The linked article by Ann Constantino explains how the state and local teachers’ association spent money to back candidates who lost – and the races weren’t even close. We need new leadership in the association. Sadly, again the Baltimore Sun is silent on the real issues troubling the Baltimore County Public Schools.
Read my article about the problems with testing in public education in The Towson Flyer
Our board of education in Baltimore County has a mandate and that is to provide goverance to the administration of the school district. This is to ensure high quality education outcomes for all students.
Earlier this week, at the BOE’s meeting on Tuesday August 21, once again, the plans for a reorganization were delivered to Board members the same day the vote was to be taken. board members, past and present, have raised concerns about the short notice that BCPS gives the board when an important topic must be voted on and approved. Voting on and approving plans brought forward by BCPS leadership is part of the goverance that the BOE is responsible for.
There is NO obstructionism in asking questions or clarification about the details of plans requiring a vote. If we were to follow Board Member Uhlfedler’s vision of the board, in esssence to go along with all requests and plans, the question that begs an answer is: why do we need the board?
In the video linked below, we can clearly hear Mr. Uhlfelder chiding and baiting the other board members who take their role of goverance very seriously. Finally, after going on at length about. “obstructionists”, another board member spoke up. Did Mr. Uhlfelder have the floor? Yes, but under the leadership of Chairman Giliis, the practice of speaking up to other board members who have the floor, is rather common. A strict Robert’s Rules of Order atmosphere has always been lacking under Chairman Giliis.
Mr. Uhlfeder’s behavior was nothing short of rude, disrespecful and dysfuncional. Chairman Giliis’ mute reaction, followed by a quick rap of the gavel, leave much to be desired in the way of leadership. Silence gives consent.
To view the meeting in its entireity, https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/bcps/Board.nsf/Public
To view the discussion which prompted Mr. Ulhfelder’s outburst, begin at 1:23:00
Our children and teachers are on testing overload. There is a better way. Jonathan Roland, a teacher in Baltimore County has been tirelessly advocating for serious testing reform. Please read his message below and share it far and wide. Our children deserve so much more than they are getting in the current educational climate. Jonathan’s message:
Do you believe that Maryland’s current state public school testing program takes valuable time away from teaching and learning and creates undue stress for educators and students?
Do you want the candidates to debate PARCC, MISA, New Meridian and the future of testing at the upcoming Gubernatorial debates?
I am a public school teacher who believes that everyone in Maryland should at least know that:
I hope that as a parent, teacher or Maryland voter you are concerned about this issue. I apologize if you don’t want this email; please forgive me.
If, however, you do wish to take action then contact Governor Hogan, 410-974-3901 or Candidate Jealous, https://www.facebook.com/benjealous/ and tell them that this issue is important to you.
Let other people know too. Voters could change the course of testing in Maryland during this brief, pre-election window.
Thank you, – Jonathan Roland, BCPS teacher
P.S. I would be happy to provide you with more information, including a copy of the March 16, 2018 letter from the U.S. Department of Education urging Maryland to implement tests that are worth taking, time-limited, fair, transparent, reliable and sensitive to cognitive processes.
Do you want the candidates to debate PARCC, MISA, New Meridian and the future of testing at the upcoming Gubernatorial debates?
I am a public school teacher who believes that everyone in Maryland should at least know that:
I hope that as a parent, teacher or Maryland voter you are concerned about this issue. I apologize if you don’t want this email; please forgive me.
If, however, you do wish to take action then contact Governor Hogan, 410-974-3901 or Candidate Jealous, https://www.facebook.com/benjealous/ and tell them that this issue is important to you.
Let other people know too. Voters could change the course of testing in Maryland during this brief, pre-election window.
Thank you, – Jonathan Roland, BCPS teacher
P.S. I would be happy to provide you with more information, including a copy of the March 16, 2018 letter from the U.S. Department of Education urging Maryland to implement tests that are worth taking, time-limited, fair, transparent, reliable and sensitive to cognitive processes.
You can contact Jonathan at: teacherjonathanroland1@gmail.com
Several weeks back I posted a screenshot of a BCPS budget document on the Facebook ABC Schools group page which caused a stir about how health care benefits are funded. There was a sentence in the document that we found alarming. “The General Fund portion of the County’s budget increases by $28.3 million or 4.3%, largely due to personnel expenses, new funding for the S.T.A.T. program and funding for curriculum materials. These increases are significantly offset by the elimination of healthcare retiree funding, which totaled $25 million in FY 2018. ” (see highlighted area of document above)
Questions to BCPS HR initially were unanswered. As retirees, this made us uneasy. Why couldn’t anyone at BCPS explain the situation? Seeking clarification, we contacted David Marks, our county councilman and later a statement was made by HR that BCPS is “fully committed to funding our retiree benefits”.
