The Superintendent of the Wicomico County Board of Education recently put a hurting on Wicomico County like you've never seen before.County Executive Rick Pollitt went to Annapolis recently to ask the State if they would kindly waive the "Maintenance of Effort" funding policy for Wicomico County. In case you're not familiar with what this means, the Maintenance of Effort Policy is where the State puts up a certain amount of funding into all Wicomico County Public Schools and the County has to exactly match those funds or the State pulls all of it.
Considering the fact that the State has reduced millions of dollars from the County this year, this will play a major role on what the County can and can't do for the taxpayers. I should add, after discussing it among themselves, the Board of Education did not take a position on this matter.
I spoke with County Executive Rick Pollitt and he said: "Dr. Fredericksen did testify that the administration was opposed to the waiver. He offered to work with us to find other ways to be supportive. Unfortunately, our options are just too limited when trying to balance the budget and the waiver was our “last resort” strategy."
How do YOU feel about this major issue that never made it to the Press? Who do YOU support? Can YOU think of another way around it?
49 comments:
That's a major faux pas, Freddy.
What about the open meetings law???
" . . . after discussing it among themselves, the Board of Education did not take a position on this matter."
Bake sales. Lots of bake sales.
Dr. Fredrickson is a major asset to our county, school system, and our children.
This reminds me of when Tony Sarbanes went to Annapolis to lobby to get a county excise tax, and the Republicans on the Council appeared on the other side!
Lets blame it on the revenue cap. they blame everything on the cap-including all this bad weather recently. So lets blame the budget on the revenue cap. Dont talk about the wcboe and how their budget has grown over the years,at a pace greater than any other department in the county. Lets not account for the $$ they already get- lets just let them ask for more. WRONG!!1 This department is out of control- and before they get one more red cent- they should be made accountable for every stinking dime they've received.
I sure can find another way around it...its called TAXES!!!! Revise the revenue cap and the children of Wicomico County can get the quality education they need! This is just another instance of the citizens of Wicomico County wanting everything, but not willing to pay for it!
That's Right Take Away From the Schools some more...and you all wonder whats wrong with the school system now.
Make summer longer for the kids.
dont purchase a PARK that we dont need. Sell the property we already own for a park. Down size the government..Think like a buisness person not government. And then have a bake sale.
The County Council needs to set Freddy straight ASAP!
Reference 12:32 Post
I'll dare you to try and intimidate the average taxpayer here in Wicomico County.
'What's good for the goose should be good for the Gander!'
The school teachers legislative representative sponsored legislation to exempt all Maryland Schoolteachers from paying any property tax on their own homes while trying to strongarm and raise all property taxes on everyone else. They did not do this just one year but have tried this two years in a row.
You check it out yourself.
http://mlis.state.md.us:80/2006rs/billfile/hb0197.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2005rs/billfile/HB0965.htm
In 1996, the General Assembly amended the law to allow the State Board of Education to grant waivers
of the maintenance of effort requirement to local governments. The new law also altered the
maintenance of effort requirement to permit local governments to exclude nonrecurring costs from the
maintenance of effort calculation. Under the current law, some school systems are forced to accept
increases in local funding based only on increased student enrollment from the previous year, regardless of inflation, the increasing costs of education under State and federal mandates, or increased county
revenues. Whereas most local governments regularly exceed maintenance of effort, certain counties treat the maintenance of effort requirement as a ceiling, and not a floor, for local funding
There are so many unnecessary positions and programs at the Bd of Ed, and Dr. Fredericksen is showing no signs of eliminating any of them. In fact, he's added some.
He is not a man trying to eliminate waste at all. Why make schools have to pay to send people to a multicultural conference at the civic center that could have been held at a school? Lunch was nice but what an expensive proposition that day was. Why are principals going to St Michaels this summer for a retreat instead of staying here? Who dreams up this nonsense? A board worried about money for kids does not invent retreats at St Michaels. What in the world are they doing with our tax money? He ought to get rid of some created jobs. Have one math supervisor and get rid of the helper coordinator. Have one reading supervisor and get rid of the helper coordinator. Get rid of the school climate people, most of whom have never been administrators and aren't certified to be. Make elementary and secondary ed directors responsible for curriculum at their levels and get rid of the director of curriculum. If you're keeping the curriculum director get rid of the other two. Add no more personnel to the bloated facilities, maintenance and human resources departments where they are making up ridiculous titles for their limited jobs. No one knows what all of those people do. Eliminate all positions created to soothe someone who didn't like the job he or she had or to keep someone employed who should have been let go. Stop making up titles like someone in charge of safe schools and then someone in charge of families and then someone in charge of school climate. If there was money to burn these positions would still be a joke but something needs to change. If it takes a full time person to do the once a year Teacher of the Year banquet and get teachers to sign up for staff development sessions a few times each year someone needs to be fired. If the superintendent doesn't see the problem with the foolishness at the central office, he should be fired too. Maybe Robin Holloway needs to go with him.
Under the requirements of Maryland Education Article §5-202, Annotated Code of Maryland, county governments must prove that the county’s fiscal condition “significantly impedes” the county’s ability to fund MOE.
