001So, so, so we're we're back. So, we don't have our full range of technology, but we will be recording and we will upload um upload the meeting after the meeting is concluded. Uh we're not streaming as you know. So, we'll do the best we can. So, we have to call, you know, a quick audible. Um, we're going to forego uh forego the rest of the questions, I think, and uh we're going to move over into uh the superintendent uh consent agenda items. Um if that's okay. >> Sure. >> All right. And then we'll come we did have a presentation, but we don't have audio to um display the presentation. I mean the visuals to display the presentation. So, we'll have to come back at come back to that at a different time. Um, but we
002can continue with the consent agenda items. >> Thank you, Bo Chair Jackson. At this time, I'd recommend that the board approve consent agenda items 17.1 through 17.22. Thank you. Uh board members, would you like to pull any of the agenda items for discussion under general orders? Note that pulling an item does not denote a no. It indicates desire to discuss further. And I want to check with board member Jackson Sanders. You good down there? Because I know your light isn't working too well. Um so if there is no objection, the percentage in item 17.1 through 17.22 22 um will be adopted. Okay. No unfinished business. Okay. So now we do want to move to general orders. Uh so 19.1 uh transportation bus patrol contract. The chairman recognizes Dr. Joseph to present on general order agenda
00319.1 for board approval. >> Thank you. Thank you. I recommend that the board approve uh agenda item 19.1 at this time. >> Okay. Board members, are there any questions about transportation for bus patrol? The bus patrol contract. All right. The first light I did see was board uh Vice Chair Briggs. >> Yes. And uh that's actually probably perfect for audio. Um I just had a few questions about the changes to the contract and we talked about this before. Um I know that one of the pieces can you do a few highlights of what are some of the changes to the contract from previous cycle? >> Yes. Thank you so much board member Briggs for that opportunity. So in this contract, we will be uh using a uh publicly and competitively bid national cooperative uh as
004the procurement vehicle uh to ensure that we have competitive pricing that we were then able to negotiate with bus patrol to get the best possible pricing for PGCPS. In addition, the uh technology fee that supports the uh program, because this is a costneutral program for PGCPS, we were able to negotiate a more than half uh reduction uh of that fee from $400 per bus to $172 per bus. In addition, we were able to strengthen the data privacy uh uh contract terms for PGCPS to ensure that PGCPS owns all of the data that is generated under this bus patrol contract and that the data is encrypted and must align to FURPA and uh uh MPIA uh compliance. In addition, this contract does need full board appro need board approval in order to move forward. The contract
005changes the subcontracted partners to the agreement. So under the previous iteration in 2021, the transfinder routing system was subcontracted under bus patrol. In this iteration, we are utilizing bus planner as our routing system and it is a wholly separate contract. So, we are still able to generate uh or have a costneutral program, but we're able to get more competitive pricing by splitting the contract separately. We also are able to enhance our GPS location um uh ability by shifting from Zonar to Geotab. And then finally, we were able to split out the revenue authority as the stop arm camera enforcement partner so that we could look at the terms um separately through anou. >> Okay. And I really appreciate that. I know the other piece was that I've heard about is the procurement um and I
006know you we want to just be transparent here. So, how does the tips procurement approach address the findings identified in the legislative audit? >> Yeah, thank you so much. I'm actually going to call up our procurement supervisor, Mr. Will Smith to speak to that directly. >> Yes. So the the TIPS contract is is different from what was utilized uh on under the the first effort. Uh the audit findings uh called out that that although we were basing the agreement the the agreement that we're referencing on uh one that was issued under a different municipality, the procedural approach that was taken was was found to be lacking. So by using the tips uh that is allowing the school district to avail itself to uh a substantiated competitive process. Uh there are public notice requirements in terms
007of uh being able to open the the solicitation to um as many participants are qualified to to submit under under that that category. Um and then uh it it allows for alignment and consistency uh in in terms of the requirements of of a public procurement um for notice period. Um the uh ability to have the clear statement of the um catalog price reductions. Uh it meets all the criterias that are consistent with with Maryland law and and that is what allows us to be able to to um to avail ourselves to that contract. >> And can you just clarify? I know there's the intergovernmental cooperative purchasing agreement which is that what we're currently on is that the the writer? >> Yes. So that that that is a a blanket terminology that explains our ability to