TABCO, much later, in an attempt to reassure teachers and retirees, published an article called “The Truth vs. Fake News.” The article states that “the money is still there, just switched to another account,”. It all sounds very reasonable, except for the fact that when the issue came to light and was questioned, BCPS did not have answers readily available. This made many of us uncomfortable and left us wondering about the communication skills and competence of the people watching over our money.
Hmmm…Let’s think about this. We have a former superintendent in jail because of perjury for failing to accurately and honestly disclose
all of his outside income, and we currently have an interim superintendent who has also demonstrated disclosure issues regarding $12,000 of outside income. Is it any wonder we are apt to question things? TABCO may cast a skeptical eye on social media, but some of us on social media cast a skeptical eye on BCPS. Can you blame us? And we’re not fakin’!!!
Click the link below to view the entire BCPS budget document.
BCPS is raiding all possible funding sources to pay for giving every student a laptop. Read a thorough explanation of how money is being misappropriated “for the children.”
“The County Office of the Auditor points out that the General Fund portion of the County’s budget would increase by $28.3 million, including new funding for the STAT program, and related curriculum materials. ‘These increases are significantly offset by the elimination of retiree healthcare funding, which totaled $25 million in FY 2018.’
It’s unclear what that “elimination” means, though recent discussion among county and school officials noted a “budget appropriation transfer” from the retirees’ fund, to be used to pay for STAT, a possible shell game that might constitute raiding the fund? Or an ongoing tapping of underfunded retirement and benefits monies?”
Read more of Joanne Simpson’s article here
In a letter to the editor, Leslie Weber (of the Baltimore County Parents and Teachers Association) and Cynthia Boyd (parent and physician) succintly lay out the problem between the educational technology industry and public education. The letter was witten in response to an article by Nancy Grasmick, former Maryland state superintendent of schools. Although Grasmick’s article is over two years old, (as is the letter), as a retired teacher who always had the greatest respect for Dr Grasmick, I was quite dismayed to read her position on the role of businesses (in particular educational technology companies) and the education of our children. Does Dr. Grasmick understand that the ed tech industry uses the term “personalized learning” as a panacea for what ails public education and severely undermines the teacher’s role and expertise in the classroom? I fear not.
Counter arguments are clearly expressed in the letter.
Pete Fitzpatrick wants to be on the Baltimore County School Board and is running in District 1. Fitzpatrick wrote a letter to the editor in The Baltimore Sun, critical of Dr. Karen Salmon, the Maryland State Board of Education Superintendent, for her decision not to approve Verletta White’s appointment as superintendent in Baltimore County. Many people are in an uproar but Pete has taken it to a new level, comparing Salmon to a meddling mother-in-law. The following commentary by Len Foxwell is worth reading. It begs the question: what century does Pete think we are living in? I especially like Foxwell’s comments about chicken pot pie and martinis.
“A partisan attack on Dr. Karen Salmon that took on sexist overtones yesterday has now officially crossed the line.
In this letter to the editor, a “gentleman” named Pete Fitzpatrick literally compares Maryland School Superintendent Karen Salmon to a nagging mother-in-law and encourages her to “admit she acted precipitously and without all the facts and go home.” Where, presumably, she can thaw out her husband’s chicken pot pie and make sure he has a chilled martini and comfortable slippers after Mr. Slate blows the 5 p.m. whistle.
The attacks on Dr. Salmon’s competence, integrity and independence over these past 24 hours have been nauseating. She acted judiciously and in the best interests of a school system that continues to reel from the indictment, prosecution and imprisonment of the previous Superintendent for the same sort of ethics violations committed by Dr. White.
Honest debate and disagreement over Dr. Salmon’s decision is okay. The misogynistic, disrespectful tone taken by Mr. Fitzpatrick in his letter is not. In my opinion, he needs to apologize, publicly, to Dr. Salmon and then withdraw from the race for the Baltimore County Board of Education.”
Flew in from Tucson last night to attend Dallas Dance’s sentencing. After about 2 hours including statements for the prosecution by former superintendent Bob Dubel and BOE member Roger Hayden and 6 speakers for the defense, sentence was announced.
The latest article in The Baltimore Post shares emails from top personnel in the IT department of the Baltimore County Public Schools. The emails discuss bedbugs destroying the laptops. You just can’t make this stuff up. More proof that the leadership did not really plan well for this experiment?
“Is there a Laundromat nearby?” read more
| Moral Compass or Cou… on Expensive Library Cards? | |
 | Jean on Second Language, Second C… |
 | Pat Simon on Wake up Call to the Democratic… |
 | Ed Kitlowski on Stop Blaming the Teachers #tea… |
 | Nicole Yoder on Stories from the Classroom #te… |
