[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6534872,"mediaKeyId","3459706-a03caad1788106f1c58e6a3071f7f57a","parentId",3459706,"title","PGCPS advisory board urges changes on dedicated aides, reasonable accommodations and volunteer access","audioSeconds",4412,"startMs",3600000,"endMs",8012000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3459706-a03caad1788106f1c58e6a3071f7f57a&start=3600&end=8012","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3459706-a03caad1788106f1c58e6a3071f7f57a/thumbnail_3600000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6534872/Maryland/PGCPS-advisory-board-urges-changes-on-dedicated-aides-reasonable-accommodations-and-volunteer-access","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6534872-eedd4ce8d72b4cfa53288e0dc5a8f0e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771086863&Signature=mxv5MniBzWpyVNpiZeGHT-EJHABIxQgxaFtY~IcyAKn74B4UHOoz08Ooi9FQB6zhGD5JBEsr-0wdfRyDI4ids6ieKaOUtBVf7m7zyY~uvHTxU1xqJiw0UeEYYw1pW5LkqxZNfAWjjdJbrvGmv35ZmtLhPpIaynWDJuSvGRIZ1hbZs~IXRZmjkDBp6HQ4dKYrpuUZ8O8DMTula-Rj7WhQG3LSUja6Ey-MrKXIdEwzhO86K4Q4k1Uglt2T9T9e2Zt~TP5Q22Nk3TIMveFDcG6wtP4dXP68atf7WSgyPCDydxiP4o60D5h9gSNfH-J-gtsVUa4hx1joDtz4wLOqbkvzrA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Prince George's County Public Schools","date","2025-05-21T00:00:00Z","article","The Prince George's County Public Schools Disability Issues Advisory Board voted May 20 to forward a set of employment, hiring and volunteer-related recommendations to the Board of Education after subcommittee presentations that described persistent operational problems for students, staff and families.

Subcommittee findings and recommendations
- Dedicated aides: Rachel Doyle, presenting for the employment and hiring subcommittee, said dedicated aides (DAs) are frequently temporary roles paid at minimum wage (about $15 an hour), often without benefits or paid leave, little standardized training and unreliable scheduling. The subcommittee recommended making those positions benefit-eligible, offering robust paid training (including professional development days), deliberate recruitment efforts and considering converting or combining the DA role with other benefit-eligible categories (for example, instructional support positions) when appropriate.

- Hiring and HR transparency: The subcommittee asked the district to make hiring timelines and processes more transparent and recommended exploring practices used by nearby jurisdictions, such as promise letters to graduating student teachers. Members warned that slow or opaque hiring contributes to shortages in teachers and support staff, and that non-teaching staff (social workers, counselors, therapists) should be prioritized for recruitment and retention.

- Reasonable accommodations for staff: The subcommittee raised concern about long delays for staff accommodation determinations. \"For the first half of 2023, average days to determination stood at about 32 days... now it stands at more than a hundred days,\" Rachel Doyle said, citing a FOIA response obtained by the subcommittee. Members recommended a target maximum response time of about 30 days and suggested the report include metrics and quarterly reporting on accommodation timelines.

- Social-worker authority and legal vetting: Social workers said administrative practice requires many resource referrals to be vetted by the legal department, which can delay services. The subcommittee urged clearer guidance that allows trained professionals appropriate discretion to connect families to community resources while protecting legal compliance.

- Parent volunteers: The subcommittee reported that parents who complete fingerprinting and training sometimes remain \"in the black hole\" and do not appear in school volunteer rosters. Members recommended a system review to ensure schools receive and apply volunteer clearances; improve public-facing instructions (some schools already post step-by-step guidance); and consider administrative/technology changes so a volunteer clearance is visible to the school designated by the parent. The committee also recommended recognizing schools that effectively use parent volunteers.