008avail ourselves to uh the results of a another um public entity's procurement process. >> Okay. Okay. Um thank you for that. Okay. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions, board members? Okay. So, the question come on me. Come on. All right. Nice quick. >> Uh I'm sorry. I I guess I'm the only person with questions here, but um the last piece I did want to ask was do you think the no bid contract um is in the best interest of PGCPS? >> So again, so again to clarify, I'm going to ask Mr. Alex, Mr. Smith to come back out one more time to talk about the competitive process under tips and that it does avail itself as a approved methodology that gives us competitive pricing. >> Yeah. So it's to clarify the term it's PGCPS
009itself did not open or solicit bids but the the ICPA process is a bid process. So um offers of services submit their proposals and they're evaluated by uh an evaluation panel uh for competitiveness of of the rates of the services, the quality of the services. They also solicit uh as a part of that that vetting uh for any past performance letters of recommendation. So as a procurement specialist, you're able to review all of the uh the artifacts of that process. So there there are bids. It's just it it is I don't want to say outsourced but it is it has already been performed on your behalf and you can avail yourself to the results of those uh before making an informed decision of of of do you want to avail yourself to those services. >>
010Okay. And I want to do my due diligence. The last question that I had from the media was just was how was the technology fee negotiated? How what's the transparency behind that piece? >> Certainly. Right. So the technology fee is not necessarily negotiated. It's tied into the cost and the maintenance of the camera systems. Uh we have about 14 cameras on the inside and outside of the bus that have to be managed. And so with that uh is part of that fee in addition with the one contractor with the geotabs that cost is included. And so, um, not necessarily negotiated, but it's tied into what the source is and the re the the the resource of what you're utilizing the system for. >> So, is that a flat fee or is it just like it's
011or is there some formula for how you >> Well, it has always been I think it's more of of a flat fee. >> Okay. All right. Thank you so much. The question is, shall the Prince George's County Board of Education adopt general order agenda item 19.1? >> Any discussion? >> Okay, Miss Johnson, please call the role. >> Miss Ajakay, >> I. >> Dr. Ander, >> I. >> Miss Boozer, >> I >> Mr. Briggs, >> I >> Mrs. Brown >> I >> Miss McCants >> I >> Mrs. Jackson Saunders >> I >> Dr. Moss >> I >> Mrs. Olivo >> I >> and Mr. Jackson >> I >> there are 10 in affirmative. >> The general order 19.1 is adopted. Moving on to 19.2. The chairman recognizes Dr. Joseph to present the general order agenda 19.2
012for board approval. >> Thank you. And uh due to a a perceived a potential conflict of of interest, I'm asking um Dr. Kadamaro and Liz Faison to um uh address this particular item. Thank you. >> I recommend the board to approve agenda item 19.2 and I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Faison to share additional information. >> Good evening. this particular um RFP, this particular RFP regarding a behavioral framework um regarding drug prevention and multi-tered systems of support um with Prince George's County Public Schools for the very first time um was conducted through a procurement process. There were five evaluators through an interdisciplinary team who scored technical um applications from all of the vendors. Additionally, this team scored demonstrations that were conducted by each of the partners. Additionally, we received costs analysis um and
013scope of work and were able to evaluate according to what PGCPS was looking for in the solicitation and the match of this particular um vendor. And so, um, according to the results, the, um, seven mindsets was the organization that scored the highest by over at least 10, uh, points of any of the other uh, vendors who provided um, an application or a demonstration. This particular vendor will allow us an opportunity to interweave what the blueprint is looking for regarding multi-tered systems of support and a process for us to identify, screen as well as provide interventions and monitor the progress of our students. And so this particular um seven mindsets uh will allow the system to have evidence-based interventions, drug prevention, social emotional learning um as well as realtime dashboards that will allow principles and schools
014to see how students are engaging in the platform as well as technical integration. And it will also provide professional development modules for our teachers um so that they also are building capacity around how to build relationships with students and also provide adequate and appropriate interventions for our students. And so we are happy to uh present this night that we have followed the procurement processes and an interdisciplinary team agrees through our scoring that this is the uh platform that will allow our um suspensions in hopes of reducing our suspensions, improving chronic absenteeism, culture and climate in our schools and also ensure that we're supporting academic um and behavioral interventions for our students. >> Thank you. Board members, do we have any questions? >> Board member WA Shrether. >> Thank you so much. Uh thank you Dr.
