Public Comment: 1/20/26

PRESENTATION TO WASHINGTON COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD FROM
RISING TO LEARN
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
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Good evening, Mr. Evans, Board members and Dr. Sovine. As you know, I am Roger Stenersen, speaking as Communications Director for Rising to Learn.
Earlier this month, at your January 6th Work Session, five of this Board’s seven members who were present discussed and proposed revisions to this Board’s Operational Norms. Statements made at the end of that portion of the Work Session suggest a lack of understanding by some of you, raising concern among stakeholders of the school system. For example, Mr. Guessford in his closing remarks regarding the Operating Norms stated, “Just a reminder. These aren’t rules. They’re guidelines.” Additionally, President Evans agreed by saying, “Yeah. Yes. They’re just guidelines. Yeah.”

In the same discussion Mr. Burkett proposed that, when a Board member plans to visit a school, it should no longer be necessary to notify the principal in advance, as the current rule delineates. Though he suggested that no principal with whom he has spoken expressed disagreement with this idea, it is not hard to grasp that a principal is an effective subordinate to a Board member, and therefore unlikely to want to disagree for political reasons. The former rule suggested that advance notification be extended out of professional courtesy. In the absence of any positive reason to change this rule, are we to assume that professional courtesy is just falling by the wayside and is no longer an element of the Board’s values?

I invite you to consider that principals are busy individuals whose days typically require them to be in attendance at central office meetings, IEP meetings, and team and department meetings as well as assuring the safety and security of their students, teachers and staff by monitoring lunch, hallway transitions and parking lot activity; along the way, of course they are expected to deal with parental concerns, student disciple and telephone and email communications. It is unlikely that a spontaneous visit by a Board member will be able to fit into the thickly scheduled day of a principal and that this proposed change will greatly diminish Board members’ experiences visiting schools.

At the risk of being redundant, you should understand that the rules you adopt will now have the effect of policy upon their adoption, so they are not just guidelines. They constitute this board’s agreement to operate in a manner delineated by fourteen statements. As a sitting board member, conducting the business of the board, each of you is to hold yourself and your fellow board members accountable for operating in accordance with the agreed upon operating norms.

Your vote this evening will codify these Operating Norms and they will be filed along with all other Washington County Board Policies. The first line of the Washington County Board of Education Operating Norms says it all – “As Board Members we pledge to:…” “Pledge to” does not mean to take into consideration or to be guided by. A pledge is an oath or a vow. As individual board members and collectively
with this vote you are committing to operating in the manner delineated in the fourteen statements listed in the document.

You are establishing rules by which you are to operate, not suggestions. Lead this school system by example, familiarize yourself with, follow, and enforce the Board’s Policies, Norms, and Communication Policies as written and hold the expectation that those who do not follow and enforce them will be held accountable. Rising to Learn encourages you to begin with your Board Norms and Board Policy KD.

Public Comment: 11/18/25

Good evening, Dr. Zentmeyer, Board Members, and Dr. Sovine.

As you know, I’m Roger Stenersen, Communications Director for Rising to Learn, and I’m pleased to be able to speak with you again this evening. Tonight I’d like to focus on a number of things, all of which are seen as positives. It’s fitting to do so in this season of Thanksgiving, and to intentionally place our focus on a number of factors which support the learning and development of students.

First, our diverse community provides the exposure of students to a range of perspectives. Some years ago, a magnet school in our county held a Multicultural Day, which had as its goal to broaden student understanding of our greater community. I also recall a week-long exchange program between students on Smith Island, in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, and students in a WCPS middle school which, incidentally, provided the first live glimpse for some islanders of a cow. We all benefit from these experiences, not the least of which, our students.

Second, it is appreciated that the public, on behalf of whom you lead our school system, has access to you in this forum so we can make known to you our thoughts and concerns. It is noteworthy that at last month’s meeting, shortly after you returned Board meetings to an evening hour, you heard from more speakers than at any Board meeting in the last six months. As President Zentmeyer has stated, you value the input of the public, and Rising to Learn is pleased to have advocated for a return to the evening meeting time when more individuals can attend and express their interests.

