What’s next for demoted high school principals Tom Szerensits of Aberdeen and Macon Tucker of Joppatowne, and for their respective schools? The answers might be revealed at the next meeting of the Harford County Board of Education.
Near the bottom of the May 23 agenda is an item on as-yet unspecified personnel changes planned by Superintendent Robert Tomback – changes which could involve Szerensits and Tucker. Tomback told the pair in April that they would not be principals after this school year and they would instead be transferred to other positions. Tomback’s move also opened up the two high school principal spots, which could be filled at the meeting Monday night. Finally, with the ink barely dry on David Volrath’s letter of resignation, and the posting to fill his job as executive director of high school performance opened and closed within about one week, a replacement for the retiring head of the county’s ten public high schools might be among the appointments up for approval by the school board.
Also on the agenda for May 23 is a decision on the adoption of unnamed “County Approved Capital Projects for the FY2012 Budget” – likely referring to two Havre de Grace High School projects initiated by Harford County Executive David Craig and approved by the county council last week. The projects are a $250,000 feasibility study that would put Havre de Grace High School in line for a complete modernization or replacement, and $1 million for improvements to the school’s athletic field facilities.
Among the upgrades to school facilities awaiting contract approval are parking lot resurfacings for Aberdeen Middle School, Bel Air Middle School, North Harford High School, C. Milton Wright High School and Magnolia Elementary School. Contracts for new roofs – one for North Bend Elementary and another for the addition at Prospect Mill Elementary – are awaiting the go-ahead, along with a replacement of the HVAC system at Havre de Grace High. A contract to refurbish the entrance canopies at Wakefield Elementary and Bel Air Middle is also up for school board approval.
Transfers are planned within the current, fiscal year 2011 operating budget to offset higher than expected fuel and other costs.
An update on cultural proficiency is planned, along with a presentation on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.
Several student groups will be recognized for their achievements and Caitlin Dooling of C. Milton Wright High School, who is concluding her year as the student representative to the school board, will receive a proclamation.
Below is the published May 23 agenda for the Harford County Board of Education. Published agendas are subject to change:
MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
MONDAY, MAY 23, 2011
HCPS A. A. ROBERTY BUILDING
102 S. Hickory Avenue, Bel Air, MD 21014Board Closed Session – 5:45 P.M. Board Executive Conference Room
Board Business Meeting – 6:30 P.M. – Board Room6:30 P.M. Call to Order – Mark M. Wolkow, President
Quorum Roll Call
Adoption of Agenda
Pledge of Allegiance*6:35 P.M. Recognition
• Young Authors Writing Contest Winners
• Superintendent’s 2011 Student Advisory Council
• Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Winners
• Patterson Mill High School DECA State Winners
• National Financial Capability Challenge Winners
• E-Cybermission State Winners*6:45 P.M. Public Comment
*7:00 P.M. Board Committee Reports and Comments
Old Business
Action Item(s):
*7:15 P.M. A. Consent Agenda:
1.) Board Resolution on: Miss Caitlin Dooling
2.) Monthly Report on Personnel, Tenure Recommendations (Goal 4)
3.) Minutes of Previous Meetings: (Goal 3)
• April 26, 2011
• May 9, 2011
4.) Decision on Contract Award for Havre de Grace High School HVAC System Replacement – Phase 1, Bid Tab Sheet , List of Alternates (Goal 3)
5.) Decision on Contract Award for Chiller Replacement at Havre de Grace High School (Goal 3)Old Business
Action Item(s): (Continued)
6.) Decision on Contract Award for Prospect Mill Elementary School Addition Roof Replacement, Bid Tab Sheet (Goal 3)
7.) Decision on Contract Award for 2011 Aging Schools Program Resurfacing Project at Magnolia Elementary School (Goal 3)
8.) Decision on Distributor Food Project Bid (Goal 3)
9.) Decision on Contract Award for Parking Lot Resurfacing Project at C. Milton Wright (Goal 3)
10.) Decision on Contract Award for Parking Lot Resurfacing Projects at Aberdeen Middle School, Bel Air Middle School and North Harford High School (Goal 3)
