Reminders & Minutes from 6/29 GEPA Meeting

Reminders:

Parents of elementary gifted students: there is a meeting to review the gifted transition plan at 7 PM Thursday, July 1 at GES.

http://blogs.glnd.k12.va.us/teachers/cforeman/2010/06/02/july-1st-meeting/

http://www.glnd.k12.va.us/index/news/gifted_transition_plan/

All Goochland citizens are invited to attend the July 6^th BOS meetings at 3 & 7 PM. The agenda has not yet been published, but we are aware that there will be an agenda item related to recent issues in the running of the school system. We’ll post the agenda as soon as it is published.

All Goochland citizens are invited to attend the July 13^th School Board meeting at 7 PM at GHS. The agenda has not yet been published, but we will post it as soon as it is.

Minutes of the GEPA General Meeting, June 29, 2010, 7 PM at Rocco’s

The meeting was called to order by GEPA Chairperson Jo D Hosken at 7:08 PM.

There were no changes to the agenda.

Beth Hardy, a parent of children in Goochland schools, presented a petition begun by parents concerned about the actions of the school board and superintendent in recent months. The petition is being circulated in hard copy and online at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/goochlandschools/ . This petition will be presented to the Board of Supervisors on July 6^th, to the school board on July 13^th, and to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE).

Penny Palen, a parent of children in Goochland schools, shared information about what options citizens have in regards to the school board and issues we’ve faced. The current school board has 18 months remaining in office. Citizens have a legal option to petition the circuit court to remove a school board member from office. The petition must provide the signatures of the number of voting-eligible residents equivalent to 10% of the number of votes cast in the previous election. (So if a school board member received 800 votes, the petition must contain at least 80 signatures). A period of Q&A followed on the subject of what it would take to make this petition. The relevant code is here: § 24.2-233. Removal of elected and certain appointed officers by courts.

Jane Christie, a parent of children in Goochland schools and Vice Chair of GEPA, shared information on what recourse citizens have in regards to the school superintendent. Section 22.1-65 of the Code of Virginia provides that a Superintendent can be fined, suspended from office for a limited period or removed from office by either the Board of Education (VDOE), upon recommendation of the Superintendent of Schools (Dr. Patricia Wright), or by the school board for sufficient cause. GEPA is collecting a list of issues/grievances with superintendent Underwood to share at the July 6^th Board of Supervisors meeting and with the VDOE.

Other parents shared their concerns and ideas with the group.

In closing, parents and teachers were invited to share any issues and concerns with the schools with GEPA. You may communicate in complete confidence with the GEPA Board at board@goochlandparents.com.

Some follow-up facts:

In the minutes of the meeting this week, you will note that a certain percentage of registered voters must sign the petitions to remove school board members. Here are the actual vote counts for the current board members from the 2007 election:

DISTRICT / TOTAL VOTES / # OF REGISTERED VOTERS WHO MUST SIGN

PETITION (10-15%)

District 1: Haskell 788 total votes 79-118 registered voters

District 2: Miller 771 total votes 78-117 registered voters

District 3: Maddox 773 total votes 78-117 registered voters

District 4: Meng 922 total votes 93-138 registered voters

District 5: Cisne 1279 total votes 130-190 registered voters