MARYLAND SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Meeting Minutes
September 10, 2010
Columbia Campus
MEMBERS PRESENT: Benjamin Bahan, Ph.D.; Charles Poyer, Jr.; William J. Bowman; Connie Briscoe-Woodruff; John Ertel, Ph.D.; Roslyn Hannibal-Booker; Sandra N. Harriman; Ricardo Hernandez, Ph.D.; Robin Kittleman; Angela McCaskill, Ph.D.; Edgar B. Palmer; Barbara Raimondo, Esq.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Cynthia Neese-Bailes, Ph.D.; Sheryl B. Cooper, Ph.D.; Laurie Corcoran; Ernest Hairston; Khadijat Rashid, Ph.D.; Heather Zeolla
ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: Demetria Tobias, Esq.
INTERPRETERS: Bobbie Quinn; Brenda Kelly-Frey
President Benjamin Bahan called the meeting to order at 9:24 a.m.
A MOTION was made to approve the Agenda – SECONDED - PASSED.
A MOTION was made to approve the minutes from the May 2010 meeting – SECONDED - PASSED.
President’s Report: President Benjamin Bahan stated that this will be a busy year for MSD as it goes through the Accreditation process. Members of the Accreditation Team along with all of MSD’s stakeholders need to help create and set the vision to help the school succeed.
At the last meeting the Board discussed the school’s Bilingual Program. Exactly how can MSD better the Bilingual Program. Goals need to be set and the Board should help the Superintendent achieve the goals set.
President Bahan stated that he met with Elise Durland and that by the November board meeting the Board will have a list of goals for the Superintendent. It is the Board’s responsibility to work with the Superintendent.
Vice President’s Report: No report.
Secretary’s Report: No report.
Treasurer’s Report: William Bowman stated that for almost 4 years there has been a loss in all of the Board’s accounts. Mr. Bowman stated that while it’s probably standard the Board should consider looking into whether or not anything can be done to prevent it from continuing to happen. Mr. Bowman stated that because MSDF manages the Board’s funds a MSDF representative should come to the Board’s meetings at least once a year to report to the Board on the Board’s funds.
Superintendent’s Report: Superintendent James E. Tucker stated that MSD is in its 143rd year. One hundred forty-three years for the Frederick Campus and 38 years for the Columbia Campus. Mr. Tucker stated that we have an awesome responsibility in carrying on educating Deaf children in Maryland. Mr. Tucker stated that MSD opened last week and that the students look great and enrollment is up.
Mr. Tucker discussed that he went to the International Congress on Education of the Deaf (ICED) conference in Vancouver over the summer and that the ICED conference is the only international conference for the “Education of the Deaf.” He had the honor of being the Key Note Speaker. Before Mr. Tucker gave his speech a joint announcement was made that the current members of the ICED reject the decision of the 1880 Milan Conference which made oralism the form of instruction throughout the world.
Mr. Tucker stated that the highlights for the upcoming 2010-2011 school year are the dual Accreditation that MSD is reapplying for and the ASDC conference which will be held at the Frederick Campus from June 22-26, 2011.
Executive Committee: No report.
Education Committee: No report. An announcement was made that Robin Kittleman, the chair of the Education Committee, will be a representative on the Accreditation Team.
FM/FM Committee: Dr. Ertel reported that the FM/FM committee met this morning and got a report on the Budget from Suzanne Schwertman, MSD Chief Operating Officer. Superintendent Tucker and Ms. Schwertman have worked hard to keep the school in the best position it can be in. The FM/FM committee recommends going with the recommendations offered by Superintendent Tucker and Ms. Schwertman for the Fiscal Year 2012 Budget.
Personnel Committee: President Bahan reported that the Personnel Committee has not met but has received a draft of the Superintendent’s evaluation from Elsie Durland. Ms. Durland will assist the Board on how to set up the Evaluation and Goals so that a better process for the future can be put into place.
Student Life Committee: Mr. Palmer reported that he spoke with members of the Dorm Staff and since then 5 more Dorm Staff have been hired. The structure on how each floor is run has been changed and a lot more activities have been added to the schedule. A Behavioral Specialist has been added to the team and the staff is very happy with her contributions. The Dorm Staff are working to get people from outside of MSD to come and tutor the students. A Dorm Counsel consisting of 8 students, 2 from each dorm has been established. The Department of Human Resources (DHR) visited MSD and inspected the rooms and recommended some changes. MSD staff felt that DHR’s visit was very helpful. There was a Parents’ Meeting and the parents expressed that they felt that the school was very honest and open. It was a good meeting and helped with the trust between the parents and staff.
