES ARISE THROUGH A CHARTER SCHOOL IT BECOMES YOURS SO TO SPEAK WHETHER IT'S A AN ISSUE COVERING MADE THE SPECIFIC KENOSHA VERSUS WHITAKER CASE IS OUT OF THE SEVENTH CIRCUIT IN WISCONSIN KENOSHA IS THE KENOSHA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE THEY CREATED A POLICY THAT PRECLUDED A TRANSGENDER CHILD FROM USING I BELIEVE IT WAS THE RESTROOMS I THINK I COULD BE WRONG BUT IT WAS DEFINITELY A TRANSGENDER ISSUE.
KENOSHA REFUSED TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS TO THAT STUDENT.
STUDENTS TURNED AROUND AND LITIGATED, AND KENOSHA WAS FOUND IN VIOLATION OF TITLE IX AND FORCED TO PAY AN $800,000 SETTLEMENT.
SO THESE KINDS OF THINGS, REGARDLESS OF HOW WE MAY FEEL ABOUT SOME OF THESE ISSUES AS INDIVIDUALS, AS PARENTS, AS FAMILY MEMBERS, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, REALLY DON'T MATTER.
WHAT MATTERS IS PRECEDENT-SETTING LEGAL CASES AND STATE GUIDANCE.
AND WE ARE IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND.
A LOT OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT JUST HAPPENED WITH THE WEST VIRGINIA SUPREME COURT CASE.
I BELIEVE IT WAS WEST VIRGINIA DPJ, WHERE WEST VIRGINIA CREATED A LAW SAYING THAT BOYS HAD TO COMPETE WITH BIOLOGICAL BOYS, GIRLS WITH BIOLOGICAL GIRLS.
THE SUPREME COURT HELD THAT THAT WAS CONSTITUTIONAL, BUT THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY EFFECT.
THAT SIMPLY SAID THAT A LAW OR THAT A STATE.
CAN CREATE A LAW THAT MAKES THAT LEGAL TO DO.
AND MARYLAND HAS CREATED NO SUCH LAW.
SO UNTIL THEY DO, WE'RE STILL UNDER THE MARYLAND...
I MEAN, AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT SO MUCH THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT AT THE FORE AT THE MOMENT.
IT COULD EASILY BE AT THE FORE.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD OUR SHARE OF THESE KINDS OF CONCERNS.
SO WE ASSUME, WE BELIEVE IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE BOARD TO BE AWARE THAT ULTIMATELY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, REGARDLESS OF POLITICAL BELIEF IN...
PERSONAL BELIEF IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE KINDS OF DECISIONS.
AND THAT ALSO BLEEDS INTO CURRICULAR MATTERS, WHETHER IT'S TEACHING OUR FAMILY LIFE CURRICULUM.
AND AS I'M LOOKING, ALL OF YOU WERE CCPS PARENTS AT SOME POINT, RIGHT? THE FAMILY LIFE CURRICULUM FOR OUR FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADERS, I MEAN, AROUND, YOU KNOW, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE IN 2009.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET IN A WAIVER.
TEACH IT WITH SENSITIVITY AND ALL THAT, ABSOLUTELY.
BUT IN TERMS OF SAYING WE'RE NOT DOING IT, THAT'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE THERE.
I MEAN, AND SAME WITH FACILITIES, REALLY, AND GENDER IDENTITY AND BATHROOMS AND COURT CASE PRECEDENTS, WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH IT OR NOT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO DO.
AND I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.
IN ADDITION TO LEGAL FEES, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TIME, THE ADMINISTRATIVE WORK, ALL OF THE RESPONSIVENESS TO MANAGE ALL OF THESE LEGAL CASES? IS THAT OUR ADMIN TEAM? THE ANSWER IS YES, MR. FERNANDO.
PROBABLY TO BE DETERMINED BUT I THINK IN THEIR BUDGET PLAN IS WHAT I'M THINKING BECAUSE THEY MAY DEPEND ON THE INFORMATION TO KNOW WHAT WE HAD THE INFORMATION WE HAVE ALL THE PERSONNEL INFORMATION WE HAVE THE CORRECT MM-HMM THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING THAT WOULD BE QUICK QUESTION RELATED BACK TO THE SAFETY THE SCHOOL SAFETY PROCESSES I KNOW YOU MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT THE ACTUAL SUBMITTED PLAN TALKED ABOUT PARTNERING WITH CCPS AND USING OUR EMERGENCY OPERATION PLAN, BUT YET IT WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT OTHER THAN THE ALICE DRILL.
THEY WERE USING THEIR OWN DRILL.
I MEAN, CAN YOU KIND OF WALK THROUGH IT? LIKE, WHY IS THAT A PROBLEM, OR WHY WOULD YOU CONSIDER THAT A PROBLEM? THE PLAN, THE ALICE PLAN, IS SOMETHING THAT'S CLEARLY ARTICULATED WITH OUR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
THEY'RE VERY AWARE OF THE PROTOCOLS AND PROCESSES IN EVERY ONE OF OUR BUILDINGS TRAINED IN THE SAME WAY.
AND MR. RAUSCH, I BELIEVE SEVERAL OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ARE TRAINED USING THE ALICE PROCESS AS WELL.
SO FOR CONSISTENCY'S SAKE, THAT WAS A CONCERN FOR US.
[01:05:04]
IN THIS AREA? AND THEN THE LAST SLIDE, BEFORE WE GET TO THE NUMBERS, IS SIMPLY JUST, AND YOU'VE HEARD THIS THEME, IS THAT WE, YOU'RE RIGHT.WHILE WE'RE FIGURING OUT WHERE THE BUDGET SLIDE IS, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? I MEAN, I THINK THE ISSUE OF, YOU KNOW, THERE WE GO.
YOU KNOW, WE DO STRUGGLE TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CLASSICAL APPROACH, IF YOU WILL, AND A NON.
I MEAN, IS IT LATIN? IS THAT LIKE IN DOING LANGUAGE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, LIKE SPANISH, BUT LATIN DOESN'T START UNTIL SIXTH GRADE? I MEAN, I DIDN'T KNOW, I GUESS I WASN'T CLEAR EITHER WHAT THE TARGET CRITERIA WAS FOR THIS CHARTER SCHOOL.
SO THEN IF THAT'S THE CASE, I'D LIKE TO GIVE MS. SOPA SOME TIME TO SHARE REALLY THE DOLLARS AND CENTS FROM THE WHOLE PLAN.
AND AGAIN, IF AT ANY TIME YOU HAVE A QUESTION.
JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND, WHEN WE STARTED WORKING WITH THE CHARTER SCHOOL FOUNDING COMMITTEE, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY CHARTER SCHOOLS BEFORE.
SO THE FIRST THING THAT MY DEPARTMENT DID WAS WE STARTED REACHING OUT TO OUR COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE STATE WHO HAVE CHARTER SCHOOLS TO SEE HOW THEY WORK THE FUNDING FORMULA.
AND WHAT WE LEARNED REALLY QUICKLY WAS THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS OF CALCULATING IT IN DIFFERENT SCHOOL SYSTEMS ACROSS THE STATE.
SINCE THAT TIME, THERE HAS BEEN SOME VERY SPECIFIC GUIDANCE GIVEN BY MSDE WITH A SPECIFIC WORKBOOK GOING FORWARD, BUT THAT WAS AFTER THE POINT THAT THE CHARTER SCHOOL, WE WERE IN THIS PROCESS WITH THEM.
SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH FREDERICK COUNTY, KNOWING THAT FREDERICK COUNTY HAS A CLASSICAL SCHOOL, AND THIS IS A CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL.
SO WE WORKED WITH OUR COLLEAGUES THERE AND THE FUNDING WORKBOOK THAT THEY USED TO HELP PROVIDE THE DATA FOR THEIR CHARTER SCHOOL SO WE COULD PROVIDE SIMILAR DATA.
FOR THE CECIL CLASSICAL CHARTER FOUNDING MEMBERS.
THE OTHER THING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW IS THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW ULTIMATELY WHAT THE MAKEUP OF THE STUDENT ENROLLMENT WILL BE, WE OPERATED FROM A POINT OF A COMPARISON TO CHARLESTOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO ASSUMING THAT THIS CHARTER SCHOOL IS K-5, TWO CLASSES PER GRADE LEVEL, 20 STUDENTS PER CLASS, A 240 STUDENT ENROLLMENT, SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE MADE A COMPARISON TO CHARLESTOWN, NOT IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS FOR EACH BLUEPRINT CATEGORY, BUT IN THE PERCENTAGE.
SO IF CHARLESTOWN WAS 30% STUDENTS WITH IEPS, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT IS THE AMOUNT, WE TOOK THAT PERCENTAGE FROM CHARLESTOWN AND APPLIED THAT TO THE CECL CLASSICAL CHARTER'S ENROLLMENT OF 240 AND GOT THE STUDENTS WITH IEPS NUMBER THAT WAY.
SO WE TOOK THE PERCENTAGES OF THE ENROLLMENT AT CHARLESTOWN, APPLIED THEM TO THE CECL CLASSICAL 240 TOTAL ENROLLMENT, AND THAT WAS HOW WE GOT ENROLLMENT FOR SUBGROUPS, BECAUSE WITHOUT SUBGROUP ENROLLMENTS YOU CAN'T TAKE THE BLUEPRINT NUMBERS AND STATUTE AND COME UP WITH A TYPE OF FUNDING.
SO WE NEEDED SOME PLACE TO START.
SO KEEP IN MIND THAT THE BUDGET THAT WE PROVIDED IS ALSO DEPENDENT ON, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WHETHER STUDENTS IN THOSE SUBGROUPS ACTUALLY ENROLL.
SO WHETHER THEY'RE FULLY SUBSCRIBED AT 240 STUDENTS AND WHETHER STUDENTS IN EACH OF THOSE SUBGROUPS WHERE YOU EARN ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR YOUR STUDENT ACTUALLY ENROLL IN THE SCHOOL.
THE OTHER THING OF NOTE IS THAT WE USE THE FY28 BLUEPRINT FUNDING AMOUNTS, WHICH ARE IN STATUTE.
LAWSON HAS SHARED IN MULTIPLE PRESENTATIONS THE VERY DIZZYING SLIDE THAT HAS ALL OF THE YEARS AND ALL OF THE BLUEPRINT STATUTES AND THE AMOUNT FORMULAS AND ALL THE YEARS IN STATUTE.
AND SO PENDING ANY LEGISLATION, THOSE NUMBERS ARE THE NUMBERS UNLESS SOMETHING CHANGES THROUGH LEGISLATION.
WHAT WE WILL EARN PER STUDENT FOR FOUNDATION, FOR SPECIAL ED, FOR COMP ED.
SO WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE THAT AND WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE THEM A PER PUPIL ALLOCATION SORT OF KEEPING IN MIND A DISCLAIMER AT THE BOTTOM THAT IT ASSUMES ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT WE JUST DISCUSSED.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS A CONCERN FOR US, I'LL GO THROUGH THESE FIRST AND THEN I'LL GO THROUGH THE WORKBOOK THAT WE PUT TOGETHER.
IT'S THAT THE APPLICATION DOESN'T INCLUDE A PLAN IF REVENUE IS REDUCED DUE TO LOWER OVERALL OR SUBGROUP ENROLLMENT NUMBERS.
AND SO WHAT IS THE PLAN? AND I TOUCHED ON THAT A LITTLE BIT WITH ENROLLMENT AND CLASS SIZE TOO.
AND THIS IS A DECISION THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE ALL THE TIME.
YOU DON'T GET THE REVENUE THAT YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE GOING TO GET, AND NOW WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO BECAUSE OF IT? AND BECAUSE PEOPLE, SALARIES AND FIXED CHARGES MAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF YOUR BUDGET, OFTENTIMES IT'S WHICH POSITION.
AND ARE WE GOING TO ELIMINATE AND HOW ARE WE GOING
[01:10:01]
TO STAFF OUR BUILDING? SO THERE'S NO PLAN FOR THAT IN THE APPLICATION.THE BUDGET DOES NOT INCLUDE SEPARATE UNRESTRICTED AND RESTRICTED BALANCED BUDGETS.
SO BALANCED BUDGET IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
YOU CAN'T HAVE A SURPLUS OR A DEFICIT.
YOU HAVE TO BALANCE YOUR REVENUE AND YOUR EXPENSE.
AND YOU NEED TO HAVE A SEPARATE UNRESTRICTED AND RESTRICTED BUDGET, KEEPING IN MIND THAT THE UNRESTRICTED BUDGET IS THE BLUEPRINT FUNDING AND THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT'S COMING FROM THE COUNTY AND THE STATE.
AND YOU CAN'T MIX THAT WITH YOUR GRANT FUNDING IN ONE BUDGET.
THERE'S NOTHING IN THE BUDGET FOR SUBSTITUTE COSTS, AND THE CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL WILL INCUR COSTS FOR TEACHER SUBSTITUTES, NURSE SUBSTITUTES, CUSTODIAL SUBSTITUTES, SECRETARY SUBSTITUTES.
THERE'S NOTHING IN THE BUDGET FOR OVERTIME COSTS, AND OVERTIME COSTS ARE REAL.
SO WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED ANYBODY WHO IS SUPPORT PERSONNEL, SOMEBODY WHO IS NOT EXEMPT FROM THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT, IF THEY WORK BEYOND THEIR REQUIRED DUTY DAYS OR DUTY HOURS OR DAYS IN THE WEEK, THEN YOU DO HAVE TO PAY THEM.
SO AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE A CUSTODIAN THAT HAS TO COME IN FOR SNOW REMOVAL ABOVE AND BEYOND THEIR TIME OR ALARM CHECKS OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
CONTRACTED SERVICES FOR RELATED SERVICE PROVIDERS, THEIR APPLICATION DOES SPEAK TO AND IT'S INCLUDED IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THEIR APPLICATION, KNOWING THAT STUDENTS WITH IEPS WILL NEED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, SPEECH THERAPY, PHYSICAL THERAPY.
THE HELP OF A SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST, POSSIBLY A MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER.
SO IT'S MENTIONED IN THE APPLICATION, BUT NOWHERE IN THE BUDGET IS THERE ACTUALLY A LINE FOR CONTRACTED SERVICES AND RELATED SERVICE PROVIDERS.
AND THE CONTRACTED SERVICES LINE THAT IS THERE SEEMS TO BE RELATED, WHEN YOU READ THE NARRATIVE IN THE APPLICATION, MORE RELATED TO IT, MAINTENANCE, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, NOT TO THOSE SERVICES.
A MEDIA SPECIALIST, AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY COMAR.
THERE'S NO REFERENCE TO THAT IN THE BUDGET.
SPECIAL EDUCATION TRANSPORTATION IS MENTIONED WITHOUT ANY BUDGET FOR IT.
PUPIL PERSONNEL WORKER AND HOME AND HOSPITAL INSTRUCTION, THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF DETAIL IN THE APPLICATION WITHOUT ANYTHING THAT I SEE CALLED OUT IN THE BUDGET.
AND THEN THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION BACK AND FORTH ABOUT BUYBACK SERVICES, AGAIN, WHICH THERE ARE A NUMBER OF BUYBACK SERVICES.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE NEGOTIATED.
BUT I DON'T SEE ANYWHERE IN THE BUDGET WHERE THERE WAS A CONTINGENCY FOR THESE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS, WHETHER IT'S YOUR ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE, WHETHER IT'S YOUR STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM, WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE WANT TO BUY BACK, WHETHER IT'S YOUR FIRE ELEVATOR TESTING OR FIRE EXTINGUISHER TESTING, THAT THERE'S NOTHING IN THE BUDGET THAT IS SET ASIDE JUST IN THE INITIAL APPLICATION, KNOWING THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT SOME OF THESE BUYBACK SERVICES.
SO THE TOTAL STAFFING COSTS WHEN THEY PUT TOGETHER THE BUDGET AND THE APPLICATION VERSUS WHEN I TRIED TO TAKE THE POSITIONS FROM THE APPLICATION AND PUT THEM INTO A SPREADSHEET, I CAME UP WITH A $4 MILLION LINE, WHICH IS $826,000 MORE THAN THE $3.2 MILLION THAT THEY INCLUDED IN THEIR BUDGET.
SO KEEP IN MIND WE GAVE THEM A LIST OF FREQUENTLY HIRED POSITIONS.
IT'S THE SAME LIST THAT WE PUT OUT HERE TO OUR STAFF MEMBERS EVERY SPRING.
SO ANYBODY WHO'S LOOKING, WHETHER IT'S A SCHOOL OR A DEPARTMENT LOOKING TO ADD A POSITION, WHETHER IT'S SOMEONE APPLYING FOR GRANTS SO THAT THEY KNOW HOW MUCH THE POSITION COSTS, SO THEY HAD ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION.
AND ALSO IT WAS VERY CLEARLY MENTIONED THAT THOSE WERE FY27 COSTS, SO WE DON'T HAVE FY28 COST OF LIVING INCREASES YET, AND WE CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE FIXED CHARGES INCREASES YET.
SO WE KNOW THAT HEALTH CARE GOES UP, WE KNOW THAT PENSION GOES UP.
SO THESE NUMBERS THAT WE USED HERE ARE ONLY FY27 NUMBERS.
THEY DON'T EVEN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ANY INCREASE IN THOSE AREAS FOR FY28.
AND YOU'RE SAYING BY THIS THAT THE $800,000 THAT YOU SEE A DISCREPANCY IS STILL DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY OF THOSE COSTS? NOT THE INCREASES FOR FY28.
AND ALSO THE SUBSTITUTE, THE MEDIA SPECIALIST? I DON'T SEE ANY OF THAT UNLESS THEY BUILT INTO SOMETHING THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S CALLED IN THE BUDGET.
OKAY, SO ALL OF THAT WOULD NEED TO BE ADDED TO THE $800,000, AS WELL AS TUTORS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WAS IN THE...
IF THEY'RE PAYING TUTORS, I DON'T SEE TUTORS, UNLESS IT'S INCLUDED IN A SALARIES AND FIXED CHARGES LINE.
BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR BECAUSE IT'S ONE LINE FOR SALARIES AND FIXED CHARGES.
OKAY, AND THEN THE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AFTER SCHOOL, THAT WOULD BE? THEY DO HAVE SOME LINES FOR TRAINING AND SOME OTHER THINGS, SO WHETHER OR NOT THE AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ARE INCLUDED IN THERE COULD BE OR MAY BE INCLUDED IN THE LINE OF SALARIES AND FIXED CHARGES.
BUT, MS. OLSON, IF YOU WOULD BRING UP THE SPREADSHEET.
HAMMER TOUCHED ON EARLIER IS THAT, OR MAYBE IT WAS DR. JOHNSON, BUT STARTING ON PAGE 217, THERE'S A STAFFING CHART.
AND SO THE STAFFING CHART CONTAINS A LOT OF THE POSITIONS.
[01:15:02]
BUT THEN WHEN YOU READ THROUGH THE DOCUMENT, THERE ARE THINGS THAT AREN'T IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CHART.SO WHEN YOU DETERMINED THIS NUMBER, DID YOU USE THE STAFFING CHART? ALL RIGHT.
SO WE GAVE THEM A CHART THAT HAD A TOTAL SALARY FOR A PERSON THAT WAS ALL SALARIES AND FIXED CHARGES.
SO COLUMN C WAS THE NUMBER RIGHT OFF THE ADDITIONAL CHART THAT I GAVE THEM.
KEEP IN MIND THE PROPOSAL IS FOR FY28 SO THAT THOSE NUMBERS WILL ALL INFLATE ANYWHERE FROM, I DON'T KNOW, 3 TO 5 PERCENT.
BUT THESE ARE JUST SO, EVEN JUST USING FY27, JUST SOME THINGS TO NOTE.
SO THERE'S AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THERE'S NOT AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ON THE LIST THAT WE GAVE THEM BECAUSE WE DON'T ASSIGN EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS TO SCHOOLS.
I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT NUMBER THEY USE FOR THAT.
SO FOR OUR PURPOSES, WE USE THE DIRECTOR SALARY BECAUSE AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE ONE RIGHT NOW, THAT LEADERSHIP TEAM POSITION.
A PRINCIPAL IS PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OFFICE STAFF, IN ONE PLACE IT SAYS OFFICE ASSISTANT, IN ANOTHER PLACE IT SAYS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT.
SO I USE THE OFFICE ASSISTANT SALARY.
THERE ARE CLEARLY THREE OFFICE STAFF, OFFICE ASSISTANT, LEAD SECRETARY, BOOKKEEPER.
IN CCPS, BOOKKEEPERS ARE HIGH SCHOOL POSITIONS, AND IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THE BOOKKEEPER AND THE LEAD SECRETARY ARE THE SAME.
BUT SINCE THEY REQUESTED THAT ON THEIR CHART, THAT'S INCLUDED THERE.
IF YOU COULD SCROLL DOWN, PLEASE.
THESE ARE ALL PRETTY TYPICAL POSITIONS.
THEY DO HAVE ONE CUSTODIAN ON THEIR CHART, WHICH IS A BIT OF A CONCERN BECAUSE TYPICALLY A SCHOOL BUILDING IS OPEN MORE THAN EIGHT HOURS, WHICH WOULD BE A CUSTODIAL DUTY DAY.
AND SO EVEN A CHARLESTOWN FOR US WOULD HAVE TWO TO TWO AND A HALF EMPLOYEES TO BE ABLE TO STAFF THE BUILDING, TO BE ABLE TO OPEN IT EARLY, TO BE ABLE TO FINISH THE CLEANING AND HAVE IT OPEN FOR AFTER HOURS ACTIVITIES.
BUT ONLY ONE CUSTODIAN WAS INCLUDED.
WHEN YOU SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, UP JUST A SMIDGEN, SORRY.
MUSIC TEACHER AND LATIN TEACHER AND SPANISH TEACHER.
SO ON ONE PAGE, THERE'S ONE SPANISH TEACHER LISTED, BUT THEN IF YOU FLIP TO A DIFFERENT CHART, IT'S A HALF.
SO WITH THE CHART AT THE BEGINNING, IT SAYS A .5.
IF YOU SCROLL TO THE PLAN FOR PROVIDING SERVICES LATER IN THE DOCUMENT, IT CALLS FOR A 1.0.
THE SPECIAL ED BUILDING COORDINATOR IS NOT LISTED AT ALL ON THE CHART, BUT THERE IS A VERY SPECIFIC SPECIAL EDUCATION DELIVERY PLAN.
AND SO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DELIVERY PLAN.
THAT INCLUDES A SPECIAL ED BUILDING COORDINATOR.
AND THEN SPECIAL ED TEACHERS IS ANOTHER CONCERN.
THE STAFFING CHART SHOWS THAT THERE WILL BE ONE SPECIAL EDUCATOR FOR YEAR ONE.
IF YOU READ FURTHER INTO THE DOCUMENT, THEY SAY THAT THERE WILL BE A 1 TO 20 RATIO, NO MORE THAN 20.
AND THEIR SAMPLE SIZE WAS 58 STUDENTS, SO RIGHT THERE YOU WOULD NEED THREE SPECIAL ED TEACHERS.
BUT IF YOU GO TO THE PART OF THE APPLICATION WHERE THEY ACTUALLY DESCRIBE THEIR SPECIAL ED SERVICE DELIVERY, THEY HAVE TWO SPECIAL ED TEACHERS LISTED FOR YEAR ONE.
SO IF IT HASN'T DAWNED ON ANYBODY YET, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF $106,906 UP THERE, IF YOU NOTICE.
THAT IS BECAUSE WE TYPICALLY WILL USE A STEP 6 TEACHER, AND WE ASSUME THAT THEY'RE ALL GOING TO COME IN AT STEP 6, AND THAT'S JUST A DECENT BAROMETER.
WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU...