Votes and formal actions
- Motion: Adopt the employment and hiring subcommittee's recommendations as presented. Mover: Rachel Doyle. Outcome: carried; the motion was amended on the floor to accept the recommendations \"as presented and considering the additional changes from the discussion\"; the amended motion carried with no objections.

Context and constraints
Subcommittee members noted that some recommended changes intersect with Board Policy 1,700 and broader policy changes the advisory board requested in a separate package. They urged concurrent planning: prepare HR-level solutions while the policy revision proceeds so operational fixes do not await formal policy adoption. Members also said some changes (for example, making temporary positions benefits-eligible) depend on comp and classification rules in human resources.

Clarifying details
- Dedicated aides: reported hourly pay cited in meeting: $15/hour; role often classified as temporary and lacks benefits.
- Accommodation timelines: subcommittee cited data from a FOIA request showing averages moved from roughly 32 days to over 100 days since mid-2023.
- Volunteer process: parents must complete fingerprinting, training and submit certificates; schools must confirm physical receipts in some cases; delays to fingerprinting appointments were reported as sometimes exceeding 45 days.

What remains to be done
The Board of Education must review and act on the recommendations the advisory board forwarded. The advisory board also requested clearer procedures and reporting metrics from central office (HR, legal and equity offices) and suggested quarterly reports on accommodation timeliness and volunteer processing.

Ending
Members said the recommended operational changes are meant to reduce service gaps for students and staff, improve retention of trained personnel, and make volunteer opportunities reliably available to families.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education Disability Issues Advisory Board Meeting May 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Subcommittees recommended making dedicated aide positions more stable and benefit-eligible, reducing staff accommodation response time to about 30 days, improving HR transparency and making volunteer access easier for parents; the advisory board approved sending the employment and hiring recommendations to the Board of Education.","taxTitle","Prince George's County Public Schools, School Boards, Maryland","taxId",14202,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6534876,"PGCPS disability advisory board to present two new names and wider policy scope to Board of Education",900,516000,1416000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3459706-a03caad1788106f1c58e6a3071f7f57a&start=516&end=1416","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3459706-a03caad1788106f1c58e6a3071f7f57a/thumbnail_516000.jpg","/articles/6534876/Maryland/PGCPS-disability-advisory-board-to-present-two-new-names-and-wider-policy-scope-to-Board-of-Education","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6534876-506d8ae45c0d2f793cbdeecc8e649210/orig.mp4?Expires=1771086863&Signature=cMGKftBIkte063XZUNhba-RTKgsz4sw2GCfayljgZnsByI9aVnnhRTe4WmuxvK0SHVqnN9JPWYkFfLzpMUg5PrOGxjsZdtrdP~l0NJXvK8GwI7EOurr-bdBUuFRN~rPccodV-a8Sg0h8-12gXVtLwPi6xNlRppgaUtt~I-46TrICpYawRVm4vAJMExBAeEtDU6wcchhhSsx-C30o6b-bCYihooCX~dEqLUpX8sOzsanWmRu2Ykwkb6xcXCH46gy1AkMHoXE-Q23YCU88L4EFDOudFkQfyyJ3yMytRTsqvOVd1-WWUTmCdGA~p9kK9y0Q7hy1VNvCsuiFUlDOOsKGow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Prince George's County Public Schools Disability Issues Advisory Board decided May 20 to present two proposed new names and a set of recommendations to the Board of Education aimed at expanding the board's official charge and updating related policies.

The advisory board voted to forward both proposed names ' \"Advisory Council on Disability Affairs\" and \"Advisory Board on Disability Rights\" ' to the Board of Education for consideration after earlier attempts to adopt a single new name failed. \"Our rationale is that the current name disability issues reflects, you know, a negative connotation,\" said Britney Patrick, the subcommittee lead who presented the renaming proposals. The board then approved a motion, without objections, to send both name options to the Board of Education for a decision.

