001The time is now 6:04. The chairman would like to inform the public. that the Spanish interpretation is available by clicking the globe at the bottom of the screen. Could the Spanish interpreter assist with translating the announcement? Aga clique en Ecer Globo y seleccione espanol. tocal language interpretation, toque Spanish. Thank you. Good evening and welcome to the April 15th Prince George's County Board of Education Virtual Boundary public hearing. I am Brandon Jackson, Chairman of the Prince George's County Board of Education. Thank you all for joining us. For anyone unable to join us live, this meeting is being recorded and will be available for later viewing on the PGCPS YouTube channel. In keeping with the Board's rule procedures Section 4 Internet meetings, the Internet Standing Rules are as follows. Keep that video on. Board members should keep
002that video on and remain on cameras at all times. Um, treat their microphones on mute until recognized by the chairman, raise their hand icon, and wait to be recognized by the chairman. Mute their microphone to speak, and unmute when speaking. Uh, members may speak twice on any motion. Failure to adhere to the internet standing rules will result in the members being removed until the members can rejoin with the rules and adhere to. For recording purposes, the Chairman reminds all to ensure their microphones are muted when not speaking and turned on when speaking for recording purposes. Before we proceed, the chairman reminds everyone to adjust their wireless communication devices to prevent technical interference with meeting recording. Please ensure all microphones are muted until the chairman grants you the floor. Lastly, the line policy 8345 public comment.
003It is established that the public can register on-site for public hearings until the public is notified of the testimony registration form is closed. The Chairman wishes to inform. the public that the registration link for tonight's will remain open till 6.05. Well, it's now 6.06 to accommodate additional comments. To register, please visit the link displayed on the bottom of the screen. Ms. Ms. Woodridge, would you please take the role? Ms. Ajukai? Ms. Ajekaya? Dr. Anderful? Miss Boozer Struther? Mr. Briggs. Present. Mrs. Brown. Miss Goins McCants? here. Mrs. Jackson Saunders. Doctor Moss? Present. Mrs. Olivo. Mr. Jackson. There are 9 present. Here. Thank you, Miss Woodridge. If there's no objection to April 15th, 2026 meeting agenda will be adopted. There being no objection. April 15th meeting agenda is adopted. presentation. Now the chairman recognizes Dr. Joseph, uh,
004for the proposed charter contract revocation of friendship education foundation. Thank you, Board Chair Jackson. This evening we present for your consideration the proposed revocation of Prince George's County Public Schools contract with the Friendship Education Foundation, operator of Friendship Aspire STEM Academy. This public hearing follows the Board's March 6th vote to initiate the Charter Revocation process in accordance with Maryland law, board policy, and COMAR. Throughout this process, we have maintained transparency and open communication, including a family information session on April 8th, and this evening's public hearing to gather stakeholder input. If approved for revocation, the district will meet with each family individually to provide assistance with enrollment and next steps. Work with staff on placement, and offer individualized transition support. To minimize disruption and ensure continuity of learning for all students, we're creating enrollment options that
005allow families to select their top three school choices, whether charters or traditional schools. We recognize the impact of this decision and remain committed to supporting students, staff, and families. So at this time, I'll turn it over to Dr. Carletta Morrow, our Chief of School Support, and Siobhan Hall-Smith, our Instructional Director for Charter Schools. Thank you. Good evening, everyone. Cindy, are you going to play the presentation, or should we do it? All right. Thank you. All right. I think no problem. You guys can go ahead and play. I'm gonna turn it over to Siobhan Hall, who's going to start us off with the presentation. Good evening, everyone. I am joined this evening by Jubilee Ransom, our charter school liaison. We will begin the presentation shortly. show. Yeah, I'm having. Hold on one moment. Everyone, please pardon
006this delay. I'm just having a little difficulty with bringing this presentation up here. It will be on shortly. It's on, there you are. Okay. Okay, I can't see it from here. Is everyone able to see the screen? Okay. Okay, thank you. All right. So thank you so much, everyone, for joining us this evening. We are here to present and give an overview of the supports that have been provided to the Friendship Educational Foundation in their operation of Friendship Aspire public charter school. We are joined this evening, of course, by our interim superintendent, Dr. Joseph, our Chief of schools, Dr. Merrill. Myself, Siobhan Hall-Smith, and our charter school liaison, Jubilee Ransom. Okay. So it is important to note that in alignment with our school district's expectations, we believe that every child deserves a world-class education. It's
