Is it Summer Vacation Yet? Three Things for Thursday

School days. School daze. I’m in a haze this morning but you don’t have to be. So, here goes. 

Even if you don’t have kids in school here are three things worthy of your attention:

1. The school board race. If you live in one of the councilmanic districts where you have the opportunity to vote for school board in the primary, don’t skip over it. Remember, even if you are an Independent and can’t vote in Maryland primaries, you can vote for the board of education.

I once had a conversation with a community member who taught in a nearby independent school. 

“Oh, I don’t know anything about the public schools here so I just don’t vote for school board.”

It’s easy to feel that way, I know. I’m asking you to step out of your comfort zone here. 

I’ve gone back and forth about whether Village Green/Town² should publish endorsements in local elections. To do so as a matter of course seems like I am giving myself a kind of importance that teeters on the edge of hubris. But last week someone - - who knows me only from reading the blog - - reached out privately via message to ask my opinions on the school board race.  

That I can do. If you’d like more information on the BOE candidates in the primary, reach out via the blog. I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction.

2.  Saturday evening there’s a Jazz Cabaret at Wilde Lake High School. Tickets are available at this link.

Join us for an evening with your Wilde Lake friends and family to enjoy live music with the Award Winning Jazz Ensemble. Witness Wilde Lake's Main Street transformed into a timeless Jazz Cabaret!  You won't want to miss the return of this annual event! Light Food & Beverages available for purchase.

The event begins at 7 pm. Doors open at 6:30.

Why am I sharing this particular concert? These words caught my eye:

Join us for an evening with your Wilde Lake friends and family to enjoy live music with the Award Winning Jazz Ensemble.

If you read yesterday’s blog post you know that I’m mightily irked with the trash talkers who never miss an opportunity to show up and spew garbage about certain Columbia Villages. It occurs to me that we all could benefit from having more friends in Wilde Lake. Music can be a great bridge-builder. 

3. TONIGHT: Come out and support our teachers at the Board of Education. From HCEA:

Please show educators how much they’re appreciated by rallying for good faith bargaining and a contract for next year! Meet HCEA at school system HQ on Thursday, 5/9 at 4pm. 

Can’t make it at 4? No worries. We’ll be there for several hours. You can join us for the 7pm too.

If you can’t be there in person, send an email to boe@hcpss.org. I did. If these words look familiar that probably means you read Monday’s blog post.

I see more and more teachers leaving the profession every year. These are really good teachers: experienced, dedicated, caring. Nationwide, the numbers show fewer young people are choosing education as their primary course of study. I wonder sometimes if people think there is a magic teacher machine that is going to crank out new ones to fill the gap.

Teacher workload keeps increasing and the teaching experience has been deeply damaged by the impact of cell phones and social media on students, as well as the long-term impact of COVID-19 on the physical and mental health of everyone. To be blunt: teaching in 2024 is a far harder job to do than it used to be, and often far less emotionally rewarding, as well. The salaries offered are not commensurate with the weight that our teachers are carrying. 

Add to that the ugly truth that teachers often cannot afford to live in the county where they teach which means that the schools that we are so proud of and grateful for - - because of their work and dedication - - are not open to their own children. 

 

Teachers, like any other human being in this world, need to be appreciated. The special efforts of school families during this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week will be received with sincere gratitude. By the same token, teachers need to be fairly compensated for their work, which is considerable.

 

Please take all necessary action to respect and honor the HCEA request for a multiple-year contract and the pay increases that are delineated in that request. 

To learn more about HCEA’s concerns, read their Open Letter to Parents.

You cannot spend even one day in Howard County without encountering community members who were educated in the Howard County Schools. It’s everyone’s business to support free public education. You can make a big difference by learning more, taking action, and voting.

Extra credit: send me your recommendations for weekend events for the Saturday sampler.

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