Comments on: Nationwide Search, But Plenty Of Local Interest In Harford’s Superintendent Job

By: Renandstimpy

Renandstimpy — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:05:43 +0000

I am so angry that they held the meeting when they went and cancelled all afternoon and evening activities within the county. A normal individual with kids would assume that the meeting was closed, regardless of any announcement, phone call or e-mail.

This is an underhanded way to hold a meeting for supposed stakeholders, yet they knew attendance would be subpar at best. This know allows them to tell the community that they had a voice in the decision although it had closed schools and we were supposed to get ice and snow. This shows how much they value the citizens, parents, and teachers opinions who planned to go to the meeting but valued their safety.

Shame on the HCPS, there is no excuse for your decision! Shame on MABE! Talk about losing respect for people and out interim Superintendent!

By: Dave Yensan

Dave Yensan — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:31:39 +0000

I can see why the taxes need to be so high in Maryland. Hiring a firm of the quality of Mabe is really expensive. My God I can’t imagine what absolute genius it must take to generate such a comprehensive survey. I would only have added one or two more narrative questions, such as: how much lint did yo find in your belly button while thinking about these questions? How many days would you like to see given over to additional questions? How many angels did you count on the head of your pin? There may be a few more, but only the true genius of a highly paid consultant can possibly dream them up.
By the way, a consultant is someone who has to travel a great distance to give you the answers you wanted, and will be able to tell you exactly how to make love, while still being a virgin. Bottom line we got screwed.

By: Margaret

Margaret — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:29:48 +0000

After seeing the questions on the survey, I figured it was a waste of time and gas to drive to Fallston. In Sunday’s Examiner, Harford Co. made the top 10 Best Ideas for hosting these surveys. My guess is they didn’t see the questions that were going to be asked. Given the weather conditions, I was surprised they still had the meeting. But have a good turn out clearly wasn’t important.

By: Carl

Carl — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:49:00 +0000

Wow, what earth shattering and profound questions. So, they paid consultants for this. I have a 4th How about “What should be the Superintendents, favorite color? Very disappointing. Did anyone go last night?

By: Judy

Judy — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 02:51:45 +0000

The form will need to be cut and pasted into e-mail. It needs to be returned–to Annapolis by the 29th.

By: Cindy

Cindy — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:29:43 +0000

Just got a robo-call from HCPS. Despite the weather, the Superintendent Search community input meeting is still on for tonight at Fallston HS, 7:30 – 8:30PM. The format is going to be small focus groups answering 3 questions, which can also be answered online at http://hcps.org/boe/HotTopics/StakeholderInput.aspx

By: Judy

Judy — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:14:22 +0000

RenandStimpy–grand idea about the union asking teachers what they would like. The union could do an anonymous survey and ask for input. That way teachers are heard but not seen. No retribution.

Kids who are very good students don’t seem to mind the block schedule–musicians love it. Unfortunately, most students don’t fit into those categories. The biggest problem for a teacher is keeping students engaged for 80+ minutes. It isn’t easy when you have 25 to 30 students in a classroom because even if one or two of them are bouncing off the wall, it is difficult to manage. Keep in mind that half of HCPS teachers have less than five years of experience (that figure may be a couple of years old), and the less classroom experience a teacher has, the more challenging classroom management is.

My hope for the new supt. is that he or she does not think that HCPS are wonderful and don’t need to improve. That is the danger of hiring from within.

By: RenandStimpy

RenandStimpy — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:09:44 +0000

I have seen they have times and dates for teachers to come and share their thoughts but if you ask me, the teachers are screwed with this and I will tell you why. They want the teachers to go to headquarters and speak freely in what they want in a Superintendent. This “free” talk will ultimately lead to school isssues. So, if you go and speak “freely” and say I think the 90 minute block schedule is not good for kids, that LICW is a wasted class, and having kids selecting a carrer pathway at the end of their middle school carreer is crazy. I am basically letting them know I want a Superintendent that is willing to:
1. Assess and be willing to change some of the changes completed by
the “higher ups” at the administration building.
2. View the CSRRP report and truly look at what it says and what the outside
companies recommendations were.
3. Is not a afraid to be a free-thinker and make changes
4. Evaluates other counties who have had a block schedule and why they left
block schedule
5. Truly looks at the research behind these changes as it hasn’t been shown to
the teachers in a way to support or convince them, rather it has been
stated, “Reseach shows…….) What research??
6. Is the block good for Special Education Students? What about Gifted
students? Can it be used for certain classes that need that time?

In the end, all of those people that are the “higher ups” know Joe Blow doesn’t support what is going on currently and probably hasn’t before. In Harford County, those teachers lives could be made difficult and they could be blackballed, questioned, given the worst possible duties at school, etc.

That is truly a concern I see with this! When the CSRRP report was done, it was an outside group with NO affilition with HCPS that asked these questions, you were anonymous and knew there would be no possible retribution from anyone in the county.

Many of you may say that RendandStimpy is paronoid, but I think teachers reading this would agree that this is a true fear when honestly speaking how you feel about decisions about HCPS. The new superintendent cannot come in without and lead without looking at all of the new changes.

I do wonder this, where does the Union stand on this?? Have they spoken and communicated to their members? Should they send out information and ask them to rate characteristics they want in a Superintendent? Or what issues should the BOE look at? Or where does the membership of the Union stand on issues and then take an active role in this process since then the actual teachers are protected. It would be great to see them be more “agressive or active” as this is the opportunity for corrections to be made.

Any other teachers feel this way? Thoughts comments? What are the biggest issues facing high schools in regards to the changes over the last 3-5 years?? This is the chance to have them addressed BUT we need to get to the BOE and flood them with our thoughts and ideas due to them being the ultimate power brokers in this process.

By: Margaret

Margaret — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:06:32 +0000

Thanks for the info Cindy. Is MABE the ones who are running the search? Is there a local committee that will do th final interviews and make recommendations? There doesn’t seem to be any info on the HCPS website about how this will work.

By: Cindy

Cindy — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 00:03:13 +0000

Here’s a link to the press release from HCPS announcing two meetings to gather community input on the search for a new superintendent. The meetings are:

Tuesday, January 27th at Fallston HS 7:30 – 8:30PM
Wednesday, January 28th at Havre de Grace HS 7:30 – 8:30PM

I hope people will attend but for anyone who can’t make it, I plan to submit the comments made here on The Dagger to MABE, which is hosting these meetings.

http://www.hcps.org/departments/docs/publicinformation/publications/pressreleases/2009/superintendentsearchrelease1-16-08.pdf