007important to know that when our school district approved the charter application for the Friendship Educational Foundation. They too aligned with this expectation. The purpose of tonight's presentation is to ensure that the public is aware of the supports that have been provided, not only to the school, but also to the families of the students that attend. Next slide, please. So with that in mind, it's important for us to recognize what is a charter agreement. First and foremost, it is a promise to our students to ensure that when the charter is granted an opportunity to operate a school in our school district by our Board of Education, the purpose is for the school to provide a high quality educational experience. With that in mind, the agreement that our school district entered, or the contract as it is
008referred, that our school district entered with the Friendship Educational Foundation, it was shared that the school, by way of the operator, would provide a world-class STEM education. to our youngest learners. Our expectation as a school district was in exchange for public funding, the charter operator would maintain and implement this unique model, including the actualization of its charter mission, while also providing a stable learning environment for our elementary school students. It's also important to know that a key component of a charter contract is to ensure that the charter operator remains in legal compliance with the terms outlined in its contract. Next slide, please. So, with this in mind, we're going to walk through the steps that we have taken as a school district to continue to support not only friendship, the school, but also the operator,
009and the families of the students who attend. So, step one, in alignment with COMAR. We had our March board meeting in which the board accepted our interim superintendent's recommendation to begin the charter revocation process. We note that this is in alignment with COMAR and with Section 21E of the Charter Operators Contract. It is also in alignment with administrative procedure 3506. Once that recommendation was accepted, the charter office with support and guidance from our Chief of schools, we had a family information session on April 8th. The purpose of this session was to outline what this process means for families. and walk the families who were in attendance with the process of charter revocation, and in the event that the board makes a decision to revoke the charter, what supports would be provided to families at Friendship
010Aspire. At this meeting, we worked with our Office of Student Enrollment Services, formerly known as Pupil Accounting, to outline all of the necessary steps and how our school district would continue to help and support our families. Families were then given the opportunity to ask questions about the process. And what would happen if the school would remain opened, and also if the school would close. Also, during this meeting, it was shared with families that at that time, less than 30 families had accepted seats to Friendship Aspire. for school year 27. Additionally, following that meeting, we shared a question and answer, or FAQ, with all families, and also outlined the process, again, that was outlined during our meeting. We are now at step 3, which is tonight's public hearing, where we'll have an opportunity to hear from
011stakeholders about their position as it relates to the vote that our board will take during the April board meeting. This is important because we know that this is a part of Kalmar before any step is taken to possibly close a school, it is important to have community and stakeholder feedback before moving forward. Next slide, please. So I will now turn it over to Jubilee Ransom. Good evening. I'm so not used to Zoom anymore. Excuse me. This is actually covering my screen. Hold on. Okay. So this slide is really about the sorts of support we have provided both to the operator and to the school, which has been exhaustive. Okay, so the recommendation for revocation comes only after extensive, ongoing district interventions failed to yield functional improvements from the operator. Right? Monthly monitoring was conducted. Comprehensive
012on-site monthly evaluation, uh, took place. by way of site visits, verbal written feedback, professional development sessions, both with the operator and with the school principal. There was weekly on-site coaching, uh, provided directly coaching every week since July 2025. Uh, there were over 50 touchpoints. There was a notice of concern that was given in September of 2025, outlining the specific areas that needed to be addressed and remedied. And then after that were, uh, two notices of probation, an initial probation and a probation extension that was, uh, shared, uh, again, to provide another opportunity to cure the issues that were deficient. So, we are committed to ensuring continuity and minimizing disruption. So the school will remain fully open and operational through the end of the current academic year. Okay, and that is June 30th, 2026. Of course,
013we still have district oversight. Pgcps personnel are actively providing oversight to ensure daily instruction, special education services, and building safety remain completely intact. And if the vote should… choose to be… I'm sorry, if the board chooses to, uh, vote to revoke this agreement. We are ensuring that there will be an orderly transition. behind the scenes, we're working together to figure out all of the logistics, um, for the transfer of student records, final grades, special education, coordination directly with the new schools. Siobhan. Thank you. So we're now walking through the process of what would happen. It's important to note that as we are looking at this particular slide, when we get to step 4, step 4 will only be enacted in the event that the board votes to revoke the charter. So, of course, we begin
