As the July 6 deadline approaches, two more candidates have filed to run for the Harford County Board of Education. Bob Frisch, a public school teacher in Baltimore County, is running in District A (Edgewood/Joppa). Lorrie Warfield, a stay-at-home mother, is the first candidate to file in District D (North Harford).
At least one candidate has filed in each of the three Harford councilmanic districts where in-district school board elections will be held this fall. To date, only District A has two candidates, Edgewood Pastor Tony McDonald and Frisch.
Bob Frisch, 55, retired from the Baltimore City Police Department and is currently a social studies teacher at Kenwood High School in Baltimore County and working toward a Masters Degree at the College of Notre Dame. A resident of Joppa for 47 years, Frisch has been active in PTA, Parks and Rec. and Boy Scouts.
Frisch wrote in an e-mail that he is running because, “I believe the current school board is inaccessible and not responsive to stakeholders (students, parents, teachers, community groups). Some board policies do not serve the best interests of students and make instruction more difficult for teachers in the classroom. The board has acted too much like a rubber stamp for the Superintendent and not shown the willingness to raise questions and challenge the Superintendent on budget and policy matters. In a few years I will have a grandson attending Harford County schools. I want the school system to be better than it currently is when he gets there.”
Lorrie Warfield, 30, has two children in Harford County Public Schools and a degree in criminal justice from Harford Community College. The Pylesville resident is pursing a second degree in political science and plans to serve as the PTA secretary at Norrisville Elementary School in the fall.
Warfield said she was running because, “I see a lot of abuses in the school system” and listed Everyday Math as a program that was implemented without input. She said the schools need to “go back to basics”. Regarding the budget, Warfield said “I’d like to cut some of the fluff”, adding that she supports teachers and is concerned about recent increases to their healthcare costs. Warfield concluded, “We’re educating the leaders of tomorrow. To educate them correctly and to the best of our abilities is one of the most important things we can do.”
So pleased to see Lorrie Warfield running for the Board of Education with “Everyday Math” a target on her agenda. “Everyday Math”: a means by which to completely befuddle a child’s grasp on our “base 10” monetary system, etc.. Good luck to Mrs. Warfield! We other “stay-at-home-moms” are excited to have a “REAL” member of the “public school” community serve on the Board of Education and not just another bureaucrat looking for a “next step” up the political ladder. I know that I will be hoping for Mrs. Warfield’s election making room for more “real members of the community” to serve in this capacity…I’d vote for her, for sure, if she were within my district!
What makes someone a “REAL” member vs. not a “REAL” member?
Thank you for you kind words. With two kids in elementary school, going into 2nd & 3rd grade, we have just begun the Everyday Math program but I have already begun supplementing the addition and multiplication skills with the “normal way”. Children have the highest capability of learning something that will “stick” with them at an earlier age so I believe that it could hinder their learning once they reach middle school and they are forced to “relearn” it the correct ways. Everyday Math is and was an controversial program that has fueled debates across the country. The way I feel is that our children get once chance at an education and I would prefer that they receive the best one possible as opposed to whatever “new thing” comes along. I think it is extremely important for the new elected members of the board need to listen to the teachers and the parents. They are the people on the “ground level” and have the most interaction with the students and are able to relay what programs are and are not working.
Anything that can be done to improve the math curriculum in this county is an improvement. Everyday Math is terrible, but so is the secondary curriculum. The University of Chicago math (which spawned Everyday Day) is weak in Algebra and terrible in Geometry. That’s as far as my kids got before I pulled them out of HCPS. They both struggled in Algebra II and had to repeat Geometry in private school. But somehow, MSA scores keep going up. The new national math standards were recently released. MD says they will comply, that may be our best hope for a curriculum change.
I have a fellow teacher at my school whose daughter attends HCPS and says he is very frustrated with the Everyday Math program as well. He too has resorted to reteaching math at home.
I agree that everyday math has flaws but before you remove it you need to look at the replacement and replace it. One problem with LICWA was when they removed the Chocolate War like they did. There was no replacement that year leaving teachers with out 3 weeks of lessons! Before you pull the plug you need to have the replacement lined up. For reference the curriculum for Math is made by the state. The Methodology (Everyday Math) is our choice. The MSA scores are a test made by Pearson by contract with the state to assess our Curriculum Objectives. HCPS has no say in anything there except the methodology!
