Harford Schools Superintendent Robert Tomback will recommend that a required ninth grade course, Living in a Contemporary World, be reclassified as an elective for all high school students. Widely disparaged by students, parents and educators as a waste of instructional time, the course has been a HCPS requirement for the past five years. Tomback’s recommendation to eliminate the requirement will be presented for a vote by the Harford County Board of Education at a planned board business meeting on November 14 in Bel Air.
In other school board business, members will be asked to approve a corporate-sponsored, $53,000 project to install a new electronic scoreboard at the Aberdeen High School stadium. According to published agenda documents, “ in consideration of a $20,000 donation by the Henderson Family” toward the cost of the new scoreboard, Superintendent Tomback has conditionally approved a proposal by professional football players E.J. and Erin Henderson to name the stadium “Henderson Field”.
School board members will receive an informational report on the HCPS Legislative Platform for 2012, along with a proposal that would add the word “cyberbullying” to the current board policy prohibiting bullying, harassment or intimidation of students. A pictorial presentation on community engagement and cultural proficiency is also planned.
Just back from a trip to China, Superintendent Tomback will wrap up the school board meeting with the Superintendent’s Report. School officials have said that the China trip, which included the principals of C. Milton Wright, Edgewood and Patterson Mill high schools, was part of an effort to review and expand the HCPS foreign language program. Majority funding for the trip was provided by Hanban, the executive body of the Chinese Language Council International, a non-governmental and non-profit organization affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China.
Below is the published November 14 meeting agenda for the Harford County Board of Education:
MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2011
HCPS A. A. ROBERTY BUILDING
102 S. Hickory Avenue, Bel Air, MD 21014Board Open Session – 6:00 P.M. – Board Room
Board Closed Session –6:05 P.M.– Board Executive Conference Room
Board Business Meeting – 7:00 P.M. – Board Room7:00 P.M. Call to Order – Dr. Leonard D. Wheeler, President
Quorum Roll Call
Adoption of Agenda
Pledge of Allegiance*7:05 P.M. Public Comment
*7:15 P.M. Introductions
*7:20 P.M. Board Committee Reports and Comments
Old Business
Action Item(s):
*7:35 P.M. A. Consent Agenda:
1) Affirmation of Monthly Contract Awards (Goal 4)
2) Minutes of Previous Meetings: (Goal 1-4)
• October 24, 2011
3) Decision on School/Organization Sponsored Project – Aberdeen High School Electronic ScoreboardNew Business
Action Item(s):*7:40 P.M. B. Decision on Course – Living in a Contemporary World, Mr. William A. Lawrence (Goal 1)
Presentations(s):
*8:00 P.M. C. Legislative Platform Informational Report, Legislative Platform Presentation, Mrs. Kathryn M. Carmello (Goal 3)
*8:20 P.M. D. Presentation on Community Engagement and Cultural Proficiency, Dr. Jonathan D. Brown (Goal 2)
*8:40P.M. E. Presentation on Board Policy, Dr. Jonathan D. Brown, Patrick P. Spicer, Esq. (Goal 3)
• Bullying, Cyberbullying, Harassment or Intimidation of Students (Policy No. 24-0006-000)*9:00 P.M. F. Superintendent’s Report
Closing
Future Meetings Review
Adjournment
Great so China is now paying for our teachers to travel abroad. So that they may come back and indoctrinate our children on the wonders of Communism. Here’s an idea. Bring back the wood shop and Metal shop classes. At least kids today will leave school with a few skills.
And use those skills where, Travis?
Now don’t get all flustered with me. I fully believe that we need to be teaching kids skills that can get them jobs when they graduate from high school.
The quandary we are in is twofold. First, there aren’t many jobs for them. Many have been exported. For many more jobs that can’t be exported we have illegally ‘imported’ labor to do those jobs. And the government, both Democrats and Republicans, refuse to put a stop to it. Second, the school system doesn’t really prepare them for the most simple things like writing a legible and gramatically correct note. Or balancing a checkbook. Or understanding how credit card and mortgage interest work. Or preparing a simple budget. Even if they go on to further their education at some non-college but post-secondary school many of them will be first taking remedial classes. Same if they went to college. Of course I view every remedial class at the post-secondary level as an indictment of our secondary school system.
