Monday, September 10, 2012
Should students have more access to technology at school? Tell us in the comments.
One school board member is proposing increased access to the Internet and mobile devices for students in Howard County schools. During a discussion about technology at a recent Board of Education meeting, school board member Brian Meshkin proposed changing what is known as the school system's "Acceptable Use Policy" to one focused on "Responsible Use." According to the "Acceptable Use Policy," only high school students may use Internet independently in the Howard County Public School System. They must also have signed permission slips to do so. Students in grades kindergarten through eight may not use the Internet independently, according to the policy. Should students have more Internet access during the school day? Tell us in comments. …
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
The pros and cons of term limits for members of the County Council was a topic of discussion at Monday's public hearing.
Members of the public debated the finer points of term limits at Monday night’s Howard County Council meeting during a discussion on legislation that would ask voters to change the current council term limits from three 4-year terms to four 4-year terms. The argument hinged on two issues: Council member Calvin Ball began discussion of the legislation he submitted by saying that two-thirds of Maryland jurisdictions don’t use term limits for their council. The legislation, if approved, would put the issue before voters as a charter amendment. Alice Giles, the co-president of the League of Women Voters of Howard County, said her group supported Ball’s legislation during the meeting at the George Howard Building in Ellicott City. “We …
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Howard County Board of Education Member Brian Meshkin joins Patch to discuss education issues.
Howard County School Board Member Brian Meshkin answered a wide range of questions about the board and county schools during a live blog with Patch on Wednesday afternoon. He emphasized the need to use new technology to reduce costs, employing six-sigma management techniques to improve operations and lauded the addition of new superintendent Renee Foose to Howard County Public Schools. He briefly addressed Allen Dyer’s ongoing administrative hearings. “I voted against the impeachment of Mr. Dyer,” wrote Meshkin, “because I believe it is wrong for the Board of Education to overrule the votes of the public. I am not an extremist. It is extreme to sue the Board of Education that you serve on and it is equally as extreme to impeach a sitting …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Join Patch on Wedneday afternoon for a Liveblog with Howard County School Board Member Brian Meshkin.
Patch will be hosting a liveblog with Howard County Board of Education member Brian Meshkin on Wednesday afternoon. The blog will start at 2 p.m. and Patch users are invited to join in with questions or comments during the liveblog. The liveblog will be the first in a planned series of public blogs with local officials on issues throughout Howard County. Meshkin has served on the Board since 2010. He currently lives in Fulton and is the CEO of Proove Biosciences, which is based in Los Angeles. Meshkin often travels to California as part of his work with Proove, a company that provides information to help improve the selection, dosing and evaluation of pain medications, according to its website. Meshkin previously served as executive …
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Most recent meeting reminded Patch readers of 'reality television.'
When the Board of Education toward the end of its afternoon session Thursday voted 7-0 to allow board member Brian Meshkin to participate via telephone in the remainder of the meeting, it looked like smooth sailing for the group for the rest of the night. But tempers flared toward the end of the evening session as the group prepared to cast its votes on the controversial middle school instructional program proposal. Meshkin accused some of his fellow board members of deliberately attempting to keep him from the meeting and suggested that they may have changed their minds about his participation only after discovering that he was thinking of voting in favor of the proposal. At the board's Jan. 26 meeting, a motion to approve the middle …
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Patch covered controversy in Howard County this week, from schools to CSX.
Howard County Schools made headlines this week, from warning parents of recent "stranger danger" reports to eliminating reading programs for middle schools. But CSX controversy and a locally-born web phenomenon made waves as well: Behind the Counter at Charity's Closet A new shop in Savage Mill seeks to raise money for local charity and get low-income residents employed. Board of Appeals Hearing Comes to a Halt An Elkridge auto repair shop was not the only agency under scrutiny at a hearing on Feb. 6. The county came under fire as well. Howard Lawmakers Say CSX Is Witholding Information Three months after CSX presented cost projections about a freight project it is considering putting in Howard County, it has refused to provide information…
Friday, February 10, 2012
Proposal to unify school schedules, tweak content offerings passes on a 5-3 vote.
After weeks of controversy, the Howard County Board of Education late Thursday voted 5-3 to pass a proposed middle school program that eliminates formal reading classes in favor of project-based modules for some students and seminars and intervention programs for others. Three years of required reading instruction will be reduced to two quarters of instruction under the board's decision. The meeting began amid a side dispute in which one member asked to be allowed to participate electronically, sparking a heated exchange toward the end of the meeting. Brian Meshkin, who participated in the meeting by phone from California, changed his opposing vote of two weeks ago to one of support, joining board Chairwoman Sandy French, Vice Chairman …
Thursday, February 9, 2012
While in California on business, school board member Brian Meshkin wanted to participate in meeting via phone or video. The board turned down the idea but then reversed itself.
UPDATE: The Board of Education at about 5:55 p.m. voted 7-0 to allow member Brian Meshkin to fully participate and vote in the remainder of tonight's school board meeting. Howard County Board of Education member Brian Meshkin is about as angry as he can recall being, and that anger is aimed at some school board colleagues he said tried to keep him from carrying out his duties as a board member. Meshkin, who works for a California-based company and often travels for business, is in California today and will miss tonight's board meeting during which the board will vote on proposed middle school program changes. When the school board voted on the proposal at its Jan. 26 meeting, the result was a 4-4 deadlock, with board members Cindy …
Monday, February 6, 2012
A current school board member applauds the diverse pool of candidates; says county executive should take none of the credit.
- OPINION
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Monday, February 6, 2012
Dear Editor: I read with humor the letter from County Executive Ulman published on Jan. 23rd somehow trying to take credit for the large and diverse candidates running for the Board of Education in this upcoming election. I applaud all who continue to sacrifice their time and efforts across our school system. It is those parents, educators, students, administrators and leaders who deserve the credit. It is the taxpayer—who pays more per capita of their wealth than any other taxpayer in the State of Maryland for education—that deserves the gratitude. In 2010, I was privileged to run with 10 other individuals for 4 positions. This year, we will witness a similar contest of 15 individuals vying for 3 positions. In typical fashion, the …
Monday, January 30, 2012
Howard High School senior, upset about the "status quo," is running for the school board.
Many high school students have their sights set on college. Corey Andrews has his eye on the school board. Andrews, 17, is a senior at Howard High School, and while he plans to attend Howard Community College next year, he’s also one of 15 people vying for a seat on the Howard County Board of Education in the upcoming election. Firsthand experience in the school system is part of what Andrews thinks strengthens him as a candidate, having attended Rockburn Elementary and Elkridge Landing Middle School before moving on to Howard. “I bring the student perspective,” said Andrews in a phone interview with Elkridge Patch. Last year, Andrews was on a committee that drafted the gang policy for the Howard County Public School System, he said, and …
Michael M. Flood
11:37 am on Wednesday, September 12, 2012
"A device...brought in that is not tied to our network...can really access anything." - this is exactly why we created Kajeet School Guard. A school or district can now push their policies out to the student's 3G mobile broadband connection via a parent opt-in. Publishing the policy/policies is free for schools, parent's opt their student device in to adhere to that policy. http://www.kajeet.com/… more ›