Third, Rising to Learn wishes to highlight for the public that Dr. Sovine and his staff have been instrumental in refining and honing the programming and effectiveness of WCPS. Indeed, it is an honor to have as our school system’s top officer the president of the Maryland Public School Superintendents’ Association, a true leader of leaders! Wee are fortunate to have such positive leadership in Washington County schools.

Fourth, as we know you concur, it is vital to have the support and cooperation of the many community members who populate school system committees and assume both leadership and line roles in school organizations such as boosters and PTA’s. Of course, a precursor to participation is knowledge, and Rising to Learn is grateful to be a “force multiplier” in this regard by providing access for our public to summaries of Board meetings and other information which is helpful in following the workings of the school system. In fact, we will be posting on our website a new series of interviews with VIPs who play key parts in our school communities.

Finally, we would be remiss not to highlight the countless contributions made by the special individuals who make up the teaching, administrative and classified staff working on behalf of our school system. The everyday work of these valued persons, which is sometimes overshadowed by other organizational challenges, is most appreciated. Those of us at Rising to Learn wish WCPS employees and you, Board members, a Happy Thanksgiving.

Public Comment: 10/21/25

Good evening, Dr. Zentmeyer, Board Members, and Dr. Sovine.

As you know, I’m Roger Stenersen, Communications Director for Rising to Learn, and I’m pleased to be able to speak with you this
evening. As you know by now, our organization exists to provide succinct, meaningful synopses of Board meetings and actions taken by the elected Board to the public in Washington County. Our website includes summaries of Board meetings which are designed to be easily read and understood. We believe this mission will greatly enhance the degree to which the public can keep abreast of developments in
WCPS and how the elected Board responds to them. Accordingly, we invite members of the public to access our website at RisingtoLearn.com.

As American management writer Margaret Wheatly shared, “The world doesn't change one person at a time. It changes when networks of relationships form among people who share a common cause and vision of what's possible. This is good news for those of us intent on creating a positive future. Rather than worry about critical mass, our work is to foster critical connections.”

Rising to Learn intends to develop and expand those critical connections among members of the network of Washington County citizens who share the common cause and vision of seeing every student belong to a learning community which thoroughly develops their learning.

It is our belief that, in order to promote the sense of belonging to a learning community, every student needs to feel they are respected and valued – this is one key element of an inclusive learning culture. If that foundation is in place, the sky is the limit. If students do not feel respected, included and valued, the process of learning faces much stiffer resistance, and students who feel excluded will perform
significantly worse than they otherwise could.

Of course, not all students come to our schools with the same abilities, background knowledge, and skills. Our schools serve diverse populations ranging from at least one with one hundred percent poverty where students come to school hungry to some which serve students from among the county’s most economically advantaged neighborhoods. Accordingly, Rising to Learn holds that a diverse set of
strategies, materials and resources is needed to meet the needs of everyone; in order to maximize performance, school leaders and teachers must be empowered to implement a range of instructional approaches which address the particular needs of their students.

Rising to Learn looks forward to providing continuing input and feedback to the Board and to providing a way for interested parents to be involved in the broader scope of leading and guiding Washington County Public Schools.

Creating an environment for ALL students (Facebook post)

A thriving school and community begins with acceptance, an understanding that every child regardless of race, religion, or background, deserves to be seen, valued, and respected. When students walk through the school doors each day, they bring with them their unique stories, cultures, and identities. These differences are not divisions; they are strengths that enrich our classrooms, broaden perspectives, and prepare all students to live and lead in an increasingly diverse world.
True inclusion goes beyond tolerance. It requires intentional action and leadership. School leaders set the tone for what is acceptable and what is not. When leadership promotes diversity through representation, equitable policies, and inclusive practices, it sends a powerful message to every child: You belong here.
Creating an environment where every student feels safe and welcome means addressing bias, challenging exclusion, and modeling respect at every level. It means teachers and administrators ensuring that curriculum, activities, and interactions affirm the identities of all students. It means standing firmly against discrimination and fostering spaces where open dialogue and empathy are encouraged.
For school board members, this commitment carries an even deeper responsibility. Board members must reflect to students that all children are important, those who excel and those who struggle, those from every culture, background, and belief system, and those who need additional behavioral or emotional support. Every student deserves to know that their school system believes in their potential and is working for their success.
Being a school board member is not about politics; it’s about service to children and their families, school system employees, and to the community as a whole. It is about putting aside personal or partisan agendas to focus on what truly matters: protecting, supporting, and uplifting all children. Leadership at this level must demonstrate fairness, compassion, and courage ensuring that every decision made serves the best interests of students and staff.
There is no place for exclusion in our schools or our communities. When we commit to inclusion and acceptance, we build stronger schools, places where every student can learn without fear, be supported in their growth, and see themselves reflected in the values of their community. Acceptance is not just an ideal; it is the foundation of a just, compassionate, and united society.

