Ball in Your Court, HoCoGov

The turnaround in the local press concerning mold in Howard County Schools has been breathtaking. We went from results of the County's independent investigation one week to an article discrediting the same report based solely on the say-so of an HCPSS contractor.

My, that was fast.

What does the firm that completed the independent investigation think of this?

"Skelly and Loy Inc. representatives denied a request for an interview, stating they could only release information approved by Howard County Public Schools."

Wait, what?

Let's review the basics:

Parents experience loss of confidence in how HCPSS is handling the mold issue.
They ask for an independent investigation.
Howard County Government responds to constituents and makes this possible.
Report is released, showing mold in schools.
School system hires their own contractor who discredits the independent report.
Firm who completed the independent investigation at the behest of hocogov is not permitted to speak to the press without HCPSS approval.

What happened to the independent part of this?

If HCPSS had difficulty understanding the County Report, they should have asked the County to complete the process by hiring an independent industrial hygienist to interpret the results. Or the County themselves should have volunteered to do so. Parents, who already had no confidence in how the school system was handling a serious health issue, are witnessing the complete circumventing of the County's mission to respond to their concerns.

Let me say that again: if the school system had responded to parents about mold in the schools in a way that showed transparency and accountability, we would not be where we are today. So why should community members accept the word of a school system-hired analyst?

They shouldn't. Nor should Howard County Government.

Comments

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else. Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

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...

What Kids Are Thinking

It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed. Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings. And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog