Is there a conflict of interest when a long-time friend of the superintendent of schools is appointed to the school board?
The Dagger has learned that Ron Browning, a newly appointed member of the Harford County Board of Education, has been a friend of Harford Schools Superintendent Robert M. Tomback since the early 1980s when he and Tomback taught social studies together at a public high school in Baltimore County. Browning said the friendship included social gatherings at Browning’s home and interaction with family over the years, and continued as Tomback climbed the ladder in BCPS and became the Harford County superintendent in 2009.
While there is certainly no law prohibiting a personal friendship between a school board member and a superintendent, the potential for a conflict of interest lies in the school board’s responsibility to employ, evaluate and provide oversight of the superintendent on behalf of the public.
As the Harford County Board of Education handbook explains…
Pursuant to Maryland law, the Board of Education appoints the Superintendent of Schools. This undertaking is one of the major responsibilities of the Board of Education.
Under Maryland law, the Superintendent of Schools, at the time of appointment by the Board of Education, enters into a four-year contract. This contract includes a process for the evaluation of the Superintendent’s performance as well as performance goals. The Board conducts this evaluation.
With Superintendent Tomback two years into a four year contract, Mr. Browning will now participate in at least two year-end evaluations, including the decision whether to award the superintendent a performance bonus of up to 10% of his $190,000 base salary. Browning will also help decide whether or not to renew the superintendent’s contract, and under what terms.
For his part, Browning was forthcoming about the relationship when asked and there’s no reason to doubt his integrity. But such a pre-existing friendship between the superintendent and a school board member might naturally raise concerns, made worse by the school system’s apparent decision to avoid any disclosure that would connect Browning to Tomback.
Following Browning’s July 8 appointment to the school board by Gov. Martin O’Malley, HCPS released a bio of Browning that omitted any mention of his 30 year career in Baltimore County Public Schools, which would have raised questions about whether he and Tomback were acquainted. Instead, the HCPS bio said only that Browning was a “retired teacher” in an unnamed school system:
“Ronald G. Browning is a life-long resident of Maryland with experience in education and business. A retired teacher, he presently owns and operates a bed and breakfast in Havre de Grace. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Baltimore County Community College and a newspaper columnist. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies and History from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a second Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Geography from Towson University. Mr. Browning also serves as the chair of the Havre de Grace Historical Preservation Commission. Mr. Browning is a resident of Havre de Grace.”
The omission was unusual, since Browning had said publicly that he taught in Baltimore County Public Schools and HCPS included such information in the bio of every other board member with experience in education – Board President Leonard Wheeler is described as a” retired Baltimore City Public School teacher;” Board Member Nancy Reynolds’ many roles are listed as a one-time ”Harford County Public Schools employee;” Board Member Bob Frisch is currently “a social studies teacher in Baltimore County,” and so on.
And when Superintendent Tomback introduced Mr. Browning for the first time at a public swearing-in ceremony for new Board members, he said that Browning was a former teacher, but didn’t mention that he and Browning were also former co-workers who had known each other for decades.
Asked whether the Governor’s office was made aware of the friendship between Browning and Tomback, Pat Foerster, education policy advisor in the Governor’s appointment office, told The Dagger that she learned of the relationship when she asked whether the two knew each other in BCPS. As to whether the friendship was first disclosed by Browning and Tomback, Foerster would only say that in addition to her questions, the relationship was disclosed at another point in the vetting process and that any concerns were addressed to the satisfaction of the Governor’s appointment secretary.
Whether the public will be satisfied is another matter. Rumors of the connection have circulated here on The Dagger, with some commenters questioning whether Browning’s addition to the board was intended to “stack the deck” in Tomback’s favor, as one commenter said, and others saying that it’s not an issue.
Asked for his perspective on the matter, Harford County Councilman Dick Slutzky, who is himself a retired HCPS educator and council liaison to the school board, expressed in an email his hope that Browning will be an asset to the board and suggested a solution that would avoid even the appearance of favoritism related to Tomback’s employment:
“I personally do not know Mr. Browning. I introduced myself to him at his first board of education meeting last Monday. I am hopeful that Mr. Browning’s long experience as an educator in Baltimore County Public Schools will bring insight and expertise to the Harford County Board of Education. I am aware of the current controversy surrounding Mr. Browning’s longtime close personal relationship with Dr. Tomback. I would expect that Mr. Browning will be able to separate his responsibilities to the board of education and the Harford County Public Schools system from any personal influences. I understand the questions about potential conflicts of interest and would suggest that on decisions involving Dr. Tomback’s professional evaluations, compensation, contract negotiations, etc., Mr. Browning might consider recusing himself from those processes and votes.”