Trusteeship Committee: Ms. Harriman acknowledged and thanked William Bowman, Barbara Raimondo, and Edgar Palmer for their service on the MSD Board and stated that they would be leaving. Ms. Harriman stated that as of October 2010 there will be 16 members and 3 vacancies.
Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Presentation by Suzanne Schwertman, MSD’s Chief Operating Officer: Ms. Schwertman presented on Fiscal Years 2010, 2011, and 2012. Ms. Schwertman stated that in FY10 the school had to revert back $450,000 which came from salary reductions. Ms. Schwertman then explained that the current Fiscal Year 2011 is flat-funded from 2010-2011. There will be no step-increases and there will be State wide mandated salary reductions. The school is expected to revert back $450,000. For Fiscal Year 2012 no new projects or car replacements have been requested or budgeted. No inflation is projected in the budget and the facility repairs that will happen in FY12 will be funded by DGS. The new cafeteria on the Frederick Campus will be completed in the Spring of 2011 and the new bus loop and parking project for Frederick Campus will begin in April 2011. In June 2011 the old elementary building on Frederick Campus will be demolished and the new athletic field at the Columbia Campus will go to the Board of Public Works September 2010. In Fiscal Year 2012 MSD will request to replace the existing fire alarm system at Frederick Campus with an Emergency Notification System.
At 11:00 a.m. a MOTION was made to go into Closed Session to discuss privileged executive information – SECONDED – PASSED.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Benjamin Bahan, Ph.D.; Charles Poyer, Jr; William Bowman; Connie Briscoe-Woodruff; John Ertel, Ph.D.; Roslyn Hannibal-Booker; Sandra Harriman; Ricardo Hernandez, Ph.D.; Robin Kittleman; Angela McCaskill, Ph.D.; Edgar B. Palmer.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Cynthia Neese-Bailes, Ph.D.; Sheryl Cooper, Ph.D.; Laurie Corcoran; Ernest Hairston, Ph.D.; Barbara Raimondo, Esq.; Khadijat Rashid, Ph.D.; Heather Zeolla
ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: Demetria Tobias, Esq.
INTERPRETERS: Bobbie Quinn; Brenda Kelly-Frey
At 11:30 a.m. a MOTION was made to return to Open Session – SECONDED – PASSED.
Update on Accreditation presented by Marcia Virts, Lead Internal Coordinator for 2010-2011 Accreditation Planning Team: Ms. Virts provided the Board with an overview of the Accreditation process by providing some background information on the process and the current accreditation status of MSD. Ms. Virts stated that it was the team’s goal to provide the Board with a rough draft of the Mission and Belief statements at the November Board meeting.
An Overview of the MSD Curriculum and Assessments presented by Chris Kaftan, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at the Frederick Campus and Jenny Perry, Curriculum and IEP Support Coordinator at the Columbia Campus: Ms. Perry presented an overview of the Columbia Campus students along with the Columbia Campus curriculum and assessments used at MSD. Following her presentation a discussion began about Academic ASL. Ms. Perry stated that the school needs to improve and integrate Academic ASL into the curriculum. Ms. Perry explained that teachers would need to be trained, as they are comfortable conversing in ASL but not formally teaching ASL.
Mr. Kaftan presented an overview of the Frederick Campus curriculum and assessments used at MSD. Following his presentation a discussion began about the types of assessments used and the number of assessments used. Mr. Kaftan explained that it looks like a lot but the assessments are done for example once in the fall and then once in the spring to assess the student’s progress throughout the school year.
Open Forum: Mr. Bowman read an email from a parent who has 2 children that attend MSD. His concern is that the softball and baseball fields do not seem to be receiving the attention/improvements that the football field are. Mr. Tucker stated the he would be more than happy to talk to the parent.
Old Business: No old business.
New Business: A MOTION was made to approve the Fiscal Year 2012 Budget – SECONDED - PASSED.
A MOTION was made to adjourn at 1:27 p.m. – SECONDED – PASSED.
Respectfully submitted,
Charles Poyer, Jr.
Secretary |
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