CDEV, I agree that there should be a replacement decided on to be put in place upon removal of any part of the curriculum. I think that any new curriculum should be viewed and input should be received from many different angles; students, parents, teachers and the Board of Education. I think the problem with programs such as these are they are put into effect while ignoring the practicality of such an decision. Just because a curriculum receives praise from different sources does not necessarily make it the best choice. More thought needs to be put into a program that could potentially end up damaging the education of any child. I also believe that it is more important to judge the child’s comprehension of the material taught as opposed to test scores.
and how are you going to measure comprehension? Is that not what the MSA measures?
LICW was a class for many years before it was mandated that all 9th graders take it when they implemented CSSRP. There was a time not long ago that there was curriculum for many classes that wasn’t approved. This class was one of them … This was book was not vetted and it didn’t go through the curriculum process (so said Dr. Haas) and that was why it was pulled. There is currently NO Board member on the Curriculum Committee and we are going to have 9 people on the Board. There used to be someone years ago. FYI – there was another book that they used instead of Chocolate War which was outdated anyway. A lot of bullying is easier now because of technolgy and that is what many of the kids relate to.
You want feedback on classes and teachers maybe you ought to try asking the students. Many of them have really good insight into what is garbage.
Kate I understand the problems with the Chocolate war book. I was using that to show an example of what happens when you have something there and remove it and don’t replace it with something else.
MSA, in my opinion scores how well someone can take a test. There are many brilliant children out there that can completely understand the material who freeze at the thought of a test. Teachers know who understands the materials and who doesn’t. As do parents that are involved in their children’s education. They can see if there children are struggling with the homework.
How about getting some input from APG and HCC as to what they would like to see in a math curriculum. A good curriculum would have fewer HCPS students taking remedial math at HCC and other colleges.
justamom, I think that would be a great plan. I recently was ready that the number of HCC enrollee’s that need to take remedial math classes are climbing. I think that it is only appropriate that we should prepare the students of Harford County Public Schools for an college education.
A couple points The math Curriculum is written by the state of Maryland. It is the same curriculum employed in the all 23 school systems in MD. The Curriculum guide, which includes a pacing chart and sample lessons for each lesson are written by the county. The Methodology for teaching it is the counties choice.
Lorrie that is well and good but……how do you quantifiably measure if a student knows the material without a test? NCLB requires such a quantifiable measure. I wish we could just hook a child up and find out what they know….but we can’t!
How about just looking at what the top public schools and top private schools in the state use? Why reinvent the wheel?
CDEV, I believe that assessing a students knowledge should be based upon test scores and the work the student is doing. A teacher that is reviewing homework and classwork can tell whether a student is comprehending the material. The problem that stands with Everyday Math and is something that I have discussed with many other parents and teachers is that when the parents are trying to assist a child with their homework it gets very confusing if the parent does not understand Everyday Math as many of us do that went through conventional math. I also feel that many of the steps that they go through in order to get the answer could be eliminated. Much of the work feels as if it is being done backwards. And then after the children might begin to comprehend the material they are retaught math all over again. I am sure Everyday Math has it’s good points but as of yet I have not seen one.
Not from here, I think that would be a wonderful plan and I would certainly be interested in seeing what different curriculum’s are being used and the pros and cons are. After that I believe that it should be a decision that is made by an “advisory” group that includes the Board of Ed, educators, parents and possibly a student test group.
Lorrie at the top of the thread you said
” I also believe that it is more important to judge the child’s comprehension of the material taught as opposed to test scores.”
This is why I asked the question I did. So in one breath you say ignore the test scores and now you say validate them. Which is it?
CDEV, I have never stated to “ignore” the test scores, I said that other measures of material comprehension that should be used as well. I believe that a student having a working knowledge of the material is more important than if they earned a B or an A on the test. Obviously, there will be students that will do poorly on a test for a number of reasons but might excel at actually doing the work in real life. Test scores have their place in education but should not be the basis of everything.
Agreed so how will you measure comprehension? Simply saying the child knows it is not acceptable or reliable. If not on a test, how? BTW the MSA is not scored with A’s and B’s but rather a 3-2-1. I simply am going off what you said earlier and am trying to decifer. How will you measure this total comprehension?