IS THAT THE CHARTER SCHOOL WILL SEE A LOT OF TRANSFER-INS.
YOU WILL SEE TEACHERS TRYING TO TRANSFER IN, AND YOU CAN ALMOST BE ASSURED THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE THAN SIX YEARS' EXPERIENCE.
YOUR TEACHERS THAT TRANSFER IN TEND TO BE YOUR MORE VETERAN TEACHERS, AND SO THOSE NUMBERS, MY PREDICTION, WOULD LIKELY BE HIGHER.
IS THAT WHAT YOU SAW WHEN YOU LOOKED AT OTHER CHARTER SCHOOLS WHEN YOU WERE IN DELAWARE? I MEAN, WOULD YOU SAY THAT THAT'S TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENED? GREAT QUESTION.
THE ONLY ONE I'M NOT SURE OF IS DMA.
WILMINGTON CHARTER, NEWARK CHARTER, AND CONRAD SCHOOLS OF SCIENCE, 100%.
AND JUST FOR THE SAKE OF HIRING PRACTICES AND OUR AGREEMENTS, WHEN PEOPLE APPLY, THERE'S NO WE WANT ONE THROUGH FIVE-YEAR TEACHERS BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP OUR BUDGET DOWN.
YOU CAN'T SOLICIT FOR A CERTAIN PERSON.
THAT'S LURE THAT'S BEEN OUT THERE FOR YEARS.
THE ONLY TIME I EVER SEE THAT HAPPEN IS WHEN A STAFF PERSON IS BEING FUNDED BY A RESTRICTED GRANT.
SO IF YOU'RE A TITLE I PRINCIPAL AND YOU KNOW YOU HAVE $104,000, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE LESS EXPENSIVE STAFF.
BUT IN TERMS OF US HIRING UNRESTRICTED...
THAT BE AGAINST OUR NEGOTIATED AGREEMENTS TO SAY WE'RE ONLY GOING TO HIRE? I THINK IT WOULD BE DISCRIMINATION.
IT WOULD BE, CORRECT? OKAY, I'M JUST MAKING SURE.
SO THERE'S JUST WHOEVER APPLIES AND IS THE...
THE RIGHT CANDIDATE IF THEY'RE A 17-YEAR TEACHER, THAT IS WHAT IT IS.
[01:20:02]
SO YOU CAN SEE AT THE BOTTOM IF YOU ADD UP THE TEACHERS OR THE POSITIONS THAT WERE IN THE STAFFING CHART OR LOCATED SOMEWHERE IN THEIR EITHER MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS PLAN OR SPECIAL EDUCATION PLAN.SO THE TOTAL USING THE NUMBERS THE CHART THAT WE PROVIDED IS A LITTLE OVER $4 MILLION.
KEEP IN MIND, BASED ON THE FY27 CHART, SO IT DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ANY POTENTIAL FY28 COST OF LIVING INCREASE BECAUSE THAT HAS NOT BEEN NEGOTIATED.
IT DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ANY INCREASE IN FIXED CHARGES, SO PENSION, HEALTH CARE, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
THEIR BUDGET LINE SALARIES AND FIXED CHARGES FROM THEIR BUDGET ON PAGE 156 IS $3.2 MILLION, SO THAT SHOWS A DIFFERENCE OF $826,000.
AND THEN GOING DOWN FURTHER, THERE WERE SOME MORE THINGS, THINGS THAT I JUST WASN'T SURE BETWEEN THE APPLICATION AND THE CHART.
SO AGAIN, STUDENT PERSONNEL WORKER IS LISTED AND DESCRIBED ON PAGE 104, BUT IT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THE STAFFING CHART.
A MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN IS LISTED, 123 AND 26 BUT NOT ON THE STAFFING CHART.
THERE ARE THREE PARAPROFESSIONALS ON THE SPECIAL ED STAFFING PLAN BUT IT'S UNCLEAR WHETHER THOSE ARE PART OF THE 12 THAT ARE ALREADY BEING EMPLOYED OR WHETHER THEY ARE THREE DIFFERENT PARAPROFESSIONALS.
I DID NOT INCLUDE THOSE IN THE LIST.
SOCIAL WORKER ON PAGE 234 IT'S UNCLEAR WHETHER IT'S A SAME AS THE COUNSELOR OR WHETHER IT'S A SEPARATE POSITION.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE STAFFING LIST.
AND A LOT OF THE DESCRIPTION, THE NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION FOR THE PROGRAMS, AND SO IT WAS TRYING TO ALIGN THE TWO.
AND FOR THE MOST PART, WE WENT WITH THE CHART, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE A COUPLE UP THERE THAT ARE ALSO IN THE NARRATIVE.
I MEAN, I ALSO DID THE SAME THING AS I WAS GOING THROUGH.
I HAVE A WHOLE LIST THAT'S NOT EVEN UP THERE OF STAFF THAT WERE REFERENCED IN THE APPLICATION THAT AREN'T IN THE STAFFING PLAN.
I THINK IF WE ADDED LIKE THE PIA COORDINATOR, THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER COORDINATOR CERTIFIED, THE SPECIAL ED LIAISON WORKER AND MAYBE THAT'S THE BUILDING.
AND LIKE I SAID, SOME OF THAT I KNOW ASKED THE QUESTION WHEN THIS CAME UP DURING THE CAPACITY INTERVIEWS.
IT WAS STATED THAT THE SPECIAL ED TEACHERS AND THE READING AND MATH SPECIALISTS WERE ONE AND THE SAME, BUT THEY'RE VERY SPECIFIC DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT POSITIONS CALLED OUT NOT JUST IN THE STAFFING CHART, BUT ALSO IN THE DESCRIPTIONS THROUGHOUT THE THROUGHOUT THE APPLICATION SO JUST TRIED TO DO OUR BEST AND THEN AT THE BOTTOM YOU CAN SEE THE CONTRACTED SERVICES THAT WE MENTIONED EARLIER IF YOU COULD SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE MISS OLSON, SO THESE WERE ALL THINGS THAT WERE LISTED IN THE APPLICATION AS KNOWING THAT THEY WOULD BE NEEDED FOR A SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICE DELIVERY.
AND I JUST USED OUR ESTIMATES FROM CONTRACTED SERVICES.
THAT DATA WASN'T REQUESTED, BUT I ALSO DON'T SEE WHERE IT'S INCLUDED IN THE APPLICATION IN THE BUDGET TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES.
IS THE PER-PUPIL ALLOCATION, IT'S BASED ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, CORRECT? SO IF A STUDENT WERE TO LEAVE THE CHARTER SCHOOL AFTER SEPTEMBER 30TH AND THEY GO TO ANOTHER CCPS SCHOOL, DOES THAT MONEY FOLLOW THEM TO THE OTHER CCPS SCHOOL? SO THE ONLY THING THAT WAS DISCUSSED WITH THE NEW GUIDANCE FROM MSDE, BECAUSE THERE IS NEW COMMENSURATE CHARTER SCHOOL FUNDING THAT WE'RE STILL I'M GETTING INFORMATION AND TRAINING SO THERE HAS NOT BEEN A WHOLE LOT OF GUIDANCE PROVIDED TO US YET BUT THAT THERE WILL BE LIKE A RECALIBRATION SO FOR EXAMPLE WE ESTABLISHED A BUDGET BASED ON FOR THE CHARTER SCHOOL BASED ON LAST YEAR'S ENROLLMENT COUNT AND THEN AFTER SEPTEMBER 30TH ONCE THERE'S AN OFFICIAL ENROLLMENT COUNT FROM THE CHARTER SCHOOL IF THEIR ENROLLMENT IS HIGHER THAN WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THEY MAY GET MORE FUNDING IF THEIR ENROLLMENT IS LOWER THAN IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THEY WOULD GET LESS THERE WAS STILL SOME DISCUSSION ON HOW MANY TIMES IT WOULD BE RECALIBRATED, WHETHER IT WAS ONCE OR TWICE.
BUT AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE ALL OF THE, AND THEY ARE PLANNING SOME TRAINING SESSIONS FOR US WITH THE NEW WORKBOOK AND THE NEW GUIDELINES.
BUT TYPICALLY, NO, WHEN A STUDENT GOES FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL, YOU DON'T SPEND THE WHOLE YEAR TAKING FROM ONE SCHOOL AND FOLLOWING TO ANOTHER.
COULD YOU TAKE A MOMENT, MS. OPA, AND EXPLAIN, DESCRIBE WHAT THE WORKBOOK IS, PLEASE? THE WORKBOOK THAT YOU'VE REFERRED TO ABOUT FIVE TIMES.
OH, THE WORKBOOK WE PROVIDED FOR THEM? AND THAT YOU GET ALSO FROM THE STATE.
[01:25:01]
SO WE RECEIVE A WORKBOOK.CFOS RECEIVE A WORKBOOK FROM THE STATE EVERY YEAR THAT TAKES ALL OF OUR ENROLLMENT AND BREAKS IT DOWN BY BLUEPRINT PROGRAM.
SO OUR ENROLLMENT FOR FOUNDATION, COMP ED, SPECIAL ED, AND THEN IT MARRIES IT WITH THE AMOUNT IN STATUTE SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE WHAT YOU'RE EARNING.
SO WE'LL GET A PRELIMINARY WORKBOOK USUALLY IN JANUARY, ALTHOUGH WE'D LIKE IT EARLIER TO PREPARE FOR OUR FIRST ROUND OF BUDGETS.
AND THAT'S USUALLY BASED ON BUDGET NUMBERS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN VERIFIED AND FINALIZED YET.
AND THEN THAT'S ALSO PENDING ANY CHANGES IN STATUTE.
SO YOU KNOW THROUGH LEGISLATION THERE HAVE BEEN THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED LIKE THE PLANNING TIME REQUIREMENT.
AND SO ONE YEAR THAT REALLY CHANGED OUR REVENUE.
SO WE HAVE THAT WORKBOOK THAT WE WORK OFF OF.
AND THEN, SO, AND IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY SCHOOL LEVEL, TOO.
SO IT WOULD BE THE SAME DATA THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE FOR THE CHARTER SCHOOL ONCE THERE'S ACTUAL ENROLLMENT.
SO AT THE BEGINNING, IT'S GOING TO BE, SO FOR THE FIRST YEAR, IT'LL BE LIKE WHAT WE DID THIS YEAR.
WE'LL BE TRYING TO CREATE A MODEL SAYING WE THINK IT'S GOING TO BE SIMILAR TO THIS BUILDING TO DEVELOP THE BUDGET.
BUT THEN AFTER THAT, IT WOULD BE BASED ON SPECIFIC ENROLLMENT FROM THE PRIOR YEAR, WHICH IS THE SAME WAY WE BUDGET FOR OTHER SCHOOLS NOW.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, CHARLESTOWN GOING INTO THE...
26-27 SCHOOL YEAR, THEIR BUDGET IS BASED ON THEIR SEPTEMBER 30TH ENROLLMENT FROM THIS PAST YEAR.
THE SAME WOULD HOLD TRUE FOR THE CHARTER SCHOOL IN THE YEARS GOING FORWARD AFTER THE FIRST YEAR.
SO, MS. HEATH, I THINK THAT IS ALL WE HAVE IN THE WAY OF PROMPTS AND INFORMATION AND THOUGHTS AT THIS POINT.
ANYTHING? DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS JUST IN GENERAL THAT YOU'VE THOUGHT ABOUT OVER THE TIME THAT YOU'D LIKE TO? JUST FOCUS ON THEM.
FINANCES, IF I HAD TO SUMMARIZE ALL THAT YOU PRESENTED INTO ONE SENTENCE, WOULD IT BE SOMETHING LIKE YOU'RE CONCERNED WITH THE FINANCIAL VIABILITY AND THEIR SETUP FOR SUCCESS? I WOULD SAY I'M CONCERNED I CAN'T SEE ENOUGH IN THE BUDGET TO SEE WHAT WAS REALLY BUDGETED VERSUS WHAT IS IN THE APPLICATION TO KNOW.
ONE LINE FOR WHAT I'M COMING UP WITH BASED ON ALL OF THE POSITIONS THAT I SEE.
AND EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING TOUTED FOR THE SCHOOL AS WHAT'S GOING TO BE PROVIDED, I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW IT CAN BE PROVIDED IN THAT SALARY LINE.
AND THAT THERE ARE SOME VERY IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE SUBSTITUTES, OVERTIME, AND THINGS LIKE THAT, NOT KNOWING WHERE THOSE ARE INCLUDED.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION ON THE BUDGET, TOO, MORE RELATED TO THE FACILITIES.
SO DURING THE CAPACITY INTERVIEW, JUST HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT PROCURING A BUILDING AND GETTING IT READY FOR STUDENTS.
AND MOST OF THE MATRIX WAS ABOUT THE PROCURING AND GETTING READY.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE SUSTAINED OPERATIONS OF THE FACILITY.
SO FIRST QUESTION IS, FOR NORTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL, DOES THAT HVAC, CAN THAT BE ZONED OFF SO THAT THE, WELL, LET ME BACK UP.
NORTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL HAS A CAPACITY OF ABOUT 700 STUDENTS.
K THROUGH 8 FOR CCCS WILL BE 360, SO THERE'LL BE SOME SPACE THAT ISN'T USED.
CAN THAT HVAC BE ZONED OFF SO THAT CCCS ISN'T PAYING TO KEEP THAT HEATED AND COOLED? YES.
THE SHORT ANSWER TO THAT IS YES.
THERE'S CERTAIN AREAS IN THAT PARTICULAR BUILDING THAT ARE ZONED, AND THAT CAN BE.
THAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED OKAY THANKS AND THEN THE FOLLOW-ON TO THAT THEN IS IN YOUR ASSESSMENT ARE THE FUNDING AMOUNTS FOR ESTIMATE ESTIMATED FOR CAPITAL BUILDING REPAIRS AND UTILITIES FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS SUFFICIENT I I DON'T BELIEVE SO NOT NOT NOT IN MY EXPERIENCE OKAY WELL UM JUST CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT A BIT WELL THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS OF THAT BUILDING THAT WE ADHERENTLY, NO, WILL NEED TO BE ADDRESSED, CERTAIN SYSTEMIC.
AND WE'VE TALKED TO THAT THROUGH THE WALKTHROUGH WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS.
WE HIGHLIGHTED A LOT OF THOSE, AND WE'VE MADE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS OR AT LEAST EXPRESSED OUR CONCERN FOR SOME OF THOSE SYSTEMIC ISSUES, BOILERS, ROOFS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND IT WAS MY OPINION, AT LEAST, THAT THE...
THE ESTIMATED BUDGETS FOR SOME OF THOSE LINE ITEMS WAS LOW.
BUT THOSE WERE THE MAIN ONES THAT I POINTED OUT.
YEAH, AND THOSE GET OUT OF QUESTIONING DURING THE INTERVIEW WITH THEIR STARTUP CALL.
[01:30:04]
OKAY, THANK YOU.AND KNOWING EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO GET IT READY, OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF WILL BE OUT OF THERE IN JUNE OF 27, AND IT WOULD NEED TO BE READY FOR THE CHARTER SCHOOL END OF AUGUST, BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER 27, WHICH IS TWO MONTHS, MAYBE THREE.
IS THAT ENOUGH TIME? I'LL TAKE A STAB AT THIS ONE.
SOME OF IT DEPENDS ON HOW THE BUILDING WOULD BE HANDED OVER.
WHAT WE DID WITH CHESAPEAKE CITY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS THE BOARD VOTES TO DECLARE IT SURPLUS.
IT THEN GOES TO THE IAC, THEN I BELIEVE TO THE STATE BOARD, AND THEN IT COMES BACK TO COUNCIL.
IN THIS CASE, COUNCIL TURNED AND GAVE IT TO THE TOWN.
NOW, THERE IS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S STATUTE, BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY PRECEDENT FOR A SYSTEM TO TAKE AN EXISTING SCHOOL.
AND GIVE IT TO A CHARTER SCHOOL.
AND I THINK THAT IS THE PREFERRED PATH FOR THE CHARTER SCHOOL GROUP.
THE RED FLAG I WILL THROW UP THERE IS WHAT YOU HAVE THERE AT NORTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL IS A MONEY PIT.
THERE'S A REASON THAT THE IAC DID A FEASIBILITY STUDY AND LANDED ON TAKING KIDS OUT AND BUILDING A NEW SCHOOL.
THE STATE DOES NOT COUGH UP $125 MILLION, WHICH IS CLOSE TO THEIR SHARE, LIGHTLY.
AND THEY DID THAT TO VACATE NORTHEAST MIDDLE.
FOR YOU TO DO THE LATTER EXAMPLE I GAVE, YOU WOULD AT THAT POINT CONTINUE OWNERSHIP AND REQUIRE MAINTENANCE OF THAT SCHOOL.
TO INCLUDE CONSIDERABLE CIP INITIATIVES.
THE OTHER PATH THAT I DESCRIBED WOULD HAVE THE BUILDING DECLARED AS SURPLUS.
IT GOES BACK TO THE COUNTY AT SOME POINT.
THERE ARE SOME BUREAUCRATIC HOOPS THERE.
THEN THE COUNTY COULD GIVE IT TO THE TOWN.
THE TOWN COULD TURN AND GIVE IT TO THE CHARTER SCHOOL FOLKS.
AT THAT POINT, THE TOWN WOULD BE REQUIRED TO KEEP IT UP.
THEY WOULD BE THE OWNER AT THAT POINT.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY CAUTION I WOULD HAVE AS IT RELATES TO CCPS RETAINING OWNERSHIP OF THAT SCHOOL, IS THAT YOU HAVE ROOF ISSUES, YOU HAVE, LOOK, CECIL MANOR HVAC RIGHT NOW IS UPWARDS OF A $5 MILLION PROJECT, FOUR AND CHANGE.
AND SO, I MEAN, THAT'S THE SCALE OF THE KINDS OF THINGS YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
THESE ARE NOT SMALL REPAIRS WHERE WE SEND A COUPLE OF OUR MAINTENANCE PEOPLE OUT TO PATCH THINGS UP.
THEY'RE SIGNIFICANT ROOF, HVAC.
I'M JUST TRYING TO PICTURE, LIKE, WHEN WOULD THE CHARTER SCHOOL BE ABLE TO GET IN THERE TO ACTUALLY DO ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO DO TO GET IT READY, LIKE INSPECTIONS, MAKERSPACE, PLAYGROUND, FACILITY REPAIRS, PAINTING, FLOORING, EQUIPMENT, SYSTEMS? ALL THE THINGS LOGISTICALLY CLUNKY FOR SURE LIKE CAN I ASK YEAH THEY'RE GONNA HAVE STUDENTS IN IT IN JUNE AND IT'S WORKING WHY WOULDN'T IT JUST START WORKING IN AUGUST AND THEN YOU JUST WORK ON IT AS YOU GO LIKE I MEAN IT'S ALREADY HOUSING STUDENTS IT'S ALREADY GOOD ENOUGH RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT IT'S NOT GREAT LIKE EQUIPMENT I'M JUST SAYING I DON'T THINK THAT IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THERE'S A NEED LIKE FROM JUNE TO AUGUST THAT WE HAVE TO OVERHAUL THE SCHOOL BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY FUNCTIONAL ENOUGH IT'S NOT GREAT I MEAN WE'RE OBVIOUSLY BAND-AIDING A LOT OF STUFF BECAUSE WE KNOW NEW SCHOOL IS COMING RIGHT SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET BY WITH THIS ONE, I WOULD ASSUME.
WE'RE NOT PUTTING A LOT OF MONEY INTO IT IF WE DON'T HAVE TO.
SO THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME THINGS THAT DO COME UP PRETTY QUICKLY.
BUT STUDENTS COULD BE IN IT IN AUGUST WITHOUT ANY WORK BEING DONE, I WOULD ASSUME, RIGHT? I MEAN, I'M JUST BASING ON THE APPLICATION OF ALL THE THINGS THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO DO BEFORE THEY OPENED IT.
BUT COULD THEY DO THAT? OH, THEY WANT TO DO IT BEFORE OPEN? IS THAT WHAT IT SAYS? THAT'S WHAT'S IN THE APPLICATION.
THAT WOULD BE TOUGH, BUT I WOULD THINK YOU COULD WORK ON IT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'RE DOING ALL THAT IF, IN FACT, YOU ARE, UNLESS YOU DECIDE YOU WANT TO KEEP THE BUILDING.
IF CCPS WANTS TO KEEP THE BUILDING, THEN I THINK YOU COULD MAKE THE CASE THAT THERE IS SOME TRANSITION DURING THE SUMMER.
IF CCPS WANTS TO SURPLUS THE BUILDING, I WOULD ARGUE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A TOUGH TIME WITH THE TIMELINE, MAKING THAT HAPPEN IN A MATTER OF JUNE 15TH.
REALLY, SUMMER FOR SCHOOLS IS EIGHT WEEKS, JUNE 15TH TO AUGUST 15TH, BECAUSE BY AUGUST 15TH, PEOPLE ARE COMING BACK IN, YOUR TEACHERS ARE IN TRAINING AND ALL THAT STUFF.
SUMMER IS BASICALLY AN EIGHT-WEEK ENDEAVOR.
SO IF IT WERE YOUR BUILDING, AND THE KIDS ALL LEAVE JUNE 15TH.
MIGHT YOU BE ABLE TO GET IN THERE AND TURN THINGS AROUND AND GET READY FOR AUGUST 15TH FOR A CHARTER SCHOOL
[01:35:01]
TO COME IN? YOU COULD.THAT PRESUPPOSES IT'S YOUR SCHOOL.
THE MINUTE YOU VOTE TO SURPLUS IT IS NO LONGER YOUR SCHOOL.
AND THAT MEANS THE MAINTENANCE IS ON US.
WHAT'S THE PRESENCE FOR THAT? LIKE WHAT HAS HAPPENED? LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO FREDERICK? DID FREDERICK COUNTY KEEP THE SCHOOL OR DID THE...
I DON'T KNOW IN TERMS OF COUNTY BY COUNTY WHAT'S HAPPENED, BUT...
WHY WOULD NORTHEAST WANT THE BUILDING, THE TOWN? BECAUSE IT'S NOT REALLY THEIR STUDENT POPULATION NECESSARILY.
WE ARE TOURING WITH THE MAYOR.
IT'S WEDNESDAY, I THINK IT IS.
OR IS IT THIS WEDNESDAY? YEAH, THIS WEDNESDAY.
BECAUSE IT KIND OF SERVICES THE TOWN, BUT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY SERVICE THE TOWN.
I THINK THAT'S A BIG DECISION THE TOWN HAS TO MAKE.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE MUCH REVENUE ON A SCHOOL.
MAYBE THEY DON'T WANT THE REVENUE.
I REALLY DON'T HAVE MUCH OF AN IDEA OF WHAT THE MAYOR AND HIS STAFF AND THEIR COUNCIL OR COMMISSIONERS ARE THINKING.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MS. SOPA REGARDING, I NOTICED IN SOME OF THE FINDINGS THAT YOU PROVIDED TO US THAT YOU WERE CONCERNED ABOUT A LACK OF INTERNAL CONTROLS FOR DAILY OPERATIONS.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT? I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF DESCRIPTION ABOUT...
HOW THINGS WILL GET PURCHASED WITHOUT A LOT OF DESCRIPTION ON INTERNAL CONTROL.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, RULES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE VERSUS THE NUMBER OF APPROVALS OR THE FACT THAT IF ONE PERSON ENTERS SOMETHING INTO THE BANK.
IT CAN'T BE THE SAME PERSON WHO'S THE CHECK SIGNER, AND IT CAN'T BE THE PERSON WHO ENTERS THE TRANSACTION CAN'T BE THE APPROVER.
AND SO IT'S JUST REALLY SPELLING OUT SOME OF THOSE INTERNAL CONTROLS FOR HOW THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO WORK TO ENSURE.
