The Harford County Board of Education will hold a business meeting on March 11th, including an update on preparations for the new math and language arts curriculum planned for all grades next year. Also on the March 11th agenda, Board members will be asked to amend their budget request for next year and approve appointments to the 2014-15 Calendar Committee.
Senior staffer Dr. Susan Brown will update Board members on preparations for the new state-mandated math and language arts curriculum being implemented next year in all grades, K – 12. The new curriculum is based the Common Core State Standards, which are planned to ensure that future high school graduates are career and college-ready. The new standards were approved by the Maryland State Board of Education in 2011, and have been adopted in a total of 45 states, plus the District of Columbia. Preparations include writing new curriculum and tests, educator training, and stakeholder communication.
Jim Jewell, associate superintendent of business services, will ask Board members to take action on several financial matters, the details of which were not included in the published agenda. The agenda cites Board approval of an amended budget request for the 2014 fiscal year, plus “Approval of Premium Holiday, Healthcare, Dental Care and OPEB [Other Post-Employment Benefits] Transfer, Approval of Supplemental Appropriation”
On the consent agenda, Board members will appoint the 2014-15 Calendar Committee. Each spring the Committee meets to recommend a calendar for two-years hence, based on parameters established by the Board. Prospective committee members were identified by the HCPS Communications Office in accordance with Board-established criteria.
Also on the consent agenda, two schools will get upgrades paid for by the Maryland Aging Schools Program. The parking lot at Roye Williams Elementary will be resurfaced under the program, including the bus loop, loading dock and other parking areas, at a cost of $235,109. Southampton Middle School will get a $113,027 storm drain replacement. Frank J. Goettner Construction Co., Inc. of Kingsville is slated to get both contracts, which “piggyback” onto established company contracts with Harford County Government.
Former School Board President Mark Wolkow will return to the boardroom, making a presentation on behalf of the Greater Excellence in Education Foundation. Wolkow is chair-elect of the non-profit foundation, which promotes and supports Harford County Public Schools.
As usual, the meeting will conclude with a report from Superintendent Robert Tomback.
The March 11th meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the boardroom at the A.A. Roberty Building in Bel Air. A public comment period is set for 6:35 p.m.
Below is the published meeting agenda. Please note that published agendas are subject to change.
Agenda
Monday, March 11, 2013
Board Business Meeting – 6:30 PM – Board Room
*Times are approximate6:30 PM
Call to Order – Mr. Francis F. Grambo, III, President
Quorum Roll Call
Adoption of Agenda
Pledge of Allegiance6:35 PM Public Comment
6:50 PM Introductions
7:00 PM Board Committee Reports and Comments
7:15 PM
Presentation Greater Excellence in Education Foundation, (GEEF)
Ms. Debora Merlock, President, Mr. Mark Wolkow, Chair-ElectOld Business
Action Item(s):
7:30 PM A. Consent Agenda:1) Affirmation of Monthly Contracts
2) Minutes of Previous Board Meeting – February 25, 2013
3) Appointment of 2014-15 Calendar Committee, Proposed 2014-15 Calendar Committee Members
4) Award of Contract: 2013 Aging Schools Program Storm Drain Replacement at Southampton Middle School
5) Award of Contract: 2013 Aging Schools Program Resurfacing Project at Roye-Williams Elementary School
New Business
Action Item(s):
7:35 PM B. Approval of Premium Holiday, Healthcare, Dental Care and OPEB Transfer, Approval of Supplemental Appropriation, Mr. James M. Jewell7:50 PM C. Decision on FY2014 Amended Budget, Mr. James M. Jewell
Presentation(s):
8:05 PM D. Presentation of Common Core Standards, Part II, Dr. Susan P. Brown8:25 PM E. Superintendent’s Report
Closing8:35 PM Future Meetings Review
Adjournment
I would really like to know more about this new curriculum. How does it differ from our current curriculum. What are the benefits of changing? I am pretty sure anything must be better than the everyday mathematics curriculum. But if this curriculum is so great why are certain states filing lawsuits to be excluded from this national program. As a parent I would prefer that we stick with a tried and true curriculum, I don’t like my children being used as guinea pigs for the latest thing that comes along. They get one shot at an education and this will affect them for the rest of their lives.
