The first in an occasional series of informal reports and ruminations on meetings of the Harford County Board of Education.
The latest school board meeting was about a race, and well, race. It generated interesting discussions, especially from board vice-president, Leonard Wheeler. Dr. Wheeler has been somewhat of a maverick, albeit an unfailingly courteous one. This particular meeting provided a case in point.
The Race
A last minute addition to the agenda was a vote on whether the Harford school board would sign a memorandum of understanding to support Maryland’s application for the latest in federal largess, formally known as the Race to the Top (RTTT).
Wheeler cautioned against chasing after money simply because it was being dangled, reasoning that the board should only sign on if the extra money would help students that HCPS was failing to serve.
No one on the school board was happy about the rush to vote: Maryland’s RTTT application is 259 pages full of reform proposals, it was made public last week and the Harford board was under pressure to vote in advance of an April 21 deadline for all local school systems to sign the MOU. Plus, the money’s not all that great.
Race to the Top may offer a $4 billion national prize, but Harford County’s share, which would come out of Maryland’s estimated $150 – $250 million share, is based on a formula that’s not an even distribution among the state’s 24 local school systems.
Harford Superintendent Robert Tomback, who recommended that the board sign the MOU, said the best case scenario for Maryland would bring $1.9 million for Harford, spread out over four years. That’s real money for sure, but it only adds up to about $12.50 per student, per year. After four years, the money dries up.
Wheeler, whose doctorate is in education, took his stand: “Is the investment of resources equal to what we’re going to gain? I don’t think so.” He ended up being a ‘no’ vote.
Other board members reasoned that if they played nice, they would at least have a seat at the table as Maryland continues to tweak the application before it’s submitted to the U.S. Department of Education. Plus, there’s a 90-day opt out provision on the MOU, meaning that if Harford doesn’t like Maryland’s final application, Harford can pull out.
The feds put great stock in universal support for the reforms outlined in a state’s application. So the opt-out provision is a neat way to win over the local school systems needed to boost Maryland’s shot at the money, especially since the opt-out can be exercised up until July, well after the June 1, 2010 due date for applications to arrive in D.C.
It’s a perfect plan, really. As long as the Maryland signatures don’t turn out to be largely written in disappearing ink.
As added insurance, Maryland Schools Superintendent Nancy Grasmick has apparently said she will implement the reforms, some of which were recently codified into law, even if the state doesn’t get a dime from the feds. Translation: resistance is futile.
Nonetheless, Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jerry Weast has signaled that MCPS may not sign the MOU, in an op-ed piece published April 19 in The Baltimore Sun.
Harford School Board Member Robin Rich predicted that other counties wouldn’t sign on and so Maryland wouldn’t end up with the money. Rich also worried about the strings that are always attached to federal funds, but voted a reluctant ‘yes’ anyway. The final vote was 6 to 1 in favor of Grasmick’s plan. Next step: Reviewing the plan.
Race
Another noteworthy discussion involved a presentation on closing the achievement gap for African American males in HCPS. In reading proficiency, the gap is nearly 30% at the high school level.
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction Roger Plunkett shared a thoughtful, task-force presentation including a number of interesting ideas to reduce the gap (i.e. single sex classrooms). But Wheeler, who is African American, silenced the room by seeming to challenge the very premise of gaps measured along racial lines.
Wheeler said that African American achievement was equivalent to that of other students, measured within the same socio-economic status (SES). He added that SES was a very reliable predictor of student outcomes.
Wheeler wasn’t dismissing the need to close achievement gap for African American males; instead he stressed that race, per se, was not the reason for the gap. He thanked Plunkett and his team, and asked them to “take risks” and “challenge assumptions”, later adding “Get it out of the circle.” Not surprising, coming from the school board member whose comments are often outside the box.
I have a problem with the school board voting on a bill that they did not read.
I have a problem, with the fed. gov’t promising money for a program that violates the state rules w/n education. I have a problem with the plan that Ms. Mumby describes, especially after the breakdown over 4 years, of $12.50/student. Does this make sense to anyone? The BOE should have read all 259 pages and discussed what it held, before they voted to support this.