Public Comment: 8/19/25

Good evening. I’m Roger Stenerson, Communication Director for Rising to Learn.

Board members, on July 31, 2025 an email was sent to you from Rising To Learn. That email was a request made in good faith calling for Board action. Rising To Learn thanks Dr. Zentmeyer for her acknowledgement of receipt of that email on August 4th. Rising To Learn would appreciate knowing of the action taken thus far by the Board in response to the request made, as well as any future action that will be taken.

On behalf of Rising To Learn in response to erroneous information about Rising To Learn shared publicly by Board Vice President Guessford at the BOE’s July 15th Business Meeting, I offer the following information to you, board members, and to the public.

Rising To Learn is a non-profit organization created in January of this year. Its mission is to serve as a transparent and accessible communication hub, offering detailed information through a website, newsletters, and ongoing dialogue on social media. Rising To Learn provides concise reports about school board meetings and work sessions, commentary on and explanations of board processes and actions, and links to resources, while also maintaining open channels for discussion and feedback.​
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With the goal of raising community awareness and understanding of the work of the Washington County Board of Education and Washington County Public Schools, Rising To Learn envisions a future where every student in Washington County Public Schools has access to the educational services they need to be successful.

Members of the Executive Board of Rising To Learn include:

Dottie Gruhler, founder and the Board’s chairperson – Mrs. Gruhler conceptualized and founded not only Rising To Learn, but also the WC Parents Facebook page, the largest online parent community in Washington County with 17,000 followers. She’s a registered Behavior Technician with WCPS.

The Vice Chairperson is Melissa Williams. Mrs. Williams served 3 four-year terms as a member of the Washington County Board of Education, 8 of those years as the unanimously elected Board President. Prior to her Board of Education service, Mrs. Williams was a WCPS teacher
and central office administrator for 35 years.

Secretary Brittany Boothe is a passionate community advocate and creative organizer and has two children attending Washington County Public Schools. She has served in PTA and PTO roles.

Kathy O’Reilly is the organization’s Treasurer. Mrs. O’Reilly, is a Title I School Family Liaison for WCPS with over a decade of service as a WCPS employee. She is the parent of a South High graduate and has a child currently enrolled in WCPS.

And then, there’s me, Roger Stenerson, Communication Director, a former employee of WCPS with 26 years of school-based school administration experience at the middle school level. I taught Educational Leadership for five years at Towson University and for six years I was
Director of Educational Leadership at Hood College.

Currently, Rising To Learn’s Advisory Board is comprised of twelve members: Jenny Belliotti, Carol Corwell Martin, Denise Kuhna, Pieter Bickford, Angela Yamshita, Taj Smith, Torin Mellott, Carol Mowen, Tiara Burnett, Ann Rotz, Stan Stouffer, and April Crohare.

The individual biographies of all Rising To Learn board members are available for public viewing on the Rising to Learn website – risingtolearn.com

Our busy lives can make it difficult to monitor the decisions that are made about our children’s education. Rising To Learn is here to help. Community involvement is key to our organization, and we invite WCPS stakeholders to embrace our vision and join us in our mission. Rising To Learn invites all WCPS stakeholders and interested community members to stay up-to-date, informed, and involved by visiting risingtolearn.com, subscribing to the RTL newsletter, and by following the Rising To Learn page on Facebook.

