The Baltimore County school board broke with tradition yesterday and held its annual retreat in public, discussing such topics as the superintendent's goals for this academic year and what to have for dinner during its regular meetings.
While the board did not take any official action, the decision to open at least a portion of the retreat marked a sharp contrast from years past.
Last year's retreat -- a five-hour meeting at the home of then-board President Paul S. Cunningham -- drew criticism after minutes of the closed meeting were accidentally published and revealed that members had conducted a variety of school board business in private.
Yesterday, the board met in a conference room at the Burkshire in Towson, spending 4 1/2 hours in open session before voting to go into closed session to discuss personnel matters.
With students beginning classes today in Baltimore County, Superintendent Anthony G. Marchione briefly described to board members his top three priorities for the 1997-1998 school year: Improving student achievement.
Maintaining a safe and orderly learning environment in schools.
Using resources effectively and efficiently.
"There isn't anything sacred in the way we've been doing things in the past," Marchione said. "Is the money being spent to help student achievement? We're going to focus on that this year and make sure that it is."
Other school systems opening today are those in Anne Arundel, Carroll and Howard counties. Harford County schools open Sept. 2 and those in Baltimore City open Sept. 3.
The Baltimore school system plans to expand its efforts to improve student behavior among elementary and middle school students, said Deputy Superintendent Elfreda W. Massie.
"We're going to target programs at the elementary school level and middle school level," Massie said, though she did not mention specific examples. "We learned we have not spent the time at the elementary school level."
Much of the public portion of yesterday's retreat was spent discussing the way the board conducts its business, including how much public comment to permit at regular meetings and whether the board's committees ought to meet in public or private.
The board has about 10 committees that analyze such issues as curriculum and school construction before they are considered by the full board. Because none of the committees was created by school board policy and all have no more than six members -- less than a majority of the 12-member board -- they are not required to meet in public, according to school officials.