Discuss this story with Cindy Mumby and Maynard Edwards live Tuesday morning on WAMD 970 AM at 7:05 a.m. or online at http://khztv.com/wamd/.
This is just another example Tomback’s failure to disclose his prior relationships with those he has brought to the HCPS system with Balt. Co. connections.
It is also clear that what Ms. Foerster was getting at is that the personal/professional relationship between Tomback and Browning was not initially disclosed in Brownings application to the Governor.
In a recent article printed in The Record Browning said that he only had a phone conversation with Mr. Wolkow (the recently resigned BOE President) who had asked him to apply for the BOE position. How did Wolkow know to contact Browning? It wouldn’t be a stretch to believe Tomback dropped Brownings name to Wolkow.
This will only result in more suspicion surrounding Tomback who is already looked upon unfavorably by some on the BOE. Can someone that generates mistrust among so many within the rank and file of school system, senior administrative staff, and is viewed with caution by BOE members effectively lead HCPS?
Axe to grind have we?
Let us clear up some factual errors in your post.
1) It is not Tomback’s job to disclose the information. He has his job already
2) It was Brownings job to disclose and he did to the Governor’s satisfaction who had the appointment to make.
3) Tomback does not select board of Ed members! The voters and Governor do!
If you can not be factually accurate how can anyone take your stretches of inuendo seriously? Maybe you should fully disclose who urinated in your cornflakes!
1.) There may be no legal obligation for Tomback to disclose his prior relationship with Browning but it certainly would have prevented this latest in a series of gaffes by the superintendent. He should be doing everything he can to change the perception of cronyism that surrounds him. providing full disclosure/transparency would have been the right thing for him to do.
2.) The same applies to Browning. This is not a good way to start your term on the BOE. Having elected members of the county government suggest it may not be a bad idea for Browning to recuse himself over certain votes pertaining to Tomback’s compensation package and future employment speaks volumes about how this appointment is perceived by others in the county. Mr. Slutzky may have been the only one to say it but others are also thinking it.
3.) While Tomback does not select the appointed members his influence has a great deal to with who the governor appoints. Jackie Haas was a master at this, you didn’t get on the BOE unless Jackie approved. Even Browning said Wolkow helped get him appointed and for those of us that follow the BOE closely it was well known that Wolkow did all he could to protect Tomback from criticism by outside sources and other board members. Tomback has little or no influence on how the elected members get to the BOE and we can be thankful for that. It will be even better when six of the nine members are chosen at the ballot box and his influence is further minimized.
There was nothing factually inaccurate with my comments.
My experience has shown that people in small towns pock eacn other’s eyes out for trivial reasons. Is there a law againts two people being friends? What a disgusting thing to read about this Toback vs Browning controversy that should not have been a controversy to beging with. I am glad I have decided to return to New York City. You people are fighting just to be fighting. Do you have anything else to do other then angaging yourselves in such pituful controversies?
Reading about this controversy between Superintendent Tomback and Mr. Browning, it only brings to mind the horrific problems that I had a few years ago, when I came to Havre de Grace from New York to open and operate an fine art gallery,and the City Coucil tried everything possible to prevent such business to go into operation for whatever ignorant reasons he may have had. Again it goes to prove that Tomback vs Browning is a pitiful small town politics, and Hartford County will be better off to leave such pitiful controvercies and move on with the Baltimore County Public school business.
Ron Browning was my teacher in Baltimore County for Middle School…so weird
And your point is?
Please elaborate!
Cindy is doing a good job on the air right now.
The way to resolve this conflict is to go to an all-elected board, right?
YEP!
What if Browning was elected? Would it be a conflict then? There is no conflict unless some unethical action is taken. Dr. Tomback and Mr. Browning have a right to maintain whatever friendships or relationships in their personal lives that they wish. Dr. Tomback didn’t appoint Mr. Browning. I really doubt that Dr. Tomback has enough influence over Gov. O’Malley to guide his appointments. I also doubt that Gov. O’Malley is in some vast conspiracy to assist Dr. Tomback by appoint his friend. Why besmirch the ethics of two men who have done nothing to warrant it?
If Browning had been elected his prior relationship with Tomback would have come out during his campaign, would most certainly have been a very real issue of debate, and that relationship would have been vetted by the voters to their satisfaction and settled at the ballot box. Since there was no election process and Browning, Tomback, Wolkow, were definitely aware, and Mary-Dulany James (who does have the Governor’s ear) most likely knew without disclosing this information, the public has the right to view this appointment with skepticism.
