Wednesday, March 14, 2012
The endorsements show the educators association's frustration with the current make up of the board.
The Howard County Education Association, which represents more than 5,000 teachers and school staff in the county, has endorsed three non-incumbents—Ann DeLacy, David Gertler and Jackie Scott for the county board of education. “We need change on the Board of Education,” said HCEA President Paul Lemle in an interview. “These are by far the most educated, best prepared, ready-to-serve candidates.” In a statement released by the HCEA, Lemle said, “The current members hold each other in contempt. This dichotomy is an inherent contradiction; the two states cannot coexist.” The association, which is the exclusive representative of teachers in Howard County for collective bargaining, endorsed incumbents Janet Siddiqui, Ellen Flynn Giles and Allen…
Sunday, February 26, 2012
A look back at the week in Howard County news.
Police Ramp Up Patrols on Route 1 In wake of robberies and complaints, police said units have increased presence in Elkridge. HCEA to School Board: Fix Issues or Resign After infighting, lawsuits and a precieved "lack of civility," the President of the Howard Education Association urged the Board of Education to seek professional mediation or consider stepping down. Protestors Take to Route 1 Baltimore-area labor unions and advocacy groups took to the streets to protest labor conditions at the site of a new LA Fitness. Police Make Arrest in Ellicott City Robbery Police have arrested a suspect in connection with a robbery at an Ellicott City 7-Eleven. They are investigating whether he is connected with two additional robberies in Elkridge…
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Teachers' group, PTA Council of Howard County asks board members to solve disagreements in a businesslike, respectful manner.
Howard Education Association President Paul Lemle's comments to the Board of Education Thursday night were short and to the point. In addressing a perceived lack of civility among board members, he encouraged them to seek help to fix their problems, and to consider resigning if they aren't willing to do so. Speaking on behalf of both the education association and the PTA Council of Howard County, Lemle told school board members he respects the role they play in the education of the county's children. "We cannot and will not accept a board whose interpersonal disputes substitute for the official business of the Howard County Public Schools," he said at Thursday's school board meeting. "You did not choose each other; you were chosen by the …
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Howard County Education President Paul Lemle to read into the meeting record a letter requesting the school board to seek external help to work out its problems.
At tonight's Board of Education meeting, Howard County Education Association President Paul Lemle plans to ask board members to seek external help to fix what he thinks are incapacitating personality conflicts. Last week, HCEA representatives passed a resolution directing Lemle to write a letter to the board, suggesting they solicit the services of either the Mediation and Conflict Resolution Center at Howard County Community College or the Maryland Association of Boards of Education. Both organizations offer mediation services or professional training that would be available free of cost to the school board, Lemle said. Lemle has said he believes conflicts among school board members are getting in the way of governing. School board …
Thursday, January 26, 2012
The teachers association is opposed to the plan on many levels.
Board of Education members have heard the testimony from educators, parents and students. They've studied the recommendations made by administrators and they've asked questions—all in an effort to make a decision on whether to eliminate separate reading classes and make other changes in Howard County public middle schools. Tonight, board members will vote on the proposal. The proposal is a multifaceted plan that calls for changing the daily class schedule, eliminates separate reading classes in favor of folding that specialized instruction into core subject classes, increases physical education class time and adds world languages to the sixth-grade curriculum. Imminent changes in the way many school systems do business are paving the way …
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Howard County Public School System Superintendent Sydney Cousin restored service Tuesday morning after meeting with education association President Paul Lemle.
Howard County Education Association President Paul Lemle's access to his Howard County Public Schools System's electronic communications service has been restored. Superintendent Sydney Cousin ordered the account closed Thursday based upon a perceived violation of terms of use, according to school system emails obtained by Patch. The account provides a vehicle for email, emergency alerts and the ability to conference among small groups. The account was restored Tuesday morning after a meeting between Lemle and Cousin. Lemle, an outspoken critic of proposed changes to middle school reading instruction, originally said he thought the account was closed because of an email he sent to Board of Education members Jan. 12. He planned to testify …
Friday, January 13, 2012
Account was closed at the direction of Superintendent Sydney Cousin, according to an email.
Howard County Education Association President Paul Lemle, an outspoken opponent of proposed middle school changes, has been locked out of his Howard County Public School System email account at the direction of Superintendent Sydney Cousin, according to the school system's IT department. "It's like the school system's leadership has crawled into a bunker on this," Lemle said Friday of the middle school proposal that calls for changes to middle schools' schedule and instructional content. "They feel like they're being attacked on this and that couldn't be further from the truth." On Thursday, before a Board of Education meeting and public hearing on the middle school proposal, Lemle sent out an email to the elected school board that …
The school board now must decide whether to move ahead with the plan.
Educators, parents and students have made known their feelings about a Howard County Public School System plan to cut middle school reading classes, and the Board of Education will make a final decision in less than two weeks. A public hearing was held Thursday in two segments. One at 5 p.m. was added to the agenda to accommodate the expected large crowd of educators, parents and students. The hearing continued at 7:30 p.m. after the school board's dinner break. Between the two sessions, nearly 30 speakers spoke out againt the proposal that calls for the elimination of standalone reading classes, additional physical education instruction time and the addition of world languages to the sixth-grade curriculum, according to Howard County …
Friday, November 11, 2011
The responsibility of teaching reading strategies would fall to teachers in other content areas.
Reading teachers in Howard County middle schools are being told they won't be teaching formal reading classes next year — a proposal that has sparked controversy among teacher advocates who are worried that basic education building blocks could be abandoned. The proposal, crafted by a county school system committee, recommends the elimination of reading classes. Reading teachers would then be reassigned in different capacities in other classes, which would absorb reading responsibilities, said Howard County school board member Brian Meshkin. The Howard County Education Association is among those concerned. On Nov. 8, the representative council — its policy-making body — unanimously passed a resolution stating its opposition to the proposal…
Jack
5:47 pm on Friday, March 23, 2012
Having your child beaten by a teacher or strip searched to speak of but a few incidents would leave most parents with a bad taste. To have the hcpss tell you corporal punishment is legal may disturb a parent. To look beyond what has happened to my children and see children discriminated against and failed, other children abused, entire schools like Cradlerock abandoned for a generation and so … more ›