I would be interested in considering other methods that are in place in different states that could give a better understanding of a students comprehension of the material. The MSA’s meet the requirements of the “No Child Left Behind Act”. The MSA’s and other assessment programs like it are created to judge whether a student is meeting federal standards for their appropriate grade level. The problem is though that it does not separate the children taking the test that are having educational difficulties. The 2009 MSA report card identified 4 middle schools in Harford County which are in need of improvement, those schools were Aberdeen, Edgewood, Havre de Grace and North Harford. Two high schools were noted as needing improvement, Aberdeen and Edgewood. Harford County public schools had a total of 13% of its schools that were eligible for testing in need of improvement. We were the fifth worst county in the state as far as percentages of schools that need improvement. That was out of the total of 16 counties and Baltimore City. As one person I can not rewrite the countries educational programs because I disagree some of the requirements. I was stating the fact that I do not believe that a standardized test accurately measures 100% of students learning comprehension. As much as you might like for me to come up with an answer that can solve the educational problems it just not possible. Perhaps if the emphasis wasn’t put on the standardized testing from the federal government then the teachers would be able to concentrate on educating the student, not “teaching to the test”. It is similar to colleges taking a broader look at a student then just their SAT scores.
Lorrie MSA measures state standards. NCLB left it to states to set the standards. 50 of the 51 states/city use tests developed by one of the three major companies to measure standards. the one that doesn’t chose to opt out of NCLB. BTW it is 22 counties and Baltimore City. I agree 100% of the kids are not best served by a test but the only other proven method is a portfolio review which is very costly and time consuming. I would argue that if teaching to the test means you teach the objectives in the curriculum then that is a good thing. If the objectives are not to your liking then maybe the objectives need changed.
I was quoting the information directly off the site listing the schools in need of improvement. I could not quote the information on counties that were not listed i.e; Garrett, Carroll. Harford’s percentage of schools in need of improvement was also 15%, I mistyped the amount. I understand what the MSA tests and the reason that they are in use. I am glad that we are in agreement that it the testing does not serve all students, and I would like to explore if there are any other methods that can be used along with the testing but I am aware as you are that many of the methods could be too time consuming and expensive. I do think that there are many other considerations that will be higher up on the agenda for the newly elected school board that will not be as time-consuming and difficult to be put in place. It is a shame that there is not a position open in your district CDEV, it seems as though you have quite a bit of information reguarding HCPS and alternatives. You would bring an wealth of information and possible options to the election.
There is, sadly I find it a conflict of interests for me to serve in a capacity as long as I work with my current employer.
Perhaps in the next election cycle!! I would certainly welcome your suggestions and input should I be elected into position in the meantime.
I am a little disturbed by the lack of candidates given how high of a priorty an elected board was and it seems that of the three districts only one actually will make a choice. Come on people. Those who wanted this elected board step up!
I believe more people will file, it may be a matter of weighing the decision a bit more before they decide. Many people might not consider the position due to it being a nonpaying position as well.
If you are truly in it for the right reasons pay should not be a difference. However given the heat school board members get, a modest stipend would be fair. But if the money is the difference maker then I suggest they may not be in it for the right reason.
No opening in my district, but I have too many skeletons to run for any office. lol
Cdev –
It looks like you got your wish. A second candidate has filed in Districts B and D, and a third just filed in A. There is still one more week in the filing deadline so maybe others will come out. I hear that there are a couple more mulling it over.
It is great to see people filing! Hopefully this means a step in the right direction for the Harford County Public School system. Hopefully we will get some wonderful candidates that can really make a difference for the children of this county.
No offense Laurie, but the article describes your education as such: “Lorrie Warfield, 30, has two children in Harford County Public Schools and a degree in criminal justice from Harford Community College”. I would prefer my bosses have a degree at least on par with those required for the teachers they will command. What in the world does a parent of two young kids with an AA degree know about running a school system? What makes you qualified to be the boss of employees that have Masters plus degrees? What experience do you have coordinating anything but a PTA. Again, not trying to be mean, but for crying out loud this is not a joke of an election. School boards is amazingly important, we as a public should demand members of the board have education and experience commensurate to the position!
Pardon me… Lorrie, not Laurie.
In the interest of transparency I say this, I have never met Lorrie but we have spoken on the phone since she filed to run for election. I found her to be genuinely interested in seeking a school board position for what I think is the right reason – the best interests of children.
I would say this in Lorrie’s defense. If you look at other MD counties that have elected school boards many members do not have “credentials,” – large business or education backgrounds, and I do not believe that should automatically exclude them from consideration. Each candidate should be judged not just on their resume but also on their character. These people will be tasked to make very important decisions about the direction of our entire school system and who will lead it’s daily operations. I know lawyers that are criminals, doctors that I would not let touch me or a member of my family, and upper echelon school system administrators that do not understand the first thing about running a classroom. Albert Einstein was famous for getting lost while walking the few short blocks from his Princeton University office to his house.
We in the education profession need to not get caught in the trap that only we know anything about education. Outside perspective keeps us from that very dangerous place known as the “echo chamber,” where you only hear opinions similar to our own. Other backgrounds bring different perspectives that are sometimes desperately needed.
Over the course of my professional life, which included an entire career outside of public education, I received regular job performance evaluations. Of all of these I am most proud of these two statements, “Here is a man who is not afraid to make a decision.” Also, “He looks out for me and the department by not always telling me what I want to hear, but rather what I NEED to hear.” If elected to the school board I want to work with people of integrity, commitment, and a willingness to listen to all stakeholders in the system. We need more of that on the school board regardless of “credentials.”
A good political answer Bob, and I would expect no less from somebody running for this position. But as a professional educator in the HCPS system, I have considerable concerns about having those making decisions about the running of schools having no professional experience, or not having a professional degree. Again, no disrespect personally to Mrs. Warfield, but what expertise does she have to make decisions about how to run a school system?
This all being said, at least she sends her children to our public schools. Some of the candidates are clearly ideologically opposed to public education (particularly in the area of science and history), and that ideological position is the cornerstone of their campaign and intent to run. Hopefully Mrs. Warfield ‘believes’ in science and history as described in scholarly journals by professionals in those respective fields, and will not attempt to use some religious or political bias to influence what is taught in those classes.
your new director of curriculum has a degree yet has no business doing his job…his qualifications are being relieved in baltimore county and playing golf and poker with dr. tomback…
@PublicSchoolTeacher writes “Hopefully Mrs. Warfield ‘believes’ in science and history as described in scholarly journals by professionals in those respective fields, and will not attempt to use some religious or political bias to influence what is taught in those classes.
Well hopefully all the candidates will promise not to promote a secular humanist socially progressive multicultural polyglot ideological agenda.
And of course no poor uneducated zhlub should event pretend to run for the school board not here, not anywhere and where there zhlubs on school boards they should be removed.
Jacob
Tell that to the folks of Charles County, MD. They elected a loon to their board and got four years of suggestions like let us remove the teachin of evolution from biology even though the state has it as being one fourth of the curriculum objectives in biology which has an HSA attatched to it. BTW the person is now running for US House of Representitives, not that they will ever oust the incumbent.
If there are 9 members of the Board (which is too many but that is another story), one person can only voice their opinion and have one vote. It would take 5 people for anything to happen. Very rarely is there ever a split like that but maybe we will see more of it, and that isn’t necessarily bad. If a region in this County has a particular perspective and wants a person in a Board job to reflect that, then that is their right. I would rather have a community put someone in and vote them out then the Governor who listens to a few people and has no direct contact with the people here in Harford County. Just the fact that people are going to be talking about issues is a GREAT thing. It can only help our educational system.
For people who think that a Board member will only vote for their “district” I would remind them that not too long ago the County Council had countywide elections and the party in control in this County said the same thing. We would probably have a completely Republican County Council if it wasn’t for indistrict elections.
@Cdev, well better an elected loon than an appointed one, since the elected loon can be replaced by voters and an appointed loon cannot.
That is true but I doubt this loon would have ever been appointed. You also have to wait 4 years to get ride of them.
@Cdev, Are you kidding me? You seem to be an elitist who believes citizens are too stupid and not entitled to have a say in who is on the school board? So you’d rather have an unelected and appointed bureaucrat?
Not an elitist but a pagmatist. The fact is that when you have an elected board you are wide open to special interest, career poloticians and single issue block board members. This is less likely to happen with appointed boards, if the appointer does their job properly and ensures diversity of opinion. This is something that sadly O’Malley and Ehrlich failed to do. If this was PA and the board had taxing authority then I would agree election is the way to go. Our board does not have taxing authority and budgets the money given to them by the county council and county exec.
