From Harford County government:
The Board of Education of Harford County met in an open business meeting on Monday, February 14, 2011, in the Board Room of the HCPS/A.A. Roberty Building and took the following actions or received the following presentations:
Approved the Consent Agenda:
– Affirmation of Monthly Contract Awards
– Monthly Report on Personnel
– Decision on Appeal Case Results July through December 2010, Case Information
– Decision on Contract Award for School Buses
– Decision on School/Organization Sponsored Project: Havre de Grace High School – Upgraded Lights for Outdoor Tennis and Basketball Couts
Minutes of Previous Meetings:
– January 15, 2011 Board Work Session
– Approved an amendment to the 2010-11 calendar to include four new potential inclement weather make-up days. The following days will now be included as potential make-up days: Wednesday, April 20; Thursday, April 21; Monday, June 20; and, Tuesday, June 21. If any further school closures are required as a result of inclement weather, these days would become school days that students will attend.
– Approved a revised policy entitled Assignment to Schools in Attendance Areas (Policy Number 20-0035-000).
– Received a legislative update from Coordinator of Government Relations Kathy Carmello. And approved the following positions:
House Bill 37 – Approved the Superintendent’s recommendation to oppose the bill.
House Bill 48 – Approved the Superintendent’s recommendation to support the bill.
– Superintendent’s Report: Provided a Brief Report on the first regional STEM Summit at Aberdeen Proving Ground held last week. Over 100 individuals attended the summit with the purpose of bringing together, for the first time, those who want to be involved with STEM education in K-12 schools. Recognized Brad Palmer for presenting at the National Title I Conference. Mr. Palmer demonstrated best practices of Harford County Public Schools with Title I compliance. And, acknowledged Dr. Carolyn Wood on having been recognized by the National Forum on Educational Statistics for her ongoing contributions devoted to improving quality, comparability, and utility of education data throughout the United States.
ELEMENTARY REDISTRICTING UPDATE 2-14-11
On Monday, February 7th, the Superintendent’s Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) presented the final revisions of the Proposed Elementary Redistricting Plan to the Board of Education. All of the information presented has been posted to the Elementary Redistricting website, as well as the video footage of the final presentation meeting. The Board will hold one final hearing tonight, Monday, February 14th, from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m., in the A.A. Roberty Building Board Room. In addition, comments will still be collected through the elementary redistricting email address (elementaryredistricting@hcps.org) through the month of February. The Board will take action on the plan during the Monday, February 28th Board Business Meeting. The Board will also accept public comment at that meeting, however, Board President Wolkow encouraged the community to contact the Board prior to the February 28th meeting with any concerns.
Maybe if they quit all the teacher in-service days and early dismissal days and such they wouldn’t have to worry about make-up days.
Maybe the school board should build additional days into the calendar for school closings. I’d much rather get to spring and have the school board say, oh we didn’t use all our days, let’s cut a week off the end of the school year, rather than, oh we didn’t allot enough days, we have to extend the school year another week.
The calendar does have additional days built in, but all of them have been used as of right now.
I understand there are days built in. I’m suggesting that more days are added. Use last winter as an example. The school board built in what six days? We had 3 blizzards last year and used every last one and then some. Maryland winters are so unpredictable that I feel additional days should be added into the calendar. At the end of the year, if they weren’t used, then fine. But when we use all the days and then they want to start taking days away from the kids, they need to realize that families plan vacations and such around days off. For example, we’ve planned a trip during spring break. Now the school board is talking about taking those days away. The trip has been paid for for months and isn’t going to be cancelled. I may have to pull my child out of school now if those days are taken away. It’s crazy.
They should just extend the school day or do some 1/2 days on Saturdays to make up the snow days.
They day off in October for Teacher Convention is a waste and could be a school day. I have been teaching for over 25 years and have never gone to a convention that weekend and I can say the same for the teachers in my school. If I can say that about the teachers in my own school then I can bet I can for most teachers in other schools as well. This could be a day the kids are in school. It is a waste just like the teacher professional development days.