AND YOU FEEL THOSE WERE LACKING AS FAR AS THE APPLICATION, CORRECT? I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THEY WERE DETAILED.
LAWSON, JUST WHILE SUMMARIZING SOME QUESTIONS, IF CCPS KEPT NORTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL, THAT SCHOOL WOULD BE MORE REASONABLY READY FOR A CHARTER SCHOOL.
IT WOULD BE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, NORTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL, MOVE YOUR STUFF.
IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR THE CHARTER SCHOOL, BUT ALL MAINTENANCE IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CCPS.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? LIKE THE GROUNDS, THE MOWING, PLOWING, OR YOU MEAN THE...
SO WE'VE NOT CONFERRED WITH COUNCIL HERE, LEGAL COUNCIL, NOT COUNTY COUNCIL.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING OF THAT IS YES.
NOW, IF THE CHARTER SCHOOL HAS A CUSTODIAL STAFF OF ONE, THEY WOULD OWN THE GROUNDSKEEPING, YOU KNOW, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, CUTTING THE GRASS.
THOSE BIG ITEMS, YOU KNOW, A BOILER GOES DOWN IN JANUARY, THAT'S CCPS.
JUST LIKE YOU'RE PAYING FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES BUILDING RIGHT NOW FOR THE ROOF AND THE BOILER.
PUT SOME MONEY, I GUESS IT WAS LAST YEAR, INTO PROVIDENCE.
AND WE DID SOME FLOOR WORK UP THERE, SO YEAH, AND THAT'S NOT, YOU KNOW.
SO MY BELIEF IS THAT YES, IS THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, CCPS STAYS OBLIGATED TO THE COST OF MAINTAINING THAT BUILDING.
AND IF IT'S SURPLUS, CCPS IS NO LONGER RESPONSIBLE, BUT CHARTER SCHOOL MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR A CHARTER SCHOOL BY AUGUST OF 27, JUST BECAUSE OF THE BUREAUCRATIC HOOPS? CORRECT.
AND SOMETHING ELSE I WILL TELL YOU IS THAT ABSENT ONE CASE OUT OF GARRETT COUNTY, I'M GOING TO SAY 15 YEARS AGO OR SO, A BOARD OF EDUCATION CANNOT DENY A CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATION BECAUSE OF A FACILITY.
THEY CAN DENY A CHARTER SCHOOL AGREEMENT BECAUSE OF A FACILITY.
IF YOU WERE TO APPROVE THE APPLICATION AND SAY PROCEED.
THAT'S WHEN THE BOARD ENTERS INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ISSUES, TO INCLUDE WAIVERS.
WAIVERS ARE A BIG PIECE OF THAT.
BUT A FACILITY THEN CAN BE THE LINCHPIN TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY THERE ARE CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT GET APPROVED AND NEVER GET COMPLETED BECAUSE THEY CAN'T FIND A SUITABLE FACILITY.
AND IF A SUITABLE FACILITY IS A WHOLE OTHER CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, A RANDOM WAREHOUSE IS NOT GOING TO BE A SUITABLE FACILITY.
AND SO THAT THAT'S A BRIDGE WE'LL CROSS YOU KNOW IF WHEN WE GET THERE BUT FOR YOUR PURPOSES NOW YOU CAN'T SAY TO A CHARTER SCHOOL PROPOSED CHARTER SCHOOL GROUP THAT YOU ARE BEING DENIED BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE A FACILITY AND I SAID GARRETT I WAS MISTAKEN IT WAS SAINT MARY'S COUNTY ANY OTHER YEAH I HAVE I'VE JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS UM I GUESS I HAVE CONCERNS WITH THE THE NEW STATE GUIDELINES FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS.
I WAS AT THE STATE BOARD MEETING IN APRIL WHEN THE STATE
[01:40:02]
BOARD ADOPTED COMAR, THE NEW GUIDELINES, UPDATED GUIDELINES FOR THE FRAMEWORK DESIGNED TO STANDARDIZE CHARTER SCHOOLS IN THE SYSTEM AND FUNDING ACROSS LOCAL SYSTEMS. AND IT TALKED ABOUT HAVING THE NEW GUIDELINES THAT HAVE TO ALIGN WITH THE LEA'S STRATEGIC PLAN.I COULD NOT FIND A LOT OF REFERENCE TO THE CCPS STRATEGIC PLAN IN THIS APPLICATION.
DID I MISS IT? THE CSRC NOTED THAT THAT WAS A CONCERN.
SO GIVEN THAT, IT COULD POSSIBLY BE DENIED BECAUSE IT DOESN'T POTENTIALLY MEET THE NEW STATE GUIDELINES.
A CHARTER MUST ADDRESS AT LEAST ONE SPECIFIC ELEMENT, SUCH AS SERVING A HIGH-NEED POPULATION, INCREASING STUDENT PERFORMANCE, INCREASING ENROLLMENT, IMPROVING STUDENT DIVERSITY.
AND I WASN'T REALLY CLEAR IN THIS APPLICATION WHAT THAT TARGET CRITERIA WAS, LIKE POTENTIALLY STUDENT PERFORMANCE.
LIKE, I WASN'T, LIKE, IT'S A NEW CLASSICAL CURRICULUM.
KEPT SEEING THAT AND PARENT INVOLVEMENT WHICH IS IMPORTANT, SUPER IMPORTANT, I KEPT SEEING THAT BUT I COULDN'T IDENTIFY THE TARGET CRITERIA AND I ASKED THIS OF YOU GUYS TOO, I DON'T KNOW CAN YOU HELP ME IDENTIFY WHAT THAT WAS? OKAY, MAYBE WE CAN...
I JUST HAVE ONE MORE QUICK QUESTION IF I COULD.
I THOUGHT SOMEONE HAD SAID SOMETHING.
MY QUESTION IS BACK TO THE CAPACITY INTERVIEWS AND THE WRITTEN APPLICATION.
CAN YOU TELL US HOW MUCH WEIGHT THE COMMITTEE PUT ON THAT AS FAR AS HOW YOU DECIDED ON YOUR...
YOU KNOW, THE APPROVAL, DENIAL, I MEAN, I'VE READ SOME DIFFERENT THINGS ABOUT THESE CAPACITY INTERVIEWS, HOW MUCH THEY MEAN, AND EVEN AS FAR AS THE PERFORMANCE SCENARIOS AND ALL THAT.
HOW MUCH WEIGHT DID THAT HAVE IN YOUR DECISION-MAKING? THE PURPOSE OF THE CAPACITY INTERVIEWS WERE REALLY TO CLARIFY OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FACULTY TO SHARE THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON IT AND PROVIDE MORE CLARITY.
THE PERFORMANCE SCENARIO PORTION OF IT WAS TO PROVIDE CLARITY ON THE CAPACITY INTERVIEWS.
PRESENT THEM WITH THREE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS OF WHICH THEY CHOSE TWO.
THEY DID NOT CHOOSE TO ENGAGE IN THE PERFORMANCE SCENARIO THAT WAS RECONCILING SOME BUDGET CONCERNS THAT MS. SOPA SPOKE THROUGH.
BUT IT SHOWED, IT WAS ABLE TO SHOW THE CSRC HOW THEY WOULD RESPOND TO DIFFERENT SCENARIOS WHETHER IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE OR AN ACHIEVEMENT ISSUE.
SO THE RUBRICS ARE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE AND IT SHOWS HOW THAT SCORING WAS WEIGHTED.
THIS MIGHT BE A BIGGER QUESTION.
SO DO WE TAKE THE APPLICATION AS PRESENTED WITH THE ADDENDUM? THERE WAS ONE ADDENDUM WITH A CORRECTION.
IS THAT WHAT WE'RE APPROVING OR DENYING? BECAUSE IT SEEMS IT'S NOT IN THE APPLICATION.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE COMMENTS ARE OR DO YOU KNOW WHAT CLARIFYING QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ARE WE STRICTLY APPROVING THE WRITTEN APPLICATION AS IT'S PRESENTED? I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF BOTH.
YOU'RE SAYING A COMBINATION OF THE WRITTEN AND THE INTERVIEWS.
DID THOSE SCORES CONCERN YOU? VERY CONCERNING.
I JUST, I FEEL LIKE IF OUR BOARD WAS TO, LIKE, TO GO AGAINST THE RECOMMENDATION AND THE SCORES AND THE RECOMMENDATION, AND THIS IS WHAT I DID, THIS IS WHY I DID SUCH A, LIKE, RIDICULOUS REVIEW, I WOULD HAVE TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR FINDINGS AND YOUR SCORES OR FIND EVIDENCE THAT YOU'RE WRONG, RIGHT? THEY'RE INCORRECT.
I WENT THROUGH THE APPLICATION.
EMAILS, PAGE BY PAGE, I ACTUALLY THOUGHT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED SOME THINGS.
BUT BEYOND WHAT YOU HIGHLIGHTED, AND I JUST THOUGHT THAT THE APPLICATION ITSELF NEEDED WORK.
I THOUGHT IT WAS INSUFFICIENT.
I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS VERY GENERAL.
[01:45:01]
THE CAPACITY INTERVIEWS DIDN'T REALLY PROVIDE ME WITH ADDITIONAL CONFIDENCE.BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF, LIKE...
SUBSTANTIVE INCONSISTENCIES THROUGHOUT THE APPLICATION ITSELF AND IN THE DOCUMENT AND JUST MISSING A LOT OF THE SPECIFICITY THAT IT NEEDED.
AND I ALSO THINK IT NEEDED TO GO, THIS IS PICKING SUBSTANTIVE, LIKE NON-SUBSTANTIVE COPY EDITING.
THERE WERE A LOT OF ERRORS IN THERE.
WOULD NEED A LOT TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR RUBRIC.
AND I MEAN, I KNOW THAT'S JUST MY OPINION OF HOW.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE REVIEW COMMITTEE? JUST ONE.
I MIGHT HAVE SEEN IT SOMEWHERE, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER.
YOU HAD SAID SOMEWHERE THAT SOME SCHOOLS DIDN'T PROVIDE SCHOOLS AT OTHER CHARTER SCHOOLS.
WHAT'S THE SETUP THERE FOR LUNCH? I BELIEVE THE APPLICATION SAID THAT THEY WOULD USE OUR SERVICES AND THEY WOULD CONTRACT WITH US TO FIGURE THAT WHOLE PIECE OUT.
AND HOW IS THAT? I KNOW THAT WE HAVE YOUR BUDGET IS A STANDALONE BUDGET FOR FOOD, BUT THE ADDITIONAL COSTS OF TRANSPORTATION, ALL THAT, HOW DOES THAT? THERE WOULD BE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO FIGURE IT.
WE WOULD HAVE TO NEGOTIATE HOW WE WOULD HANDLE ENTITLEMENT AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF WOULD STILL COME BACK TO CCPS.
ENTITLEMENTS USED TO PURCHASE FOOD AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, WE WOULD HAVE TO FIGURE OUT SOME SORT OF AN AGREEMENT ON HOW LIKE A MANAGEMENT FEE ON HOW WE WOULD ACCOUNT FOR THE MEALS AND YOU KNOW MANAGING THE EMPLOYEES BECAUSE IT'S A VERY SPECIFIC PROGRAM AND YOU KNOW US BEING THE EXPERTS WE WOULD HAVE TO WE WOULD HAVE TO NEGOTIATE SOMETHING SOME SORT OF A FEE AT THAT POINT BUT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAPPEN PROBABLY AFTER THE FACT.
AND THROUGH NORTHEAST ELEMENTARY PROBABLY BECAUSE IT'S SO CLOSE JUST IF IT WAS AT NORTHEAST MIDDLE, WE WOULD PROBABLY USE THE NEW BUILDING.
WE WOULD PROBABLY PRODUCE ALL THE FOOD THERE AND TRANSPORT IT.
BUT THERE'S A KITCHEN ON SITE THERE, TOO, SO WE COULD PRODUCE FOOD ON SITE IF WE HAD TO.
BUT IT WOULD ALL DEPEND ON ENROLLMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO SIT DOWN AND DISCUSS IT.
SO TALKING ABOUT LUNCH, STAFFING COVERAGE DURING LUNCHTIME WHEN THE KIDS ARE EATING, WAS IT THAT? IT WASN'T IN THE...
FOR DISTRIBUTING THE FOOD OR COVERING LUNCH.
AGAIN THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DISCUSS BUT IF I IF I WERE TO SORT OF THINK OF ARE YOU I'M SORRY MR. HECKERT KITCHEN STAFFING OR STAFFING THE CAFETERIA WHILE THE STUDENTS ARE EATING? BOTH.
FROM A FROM A FOOD NUTRITION PERSPECTIVE WHAT WOULD PROBABLY HAPPEN IS DEPENDING ON THE ENROLLMENT IF THE ENROLLMENT IS PRETTY LOW WE WOULD MORE THAN LIKELY PRODUCE THE FOOD AT THE MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL AND WE WOULD HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT WOULD TRANSPORT THE FOOD OVER THERE AND SERVE IT SO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL THE NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM RULES AND REGULATIONS.
ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF THE SERVING PIECE THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE FIGURED OUT ON THEIR END BUT IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY SERVING THE FOOD AND PRODUCING THE FOOD THAT AGAIN THAT WOULD REALLY JUST DEPEND ON WHAT ENROLLMENT IS AND WHAT SORT OF DEAL THAT WOULD BE NEGOTIATED.
I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN A STAFFING PLAN FOR COVERING CAFETERIA.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN OUR SCHOOLS WE USE GENERAL ASSISTANT COVERAGE FOR THE CAFETERIAS, AND THEN ADMINISTRATORS ARE IN THERE.
BUT YOU CAN'T COUNT ON YOUR ADMINISTRATOR TO BE YOUR ENTIRE COVERAGE BASED ON OTHER EMERGENCIES THAT MAY ARISE.
I THINK I JUST HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION.
IS, YOU KNOW, A REASON FOR CHARTER SCHOOL IS SO IT'S GIVING SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO...
AND A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT I SAW IN THE APPLICATION, I FEEL LIKE WE DO A LOT OF, EVEN LIKE, I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THEY HAD MENTIONED IS HOUSES, THEY WOULD EMPLOY HOUSES TO HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, COMPETITION OR ALL THAT STUFF.
I MEAN, I KNOW SEVERAL SCHOOLS DO THAT.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS CURRICULUM WISE, AND NOT AS UP AS DR.
DO YOU FIND THAT THE CLASSICAL EDUCATION IS DOING SOMETHING MAJORLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE ARE DOING OR DO YOU THINK IT'S IS IT DIFFERENT ENOUGH TO YOU KNOW ANOTHER SCHOOL AND YOU
[01:50:02]
KNOW YOU KNOW I'M SAYING.SURE SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THE APPLICATION ENUMERATES WHAT THOSE DIFFERENCES WILL BE AT LENGTH IT'S MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES AND IN THE SMARCLE SECTION OF THE APPLICATION WE SEE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CLASSICAL MODEL AND THOSE SORT OF THINGS BUT WHAT I BELIEVE WAS MISSING TO ARTICULATE THE DIFFERENCE IS WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE OPERATIONALIZED IN A CLASSROOM.
BECAUSE GIVEN THE INFORMATION WE HAVE RIGHT NOW TO MAKE A DECISION, I DIDN'T SEE ENOUGH EVIDENCE OF WHAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT.
ESPECIALLY WHEN, UNTIL HILLSDALE CURRICULUM IS BROUGHT ON BOARD, A NUMBER OF EXISTING CCPS CURRICULA ARE USED IN THOSE CLASSROOMS. IF I COULD, I SAID IT IN MY REMARKS, I THINK IT BEARS REPEATING.
AS A SOCIETY, AS A COMMUNITY, WE GET TWISTED UP WHENEVER THE WORD CHOICE IS BROUGHT INTO THE DISCUSSION.
BECAUSE I THINK AS A PEOPLE, WE TEND TO BE WIRED TO WANT CHOICE.
IT JUST POLLS VERY WELL ON VIRTUALLY EVERY ISSUE.
AND I THINK FOR YOU, AS AN AUTHORIZING BOARD, IT'S IMPORTANT TO TEASE OUT THE BROADER ATTRACTIVENESS.
OF CHOICE AND CHOOSING SOMETHING AND HAVING A VOICE IN SOMETHING AND IS THIS AN APPLICATION THAT YOU BELIEVE WILL CREATE A HIGH QUALITY SCHOOL FOR HUNDREDS OF KIDS AT THE COST OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS SO THIS REALLY TAKES THE GENERIC KIND OF ESOTERIC SPIRIT OF CHOICE AND PUTS IT INTO A CIRCUMSTANCE AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETIMES WHERE IT GETS LOST IN THE UH KIND OF OUT THERE IN THE WORLD OKAY, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO PIVOT.
REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORT THAT YOU PUT INTO DOING THIS THOROUGH, THE THOROUGH JOB THAT YOU DID ON THIS.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO TURN TO YOU GUYS.
AND THANK YOU FOR COMING AND SITTING THROUGH ALL OF THAT.
AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO FIELD SOME QUESTIONS FROM US IF WE HAVE SOME CLARIFYING QUESTIONS? IS THAT OKAY? OKAY.
SOME MICROPHONES SO THAT THAT WAY YOU'RE ABLE TO BE HEARD.
AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, WHOEVER WANTS TO SIT AT MICROPHONES, YOU CAN GIVE TWO AND TWO AND SHARE THAT.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, THAT WAY EVERYONE THAT'S ONLINE CAN ALSO HEAR YOU.
OKAY, I THINK AS WE WENT ALONG, WE HAD PROBABLY MANY DIFFERENT TOPICS THAT WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS ON.
SO WE'LL GO THROUGH AND KIND OF TOUCH BASE WITH THOSE.
AND I THINK I'D LIKE TO START, IF WE CAN, WITH KIND OF GOING THROUGH THE SLIDES JUST TO KIND OF KEEP AN IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH.
SO WAIVERS, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE REGARDING THE WAIVERS FOR THE CHARTER APPLICANTS.
AND I'M GOING TO SAY MY FIRST ONE IS TRANSPORTATION.
AND I LIKE I STATED, BECAUSE BEING IN THE FIRST DISTRICT, VERY DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE FROM MY DISTRICT TO GET TO YOU.
I FEEL LIKE THAT IS DEFINITELY AN EQUITY ISSUE.
BUT ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I'M INTERESTED IN IS YOU WILL HAVE A TRANSPORTATION ALLOCATION.
AND IF YOU DON'T CHOOSE TO USE ON TRANSPORTATION, IT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD BE USING THAT? ALLOCATION FOR IF IT'S NOT TRANSPORTATION? OKAY FIRST OF ALL I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WE HAD REQUESTED A LIST OF BUYBACK SERVICES WHICH WOULD HAVE INCLUDED TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS AMONG OTHER THINGS INITIALLY AND WE WERE TOLD IT WAS AN EXPANSIVE LIST THAT WE NEEDED TO BE SPECIFIC.
LATER ON, WE REQUESTED SOME SPECIFIC INFORMATION, WHICH I DON'T BELIEVE INCLUDED THE TRANSPORTATION AT THE TIME, BUT IT INCLUDED SOME OF THESE SERVICES, SPECIFICALLY SOME OF THE COMMUNICATION SERVICES AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, AS WELL AS THE LUNCH SITUATION.
WE NEVER RECEIVED THAT INFORMATION.
SO AS FAR AS TRANSPORTATION GOES, WE WERE GOING UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT TRANSPORTATION WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE THROUGH CCPS, WHICH IS WHY WE
[01:55:01]
HAVE THE APPLICATION SET UP THE WAY IT IS.WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT PURCHASING BUSES THROUGH GRANT FUNDING.
WE'VE ALSO TALKED TO THE HOMELESS SHELTER IN CHESAPEAKE CITY ABOUT TRANSPORTATION OF THEIR POPULATION IF NECESSARY.
TALK TO THE LOCAL TRANSIT COMMUNITY THROUGH THE COUNTY TO SEE IF WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTRACT WITH THEM TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION FOR STUDENTS WHO DIDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY FOR PARENTS TO BRING THEM.
UNFORTUNATELY, AT THE TIME, UNLESS THEY ARE 12 OR 13, THEY CANNOT BE ON THAT TRANSIT BUS WITHOUT AN ADULT.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE STILL LOOKING INTO.
BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE DEFINITIVE INFORMATION TO INCLUDE IN THE APPLICATION AT THE TIME.
ALL THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WE'VE DONE, ALL THE INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS THAT WE'VE HELD, THE TOPIC HAS BEEN PUT OUT THERE THAT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, FAMILIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING.
THEIR STUDENTS TO THE SCHOOL AND PARENTS HAVE OPTED TO FORM CARPOOLING THEMSELVES FOR THEIR LIKE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SO IT'S IT'S AN OPTION FOR FAMILIES WE ARE NOT TRYING TO BE EXCLUSIVE AT ALL THAT IS NOT THE INTENT OF THE SCHOOL THE INTENT IS TO BE FULLY INCLUSIVE AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PEOPLE AND THOSE STUDENTS WHO WANT TO BE AT THE CHARTER SCHOOL HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET THERE AND WE ARE WILLING TO DO WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS WHETHER IT MEANS WE BUY A COUPLE SMALL SCHOOL BUSES TO PICK UP THOSE PEOPLE WHATEVER IS NECESSARY WE ARE WILLING TO DO BUT WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION TO MAKE IT SPECIFIC IN AN APPLICATION FOR YOU AT THIS POINT.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING WAIVERS? JUST TO PIGGYBACK, WILLING TO BUY IS MORE MONEY, AND I SAW A LOT OF COSTS IN HERE, AND A LOT OF IT WAS COVERED BY GRANTS.
AND I ALWAYS AM HESITANT EVEN FOR OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, THE SUSTAINABILITY OF RELYING HEAVILY ON GRANTS.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE A GRANT WRITER, A DESIGNATED GRANT WRITER? OKAY, I HAVE ANOTHER ONE.
WHY THE HEALTH WAIVER? AND AGAIN, THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVING US.
SO THE HEALTH WAIVER, ALONG WITH OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GOING TO TEACH HEALTH, WE'RE GOING TO TEACH PHYSICAL EDUCATION, ALL THOSE THINGS.
THE WAIVERS WERE STRICTLY INTENDED SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE AUTONOMY FOR OUR CURRICULUM, SO THAT IF WE CHOSE A CURRICULUM THAT MAYBE WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN YOURS.
IT WAS NOT INTENDED TO BE A...
WE'RE NOT GOING TO TEACH THIS, WE WANT TO EXCLUDE YOU.
NONE OF OUR WAIVERS WERE INTENDED TO BE EXCLUSIVE.
ALSO, I'VE SORT OF LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT, BUT NONE OF THE WAIVERS WERE MEANT TO BE EXCLUSIVE.
SO IT WASN'T TO BE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO TEACH THESE THINGS, IT'S GOING TO BE SO THAT WE HAVE THE AUTONOMY TO TEACH THEM DIFFERENTLY WITHIN OUR WALLS WHAT IS THE BEST FOR OUR STUDENTS.
SO THAT WAS NOT THE INTENTION AT ALL.
ALSO, I SHOULD ADD THAT MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE WAIVERS WAS NOT THAT IT IS A WAIVER TO COMPLETELY GET RID OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, FOR INSTANCE, OR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
BY NO MEANS WAS THAT THE INTENTION.
MY INTENTION WAS TO REWRITE THESE POLICIES SO THAT THEY GIVE US A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY IN OUR CURRICULUM.
AND IF YOU WANT, I CAN ELABORATE ON THIS BECAUSE I SORT OF WROTE SOME THINGS DOWN, AND I CAN READ TO YOU EXACTLY WHAT I WROTE.
