From the an evaluation of the superintendent to approving a bonus for cafeteria workers and others, the Montgomery school board covered a range of topics across a three-plus-hour meeting.
The sprawling May 14 meeting also included an executive session, and reviews of construction and contract renewals for student programming. Here are some of the highlights.
Evaluation of MPS Superintendent
Superintendent Melvin Brown received a score of 3.2 out of 5 in his yearly internal evaluation. A group of Montgomery Public School principals scored Brown through an internal review, said Vernet Nettles, a personnel evaluation specialist.
Brown scored highest in organizational management and financial management, with a score of 3.52. He scored lowest in instructional management and human resources management, with a score of 2.89.
Construction at Carver, Park Crossing and Southlawn
Glenn Slater, the vice president of Volkert Inc., gave an update on his company's work on the Carver High School Ninth Grade Academy, the addition to the Southlawn Middle School Gym and the addition to the Park Crossing High School's field house.
Slater said the Ninth Grade Academy is about 62% complete. He's pushing to be done by Aug. 1, in time for students to start school Aug. 10. Last month, Slater said he expected construction to be done by the end of September.
The Southlawn Middle School's gym addition is 17% complete, while the Park Crossing High School's field house addition is 52% complete, he said.
The new buildings for Percy Julian High School and Capitol Heights Middle School are still in the design phase.
Board approves bonus for workers
The school board voted to extend a $1,500 bonus to current and permanent, full-time cooks, managers and field supervisors as well as the assistant director and director, said Arthur Watts, the district's chief school financial officer.
The district will also award the bonus to full-time, retired child nutrition program cooks or managers. “Many of them are talking about leaving because of the hard work and the work load," Watts said.
The bonus is a way to prevent an exodus of employees in the program. The money adds up to about $300,000.
Language learning software contract
The district uses Imagine Language & Literacy to teach students the building blocks of English. It's a computer program that supplements English learning for students who are not yet fluent.
The board voted to renew the contract for the program, which costs about $5 million, according to last month's numbers.
“If our kids do not get those foundational skills at the elementary level we are setting them up for failure," said Lizette Ussery, the district's English-as-a-second-language director.
The vote passed with three in favor. District 1 Rep. Lesa Keith said she was frustrated that the district has not considered other options. District 2 Rep. Pamela Portis called the program outdated.
Carver may add associate principal
Brown proposed adding an associate principal to govern the Ninth Grade Academy at Carver. The associate principal would have more autonomy than an assistant principal but would still report to Carver Principal Gary Hall.
The board voted to table the motion until members can review more research about the benefits of creating an associate principal position.
The position would be aimed at creating a positive experience for incoming freshmen, especially as the school's population balloons with the addition of students from Sidney Lanier High School, which is closing at the end of the school year.
Keith took issue with creating the position, which would pay between $85,000 and $90,000. She said the district would be forced to add ninth grade academies with associate principals to all the high schools.
“I just think it opens a can of worms," Keith said.
District 6 Rep. Claudia Mitchell applauded the move and said that MPS students are worth the investment. She hopes to have ninth grade academies at every high school.
“Being a ninth grade teacher for so many years, I saw that the ninth graders seem to get lost when they go to high school," Mitchell said. She later added, “Ninth grade is a very, very important year."
Alex Gladden is the Montgomery Advertiser's public safety reporter. She can be reached at agladden@gannett.com or on Twitter @gladlyalex.
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