The behavior of some members of the BOE at last night's meeting was certainly not a lesson in civility. It was more like an episode out of the Jerry Springer Show.

Appalling.

I am completely disappointed w/ the results of the mtg. last evening. I attended the meeting on Jan. 26 and am disgusted w/ the behavior of a "Board" that is supposed to be looking out for our children's best interests! I think the student member should be listened to more often. Quite a fiasco! Saddended for our kids to not have a structured reading class anymore. WTH!!!!

Behavior aside, I am stunned that they would not consider reading a "core" subject. And giving more time to pays ed? Over reading? Seriously? Another language is nice - but if you can't read or comprehend what you're reading, everything else pales in comparison. Unfortunately, I have come to expect this. HoCo school rankings are a bit like the emperor's new clothes. Nothing there once people really look.

This is just the first in "cost saving" efforts that the county will be starting. Just wait until the state forces the counties to pay half of teachers retirement and benefits starting next year. This is just the tip off the iceberg and we are on the Titanic!!! I say that we use our voice and vote them out. We need concerned citizens and not government bureaucrats leading our schools. It is time we take our schools back from the well meaning NEA and those in Washington!!!!

I agree with Ann. Teaching to the test is all that matters, because the school system is judged on test scores. I tried for 4 years to get an IEP for one of my kids and each year failed - because she wasn't failing. I was flat out told she had to fail to get additional help for reading comprehension and writing. This year her younger brother is in a math class with 33 kids. He said the teacher wouldn't even answer his question because she didn't have time. I'm getting off topic - sorry - but the school system does not reflect its public image, and cutting reading out at middle school is simply incomprehensible to me.

Margie and Ann, I agree you both. the issue is that our school spend too much time and money creating and maintaining what the gov't needs to track and monitor. our teachers and admin should be able to teach and educate. That is what they went to school to do. let's get the gov't out of controlling our school and dangling money over the heads of our county so that the teachers can get back to teaching!!! Reading and writing are some of the MOST important skills our children can have. Speaking as a parent of both graduated and still attending children, I can tell you that my kids skills in these areas are poor at best. Let's get back to the basics....the 3R's!!! Reading, writing, and arithmetic!!!!

I agree.... let the teachers teach and stop all the gov't crap about test scores. There are many students that don't "test" well and what is being done to help them? This will only make the situation worse. I guess what's done is done and it is truly sad. Now, parents will HAVE to make sure kids are reading at home. I applaud Paul Lemle for his efforts and perhaps he was the "only honest" one in the room. Sandra French is too full of herself, IMO!

I wonder how many other parents are incensed over this decision - and the decisions/priorities of the school system in general. I've been told by friends who are educators in surrounding jurisdictions that Howard is the place to be if you have a GT/AP kid. Those kids, of course, will have less trouble placing well on any standardized test. If you have an average child who needs help beyond standardized tests - or heaven forbid, a kid with a learning disability, you'll be swimming against the tide. I wish I had a solution, but as Laurie and "USA" pointed out, the problem is so immense and dictated by a top-down decision making spiral.

I'm glad to finally see that other people are taking notice that the standard of education in HoCo is basically the best of the worst. Our school system is good at teaching to the test, but with the wealth in our county, lots of families get private tutoring for their children to cover what isn't taught in the public schools....big plus at test time!! It's a shame that I and many others HAVE to supplement our children's education so that they are proficient at the basics. Most teachers are great people with the ability to motivate young minds. They should be allowed to do what they do best....TEACH. It's a shame that the Board doesn't/won't see these issues at hand.

Can we have a " mulligan"???

Eliminating an essential class like this and relying on the fact that it will be made up for with a few extra minutes in English classes and these "modules" is an incredible leap of faith. The school system should have looked at reforming the curriculum or structure of the reading class but not eliminating it.

I agree with Corey. Glad my sons got out when they did!

The meeting can (and should!) be viewed at http://hcpsstv.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=6&clip_id=788

Around 3:20, you can hear HCEA's report. At 3:35 or so, the school system's Central Office staff, and then the Board of Ed does their thing in the fourth and fifth hour. Look at the display from 5:30 forward; then decide for yourself if the school system is the problem, as opposed to the elected officials charged with its governance.

Wow...I knew things were bad, but watching this post was quite informative, thank you. This group is pathetic.