SO I WROTE, THE REQUESTED WAIVERS ARE ESSENTIAL IN MAINTAINING OPERATIONAL AUTONOMY AND FLEXIBILITY NECESSARY TO ENSURE TIMELY DECISIONS REGARDING PROGRAM DESIGN, SCHEDULING, STAFFING, BUDGETING, AND SCHOOL OPERATIONS THAT ALIGN WITH OUR UNIQUE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS.
THESE REQUESTS DO NOT DIMINISH THE OVERSIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CECIL COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OR THE SUPERINTENDENT.
RATHER, THEY ALLOW CCCS TO OPERATE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK ESTABLISHED BY MARYLAND'S CHARTER SCHOOL LAW WHILE REMAINING FULLY ACCOUNTABLE FOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS.
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL WILL ACT AS A LIAISON BETWEEN CCCS AND CCPS TO REPORT
[02:00:04]
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA, FINANCIAL INFORMATION, AND OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE AS REQUIRED BY THE CHARTER AGREEMENT AND BY CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.ENSURING TRANSPARENCY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I HIGHLIGHTED IN THESE POLICIES THAT WERE CONCERNING TO US, THAT WE WOULD JUST WANT TO NEGOTIATE THESE ISSUES, NOT NECESSARILY TAKE OUT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
CERTAIN THINGS, THE BBA SAYS THAT YOU EMPLOY ARCHITECTS, YOU CONSOLIDATE SCHOOLS, PREPARE THE BUDGET.
THERE IS A LINE AT THE BOTTOM THAT SAYS NOT...
DESCRIPTIVE BUT NOT ALL-INCLUSIVE.
THAT'S CONCERNING FOR THE SAKE OF WE DON'T WANT OUR SCHOOL TO BE CONSOLIDATED WITH SOMETHING ELSE.
THE CBA SAYS THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT CONDUCTS ALL CORRESPONDENCE AND PREPARES PLANS FOR SCHOOL BUILDINGS.
AGAIN, OUR BUILDING IS GOING TO BE, IT'S GOT TO HAVE THE CALMING ENVIRONMENT OF A CLASSICAL EDUCATION.
SO WHEN YOU GO DOWN TO ARCHITECTS, PAINTERS, CONTRACTORS, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE AUTONOMY TO CHOOSE AND TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT SELECTION.
ADDRESSES YOUR ISSUES AND MAKES BETTER SENSE.
I DO HAVE A QUICK QUESTION REGARDING A WAIVER AS WELL.
AS IT RELATES TO, I KNOW THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, YOU WANTED A WAIVER FROM THEIR OVERSIGHT NECESSARILY ON DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS SOMEWHAT.
IS THAT KIND OF? DAY-TO-DAY BECAUSE YOU AREN'T GOING TO BE IN OUR SCHOOL DAY-TO-DAY, BUT NOT AS A COMPLETE OVERSIGHT OF THE, WE THINK THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A SAY-SO FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS.
SO WOULD THAT BE THE SAME FOR LIKE, I UNDERSTAND ONE FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS AS WELL.
WHAT WOULD BE THE REASON THAT YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN THOSE IN THE SPIRIT OF, YOU KNOW, PARTNERING WITH US? AGAIN, MAYBE I'M MISUNDERSTANDING ON MY PART, BUT I GUESS IT'S IF YOU WANTED US TO COME TO A BOARD MEETING, NO PROBLEM.
BUT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE OUR OWN BOARD MEETINGS AS WELL.
SO I GUESS JUST A CONFLICT AND MAYBE WE'D NEED TO.
WE HAVE OUR BOARD MEETINGS ON THURSDAYS, YOURS ARE ON WEDNESDAYS, YOU KNOW, SO THAT KIND OF THING.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S NOT THAT WE WANT TO BE EXCLUSIVE.
IT'S THAT WE JUST WANT FLEXIBILITY AND AUTONOMY.
CAN I JUST GIVE A QUICK SPECIFIC EXAMPLE? SO FOR BBA, THE SCHOOL BOARD POWERS AND DUTIES, ONE OF THEM SPECIFICALLY IS UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT, ADOPT PROCEDURES FOR THE SELECTION AND PURCHASE OF TEXT.
BOOKS AND OTHER SCHOOL SUPPLIES.
WE WOULD LIKE TO CHOOSE OUR OWN SCHOOL BOOKS, RIGHT? OBVIOUSLY WITHIN THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT ARE IN PLACE, BUT THAT IS ONE SPECIFIC EXAMPLE THAT WE WOULD LIKE SOME AUTONOMY ON.
FOR THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, ONE OF HIS JOB DESCRIPTIONS SPECIFICALLY SAYS, APPROVES CONTRACTS, PERIOD.
A CONTRACT IS NOT VALID WITHOUT THE WRITTEN APPROVAL OF THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT.
THAT DOES NOT HELP US BE AUTONOMOUS.
I MEAN, AGAIN, FOLLOWING THE RULES THAT ARE THERE, FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES AND THE PROCUREMENT POLICIES, AND MAYBE THE $250,000 WAS TOO HIGH, AND MAYBE THAT'S A NEGOTIATION.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WOULD LIKE SOME AUTONOMY OVER THE SCHOOL THAT PARENTS ARE CHOOSING TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO.
AND AGAIN, FOR TIMELINE PURPOSES.
BE IN OUR SCHOOL ON A DAILY BASIS.
I'M BAD WITH THE SPEAKER, BUT FOR TIMELINE PURPOSES.
SO AGAIN, NOT TO REDUCE OVERSIGHT, JUST SO THAT WE HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY IN MAKING OUR AGREEMENTS.
AND THESE ARE CERTAINLY THINGS THAT CAN BE WORKED OUT WITHIN THE CHARTER AGREEMENT.
THIS IS AN APPLICATION THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MAJOR DISCUSSIONS OTHER THAN THE INTERVIEW WITH ALL OF THESE PEOPLE.
SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE ARE UNCLEAR OF AS FAR AS SOME OF THE SPECIFICS, LIKE THE BUYBACK, THE TRANSPORTATION, THE MEALS.
THE MEAL ISSUE CAME UP BECAUSE WHEN WE DID THE TOUR, WE WERE SPECIFICALLY TOLD BY DR.
BUCKLEY THAT EVEN THE KITCHEN EQUIPMENT WAS COMING OUT.
SO THEN WE PANICKED BECAUSE HOW ARE WE GOING TO PREPARE MEALS? SO THE PROBLEM IS THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY SPELLED OUT IN THIS APPLICATION BECAUSE OF THE INABILITY TO HAVE.
[02:05:04]
WE WERE TOLD THAT WE COULDN'T SPEAK TO ANY OF YOU.SO WE HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE IN-DEPTH CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SOME OF THESE TOPICS THAT EVERYBODY IS NOW SAYING.
ARE CONFUSING OR INCOMPLETE OR LACKING.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
IN MY OPINION OF HOW THIS IS SUPPOSED TO WORK, WE PRESENT AN APPLICATION.
IF YOU APPROVE IT, THEN WE HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON ALL OF THESE LITTLE INDEPENDENT THINGS THAT NEED ATTENTION, NEGOTIATE HOW THEY'RE GOING TO WORK, AND ARRIVE AT A CHARTER THAT WE ARE BOTH AGREEABLE TO.
SO JUST BECAUSE NOT EVERYTHING MIGHT BE LISTED IN THERE IN THE DETAIL THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE ARE UNWILLING TO DO IT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT REALLY CLEAR.
THIS IS BY NO MEANS THE TOTAL PICTURE OF HOW THE SCHOOL IS SUPPOSED TO OPERATE AND FUNCTION.
AND AS FAR AS THE CHARTER, THE CLASSICAL CHARTER GOES, THE EMPHASIS THERE IS ON IMPROVING STUDENT PERFORMANCE.
WHICH IS A BIG ISSUE AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM A LOT OF THE FAMILIES.
SO AGAIN, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO WITHIN THE SCHOOL THAT MODEL DIFFERENTLY FROM THE WAY THAT YOU GUYS ADDRESS THESE TYPES OF LEARNING DISABILITIES OR SPECIAL ED NEEDS.
SO WE HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS ALL OF THAT.
CAN YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OR A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD MAKE IT DIFFERENT, HOW YOU WOULD HANDLE A SPECIAL NEED OF, YOU KNOW, A CHILD VERSUS CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS? SPECIFICALLY WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION IS WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT? SURE.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON IS TRYING TO HAVE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR A DIVERSE POPULATION.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO EXCLUDE ANY STUDENTS FROM COMING TO THE CHARTER SCHOOL AND REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS ON THAT SPECIALIZED ONE-ON-ONE TYPE OF NOT JUST EDUCATION BUT OVERALL EXPERIENCE.
A LOT OF THAT COMES FROM YOUR SMALLER CLASSROOM SIZES.
TEACHERS HAVE GREATER BANDWIDTH TO PAY ATTENTION TO ONLY 20 STUDENTS AS OPPOSED TO A LARGER GROUP OF STUDENTS AND BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY THOSE NEEDS.
I'M REALLY WALKING THROUGH THE IEPS AHEAD OF TIME AND SEEING WHERE WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO SPEND SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES AND FOCUS SOME OF THAT ATTENTION.
I KNOW IT'S KIND OF A VAGUE OVERVIEW BUT DOES THAT START TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? I MEAN I FEEL LIKE IT'S A LOT MORE THAN JUST JUST BEING IN THE CLASSROOM, I SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DO AND WHAT HAPPENS, AND I DON'T, I KNOW IT'S HARD TO PUT AN APPLICATION, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST, I FEEL LIKE THAT YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, WE ALL WANT ONE-ON-ONE.
WE ALL WANT SPECIAL RESOURCES FOR OUR KIDS.
I JUST DON'T SEE WITH THE BUDGET, WITH THE STAFFING THAT YOU HAVE, HOW THAT WILL HAPPEN.
WITH ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO HAPPEN, LIKE ALL THE MULTI-TIER, THE ONE-ON-ONE, THE HANDS-ON LEARNING, ALL OF THOSE THINGS WITH THE STAFFING THAT YOU HAVE.
I MEAN, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SEE HOW DOES THAT COME TO FRUITION, AND THAT'S WHY I WAS KIND OF THINKING, LIKE, CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH, HOW ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU THINK THAT WITH THE STAFF THAT YOU HAVE, THOSE THINGS YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH.
I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE RIGHT NOW WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, I'M THINKING, THAT'S TEACHER BURNOUT.
LIKE, THAT'S WHAT I SEE RIGHT NOW.
LIKE, HOW IN THE WORLD WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO DO ALL THOSE THINGS? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T SEE IT AS TEACHER BURNOUT BECAUSE ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT THAN CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL IS THE BEHAVIOR ISSUES.
RIGHT NOW, THE TEACHERS ARE REQUIRED TO DEAL WITH THE BEHAVIOR ISSUES, KIDS THROWING DESKS AND SO FORTH.
CLASSROOM IS EVACUATED AND THE KIDS ARE IN THE HALL WHILE THE TEACHER IS DEALING WITH THE STUDENT THAT'S HAVING A MELTDOWN.
THAT ACTUALLY DOESN'T HAPPEN THAT ACTUALLY THE STUDENT GETS PULLED OUT NOW.
AT LEAST WHEN I WENT THIS BECAUSE THE CLASSES THAT I'M IN THE TEACHER CALLS THE AND THE VICE PRINCIPAL WILL COME DOWN AND TAKE THE STUDENT AND SO THEY DON'T EVACUATE.
THAT IS NOT WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD BY TEACHERS IN THE DISTRICT.
WOULD IT BE SAFE TO SAY IN THE MOMENT THE KIDS PROBABLY GET OUT OF THE CLASS, BUT THEN SOMEBODY TAKES THE DISRUPTIVE KID OUT AND THE KIDS GO BACK IN PRETTY QUICKLY? I WOULD THINK IF SOMEBODY'S THROWING A DESK, IT'S EASIEST
[02:10:01]
TO GET EVERYBODY OUT OF THE WAY FIRST.SO WE REGULARLY TRACK WHEN A CLASSROOM IS IMPACTED BECAUSE OF STUDENTS' BEHAVIOR, AND OUR FIRST DECISION IS ALWAYS SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS.
SO IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A RISK OF SAFETY, WE MAY MOMENTARILY EVACUATE A CLASSROOM.
THE END RESULT, MR. FERNANDO, THOUGH, IS TO...
REMOVE THE STUDENT WHO'S IN CRISIS WITH PURPOSE SO WE CAN CONTINUE INSTRUCTION.
WE ASK OUR SCHOOLS TO REPORT EACH TIME THAT HAPPENS.
SO THE GOAL IS TO REMOVE THE STUDENT RATHER THAN EVACUATE THE CLASSROOM, IS TO HAVE THE PRINCIPAL REMOVE THAT STUDENT AND DEAL WITH THE BEHAVIOR, ADDRESS IT WITH THE PARENT, AND THE TEACHER CAN CONTINUE THE EDUCATIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL TIME WITH THE REST OF THE CLASS.
SECONDLY, THE PLAN IS, UPON OPENING, IS TO HAVE THE TEACHERS EVALUATE EVERY SINGLE STUDENT IN THE CLASSROOM AND IDENTIFY WHAT THEIR WEAKNESSES ARE SO THAT THOSE STUDENTS CAN BE PULLED AT THE APPROPRIATE TIMES TO WORK WITH THE MATH SPECIALIST, WITH THE READING SPECIALIST, OR WHATEVER SERVICE THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO.
CAN BE STUDENTS WITH THE SAME NEEDS.
MAYBE THERE'S THREE OR FOUR STUDENTS AT A TIME, BUT MAYBE THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO LEARN IN THE SAME STRUCTURE, LEARNING STRUCTURE, OR LEARNING MODEL THAT THE REST OF THE CLASSROOM IS.
MAYBE THEY NEED SOME TYPE OF GAME TO HELP THEM LEARN THEIR MATH, OR MAYBE THEY NEED SOME TYPE OF SPECIAL PROGRAM TO HELP THEM LEARN.
THE GOAL HERE IS TO FIND OUT WHAT MAKES EVERY STUDENT TICK.
SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS, WHETHER IT'S INDIVIDUALLY OR IN SMALL GROUPS.
AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE US A LITTLE WHILE TO DO THAT.
SO I FEEL LIKE WITH THE PLAN THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO AT LEAST IDENTIFY THAT AND START WORKING ON THE MODELS THAT THOSE SPECIALISTS FEEL WILL BENEFIT THE STUDENT.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE ENOUGH STAFF TO BE ABLE TO DO ALL OF THIS? AND YOU HAVE ONE PRINCIPAL, RIGHT? SO THERE'S A BEHAVIOR PROBLEM IN ROOM A.
THEN THERE'S ANOTHER BEHAVIOR PROBLEM HERE, AND YOU HAVE ONE PRINCIPAL HANDLING MULTIPLE POTENTIAL.
BUT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, WE DON'T HAVE FULL ENROLLMENT IN ROOM B.
SO WE ARE MAKING A LOT OF ASSUMPTIONS WITHOUT ACTUAL NUMBERS.
DO I THINK THAT IF WE'RE FULLY, FULL ENROLLMENT, THAT IT'LL WORK? I THINK IN THE BEGINNING, YES.
BUT ONCE WE IDENTIFY THE NEEDS THAT OUR STUDENTS MIGHT NEED.
AND, AGAIN, WE CAN'T DO THAT UNTIL THEY'RE IN THE BUILDING AND EVALUATED.
SO, AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF ASSUMPTIONS THAT I CAN'T GIVE YOU DEFINITIVE ANSWERS.
NO, AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S HARD TO HYPOTHESIZE WHO YOUR STUDENTS ARE GOING TO BE.
BUT THEN I ALSO HEARD YOU SAY THAT YOUR TARGET POPULATION IS, WELL, INCREASING STUDENT PERFORMANCE.
ARE YOU GOING AFTER STUDENTS WHO ARE PERFORMING LOW CURRENTLY? NO.
ANYONE THAT WANTS TO SWITCH TO A CLASSICAL EDUCATION MODEL IS OPEN TO ANYONE IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY AS LONG AS THEY ARE A RESIDENT OF CECIL COUNTY, PERIOD.
THERE'S NO POPULATIONS THAT WE ARE EXCLUDING OR TARGETING.
I GUESS I'M JUST HAVING TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING THE...
TARGET CRITERIA BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE STATE LIKE I LISTENED TO THIS MEETING THE STATE BOARD SO I APOLOGIZE BUT THEY THEY'RE SAYING THAT IF A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL DOESN'T FILL 100% OF ITS AVAILABLE SPACE THROUGH ITS STRATEGIC TARGET CRITERIA THEN IT MUST ADMIT STUDENTS STRICTLY ON A LOTTERY BASIS OKAY SO I GUESS I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TARGET CRITERIA IS THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT THE LAW IS THAT IF...
IF WE HAVE MORE STUDENTS ENROLLED SUBMITTING ENROLLMENT APPLICATIONS, THEN WE HAVE SEATS AVAILABLE, THEN WE GO TO A LOTTERY SYSTEM.
AND REGARDING THE LOTTERY SYSTEM, IT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER THAT 35% OF THE POPULATION WOULD BE PARENTS, STUDENTS, OR GRANDCHILDREN OF BOARD AND FOUNDING FAMILIES.
OUR FOUNDING FAMILIES ARE A GROUP OF PARENTS WHO WANT TO BE INVOLVED.
WE DISCUSS THIS IN ALL OF OUR INFORMATIONAL SECTIONS.
WE ADDRESS WHAT IT MEANS, WE ADDRESS WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE, AND IF THEY'RE INTERESTED,
[02:15:01]
THEY JUST FILL OUT A CARD.WE HAVE A TON OF INTEREST CARDS FROM FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY WHO WANT TO BE FOUNDING FAMILIES.
NOW, DOES THAT MEAN THAT THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BE FOUNDING FAMILIES? PROBABLY NOT, BECAUSE IT REQUIRES THEM TO REVIEW A CONTRACT AND SIGN OFF THAT THEY'RE GOING TO COMMIT TO THE HOURS THAT ARE REQUIRED ACCORDING TO THE CONTRACT.
QUICK QUESTION ON THAT ONE BECAUSE THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS I HAD A REAL QUESTION ABOUT.
EQUITY-WISE, HOW DOES THAT WORK FOR, YOU KNOW, PARENTS WHO JUST, THEY BOTH WORK AND THEY CAN'T GET THERE AND HOW DOES THAT WORK? IT DOESN'T, IT CAN BE ANY FAMILY MEMBER.
IT CAN BE, IT CAN BE A GRANDMOTHER.
IT CAN BE A, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT HAVE SINGLE PARENT HOMES, SINGLE MOM, DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FAMILY.
THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY CAN, BUT MAN, THEY WOULD LOVE TO SEND THEIR KID THERE, BUT THERE'S NO WAY THEY'RE HELPING.
THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO BE A FOUNDING FAMILY.
HOW MANY FOUNDING FAMILIES IN THE LOTTERY? WHAT SHE'S SAYING IS THAT IT'S NOT EQUITABLE, THAT IF YOU DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO WHATEVER'S IN YOUR CONTRACT, THAT GIVES YOU A LEG UP ON EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE COUNTY THAT CAN'T.
AND THAT'S AN UNFAIR, IT'S SAD.
BUT THAT'S TRUE, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE PEOPLE THAT DON'T, WE HAVE KIDS THAT DON'T HAVE PARENTS, DON'T HAVE GRANDPARENTS.
YOU KNOW THAT, AND SO THOSE PEOPLE...
SO THOSE PEOPLE CAN'T BECOME FOUNDING, HAVE A HARDER TIME BECOMING FOUNDING FAMILY.
I'M THE ONE THAT COMMUNICATES WITH THE FOUNDING FAMILIES AND DESCRIBES IT TO THEM.
FOUNDING FAMILY IS A PERSON WHO, THE MINUTE THEY HEAR ABOUT CECIL CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL AND WHAT WE'RE OFFERING AND WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO, EVERYTHING FROM THE UNIFORMS TO LOWER LIMITED TECHNOLOGY IN A DAY-TO-DAY CLASSROOM, THEY SIGN THEIR CARD AND SAY, I WANT IN, AND I WANT TO SEND MY KIDS THERE.
BUT THEN THEY HAVE TO SIGN THE CONTRACT, AND THE CONTRACT SAYS THEY HAVE TO...
PROVIDE IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A PERSON THE THE CONTRACT SAYS YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO HELP SO THE CONTRACT SAYS YOU'RE GOING TO VOLUNTEER NOT YOU NOT NOT MOM OR GRANDMA BUT SOMEBODY IN YOUR HOUSE IS GOING TO GIVE US VOLUNTEER TIME YOU ARE GOING TO HELP US CONNECT WITH POWER WASHERS AND PAINTERS AND PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HELP US DO THE THINGS WE WANT TO DO IN A MAKER SPACE OR OUTSIDE OR GET A PLAYGROUND RIGHT? FUNDRAISING.
THAT'S WHAT A FOUNDING FAMILY IS.
SOMEBODY WHO IS DEDICATED TO GET CECIL CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL UP AND RUNNING, NO MATTER, HOWEVER THEY CAN HELP.
THERE'S NO MONETARY OBLIGATION.
THERE'S NO, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A CAR TO BE A FOUNDING FAMILY.
IT'S REALLY JUST A DESIRE TO BE SITTING HERE WITH US TELLING YOU THEY WANT THIS SCHOOL OPEN.
AND IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THEY HAVE TO BE THERE IN PERSON.
THEY CAN DO, THEY CAN BE LIKE A TEACHER'S HELPER AND DO THINGS AT HOME THAT THE TEACHER MIGHT NEED FOR HER NEXT DAY OF CLASSROOM OR THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
IT'S ANYTHING THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL IS CAPABLE OF DOING AND WILLING TO DO TO HELP MAKE THE SCHOOL BETTER.
AM I ALLOWED TO ASK A CLARIFYING QUESTION? WE ARE NOT EXCLUDING ANYONE.
IS THAT INCLUDED IN THE APPLICATION? BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ABLE TO FIND THAT ANYWHERE.
WHAT? THE DIFFERENT CRITERIA OF...
DOING THIS AND THAT TO BE A FOUNDING FAMILY MEMBER? THE CONTRACT.
I DON'T THINK THE CONTRACT WAS IN THERE, NO.
BUT JUST THE MORE, WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS CLARIFICATION, BECAUSE WE DID A WORD SEARCH, AND WE DO NOT SEE THAT ANYWHERE, THAT TO BE A FOUNDING FAMILY MEMBER, YOU HAVE TO COMMIT TO HELPING SIGN A CONTRACT.
IS THAT IN THE? NO, I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS.
HOW DO YOU BECOME A FOUNDING FAMILY? HOW MANY FOUNDING FAMILIES DO YOU HAVE? I THINK IT SAID AT ONE POINT THAT YOU SAID 57 STUDENTS.
SO AS OF JUNE 1ST, WE HAD 124 INTEREST CARDS.
THAT'S 124 PEOPLE SAYING THAT THEY WERE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT BEING ON MY EMAILS.
PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO BE FOUNDING FAMILIES, 56 FOUNDING FAMILIES, SO THAT'S HUSBAND AND WIFE COMBINED MAKES ONE.
WE HAD 57 STUDENTS, 56 FOUNDING FAMILIES REPRESENTED 57 STUDENTS WHO WOULD, IF THEY HAD TO MAKE A DECISION TODAY, SEND THEIR KIDS TO CECIL CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL FOR 27-28.
AND THEY'RE AUTOMATICALLY GUARANTEED A SEAT BECAUSE THEY'RE A FOUNDING FAMILY? ABSOLUTELY.
IF THEY SIGN THE CONTRACT AND AGREE TO EVERYTHING.