11.) Decision on Playground Equipment for Red Pump Elementary School (Goal 3)*7:20 P.M. B. Decision on Adoption of County Approved Capital Projects for the FY2012 Budget
Mr. Cornell S. Brown, Jr. (Goal 3)*7:40 P.M. C. Decision on Contract Award for Wakefield Elementary and Bel Air Middle School Entrance Canopies, Bid Tab Sheet, List of Alternates (Goal 3)
*8:00 P.M. D. Decision on Contract Award for North Bend Elementary School Roof Replacement, Bid Tab Sheet (Goal 3)
Old Business
Presentation(s):
*8:15 P.M. E. STEM Education in Harford County, Mr. Andrew Renzulli, Ms. Joan Michel,
Mr. Gary Martin (Goal 3)*8:35 P.M. F. Update on Cultural Proficiency, Dr. Jonathan D. Brown (Goal 2)
New Business
Action Item(s):
*8:55 P.M. G. Decision on Transfers between State Categories for the FY2011 Budget,
Mr. Edward B. Fields, Ms. Jeanine Ravenscraft (Goal 3)*9:15 P.M. H. Decisions on Promotions and Appointments, Dr. Robert M. Tomback,
Announcement of Transfers (Informational) (Goal 4)Presentations(s):
*9:30 P.M. I. Superintendent’s Report
Here is a suggestion for replacing the two principals:
Reassign principals from highly successful schools and evaluate their performances at Aberdeen and Joppatown.
Likewise, many of the outstanding teacher should also go to those schools.
Sounds like a great idea!
As the twig is bent, so grows the tree, Grasshopper!
Scenario: Homeowners bail on mortgage and live it up in at another cheaper loction, but allow a 20 & 17 year old (and gosh knows who else-traffic is riduculous)to live in the home until whenever they are made to leave. The house is destroyed, there are parties that include underage drinking and drug use, pit bulls in the yard. Being new to the neighborhood and not a homeowner just a renter what rights do i have? Should the homeowners be responsible for allowing the under age drinking and drug use, as well as the unregistered vehicle being driven with someone elses tags on it. Harford County Police have been out to this area a good 5 times since I moved in back in December, but nothing seems to happen. One neighbor finds used condoms on his yard, another neighbor called the police because the dogs were fighting. Do you hold the police responsible for allowing this to continue? Do the parents get taken to jail to make them responisble? Do the kids get taken out of the home and put in foster care, even though they are as old as they are? Why won’t the parents take them with them? Why must the neighborhood be so traumatized by the actions of the youth these days? The police come to the door and then leave, nothing is done.. shouldn’t they be asking for verification and arresting those under age, as well as though that are??
I did not get to this meeting tonight, but I trust that HCPS is making a wise & constructive decision. I do plan to get a copy of someone’s notes. There are plenty of administrators doing some very unethical things, today. It goes on to frequently! I had to talk to an administrator’s at EHS some weeks ago….about this….no trust from the students what- so-ever and he walks around like a bully…pushing up on the kids …lying! How dare you; putting out nothing but negative energy all over the school! In order for our children to reach their highest potential and become productive citizens….they must be mentored, and educated for that development. If this decision was made because they lacked productivity and were not assets to the team…. Oh well! Where can you go and get paid for just your presence? That is how it goes… What were the expectations anyway? I’m sure HCPS went down the check list twice ..three times… Just to get it right! This provides that their assumpthink they are untouchable. You need to respect your team and bring positive energies that in turn, bring the results. HCPS … be notorious and present in education, accountability and mentorship! The more you cleanup.. the mess-up… the more straighten they become; that is high standard!!!
Classic HCPS. The board and the “super” can’t even get on the same page and announcement of promotions and transfers get tabled. Good to see that the board wants to look into the process of transferring personnel. It appears that the “super” only gave an afternoons notice to the board members of the appointments. Not quite enough time for Dr. Wheeler’s liking.
Thank God the Board is finally doing something. They should have been paying a lot more attention when they approvedDr. Jonathan Brown and Bill Lawrence. Between the top administrators in this county, there is A LOT of our tax money going to pay people and it is all leaving the county.