No one has suggested that the Governor was involved in some conspiracy. School system superintendents DO and influence over school board appointments. No body is saying Tomback and Browning cannot maintain their friendship, but it certainly does have the potential to create a conflict of interest.
You have asked an important question. I’m not surprised that Tomback, the most unpopular superintendent since Grotzsky, feels a need to stack the deck (the Board of Ed) in his favor.
I have a question for this so called “reporter” Cindy Mumby. Where did you attend school for Journalism? As a REAL Investigative Reporter, I know your main job is to write an article being objective NOT to spark controversy.
Mr. Browning was choosen for his intregrity in the educational process.
Have you even bothered to speak with Mr. Browning or are you a former reporter for The World News where they “make-it-all up” as they go?
Jabez–Have you noticed the title of this blog? Don’t you think the title alone should give you a hint as to whether this site is a neutral reporting of news or whether it is designed to be controversial? One of the biggest problems with on-line and cable sites that might even have news in their title is that they often spout opinion dressed up as fact.
Repeat to yourself: DAGGER IS NOT A NEWS SITE IT IS AN OPINION BLOG.
If I remember correctly, Ms. Mumby was a stockbrocker in her former life–never a journalist.
Even the large media publications are recognized for their bias. There is very little neutral reporting in today’s press.
@NOT FROM HERE–You suggest that just because Cindy Mumby was a stockbroker, she should not be considered a tue journalist? Cindy is a self-starter, a go-getter, a woman in hunt for the truth. I’ve never known her with malicious intent—she asks questions–important ones–that many people in education are afraid to ask. Investigative reporting is reporting through one’s own work and initiative.
@CINDY MUMBY–I admire your work as a journalist. You are doing a great service to the people in Harford County with your educational reporting. Write on!
Gotta jump in on this- Having worked with dozens of “real journalists” from all across the country I have to say Cindy Mumby is one of the most professional writers/ editors I have ever dealt with. She puts the ball down the middle 99.99% of the time, which is way more than most.
If you don’t like the content of a story, too bad. Facts is Facts, even ones you don’t like. I’ve seen and heard yellow journalism. This ain’t it….
All you guys who are full of internet balls and willing to flame everyone for everything are more than welcome to post your real name here on the dagger. Cindy does. She goes to the meetings, she talks to people and she gets the information.
I’m betting there won’t be a big rush to post.
“@NOT FROM HERE–You suggest that just because Cindy Mumby was a stockbroker, she should not be considered a tue journalist?”
The question was about having a journalism degree. I suggested nothing about whether Cindy Mumby was qualified. I stated very simply what I remembered to be her earlier life experience.
When I wrote the initial post, I thought about adding that a journalism degree is not a requirement for working as a writer, blogger, or even news caster. I decided to keep it simple and you all jumped on it.
In today’s world, with the Internet and cable, the lines between news, entertainment, and opinion are blurring. Many people with no formal training of any kind do all kinds of work. I know as well as anyone some of the really good things that Cindy Mumby has done for this community.
Although Dagger provide some news, I still say take a look at the top of the Web site. It is designed to stir things up.
And by the way, when you are writing the stories, you do post your name. Cindy knows who I am.
Thanks for your inquiries. I am not a traditional journalist and The Dagger is not a traditional news source. For more information about our approach, please see the tab at the top of the page labeled “About”.
Not only did I speak directly with Mr. Browning, he freely provided me with the details of his friendship with Dr. Tomback as reported in the story above.
If I might ask why did you not feel it important to include the detials that he was open about his relationship with Tomback or any quotes from Browning himself?
Cindy stated in the article that Browning was forthcoming about the relationship when asked by her. But this only came to light after it was brought into the open by others. It is also clear that this information was not initially disclosed to the Governor’s office.
If you are looking for quotes from Browning perhaps he should issue a public statement detailing the full extent of the relationship and what parties encouraged him to apply for the BOE position.
This issue will not go away until Browning and Tomback address it publicly. The longer they wait the more suspicion and conjecture will grow which can only hurt the school system they are supposed to serve.
There is no requirement that reporters graduate from an institution of higher learning with a degree in journalism. In all likelihood all the investigative reporters for the World News Daily had journalism degrees. Of course I am sure that not everyone at that paper was without ethics. But what does it say about the ethics of those real journalists?
In light of the information thus far disclosed the reason Mr. Browning was appointed could be open to conjecture.
As we tell everyone who wants to play compare-the-resume: we’re a volunteer-run site that welcomes contributions from everyone, from interested and knowledgeable members of the community to “real” journalists such as Jabez. We eagerly await your e-mail detailing the first story idea you’d like to write.
