From Harford County Public Schools:
The Board of Education of Harford County (Board) has begun the search process for a new superintendent of schools for Harford County Public Schools (HCPS). Barbara P. Canavan, current superintendent of schools, announced her retirement effective June 30, 2018.
In order to implement an equitable and transparent search, the Board has contracted with the Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE) to help facilitate the search process. MABE represents Maryland boards and has an established relationship with all Maryland school districts, the Maryland State Department of Education, and education leaders across the country. The contracted services will cost approximately $29,000.
MABE consultants will work with the Board and stakeholder groups to identify necessary qualities and characteristics for the new superintendent. Once that is accomplished, the consultants will begin advertising and recruiting candidates throughout the country.
“The Board is committed to a fair and thorough superintendent search. We look forward to reviewing community, student and staff input as we identify the qualities we are looking for in the next Superintendent of Harford County Public Schools,” said Board President Joseph Voskuhl.
In order to achieve the Board’s goal of engaging the community and identifying characteristics the community seeks in the school system superintendent, four public forums facilitated by MABE have been scheduled as follows:
– Wednesday, February 21, 4:30 p.m., at Aberdeen High School FOR HCPS EMPLOYEES
– Wednesday, February 21, 4:30 p.m., at Patterson Mill High School FOR HCPS EMPLOYEES
– Wednesday, February 21, 6:30 p.m., at Aberdeen High School FOR ALL INTERESTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS
– Wednesday, February 21, 6:30 p.m., at Patterson Mill High School FOR ALL INTERESTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS
– *SNOW DATE* Thursday, February 22, 4:30 p.m., at Aberdeen High School and Patterson Mill High School FOR HCPS EMPLOYEES; 6:30 p.m. at Aberdeen High School and Patterson Mill High School FOR ALL INTERESTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS
In order to provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to participate, those unable to attend an open forum are encouraged to contact Kathryn Blumsack at KBlumsack@mabe.org, to provide written input. Written input should address the following:
– list three to four things that show your county is the best place to live, learn, and work;
– list four to five qualities/characteristics you would like to see in the new superintendent;
– list one to two major challenges the new superintendent will face; and
– list two to three questions you would like the Board to include in candidate interviews.
Parents/guardians and other interested community members are strongly encouraged to partner with the school system during this important process by participating however they are able.
In addition, MABE will provide a presentation at the regularly scheduled Board of Education business meeting at 6:30 p.m. on February 12, 2018, to provide additional information on the search process.
HCPS remains committed to communicating with the public regularly throughout the superintendent search process. For more information, please visit the HCPS website, hcps.org, and click on the “Superintendent Search” button on the homepage.
Burney for Karma!
Make that Burney…
Burney dlya shkol’nogo nachal’nika. My garantiruyem spravedlivost’ i ravenstvo rabotnikov dlya vsekh. Net boleye nepristoynykh bogatykh sviney.
Niky, he would like to be the rich pig.
ISTINNO, ON – PIGLET.
There are qualified people right here in Harford County. The potential candidate should have extensive school-based administrative experience. There are great candidates out there and some have experience at more than one level. Don’t make a mistake by going out of the county as they may know education, but we need someone with Harford County education experience.
Don’t make a mistake like what was made years ago when two of Harford’s finest were looked over for the job and became Superintendent’s in other counties.
Do the right thing.
Is Jerry Scarborough available or is he still running as dog catcher?
Was it necessary for the board of education to spend $29,000 for a superintendent search? Strange that this would get approved by every member of a board that supposedly wants to cut costs. Seems like a waste of money. Doesn’t the board pay MABE already?
Also why no forum just for parents? Staff and students get input. Yes, there is the community forum, but that’s for the community as a whole. There should be a forum for parents to have input. Or is the board not interested in what parents have to say?
No attacks from board members please.
Hiring for any position takes several employees to review applications, check references, conduct interviews, etc. HCPS utilizes a Human Resources department to accomplish that task, but they can’t conduct interviews for their own boss. The board need to the services of MABE to accomplish this task.
To say the board doesn’t care what parents have to say is just false. They run several open forums on the budget every year that are sparsely attended, as I assume the forums on the 21st will be as well. You also have the option to speak at every board meeting, and have the ability to communicate with them via email whenever you choose.