I find that comment objectionable. This group is concerned, caring and involved parents, expressing our thoughts on what we consider a bad decision. Let me tell you what I consider pathetic: a special ed team that tells me my child has to fail before she qualifies for help; a special ed teacher, allegedly trained to help these kids, who makes the outrageous comment that my child is simply shy. My child has mild Aspergers and cannot initiate or maintain conversations. A school system that reluctantly tests my child for reading comprehension and writing. When she scores at a 6th grade level - as a high school junior -they tell me she was irritated and thus, the results are not valid. Any teacher would tell you my daughter is incapable of not trying her hardest. It's not in her DNA. What's pathetic is that she graduated with a 3.4 GPA because she had so many 100%s for turning in her paperwork - that several teachers admitted they did not have time to review, but got Ds and Es on her tests. Her SAT scores were abysmal but her GPA helped get her into college. First semester: academic probation even with a full time tutor, because she could not understand what she was reading. Her mild Aspergers skews the picture, but bottom line, she got no help with reading comprehension - and now the board wants to cut reading from middle school. As my friend, a teacher in OR said on FB, what the hell is going on where you live?

Forgive me Margie, I was referring to the school board, and how they conduct business. Your daughter sounds wonderful and I am sure her success is in a large part due to her concerned and involved parents. I have always respected and appreciated involved parents. I also understand the frustrations that come with the misunderstanding of some conditions that school children have, especially when in a learning institution with specialized teachers. I experienced this myself when my sons were younger. Stay involved, we need folks like you! All the best to your daughter and what is sure to be future success.

When a non-teaching relative of mine learned of the proposal to eliminate dedicated reading classes in HC middle schools, he said to me, "Well, it's just a public school. You can't expect students to get a first class education in a public school."
Until the Board's Feb. 9th vote and after two decades as a HC teacher, I never felt like I taught in a "public school". The HCPSS always seemed to be a step above other schools. That illusion has now been soundly shattered. We are entering a sad period for our students. Parents, you must see to it that your middle school students read quality literature outside of school. There will be little time to engage in this vital activity during school time. (Ask your child's reading teacher for a book list before they are gone.) The drive to do well on the current and future assessments will become even more obsessive next year and long into the future. UGH!

Lorraine, thank you for clarifying and your followup comments.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-08-25/news/bs-ed-school-testing-20110825_1_standardized-tests-educators-teachers

Time for parents and the community to stand up...Read this article!

Is anyone confused and bothered by the change in vote by Mr. Meshkin? Thank you, HoCoTeacher2 for sharing that article.

There are some comments at a blog Tales of Two Cities by Mrs. Vaillancourt which you folks should read, The problems here go back some 20 years with the teaching of self esteem, teaching to the tests as well as a watered down curriculum and tests to match. There is disparity in the system and redistricting has been used to balance the numbers. Our drop out rate is higher then reported, the number of children taking remedial ed is about 50% and the drop out rate for college is at about 70%. Our schools are not that good. Extremely poor leadership in the administration with a BOE who blindly defers to them. Our teachers need to do more to cull their ranks and improve their quality. The blame is ours, the parents because these are our children. We have accepted the lack of involvement in our children's education and allowed this to happen without our oversight. This is far worse then what we see here. Resignations are in order from both the BOE and senior administration. It is time for a complete overhaul of the hcpss.

The yahoo group Howardpubliced is a good source of information. Frederickpubliced, Parents_Coalition of Montgomery county and American Math Forum in New York are very good sources.

We are going to have to do far more then elect a new BOE this year. It is time to hire a new superintendent and the parents are not included, this is unacceptable. There needs to be a discussion group promoted on the hcpss web page as well as advertised and encouraged constantly. Every piece of information the hcpss recieves must be posted for public scrutiny and discussion. Neither the BOE nor the hcpss is competent to run our education system without the complete transparency and inclusion of the public. To be very blunt, we parents need to install a partnership in the hcpss which efectively strips away the current controls those in the system enjoy and replace them with a system which is under the constant monitor of the parents. An effective education system must do more then educate the child, it must foster a sense of ownership in the parent as well as a sense of responsibility to improve the system.

Let's apply No Child Left Behind or Race To The Top to high
>school football.
>
>No Child Left Behind or Race To the Top: Football Version
>1. All teams must make state playoffs and all MUST win the championship. If
>a team does not win the championship, they're on probation until they're
>the champions. Coaches will be held accountable. If after two years they
>have not won the championship, their footballs and equipment will be taken away
>UNTIL they do win the championship.
>
>2. All kids will be expected to have the same football skills at the same time
>even if they do not have the same conditions or opportunities to practice on
>their own. NO exceptions will be made for lack of interest in football, a desire
>to perform athletically, or disabilities of themselves or their parents. ALL
>KIDS WILL PLAY FOOTBALL AT A PROFICIENT LEVEL!
>
>3. Talented players will be asked to workout on their own, without instruction.
>This is because the coaches will be using all their instructional time with the
>athletes who aren't interested in football, have limited athletic ability or
>whose parents don't like football.
>
>4. Games will be played year round, but statistics will only be kept in the 4th,
>8th, and 11th game.
>
>It will create a New Age of Sports where every school is expected to have the
>same level of talent and all teams will reach the same minimum goals. If no
>child gets ahead, then no child gets left behind.
>

http://fairtest.org/get-involved/opting-out
http://optoutofstandardizedtests.wikispaces.com

I'm done for a while...parents and community members need to start paying attention...it's getting out of hand gang.