Lorrie, one word: homeschool.
These announcements and experiments do not affect my kids, ever. Being my kids’ teacher(part time, wife does most)/principal(same)/superintendant(same) is one of the most wonderful experiences ever, and worth more than everything we’ve given up to make it happen.
http://www.corestandards.org
That’s a nice website but still does not address how it will be implemented in Maryland. specifically, I would like to know if the graduation reguirements as far as math is concerned will be altered. Why is it every student need Algebra to graduate? Also, will it improve the tranisiton from High school to college math. This states’ students are woefully unprepared for college math.
Specific graduation requirements are set by local LEAs(HCPS) and MSDE. http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/testing/hsg_qa/
The Common Core should improve HS to College transitions.
You need algebra because if you wish to paint a room with 2000 square feet of surface area how many cans of paint will you need.
Thats funny …My father never took algebra and he can do that.
Than your father learned Algebra without taking it. That is obviously simplistic but ALgebra has many practicle applications to real life that one would need. Honestly most students are taking Algebra I (or part of it) in Middle School! Knowing ALgebra is not an obsurd concept. In fact if you don’t know Algebra I would argue that you will have difficulty in life!
I am sure that anything would be better than the current language arts curriculum as well. My daughter is reading watered down teenage fiction in 8th grade and spending a lot of time drawing pictures and playing games. How is this going to prepare her for college?
I agree totally with Brian. Why don’t kids learn grammar in Harford County? My high school son doesn’t know what a verb is. I think even plumbers and electricians need to know how to communicate effectively in the work place.
Claud, if your children have good teachers, they are teaching grammar. I get so sick of people saying that it’s not being taught. Teachers DO teach grammar in HCPS, and if they don’t, they aren’t following the guidelines of the HCPS writing curriculum. The difference lies in how it’s taught; they just don’t fill out worksheets or learn grammar “out of context”. They are to be taught grammar, punctuation, etc. within the framework of a Writer’s Workshop. Unfortunately, this “idea” has been conveyed to the public (and honestly some teachers) that it isn’t taught. It is taught or at least should be … just differently than it was when we went to school.
Why teach it differently? I think the point being made is that it is not being taught as before and that is what has led to a generation of students that do not read or write very well.
“As a parent I would prefer that we stick with a tried and true curriculum, I don’t like my children being used as guinea pigs for the latest thing that comes along. They get one shot at an education and this will affect them for the rest of their lives.”
Lorrie, then you need to pull your children out of public education because public education is exactly that – one big social experiment. This is the lab of the social philosophers of the new morality, for-profit curriculum developers and marketers selling their new wares, lobby groups promoting this or that interest, etc.
Private schools do the same thing.
Not with your tax dollars.
That wasn’t the concern (whose money) the concern was that it ruined their education and thus private schools where better. BTW if teachers never tried out new things we would be doing the same thing that was done 500 years ago.
Lorrie, there are plenty of good private schools in Harford County. Find one and register your children.
Why does society focus so much on college-ready kids? Janitors, plumbers, car mechanics, tool & die makers, etc, do not need to go to college, but they need to know how to balance a checkbook, make healthy life choices, understand tax paperwork, leases, finance, etc, along with having skills that will put a roof over their head and food in their fridge while they’re apprenticing. We need more trade school slots.
Good luck with that. I agree but the school system doesn’t.
Kharn, good comment and on the mark. This country has college graduates that cannot earn a good living and needs people who can repair cars, electrical systems, etc. We are still living under that assumption that the only way to success is via college. We take a long time to learn lessons.
Absolutely right. Which was my whole point in the previous comment. I know many successful tradespeople who never had any of the what they used to call “college prep” courses. Everyone has different learning and intelligence levels, just a fact, I we do all students a disservice when we try to standarized the curriculum for everyone in our”every one gets a trophy” societal way of thinking.
If you knew more about this Common Core, you would know that it’s college and career ready! which means obviously plumbers and electricians etc. must know math and reading.
