Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
Attachment 1 <br /> 1 <br /> 1 DRAFT MINUTES <br /> 2 ORANGE COUNTY <br /> 3 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> 4 BUSINESS MEETING <br /> 5 April 26, 2022 <br /> 6 7:00 p.m. <br /> 7 <br /> 8 The Orange County Board of Commissioners met for a Business Meeting on Tuesday, April <br /> 9 26, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough, NC. <br /> 10 <br /> 11 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Chair Renee Price, Vice Chair Jamezetta Bedford, <br /> 12 and Commissioners Amy Fowler, Sally Greene, Jean Hamilton, Earl McKee, and Anna <br /> 13 Richards <br /> 14 COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: None <br /> 15 COUNTY ATTORNEYS PRESENT: John Roberts <br /> 16 COUNTY STAFF PRESENT: County Manager Bonnie Hammersley, Deputy County Manager <br /> 17 Travis Myren, and Clerk to the Board Laura Jensen. (All other staff members will be identified <br /> 18 appropriately below) <br /> 19 <br /> 20 Chair Price called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. <br /> 21 <br /> 22 1. Additions or Changes to the Agenda <br /> 23 Commissioner McKee made a motion for the addition of a discussion item on whether <br /> 24 extensions to the state of emergency declarations should require board approval as item 6-d. <br /> 25 Commissioner Greene seconded the motion. <br /> 26 <br /> 27 VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> 28 <br /> 29 Chair Price dispensed with reading the public charge. <br /> 30 <br /> 31 2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour) <br /> 32 a. Matters not on the Printed Agenda <br /> 33 <br /> 34 Laura Jensen, Clerk to the Board, read an email from Orange County resident Jacquie <br /> 35 Barker, who requested that her comment be included as part of the meeting record: <br /> 36 "There is a big crisis at OCS right now, teachers are leaving, and students are paying the price, <br /> 37 academically, mentally. Who are the biggest losers right now? The students are the biggest <br /> 38 losers, remember at your last joint meeting when Dr. Felder admitted that. The principal at <br /> 39 Cedar Ridge just put in his resignation. My daughter just lost a second IB teacher 2 weeks ago, <br /> 40 right after the best teacher of all her years at OCS left for another school, so another qualified <br /> 41 and talented teacher lost. And parents were not even notified. What now? The students are left <br /> 42 hanging, left in limbo at the end of their senior year with substitutes getting them ready for IB <br /> 43 exams that start this week. They are still learning new curriculums due to the learning loss last <br /> 44 year and overworked teachers. The Latin teacher does not get lunch, he does his planning <br /> 45 during class, he has to be absent for part of the class b/c he is being shuffled between two <br /> 46 schools. Another teacher said that she knows 10 teachers that are not returning to Cedar Ridge <br /> 47 next year. <br /> 48 So what is the problem, why are teachers continuing to leave, what is causing this mass exodus <br /> 49 as teachers are putting it? Have you seen the results from multiple teacher surveys, one of <br /> 50 which the district paid $40,000 for an equity audit to reveal the results. What will be done about <br /> 51 it? Why is more money being considered for more SEL from the school districts under your <br />