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/12/what-americans-keep-ignoring-about-finlands-school-success/250564/

HoCoTeacher2, please consider running for the school board! I also encourage others who have posted on this blog to do the same.
It is time to have Board members who really care and are effective. Currently we have a bickering group who, I personally think, like to hear themselves speak. They should watch the video some time...the eye rolling and facial disgust on some members faces are so unprofessional, not to mention the snarky comments.

I agree we need to involve the intire community but the idea we as parents are just going to continue handing the future of our children over to this experimentation is going to end. We have a system which does every thing it can to present an image of world class quality and this image is an orchestrated lie. This goes far beyond reading in middle school. We have a failure to provide quality education to the public. Accountability calls for a cleaning of the house and demands the public's attention.

Just what do we know about the Common Core Standards? Here is an excellent source: http://www.pioneerinstitute.org/pdf/common_core_standards.pdf

The biggest mistruth? That Howard County was the only county in the state to still have reading classes. Completely false. I will post the information here soon. We WERE #1 in the state - we HAD reading classes...Howard County will now FALL BEHIND other counties in the amount of reading time allocated in the school day. Should be REALLY interesting to see how this all pans out. Of course...adding 5 whole minutes to Science and Social Studies and ELA will make ALL the difference! Are they kidding?

If you are interested in the Common Core standards go to the Maryland state department of education site .. The one noted previously is outdated

They do not have a clue what they've done. There goes our reputation! So, what will happen now w/ Reading assessments?

Margie, Laurie, Ann, Lorraine, HoCoTeacher2, and all,
All of you have made such good, true points. Our school system has indeed become about teaching primarily what is on the standardized test, and it has regrettably become the only measure by which we judge the success of our students (and pretty soon, our teachers). Just look at the elementary school day -- science and social studies are referred to as "content" and each is taught only 1/3 of the school year. Why? Because they are not covered on the MSA. Not until middle school do we begin to teach kids about the world they live in and the richness of other cultures (although hopefully a little bit of that will come with the elementary world language program). With regard to the most recent middle school program of studies restructuring, I believe we are making a huge mistake eliminating the stand-alone reading class and I fear for the kids who will not get those years back. I am very concerned that this proposal was rushed through with essentially no meaningful input from the actual teachers and students most affected by it. We must include more meaningful public input (not just feedback after the deal is done) at all levels of the school system, and we must steer away from a one-size-fits-all model of education and make education personal. I am running for a seat on the Board of Ed and would love it if you all would contact me to talk or learn more about me at my website: www.lesliekforboe.com.

What reputation? The reputation we are spoon fed? Not only does the hcpss teach to the test which requires blindness from the parents, a rubber stamp from the BOE, incompetence in the administration and a teaching staff willing to perform substandard work, it also involves lowering the bar on the test each year. That is right folks, for the most part there is silence because those of us who speak out are met with retaliation. The hcpss reputation is worthless, just ask our graduates. All of you need to take a good look at the whole product of the hcpss and for those of you who recieved your education befor 1989 you will need to question your own education. Even if we teach reading does not mean we teach anything else well. In Algebra 1 we only teach 40%, not the full course. If we do not teach math we can not teach science. We do not teach any vocational courses. By the time most people realize what happened it is too late. Go down to Howard community college and take a first year class so you can see and hear with your own eyes the quality of our graduates. It is pathetic. Right here in this thread I have seen 4 candidates for BOE. This is where you have the discussion, right here publicly. As to Ms. Giles, it is called posturing and lacks the balls required of the candidates speaking publicly.

Jack, teachers are powerless. If you have attended or viewed any BOE meeting, you will have gained some understanding of how little they are respected by the majority voting block. As you stated, the failure to march lockstep is rewarded with negative consequences plus the inability to advance. Many of my supporters are people within the system who are afraid to be seen with me due to a fear of retaliation. An administrator at Wilde Lake MS warned her staff that I didn't support the school.

Two years ago at a Simulated Congressional Hearing, then BOE member Pat Gordon, reported on a teacher who agreed with me on some mundane issue. The teacher was called in for a conversation with her/his supervisor.

One should also look more closely at hiring and promotion policies at all levels. I know where to look and how the system works. It is indeed time for a change in leadership at every level. BTW, how many former HCPSS Central Office staff now work at MSDE?

