The Board of Education has changed the way members of the public sign up to testify at Board meetings and will accept signups online or by phone beginning with those who wish to speak at the July 10, 2019, meeting.
Signups will open on the Friday before a Board meeting when the agenda for that meeting is published, and will close at 4 p.m. on the day before the meeting. Members of the public will be able to sign up at www.aacps.org/boardtestimony or by calling 410-222-5311. The signup period for the July 10, 2019, meeting will open on July 5, 2019.
“This process will allow those who wish for the Board to hear their views on an issue – whether it be an agenda item or something not on the agenda – to be able to reserve a spot in a more convenient manner,” Board President Terry Gilleland said. “It will also afford the Board and staff the opportunity to potentially address some issues more quickly, possibly before the Board meeting occurs.”
The Board will continue to hear testimony on agenda items when those items are before the Board. Testimony on items not on the agenda will be heard during the Public Comment portion of Board meetings. To assist the Board, speakers during the Public Comment portion will be grouped by topic. An invitation to the audience will still be made for items appearing on the agenda. Those who sign up and are not present when their name is called will forfeit their opportunity to speak.
Regardless of whether the testimony is offered on an agenda item or during Public Comment, student-specific concerns, personnel issues, and items under appeal or pending appeal cannot be discussed before the Board.
Members of the public may only sign up to testify before the Board for themselves. When signing up online, only one person can sign up per computer device.
Testimony can be submitted to the Board of Education via email at any time at BoardOffice@aacps.org. Signups for those wishing to testify at Board meetings will not be accepted by email.