As far as the reading issue facing our students, I agree w/ Dr. Wheeler to the extent that the economics of the situation is a big problem, but I question whether the race of a student determines the language used at home. The ability to read English, is affected by the language that is used w/n the home. I am saying that Afro-Americans in this county, tend to speak with a dialect that makes learning to read a challenge, both for the teacher trying to teach the students, and the students, trying to learn to read. The language used includes slang, sloppy pronunciation, garbled half words, cussing and grunting, and that makes learning to read a definite issue. I agree that the issue needs to be addressed, but the issue needs to be addressed by parents, both of them, first.
Toby the examples you named are not really race factors but the very economic factors doctor wheeler was talking about. The lack of proper english and grammar usage is not unique to SOME African American homes but SOME Caucasian homes as well. What 95% of those have in common is their socio-economic class and education level of the parents. While in a perfect world the parents would fix that the sad reality is that we do not live in a perfect world and if you want to start fixing the problem for the future you need to start addressing the problem in schools.
Cdev is on the right track. What is killing the reading ability of students in the United States is a two fold issue. One,is the standardized testing that requires teachers to use thier time for test prep and not allowing students to “Close read” a piece of literature. Rarely are students given the opportunity to read large chunks of a text and then examine it closely by returning to it 3-4 times. Now days it is Quantity not quality and that is killing the joy and ability to read in this country. With that most american home are literature poor. At homes children do not see literature or the modeling of reading, nor is literature readily available to them. This creates an absence of value and opportunity for children to read. In the end, to fix our country wide reading issues we need a complete paradigm shift in our country and educational system, including the reduction if not elimination of standardized testing.
If you want to learn more I suggest investigating the writings of Kelly Gallagher especially his book “Readicide.”
Cdev, the economic status of students determines where one lives many times, and the language that is used w/n the home is affected by the lang. of the immediate family. My folks’s parents did not speak English, but my folks did learn English, and mastered English w/ and w/t the local dialects of their time/place. The argument is not only economic, but family based. If you only watch tv, listen to rap music, or get grunted at by your family, you will only repeat what you’re hearing. The schools are not THE solution, but a solution. The parents and families of the children may need to go to school w/ the child to re-learn to speak, read and write in English, in order to progress/succeed/grow/live in this economy. If I had to choose an employee, I would prefer one that I could understand when I was speaking to them.
As far as your comment about the economic status, I agree, but the dialects differ, from Caucasian and Afro-American- just as they do from Baltimore and Philadelphia. As you know, the language of an area is regional, not only economical, hence subs and hoagies, exist side by side. Both economic and regional factors affect a child’s learning, but I believe the family is the primary source of motivation in language and learning and that is where the problems need to be addressed first.
For the record, I was not saying all of any area, race or culture is the same…we do need to work on language skills in this county, the economy does not determine if you learn to speak clearly….parents and family does.
But Toby my point, which you hinted at, is this. If you have student A and student B one being african american and one being caucsian both growing up in low SEC single family housing and their parent speaks the same broken english and all just like you said they will both have the same language problems. This indeed happens. The cause of the achievment problem is their socio economic class and upbringing not race. Telling the parent to just fix it is not going to happen. The school needs to work colaboratively to fix the issue.
Did you know that the ILA supervisor banned grammar in the elementary schools. It is not being taught at all. Don’t you think if teachers were allowed to teach grammar it would help out a lot with closing that gap?
I heard that Carroll County is not signing on to this either. If several counties say no, what does that mean? I am not quite sure how Harford County is really benefiting anyway. How about giving all of the taxpayers their money back so we can use it to pay for college or other secondary training for our kids.
It’s more than getting additional money to do what we’re already doing. It’s about reforming schools. I think all school systems and the teacher’s unions have to sign on to the MOU for the state to compete for the money. That’s why is tough for states with many small districts to get an MOU.
The good point raised is when the final requirements come out we (our BOE) needs to evaluate weather this extra 12.50 a student over fours years will be worth the extra work and costs. If it isn’t we need to withdraw our support. As I understand it the money is split amongst the districts that sign on and agree.