SO, I MEAN, PEOPLE MIGHT GIVE US THE CARD INITIALLY AND SAY, YES, WE WANT
[02:20:01]
TO BE A FOUNDING FAMILY.BUT WHEN WE GET DOWN TO THE TIME PERIOD WHERE WE MEET WITH THEM AND SAY, OKAY, HERE'S THE CONTRACT, AND REVIEW, BECAUSE WE GO OVER THIS IN THE INFORMATION SESSIONS.
HAVE THE CONTRACT IN FRONT OF THEM AND THEY STILL AGREE TO EVERYTHING THAT THEY WERE TOLD, THEN THEY WOULD SIGN IT.
THEN THEY ARE A TRUE FOUNDING FAMILY.
BUT UNTIL THEY DO THAT, THEY'RE JUST ON A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE A FOUNDING FAMILY.
SO HOW MANY SEATS ARE FOUNDING FAMILIES? AND THEN YOU HAVE BOARD MEMBERS ANYWHERE FROM 5 TO 17.
YOU HAVE STAFF, RIGHT, THAT ALL ARE AUTOMATICALLY GUARANTEED A SEAT.
IS THAT CORRECT? SO YOU COULD POTENTIALLY FILL A GOOD CHUNK OF YOUR SCHOOL WITH, NO? WELL, THAT DEPENDS ON THE TEACHER.
IT DEPENDS ON THE FOUNDING FAMILIES.
I MEAN, I'M HEARING THAT IT COULD BE AS MANY AS WANT TO BE A FOUNDING FAMILY.
IS THAT, AM I WRONG? DID I MISUNDERSTAND THAT? NO, SO THE STATE MANDATES WHAT PERCENTAGE THAT WE CAN HAVE.
AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, AND DON'T QUOTE ME, I BELIEVE IT'S 35%, AND WE ARE NOWHERE NEAR THAT CAPACITY.
OF EVEN TRYING TO FILL THAT MANY SEATS.
WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR IT AS THE ENVIRONMENT OF A FOUNDING FAMILY, THE ENVIRONMENT OF A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT IS...
THESE CHILDREN, THEY BEHAVE BETTER.
YOUR CHILDREN ARE GOING TO BEHAVE BETTER WHEN YOU'RE AROUND THAN IF ISAIAH IS WATCHING THE CLASS.
THAT IS JUST, SO WE JUST WANT TO INCORPORATE THAT FAMILY CULTURE WITHIN OUR SCHOOL.
AND I MEAN, AS FAR AS OUR BOARD, WE HAVE THAT LARGE NUMBER.
WE ACTUALLY INTEND TO LOWER, WE DO NOT.
HAVE ANY INTENTION OF HAVING 17 BOARD MEMBERS.
SO, AGAIN, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
SO IT IS GRANDCHILDREN AS WELL AS CHILDREN.
LIKE MY GRANDSON HAS ALREADY GONE THROUGH THE DRAMATIC CHANGE FROM NORTHEAST TO BAYVIEW AND THEN COMING BACK, AND HIS PARENTS MAY SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE DON'T WANT ANOTHER CHANGE FOR HIM.
SOMEBODY WHOSE KID STARTS SIXTH GRADE MAY NOT WANT TO SEND THEM TO SEVENTH GRADE AT CECIL CLASSICAL CHARTER AFTER THEY'VE BEEN TO THE BIG, YOU KNOW, BEAUTIFUL NEW BUILDING, RIGHT? SO THERE ARE ALL NUMBER OF...
BUT WE'RE NEVER GOING TO EXCEED THAT 35%.
WE'RE FOLLOWING THOSE RULES AS WELL.
CAN I ASK YOU A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT RESERVING SEATS FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT YET OF SCHOOL AGE? CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE? SO IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO BE A FOUNDING FAMILY, MAYBE THE WIFE IS PREGNANT, SO SHE'S GOING TO SIGN UP TO BE A FOUNDING FAMILY.
AND WHEN HER CHILD IS OF SCHOOL AGE, THEN THAT CHILD, AS LONG AS SHE'S...
STILL A FOUNDING FAMILY, SHE CAN THEN PLACE HER CHILD IN THE SCHOOL.
ASSUMING YOU'RE NOT AT THE 35%.
FOR ANOTHER EXAMPLE, WE HAVE A FAMILY THAT HAS SIGNED UP.
SHE HAS, I BELIEVE, THREE CHILDREN AND ANOTHER ON THE WAY.
SO IN THAT CASE, YES, HER OTHER THREE CHILDREN WOULD BE.
WHEN ELIGIBLE WHEN THAT TIME COMES.
SO TO JUST KIND OF EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT.
DO YOUNGER SIBLINGS THEN ARE AUTOMATICALLY IN AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO APPLY EVERY YEAR? NO.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO APPLY EVERY YEAR.
AND THEN THE SIBLINGS ARE AUTOMATICALLY IN.
HOWEVER, UNLESS THEY NO LONGER ARE FUNCTIONING AS A FOUNDING FAMILY, THEN THEY HAVE TO ENROLL.
THE SIBLING WOULD HAVE TO APPLY, BUT THE STUDENT WOULD STAY.
IF A FOUNDING FAMILY MEMBER DOES NOT CONTINUE, LIKE THEY WILL BE MONITORED.
THEIR TIME, THEIR VOLUNTEER TIME WILL BE MONITORED.
SO IN THE COURSE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, IF THEY DON'T MEET THEIR REQUIREMENT, THEIR TIME REQUIREMENT, THEN THEY FALL OFF AS A FOUNDING FAMILY.
NEXT YEAR, IF THEY WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO GO TO THE SCHOOL, THEY HAVE TO FILL OUT AN ENROLLMENT APPLICATION.
WITH THE ONE CHILD THAT'S ALREADY THERE? STAYS IN IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO PUSH THAT CHILD OUT BECAUSE
[02:25:01]
THEY'RE NOT FAMILY FAMILY ANYMORE CORRECT OR YOU DON'T KNOW YET NO IF THEY'RE ALREADY IN THEY WOULD STAY ENROLLED JUST THEIR SIBLING WOULD MAYBE HAVE TO APPLY NO HAVE TO APPLY YES YEAH THAT'S IN THIS THAT'S RIGHT OKAY WHAT I'M SAYING IS IF THE CONTRACT DOESN'T HAVE ANY SORT OF REPERCUSSION, THEN IT'S NOT A CONTRACT.SO I CAN SAY I'LL VOLUNTEER AND NOT SHOW UP AND MY KID'S NOT GETTING KICKED OUT.
NO, I AGREE WITH THAT, BUT IT'S A VERY WONDERFUL IDEA AND CONCEPT.
I MEAN, MY KIDS WERE PART OF A SCHOOL SYSTEM WHERE WE HAD A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS, AND IT WAS VERY HELPFUL.
IT WAS INCREDIBLE BECAUSE OF THAT, AND I'VE TALKED TO OTHER FAMILIES WHERE THERE'S NOT THAT, AND IT'S A LESSER EXPERIENCE.
THE PROBLEM, IT DOES COME TO THE KIDS THAT DON'T HAVE, THERE ARE CHILDREN THAT DON'T HAVE ANYBODY.
I MEAN, THEY DON'T HAVE ANYBODY.
WHICH IS WHY WE WANT VOLUNTEERS, WHY WE WANT PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING THAT CAN PROVIDE SUPPORT AND MENTORSHIP AND LEADERSHIP TO THESE CHILDREN WHO HAVE NO ONE AT HOME OR ARE COMING FROM TRAUMATIC SITUATIONS.
WHICH IS ANOTHER REASON WHY WE'RE OPTING TO HAVE THE...
BEHAVIOR CHILD REMOVED FROM THE CLASSROOM BECAUSE THE KIDS ARE DEALING WITH ENOUGH TRAUMA AT HOME THEY DON'T NEED MORE TRAUMA IN THE CLASSROOM.
I JUST WANT TO PUT OUT A THING THAT I HAVE LITERALLY FOR YEARS BEEN ASKING FOR VOLUNTEERS.
YOU'VE BEEN TO OUR MEETINGS AND I LITERALLY ASKED FOR PEOPLE FOR YEARS AND YEARS PLEASE COME VOLUNTEER PLEASE COME VOLUNTEER IN OUR SCHOOLS.
YOU KNOW SCHOOLS THAT YOU THINK ARE GOING TO HAVE A HUGE POOL OF VOLUNTEERS LIKE CHESAPEAKE CITY ELEMENTARY YOU KNOW AND I WAS JUST TALKING TO THE PRINCIPAL.
THEY HARDLY HAVE ANY VOLUNTEERS.
BECAUSE VOLUNTEERS AREN'T RELIABLE.
AND I'M NOT TRYING, I DON'T WANT TO PUT A DOWNER ON IT.
EVERY DAY I WORK TO SAY, PLEASE COME VOLUNTEER.
AND THEY JUST DON'T BECAUSE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST HUMAN NATURE.
AND I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
YES, VOLUNTEERS ARE AMAZING, AMAZING.
YOU'VE SEEN THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO VOLUNTEER ARE THERE EVERY TIME THEY SAY THEY WILL BE, RIGHT? THERE'S JUST NOT THAT MANY OF US.
RIGHT, BUT I'M TELLING, WE'RE TELLING YOU, WE HAVE 56.
FAMILIES WHO ARE LIKE, WE WILL BE THAT VOLUNTEER.
AND WE HAVE FAMILIES THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH US ALL ALONG, DOING LITTLE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE DONE.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT A PERFECT SITUATION, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE.
SO, I MEAN, MAYBE YOU HAVE A BAD EXPERIENCE.
IT'S JUST DIFFICULT TO HAVE A STRONG BUSINESS MODEL THAT'S BASED ON GRANTS AND VOLUNTEERS.
THAT IS A REALLY DIFFICULT THING TO DO.
WELL WE HAVE TO BASE OUR OUR FINANCES ON GRANTS AND THE CITC PROGRAM AND DONATIONS AND FUNDRAISING BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GET FROM CCPS IS GOING TO BE MINIMAL.
RIGHT BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME THING THAT WE FACE.
SO I MEAN WE HAVE NO CHOICE AND WE HAVE A GRANT WRITER WHO HAS A LIST OF GRANTS A MILE LONG THAT IS MONITORING ALL OF THEM TO SEE WHEN THEY'RE DUE AND WHEN SHE CAN START FILLING OUT THE APPLICATIONS AND SUBMITTING THEM.
SO, I MEAN, IS IT IDEAL? NO, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS STASHED AWAY TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.
RIGHT, WE WOULD TOO, AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE 20 TO 1 IN A CLASSROOM, AND WE WOULD IF WE HAD MORE INCOME, BUT WE DON'T.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE ALL ARE IN THAT SAME SITUATION.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, I JUST FEEL LIKE THAT'S WHERE WE ALL ARE.
RIGHT, BUT YOU'RE FUNCTIONING, RIGHT? WE ARE, BUT NOT AT 20 TO 1.
WE'RE NOT, AND I WISH WE WERE.
BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE OFFERING.
AND WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT IT HAPPENS.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO JUST MENTION, BECAUSE IT WAS BROUGHT UP EARLIER, THAT CHARTER SCHOOLS HAVE A HIGH RATE OF FAILURE.
SO I CAN TELL YOU IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND, WE'RE NOT TALKING DELAWARE.
WE'VE ONLY HAD TWO SCHOOLS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT CLOSED.
ONE WAS IN FORT WASHINGTON, WHICH CLOSED IN 2025, AND ONE WAS IN SILVER SPRING, AND THAT WAS CLOSING BETWEEN 2025 AND 2026.
PRIOR TO THAT, THERE WERE 11 CLOSED THROUGH 2014.
FIVE OF THEM WERE BALTIMORE CITY.
THREE OF THEM WERE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY.
AND THEN ONE IN HARTFORD, ONE IN MONTGOMERY, AND ONE IN ANNE ARUNDEL.
SO MAYBE IN DELAWARE IT'S A BIG THING, BUT IN MARYLAND IT'S NOT BECAUSE THERE'S 50-SOME CHARTER
[02:30:02]
SCHOOLS, PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS IN THE STATE THAT ARE FUNCTIONING JUST FINE.JUST ONE OTHER QUESTION REGARDING ENROLLMENT.
IF YOU DON'T GET FULL ENROLLMENT, BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF THESE THINGS ARE BASED ON FULL ENROLLMENT, WHAT ADJUSTMENTS ARE YOU PLANNING TO MAKE IN ORDER TO MAKE THE BUDGET WORK? WELL, WE'D OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO STAFFING, JUST LIKE YOU DO.
IF WE'VE GOT A HANDFUL OF CHILDREN IN FIRST GRADE AND A HANDFUL IN KINDERGARTEN, WE MAY HAVE TO PUT THEM TOGETHER, AND WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO THE SAME THING WITH THE ADDITIONAL CLASSES.
SO, LIKE, MAYBE HAVE, LIKE, ONE CLASS OF FIRST GRADE.
INSTEAD OF HAVING TWO FULL CLASSES, WE MIGHT JUST HAVE ONE CLASS.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE ARE 28 APPLICANTS FOR FIRST GRADE, YOU MIGHT HAVE A CLASS OF 28 VERSUS 20, OR WOULD YOU CAP OFF BEYOND 20 AND SAY CAP AT 20? WE WOULD CAP.
AND JUST ON THE FOUNDING FAMILIES, COULD YOU I'M SORRY IF I MISSED IT, BUT IS THAT 35% OF ENROLLMENT OR 35% OF CAPACITY, SO THAT WOULD BE UP TO 84 STUDENTS.
FOR YOUR FIRST YEAR AT 240, BUT IF IT WAS ONLY A, I'M JUST MAKING SURE THE MATH IS EASY, IF IT WAS ONLY 100 STUDENTS, YOU'D ONLY BE ALLOWED 35 STUDENTS.
SO IS IT CAPACITY OR CURRENT ENROLLMENT? IT WOULD BE CURRENT ENROLLMENT.
I'LL FIND OUT FOR SURE FOR YOU AND SEND YOU AN EMAIL BECAUSE, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I'M NOT 100% POSITIVE THE ANSWER TO THAT.
MR. HAMPTON, IF I MAY, TO YOU RIGHT NOW.
SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE PUBLIC CHARTERING AUTHORITY, A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL MAY PROVIDE GUARANTEED PLACEMENT THROUGH A LOTTERY UP TO 35% AS PROPOSED BY THE PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL AND APPROVED BY THE PUBLIC CHARTERING AUTHORITY OF THE AVAILABLE SPACE OF THE PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL TO STUDENTS WHO ATTEND THE PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL.
SO YOU COULD HAVE UP TO 84 FOR YOUR FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION.
IF I CAN ADD JUST ONE THING, AND I THINK WE TOUCHED ON THIS BEFORE, BUT JUST TO CLARIFY OUR INTENTION, THERE ARE SO MANY HOMESCHOOLING FAMILIES THAT HAVE APPROACHED ME.
MY SON GOES TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL.
I HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF THE PARENTS COME UP TO ME AND ASK ME ABOUT THIS CHARTER SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD TO KEEP PUTTING THEIR CHILDREN IN THESE PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
SO I KNOW IN THE FIRST YEAR IT'S GOING TO BE A DEFICIT, BUT OUR HOPES IS REALLY THAT IN THE YEARS FOLLOWING, IT'S REALLY GOING TO HELP WITH DISTRICT FUNDING.
CAN I ASK, I JUST WANT TO ASK MS. SOPA A QUESTION ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE I'VE HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
BECAUSE I KEEP HEARING THINGS, TOO, THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF THEY BRING IN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GUYS ARE ABLE TO BRING IN NEW STUDENTS AND HOW THAT'S GOING TO HELP, YOU KNOW, CCPS TOTAL.
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT BECAUSE, OKAY, SO WE HAVE 75% FOLLOW THE STUDENT.
SO 75% OF THAT MONEY WOULD GO TO THE CHARTER SCHOOL.
NO, THAT IS NOT WHEN I WAS GIVEN THE...
THE CHARTER SCHOOL ACTUALLY GETS MORE THAN 75%.
SO IN THE PROPOSED FUNDING NUMBERS THAT WE GAVE TO THE CHARTER SCHOOL, WE WERE ONLY ALLOWED TO HOLD BACK 2%.
BUT THE NEW COMMENSURATE FUNDING FORMULA ALLOWS US TO HOLD BACK FIVE FOR THE SERVICES THAT WE WOULD PROVIDE AT THE BOARD OFFICE.
SO THEY GET 95% OF THE FUNDING FOR THE CHARTER SCHOOL.
OKAY, SO IF WE HAVE A NEW STUDENT AND WE HAVE A HOMESCHOOLER THAT COMES IN AND THEY GO TO THE CHARTER SCHOOL, THEN THEY GET 95% OF THE MONEY, WHETHER IT'S FOUNDATION, WHETHER IT'S THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
SO REMEMBER, IT'S ALWAYS BASED ON THE LAST SEPTEMBER 30TH ENROLLMENT.
OKAY, SO WHAT DO YOU THINK OF IT? SO WHAT HAPPENS, ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION THAT I RECEIVED FROM MS. SOPA, IS THAT THE ALLOCATION IS BASED ON THE STUDENTS THAT ENROLL IN THE CHARTER SCHOOL.
THAT FUNDING IS REDUCED BY THE SALARIES AND BENEFITS FOR OUR STAFF BECAUSE THEY ARE CCPS EMPLOYEES.
WE GET WHAT'S LEFT, WHICH IS NOT 95%.
THAT STAFFING IS PART OF YOUR FUNDING BECAUSE IT'S FUNDING YOUR SCHOOL.
SO JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER SCHOOL
[02:35:01]
BUILDING, WHAT WE SPEND AT CHARLESTOWN IS THEIR STAFF COST.WHAT WE SPEND AT ELK NECK IS THEIR STAFF COST.
SO THAT $3.2 MILLION IS PART OF YOUR 95% BECAUSE YOU'RE CHOOSING HOW TO STAFF YOUR BUILDING.
BUT IT PAYS FOR WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
BUT IT'S STILL FOLLOWING THE STUDENT.
WE'RE GOING TO DO THE PAYROLL FOR YOU, BUT IT IS YOUR FUNDING.
IT'S YOUR BUDGET BECAUSE IT'S YOUR STAFF.
RIGHT, BUT YOU KEEP THAT PORTION OF IT.
WE ONLY GET WHAT'S LEFT TO OPERATE ON.
IF THAT'S HOW YOU WANT TO DEFINE IT, WHAT YOU GET, BUT YOU GET ALL OF IT AND YOU DECIDE WHAT YOU'RE STAFFING.
SO YOU DECIDED $3.2 MILLION WAS YOUR STAFFING.
WE DIDN'T DECIDE THAT FOR YOU.
WE GAVE YOU A TOTAL $3.6 MILLION, WHICH IS YOUR 240 STUDENTS, WHATEVER THE MONEY THAT YOU EARN FOR THAT, MINUS THE 2%, AND THEN YOU DECIDED HOW TO BUDGET IT, AND YOU BUDGETED $3.2 MILLION FOR STAFF SALARIES.
BUT THAT MONEY GOES BACK TO THE CCPS TO PAY THEM.
RIGHT, BUT IT'S YOUR MONEY FOR YOUR CHARTER SCHOOL.
BUT I DON'T GET TO SPEND IT ON ANYTHING EXCEPT BENEFITS AND SALARIES.
THAT BENEFITS AND SALARIES, CORRECT? CORRECT, OKAY.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS WE DON'T HAVE 95% OF THAT MONEY TO SPEND ON ANYTHING.
MORE THAN LIKELY, MOST OF IT'S GOING TO SALARIES AND BENEFITS.
IT'S STAFF AND BENEFITS, JUST LIKE IT IS FOR 85% OF OUR INCOME.
I KNOW, IT JUST SOUNDS FUNNY WHEN THEY SAY 95% IS COMING TO US.
SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET IN MY HEAD IS THAT WE GET 100 NEW STUDENTS.
THAT COME FROM HOMESCHOOLING AND PRIVATE SCHOOL TO GO TO YOUR SCHOOL, WE'RE GETTING REALLY TO HELP WITH ALL THE OTHER COSTS THAT COME, 5%.
IS THAT CORRECT? YES, BECAUSE A CHARTER SCHOOL IS ABLE TO BUDGET 95% OF WHAT THOSE STUDENTS EARN TO SUPPORT THE CHARTER SCHOOL.
SO WHETHER IT'S SALARIES AND FIXED CHARGES OR WHATEVER ELSE THEY CHOOSE TO BUDGET IT FOR.
AND THAT 5% IS USED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, THAT'S IT? BUSINESS SERVICES SUPPORT, HUMAN RESOURCES SUPPORT.
AND THAT'S ONLY 5% WITH, I MEAN, BECAUSE I READ A LOT OF SUPPORTS THAT WERE NEEDED IN THIS APPLICATION.
AND MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS, DO WE HAVE THE RESOURCES FOR THAT? BECAUSE WE'VE TRIMMED SIGNIFICANTLY AT OUR ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL, AND I'M CONCERNED THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE RESOURCES FOR THAT.
SOME OF THAT WOULD GET TO THE BUYBACK, THOUGH, WOULDN'T IT? WHAT SUPPORTS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, THOUGH? WELL, LIKE LUNCH, LET'S SAY.
IT WOULD BE COMING OUT OF WHATEVER IS LEFT OVER OUT OF SALARIES AND BENEFITS.
IS IT OKAY IF WE ENGAGE, TOO? BECAUSE ALL OF US ARE OVER HERE.
WHAT I DON'T WANT TO HAPPEN IS I DON'T WANT TO DEBATE.
BUT IF THEY HAVE AN ANSWER TO SOMETHING, THEN I'M OKAY WITH THEM ANSWERING.
I WANT YOU GUYS TO HAVE YOUR TURN.
BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER, SO IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK IS HELPFUL, JUST LET US KNOW, AND THEN WE'LL DO IT.
BUT I DON'T WANT BACK AND FORTH.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S THAT'S NOT PRODUCTIVE.
SO, MS. HAWLEY, DID YOU FIND YOUR SURE.
SOME OF THE SPECIAL ED HELP, SOME OF THE WELL, FOOD SERVICES WOULD BE BUYBACK.
FINANCE IS HUGE AND AND I MEAN I KNOW CHARTER SCHOOLS SPECIFICALLY ST.
MARY'S COUNTY THEY HAVE A MEETING EVERY MONTH WITH THEIR CFO AND THEN THE CHARTER SCHOOLS FINANCE AND THAT HAPPENS MONTHLY YOU KNOW SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THERE'S A LOT OF ADMINISTRATIVE WORK THAT HAPPENS TO SUPPORT CHARTER SCHOOLS SO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE TIME AND I'M ALSO CONCERNED IF OF ONLY GETTING 5% YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
BUT WE DO HAVE A PLAN FOR THE BOOKKEEPER TO MEET WITH CCPS TO GO OVER THE FINANCES AT LEAST MONTHLY.
SO MY CONCERN, OR MY BIGGEST POINT IN THAT WAS, IS THAT I HEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE HOMESCHOOLERS COME IN OR THE PRIVATE SCHOOL COMES IN, IT'S GOING TO HELP CCPS.
THE OTHER THING I KEEP HEARING IS IT'S GOING TO REDUCE OUR CLASS SIZES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOME KIDS ARE GOING TO GO TO THE NEW CHARTER SCHOOL, SO THAT'S GOING TO REDUCE THE CLASS SIZES IN OUR OTHER PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I COULD BE WRONG, AND I'M GOING TO GO TO THE EXPERTS ON THIS.
I DON'T THINK IT'S REALLY GOING TO HELP US WITH, I MEAN, MAYBE
[02:40:02]
IT'S, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY KIDS, 100 KIDS ACROSS 17 SCHOOLS.I DON'T THINK IT'S REALLY GOING TO MAKE THAT MUCH OF AN ADJUSTMENT ON OUR CLASS SIZES.
