MONTGOMERY COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION

The Board of Education of Montgomery County met in retreat on January 26 and 27, 2009
at the Rockville Public Library, Rockville, Maryland.

Present: Ms. Shirley Brandman, President

in the Chair
Mr. Christopher Barclay
Ms. Laura Berthiaume
Dr. Judy Docca
Mr. Philip Kauffman
Ms. Quratul-Ann Malik
Ms. Nancy Navarro
Mrs. Patricia O’Neill
Dr. Jerry Weast, Secretary/Treasurer

Staff Present: Mr. Larry Bowers, Chief Operating Officer

Dr. Frieda Lacey, Deputy Superintendent of Schools
Mr. Brian Edwards, Superintendent’s Chief of Staff
Mr. Roland Ikheloa, Board’s Chief of Staff
Ms. Suzann King, Staff Assistant
Ms. Laura Steinberg, Staff Assistant
Mrs. Glenda Rose, Board’s Administrative Secretary

Facilitators: Dr. Barbara Anderson, Panasonic Foundation

Mr. Andrew Gelber, Panasonic Foundation
Dr. Larry Leverett, Panasonic Foundation

On January 26, 2009, the retreat began at 9:06 a.m. with a warm up exercise and stated
ground rules for interaction at the retreat.

BACKGROUND/CONTEXT/HISTORY
Board members discussed the history of how the Board had arrived at the vision, goals,
priorities, and strategic plan for the school system. A “journey map” of critical events and
their significance on what has shaped the school system was created.

CORE VALUES
Through small-group discussion and the whole group synthesizing the results, the following
core values were developed:

1. What ever it takes!

2. Serve the neediest first
3. Early years as the bedrock of success
4. Review, renew, refocus
5. One size does not fit all
Board Minutes -2- January 26 and 27, 2009

6. High expectations for all

7. Student outcomes not predictable by race, class, or disability

Each Board member explained what the statement meant to them in order to operationalize
a core value and, if desired, incorporate into the strategic plan. The retreat ended at 5:10
p.m. on January 26, 2009.

On January 27, 2009, at 8:55 a.m., the Board continued the agenda items not covered on
the prior day.

LEADING TO EQUITY
Ms. Navarro gave a brief description of the Public Education Leadership Project (PELP)
Team’s Equity Framework. The Board discussed developing a clear and shared definition
of “equity” that can be embedded in the strategic plan and used as a guide for decision
making.

The Board broke into small groups for discussion and reported out for a consensus building
session. The small groups reported the following with the consensus marked by an arrow:

! Vision of equity must encompass equity and excellence ³

! Equity and Excellence for each and every student (all means all, 100% targets) ³
! Equity recognizes that the playing field is unequal and attempts to address the
inequity ³
! Equity is raising the achievement of all students, eliminating the predictability by
race and class of which student groups occupy the highest and lowest achievement
categories ³
! Maintain rigorous and high standards for all ³
! All students achieve high standards with appropriate opportunity, access, and
supports ³
! No gate keeping ³
! Recognition of societal, institutional race-based entitlement that impacts the district’s
policies, procedures, programs, and community perceptions
! Vision takes a belief that there can be excellence for every child
! We believe that differentiated resources and equal treatment ….
! Removal of institutional barriers ³

NEXT STEPS

• Review strategic plan to include polished two drafts on core values and equity
(Strategic Planning Committee)
• Board goes through the “study circle” process (officers)
• When will retreat be scheduled to continue this discussion of actions and agenda
scheduled for January 27, 2009 (Officers)
Board Minutes -3- January 26 and 27, 2009

• By when
1. Officers to work on core values and definition of equity by
February 28, 2009, prior to referral to the Strategic Planning
Committee
2. Study Circle options (2 - 3 hour session or 1 – 2 days); done by
March 31, 2009
3. Retreat by April 30, 2009, for continuation and followup

The retreat ended at 1:50 p.m. on January 27, 2009.

PRESIDENT

SECRETARY

JDW:gr