So a plumber can learn by reading Shakespeare, sitting in math class or playing in the chemistry lab all day? The only standards I’ve found on the common core website relate to English, math and science skills, none about swinging a hammer, using a torch, cutting hair or diagnosing an engine. An apprentice needs to know at least the basics before he can expect to be hired, businesses aren’t interested in totally green employees.
Harford Tech needs to be expanded, the schools need to drop their obsession with AP classes for every student (a kid from a co-taught math class definitely won’t succeed in AP Chemistry, but the administration pushes the class anyway) and start recommending students take pathways they have reasonable chances of succeeding in based upon aptitude.
Yes, Kharn, a plumber can learn many skills and strategies by sitting in the classes you mentioned. In literature he can learn how people solve problems, emphatize with characters in books, work with others, and learn about the world in which he/she will work. Also, he may practice and learn reading skills and strategies which he will utilize in his ocupation reading manuals and information and hopefully math skills will be implemented if running a business. There are many other areas to mention, but I’ll stop here.
Why does Mark Wolkow refuse to go away? Mark: haven’t you done enough damage to HCPS? Please just leave us alone. We suggest you find another outlet for your arrogance and cluelessness, which seem to have no limits. Maybe instead of changing the name of your organization from Greater Edgewood Education Foundation to Greater Excellence in Education Foundation, you should have changed it to the Greater EGO in Education Foundation.
Kharn has a great point as college is not for everyone. It wasn’t for me.
School is the only time in your life that you are forced to group with people the same age and learn the same stuff. Unfortunately everyone learns at a different pace, everyone has different interests, so it’s a bad design.
Public school teaches to the tests and everyone is an honor roll student.
We took our son out of public school and enrolled him into community college in his early teens. The credits counted for high school and college. He learned at his own pace, took the courses he wanted and graduated HS and had an AA when he was 18. He had access to his professors and graduated with a 4.0. He didn’t push himself and neither did we.
Hello! I really like this blog. Please tell me – from where do you have information for ths post?
JC, the reason it’s taught “differently” is because there are better ways to teach as well as “experts” research and find better ways to teach. ALL the top writing experts present teaching grammar, punctuation, etc. in the context of writing (not as a separate entity) is the best way to teach it.
The “experts” on education theory also gave us such great ideas as open classrooms, stretch spelling, and the nonsense of NCLB that said every child could be 100 % proficient in reading and math by 2015. The problem is that far too often our kids become the subject of thesis paper experiments for those wanting to get their doctorate degree.
I beg to disagree, also a teacher, that “experts” gave us all the education ideas you mentioned. NCLB was from the government and most educational experts disagreed with it and certainly didn’t advocate it. Stretch spelling is and was an excellent idea, but again because it was misunderstood continued way past K and 1st graders. Years ago students never had the opportunity to write until 2nd grade becaue of spelling. When it was advocated that students could “stretch” out a word and look for sounds they heard and write them, it changed writing dramatically in K and 1. Students actually could “write” now and not have to wait until several years down the road. But when we allowed students to continue stretching out words and not actually learning or using correct spelling, that was when we had problems. The idea of stretch spelling should have been communicated in a better way. In PA it was called “temporary” spelling which I thought was a better term. You stretch out the word listening for the sounds, but when we call it temporary spelling, the right idea is communicated to both students and teachers.
Sorry I forgot to mention the open classroom concept. I don’t know much about the research and backgroud of that idea, and I totally agree with you that it was a ridiculous concept! I’ve seen classrooms in many states over the last years and Maryland seems the only one who wholeheartedly embraced this idea. I wonder if those who advocated the idea as a great one were those who were paying for building new classrooms. It certainly saved mucho dollars!
NCLB was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Education and all the “experts” running that show. State and local school system “experts” allowed for stretch spelling to be bastardized and gave us open classrooms. No money was really saved when you consider the cost to retrofit those buildings or tearing them down. Of course that doesn’t even begin to address the cost paid by students to their education because of these failed programs and building strategies.
More on the Common Core in HCPS: http://www.daggerpress.com/2013/03/17/new-common-core-standards-coming-to-all-maryland-schools-next-year-a-sea-change-for-k-12-education/
Cindy, thank you for the thorough report. Everyone has additional questions about implementation, etc., but I know you will keep us informed. Thank you.