JOHNSON, WHAT DO YOU THINK? WELL, I THINK WITH THAT WOULD BE BUDGET.
I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO HELP THE BUDGET, FOR SURE, BECAUSE YOU'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF TEACHERS BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LOWER THE CLASS SIZE BELOW 15 OR YOU CAN COMBINE CLASSES.
SO I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO HELP BUDGET.
BUT WOULD IT REDUCE CLASS SIZES THAT WOULD MAKE AN IMPACT ACROSS THE OTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS? I DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT DIRECTLY.
I THINK IN LARGE PART IT'S DIFFICULT TO FORECAST BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THESE STUDENTS WHO WOULD ENROLL IN THE CLASSICAL CHARTER SCHOOL WOULD COME FROM.
AND SO UNLESS THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT CLUSTER OF STUDENTS THAT GO FROM ONE SCHOOL INTO ENROLLMENT AT THE CHARTER SCHOOL, THEN YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE WOULD NOT BE A DIRECT IMPACT ON CLASS SIZES, RIGHT? BECAUSE WHEN YOU DISPERSE AN ENROLLMENT ACROSS ALL 17 SCHOOLS, IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO BE...
JUST SAY THIS IS NOT A REASON TO DENY THE APPLICATION.
I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A FEEL FOR SOME OF THE THINGS I'VE HEARD OUT THERE AND WHETHER IT REALLY DOES IMPACT CECIL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN GENERAL BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT ONE THING THAT WE DO NEED TO CONSIDER IS HOW DOES THE CHARTER SCHOOL IMPACT THE REST OF OUR STUDENTS.
SO I DO THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER AS WE GO FORWARD.
SO THAT'S JUST WHY I WAS ASKING THAT.
BUT WOULDN'T CCCS'S ENROLLMENT, STUDENT ENROLLMENT, ADD TO THE STUDENT ENROLLMENT FOR CCPS? YES, BUT THAT MONEY WOULD GO TO CCCS AND WOULD NOT HELP THE REST OF THE COUNTY.
BUT ISN'T THERE FUNDING ACROSS THE BOARD THAT'S BASED ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED ASIDE FROM THE BLUEPRINT ALLOCATIONS? PER PUPIL ALLOCATION, RIGHT? BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT.
SO OUR UNRESTRICTED BUDGET IS JUST STATE AND LOCAL BLUEPRINT.
AND THEN ANYTHING THAT COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND COUNTY COUNCIL GIVES ABOVE MOE OR LOCAL SHARE.
BUT IT WOULD INCREASE THE AMOUNT THAT YOU WOULD ESSENTIALLY GET FROM POSSIBLY ADAM STRAIT, FOR INSTANCE.
I MEAN, THAT $6 MILLION THAT YOU JUST RECEIVED, WE WOULDN'T GET A PENNY OF THAT.
BUT IF YOU HAD MORE STUDENTS, MORE IMPACT TO YOU, WE WOULDN'T GET ANY MORE OF THOSE FUNDS.
SO YOU'D GET ANYTHING OVER LOCAL SHARE YOU DO GET? YOUR PERCENTAGE OF IT.
SO ON THE FUNDING AMOUNT THAT WE PROVIDED FOR YOU, WHERE IT SAYS LOCAL GOVERNMENT ABOVE LOCAL SHARE, SO WE TAKE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OVER LOCAL SHARE, DIVIDE IT BY THE TOTAL ENROLLMENT, AND YOU DO GET YOUR SHARE FOR YOUR ENROLLMENT.
WE'RE REQUIRED TO GIVE THAT TO YOU.
IF WE USE FUND BALANCE, ANY MISCELLANEOUS REVENUE THAT WE RECEIVE, WE'RE REQUIRED TO GIVE YOU YOUR SHARE FOR YOUR ENROLLMENT, AND THAT'S PART OF YOUR PPA.
IF YOU WANT TO ANSWER, YOU CAN ANSWER.
IF YOU WANTED TO ANSWER, YOU COULD.
NOW, I MEAN, WE CAN PULL UP THE PPA DOCUMENT, BUT IT'S SPECIFICALLY CALLED OUT ON THERE.
THE MISCELLANEOUS REVENUE PER STUDENT IS CALLED OUT ON THERE, AND THE ABOVE LOCAL SHARE FROM COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS ALSO CALLED OUT ON THERE.
AND IT'S IN YOUR BUDGET AS WELL UNDER REVENUE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING ENROLLMENT? I GUESS THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE WERE.
WOULDN'T CCPS ALSO BE LOSING TEACHERS? SENDING THEM TO CCCS, AND THAT MEANS THAT IF OUR ENROLLMENT STAYS SIMILAR, THAT WE WOULD HAVE LESS TEACHERS TO HANDLE LARGER CLASSES.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT CCPS TEACHERS, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO...
CCPS TEACHERS ARE NOT GOING TO BE ALLOCATED TO US.
WE WOULD HIRE, IN CONJUNCTION WITH CCPS, WE WOULD BE HIRING OUR OWN STAFF.
YEAH, IF ONE DECIDED TO LEAVE, THEN WE WOULD REHIRE SOMEBODY TO FILL THAT POSITION.
RIGHT, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO ALLOCATE TEACHERS TO US.
NOT WITHOUT YOUR APPROVAL, BUT THE CONSTRAINT IS THERE'S ONLY BUDGETED FOR SO MANY PERSONNEL.
NOW, IF YOU WERE TO HIRE TEACHERS BELOW THAT STEP 6 EXAMPLE, AND CCPS HAD TEACHERS THAT ARE ABOVE A STEP 6 RESIGN OR RETIRE EARLY, THERE COULD BE MORE TEACHERS.
TO AMOUNT ALLOCATED FOR CLASSROOM TEACHERS FOR THEIR SALARIES, THAT'S FIXED.
RIGHT, SO WHEN THEY SAY THAT THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH, THE POOL OF TEACHERS IS A CONSTANT,
[02:45:03]
WHETHER THEY'RE CCCS OR THE OTHER 29 CCPS.RIGHT, BUT I THINK WHAT MR. JOHNSON WAS REFERRING TO WAS, IF I UNDERSTOOD YOUR QUESTION RIGHT, WAS THAT CCPS WOULD BE ALLOCATING TEACHERS TO US.
I GUESS I'M CLARIFYING WHERE THE FUNDING OVERALL IS COMING FROM FOR THESE.
I'M ASSUMING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OVERALL THE SAME NUMBER OF TEACHERS.
YOU'RE SAYING? WE WOULD IF WE HAD THE SAME AMOUNT OF STUDENTS, YEP.
WE COULD BE, WE WOULD HAVE TO REALLOCATE WHERE THAT'S GOING TO, WHICH COULD, LIKE, CREATE PROBLEMS FOR US.
IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, I'M JUST CLARIFYING.
SO IF 200 STUDENTS LEFT CCPS, WENT OVER TO THE CCCS, THEN THE TEACHERS THAT WERE NEEDED WOULD FOLLOW, TECHNICALLY.
NOT THOSE TEACHERS, BUT THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS WOULD FOLLOW.
THE POSITIONS, THAT'S BETTER TO SAY, POSITIONS AND TEACHERS.
SO THEREFORE, IF THAT HAPPENED UNPROPORTIONATELY, LIKE IF IT HAPPENED PERFECTLY.
AND 25 FIRST GRADERS, 20 FIRST GRADERS LEFT, AND THAT ONE FIRST GRADE TEACHER MOVES, THEN EVERYTHING'S WONDERFUL.
BUT THERE COULD BE SITUATIONS WHERE IT'S IN PROPORTIONATE AND A CLASSROOM SIZE GETS BIGGER OR A CLASSROOM SIZE GETS SMALLER DEPENDING ON HOW IT HAPPENS.
THERE'S NO WAY WE KNOW THAT ANSWER.
SO AT CAPACITY, YOU'VE ALLOCATED 12 CLASSROOM TEACHERS FOR YOUR FIRST YEAR.
THAT MEANS AMONGST THE OTHER 17 CCPS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, 12 WOULD BE.
ELIMINATED BECAUSE THEY'D NOW BE PART OF THE, NOT NECESSARILY THOSE PEOPLE, BUT THE POSITIONS WOULD NOW BE CCCS.
SO THAT'S HOW THE NUMBER OF THE PERSONNEL REMAINS THE SAME.
I THINK THAT WHERE THAT, I THINK I'LL TAKE A STAB AT THIS TOO, WHERE THAT WOULD BECOME A REAL PROBLEM IS THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE REALLY SMALL THAT ARE ALREADY LIKE REALLY DEALING WITH THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ONLY HAVE SO MANY TEACHERS AT A SCHOOL OF 235 KIDS.
SO THAT STARTS TO GET REALLY WEIRD WHEN YOU LOSE 10 STUDENTS AND YOU STILL HAVE 15.
YOU'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE THAT TEACHER THERE.
AND THAT GETS INTO, DOES THIS HASTEN THE NEED TO REDISTRICT? BECAUSE, AGAIN, LIKE DR.
JOHNSON MENTIONED, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE CURRENT CCPS STUDENTS WOULD COME FROM THAT WOULD LIKE TO GO TO CCCS.
WELL, HE ALSO HE ALSO SAID THAT NOT KNOWING WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO COME FROM WOULDN'T, HE CAN'T SEE HOW THAT WOULD DIRECTLY REDUCE CLASS SIZES ANYWHERE.
RIGHT? SO, IT COULD, SURE, BUT GOING ON THAT SAME PRESUMPTION, WE'RE NOT GOING TO NECESSARILY BE WIPING OUT ALL THE SECOND GRADE TEACHERS AT NORTHEAST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
IF YOU'RE AT CAPACITY, YOU WOULD GET...
CCPS WOULD HAVE 12 CLASSROOM TEACHERS.
CCPS WOULD HAVE WHATEVER THEIR ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM TEACHERS ACROSS THE 17 BUILDINGS ARE MINUS 12.
AND IN SOME SCENARIOS IT WOULD BE GOOD, SOME SCENARIOS IT WOULDN'T.
LIKE IT COULD DECREASE THE CLASSROOM SIZE.
CAN I JUST, THE ONE THING I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER HAD, THAT WE DON'T HAVE A REAL ANSWER TO YET, THAT I THINK ALL OF THIS, LIKE, IS WHAT IS CLASSICAL.
I STILL DON'T, I'M STILL VERY, VERY CONFUSED ON WHAT THAT MEANS.
WELL, I THINK WE'RE ON CURRICULUM, SO YEAH, PERFECT TIMING.
AND LIKE, TO ME IT FEELS LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID THAT'S NOT BEING SAID, LIKE, WHAT DOES CLASSICAL ACTUALLY MEAN? AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DANCE ABOUT WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS, TRYING TO STAY WITHIN LEGAL BOUNDARIES OF WHAT YOU CAN CALL CLASSICAL.
SO I'M CONCERNED WITH WHAT IS CLASSICAL AND HOW IS THAT A DIFFERENT THING? AND I DO BELIEVE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THERE TO BE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE DO.
I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, HOW YOU DEFINE IT, AND IS IT STILL WITHIN COMAR RULES TO DO THAT? IT IS.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CURRICULUM FOR A SECOND BECAUSE THE HILLSDALE COLLEGE WAS BROUGHT UP AND IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE PROSPECTUS, BUT AT THE TIME...
BECAUSE I'VE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH HILLSDALE, AT THE TIME I WAS NOT AWARE THAT WE COULD NOT LINK OURSELVES TO HILLSDALE UNTIL WE HAD BEEN APPROVED.
AND THEN ONCE WE ARE APPROVED THROUGH CCPS, THEN WE HAVE TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION TO GET APPROVED BY HILLSDALE.
AND THEN ONCE THAT'S APPROVED, THEN WE CAN AFFILIATE WITH HILLSDALE.
[02:50:01]
CLASSICAL EDUCATION IS BASED ON, LET ME BACK UP FOR JUST A SECOND TO MAKE THAT CLEAR, THAT'S WHY IN THE APPLICATION THE CURRICULUM IS DIFFERENT.SO IN YOUR IDEAL WORLD, WHAT'S IN THE APPLICATION IS NOT THE CURRICULUM YOU WILL BE USING? IT'S NOT WHAT WE HOPE TO USE.
I CAN ALSO SHARE THAT IT IS NOT AN APPROVED CURRICULUM BY THE STATE OF MARYLAND, BUT NO ONE HAS SUBMITTED IT.
TO THE STATE OF MARYLAND FOR APPROVAL.
SO WE WILL BE GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG IT TAKES MARYLAND? I DON'T.
HOW LONG IT TAKES MARYLAND? SO IT COULD BE THE FIRST YEAR YOU HAVE TO USE SOMETHING ELSE.
AND THEN IF WE HAD TO USE SOMETHING ELSE IN THE BEGINNING WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT APPROVAL, THEN WE WOULD STICK WITH THE CURRICULUM THAT'S IN THE APPLICATION.
AND THEN EVENTUALLY CHANGE IT.
AND THERE IS NO COST FOR HILLSDALE CURRICULUM.
SO IT WOULDN'T BE AN ADDITIONAL EXPENSE.
TO SWITCH FROM THE APPLICATION CURRICULUM TO HILLSDALE ONCE ALL THE APPROVALS GO THROUGH.
SO THE HILLSDALE MATERIALS DON'T COST ANYTHING? NO.
THERE IS NO FEE, AND THEY PROVIDE TRAINING TO THE STAFF, THE EDUCATIONAL STAFF, FOR THEIR CURRICULUM.
SO BASICALLY CLASSICAL CURRICULUM IS BASED ON THE LATIN FOUNDATION.
AND IT GOES TO THE OLD HISTORICAL POINTS FROM WEST TO EAST OR EAST TO WEST AS FAR AS THE GREAT WORKS FOR LITERATURE.
IT FOCUSES ON PATRIOTISM AND CIVICS AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
MATH IS, IT'S MORE FUNDAMENTAL, I THINK, THAN THE BASIC CURRICULUM IN PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS. WHAT WE'VE GOT IN THE CURRICULUM IS SINGAPORE MATH, AND IT'S JUST, IT'S, CLASSICAL EDUCATION IS ALSO ABOUT DIFFERENT MODELS OF TEACHING AS WELL AS THE CONTENT ITSELF.
SO THAT'S WHY WHEN I TALKED ABOUT IDENTIFYING WHAT STUDENTS NEED, IT'S A WAY OF DETERMINING WHAT WORKS FOR THEM BEST AND THEN WE CAN MODEL THE CLASSICAL CURRICULUM TO FIT THEIR NEEDS.
SO, I MEAN, PRETTY MUCH THAT'S, YEAH, AND TYING IT ALL TOGETHER.
SO THEY MENTIONED THE TRIVIUM BEFORE.
SO THERE'S THREE STAGES TO THE TRIVIUM.
THE THIRD STAGE IS HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH WE WOULDN'T REALLY GET INTO.
BUT THE FIRST STAGE IS THE GRAMMAR STAGE, AND THAT'S WHERE STUDENTS LEARN THE FACTS.
SO THEY LEARN THE ALPHABET, THEY LEARN THE SOUNDS, THEY LEARN ALL THE BASIC INFORMATION OR NUMBERS.
IT'S LEARNING THE FACTS AND MEMORIZING THE MULTIPLICATION TABLE, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN WHEN THEY GET TO THE NEXT PHASE, WHICH IS THE LOGIC STAGE, ALL OF THAT GETS PULLED TOGETHER.
SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE SENSE OUT OF ALL THAT DATA THAT WE'VE PUMPED INTO THEIR HEADS.
IT'S ABOUT BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPTS THAT THEY HAVE LEARNED AND BEING ABLE TO DO SOCRATIC DEBATING WITH THE TOPICS AND BEING ABLE TO EXPLAIN IT.
AND IT'S JUST A LOT MORE FOCUSED.
ON THE CRITICAL THINKING ASPECT AND THE MEMORIZATION AND HAVING KIDS UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE PROCESS BEHIND THOSE PIECES.
AM I MISSING ANYTHING? NO, AND IT'S EXTREMELY UNDERLINED, ESPECIALLY WITH THE PROCESS, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, WITH REMOVING SO MUCH RELIANCE ON TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM.
WE ARE NOT PROPOSING HAVING STUDENTS WHO ARE ILLITERATE WHEN IT COMES TO TECHNOLOGY.
RESEARCH-BASED EVIDENCE THAT A COMPUTER LAB IS SUFFICIENT TO INSTRUCT OUR MODERN AGE CHILDREN TO USE TECHNOLOGY JUST FINE.
BUT MAKING SURE THAT A STUDENT CAN ACTUALLY DO THE CALCULATIONS WITHOUT THE NEED OF A CALCULATOR WILL TAKE THEM THAT MUCH FURTHER IN LIFE AND GIVE THEM A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE MATH THAN JUST PUNCHING IT IN.
WHEN YOU MAKE THOSE NEURAL CONNECTIONS, THAT'S WHERE THE CLASSICAL REALLY REAFFIRMS AND MOVING AWAY FROM THE TECHNOLOGY.
IN THE CLASSROOM, LIKE INGRAINED IN THE CLASSROOM, EVERYBODY HAVING THEIR OWN LAPTOP IS GOING TO BE A HUGE INSTIGATOR TO CRITICAL THINKING FOR THE CHILDREN AND MOVING ON, CONTINUING THE CLASSICAL EDUCATION INTO MIDDLE.
[02:55:02]
CLASSICAL, THIS IS YOUR OWN, YOU GUYS ARE YOUR OWN THING.I KNOW THAT YOU'RE STANDALONE, BUT THERE ARE OTHER CLASSICALS.
IS THERE SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE THAT'S KIND OF DRAWN THESE LINES THAT SHOW THIS IS WHAT YOUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE DOING AND THIS IS HOW WE WOULD DO IT DIFFERENTLY, CLASSICAL? LIKE, BECAUSE A LOT OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING SOUNDS LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING.
JUST DIFFERENT WAY OF SAYING IT.
LIKE, THERE'S SOME THAT'S NOT.
I KNOW THERE'S SOME THAT'S GOING TO BE DIFFERENT.
BUT, LIKE, I HAD A HARD TIME WHEN MY DAUGHTER STARTED DOING MATH BECAUSE I LEARNED MULTIPLICATION BY MEMORY, AND SHE WAS DOING.
I FORGET WHAT WE WERE DOING BACK THEN, BUT ANYWAY, I HAD A HARD TIME RELATING TO HER BECAUSE THEY WERE TEACHING IT DIFFERENTLY.
AND THEN IT ENDED UP, WHEN I FIGURED OUT WHAT SHE WAS DOING, IT ENDED UP BEING THE WAY I WAS DOING IT IN MY HEAD ANYWAY.
AND SO IT DID MAKE SENSE TO ME LATER, BUT AT THE BEGINNING IT WAS CHALLENGING.
BUT LIKE, IS THERE SOMEWHERE WHERE IT DRAWS LINES? BECAUSE I'M STILL HEARING CLASSICAL VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE DOING.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY IT'S DIFFERENT AND BETTER.
I MEAN, A 20 TO 1 RATIO IS THE ONE THING I CAN SAY IS THE BEST THING THAT YOU GUYS TALK ABOUT, AND WE ALL WANT THAT, AND I WISH WE COULD DO IT ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND THEN VOLUNTEERS IS ALSO AMAZING, BUT I JUST, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CLASSICAL MEANS.
LIKE, AND IT'S NOT, I'M NOT HEARING IT.
NO, I THINK YOU'RE GETTING IT.
I THINK IT'S WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR HEAD OF THE WAY YOU ARE THINKING OF MATH VERSUS LOOKING AT WHAT YOUR CHILD'S COMING HOME AND GOING, WAIT, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
YOU'RE SAYING BACK TO LIKE THE 90S.
BECAUSE BEING ON THE LAPTOP ALL THE TIME.
TIME AND DOING YOUR WORK ON THE LAPTOP.
THEY NEED TO LEARN HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY.
BUT FOR ME, PERSONALLY, WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, THE WAY I REMEMBERED THINGS WAS WRITING, KEEPING NOTES.
MY GRANDSON COMES HOME AND DOESN'T HAVE NOTES ON ANYTHING, AND HE DOESN'T REMEMBER.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S DOING.
SO, I MEAN, IT ALL GOES BACK TO TO TRYING TO REINFORCE AND MAKE THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE BRAIN WITH THE HAND TO PAPER.
THERE'S SO MANY KIDS OUT THERE WHO HAVE HAD, AND I WILL CONFESS, MY GRANDSON IS ONE OF THEM.
I'VE SEEN IT FROM THE DAY HE WAS BORN.
THE PARENTS THROW THEIR IPHONE AT HIM, OR THEY THROW...
A LITTLE TABLET IN FRONT OF THEM.
THAT'S NOT REINFORCING THE EDUCATION THAT THEY NEED.
AND I THINK THAT'S PRETTY EVIDENT.
I MEAN, ACROSS MARYLAND THEY'RE HORRIBLE.
AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY THEY'RE HORRIBLE.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF ARTICLES THAT I'VE READ LATELY WHERE IT SAYS THAT CHILDREN WHO CONSTANTLY ARE ON THESE ELECTRONIC DEVICES ARE NOT RETAINING ANYTHING THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE LEARNING IN SCHOOL.
I WILL SECOND THAT, THAT I HAVE READ ARTICLES THAT REFERENCE STUDIES THAT SAY THAT TAKING NOTES, PEN TO PAPER, NEUROLOGICALLY IS BETTER FOR RETENTION THAN EVEN IF I WERE TYPING THE SAME.
THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING TO ME.
BUT ON THAT, LET'S SAY YOU HAVE A STUDENT...
THAT STRUGGLING AND THE PARENTS JUST DON'T SEEM TO BE INVOLVED AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT.
WHAT WHAT DO YOU DO? STRUGGLING AS FAR AS AN IEP AND I'M SORRY STRUGGLING WITH THE MATERIAL STRUGGLE MAYBE IT'S WITH THEIR IEP, BUT THE STUDENTS JUST I MEAN THE PARENTS OF THAT STUDENT JUST DON'T SEEM TO BE ENGAGED THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE NEED THE VOLUNTEERS AND AND THE MENTORS TO BE PART OF THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF KIDS OUT THERE WHO DON'T HAVE SUPPORT AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT HAVING SOMEONE THERE TO HELP AND TO EVEN TO LISTEN TO THEM IF THEY'RE HAVING A BAD DAY OR TO HELP THEM TRY TO LEARN THE CONCEPT IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
THAN WHAT THE TEACHER IS PRESENTING.
NOT EVERYBODY LEARNS THE SAME.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE OUR FOCUS IS.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CURRICULUM THAT WE ARE PRESENTING, ALL STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO GRASP, UNDERSTAND, AND BE ABLE TO FUNCTION AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL THEY CAN.
AND IF THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH DIFFERENT MODELS OF TEACHING WITHIN THE INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF.
AND I'LL SHARE WITH YOU THAT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF TEACHERS ON OUR COMMITTEE
[03:00:01]
FROM ACROSS THE TRI-STATE AREA.AND MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN SPECIAL ED TEACHERS WHO ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT KIDS DON'T LEARN THE SAME.
AND SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO VEER OFF.
THE PATH THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO THE INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF, EVEN BY MAYBE A READING OR MATH SPECIALIST, TO FIND WHAT MAKES THAT CHILD WORK.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE DIFFERENT MODELS COME IN, REGARDLESS OF WHAT KIND IT IS, WHETHER IT'S GAMES, WHETHER IT'S HANDS-ON, SOME KIND OF HAND-ON CONTENT THAT THEY NEED, SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO MAKE THEM MAKE THEIR BRAIN CLICK TO BE ABLE TO ABSORB.