ALEX R: “First, there aren’t many jobs for them.” That is because big business, in their endless quest for higher profits, has sent most our jobs overseas. What is manufactured in this country now?
“For many more jobs that can’t be exported we have illegally ‘imported’ labor to do those jobs.” There are very few penalties to big business for hiring these workers and the wages are so low one could not earn enough to support a family. Much of this was caused when the protection that labor unions afforded was lost and the GOP turned a blind eye to the practice of replacing good American jobs with undocumented workers to be exploited.
“Second, the school system doesn’t really prepare them for the most simple things like writing a legible and grammatically (sic.) correct note.” I blame No Child Left Behind. If something is not tested, it is not taught. President Bush and his GOP Congress have dumbed down the curriculum to the level of what can be tested in a few days.
“I view every remedial class at the post-secondary level as an indictment of our secondary school system” I concur.
Ironically enough, Alex, many of those skills that you mention are the skills that should have been taught in the Living in a Contemporary World class that is now being cancelled.
Topics like personal finance, budgeting, and credit were present in the curriculum, but, in my experience, they were never covered. The instructors for the class were either unaware of what was expected of them or did not understand the topics well enough themselves. LCW was a great idea with a terrible implementation.
So it only took 5 years for the school board to fully recognize that Living in a Contemporary World was a colossal waste of time for students and teachers alike? I believe it was Fall of 2006 or 2007 when it was made mandatory in a freshman’s curriculum. I guess in the scheme of things this is a fairly quick resolution. How frustrating though for the students who had to sit through this class and would have gained far more from another class.
The Aberden High School field should be Named after Coach Smith who did more for His students, than make the NFL!! I think if you asked for Donations from Those that were taught by Coach Smith you would not need need to go anyfurther!!
I thought the BOE had a policy against naming facilities after living people?
From BOE Policy Number: 20-0024-000 (Naming of School Facilities)
B. The name designated for the public school facility shall properly recognize the importance of the public school facility to the county, school system and community.
C. A name for a public school facility shall be that of:
1. The community, location, road or street where the public school facility is located;
2. A significant and distinguishable landmark which will identify the school’s location;
3. A person, living or dead who has made significant contributions to Harford County or the public school system based upon any or all of the following criteria:
a. Outstanding and exceptional support of and service to or on behalf of the public school students in the county;
b. Outstanding citizenship and character;
c. General service to the community;
d. Superior ethical standards.
I know the JHS boster club attempted to name the stadium after long time AD Mr. Bauer and essentially got told that he would have to be dead for that to happen. So they named the concession stand after him.
The central office is named after A.A> Roberty — who is still very much alive.
They seem pretty arbitrary as to whether or not it’s ok to name a facility after people…I’ve seen it go both ways.
The eagle Sports Complex has been named in honor of CalRipken Sr. and Aberdeen Veterans by act of theHarford Co. Bd. Of Ed when the installation of the flag poles capped the renovations. A Bronze plaque was installed on the large rock at that site. The plaque eventually disappeared but it has been returned to the school but not yet be reinstalled.Perhaps the current Board ought to do some homework?
The Cesky Family didn’t pay a penny to have the Bel Air High School stadium named in memory of Al Cesky. The Gray Family didn’t pay a penny to have the John Carroll School stadium named in memory of Gerry Gray. The Harris Family didn’t pay a penny to have the Havre de Grace High School stadium named after Jim Harris. That’s because each in his own way as teacher and coach earned the honor by giving their respective communities something far, far more imporant and lasting than money. If Aberdeen needs to name its high school stadium or athletic field, it may want to consider the contributions of the late Jim Smith and the late George “Corky” Connolly. Smith-Connolly Field at the Cal Ripken Sr. Sports Complex sounds about right. In the meantime, I’m getting ready to cheer for the Handersons’ team on Monday Night Football.
Please pardon the misspelling of Hendersons in the above post.
otto, you are a good man.