The continued false “outrage” is not productive or helpful. Pick an option, other than complaining on a web forum, and provide your input.
The board members aren’t going to conduct interviews, review applications, etc.? That is a board member responsibility when they do the search.
There are also board meetings and forums during the year that are well attended by parents.
The point that is being made is that there is no forum in the board process for parent focused input, unlike other groups.
This is not false outrage but a parent expressing an opinion.
Remember the first amendment, board members. The comments here may be disliked by the board or some others but this is one of the places where we have the right to express an opinion. We can do so at anytime and the public can see it right away.
The board members are part-time employees and do not have the time necessary to conduct a proper search for candidates applying for what is essentially the CEO responsible for close to a $500 million dollar budget. Will the conduct interviews? Of course. But they can’t be expected to spend the time necessary to conduct a proper search.
Quality work costs money, no way around that. The fascination in this county of “cutting costs” is killing the system. Quality education is expensive, but also an investment.
HCPS employees have a separate forum because they have entirely different input to share, and that discussion should be separate from the community.
The largest attendance at these forums have been for issues that meant nothing to actual classroom instruction. If the community were as passionate about recruiting and nurturing the strongest teachers possible as they were about swimming pools, the system as a whole would be much better off.
Yet when a parent posts here about an issue other than the swimming pools, we get attacked by a board of education member or one of their supporters.
The board members are supposed to spend a lot of time on the superintendent search. If a board member doesn’t have the time they shouldn’t be on the board. They should not hand over most of their duties to an organization in Annapolis.
There have been plenty of parents that have talked about other issues than pools in board meetings. Ironically it’s board members that have attended swim meets and wear swim tshirts at meetings. Havent seen them wear other tshirts meetinngs. Obviously they are trying to deflect criticism.
Interestingly the board at the last meeting seemed defensive and did a talked about the time they would spend on the search and doing interviews. Posting on the Dagger works!
You need to pay more attention. It’s been explained multiple times what the money is being spent on, for services that the board simply cannot do on their own. Of course they are are going to do the most important parts of this task of finding a new leader, but they aren’t going to read every resume, or complete every background check.
When the current superintendent wants to hire someone for an important position within the district, she does the important work, but she has an HR department to handle all the rest. The board doesn’t have its own HR department.
I also find it funny that simply because someone disagrees with you they are automatically a “board member or one of their supporters”. That’s just lazy and ignorant. Intelligent people can disagree with your opinions, it just easier to label them and pass off their comments than it is to face the reality of facts.
Harford County Public Schools Superintendent Search Underway; Public Forums Set
COMMUNITY MEMBERS
“In order to provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to participate, those unable to attend an open forum are encouraged to contact Kathryn Blumsack at KBlumsack@mabe.org, to provide written input. Written input should address the following:
– list three to four things that show your county is the best place to live, learn, and work;
– list four to five qualities/characteristics you would like to see in the new superintendent;
– list one to two major challenges the new superintendent will face; and
– list two to three questions you would like the Board to include in candidate interviews.”
If the school board wants to limit true community input, this writing contest is the way to do it. Instead of removing barriers for community input, they erect them.
Not every citizen would be comfortable writing answers to such constructed questions. These questions are appropriate for an applicant to be a superintendant, who one would expect, and even demand, to be literate and a strong communicator but it is inappropriate for citizens that have a concern. What this process infers is that citizens who have English as a second language or who are uncomfortable with written communication need not bother the school board.
A more equable process that would include the maximum community input would exclude constructed questions in favor of just stating their concern.
“Not every citizen would be comfortable writing answers to such constructed questions.”
Why not? A written response is a way to ensure that your comment is not mischaracterized or misinterpreted by the listener. I’m already making notes to prepare my written comments. I will likely attend one of the in person sessions, but I will also submit a written text in advance. If people really care, they’ll take the time to craft a carefully written response.