Here are some disatser stories of elected boards.
Our first one is a county not to far away. Prince George’s County, MD circa 1995-2005. As a result of career poloticians posturing for office they got bickering resulting in two classes of school funding, wasted money on expenditures that looked good running for county council and bad priorites in an election year to look good for voters. It got so bad the GA had to take away their elected board in favor of an appointed board for a few years.
Our second story is a BOE in Texas who had 5 of 7 members elected by voters who favored one issue, school prayer. They put in place general prayer requirements despite the county having a significant population of Buhdists. The Buhdists decided to solve the problem they got 4 board members elected the next election and kept the school prayer but changed the prayers to buhdist prayers. ironiclly the same people rallying for school prayer filed a lawsuit claiming a seperation of church and state. Having proved their point the majority of the board voted to settle by removing all prayer from schools. This cost the BOE a lot of money.
So, Cdev, something like 96 percent of all BOE across the country are elected and you have come up with a couple of stories about how bad elected boards are. Wooohooo.
No school board is perfect, but we should have a voice. And we will. There will be a couple of ringers along the way, but at least they will be our ringers.
where do you get yuour 96% statistic.
It was the figure used all the time when Harford County was trying to get an elected school board. Appointed is not very common.
where did it come from. No one has been able to cte it from a study or stat gathering place. It just gets said. That doesn’t make it true. just give me a study or website that did some research to gather that number. What would also be good is to see the breakdown amongst boards without taxing authority.
Let me Google that for you…
“Elected school boards are not new to Maryland,” Carter said. “Ten of Maryland’s 24 subdivisions have partially elected school boards. And nationally, 96 percent of school board members are elected.”
From the Baltimore Sun. Carter is Maryland Delegate Jill Carter. I have no idea where she got the figure nor do I care. Overwhelmingly, school boards across the country are elected and ours will be too. Finally.
Then I guess that is the difference between me and you. I care where that number comes form and tend not to believe a polotician when quoting numbers and they do not tell you where they got them from.
Cdev: “Then I guess that is the difference between me and you.” Nope, you and I have nothing in common.
Let me re-phrase my earlier response: I do not care to verify those numbers for you. I have some trust–even though the figures were from a politician–that the figures are valid and that most communities nationwide have elected school boards. Stop beating this horse–it’s dead.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Jim Harkins had an AA degree in Criminal Justice from HCC and was the County Executive. Just saying…
Not to get into a pi_ _ ing match over degrees, but it does not take a rocket scientist to get an elementary ed degree and a masters in education. And I have no idea what kind of degree(s) public shcool teacher has.
We would probably all be a little surprised if we saw the credentials of those who serve–BOE, county council, etc. Does Billy Boniface have a degree at all beyond high school?
PublicSchoolTeacher, with respect, I feel like your views on qualifications for school board members would be better applied to the Superintendent and the other administrators at headquarters.
The one true qualification that board members need is that they receive the most votes from the citizens they represent. After all, the citizens are the ones who pay the teachers, buy the books, and build the schools.
The school board (at least as I view it — you are free to disagree) should be reflective of the views of the citizens of Harford County. Ideally they would have a variety of experiences and look at issues from different perspectives, however, their perspectives should be roughly in line with those of the people that they represent.
I applaud Ms. Warfield, and anyone else who would want to take on the responsibility of being a member of the Board of Ed. At a time when teachers, parents, and taxpayers are complaining about everything (the teachers in particular it seems), she and others are willing to come forward and actually do something about it.
PublicSchoolTeacher –
My answer is what I actually believe. Anyone that truly knows me would tell you that. I am not a politician and I strongly believe in the concept of the citizen legislator that serves their community and then returns to private life.
R.Parker –
I couldn’t have said it better myself!
PublicSchoolTeacher, while I certainly understand your concern regarding my lack of a degree above an Associates Degree, I do not believe that it will make me less of an asset to the Board of Education. I bring to the election the viewpoint of a parent and former student of Harford County Public Schools. I believe that it is important to have a well-rounded board whom could look at a potential situation and receive a variety of points of view. It has concerned me greatly that on many recent board decisions the votes have been unanimous. In many cases I believe that someone should have had a difference of opinion. I am not afraid to stand up and fight for the rights of the teachers and students, I do not have political allies that I need to keep happy. I believe the Board of Education has become so separated from the teachers, parents, students and community that it serves at this point that much needs to occur to mend the situation. I respected my former teachers, some of whom are still teaching and have taught my own children, and my children’s teachers and I value the education that you can provide to them. PublicSchoolTeacher, I can tell that you are passionate about the children that you teach by your comments that I have seen on daggerpress, and I know that the teachers need to keep receiving competitive pay and benefits in order to keep doing the great jobs that they do. An unhappy employee is not a good employee, they feel as if the work that they do is not valued and they lose their drive. Thank you everyone for your support!
Lorrie I think if anything a big benefit you would bring to the board is a credibility with the average citizen. If you elected you would learn quickly that there are some things people view as a waste (like some special ed spending) that is actually a mandated expense and can’t be cut. With that said you would have the credibility to tell those crowds of people that there is no other way. You would have the ability to convince them that some of the expenses some see as frivilous waste in the budget are actually mandated expenses.
From the decisions made by the current board–and I have no idea what education level they have–one of the greatest skills a BOE member needs is to be able to use the Google search engine to find information. You do not need an advanced degree for that.
Had the current board members utilized that method of research, they certainly woudn’t have voted for the block schedule or career clusters.
Good luck to the candidates for BOE. I wish you the very best and thank you for running.
Google is nice but in the world of ed research there are better places to seek a body of well researched methods. ERIC and other such search methods are far better.
Well enough… thank you for a reasoned response. As a history teacher I still ask, are you one of these people who promote the idea that our country’s founders were aiming to make a ‘Christian’ nation despite the innumerable scholarly evidence to the contrary? Also, are you one who promotes that a concept like evolution is only a ‘theory’ (not understanding that scientific theory is not the same as a vernacular theory) that should be taught along side of intelligent design or other religiously biased concepts? I think every candidate for school board should answer these questions.
Once again, we have to understand that block scheduling was not done for academic reasons…it was instituted to save dollars. During a 7 period day, a teacher taught five sections. During the block scheduling model, over a two-day rotation a teacher will teach six sections. If you were to go back to the old, and better, way of doing business, you would have to hire more teachers, offer fewer courses, and/or enjoy class sizes in the mid 30s.
Those in the classroom already know this, but I wonder how many parents realize this basic fact? And if they did, how would they feel knowing that their child’s education is being compromised to save money?
And Mark, that is the reason our family voted with our checkbook about four years ago…
My children are grown and the curriculum called Everyday Math is foreign to me but I’ve enjoyed reading the discussion about it. I’ve learned a lot and am glad to see so many interested parties hashing this out. Thanks, Dagger, for encouraging this forum.
Cdev, I realize that Google isn’t the source of all things academic. However, a simple Google search will turn up a lot of information that is credible and understandable. Those academic, peer-reviewed sites are filled with articles clogged with academic gobbledy gook that is of little use to anyone outside of academia.
And I stand by my statement that a simple Google search by the BOE members would have made them better informed.
so “academic gobbledy gook” is of little use in education?
Academic gobbledy gook is written in such a way that it does not make sense to most citizens–like people who are voting. I only have a minor in education, but my eyes start to glaze over when I read most of that crap in those peer-reviewed education journals. The journals are fine for specific things, but most of the decision made in this county could have been researched outside of journal articles. There are plenty of credible sources that are written so normal people can read them. Please don’t tell me educators are normal, Cdev, I get it.
And if people dont think that Google will provide what they need, any Harford County resident can access the databases through Harford County libraries or the HCC library. It’s easy to get a library card.
I am sorry but I expect a BOE member to be at least willing to takle it and get help when needed from an expert. The academic peer reviewed research is there just for that purpose. After all the buisness of the BOE is education. Google has it’s uses but should not be the sole source of information.
I agree the library is good place to get access to peer reviewed educational research but you started by saying “…..one of the greatest skills a BOE member needs is to be able to use the Google search engine to find information. You do not need an advanced degree for that.” Your statement implies that google is good enough and all that you need. That is not the case. A search engine is a good start but is not the end all. I am not saying you need a masters in education, or any college for that matter, to be on the BOE; but you need an open mind and an ability to learn.
I am guessing that you have been severely disappointed with the current appointed lot sitting on the BOE. I have seen very few ideas beside what they have been fed by the HCPS administration.
@Cdev – Speaking of ‘open minds’ when will yours open?
