I have read the posts relating to our schools in Wicomico County and some of the comments as well. I greatly appreciate the fact that Mrs. Holloway, President of the WCBOE, reads this blog. Since she does, I would like to ask a few questions relating to the BOE policies and what appear to be State or Federal mandates. I would be greatful if Mrs. Holloway would take the time to answer them and address any comments (legitimate comments) posed by the readers. An impromptu forum so to speak. I think it would be helpful and informational.
I have three questions.
1) Is it true that the State of Maryland has determined that a disproportionate number of minorities have been suspended and, therefore have instructed our school administrators to ignore certain conduct violations?
2) Some time ago the Wicomico County Board of Education initiated a pilot program entitled "School Based Wellness Program". Can you tell us if this program still exists and if so where and what it consists of?
3) The proposed new Bennett High School is to be built in Fruitland I believe. By the time it is completed where (in a percentage) will the student population be in relation to it's design capacity and how long is it expected to take until the school is up to the maximum capacity.
I hope Mrs. Holloway doesn't mind answering a few questions. I think this is an excellent opportunity to educate the public.
Thank you in advance.
Respectfully,
Bob Harris
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
23 comments:
School admin was never told to ignore behaviors.
Also, Mrs. Holloway's answer to questions about the central office seemed to imply that there would be two assistant supts. after the new supt. is appointed. If she meant there will be two just until July (because of Mr. Field's interim position) and then the number will go back to three, could she state that?
Dear Mr. Harris:
Mr. H:
Your questions are meaningless for the most part, and the first should be addressed to the State Board of Education (Attn: Nancy Grasmick). The second is appropriate, but the third is essentially useless because the State dictates how public school construction is done in Maryland.
Why don’t you concern yourself with the low rate of pay for teachers and other B of E. professionals in Wicomico County?
Why doesn't the Board of Education, whether it be state or county concern themselves with educating children instead of being so concerned with the No Child Left with a Mind program. You all make it about the money when the reality is it is about the education of our children. That is what you are paid to do, teach them, not teach them to take tests then lower the bar so they can achieve a passing grade. These kids can't even pass a basic skills test.
Screw the federal dollars the lawmakers kids aren't enrolled in public schools, ours are. JUST SAY NO to the No Child Left with a Mind program.
When our children are educated to the point of being able to pass basic skills tests without lowering the standard then we can talk about pay raises. Until then, live with your current salary or find another job.
Anon 9:53
I think the questions I posed are entirely appropriate for Mrs. Holloway and I think she could provide the answers I seek. I pay taxes here in Wicomico County, therefore I will concern myself with what I see fit. Don't suppose that you can tell me with what I should concern myself. The rate of pay for BOE employees has nothing to do with what I asked. The only thing meaningless and useless I see was your disrespectful attempt to belittle my questions.
I have another question. How much money does the Board of Education get a year from people who do not have a will. Without a will the money is automatically left and the Board collects? Correct? How does this work and why do you never hear how much money is received from this source?
The new Bennett High School is being built right behind the current location. Bennett Middle School is the one that will be relocated to the Fruitland area.
The new Bennett High School is to be built on the site where it currently sits (behind the old building). The Bennett Middle was recommended to be built in the Fruitland area.
The new Bennett MIDDLE School will be built in Fruitland, not the HIGH school.
Mr. Harris,
I also believe your questions are appropriate. Sounds like some of the teachers are kinda pissed at you. Keeping asking questions please. Answers are needed!
You can say screw the federal dollars if you want to lose millions of them. So many at risk kids receive Title One assistance and free or reduced lunch and free or reduced breakfast, how would the county makeup for all of that lost money?
Re. the "low rate of pay for teachers..." (9:35 p.m.) Did you see Sunday's Daily Times with the salaries of all 25+-year employees of the BOE? I retired 12 years ago after teaching 32 years. My ending salary was $41,000. I would now be making well over $70,000. With the three-year retirement incentive in place, the salary would be $80,000. In the meantime, beginning teachers are making well over $30,000. I believe that the pay rates are quite fair--some may say more than fair.
anon 8:08 quite your bitchen, 12 years ago you were making 41,000!!
I was struggling on $24,00 and having to work out of town. But I went to college at night and weekends, summers too. I improved my place and now make just under $60,000. You made yours and retired I think youmade way to much money when i was struggling
this is not the place for a public forum and Ms, Holloway should not be set upon by the wolves of the county. You want to ask her questions then do it like a real person in real life in real time!
To 9:53
The person who made this a forum for Mrs. Holloway's answers was Mrs. Holloway, not Mr. Harris. She posted her response to comments about the ENP program. The current question about the number of assistant superintendents is a follow-up to what she implied in her comments. If having only two of them is a very temporary situation, she should have said that. She gave much information about the county school system as a whole, but questions about whether ENP money would have to be paid back by people who took the money but did not retire remain unanswered. Mr. Harris is not out of line in asking her to respond to questions about the Board since she's the one who started doing it.