014with tonight. When we are not only reviewing any records or documents by way of written or verbal feedback that will be shared tonight from the community. Next week. Uh, we will continue to support families through outreach. Uh, we will begin the process of scheduling one-on-one, uh, family transition meetings if. There is a vote for charter revocation. We want to ensure that our families receive, uh, what our district is known best for, and that's giving that one-on-one support to families. Additionally, uh, we are continuing to provide ongoing support along with. Oversight to make sure that as we are navigating this process, the school is still receiving the support from our school district and the operators are continuing to be, uh. to be held accountable as all operators are in our school districts. As I've shared, June
01530th, I've put that there as a caveat. If there is a positive… if there is a vote, excuse me, for the school to close, this will be the last day of operation for the school. In advance of June 30th, like I've said, all district teams will come together to provide that support to ensure an orderly closure. and a transition of all student records, but most importantly, making sure that our students are placed in new schools before the end of the school year. And with that in mind, at this point, we will turn it over to begin the public comments. Well, actually, first we have here, um, where we're gonna turn it over to the board members to ask questions for the presentation. So, board members, um, do you have any questions? It's a it's a
016linear graph here, so I can't really see any hands. But board members, if there's any board members with questions, please raise your hands. or speak out. We have no hands up. Say that one more time, Cindy? We have no hands up. All right. Thank you. All right. And is there no questions? If there's no objection, we will move past the recess and go to agenda item 6.2. The time is now. 623. And the Prince George's County. Welcome to the April 15th, 2026 Prince George County Board of Education. uh, public hearing. to those of you joining us for the first time, I am Brandon Jackson, Chairman of the Prince George's County Board of Education. Thank you for participating in tonight's public hearing. So at this time, we'll hear from public commenters. The chairman requests that all
017speakers ensure that the name used register for public comment tonight matches the name that they're logged into under the meeting. You will see a pop-up message asking you a question. You have to select the button to join as a panelist to speak. The chairman recognizes the registered speakers for public comments. public commenters. You are allotted 3 min to share your remarks or questions and receive answers. Speaking time may not be transferred to another individual. Speakers are expected to refrain from using profanity or derogatory language. A warning will be issued once. Continued misconduct may result in a speaker being muted or removed from the meeting to support professional and courteous environment, speakers are encouraged to refer to individuals by their title, such as chair, superintendent, etc. We had a total of 19 comments received, 16 were
018written and three individuals have signed up to speak tonight. Our first speaker is Anoa Banjari. Judge Jackson, who we have the presenter stop sharing? Cindy, are we, uh, do we see Miss Banjari? Banner energy. She is in him. She's the… yeah, she's over now. Go ahead. Good evening, Chairman Jackson and members of the board. My name is Ohona Banerjee, and I'm a parent of a kindergarten student at Friendship Aspire Bowie. As we sit here today on the actual tax deadline date, I am reminded how much families like mine contribute to the state of Maryland, and we do that because we believe in public education and in a system that is supposed to center students and families in their decisions. But through this process, I have to be honest. It does not feel like we have
019been fully considered in the decision to close Friendship Aspire Buoy. The school has been open for just 18 months. That is a very short window for any school to establish itself, adjust, and succeed. Last year, another charter school in the county closed as well. When these decisions happened back to back, it is sending a clear message that specialty education is not a priority in this county. I want to reflect on what occurred at the last board meeting. A comment was made. Shame on you, friendship aspire leadership. Yet, there was no acknowledgement of the parents and students who showed up that day, advocating for the school and in need of support in light of this decision. Accountability matters. I agree with that, but accountability does not begin and end with the school alone. The board, the
020city of Bowie, PG County, and the state made the decision to open this school with the longer term goal of elevating education here. And they share responsibility for its success. And it's failure. If a school is deemed unsuccessful after only 18 months, we must ask. Were adequate resources provided? Was there sufficient support? Was there truly enough time? Or is the board acting quickly, placing blame instead of asking if they were even set up for success to begin with? Now, I do want to acknowledge and say to the board, I appreciate the steps that you've taken in the last 2 weeks to hear us out, listen to our voices, open the transfer window, provide free school choice for affected families. But I need to be clear. Choice limited only by seat availability is not meaningful choice.