Not from here….. I am disappointed by the lack of diversity of thought. I have liked some things and dissliked others. I think they get a lot of grief from some people who just wont be happy unless they get their way even if that is not the best interest of the children of this county.
Jacob….I have an open mind. Somethigs I have strong opinions on. Others I am an open book. Some I am still gathering information to form an opinion. I have no problem admiting that I have inherint biases about some things; but I will rethink things as I get more information.
Can we return to assessing Mr. Tomback’s performance through his first year as superintendent? As I am hopefully a future member of the school board evaluating the effectiveness of the superintendent is a one of the boards’ most critical responsibilities. The other is the school budget. Does anyone have suggestions as to what they expect from the school board in that regard?
This isn’t the Tomback thread.
Sorry, my mistake. I’ll re-post accordingly.
Watch out for those making decisions for public schools when they send their children to private schools- If they are making important decisions about the welfare of children in public schools then they should be required to send their children to them.
Just like the senators in our fine gov should be forced to take Obama care–instead of their “special health care” they refuse to give up.
Sue Smith–Is someone running for school board whose kids are in private school? Or are you referring to politicians like Delany James and Stiffler?
I am also a public school teacher, but in Baltimore County. I have no problems with Lorrie’s lack of higher degrees. I have a degree in Science, then after deciding to teach, I went back for my Masters. I was in for a big shock! My undergrad degree was quite difficult to earn. The Masters, from the same school, was a whole lot easier. It seemed that my instructors were often people who couldn’t hack being a school teacher. Several of them taught for a few years, quit to get their doctorates, and spent the next 30 years telling other people how to be good teachers. Kids, parents and society have changed a lot since those instructors last got their hands dirty! Who were their teachers? Probably folks like themselves with very little real world experience. That might explain why every few years there is a new “BEST” (read only) way to teach. I actually learned more about educating children from the classroom teachers when I student taught, and from helpful mentors and associates during my first few years of teaching.
How does this relate to Lorrie? I would much prefer to see a person on the board who realizes that she doesn’t have all of the answers than a whole slew of people with outdated experience who have absolute faith in their own knowledge and abilities. I am pretty confident that she will find out about all of the mandates pretty quickly.
Does she have business experience? No. Then again, looking at what has happened to American businesses run by highly educated (and very highly paid) executives over the past few years, lack of business experience might not be such a negative thing. I’m sure we will have enough bean counters on the board to keep her out of trouble. Further, are normal business best practices totally applicable to running a school system? I suspect not. Schools are the only business I can think of where the customers, the raw materials and the product are all the same thing! If I were a manufacturer of quality tools, I would use the best alloy steel I could find. Schools do not have that option. We take the kids we are given, no matter how flawed, and are charged with producing college ready scholars. Big big difference. I certainly would not want to see our school board totally populated with Lorrie clones, but I think we absolutely need a few good open minded people like her as one component of the board. It might not hurt us to have a few mandating federal politicians like her either.
Why292,
I couldn’t agree with you more on the state of higher education in our colleges and universities concerning teachers training programs.
After retiring from the Baltimore City Police Department. I enrolled in the Social Studies Secondary Education program at Towson University. I became dissatisfied with the quality of their program and switched too a straight social science major which required many more content driven and higher level courses to earn the degree.
I later attended the College of Notre Dame for certification and am nearing completion of my Masters degree with a concentration in Leadership in Teaching and Special Education. While the courses were better at Notre Dame, like you, I found far too many Professors of Education at both institutions lacking any significant classroom teaching experience and pushing far too much theory that had little practical classroom application.
Just like in the police department I really learned how to police from the advice and training I got from experienced officers and front line supervisors, not what I was taught at the police academy.
I now take on one or two student teachers every year and what I usually find is that they know theory but are weaker in content knowledge. This is not of their own choosing but because of the course requirements of education programs that do not stress enough content mastery and practical classroom management skills. I was fortunate to have a supervising teacher who understood the realities of today’s classroom and helped me over the bumps of student teaching. I try to do the same.
The upper level management of our school systems are loaded with far too many of what I call “educrats.” I have been espousing the same concerns you address in that these types are good at crunching numbers and looking at our children as products to be turned out on some assembly line schedule. The result is children that are good at passing tests but lack the skills to move into the real world of higher education, the workforce, or worst of all the ability to actually think for themselves.