THEY MAY NEVER BE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL THAT OTHER STUDENTS ARE, BUT IF THEY CAN AT LEAST GET BEYOND AND BE FUNCTIONAL.
BE A FUNCTIONAL CHILD, A FUNCTIONAL ADULT, TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY'RE AUTISTIC, IF THEY HAVE A READING DISABILITY, IF THEY HAVE A PHYSICAL DISABILITY, WHATEVER IT IS, THEY DESERVE THAT.
AND IF I CAN JUST BRING THE FOUNDING FAMILIES BACK INTO THIS.
THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING WITH PEOPLE AT OUR INFORMATION SESSIONS.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU PARENTS, AND WE EXPECT YOU PARENTS TO WANT TO HEAR FROM THE TEACHERS THAT THIS IS WHAT WE OBSERVED TODAY, AND HERE'S HOW WE'RE DOING IT.
AND, HEY, YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO THIS LAST PARENT-TEACHER THING OR THE HOUSE DINNER THAT WE HAD.
AND SO COMMUNICATION WITH THE PARENTS, THE FOUNDING FAMILIES.
AND I THINK THAT THAT HELPS TO NARROW DOWN WHAT THAT CHILD'S PROBLEM IS, RIGHT? WHY HE'S STRUGGLING.
OH, IT'S THE PARENT INVOLVEMENT.
THEN WE HAVE A LITTLE CONVERSATION WITH THE PARENT.
BUT HAVING THEM ON BOARD FROM DAY ONE WITH THESE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE HUGE.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING, I THINK I'LL ASK DR.
HE PROBABLY HAS THIS OFF THE TOP OF HIS HEAD BECAUSE I NEED HELP WITH THIS ONE.
WHERE WE HAVE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT, WE ALWAYS HAVE HAD BETTER RESULTS.
AND TYPICALLY THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE HIGHER PERFORMING, BUT ALSO FINANCIALLY MORE STEADY, AFFLUENT.
YOU WILL FIND THAT PARENT INVOLVEMENT COINCIDES WITH EDUCATION OF THE FAMILY AND PARENT INCOME.
SO WHAT I'M I SAY THAT TO SAY THIS.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ALL IS WONDERFUL AND I LOVE IT AND I AND I AND I LIKE THAT ALL OF IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE IT'S THE CONNECTING THE DOTS AND YOU PRESENTING SOMETHING IN YOUR APPLICATION THAT SHOWS THAT YOU CAN GET THERE WITHOUT A LOT OF HOPES AND DREAMS AND WANTING VOLUNTEERS TO DO WHAT YOU THINK THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT'S HARD TO I MEAN MY LAST THREE YEARS HERE IT'S BEEN LIKE A STRUGGLE OF LIKE HOW DO WE WE ALL WANT THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING WE ALL WANT HIGHER STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT WE WANT 20 TO 1 RATIOS.
THE ONLY PLACE I'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN IN MY WORLD TO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE THESE, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT CHURCH AND STATE HERE FOR A SECOND, BUT WHATEVER, CHURCH CO-OPS WITH HOMESCHOOL KIDS.
I WENT INTO PENNSYLVANIA AND LOOKED AT IT FOR MY KIDS WHEN THEY WERE YOUNGER, AND THERE WAS CHURCHES THAT HAD A CO-OP WHERE THE PARENTS HAD TO DONATE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME PER WEEK, AND IT WAS PART OF IT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT PUBLICLY FUNDED.
THEY HAD TO SIGN A CONTRACT, AND IF THEY DIDN'T, THEIR KIDS COULDN'T GO, RIGHT? WE CAN'T DO THAT.
WE CAN'T MAKE PEOPLE VOLUNTEER.
SO SHORT OF A CONTRACT THAT WE CAN ENFORCE, IT'S HOPES AND DREAMS THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO VOLUNTEER.
THE ONLY PLACE I DON'T SEE THAT IS OUTSIDE OF OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS TO DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GET TO 20 TO 1 WHEN WE CAN'T WITH THE SAME AMOUNT, WITH THE SAME MONEY.
I'M TRYING TO REALLY WANT TO CONNECT THE DOT AS TO HOW YOU WOULD DO THAT.
AND I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT YOU COULD DO IT, AND I JUST DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T SEE ANY PROOF THAT WE CAN GET THERE WITHOUT, I HOPE, THE VOLUNTEERS SHOW UP, AND I THINK THE PARENTS THAT ARE GOING TO SIGN UP IN OUR FOUNDING, I BELIEVE THE FOUNDING FAMILIES WANT TO DO IT.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS WHERE I STRUGGLED TOO WITH OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM SOMETIMES AND WITH MY KIDS EVEN WAS MY KIDS NOT SMART ENOUGH, LIKE, AND I'M NOT, GOD HELP ME, KAYLA AND MALIA, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT YOU, BUT I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY THIS.
MY KIDS AREN'T SMART ENOUGH TO BE IN THE HONOR CLASS, BUT THEY WANT TO LEARN.
AND THEN THEY END UP IN ANOTHER CLASS WITH A LOT OF KIDS THAT DON'T WANT TO LEARN.
[03:05:01]
AND THEN IT'S A STRUGGLE BECAUSE IF YOU'RE IN THE HONOR CLASS, THERE'S A LOT OF KIDS IN THAT CLASS THAT ALSO WANT TO LEARN, AND THEREFORE IT'S EASIER TO KEEP FOCUS.AND THEN YOU GET MOVED DOWN TO A NON-HONOR CLASS, AND THERE'S THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE OR SIX KIDS IN THERE THAT JUST DON'T WANT TO EVEN BE THERE, AND IT DISRUPTS THE WHOLE CLASSROOM.
IN THIS SITUATION, YES, WE'RE TALKING TO THE PARENTS AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIX THAT SITUATION.
IT'S VERY CHALLENGING, AND WE HAVE THOSE CLASSROOMS WHERE THERE'S SIX OF THEM IN THERE, AND MAYBE YOU DON'T THINK THAT THOSE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SIGN UP FOR THE CLASSICAL SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY DON'T REALLY WANT TO BE EDUCATED.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
IT'S AN ASSUMPTION, RIGHT, THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SIGN UP FOR THE CESA CLASSICAL CHARTER BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN BEING IN SCHOOL.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, BUT, LIKE, THOSE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT KEEP US UP AT NIGHT AND THAT CAUSE THAT I HAVE OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS BEEN, LIKE, HOW DO WE SOLVE THAT PROBLEM WITHOUT JUST SAYING WE NEED TO DO IT? $100 MILLION MORE TO BUY, TO HIRE TWICE THE TEACHERS WE HAVE.
WE REALLY NEED TWICE THE TEACHERS WE HAVE.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET TO 20 TO 1.
YOU CAN'T GET TO 20 TO 1 WITHOUT HIRING 50% MORE TEACHERS.
AND SO I DON'T, I'M STILL TRYING TO, I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY THIS, A LOT OF RAMBLING.
HOW IN THE WORLD DO WE GET TO 20 TO 1 WITH THE SAME MONEY, WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS, WITH THE SAME, YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE STUDENTS THAT ARE GOING TO DISRUPT THE CLASSROOM? LIKE, HOW DO WE GET THERE? AND WHAT IS THE CONCRETE? LIKE EVIDENCE THAT SHOWS THAT WE CAN GET THERE WITHOUT NEEDING 50% MORE FUNDING.
HAVE YOU TOURED ANY SCHOOLS? I HAVE.
AND? THEY WERE MOSTLY LIKE PRIVATE SCHOOLS, THE ONES I WENT TO.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, PARENTS ARE CHERRY PICKING US.
THEY WANT TO COME TO US, RIGHT? SO IT'S VERY DIFFERENT IN MARYLAND THAN IN DELAWARE OR EVEN PENNSYLVANIA.
SO DO YOU THINK YOUR DEMOGRAPHICS WILL BE SIMILAR TO CECIL COUNTY'S DEMOGRAPHICS, OR YOU DON'T THINK THAT? OF COURSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE SIMILAR.
IT'S GOING TO BE CECIL COUNTY DEMOGRAPHIC.
WELL, I MEAN, YOU'RE JUST, I THINK WHAT YOU WERE JUST TELLING ME THOUGH, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE.
WHAT SHE'S SAYING IS WE'VE GOT PARENTS THAT ARE COMING TO US THAT WANT TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN.
RIGHT, BUT YOU'RE SAYING THAT HAVE YOU BEEN TO A CLASSICAL SCHOOL BECAUSE THIS IS THE REASON THEY ONLY HAVE A PUBLIC ONE, BUT IT'S BECAUSE THEY HAVE A CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHIC THAT'S GOING TO THAT SCHOOL.
NO, WHAT I WAS ASKING IS HAVE YOU TOURED OR BEEN TO A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL TO SEE HOW IT OPERATES? TO SEE THEIR STAFFING LEVELS AND TO SEE WHAT GOES ON IN THAT BUILDING.
NO, DELAWARE AND PENNSYLVANIA.
YEAH, BECAUSE THE STATES ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
WE'VE KIND OF TOUCHED ON IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET TO THE BUDGET AND STAFFING, WHICH IS KIND OF OUR LAST SECTION.
BUT THERE WERE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP THAT I JUST WANTED TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY ASK YOU GUYS.
LIKE WHEN MS. SOPA WAS DOING THE BUDGET, SHE WASN'T SURE, LIKE, WHETHER, LIKE, HOW MANY ACTUAL SPECIAL ED TEACHERS WERE GOING TO BE THERE, WHETHER IT WAS A SOCIAL WORKER.
IS THAT THE SAME AS A COUNSELOR? OR IS THAT TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE? AND THEN ARE YOU PLANNING ON HAVING LUNCH STAFFING? WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING ON DOING? THOSE WERE JUST SOME OF THE STAFFING THINGS THAT WE HAD COME UP.
SO THE, I SEEM TO BE CONTROLLING THIS AND I'M SORRY.
SO AS FAR AS THE LUNCH GOES, IT WOULD NOT, IT WILL BE, IT WILL BE MONITORED BY THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, THE SECRETARY, THE BOOKKEEPERS, THE STAFF IN THE, IN THE, BESIDES THE TEACHERS.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CAN BE IN THERE.
THE PRINCIPAL CAN BE IN THERE.
THEY WOULD WORK OUT A SCHEDULE AMONGST THEM AS TO WHO'S GOING TO BE HANDLING THE LUNCH BREAK.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THAT? OKAY.
SO WE WOULD HAVE A GUIDANCE COUNSELOR.
THE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, WHICH I'M ASSUMING IS WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO AS THE SOCIAL WORKER? YES.
IS THAT A BUYBACK? THAT'S GOING TO BE A CONTRACTED SERVICE.
IN THE PAST, CCPS HAS USED ADVANCED PSYCHIATRIC, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT CONTRACT IS STILL IN PLACE.
FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, I KNOW THAT MY GRANDSON WAS
[03:10:01]
USING, BEING SEEN BY ONE OF THEIR THERAPISTS, AND THAT, I HAVE BEEN TOLD, HAS ENDED, AND HE DOESN'T HAVE ANYONE ASSIGNED TO HIM RIGHT NOW.SO IS THAT IN YOUR BUDGET, OR IT'S NOT IN YOUR BUDGET? THAT'S JUST...
IT'S UNDER CONTRACTED SERVICES.
I DON'T KNOW THE AMOUNT, SO IT'S A GUESS.
SO IT'S UNDER CONTRACTED SERVICES.
THE PT, WHAT ELSE DID YOU ASK ABOUT? I'M SORRY.
HOW MANY SPECIAL ED TEACHERS YOU'RE ACTUALLY? SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A READING SPECIALIST AND A MATH SPECIALIST.
AND AFTER DISCUSSION, WE ARE GOING TO INCLUDE A SPECIAL ED TEACHER OR COORDINATOR, I GUESS, IS THE BEST THING, WHO WOULD ALSO SERVE AS A SPECIAL ED TEACHER.
CAN I ASK ABOUT SOME OTHER ONES? THE PIA COORDINATOR WHO IS ON PAGE 41, IS THAT SOMEBODY ELSE'S JOB TO DO OR IS THAT A STAFF PERSON? OH, THAT'S...
WOULD ALSO BE ON THE COUNSELOR.
THAT'S WHAT WE WERE GOING TO TRY TO DO INITIALLY.
THE EL EDUCATOR WAS REFERENCED A LOT, LIKE A CERTIFIED EL EDUCATOR AND A CERTIFIED EL COORDINATOR.
AND I DIDN'T SEE THAT IN THERE.
THE EL PERSON WOULD BE THE SAME BECAUSE I'M THINKING MOST OF THE STUDENTS WOULD BE SPANISH SPEAKING.
SO IT WOULD BE THE SPANISH TEACHER.
AND THEN THE, WELL, THE PPW THAT MS. SOPA MENTIONED, THERE'S A PART-TIME INSTRUCTIONAL COACH REFERENCED ON 121 THAT'S NOT IN THE STAFFING PLAN AND A FACILITATING MAINTENANCE EMPLOYEE ON 123. AS PAPERS ARE BEING FLIPPED HERE, I'M JUST GOING TO MAKE A...
OKAY, YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF POSITIONS THAT I WROTE DOWN THAT I WAS LIKE, OH, LET ME LOOK IN THE STAFFING PLAN, AND THEY WEREN'T THERE.
THIS MIGHT BE AN OVERSIMPLIFICATION, BUT HAVING PREVIOUSLY WORKED IN EDUCATION, I'LL USE THE FAVORITE PHRASE OF OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED.
THERE'S OFTEN LOTS OF OVERLAP WITHIN ONE POSITION, AND WITHOUT CAUSING ANY BURNOUT, ENSURING THAT SOMEONE WITH THE CORRECT...
SKILL SET ENTERS INTO THE REQUIRED NEEDS OF THE OVERALL STAFF.
SO YOU ALSO HAVE, LIKE, AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL THAT IS AFTER YEAR ONE, AND THAT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT IN THE BUDGET FOR YEAR ONE, BUT IT'S ALSO NOT IN YOUR STAFFING PLAN.
THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL WILL COME IN WHEN WE START OUT IN EIGHTH GRADE.
BUT IT'S NOT MARKED IN THE STAFFING.
I WAS JUST CONFUSED WITH THAT ONE BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE YOU WILL NEED THAT.
AS WE START ADDING THE GRADES.
SO, AGAIN, THIS STAFFING CHART COULD CHANGE BASED ON OUR ENROLLMENT.
SAMPLE OF WHAT WE THOUGHT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
MAYBE NOT, BUT I THINK THESE ARE THE MAIN POSITIONS THAT ARE NEEDED AT THIS POINT AND THEN ONCE THE SCHOOL IS OPEN WE CAN DETERMINE WHAT ADDITIONAL STAFFING WE NEED OR WE DON'T NEED AGAIN, IT'S AN ASSUMPTION BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR ENROLLMENT IS GOING TO BE.
AND I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION THAT'S NOT BUDGET OR STAFFING, BUT FACILITY.
WHAT IF NORTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL DOES NOT BECOME AVAILABLE? WHAT IF IT ENDS UP NOT BEING AN OPTION? DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER PLAN? DO YOU HAVE OTHER BUILDINGS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT? WE'VE LOOKED AT OTHER BUILDINGS.
I MEAN, WE'RE NOT CRAZY ABOUT THEM, BUT LET ME JUST SHARE THIS TOO.
[03:15:01]
WITH THE TOWN OF NORTHEAST.WE'VE MET WITH THEM SEVERAL TIMES.
THEY HAVE NOT MADE COMMITMENTS, LET'S JUST PUT IT THAT WAY.
HOWEVER, WE ARE VERY CONFIDENT THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH US IF THE BUILDING GOES TO THEM.
I ALSO JUST WANT TO THROW IN THERE THAT YES, WE REALIZE THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE TO THAT BUILDING.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S ISSUES WITH THE BOILER AND THE HVAC SYSTEM, WHICH WE'VE ACCOUNTED FOR IN OUR BUDGET UNDER CONTRACTED SERVICES BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED SOMEBODY THAT HAS THE LICENSE OR CERTIFICATION TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE.
WHEN WE DID OUR TOUR THERE, THEY HAD PEOPLE COMING IN TO MAINTAIN THAT HVAC SYSTEM AND BOILER ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND WE INTENDED TO DO THE SAME THING.
OUR GOAL IS NOT TO BE THERE PERMANENTLY, BUT TO AT LEAST GET THE SCHOOL OPEN AND FUNCTIONING, AND THEN OVER THE COURSE OF A FEW YEARS BE ABLE TO FIND A LOCATION WHERE WE CAN HAVE OUR OWN BUILDING.
SO IT'S A TEMPORARY LOCATION, AND WE UNDERSTAND.
WE HAVE THE REPORTS ABOUT THE SCHOOL INSPECTIONS.
LAWSON WAS SAYING THAT IF WE GIFTED IT RIGHT OVER AND THE MAINTENANCE WOULD BE ON US, YOU WERE KIND OF LIKE, NO, NO.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SEE WHAT YOU WERE THINKING AT THAT POINT.
OKAY, SO WHAT WE HAD DISCUSSED WITH THE NORTHEAST TOWNSHIP ADMINISTRATION AND THE MAYOR WAS THAT.
IF WE WERE ABLE TO USE THE BUILDING, WE WOULD ASSUME THE MAINTENANCE.
THEY WOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY MAINTENANCE AT ALL.
AND AGAIN, THAT IS A NEGOTIATING POINT.
WE'RE ALREADY PREPARED TO ASSUME MAINTENANCE OF THE BUILDING.
SO IF IT WAS TURNED OVER TO US, THEN WE'RE PREPARED TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT THAT SAYS CCPS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS BUILDING.
WE ASSUME THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHATEVER REPAIRS MAY BE NEEDED.
AGAIN, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S A PIECE OF THIS WHOLE PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN MISSING THAT I KNOW OTHER CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT HAVE OPENED IN MARYLAND HAVE BEEN PRIVY TO AND THAT IS A CONVERSATION BEFORE THE APPLICATION IS EVEN SUBMITTED ABOUT THINGS THAT WILL NEED TO BE NEGOTIATED, THINGS THAT ARE NOT NEGOTIABLE AND WE JUST HAVEN'T HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY.
I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF THOSE ITEMS THAT I CAN HEAR OF RIGHT NOW WOULD KEEP US FROM SAYING YES OR NO.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I THINK THAT, LIKE, THE FACILITY OBVIOUSLY IS NOT GOING TO MAKE US SAY, YOU KNOW, YES OR NO.
YOU KNOW, SO CERTAIN THINGS LIKE THAT.
I THINK THAT THE MAIN THING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO.
BUT THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP DURING THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE APPLICATION NOT BEING DETAILED ENOUGH OR NOT PROVIDING ENOUGH INFORMATION.
BUT IT'S BASED ON THINGS THAT, AGAIN, WOULD BE ASSUMPTIONS, AND WITHOUT HAVING THE INFORMATION THAT WE WOULD NEED UP FRONT, THAT'S ALL WE CAN DO IS MAKE ASSUMPTIONS.
AND THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT JUST WEREN'T ASKED.
I KNOW IN ONE OF THE FINDINGS, IT WAS THAT WE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT STUDENT ACCOUNTS.
THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS EVEN IN THEIR...
DOCUMENTATION ON HERE ARE THE THINGS YOU NEED TO TALK ABOUT.
STUDENT ACCOUNTS WAS NOT IN THERE AT ALL.
I MEAN THERE WAS A REFERENCE TO EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES BUT NOT ALL OF THOSE REQUIRE STUDENT ACCOUNTS.
SO IT THERE WERE THINGS THAT WERE SUBMITTED IN THE PROSPECTUS THAT WOULD HAVE VERY NICE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT TO TALK ABOUT TO TO ADDRESS IN THE APPLICATION ITSELF HAD WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY.
IF I CAN GO BACK TO THE BUILDING.
AND I HAVE SEARCHED HIGH AND LOW ON THE MARKET LOOKING AT DIFFERENT BUILDINGS.
WE COULD CERTAINLY ACQUIRE A DIFFERENT BUILDING.
THAT'S NOT THE CASE THAT WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO GO TO.
FOR ONE, IT'S GOING TO BE FAR MORE COSTLY TO BUILD AN ENTIRE BUILDING.
SO THAT OPTION IS NOT OFF THE TABLE.
THAT'S JUST NOT OUR BEST OPTION.
SO I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT WE DIDN'T LOOK AT THESE DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
AS FAR AS I MEAN, I'VE EVEN TALKED TO CONTRACTORS ABOUT BUILDING NEW BUILDINGS.
I PERSONALLY, EVEN IN MY OWN HOUSE, I DON'T CHOOSE TO BUILD NEW.
I CHOOSE TO REPAIR, AND IT'S JUST BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
[03:20:02]
IT'S MORE ECONOMICALLY RESPONSIBLE.SO WE HAVE LOOKED AT THOSE OPTIONS.
THEY'RE CERTAINLY NOT COMPLETELY OFF THE TABLE.
IT WOULD BE A LOT EASIER TO NEGOTIATE DIRECTLY WITH CCPS AND JUST GET THE BUILDING TO HAND OVER, BUT WE HAVE ALREADY HAD MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE NORTHEAST TOWN KELLY.
I WON'T NAME THEIR NAMES, BUT WE'VE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.
WE ALSO, TO GO BACK, BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE I MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, MY APOLOGIES, BUT WITH THE TRANSPORTATION, I HAVE A CLIENT WHO IS IN NEED OF DAYCARE SPACE.
WE COULD POTENTIALLY RENT HER SOME SPACE, AND SHE WOULD HEAD UP AIR BEFORE AND AFTER CARE.
SHE'S CPR CERTIFIED, SO SHE CAN CERTAINLY.
THERE'S MULTIPLE THINGS THAT SHE CAN HELP US WITH AND ASSIST.
SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH.
WE ARE NOT EXPERTS, BUT WE HAVE REALLY WORKED VERY HARD.
I KNOW THERE ARE GAPS THAT YOU'RE SEEING, BUT, AGAIN, THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE BASING OUR MODEL OFF OF WHAT COULD BE, AND IT'S A HYPOTHESIS.
SO ONCE WE HAVE AN EXACT, THIS IS GOING TO BE OUR STUDENT POPULATION, NOW WE CAN STAFF FOR THOSE NEEDS.
I HOPE THAT HELPED TO WRAP SOME OF THE THINGS UP FOR YOU, BUT WE CERTAINLY HAVE LOOKED INTO THE BUILDINGS, AND THAT'S NOT OFF THE TABLE, IF NEED BE.
BOARD, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ONE MORE.
AND THIS IS NOT TO JUDGE, ACCUSE, OR DEFEND.
I JUST WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON A QUESTION THAT MR. WILLS ASKED DURING THE CAPACITY INTERVIEW.
AND HE ASKED, MEMBERS OF THE FOUNDING BOARD HAVE A RECENT HISTORY OF PUBLIC COMMENTS.
THAT APPEAR TO BE IN OPPOSITION TO CCPS'S MISSION AND VISION.
AS A PUBLIC SCHOOL, ANY AMOUNT FUNDED ABOVE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT OR LOCAL SHARE WILL BENEFIT CCCS AND ITS STUDENTS VIA THE PROPORTIONATE FUNDING.
WILL YOU PUBLICLY SUPPORT THE BUDGET REQUEST TO THE COUNTY? ABSOLUTELY.
IF WE ARE PART OF CCPS, WE HAVE TO APPROVE IT.
THE BUDGET AND SUPPORT IT WITH THE COUNTY.