The State Board of Education by May 15, 2009, is required by law to issue a decision granting or denying the waiver request.
You are right on the money 12:59. It's sad that a lot of folks think the only solution to any problem is to spend more money on it. The first thing should always be to look for ways to cut spending. You cannot convince me that there is not a lot of waste in county government. I also agree we don't need parks and other foolishness that we can't afford.
I guess spending in 2007 over 14,000.00 per student was not enough. The county employed 2206 employees in the education system that is 6.5 employees per student. And for the person who feels money is the answer how come the highest ACT/SAT scores were hit in 1964. It is top headed Board of Education that has been created here that drains the county resources and leaves very little money where it is really needed in attracting top notch teachers!
Just another excuse for them to up our taxes. I do not have children and so now it looks like my taxes are going to go up to pay for their stupidity. Don't you guys deal with accountants? I think they should cancel the retreat. In times of shortfalls you don't go on "stupid waste our tax dollar trips" like this. What they should do is sell the freaking park. Then get a committee together made up of parents and tax payers and see what waste we can cut. Guarantee that we can get rid of a bunch of crap right off the top. Let the ones of us who pay for all of their stupid BS make the decision. I would leave the teachers' salaries and benefits alone; however, there should be some shopping around for their health care. Then again we could eliminate Rick Pollitt's position and save a $hitload!!
ACT and SAT scores were higher in the 1960's because back in the day only those actually considering college took those tests. Now school systems love to have lots and lots of kids take the tests because that's supposed to show something about open access to higher education even though many scores are so low it's unreal. That's why colleges have tutoring and remedial reading and math for students they admit.
There is a ton of money hidden at the B.O.E. it is almost comical over the years how many times they hid computers, text books, things that were never used. How many people do you need at the board. Why do they have take home cars. Do go to childrens homes at night. I dont think so.
We are all paying for years of mismanagement by our county goverment. Take a hard look at the council a couple of the faces have been there for years. Hmmmm
Time to go !!!!
Happy Belated B-Day R.P.
Heres a clue,Cut,Cut,Cut everything. Trim that budget like its a woman and shes going to the beach wearing a thong.
Hey 2:12 that is a bunch of BS the tests in 1960's were not dumbed down to make them politically correct like the ones that are being given today. Most of the teachers who taught in that era were exceptional and also had class rooms 35-40 students over 420 graduated from WIHI in 1965 that is nearly the same amount that graduates from three high schools today!
Wicomico County is one of the last counties in the State of MD to have a Board of ED appointed by the Governor. Stop complaining and start efforts to have an elected BOE?
Money is not now nor has it ever been the answer to educating our children. The problem started when corporal punishment was taken out of schools. Back then you didn't have thugs in schools causing problems and disrupting the classes.
Also if money was the answer Balt. City and D.C. would only have straight A student, because they geet more money per student than almost anyone in the country.
As a Wicomico B.O E. employee, who will not be here next year. I will say the biggest mistake was to hire Dr. Fredericksen. He has sinlge handedly caused termoil and strife within the Board. He was a former music teacher and should have stayed one. The parents of our students need to know that Dr. Fredericksen does not have our childrens' wellfare at the forefront of business. He is more suited for polotics, in which he repeatedly shows the aptitude for. Get rid of him before our children suffer his ignorence.
So, let's just re-cap here. Rather than support the waiver and only receive the state's portion of funding, Frederickson opposes the waiver and will receive no funding if the waiver's not granted? Who is the one screwing our kids, now?
2:12 is not saying there was anything wrong with the teachers or kids in the 60s. He is saying that only academic kids took the SATs back then, kids not going to college didn't take them. Scores were higher because kids with no interest in higher education weren't taking the SATs. Maybe 30% of students took the SATs then compared to about 70% or more now. Of course the scores would go down if less capable kids are being tested.
Worcester County has a Maintenance of Effort issue going on as well.
Check it out:
http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/NR/rdonlyres/3623D618-0B76-47CF-986A-D4B384764F66/19820/LocalBoardsResponse2.pdf
I wonder if part of the problem in our schools today is the fact that some of those working with our children can't spell and use punctuation properly. (See 2:55 pm) My guess is this person is doing the school system a favor by not returning next year.
Joe- FYI- keep investigating this, there is more...he is doing more and the public does not know it...keep looking into it...
Elected Board may be good. However, watch what you wish for. The Teachers Association will rally for Members that are one of their own - then what good is that? Right now there are some mebers outside of Education serving looking out for the kid's interest. I know Robin Holloway is one - but she is only one vote.
i was under the impression that the highest testing scores, in the entire history of maryland, were posted in 1972!!!! wicomico county... j.m.bennett!!!
Sounds to me like the whole process requires the budget to continually increase in order to qualify for the handout; paid for by you and me. Oh, on both ends! I vote to cut all staff in half and work from there. Clearly, with the staff now in place, gang activity and truancy are at an all time high; what do we have to lose? Teach these kids that there will no longer be 6.5 adults coddling them after graduation! (nor during their schooling!)
Enough whining already!