The Removal of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion by the Elected School Board (Facebook Post)

On January 23rd at 10:23 a.m., board member Mike Guessford sent the following email to Dr. Sovine, Superintendent of Washington County Schools and the other six members of the Washington County Board of Education, with the subject line: "Ending DEI":

“Dr.Sovin,
I’m encouraging you to drop any DEI programming starting As of Monday morning. I have had seen no evidence in my opinion that would support the continuing this position that is held by Allison. I further more feel her being placed into a vacant teaching position would better serve our students and our budget. So I will support discontinuing this DEI position immediately.”

Minutes later, at 10:35 a.m. in response to Mr. Guessford’s email, Washington County Board of Education member Victoria Beachley forwarded Mr. Guessford’s email to Dr. Sovine and added the following message:

“Dr. Sovine,
Feel free to copy the rest of the board back on this, just don’t know with open meetings about responding with consensus on an email but I wanted to note I am in support of removing DEI positions. I’m a firm believer in treating all fairly and equally and DEI specifically labels people
and focuses on differences.”

Dr. Sovine then replied to the entire board letting them know that the board would need to hold a special closed session meeting to be in compliance with the Open Meetings Act.

While the focus of this post is to address DEI in our schools and the actions being proposed by the members of the Washington County Board of Education, it’s important to note that a board member emailed the superintendent with both a personnel recommendation and a proposed programming change, copying all board members. Had any of the recipients responded with agreement, a question, or a comment it would have constituted a violation of the Open Meetings Act.

As you can see, there are members of our school board who are actively seeking to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). For decades, these principles have been instrumental in fostering fairness, representation, and belonging in our schools and communities. Only
recently have they been unfairly politicized and portrayed as something to fear, despite their long-standing positive impact. In today’s diverse educational landscape, equity in our school system is not just a goal, it is a necessity. Equity means providing every student with the
resources, opportunities, and supports they need to succeed, rather than offering the exact same thing to everyone. While equality treats all students the same, equity recognizes that not all students start from the same place and that some may need more or different support to learn and to achieve.

Students come to school with a wide range of experiences, backgrounds, and needs. Factors such as language barriers, disabilities, economic hardship, trauma, or systemic bias can impact how a student engages in school and learns. Equity ensures that these realities are
acknowledged and not ignored. Equity shifts the focus from giving all students the same tools to giving all students the right tools for each of them.

When a school system focuses on equity, more students thrive. This includes students who may have been historically underserved or marginalized, such as students of color, multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and those from low-income families. Equity leads to higher academic achievement, stronger engagement, and a greater sense of belonging across all student groups.

Equity is not about lowering standards or giving unfair advantages. It’s about ensuring that every student has a real chance to succeed, no matter their background or challenges. By building equitable systems, we create learning environments that are fair, inclusive, and built for
the success of all students, not just a few. When equity is prioritized everyone benefits, students, families, schools, and society as a whole.

Examples of equity within a school system include differentiated instruction, individualized education plans (IEPs), 504 plans, language support for English learners, access to advanced coursework, and targeted funding for schools with greater needs.

Removing these supports from our schools would have a devastating impact on students, especially those who rely on them most. It’s important to understand that equity and are equality not the same. Treating every student exactly the same, without acknowledging their diverse needs and circumstances, doesn’t create fairness, it reinforces existing barriers. Ignoring those differences doesn't level the playing field; it sets students up to fall behind.
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Public Comment: 7/15/25

Good Afternoon, Dr. Zentmeyer, Dr. Sovine and Board Members,

I'm Roger Stenersen, Communications Director for RISING TO LEARN, a grassroots organization with a mission of communicating Board of Education actions to those who are impacted by them.  Our website may be found at RISINGTOLEARN.COM.

In Policy ABA, the first in the policy book, is found a section on Employee Participation in Decision Making.  It is stated:

"The Board of Education will encourage employees to contribute their ideas for the betterment of the school district. The staff will be asked to help in developing policies and regulations, in the process of establishing goals and objectives, and in planning curriculum, services, budget, and facilities.  The Board of Education will encourage employees to contribute their ideas for the betterment of the school district. The staff will be asked to help in developing policies and regulations, in the process of establishing goals and objectives, and in planning curriculum, services, budget, and facilities."