I DON'T MEAN IT, WELL UNLESS YOU'RE, NO WHAT I MEAN IS WOULD YOU GO TO LIKE WHEN CCPS EMPLOYEES GO TO THOSE BUDGET HEARINGS AND SAY WE SUPPORT THIS BUDGET REQUEST THAT'S ABOVE THE LOCAL SHARE IT'S GOING TO BE UTILIZED TO HELP OUR STUDENTS GET ALL THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE A BETTER WORKFORCE AND ALL THAT.
SO, UM, BECAUSE WE'LL BE PART OF CCPS.
SO IN FOLLOW-UP, LIKE WHAT CHANGED? BECAUSE YOU'RE PART OF CCPS.
I KNOW IN THE PAST, AND, AND IN PIGGYBACK TO THAT QUESTION, THERE HAVE BEEN COMMENTS MADE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UM, SAVE YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, GET THEM OUT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UM, AND I HAVE, I HAVE COMMENTS HERE.
THERE ARE ALSO COMMENTS ABOUT WHEN THE ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION FAIR WAS BEING HOSTED, IT WAS FOR INTERESTED IN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION OPTIONS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO REMOVE THEIR CHILDREN FROM THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM DUE TO GENDER IDEOLOGY, CRITICAL RACE THEORY, DEI, SEXUALLY EXPLICIT PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL, AND RESTORATIVE PRACTICES THAT ARE CURRENTLY WEAVED INTO THE CLASSROOM OF PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND THEN I QUOTE, IF YOUR VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING IS FOLLOWING THE STATE-MANDATED CURRICULUM GUIDELINES, UNFORTUNATELY I WON'T BE ABLE TO INCLUDE YOU IN THIS EVENT BECAUSE OUR PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, AND GUARDIANS ARE LOOKING TO US TO HELP THEM FIND OTHER SOURCES OF EDUCATION THAT DO NOT INCLUDE THE STATE'S AGENDA.
SO WHAT CHANGED? BECAUSE A CHARTER SCHOOL WILL FOLLOW THE STATE REQUIREMENTS, BUT IT'S IN HOW IT'S...
BUT THE STANDARDS WOULD STILL HAVE TO BE FOLLOWED, AND THAT'S WHERE...
AND PARENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO OPT THEIR CHILDREN OUT OF THOSE STANDARDS.
AND THEY WILL BE NOTIFIED IF THEY WANT TO DO THAT.
AND THEN ONE OTHER THING THAT HAS BOTHERED ME FOR YEARS, AND I'M JUST GOING TO THROW IT OUT THERE BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO HAVE A CHANCE TO RESPOND TO THIS.
THERE HAVE BEEN MEMBERS WHO SAY OR WRITE COMMENTS, VERBALLY AND IN WRITING, ABOUT STUDENTS IN MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS.
AND BEYOND MY CONCERNS ABOUT INCLUSIVITY, I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT OUR LEGAL EXPOSURE.
AND I MENTIONED LEGAL EXPOSURE
[03:25:02]
EARLIER, A LOT ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S HUGE, RESULTING FROM CHARTER SCHOOL OPERATIONS.FOR EXAMPLE, BATHROOM ACCESS FOR TRANSGENDER STUDENTS.
BOARD MEMBERS, SOME OF YOUR BOARD MEMBERS HAVE STATED THAT STUDENTS SHOULD NOT USE BATHROOM CORRESPONDING TO THEIR BIOLOGICAL SEX.
AND AS WE KNOW, THAT POSITION IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH RECENT COURT RULINGS.
SO IF A FAMILY WERE TO FILE A LAWSUIT, WE'RE LIABLE.
AND THEN I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU, MS. CULBERSON, A CHANCE TO EXPLAIN THIS COMMENT BECAUSE THIS WAS A RECENT POST.
ON SOCIAL MEDIA THERE WILL BE A SEPARATE BATHROOM FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO IDENTIFY AS THE OPPOSITE SEX ALL STUDENTS INCLUDING THAT POPULATION WILL BE TAUGHT RESPECT AND ACCEPTANCE HOWEVER ALL STUDENTS WILL BE TAUGHT BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE SO I JUST I HAVE AND MAYBE OVER THE YEARS JUST OVER SENSITIVE CONCERNS ABOUT LIABILITY AND INCLUSIVITY DEI ALL THE THINGS THAT SO DEI ACCORDING TO TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
AND THE STATE'S GOING TO LOSE FUNDING BECAUSE OF IT.
SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO DO? THAT IS TOTALLY NOT.
THAT'S A LEGAL QUESTION THAT HAS NOT BEEN SUPPORTED.
RELATED TO GENDER, SEX ACTUALLY, MALE AND FEMALE, XX, XY, PERIOD.
THERE IS A THIRD SEX, WHICH IS AN INTERSEX.
I FORGET WHAT THAT'S REFERRED TO.
HOWEVER, BOYS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO USE GIRLS' BATHROOMS AND VICE VERSA.
THERE WILL BE A SEPARATE BATHROOM.
THAT WILL BE MALE-FEMALE THAT ANYBODY CAN USE.
AND WE'VE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
I PERSONALLY HAVE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH DR.
LAWSON IN THE PAST, AND I THINK MAYBE YOU EVEN.
SO WITH TRANSGENDER STUDENTS, THERE IS A COURT RULING THAT SAYS THAT STUDENT CAN USE THE BATHROOM OF THE GENDER THAT THEY IDENTIFY WITH.
AND HOW DO WE PROVE THAT? HOW DO YOU PROVE IT? IF YOU HAVE A TRANSGENDER STUDENT IN A SCHOOL, HOW DO YOU PROVE THAT THEY ARE TRULY TRANSGENDER? WHAT IS YOUR POLICY? WHAT IS YOUR BASIS? THEY JUST COME TO YOU AND SAY, I'M TRANSGENDER, I'M GOING IN THE WOMEN'S BATHROOM? THERE'S A PROCESS.
IS THERE A PROCESS? I'M ASKING.
IS THERE? DO YOU HAVE A POLICY? ISN'T THERE SUPPOSED TO BE A WRITTEN POLICY? DO WE HAVE ONE? I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT.
SO, OKAY, SO IF THERE IS A WRITTEN POLICY BY OUR BOARD, YOU WOULD HAVE TO FOLLOW THE POLICY, CORRECT, BASED ON PRECEDENT, WHICH WOULD THEN MAKE US LEGAL.
LIKE IF A FAMILY FILED A LAWSUIT, THEN WE'RE LIABLE.
I THINK THAT IS A SUBJECT THAT WE WOULD ADDRESS AS IT CAME UP.
BECAUSE I REALLY DON'T SEE THAT HAPPENING IN K THROUGH 5.
REALLY, I DON'T? OKAY, BUT HERE'S THE THING.
A TRANSGENDER PERSON IS SOMEBODY THAT I WOULD BELIEVE IS GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, THE PHYSICAL PROCESS OF CHANGING THEIR BODY.
CORRECT? NOT SOMEBODY WHO'S JUST WALKING UP AND SAYING, HEY, JOE, I'M NOT A MAN.
IT COULD BE SOMEBODY THAT'S TRANSITIONING BUT HASN'T STARTED THE PHYSICAL TRANSITION YET AND HAS STARTED THE PROCESS PSYCHOLOGICALLY OR HOWEVER YOU WOULD WANT TO SAY THAT.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF IT, WHICH IS A VERY COMPLICATED AND CRAZY CONVERSATION.
I HAD A GRANDDAUGHTER IN HIGH SCHOOL THAT DECIDED THAT SHE WAS A TRANS.
AND SHE WAS GOING TO BE A BOY, OKAY? I LOVE HER REGARDLESS, AND I DIDN'T HAVE ANY.
SHE WAS STILL MY GRANDDAUGHTER IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY, OKAY? THE ONLY THING I SAID TO HER IS I REALLY WOULD LIKE YOU NOT TO TAKE ANY HORMONES OR, YOU KNOW, DON'T TAKE ANY MEDICATION OR USE THE BINDERS.
[03:30:03]
SIZE BECAUSE SHE'S A TEENAGER, OKAY? CHILDREN'S BRAINS ARE NOT FULLY DEVELOPED UNTIL THEY'RE 25 YEARS OLD, RIGHT? THAT'S SCIENCE.AND GUESS WHAT? SHE'S OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL, OUT OF THAT ENVIRONMENT WHERE IT IS A FAD TO MOST OF THESE KIDS, AND SHE'S NOW WITH A BOY, AND SHE'S HER NORMAL SELF.
SO UNLESS THAT CHILD CAN PROVE TO ME THAT THEY ARE TRULY TRANS, AND IF THEY ARE, THAT'S ONE THING.
BUT IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE GOING...
JUMPING ON THIS BANDWAGON BECAUSE I'VE HAD PARENTS TELL ME BEFORE THIS SCHOOL EVEN CAME UP THAT THEIR CHILD CAME HOME SAYING, OH, I'M GAY, I'M GAY.
THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT MEANT, BUT THAT'S ALL THE KIDS IN SCHOOL WERE TALKING ABOUT.
SO THIS CHILD JUMPED ON THE BANDWAGON WITH THE REST OF THE CHILDREN AND DECIDED HE WAS GAY WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT WAS.
AND THEN ONCE THE PARENTS EXPLAINED...
EXPLAINED IT TO HIM, HE'S LIKE, NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I AM.
OKAY? SO WHAT I'M SAYING TO YOU IS IF A CHILD IS TRULY IN THAT PHASE OF WANTING TO TRANSITION AND THE PARENTS ARE ON BOARD WITH IT, THAT'S ONE THING.
BUT IF A CHILD IS SAYING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE THE OPPOSITE SEX AND THE PARENTS DON'T KNOW AND THERE'S NOTHING TO PROVE THAT THIS CHILD IS GOING THROUGH IT, THE PARENTS ARE GOING TO BE INVOLVED.
AND IF THE PARENTS COME BACK AND SAY, YES, MY CHILD IS GOING TO BE LIKE THIS, THEN WE'LL ADDRESS IT.
BUT I'M NOT GOING TO DO A BLANKET THING WHERE JOE COMES TO ME AND SAYS, HEY, I'M USING THE GIRL'S BATHROOM.
AND PUT YOURSELF IN THAT POSITION.
IF YOU HAVE A DAUGHTER, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL? SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT IF THERE'S A...
BIOLOGICALLY BORN MALE THAT WAS TRANSITIONED TO FEMALE, THEN YOU WOULD ALLOW THAT STUDENT TO USE THE FEMALE BATHROOM.
IF THE PARENTS ARE INVOLVED? YES.
NO, IF THE PARENTS ARE INVOLVED.
BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION TO THAT WOULD BE THE CONCERN OF THE OTHER STUDENTS BECAUSE THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN THERE.
THE OTHER STUDENTS DON'T NECESSARILY WANT.
THE TRANSITIONED PERSON IN THAT BATHROOM.
SO WHAT IS WRONG WITH ALLOWING THEM TO HAVE THEIR OWN BATHROOM? HEY GUYS, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO SOLVE THIS TODAY.
NO, HOLD ON A SECOND, HOLD ON A SECOND.
YOU CAN'T HAVE AN EXCLUSIONARY BATHROOM THAT IS FOR OTHERS.
WELL, YOU CAN HAVE A SINGLE-USE BATHROOM.
YOU CAN HAVE A SINGLE-USE BATHROOM, BUT ANYONE CAN USE IT.
YES, BUT YOU CAN'T SAY THAT THAT'S WHERE TRANSGENDER PEOPLE HAVE TO USE IT.
YOU CANNOT TELL THEM THAT THAT'S WHERE THEY HAVE TO GO.
CAN I ADD SOMETHING? SO WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL, AND I WITHDREW HER BEFORE SHE MADE IT THERE.
I PULLED HER OUT IN EIGHTH GRADE.
BUT ONE OF MY CONCERNS WAS HER GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL AND HAVING TO DRESS IN FRONT OF A MALE.
MY DAUGHTER IS VERY CONSERVATIVE.
SO I CALLED THE PRINCIPAL, HAD A CONVERSATION WITH HIM.
AND WHAT HE TOLD ME WAS THE BATHROOMS WERE.
THEY WERE ALL INTERCHANGEABLE.
SO WHY CAN'T WE HAVE THE SAME THING AND NOT EVEN HAVE THIS CONVERSATION? BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO AGREE THE LAW IS THE LAW, RIGHT? BUT IF YOU HAVE BATHROOMS THAT ARE SINGLE-USE, AND AGAIN, I FOUND HIM.
THEY DID HAVE SINGLE-USE, BUT THAT'S BESIDES THE POINT.
I JUST WANT REASSURANCE THAT THE CHARTER SCHOOL IS GOING TO FOLLOW THE LAW.
EVEN IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THE LAW, YOU'RE GOING TO FOLLOW THE LAW.
AND WE LOVE ALL CHILDREN REGARDLESS.
BUT THE PARENTS WILL BE INVOLVED.
LAWSON, YOU HAD SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO SAY? YOU CAN'T FORCE A CHILD TO USE A CERTAIN RESTROOM BECAUSE OF THEIR GENDER IDENTIFICATION.
THAT'S NOT WHAT YOUR PRINCIPAL TOLD ME AT RISING SUN HIGH SCHOOL.
SO WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS PROVIDE A SOLUTION THAT'S PALATABLE TO ALL PARTIES.
BUT WHEN THE TIME COMES THAT THE CHILD SAYS, I DO NOT WANT TO USE A SINGLE-USE RESTROOM BECAUSE OF MY GENDER IDENTIFICATION, THEY DON'T HAVE TO.
HAVE YOU HAD THAT HAPPEN BEFORE? AND I'M NOT ARGUING WITH YOU.
OKAY, SO THIS IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
THIS BOARD OPERATES UNDER GRIMM VERSUS GLOUCESTER.
IT IS A FOURTH CIRCUIT RULING.
[03:35:01]
THERE IS NO WIGGLE ROOM AROUND GRIMM VERSUS GLOUCESTER.IF A PRINCIPAL GETS A CHILD THAT'S IDENTIFYING AS ANOTHER GENDER AND THE PRINCIPAL THINKS THAT THIS MAY BE COMFORTABLE FOR EVERYBODY TO ASK THIS STUDENT TO USE A SEPARATE RESTROOM BY THEMSELVES, MANY STUDENTS WILL TAKE US UP ON THAT AND IT IS A WAY TO KEEP THE WATERS CALM, SO TO SPEAK, BUT JUST KNOW THAT THAT IS AN AGREEMENT MADE ON THE PART OF THE FAMILY.
IF THE FAMILY WERE TO COME FORWARD AND SAY, MY CHILD NOW IDENTIFIES AS A GIRL, SHE WILL USE THE GIRLS' ROOMS. THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO TO STOP THAT.
I JUST WANT YOU TO BE CLEAR ON THAT.
SHE WILL BE ESCORTED TO THE BATHROOM.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'LL BE ESCORTED? IT MEANS THAT SHE WILL HAVE SOMEONE IN THE BATHROOM TO MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING ELSE GOES ON.
SO YEAH, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM.
WHERE ARE YOU GETTING THAT FROM? SHE'S SAYING THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO.
THEN THAT'S A TITLE IX ISSUE BECAUSE YOU'RE TREATING THE CHILD DIFFERENT BECAUSE SHE IS A GIRL.
PLEASE DON'T ASK ME TO DEFEND THIS.
THIS IS NOT HELPING US WITH WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
BUT CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT? WE CAN PERSONALLY TALK.
I WOULD NOT BE GLAD TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT.
IF YOU WANT TO GIVE ME A CALL, I'LL TALK YOU THROUGH WHAT I SEE, WHAT I KNOW, AND YOU CAN TAKE IT FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH.
SO, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING THE APPLICATION? I MEAN, OKAY.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I MEAN, KIND OF, YEAH.
I JUST THINK THAT CLEARLY EVERYONE HAS PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS.
YOU GUYS HAVE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS.
WE'VE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS.
OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM, OUR COMMITTEES PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS AND I THINK THAT AS YOU MENTIONED MS. CULVERSON, WE DON'T WANT A SCHOOL TO OPEN TO FAIL, RIGHT? WE WANT A SCHOOL TO OPEN.
IF WE'RE GOING TO APPROVE A SCHOOL IT NEEDS TO BE RIGHT, NEEDS TO BE RIGHT.
SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT RIGHT IS? IT NEEDS TO BE LIKE EVERYTHING IN THIS APPLICATION NEEDS TO BE ACCORDING TO THE RUBRIC.
AND THE MEASUREMENTS HERE, I JUST FOUND A LOT OF INCONSISTENCIES WITH QUESTION BUDGETING, SUSTAINABILITY, THERE WERE A LOT OF SUBSTANCE, I MEAN I COULD SHOW YOU MY BINDER HERE OF ALL MY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTICE THAT LIKE DR.
LAWSON SAID, YOU CAN SUPPORT THE NOTION OF CHARTER SCHOOLS OFFERING CHOICE CAN BE A GREAT THING FOR PARENTS.
A GREAT OPTION, BUT I JUST THINK IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO APPROVE A CHARTER SCHOOL THAT WE THINK IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE SUSTAINED.
AND AS I SAID EARLIER, TO GO AGAINST THIS RECOMMENDATION, I WOULD NEED TO DISAGREE WITH THE FINDINGS.
AND I JUST, I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE ANY MORE WORK TO DO.
FOR ME, I FEEL LIKE MY MIND IS MADE UP.
I'M GOING TO BE, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I'M PRETTY OBVIOUS.
I WENT INTO IT WITH AN OPEN MIND, MS. CULVERSON.
BUT I JUST THINK THAT, I MEAN, I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO VOTE ON THIS TONIGHT, AND I WANT TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE VOTE ON THE APPROVAL OR DENIAL OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATION TODAY.
IN ORDER TO MAKE A MOTION TO VOTE TONIGHT, WE WOULD HAVE TO AMEND THE AGENDA.
SO THE FIRST THING WE'D HAVE TO DO IS AMEND THE AGENDA.
SO DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA? I MEAN, IT DOESN'T FALL WITHIN THE CLASSICAL SCHOOL DEBT AGENDA ITEM.
OKAY, SO I MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO INCLUDE A MOTION TO VOTE ON THE APPROVAL OR DENIAL OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATION.
WE'VE HEARD. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEP. OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? MY CONCERN WITH THAT, EVEN IF ALL OF US ARE 100% CERTAIN OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO VOTE IS FOR ALL, WE'VE ALWAYS SAID SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER. IT WOULD JUST SEEM LIKE WE'RE RUSHING THE VOTE.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT THE PUBLIC COULD HEAR TONIGHT. I 100% AGREE. SOME
[03:40:01]
OF THE STUFF IS BRAND NEW.SOME OF THE ANSWERS THEY GAVE US ARE BRAND NEW THAT WE JUST HEARD TO MAKE A DECISION ON IT TODAY. I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL EVER AGREE WITH THIS MUCH, DONNA, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE ANSWER. THE DECISION WAS ALREADY MADE LONG BEFORE TODAY. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THAT.
HONESTLY LET'S JUST LET'S HAVE A MOTION LET'S DO OUR MOTION THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO AMEND THE AGENDA THIS WAS TO AMEND THE AGENDA UM DO WE DO ROLL CALL VOTE I GUESS WE SHOULD DO A ROLL CALL VOTE UM NO MR FERDINANDO NO MR HAMPTON NO OKAY IT MIGHT BE BE THE ONLY YES BUT MR. DAVIS? THIS IS TO AMEND THE AGENDA.
TO AMEND THE AGENDA. YES. AND I'M A NO. OKAY. SO WE ARE TO AMEND THE AGENDA. NOW, CAN I MAKE A COMMENT? I WOULD JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT ONE QUICK THING, BECAUSE MS. HAWLEY TALKED ABOUT INCONSISTENCIES AND GOING BY THE SCORING AND GOING BY THE RUBRIC AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF.
I FOUND A COUPLE OF INCONSISTENCIES IN THEIR SCORING. I FOUND INCONSISTENCIES IN THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY ASKED AND HOW THEY SCORED THOSE. THANK YOU. IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THOSE, I'D LIKE YOU TO TAKE A QUICK PEEK AT THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED, WHICH, BY THE WAY, WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT WE WERE GOING TO BE ASKED, AND THAT IS VERY UNCOMMON FROM WHAT WE'VE LEARNED IN OUR RESEARCH ABOUT CAPACITY INTERVIEWS. THE FACT THAT IT TOOK THREE HOURS AND THAT WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT WE WERE GOING TO BE ASKED GOING IN, VERY UNCOMMON. SO I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AND HOW THEY SCORED, AND IN MY OPINION, SOME OF IT WAS PUNITIVE. SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO EMAIL YOUR CONCERNS AND YOUR COMMENTS? YES, ABSOLUTELY. THAT WOULD BE GREAT. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY.
OKAY. SO I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S TIME.
AND I KNOW EVERYONE, I TRULY DO FEEL THAT EVERYONE HAS THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR STUDENTS AT HEART. I KNOW WE ALL WANT THE BEST FOR OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE. I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK. I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BEING HERE SO LATE. AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR STAYING. BOARD MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE EFFORT THAT YOU'VE PUT IN THUS FAR.
AND TO THAT... HOLD ON, HOLD ON. SO THE VOTE IS 9 SEPTEMBER? I MEAN, I HONESTLY WOULD PREFER TO DO IT IN AUGUST. BECAUSE WE HAVE THE THING, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, IT'S AUGUST 26TH. THERE'S ONLY LIKE A WEEK IN BETWEEN, AND THAT WAY WE KIND OF GET THAT BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS. I'D KIND OF LIKE TO HAVE THAT VOTE, BUT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE KNOWS. COULD I MAKE A FINAL COMMENT? SURE. COULD I JUST MAKE A COMMENT? DR. LAWSON.
COME ON NOW. NO, I WANT TO SAY THIS. PLEASE, PLEASE.
FROM DAY ONE, WHEN YOU FIRST RECEIVED THE LETTER OF INTENT, YOU HAVE BEEN TELLING STAFF AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT YOU WOULD DENY THIS APPLICATION. WE DID NOT GET A FAIR SHAKE. YOU DID NOT HAVE THE PROSPECTUS YET. YOU DID NOT HAVE THE APPLICATION YET. AND I HAVE HAD NO CONVERSATIONS OR ANY OF THIS BOARD HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH ANYONE ABOUT... THE APPLICATION OR THE PROSPECTUS. SO I THINK THAT'S VERY, VERY UNFAIR THAT YOU PUT IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC. MS. CULBERSON, I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, THOUGH, THAT WHETHER WHAT HE DOES, AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T.
IT'S JUST UNFAIR. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE THE ONES THAT MAKE THAT DECISION, NOT DR. LAWSON. AND WE ASKED FOR OUR COMMITTEE TO GIVE US A RECOMMENDATION, AND THEY DID THAT. AND THEY PUT A LOT OF WORK IN AND WE WILL LOOK AT ALL OF THAT AND WE WILL LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO AND I PROMISE YOU THAT WE WILL LOOK THROUGH IT AND WE WILL MAKE A DECISION THAT WE FEEL IS RIGHT AND IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT OKAY WELL WE HAVE THE APPLICATION AND WE HAVE THE RUBRIC WHAT ARE THOSE COMMON IS THIS HEARSAY OR DO YOU HAVE THIS WRITTEN DOWN SOMEWHERE PEOPLE HAVE TOLD YOU BUT THAT'S HEARSAY THAT'S THE DEFINITION OF HEARSAY LIKE IS IT WRITTEN SOMEWHERE I KNOW, BUT THAT'S STILL THE DEFINITION OF HEARSAY. I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU. MAYBE THAT DID HAPPEN. I'M JUST SAYING THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF HEARSAY.
YOU'RE SAYING SOMETHING THAT'S NOT ACCURATE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.
WE'RE GOING TO FINISH THIS MEETING. I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S TIME. MEETING ADJOURNED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.