Return to School e-mail archive directory
Subj: School Issues Newsletters #70: Input, updates
Date: 11/26/2001 1:38:33 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: jklagge@bev.net
To: jklagge@vt.edu
Dear Friends,
This is a newsletter about issues before the Montgomery County School Board. It only expresses my personal views as a School Board member. If you would like to be taken off the mailing list, please let me know. The Thanksgiving break has given me time to get back to this newsletter after several months' silence:
-Budget Hearing: The SB will have a public hearing tomorrow (Tuesday, 11/27) at 7pm at Christiansburg HS auditorium. This is an opportunity for the public to let us know what things they think are priorities for the next year's (2002-2003) budget. There is little reason for optimism about more money from the state, but the county Board of Supervisors has usually been able to provide some additional money. In recent years, in addition to the new buildings, the SB has tended to put extra money into salaries, though this has not amounted to a lot. After formulating a budget proposal in January, we will forward this to the BoS, who will then make a final determination of the size of our budget. Then in April or May we will have to decide exactly how to spend that money. I will keep you posted as to when the BoS have their hearings about the budget. Since they hold the "power of the purse", it is important to make your views known to them, especially at the right times.
-Building Projects: Several of the items that follow have more information that is accessible from the Mongomery County Public Schools web page . For example, you can keep up with the on-going building projects by going to that web site, and then clicking on the "Construction" button. Among other things, there are new pictures each month.
-Vacant Facilities Planning: With new building in the county there are several old facilites that require long-term plans. The SB has initiated a planning process designed to solicit public input and formulate suggestions for these buildings. They include Bethel Elementary School (now being used for staff development and other kinds of training meetings), Shawsville Middle School (now being used in a variety of ways), Blacksburg Middle School (to be vacated this summer), Christiansburg Middle School (to be vacated next summer). The committee will also look at how to address over-crowded old facilites at Prices Fork Elementary and Elliston-LaFayette Elementary. To get more information about this process, go to the MCPS web page and click on the line for "Facility Planning Community Dialogue". The first opportunity for public input on this process will be a meeting Wednesday evening (11/28) at Christiansburg Primary School from 7-9:30pm. Buses will provide free transportation from several spots around the county to this meeting, and child care will be provided at the meeting. Details of the meeting and the bus transportation are available on that web page. This issue has been a concern to many people in the county. This meeting and another in February will be the opportunities for public input. This process will also be reviewed at tomorrow's SB meeting.
In general, if you want to know what is on the agenda for a school board meeting, go to the MCPS web site, then click on the "School Board" icon, then at the bottom of that page, click on "Agenda for the next SB meeting". This is usually updated the Friday before a meeting. In general our meetings are the First and Third Tuesday of each month, but we moved our second November meeting back a week because of a Virginia SB Conference, and as a consequence we are also moving our first December meeting back a week (and cancelling our second December meeting). Also our meetings almost always begin the public portion at 7:30, and they are almost always held at the SB office. Directions to this are on the web page as well. This sounds confusing, but we are pretty regular for the rest of the year.
-SoL Scores: As you may know, beginning with the class of 2004 (students who are currently sophomores in high school), to graduate from HS students will have to pass a certain number of SoL end-of-course tests to get "verified credits" for those courses. While the general idea of this is sound, the devil has been in the details: Are the tests an adequate reflection of the things mastered by the students? Are the tests graded in a way that is reasonable? The SB along with Mr. Morton has been very active in raising these kinds of questions at the state level. But regardless of these issues, if this requirement is left in place as it is, then some further questions arise: Will these requirements significantly reduce the number of students who can graduate from HS? Are there adequate means for preparation and remediation for students who have difficulty passing these tests? The SB has also been quite concerned with these kinds of questions as well. We have tried to strike a balance within the county of doing well on these tests, but also keeping our own conception of what needs to happen in the classrooms, so that we do not have our approach to education completely driven by the state's approach to these issues. In any case it is important to know how we are doing on these tests in the county. The most recent results are posted on the web site--click on "District Testing Results" for details. It has been difficult for the SB to fight this two-front battle--questioning the process to be sure it is appropriate, and yet also trying to be successful within that process. We think both of these battles need to be fought. If you have any questions or comments, please let me or your SB representative know. This is NOT a list-serv, so your responses will NOT go to others on the mailing list--just to me. I am the SB representative of District F, which covers the Hethwood area and other portions of Blacksburg and the county north of there.
Other SB reps are:
Wat Hopkins, Chair and District G rep whopkins@vt.edu
Tacy Newell, District C rep tlnew@infi.net
Mike Smith, District E rep msmith@mail.mcps.org
Mary North, Vice Chair and District D rep mhnorth@mail.mcps.org
Tina McPherson, District A rep tmcpherson@mail.mcps.org, though her term runs out in December, and then she will be replaced by:
Rick Johnson culinary@vt.edu
Penny Franklin, District B rep pfranklin@mail.mcps.org
Not all SB rep's check their e-mail regularly, so you may want to call them. Information about your SB rep (including phone number and address) can be found on the web page by clicking on the "School Board" icon, and then clicking on the name of the representative. If you are unsure who your representative is, or what electoral District you live in, check with the voter registrar at 382-5741.The SB clerk is Anita Johnston ajohnston@mail.mcps.org, and the Superintendent is Fred Morton fmorton@mail.mcps.org. I hope you find this information helpful.
Sincerely,
Jim Klagge,
District F representative,
Montgomery County School Board.
Return to School e-mail archive directory
© Copyright 2004 by Graphic Information Sciences
All rights reserved worldwide.
email: admin@gisone.com