June 11, 2002 - Baltimore City Public Schools

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Board Meeting Minutes with parents and community and their staff in creating an innovation model there of grades 6 through 12, with an arts curriculum focus. And that's been in the works for a while. I guess Ms. Murphy says it's not fast enough, in terms of the actual facility planning to support that. So I need to temper my exuberance for trying out new ideas with making sure that we're not taking away from who our main reform effort. And, also, that we're doing an adequate job of planning and working with this community. And just even at the very beginning, when we started hearing this a month or two ago, that a full proposal. You know, that, as far as the communities that have the new schools, it's just not sufficient to put a school in place for September, in terms of what we believe is adequate planning and preparation with the space. You're working with the 265 students and parents who are interested in your three elementary schools. But we need to also think about parents that are also part of that larger community at those two middle schools. So that's why with reluctance, given the enthusiasm and the tremendous excitement that's been created among the parents and students which criticized the vote in support of our CEO's recommendation. I do hope, however, that two things -- you know, one is that we do take up, and there's a thought for you to build a partnership with us. And we look forward to meeting soon and exploring this whole range of opportunities that improve collaboration, where we can really benefit in the greatest way, what they're trying out. But we might want to for the large system. So we welcome that offer. I hope you don't take tonight's vote as saying there's no interest in collaborating with us. At least my perspective. And, secondly, your CEO's -- an important part of the recommendation, to me, was working with the parents. You've done such a wonderful job of getting them excited. We're hoping to take advantage and learn from that excitement, so that we can use that as a model for every school. I think it's terrific. I would like to see it as much as possible in a constructive way so we're not worried about everything. And we do accept people saying that point of view. But I do hope that we can take advantage of the offer. Let's not close the partnership, and have a constructive relationship. And I do have -- am very supportive of our CEO's interest in building on this ground interest. MS. WELCH: Commissioner Jones? MR. JONES: I'd like to make some comments about the relationship that we've had with Edison over the past two years. If the Edison Schools wanted to become partners with us, they've had two years to do it, and that, instead, they decided not to. In fact, now that we're in the effort to develop a partnership, people were coming to see us and not being from Baltimore Edison Schools. They're from out of town, from headquarters, from development. Instead, I got a clear sense that the Edison Schools have seen the city as an adversary. They've not been a partner, and clearly haven't wanted to be. There had not been cooperation on hiring staff, for instance. We've had -- been going back and forth about trying to get the best teachers into their System, or our System. No net contribution to the City of Baltimore at all. It's a zero-something game. Being granted city-wide status so that they could recruit the best students in the school, and then turn back around, and the difficult, more extensive students they have given back to us, or attempted to give back. Literally told children "go back to BCPSS." We don't see those parents in here raving about Edison Schools. So we do have a long history. And it has played an innovative role in developing a partnership with other people. But I guess I have to say that we have a long way to go in order to turn around our current relationship with Edison, from what it has been in the last two years forward. True partnership for all of the children of the City of Baltimore; not their scores versus our scores. MS. WELCH: Commission Murphy? Page 36 of 41 MS. MURPHY: Yes. I just have an announcement. That the Eubie Blake Center has a partnership with Booker T. this summer. And we have an arts and mathematics program that's going to be activity-based during the summer school hours for five weeks. Many of the persons who will be teachers will be teachers who will be in Booker T. in the fall. So it is an opportunity for some of our -- some of the Edison children who are maybe interested in attending this program to meet some of these teachers and file://S:\CMS_Content\meetings\2002\J11_02.html 9/23/2002
Board Meeting Minutes get a feel for Booker T. And we do talk about Booker T. Washington as a great historical figure, and how important he was to America. So we would invite any of the Edison children to enroll in that. MS. WELCH: Finally, I'd just like to say that when this Board was first created, we had a conversation with former Mayor Kirk Schmoke, and one of the things he said to us was that there were pockets or islands of excellence in the System, and that he wanted us to be very conscious of the need to make systemic reforms, so that we could increase the islands of excellence in this System. And I think that's the real reason that we are sitting here. We want to make those systemic, steady changes so that more schools will be -- more faculty members, more students, will be excited about their schools, so that we can get the kinds of results that we want. And I think that's -- I think I'm speaking for the entire Board when I say that. We want to make the System better so that people won't just say, "Are there any good schools in Baltimore?" And they go, "one, two, three, four, five," and then they'll stop. We want the list to get longer and longer. And that's what we're about. MS. RUSSO: Mr. Carter, will you come forward to discuss the Living Wage? MR. CARTER: Good evening, once again. The Board's Living Wage Policy, which is set forth in the School Board Rule 406, requires a contract -- was awarded a contract by the Board to supply janitorial services, cafeteria, student services and bus transportation services to pay its workers a living wage. The School Board's current policy sets the living wage at $7.90, and it's set to expire on June 30th, 2002. I'm requesting to Board to consider to extending the living wage to June 30th, 2003, and to increase the living wage from $7.90 per hour to $8.10 per hour. In the event the Board takes this action, the School Board Rule 406 will be modified to reflect the action taken by the Board. MS. MURPHY: So moved. MS. SIEGEL: Second. MS. WELCH: Properly moved and seconded that we accept the action. All in favor? THE BOARD: Aye. MS. WELCH: Opposed? You got it. Thank you. MS. RUSSO: Procurement Agenda. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Good evening, President Welch, Ms. Russo, Members of the Board. The purpose of this evening's presentation is to obtain approval of this evening's procurement for June the 7th, 2002. Beginning with Section 1 - Professional Services. I request for your approval of items A and B. MS. NOEL: So moved. MR. STRINGFIELD: Second. MS. WELCH: Properly moved and seconded. All in favor? THE BOARD: Aye. MS. WELCH: Opposed? Next. file://S:\CMS_Content\meetings\2002\J11_02.html Page 37 of 41 9/23/2002
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June 11, 2002 - Baltimore City Public Schools

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