This is whole thing is getting ridiculous! Just because the man knew Dr. Tomback doesn’t mean he’s an incompetent board member! Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that no one gave a hoot about Tomback until he decided to demote two Principals?! Someone comes in and tries to make changes to the status quo and the next thing you know everyone wants them run out of town….so typical, so typical.
No one has said Browning is incompetent.
You are mistaken about no one caring about Tomback until recently. Issues surrounding the quality of his leadership as superintendent started almost as soon as he arrived.
Barbara is correct, Tombacks performance is now regularly being compared to the disaster of the Grotzsky years.
To George,
Amen! That seems to be how the populace reacts.
I must have missed a reign somewhere. As a survivor of the debacle that was Roberty, I must ask: Who was Grotzky?
Several years back the BOE brought in Wayne Grotzsky from Michigan to be superintendent. After just two years the BOE recognized their error and bought out the remainder of his contract. He went on to work in the Baltimore City school system as a third tier administrator where he became as much despised as he was in Harford County.
Several insiders have described Tomback as being from the same mold, arrogant, hard to work with, vindictive. The board that hired Grotzsky recognized their mistake and had the courage to fix it. Many are waiting to see whether the current board will do the same. Only two current BOE members (Wheeler and Krchnavy) remain from the group that hired Tomback.
It is common knowledge that there are those now on the BOE that question Tombacks leadership skills and whether he is a detriment to the school system as Grotzsky turned out to be. This is exactly why Brownings appointment to the BOE given his relationship with Tomback has become an issue for some.
WOW – Just to clarify, it was Jeff Grotzky. Not Wayne Grotzky.
Sorry, Freudian slip. How could I have ever confused Wayne Gretzky “The Great One” with Jeff Grotzky “The Looser”?
“Looser”
Irony
Unfortunately the money does not exist to buy out the remainder of Dr. Tomback’s contract. The best that we can hope for is that the newly constituted BOE does its best to limit any further damage the man can do and then choose not to renew his contract.
Is it possible to keep Mr. Browning, someone who is really a credit to Havre de Grace, and get rid of Mr. Tomback.. I was astounded when he was chosen over the other two finalists, both of whom had far superior resumes. That decision is the one I would like to know more about. My thought at the time was “Who does he know?”
Few years back I inquired on what was required to be on the Board. I was told I needed recommendations from influential people. When I asked who that was, I wasn’t given a specific answer. I mentioned a few politicians and was told that would help. I am not saying Mr. Browning isn’t qualified because I don’t know but if he is friends with Dr. Tomback and he “put in a good word for him” to the Governor’s office that is clearly a problem.
The superintendent makes more money than the GOVERNOR and people should be holding him to an extremely high standard. Just look back at the suggestions made by readers here when he started and it doesn’t appear that any of them have been followed and/or implemented.
Is it legally possible to, on the basis of non-performance, renegotiate Tombacks outrageous contract, to an amount that is more appropriate for an unproven educator? If he didn’t like a reduction in salary, he could be allowed to resign. So far he seems to not be performing to a standard that is acceptable to the taxpayers of Harford County. What is his total package in addition to salary? My memory is that there were lots of perks.
I would think that Mr. Browning, under the circumstances, and following most rules for conducting meetings, would have to recuse himself on any topic that involved Mr. Tomback and his future in Harford County. That would ceartainly limit his participation, but does seem to be a parliamentary necessity.
Speaking of Salary – Tomback is headed to China this November on some trip sponsored by College Press or similar entity. Supposedly all expenses are covered except for $950 for which HCPS will cover. Why? Let Tomback pay for this out of his pocket – this is not a necessary trip – it’s kind of a perk, a luxury, with a sprinkling of fact finding to see how the Chinese educate their kids. What’s more there may be 4 principals going with him from HCPS. Let them also cover the uncovered portion of the trip themselves. Do they not get it – the economy stinks, the country is bankrupt but taxpayers can cover $5000.00 for a junket to China? We have to start saying no to the “little” stuff like this – they want to go – let them cover the cost themselves.
And herein lies so much of the problem….hardworking staff members have not had a raise in three years! Veteran teachers are put on “plans of assistance” to try and get them to retire early or leave so that new teachers can be hired at lesser salaries. An icompetent, bully prinipal is kept on at a school where both staff and parents are angered at the direction that the program is headed. Where is the leadership!? Off to China….go ahead, spend our tax dollars for NOTHING other than a vacation being passed off as an educationally important opportunity. Why isn’t Tombeck made to pay for the extra $950.00!? Good Lord, he makes more money than most people! HCPS is in a sorry mess!