021In moving so quickly, the burden to make quick decisions on my child's future has me scrambling to find suitable alternatives. This burden is felt across all the families and children affected. Our children, they're not line items. They're not transition plans. They're not transfer seats. They are scholars who deserve stability, high education standards, and a system that truly sees them. I urge the board to reconsider, just not this decision, but the signal it is sending about whose education is valued in Prince George County. Thank you for your time. Thank you, Miss Vanessa Tyson. Commscheck? ComShek, can you hear me? Awesome. Good morning. Good, um, evening, Board and Superintendent. My name is Vanessa, and I am here to discuss the crisis that we're facing and this whiplash experience. So last time we spoke, I kind of spoke
022from a place in which I was hoping that there could be empathy and understanding. And I don't think that it was met with that. But now I would like to start with the question that I asked. previously during Excel's closure was to introduce bills or legislation or something that could safeguard families that were affected. So I would like to share something that I drafted. No, not ChatGPT, but myself, drafted with the support of tools. So, it's an act concerning student stability and guarded. school, um, guarded school placement for the purpose of establishing guarded placement mandating for students impacted by abrupt closures. So what I'm asking for in this document is that when any school is closed before a full academic year, that there is a guaranteed. preferred choice for parents to pick from. I would
023like to see that take place. I know I was told that that's not likely, but I believe that there is a responsibility from the Board of Education who made the decision to bring these businesses and or these schools into the county. That decision was made by the county. It was made by the charter, so therefore, we cannot transfer that burden onto the families and the students, and I would like to give grace, but because this is. trending as… as the way of doing business going forward. I really want to force the issue, I really want to get people involved, such as the board, and I want to ensure that I get to pick where my kid goes to school in the following school year. And I also would like to figure out how I can
024share my proposed thoughts with you, Mr. Brandon Jackson, or, um, I'm sorry, I don't know your exact position, but if I can share directly with you and even have a conversation with you. Further about those impacts, and also the mental health and therapy needed, and if the state could fund it, I think that would be even more appreciated. But I appreciate your time, and I hope that you can respond. Thank you. Thank you. Cindy, can you put her in the chat and get her information offline? Uh, Imani Timberlake. Hi, I'm here, can you all hear me? Okay, great. Thank you. Yes. Well, greetings to the board, to staff, and the friendship community. My name is Imani Timberlake. I'm coming to you all as a concerned parent. I'm concerned about the school, the future of our
025children, and the options within the county. So this was my first interaction with PGCPS, because I'm originally from Long Beach, California, but I'm choosing to raise my children here in PG County, Maryland. Um, the clothes in A Friendship Aspire, for me, um, is devastating. We have become a small but mighty community. Although we started off with such a negative introduction last year, we've blossomed into something far more positive. Um, watching it come to such an abrupt end seems a little bit premature. I understand that the school experienced challenges prior to December 2025 that caused confusion and discord in the community. Unfortunately, a lot of that can be attributed to the prior operator, but the changes in January 2026 to the leadership in the Friendships Board and the school's operator have led to really meaningful and
026visible improvements. I also want to recognize and thank Principal Dr. Campbell for her steady leadership, consistent presence, and commitment to both students and families during this time. I urge the board to reconsider closure and explore partnership or support strategies to allow the school to continue growing. It seems that another path could be taken over the closure, especially if the school is starting to show improvement. My kindergartner Cassius, he loves the school. He has developed such a thirst for learning, and he can't get enough of math and science in particular. He loves doing homework and often asks me to go to school on both Saturday and Sunday. the school could truly become something great, and I think the board should consider partnering with the school to ensure that the children and parents of this county have
027another educational resource with a STEM focus. Closing the school leaves a really big void, so what's next? If closure remains the decision, I urge the board to present a clear and timely plan to expand STEM focus opportunities in the county. to fill the gap that is now going to be further exacerbated by the closure of the school. Stem options in the county are very limited, and our children in this highly taxed area are not receiving the rigorous education on the cutting edge of technology like they should. Establishing a strong STEM educational foundation will allow our children to be strong candidates. for high earning STEM careers in the future. The future of our children depends on the board's ability to ensure our kids have access to these resources. So if the decision is to close and
028not partner with Friendship, I ask the board to devise a plan and bring more STEM options or STEM-focused charter schools to the county to make sure that our kids have that access. Our children deserve access, opportunity, and a future rooted in innovation. I urge you to keep that at the center of your decision-making, and I thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you. Thank you all, all of the participants for commenting tonight. Thank you all for watching and joining us. There being no further business. The time is now 634, and the April 15th, 2026 Prince George's County Board of Education Virtual Boundary public hearing is adjourned. Have a good