To 8:48: How did you infer from my 8:08 post that I was "bitchin'?" I was satisfied with my $41,000. You compared that salary to the $24,000 you were making at the time. Keep in mind, that was at the end of 32 years and all my education. You said that you were going to college at night, etc. I assume, then, that you were near the beginning of your career. Quite a difference!
The point I was making, if you're able to read and comprehend, was that the current teachers' salaries appear to be quite reasonable. Of course, we would always welcome more, but the salaries teachers make now do provide them with a very comfortable standard of living.
You can say screw the federal dollars if you want to lose millions of them. So many at risk kids receive Title One assistance and free or reduced lunch and free or reduced breakfast, how would the county makeup for all of that lost money?
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So you admit, no child is to be left with a mind, a full belly maybe but not a mind. Get a grip, those funds are not to feed their bellies they are supposed to be used to EDUCATE these kids to pass below standard testing. I say below standard because you all keep lowering the standards. As Larry the Cable Guy says "all you will need to get into college is a pencil"
When did it become the responsibility of the schools to provide breakfast? I don't deny a child a meal but I do say if the parents can't feed them, cut their food stamp allowance. This is why no one is responsible for anything and expects the government to take responsibility for everything.
Screw the federal government and their no child left with a mind program. Screw the teachers that agree with it, you don't want to teach, you want a paycheck.
And the schools push the free lunches. They send home the forms to fill out and when not done, they do so again. I had this happen four times and each time a note was attached, the fifth request was a personal phone call requesting me to fill out the paper. I told them I had never accepted a free lunch or anything else and I wasn't starting now. I also informed them that I had my children and I would pay for my children and not accept free meals from school. That wasn't a good enough answer. I was then informed that this program generated funds/grants and if I didn't fill out the form for a free lunch one of the personnel would lose her job and had the nerve to name who she was. Well that was 4 years ago and she still has a job at the same school. I guess it didn't matter that I refused to take advantage of a program just because?
If you don't want to pay for the children you give birth too, then take some birth control or don't have sex. This will prevent those children from being born. I am tired of paying for everyone else's children just because.
For those concerned about qualifying for free or reduced lunch. There is more to the program than just getting lunch or breakfast.
The state uses the percentage of F/R students in their capital funding formula. The greater the needs based upon FARMs, the better the counties rating is and the better deal the BOE and county gets for school construction.
This saves the county millions of dollars for a project like JMB.
So next time you are too proud to complete the form, do it and pay if you want to. It will help everyone.
FYI:
Administrators were never told they could not suspend students. What I was told was that there were large amounts of Sp. Ed. students with greater than 10 days of suspension. This violates IEPs and the county could lose huge amounts of money in Fed. funding.
Administrators were told to look at other avenues instead of suspension before doing so. If no other choice, they must get approval from above to be sure that proper procedures were being followed.
If that was done and all other options exhausted, they could be suspended. Of course for major offenses such as extreme violence or weapons, they would automatically be sent out.
Are we saying that a "special ed" student can use profanity toward a teacher and receive a lesser punishment than the "average" student in order to continue the flow of govt funding? If thats the case we are teaching our students that money is a factor that manipulates justice. Is that what I am to believe? Does that violate anyone elses sense of fairness?
Bob Harris
Administrators do look at other avenues before suspension. They warn, they warn, they give office detentions, they have parent conferences, they give in school suspensions repeatedly, etc. By the time someone is suspended, lots of other punishments have been tried. Only the principal can suspend so it is quite amusing that 10-day suspensions have to be approved by those "above" the principal. Mr. Walker, the director of student services, has never been a principal or even a vice principal. Mr. Brown, the assistant superintendent for student services, has never been a principal. Mrs. Walston, the director of special education, has never been a vice principal or principal, either. Good to see they all know so much about how and when a principal should suspend someone.
To 8:00
I think those "above" principals must approve ALL suspensions involving special education students, not just the 10-day suspensions. I substitute some and I think that's what one of the administrators said.
It is stupid to have those who have not been principals tell principals how to handle discipline. Some of the suggestions from "above" might work if the school had only 10 students in it, but make no sense for schools with hundreds of kids. The point is special ed. students are treated with kid gloves no matter how many disruptions they cause or lessons they ruin. The other students, teachers, substitutes and aides are the victims. How about having the principal send those who cannot behave to the central office? They think they're the experts on how to deal with the disruptive, non-workers so let them deal. I'm sure it is easy to give advice when you've never run a school, aren't running one now, and have no intention of ever running one. Wonder why it's hard to get people to become substitutes?
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