Get your house in order Mr. Pollitt, like all of us have to do during tough times, and meet your obligations!
I am so sick of this cry baby mentality.
If you are looking for some one with the public's best interest, Mrs. Holloway is one. She is fair and she has helped me and is honest about where she stands. She responded to me when no one else bothered. Who are the other board members anyway?
Have either "Dr." Wilson or Tracey Sahler doing public relations as a half-time position. Dr. Wilson's liaison job as a full-time "created" assignment needs to go. The Bd of Ed is paying a fortune to have her "do" one PAC-14 show a month. Nobody has the guts to get rid of her, though. When Carolyn Freed became the supt.'s secretary, a job had to be made up for the former secretary, Dr. Wilson. What a total waste of money!!!!! She could work one day a week or less and accomplish what gets done now. The Bd would rather whine about a shortage of money than show some backbone and thin out the central office.
Robin Holloway and the other Bd members don't know they're being handled. They believe what they're told which is a mistake. Do they ever, ever not approve the creation of new position? 1:28has some good ideas for cutting the fat but not a single one of those suggestions will be used. Stop having them take the cars home too. They don't go to the schools before they go to the Bd in the morning, let them get the car then. Also cut programs that sounded good but produced no results. That includes most of what is done for the discipline problems in the county. Maybe making kids work most of the day instead of five minutes out of every hour would be a good idea.
I don't know what to think, the things happing in the county and city? I'm beginning to hate all politicians except Terry Cohen and Debbie Campbell. I'm serious too.
If you don't think the BOE or any other board isn't politics, think again. Even churches play the political card to the fuggin' hilt, it all wants to make me wretch. I always liked that word "Wretch."
2:55
Glad you are not going to be here next year. You are a cancer!
Dr. Fredericksen is a great guy and an awesome leader. We are lucky to have him and NOT YOU!
Good luck to those poor saps you are teaching next year. At least it won't be my kid.
Yeah Doug, like we need kids with less education around here.
I don't have the exact figures off the the top of my head, but basically the county puts up somewhere around $500,000 and then the state will kick in $5,000,000. Not a bad trade off. I have been teaching for almost 10 years and have never heard of a bill to exempt teachers from property taxes. The union and school board have never mentioned or pushed for us to support that bill. I would benefit from it, but it makes no sense. Teachers are major tax contributors to the system and to remove them would be just plain stupid.
The children who come from homes where education is important, do very well in school. Those who come from homes that place no value at all on education, fail miserbly and cause major distractions for all the other students. I'm sad to report that a majority of the students today could care less about getting an education. No amount of money can fix unmotivated parents, who produce unmotivated and extremely disruptive students. Be involved in your child's education and get into the classrooms to see what is really going on in the schools. Then, get out and demand change from the Board of Education
9:16 its a weak attempt at HUMOR, CONCENTRATE...
AMEN 9:55. From another teacher..
The big point is that the Bd of Ed Discussing this and not taking a stand should be enough to have them all relieved of their respective positions. Ridiculous and cowardly.
Hey, if this is supposed to go to maintenance of schools, its stupid. Reason: they dont take care of the schools now. Go to Parkside or Wihi and you will see what I mean. They half a$$ everything they do. The wouldnt need this bill or money if they knew how to take care of what they got. The new Bennett will turn into the same way in 4 years. Look at a photo of Parkside today and one from when they completed the cte wing there is a major difference. If I was them, I would first get my act together and start fixing all the half a$$ stuff they did. It is simple enough, but they go and screw it all up.
Re: Post 9:55
The schoolteachers have in deed, tried to exempt themselves from paying any real property tax on their own homes:
You check it out yourself.
http://mlis.state.md.us:80/2006rs/billfile/hb0197.htm
http://mlis.state.md.us/2005rs/billfile/HB0965.htm
If you click onto either one of the House Bills you'll see Delegate Shiela Hixson as being the primary sponsor of the legislation exempting schoolteachers. Now click onto her credentials listed and you will quickly see she is entrenched with the State Teachers Union.
What a travesty for the average Joe Blow.
Great investigative work 1:25 Poster!
2:55 "As a Wicomico B.O E. employee, who will not be here next year. I will say the biggest mistake was to hire Dr. Fredericksen. He has sinlge handedly caused termoil and strife within the Board. He was a former music teacher and should have stayed one. The parents of our students need to know that Dr. Fredericksen does not have our childrens' wellfare at the forefront of business. He is more suited for polotics, in which he repeatedly shows the aptitude for. Get rid of him before our children suffer his ignorence."
Your spelling, grammar, and use of words are truly abysmal. I hope that you are not working with students...
I think most churches have become false idols. When you think about how much money goes into taxes, more taxes and all the money the churches take in there shouldn't be any hungry people on this earth!
The Vatican and the British Thone are two of the richest entities on earth. Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and many more people like Richard Branson give Billions away.
Right here on this blog we've seen the hearts of people volunteer, give, and give until it hurts. It's a feel good thing in the momment, just why do we have so many hungry and homeless people? Why do we just kick the mentally ill to the curb and put them out on the street?
Dr. Frederickson is Robin Holloway's boy toy.
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