Within the last sixty days the Board has received input from two groups of employees and stakeholders and has rejected the input. 

In the first example, during a board work session, administrators, teachers and behavior resource staff, when asked what steps the Board could take to help improve behavior in schools, replied that they and students feel additional school security staff are a positive influence on student behavior, and that the relationship dimension is improved by the presence of such staff.  However, in its last minute amendment to the 2026 budget, the Board eliminated several proposed security positions, going against the input of school professionals and a board advisory committee, BARC, which strongly supported these positions.

In the second example the Policy Committee, chaired by Mr. Evans, met on July 7, 2025. In a discussion of Policy JFCA-student dress code, the two members of the committee who were present heard a recommendation from school administrators that the images of firearms be prohibited in schools.  Mr. Evans objected to the proposal.  The significant point here is that those who know the most about disruption to learning and creating positive learning environments are the ones closest to it - school administrators, and not Board members.  Despite the request to alter the dress code to minimize disturbances to learning, that request from principals was cast aside.

Rising to Learn asserts that these two examples reflect either an intentional or unintentional disregard for employee input; whichever it is, it is contrary to your own policy, as quoted.  Whether input is received from professional employees or community organizations and individuals, the pattern of disregard for input seems all too blatant, and it is requested that the Board reverse this trend to comply with its own policies and make decisions that are in the best interests of ALL students

In the July 7 Policy Committee meeting at which I was present, it was stated that no additional input had been received about Policy KD which was today scheduled for Second Reading and approval. Rising to Learn DID send an email on Thursday, July 3 expressing several questions and concerns with the policy, (I’ve included a copy of the email for your reference), but we are now questioning whether all Board members received that message.  We want to state publicly here that we did provide feedback on the proposed policy KD.

Thanks for changing the Board meetings back to 6:00 p.m.; hopefully you will also re-adjust the public comment portion of the meeting to after approval of the minutes.

 

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Email to Board- Re: Board Actions During July Meeting

There are several important points that need to be unpacked from the July 15, 2025 Board of Education Business meeting. Some comments made by board members warrant a closer look.

+ When April Zentmeyer announced the start time for Board of Education Business meetings was being moved back to 6:00 p.m., she said: “It was a trial, and our trial is up. It was with the intent of reducing costs and keeping public comment accessible in the evening hours”. Why would the Board have even considered a “trial” that would reduce the community's ability to participate in public discourse?

Additionally, there were changes to Policy KD that are objectionable.​

  • Reducing the time allocated to each speaker during Public Comment from 5 minutes to 4 minutes.  
  • Limiting the number of speakers to 15. This makes it harder when there is a decision that affects a whole community for all members to be able to voice their concerns. 
  • The changes to Policy KD.C.2 are contradictory. The policy now states that a person is required to sign up to speak no later than 4:00 p.m. on the Monday proceeding a business meeting OR prior to the start of public comment. How is it permissible to sign up at the meeting prior to the start of public comment if one is REQUIRED to have signed up sooner?

Rising To Learn sees these decisions as restrictive to the community and not warranted. While Rising To Learn appreciates that the Board has restored the meeting start time to 6:00 p.m., the announcement notably omitted the placement of Public Comment at beginning of the agenda rather than at the end, an important adjustment that supports greater accessibility and stakeholder input.

Policy KD as it has been revised now further restricts and impedes the public's ability to engage with the Board and voice concerns. That said, Rising to Learn acknowledges and appreciates Dr. Zentmeyer for her comments regarding the value of community input.  

+ During the time set aside for the Board members to respond to Public Comment, Board member Darrell Evans stated, “There are times where the majority of the board does not necessarily agree with the recommendations of the staff, but to call it a trend I think is, I’ll just say, flat out wrong…. Overwhelmingly, we do go and take the advice of the board (sic), and I would argue that the trend is that we do go and follow what staff is saying.”  