015Faison. Um does this talk to the parent view app, the MTSS in parent view? this particular um seven mindsets um will be integrated with our student information system and so after this uh process is approved we will begin that integration um through uh IT systems it is also a web-based solution so students have an opportunity to take courses as we do with uh um safe schools um it allows us to really extend our hands beyond um teachers standing in front of students. That is one option, but also students can um self-direct according to an assessment, take the courses that they need as well. So, it will integrate with our um student information system. >> All right. Thank you. And then I have a follow-up question on where the lines of privacy are like because some
016of this is like in health care. So like I know like Kaiser once your child turns a certain age they have their own private app to have discussions with their physician. is that what what are what are those lines in PGCPS around some of the you know the drug addiction or other issues they bring to the school resources adults and the and is it do parents know like is it all going to be reported back in parent view >> that that particular information will not be reported back into parent view and as we continue to roll out and work with it um as well as the vendor we will know more about um the capability of uh the information. I'll say this, um, this particular vendor was vetted by our instructional technology department to ensure
017just some of the, um, securities and precautions that you're referencing um, around our safety for our students and what information is [snorts] shared and provided. It is not our goal that students are off um engaging in information that would be harmful which is why this app has been vetted and it is in several large school systems and they are making gains. >> Thank you >> board member Jackson Saunders. >> Thank you Mr. Chair. Dr. Faison. Um, this particular program has [clears throat] definitely has one aspect which I consider important and that's the educator well-being component because it takes in consideration our educators um and administrators as well. I do want to know however if a school based on its climate and culture is already using an approved evidence-based program whatever it may be um will
018they be required to abandon that tool in order to use this one? That's a really good question and I think what we have striven to do with this particular um RFP really is to come into alignment as a system. We have so many solutions. We have um programs. We have just um a a variety of things that schools are doing. And what I'm not uh clear on is the effectiveness of those things. And so I think your question requires us to come back and have conversations really about how that should be handled. um as far as schools abandoning something that may be working um is one thing, but I think for us it is the intention to roll this out across the school system for every single student and staff member um to have access
019to um and grow from the benefit of what these strategies and interventions um will provide. >> Dr. Moss. Um, thank you Dr. Faison for one clarifying for the public some of these these um concerns that folks might have around privacy and security. Also, thank you for clarifying the steps that you all took to ensure that we followed board policy um around procurement. Um, however, I know the superintendent started this conversation acknowledging um perhaps a per what what could be perceived as a conflict of interest. I think for the sake of the general public, it's important for us to outline what that perceived conflict is and the necessary steps we took to mitigate that to ensure it wasn't possible. So perhaps the superintendent might be able to speak to it. >> Absolutely. Thank you for the
020question. Uh on when I uh took the job on June 27th of last year, uh I had uh worked with uh seven minds since I was a consultant and I had stock in the company. Uh when we when I took this job, I immediately met with our legal counsel, our uh office of integrity and our internal audit office and they advised that I liquidate uh the stock which was done and and sent that to the board uh and also you know no longer uh engaged uh with them. So you know there's no conflict but the fact that I did work with them I thought it was important for the public uh to communicate that. >> Yeah, I appreciate that level of clarity. I just wanted to ask it so the public could hear what it
021is and thank you for clarifying that you no longer work with them. You liquidated whatever assets you had um for the work. Thank you. [clears throat and cough] >> All right. Thank you. Um moving [clears throat] forward. Um is there any further discussion for uh items 19.2? All righty. Thank you. Uh, Miss Johnson, please take the role. >> Miss Alakay, >> I. >> Dr. Anderfold, >> I. >> Miss Boozer Shrether, >> I >> Mr. Briggs, >> I >> Mrs. Brown, >> I >> Miss Goins McC >> I, >> Mrs. Jackson Saunders, >> I, >> Dr. Moss, >> I, >> Mrs. Olivo, >> I, >> and Mr. Jackson, >> I. There are 10 in the affirmative. >> All right. Item 19.2 is adopted. Um adjourned. Thank thank you all for joining us tonight meeting for tonight's
022meetings to our online viewers. Um well we don't have any online viewers right now but uh this meeting will be uploaded after the the conclusion of this meeting. Um so thank you all for joining us tonight. Uh have a blessed evening. Good night.