Mr Bruzga keeps a file on me in his office, as of last year it was 8 inches thick and growing. Not the largest and just one of many on those who will not be appeased. I would imagine his counterparts keep similar records on those of us who speak out. For those of us who speak out we are threatened and our children are retaliated against. For those of us who went to the Ombudsman we were publicly outed, twice. I have both a right to every aspect of my children's lives and a responsibility to that access. I have to speak out and stand up for them. I can not nor will not be silenced. We all must speak out. Look at the children who suffered for decades in Cradlerock, a decade in Reservoir, the children with no schools in the east and so many others. We all have to speak out, we can not be cowards.

"I do not agree w/ the comment about our teachers willing to perform substandard work. They give more than they should with the salary they receive" Yes this is a sore point but how can one teach self esteem by rewarding a child with an "A" when the child performs at 25% or teach to the test. Yes they had to. When these 2 methods were used we had an embrace of substandard work. We have some very good teachers and we have some good teachers. We also have a few who should be removed from the trade. Now the administrative level, now that stinks from the top down. Then we have the parents and yes we share the blame. Our biggest problem is allowing the system to appease us when we know the other children are left without.

Below is a comment in response to mine on "teaching staff willing to perform substandard work"

"I don't know what teaching staff you are talking about...because all the teachers I work with give 100% effort every day in our classrooms thank you very much."

As I said it is a sore subject but I am not seeking office nor recognition nor one cent in compensation. Still it must be addressed, every issue must be placed on the table. If the answer is to change the atmosphere our teachers work in so they have open input without fear of retaliation then this is where we must change however we must strive to improve the teaching trade which both includes hiring the best and letting go of those who do not perform just as in any field. There has to be communication between everyone, not limited as it currently is by group position. There has to be a discussion on every subject and it must be ongoing. Change is not something which must be abruptly disruptive, it has to be constant and fluent.

Change is not something which must be abruptly disruptive, it has to be constant and fluent. This is probably one of the answers we need. It allows for improvement and growth which is what this vote and the years building to it failed to do.

Laurie Butts, I owe you an apology. My comment "and for those of you who recieved your education "befor" 1989 you will need to question your own education", I should have said "after" 1989 as this was when public schools in America began their current path and decline.

Just saying this well after this conversation is over but I recently found out HCPS only requires one year of Gym or being on a sports team. I find this more offensive than cutting the reading classes. An involved parent can encourage reading at home to fill this void, but two working parents cannot get their children to have to have some exercise at night. This should be encouraged and required as part of the education process during school. Students need a break and need to get off their butts. Gym classes should be required every year of HS!

Adam, in order for HCPSS to continue to rank high in the state of Maryland, they must focus on teaching to State and Federal mandidated tests. Instead of being innovative or setting the standards for education, this BOE has decided to march lock-step with their central office masters. It is truly time for a change.

IF you ask for the data on a particular program, don't hold your breath waiting for an answer.

It is time to put a person who has actually been a teacher in HCPSS and knows how th system operates on the BOE. What we have now are lawyers, a doctor, people in business and a person who taught many years ago in another county.

You need to look at these so called gym class. It would be in your childs best interest to take this in a 3 week summer school class befor they enter the 9nth grade. Not only is the length of time inadequate, the quality is rock bottom. Actually if you are a parent it is your best interest to forget any propaganda fed by the hcpss or Howard county government and take an in depth look at what your children are being subjected to under the pretense of education.

Ann, teaching to the test or no longer educating our children is a problem beyond anything a new parent could comprehend. I pitty the unsuspecting parent.

Jack, I risk being labeled as having an ax to grin by exposing the system. The more I learn (and I know a lot) the more sickened I have become. There is absolutely zero transparency. The Public Information Department is really a PR department for the Central Office. If you have a real concern, it is best to go to Rose Dennison, the Ombudsman.

As much as I promoted Rose Dennison, the Ombudsman and her office it is probably not where anyone wants to go. Twice every person who sought this help were publicly outed. Relationships between the Ombudsman's office and the hcpss make this nothing more then a tool for appeasement. We need an independent Office of the Ombudsman if we are going to see any change.

Ann, you seem to have a dilemma. You were once part of the system. I do not know you and that is not enough for me to judge you. Hopefuly you have always spoke out. Right now very few candidates are speaking out and I have respect for the ones who choose to engage the public. Continue to speak out .

Jack, I was administratively transferred from Owen Brown MS in 2002 for reporting on the principal to Dr. Cousin. I later discovered that the principal, Linda Carter, who was hired by HCPSS from Baltimore City because she was great at raising test scores, was the same person who supplied the bogus test scores for Michelle Rhee's advancement. Believe me, there is even more to that story.