Mr. Evan’s was addressing remarks made during Public Comment by Rising to Learn’s Communication Director, Roger Stenerson. Mr. Stenerson had given two examples of elected board members rejecting sound input from groups of employees on two separate issues in two separate Board Work Sessions and the recommendations made in a Board of Education Advisory Committee report. 

 Let’s first define trend.​

 Trend: the general movement over time of a statistically detectable change, to show a tendency 

 A reorganized Board consisting of 3 veteran members and 4 newly elected members took office in December, just 7 months ago. In those 7 months there were several changes made by the board that contribute to what can be described as trending behavior:​

  • The school system, employees and Board of Education’s Budget Advocacy and Review Advisory Committee (BARC) supported an increase in the number of School Security Officers. The Board eliminated School Security Officers from the Superintendent’s recommended budget, rejecting the Superintendent’s recommendation and those of schools administrators and teachers, and one of its advisory committees. 
  • Due to a decline in enrollment and on the recommendation of the Superintendent and senior staff, the Elementary ABLE program was discontinued following the 2023-2024 school year. Data showed that overall attendance was lower than the rest of the school system (some grades as low as 83%), on both the ELA and the Math MCAP the percentage of students who scored proficient was considerably lower than the rest of the school system, and this in conjunction with the low enrollment resulted in a high per pupil. However, despite these factors, the Board made re-opening ABLE a top priority and included its funding in the BOE’s FY26 Operating Budget.
  • The Superintendent and staff did not recommend or include in the Superintendent’s FY 26 Recommended Draft Budget Summer Schools for Elementary or Middle Schools students due to funding loss. Instead of noting to make Summer School a priority for the FY27 Budget and thereby allowing enough time for proper planning,  the Board decided to go against the recommendation of the Superintendent and staff and include Summer School for Elementary and Middle School students in the budget. Consequently, money was spent to open with only a handful of students participating at the various sites.
  • Despite support expressed during Public Comment and through email by stakeholders to retain the position of Supervisor of Equity and Excellence. The Board eliminated the position from the FY26 Budget.
  • During a Board Work Session on the FY26 Budget, individual board members pushed back on the Superintendent’s and staff’s recommendation to have the position of principal of Cascade Elementary School be increased to a 12-month position. With barely sufficient support the recommendation was included in the budget.
  • Most recently, in a Board Policy and Review Committee Meeting, a concern and recommendation from school administrators was shared. This involved a change to Policy JFCA – Student Dress Code and its accompanying Administrative regulations to prohibit the images of firearms on clothing worn in schools. Two of the three board members who comprise the committee were present. One of them, Board member Darrell Evans, opposed the recommendation and the suggested change to the policy and regulations. Without further review and investigation and on the say of one of seven board members the administrators’ request was rejected and denied. Rising To Learn maintains that those who know the most about disruption to learning and creating positive learning environments are the ones closest to it. In this case it’s school administrators, not school board members.

Mr. Evans is more than welcome to disagree, but Rising to Learn stands by the use of “trend” in describing what’s been happening throughout the decision-making process.  Intentional or unintentional disregard for employee and other stakeholder input; whichever it is, it is contrary to the Board of Education’s own policy. Whether input is received from professional employees or community organizations and individuals, the pattern of disregard for input is visible, and Rising To Learn hopes that the Board reverses this trend to comply with its own policies and make decisions that are in the best interests of ALL students. 