Would this reform eliminate the Everyday Math Program in the elementary schools? I would do anything to get rid of it. That program alone is bad for our students.
The main goal of Race to the top is not curriculum ralated but focused on closing the achievment gap by providing incentives to schools for good preformance on standardized tests and attrcting better teachers to low income schools. Some things included in the state bill where bonus pay for teachers at title 1 eligible schools, bonus pay for highly qualified math, science and special educators, bonus pay for teachers whose students bet their target scores on MSA etc., extra money to schools who achieve higher then they should have gotten. Curriculum methods remain the choice of the local school system.
Yes I know where you are coming from and I get it but the Everyday Math Program is failing students in all socio-economic levels and will soon cause all the scores to go down…They need to change the curriculum in order to close the gap.
That is fine and I agree with you but….you can’t lump this in with the curriculum because this program is not deciding the curriculum.
I’m hoping that the nationwide curriculum standards that are coming out may spell the end of everyday math. There was an article in the Sun this week where several teachers talked about how much they liked the proposed standards, including how they emphasize depth of knowledge over breadth of knowledge.Here’s a link http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bs-md-common-core-standards-20100418,0,1955854.story?track=rss. It sounds promising, but won’t help all those kids who had to suffer through everyday math.
Cecil County managed to rid themselves of this dreadful curriculum pretty easily…if the teachers would protest its use/implementation, it would go away much more quickly. Our monetary system,etc. are based on the number ten…….
Well I can’t speak for Tomback but the old gal in charge previously would have had your job if you protested anything about HCPS. Oh and I don’t think anyone really cares (Board of Ed. Tomback, Grasmick) etc…what teachers think. They didn’t care when they selected a group of teachers to choose the new math series and then when Everyday Math did not get picked (the math department (Mrs. Morris) Chose Everyday Math anyway….waste of 2 weeks of my summer vacation but I did get paid for it. Now we have a horrible math curriculum. We all chose Mc Graw Hill…Mc Graw Hill taught all the basics.
When you put this in terms of $12.50 per student- it seems worthless. BUT collectively we are talking about $500,000 a year for 4 years. That “pittance” could certainly be helpful in these fiscal times. Further, if Dr Grasmick and the new Ed Reform law require these changes- funding or no funding- why not go for the dollars?
As far as curriculum goes- the proposed Core Content Standards basically delineate what students are expected to learn at each grade level. The locals will still select the text for delivery. New programs cost a small fortune so- once again- due to the looming fiscal situation, I cannot imagine the system buying into a new program anytime soon. Of course, if the company updates the edition and the cost to change or continue were comparable, perhaps other texts could be investigated.
I think the Everyday Math program is already an expensive program. Every year, every elementary student gets new workbooks. Getting a new curriculum with 1 textbook that’s re-used year to year would be a cost savings. There is also the cost to parents and taxpayers when these students graduate from High School have have to take remedial math in college. I’ve heard that 50% of HCC students have to take remedial math classes. Who’s looking at the cost to taxpayers for that?
The Everyday Math program is the absolute WORST! It must go.
With all due respect preselecting HCC attendees as your base line is like cherry picking for below average students. Sure a few good kids go to HCC but the vast majority of the top students go straight to a 4 year college!
Fifty percent of all Harford County students who start college, start at HCC. Some older returning students opt to take remedial classes to get up to speed, but that would not be the majority of students.
You may not think the community college is a worthy base line, Cdev, but the truth is that 50 percent of all college students take at least one remedial class when they start college–nationwide.
What should be a concern to all of us is that we are paying for K-12 education, then we are paying for remedial community college education, then we are paying for state college education and students should not need to repeat what they should have learned in the seventh grade. Likewise, taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for students who fail at the college level over and over–whether at the CC or four-year college level. As taxpayers, we should all be appalled.
I said HCC community college attendees is NOT a baseline. I think the bigger problem is the conspet that some people promalgate that all people must go to college. This is leading to many of these kids going to college. The ones who fail while there is there problem.
Most of the colleges require placement tests especially in math. Since math is the area in which this county is the weakest, I would like to see data on how many students take remedial courses at the community college and what level they start in.