Under the Federal rule of Common Core, the school system has become unconstitutional and illegal. Common Core, a Federally mandated educational governance system has absolutely no authority by WE THE PEOPLE to exist. Common Core must be removed from the school systems of your county and the entire state in order to make the educational system compliant to WE THE PEOPLE again. Common Core has actually hindered the educational development of bright students, in order to keep those whose light is not as bright as others within a range of educational equality that is detrimental to those who shine brighter than others. The only reason Common Core exists in this state’s educational system is due to a Federal bribe known as Federal Funding. Urge your local politicians to eliminate Common Core from the curriculum of this state and to no longer accept a bribe from the Federal government to implement the government’s strategy to make America dumb……
Illegal in what way? Is there a specific statute or public law being violated by the common core initiative? I’m seriously asking – I’d like to see exactly what the violation is.
The violation is the Federal assumption of the educational system. There was NO Constitutional authority granted to the Federal government to assume the American educational system. This is a state’s right that has been infringed upon. When something is unconstitutional it is illegal because it is against the supreme law of the land. Basically, the government has assumed a state’s right to provide education to its citizens and was bribed by the Federal government to allow it to happen. Bribery is a crime, even among corporations. Federal funding is nothing but a Federal bribe to implement its control in areas it has no business controlling.
So what you’re saying is their is no real violation of any specific law?
The state can walk away from federal funding at any time. Now, they might have to raise your taxes to do it, but that will just give you another reason to post on the Dagger about how awful and illegal any form of government is…
My Dear, whenever the Federal government assumes nationwide control over any one subject, without Constitutional authority from WE THE PEOPLE, the Federal government has become in violation of Federal Anti-Trust laws. You wanted the violation, there you go. I didn’t want to have to say it, but sometimes things must be typed…..
Common Core is not federally mandated. Please actually read the standards. Also please realize that it is not a curriculum or a governance system.
http://www.corestandards.org
It is exactly what I say it is….just with another corporation, the Gates Foundation, acting as the administrator. If you want the additional educational funds you must implement it to your educational system, so it IS mandated in order to receive the funds. Every state is looking to cut cost at every available angle and any additional FREE money will be gobbled up and the states WILL implement the policies because the states only care about money, not people. Why do you think the government was trying to weaken and destroy the economy some 10 years ago? So it could implement more assumptions of control with the Federal bribes they offer. All of this is happening right before your eyes and no one seems to notice or care. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/01/18/everything-you-need-to-know-about-common-core-ravitch/?utm_term=.d2f5c527940c
Just for a little extra info, why don’t you look up who and what makes up the Gates Foundation? Then you will see who is really behind the government take over of the educational system and what political party is responsible for the reeducation of your children. This is not a joke. This is not a myth. Nor is it a conspiracy theory. We as a people should not allow this. No one should want an educational system controlled by a corporation who donates large sums of money to either of the large political parties of this country. No one should want an educational system controlled by corporations who will bear their allegiance to a centralized government and not your children.
Looks like someone found his stash. Paranoia strikes deep…
Don’t like the truth, huh? So, you wish for everyone’s children to become mind controlled guinea pigs by the Gate’s and Warren Buffet. I guess this is what I should expect from treasonous terrorists….
Hey Burbey, lets have less administration in schools. I mean who wouldn’t want to have less responsibility for their actions? Hell, lets just let the teachers do whatever they want.
idiot
Karma has a point. I believe they are making a joke, but a point nonetheless. These whiny teachers care about only one thing. Money! They could give a shit less weather they are doing a disservice to the children by being an incompetent teacher. And by reducing administrative positions like the instructional facilitator they are getting let off the hook. You think the principals and assistant principals can just assume the work load that would be left? Think again. And if you think a teacher is going to step up and fill the role of an instructional facilitator, without the pay, then you must be smoking what burbey smokes every night
Karma has $h!+ for brains. So, that is what he/she posts.
@zzwipe
We need a REPUBLICAN who will enforce discipline and implement vouchers in problem schools.
With what I see and hear from the Republican party lately, I would wouldn’t hire one to clean the scum off the bottom of my trash cans.
Good thing they don’t need a second job.
Their political party should have nothing to do with it. We need a new way of thinking. A 21st century type of thinking. I know most don’t like this, but HCPS’s biggest issue is funding. The county does not give them enough money.
How will they address this issue? Digital learning? How do you recruit teachers to a system that has a damaged reputation?
One of the priorities should be to ban all meat and dairy. It is unconscionable that in the Twenty-First Century we are still feeling our children these unhealthy products. They should be fed greens, vitamins, and juice.
Go back to California and hug a tree.