Email to Board-Re: Public Input to the Board

Mr. Darrell Evans
Washington County School Board
Downsville Pike
Hagerstown, MD 21713
Dear Mr. Evans,
As Communications Director of Rising to Learn, a grassroots organization dedicated to expanding the involvement of families in the business of Washington County Schools, I am writing to express several questions and concerns relating to the proposed Public Comments policy draft which was examined at the last business meeting.  You will recall that one or more of your board member colleagues expressed several of these questions, as well.  We trust that these questions and concerns will be addressed at the July 7, 2025, Policy Committee meeting.
In the interest of making the business of Washington County Public Schools as transparent and inclusive as possible, we ask the following questions:
  • What is the purpose of reducing the amount of time a speaker will be given by twenty percent to four minutes?
  • Why is there a limit of three topics which may be addressed by public comment?
  • Why is there a limit of fifteen speakers?
  • What is the purpose of using the word "may" instead of the word "will" when referencing the position of public comment in the agenda?
  • What is the location of public comment in the agenda?
It is the position of Rising to Learn that the first three questions relate to the limitation of public input to the board, an undesirable condition.  The Board expresses in its policy and in the words of the chair that the public is sincerely invited to share their thoughts relating to Board business, and that such input is welcome.  Undertaking these limitations is inconsistent with those thoughts and policy statements.  Accordingly, we urge that the period of time allocated to each speaker remain at five minutes, that there be no limit on the number of speakers, and that the only restriction on topics be to those which are relevant to Washington County Public Schools.
Furthermore, because the Board's actions to this point suggest a disinterest in public comment, there is concern that public comment be assumed to be a part of every Board business meeting, requiring that the word "will" be used to so indicate.  It is also important for the public to know the exact position of public comments in the Board agenda, rather than simply occurring after a review of the minutes; as you know this has been interpreted differently recently, moving public comments to the end of the meeting, from which position public comments can have no impact on Board decisions which occur during each meeting.
Respectfully,
Roger Stenersen
Communications Director
Rising to Learn
cc: Dr. Zentmeyer, Mr. Guessford, Ms. Beachley, Mr. Burkett, Ms. McCusker, Ms. Murray
** As of 7/29/25, Rising to Learn has not received a response.

Public Comment: 6/17/25

At the Policy Committee Meeting on June 11, Policy JK: Student Discipline was reviewed. According to notes taken by stakeholders in attendance, both Mr. Evans and Mr. Burkett voiced support for what they described as “more aggressive” disciplinary actions from the school
system.
Mr. Burkett expressed his belief in a “three strikes and you're out” approach, while Mr. Evans stated that if a student demonstrates they cannot be in the general population, we need to utilize online tools to provide those students with education. Coincidentally, this perspective seems to align with the push to open ABLE.
As the board calls for increasingly strict measures, two important questions remain: When will the support side of the equation be addressed? How will the support side of the equation be addressed?
To be clear, Rising To Learn agrees that students who consistently disrupt the classroom should not remain in that setting. Educators and students deserve classrooms that are safe and focused on learning. However, simply removing a dysregulated student from the classroom does not resolve the underlying issues, and this is where our concern lies. For example, if a student is acting out due to trauma at home, sending them back into that environment to complete online learning only compounds the problem. We are effectively placing them back in harm’s way and expecting them to thrive academically. Students who misbehave because they’re struggling with the content are unlikely to get
meaningful academic support at home. Without robust interventions in place, we’re not solving the issue, we’re delaying it. These students will return, and their needs will still be unmet.
Relocating a disruptive child to another room within the school, while sometimes necessary, is only a temporary fix if there are no meaningful supports provided. This approach comes with real resource demands: dedicated space, trained staff, and ongoing management.
We do recognize WCPS has invested in special programming and supports for students who need more. As need grows, so too must our investment. Services must expand in both scale and accessibility if we hope to make a real difference - more trained professionals, more counseling access, and more creative, individualized interventions that meet kids where they are.
Behavioral challenges vary in severity and root cause. PLEASE recognize the complexity of behavior. It is critical that the community and particularly parents understand how the elected board plans to respond to the wide spectrum of student needs. A more aggressive discipline
policy must be matched with equally robust and compassionate support systems, or we risk creating more harm than good. Many students who display highly aggressive behavior such as throwing chairs are grappling with deeper issues. These must be acknowledged and treated, not dismissed or outsourced to an at-home or distance learning model.
Dr. Sovine, Rising to Learn will be respectfully requesting the tiered breakdown of the 16,000 referrals mentioned during the June 11 Policy Committee meeting. It is vital to understand how many of these referrals fall into Tier 3, students who are persistently violent and disruptive, and how many are more manageable Tier 1 and Tier 2 cases.
Thank you for your time, and for your commitment to making decisions that consider not only discipline, but also dignity, growth, and positive, long-term outcomes for all students.