BCPS has ALL of that information on its website. If Tomback is serious about making HCPS like them, this is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, I don’t think he intends to anything like that. If well educated transplants are looking to move here, they may be very discouraged by the lack of information provided and the lack of any gifted education in the school system.
If you want to see how BCPS operates, FIOS has Baltimore County cable network. I gave their school system and Board credit for having much more indepth discussions and questions then the school system here has.
The workbooks are a fraction of the cost compared to the cost of the teaching kits and peripherals. While work book costs would be fairly stable no matter the program, but the initial outlay for the first year of a program is huge.
As far as the educational cost, you might want to take a look at actual long term data. My perusal of the last 3 years of MSA math scores (available at MDK12) shows an overall uptick in Math achievement in HCPS. Also please provide a link to your source for the “50%” statement. One of my pet peeves is the tendancy for opinion to be stated and accepted as fact. Just the facts, ma’am. Consider the source.
Here is a link about remedial education nationwide. It is a bit dated and the number looks to be around 40 percent nationwide.
http://www.clemson.edu/centers-institutes/houston/documents/policyreport509.pdf
How true HCPS Teacher. There are several admin people put into place with the mandate of stop the phone calls and complaints to Bel Air above all else.
As for the language debate, how do we expect students to learn a language when the instruction of its fundimental base-grammar- has been BANNED by the ILA supervisor?
How does the public expect improvents in thier schools when the public has stripped the schools of any ability to establish standards, academic or otherwise…what message is sent when a student is busted smoking pot in school in the morning, but shows up for LAX practice in the evening???? The schools can’t fix anything without true parent help.
Dear A Harford Guy!!!
AMEN!!!!!!! not only did the ILA supervisor ban grammar…she has banned spelling as well…some schools do it on their own but others who are following the rules don’t do it anymore. Thank goodness my daughter’s school does spelling every week and is not one of those schools who decided to climb on the ILA supervisor bandwagon.I also teach my daughter basic math every night so she is not behind in math becasue the Everyday Math program is failing our students. I REFUSE to let HCPS ruin my child.
Dear A Harford Guy!!!
AMEN!!!!!!! not only did the ILA supervisor ban grammar…she has banned spelling as well…some schools do it on their own but others who are following the rules don’t do it anymore. Thank goodness my daughter’s school does spelling every week and is not one of those schools who decided to climb on the ILA supervisor bandwagon.I also teach my daughter basic math every night so she is not behind in math because the Everyday Math program is failing our students. I REFUSE to let HCPS ruin my child.
Cdev,
the wise men of HCPS come from the position that all students are going to go to college, only focusing on teaching to the test.
Tracy,
I know several teachers who were till parents complained about the grades. Guess what came rolling down hill?
Why are we, as parents of HCPS children who are appalled at the reduction of standards (read that as the “dumbing down of”) willing to only stand on the sidelines and whine? Why aren’t we at all of the BoE meetings stating our case for requiring Grammar/spelling skills and proper Math instruction? They cannot ignore MANY voices. They will ignore those who just sit on the sidelines whining…and they will continue to “dumb down” the curriculum until all of our children are all only “qualified” to say, “Welcome to ___________. May I take your order, please?” Our BoE operates on the “We know best” baseline and will not listen until MANY,MANY voices are raised demanding that the BoE stop ignoring what the parents want for their children. GO TO BoE meetings and state your case: Our children need to understand grammar and math in order to meet the everyday standards required to succeed and be more than automatons serving the fast food industry or other menial jobs. It is the government’s intent to “produce” specific types of students who are only qualified to serve in these menial types of jobs…they will do the “thinking for us” if we aren’t more serious about the intent to create competitively educated individuals who can think/innovate on their own. The colleges across the nation are very busy providing FREE education to “foreign students” who come get college (FREE!) educated here and take the education home with them. I ask you, perpetuate the “dumbing down” by whining or stand up for your children and demand improvement?
One thing that drove me crazy when I taught in a classroom was parents who screamed we wqant high standards or my child needs to be in the gifted class but then turned around the next day and would complain becuase their child earned a B or C and that was the grade the teacher assigned.