The board also approved moving a package of recommendations intended to expand and clarify Board Policy 1,700. The subcommittee recommended explicitly adding authority for the advisory board to review and advise on free appropriate public education (IDEA), Section 504 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, electronic and information technology accessibility (Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act), physical accessibility (Architectural Barriers Act and ADA), employment issues under Title I and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, and seclusion and restraint issues under IDEA and ADA.

Why it matters: the current policy (BP 1,700) is short and, members said, out of date, limiting the advisory board's ability to address civil-rights and programmatic issues affecting students and employees. \"The existing policy is limited in that it does not allow the current board to really address any challenges facing students directly,\" Patrick said during the meeting.

Details and supporting points
- Scope and authorities: The recommendations explicitly name IDEA, Section 504, the ADA, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Architectural Barriers Act as within the advisory board's purview. The subcommittee said these additions would allow the board to address student discipline, accommodations, digital accessibility and facility accessibility in a unified policy framework.
- Reporting and governance: The subcommittee recommended more flexible but prescriptive reporting, including minimum reporting standards and the establishment of bylaws (including adoption of Robert's Rules of Order) and clear compliance with Maryland's Open Meetings Act.
- Membership and continuity: Proposals include staggered appointment terms to avoid wholesale turnover, and adding a compliance specialist seat versed in IDEA compliance (or otherwise ensuring the compliance officer role covers the broader laws cited).
- Coordination with CCAC: Members asked the board to clarify roles between the Disability Issues Advisory Board (DIAB) and the Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (CCAC) to avoid duplication. CCAC is a required advisory body under IDEA; DIAB members said policy clarity is needed so the groups' work complements rather than overlaps.
- Request to expedite: The subcommittee asked the Board of Education to expedite review and revision of BP 1,700 because the policy currently references outdated county and federal material, according to members.

Facility access and FAPE
Subcommittee members reported site visits and accessibility concerns at specific schools, including DuVal High School's athletic field and bleachers, and urged the system to correct physical-access barriers. The board recorded an Office of General Counsel response, shared at the meeting, that an inaccessible building alone does not always constitute a denial of FAPE under IDEA; the counsel gave the example that a student could be provided library materials if the library itself were inaccessible. Subcommittee members said that legal technicalities should not normalize continued inaccessibility and that the county should pursue accessible facilities as a standard of equity.

Votes and formal actions
- Motion: Rename Disability Issues Advisory Board to \"Advisory Council on Disability Affairs.\" Outcome: failed (1 aye; 6 nays; 3 abstentions). Recorded by roll call.
- Motion: Rename Disability Issues Advisory Board to \"Advisory Board on Disability Rights.\" Outcome: not carried (vote counted but noted as short of the required threshold).
- Motion: Present both proposed names to the Board of Education for consideration. Outcome: carried (no objections).
- Motion: Move forward to present the subcommittee's recommended revisions to Board Policy 1,700 (scope, reporting, staggered terms, compliance seat, bylaws, clarity with CCAC). Outcome: carried (no objections).

What was not decided
The Board of Education must still act. The advisory board voted only to forward names and policy recommendations for the board's consideration; the school system and Board of Education will retain final authority to adopt changes to policy, names, or formal governance.

Next steps
Members said they plan to prepare the materials for the Board of Education meeting, tentatively in June, and asked the board office to expedite the policy revision queue. Chair Stephanie Blackwell and Board liaison Board member Brown said they will confirm presentation logistics with the Board of Education office.

Ending note
Members emphasized that improved policy language would enable the advisory board to address both building accessibility and a wider set of civil-rights and programmatic concerns for students and staff.
","The Disability Issues Advisory Board voted to forward two proposed new names and a package of recommended changes to Board Policy 1,700 — including expanding the board's charge to cover IDEA, Section 504, Section 508 and related accessibility laws — and to request an expedited review of the policy.","actionData","errors"]

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PGCPS advisory board urges changes on dedicated aides, reasonable accommodations and volunteer access

PGCPS disability advisory board to present two new names and wider policy scope to Board of Education