Skip to main content

Bookends

Just a friendly reminder that yesterday marked the two-year anniversary of my most-read blog post, "Howard County Music Changing?" (5536) The only other post that has come close is the recent "These Doors Are Shut" about the Superintendent's contract renewal. (5355) The two pieces might almost serve as bookends around a period in time when stakeholders' input was deemed unnecessary and unwanted.

In outlining the changes that were being made to music and art education by the implementation of the Elementary Model, I presented this list:

  • Data presented on Duckett's Lane model: None (still in first year)
  • Data presented about new program: None (no official announcement to stakeholders)
  • Data presented on how reduction of music and art affects students: None
  • Input sought from the Instructional Facilitator of Music in Howard County: None
  • Input Sought from affected principals: None
  • Input sought from Music and Art Teachers: None
  • Input sought from parents: None

If this pattern of behavior looks familiar to you that's simply because it has become the modus operandi of our school system. When it first began to happen it was alarming. Perhaps by now we should be used to it.

Are you?

When I say that my two blog posts serve as bookends, that is because I'm hazarding a guess that our community is ready to put an end to this way of doing business. That is only going to happen if we, as citizens, use our votes to create a better board of education. The date of the Primary Election is April 26th. Early voting will be from the 14th through the 21st. The deadline for a registered voter to request an electronic absentee ballot is April 22nd.

If you are looking for something to share with neighbors and friends to drive home the importance of this election, I suggest the editorial in this week's Howard County Times, "A school district's slipping grade in building public trustworthiness." In describing the ongoing litany of school system failures, the writer states:

These episodes are more than a communications problem — they point to undercurrents of opacity and mistrust. Ignominious behavior toward critics is no way to lead a respected, high-quality institution.

Let's turn the page, no, let's close the book on a management style that disregards and disrespects parents and community members. Let's write a better story for our children: together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents.  When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more

Columbia Chance Connection

  Last night, as my husband and I were about to sit down to dinner, our front door swung open and a cheery voice announced, “I’m ba—ack!”  We weren’t expecting anyone. Clearly the only people who’d walk right in to our house would be one of our offspring. I had my reading glasses on so I wasn’t seeing too clearly. It seemed too tall for our youngest, but we knew our eldest was at work. I took off my glasses to see a friendly but confused face scanning our living room. When her gaze landed on us we all had a sudden realization. We didn’t know eachother. “Oh I’m so sorry! I’m in the wrong house! My daughter just moved in and she needed hooks for the kitchen so I ran out to get them.” She waved the package. “All these houses look the same and I don’t know the neighborhood yet. I thought this was my daughter’s house.” We were all getting a bit giggly. “That’s okay. For a quick second we thought you were our daughter,” said my husband. I told her our names and said she should defin...
Post a Comment
Read more