From Doug George:
At the September 8, 2014 HCPS Board of Education Meeting, the school board approved revised policies regarding Clubs and Extracurricular Activities. With the passage of these revisions, the school board implemented policy to back the procedures that Central Office had already imposed on specific school groups. With the approved policies and procedures in effect, HCPS is the most restrictive public school system in Maryland regarding volunteer involvement in non-athletic groups*.
The combined policies and procedures establish new rules for school sponsored clubs and extracurricular activities. These rules include restrictions on the use of power tools by students, restrictions on meeting places for team activities, and restrictions on volunteer involvement. The following table shows a comparison of the volunteer roles in athletic and non-athletic groups per the new rules.
Clearly, volunteers involved in non-athletic groups do not have the same opportunities as volunteers involved in athletics. Maryland Law does include provisions to allow school systems to use volunteers in head and assistant coaching roles for interscholastic sports teams. However, it was the choice of Central Office and the School Board to deny non-athletic group volunteers the same opportunities.
The Destination Imagination program has already been severely impacted by these policies and procedures. Unfortunately, other volunteer assisted school groups such as xSTEM programs, drama programs, and various after school clubs, if not already, will soon be impacted as well.
In closing, I would like to express a sincere “Thank you” to both Board Member Frisch and Board Member Krchnavy for representing the students and volunteers in this county by voting against the revised policies.
Doug George
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*Destination Imagination conducted a survey of 16 Maryland school systems to determine school system restrictions on volunteer involvement, meeting places, and power tool usage by students. HCPS was the only school system of the 16 to have restrictions on all categories. The remaining 8 school systems were evaluated solely on available policy information posted on the internet.
duck farmer says
Wow. Another blow for HCPS. Once a huge presence in the D.I. Program… and now also taken away from the kids. Who makes these ridiculous decisions that are discriminatory against students who are not athletic? Very disappointing and embarassing for our county.
Space suit says
Bullying, intolerance, discrimination. All the same “social” words apply for HCPS but not when they say so.
Space suit says
Just like the “Howard County School Confederate Flag incident” that’s in our news, the school’s always find a round about way to do their bidding.” Causing a “disruption” in the particular incident.
Love the Schools says
“Just like the “Howard County School Confederate Flag incident”
I missed this one – what happened?
The Mad Punter says
Posted on WBAL:
http://www.wbal.com/article/109698/3/high-school-student-disciplined-for-displaying-confederate-flag
Love the Schools says
Oh yeah – yikes.- I could see why the schools would not want the confederate flag flying at their events. Thanks for posting the link.
The Money Tree says
Just because something is a “nonprofit” surely doesn’t mean it’s intent is any more or less about fat salaries and perks in private entities even if it’s goal is “social” something or other – and that includes the idea that the collected monies are completely tax free. This DI organization may be wonderful but the idea that we need this integrated non-profit to provide education in a school system that’s already supposed to be educating and that we already pay an arm and leg for is troubling. If what DI offers is so great why don’t school systems adopt their curriculum rather than the often failed methods in use? Having the taxpayers pay for transportation or any other form of coordination for this private organization in order to provide education is a joke. Send your kids on your own dime.
DG says
This issue is truly not about DI. This issue is about volunteer involvement in programs at all schools.
Volunteers are not costing the school system any money – that is why they are needed. The majority of extracurricular activities, including DI, get very little funding from the school system. Volunteers and students fundraise to cover their own costs. Costs not covered by fundraising are absorbed by parents. Why do you think schools have sports boosters, music boosters, parent drama organizations, PTA’s, etc.. These organiztions use volunteers to raise money to supplement the limited funding available from the school system and to perform jobs that otherwise would cost the school system more money.
Extracurricular activities are needed to enrich students, to set them on a path for future success, and to “keep kids off the streets”.
We have educational institutions that have few volunteers and limited extracurricular activities – they are called prisons. I would not choose this option for my children,.
Bel Air Grad says
Money Tree, No one is asking for money for DI. The issue is that many parents have been volunteering to bring DI and many other extra-curricular activities to HCPS students for years with no incidents. Now those volunteers are told their services are no longer welcome and that teachers are the only ones who may manage these activities. These are the same teachers who have not had raises in years and are up to their ears in handling their classroom work. The stipends offered to the teachers are not big enough to make the extra work worth it, especially in the case of DI, where kids get so excited about their projects that they need more than just an hour or so once a week after school. It is very difficult to find teachers willing to take on the extra work, which means that fewer activities will be offered. So if volunteers can bridge that gap to ensure that enriching after school activities are still available and affordable, what is wrong with that?
And why don’t schools adapt their curriculum to use the DI program in the classroom. Have you heard of Common Core? Well that is DI in a nutshell. So kids that want more of that kind of learning can do it after school and on weekends and dive deeply into their chosen topic and have tons of fun.
The fuze says
The one thing that I’m reminded of is that the school was extremely fearful of students using “power tools” with volunteer help.
Bel Air Grad says
Yes, and no one from DI is arguing with the power tool issue right now. Although we feel there are ways to train volunteers and teachers to train the kids to use some tools safely. Do you know that the kids aren’t even allowed to use sewing machines, because they are considered power tools? There should be a way to be more flexible with that. But it is an issue that we are willing to live with for now. It’s the volunteer issue is the one that impacts ALL extra-curricular activities, not just DI, so that is where the focus needs to be.
The Money Tree says
Then if Common Core is DI then we don’t need DI. Pretty simple stuff.
Bel Air Grad says
Many of the principles of DI are consistent with Common Core principles. But DI allows intellectually curious students to expand on what they do in school and spend more time on things that matter to them. All extra-curricular activities enrich the educational lives of our students and volunteers play a large role in that process.
Are you saying that since students have phys ed class in school, there is no need for interscholastic sports? Or because we have music classes in school we don’t need to have band and chorus? Or because high schools have drama classes, we don’t need school plays?
The Money Tree says
That’s right. I sorry. Don’t pay any attention to me, I’m a dumbass and a troll.
The Money Tree says
There are legitimate questions to be asked about a nationwide nonprofit that is being integrated into schools. One obvious one might be “if scores go up can we expect the public school system spokespersons will acknowledge the role of an independent outside group in bringing up scores”.
The fuze says
When Public Schools want to limit the 1st amendment, they use words like “disruptive” and cite words attached to “culture” and “social.”
Harford Oldtimer says
Thank goodness. I mean who would want a Bill Gates to lead a computer group in Harford County. Or maybe on the excellent people at APG. The school board make this kind of judgement error and then wonder why we don’t throw extra money at them…. I think there is a Parable of Talents that might make good reading.
duck farmer says
Why all the focus on DI? This is about groups that are not sports that want to do activities in school. It doesn’t cost tax payers or the school any money. It is about sports always getting preferential treatment. Be fair across the board. It’s ridiculous. How did we ever survive 20 or 30 years ago without all thsee new BS policies.
THis is Crazy says
I’ve been a coach for a regional STEM based robotics team for several years. We use 100% volunteer staff, most of whom come from industry backgrounds. Step one with power tools is safety. We have some serious tools including CNC, saws, sanders, variety of hand operated tools etc.
When kids are taught the safe way to operate equipment and the correct level of supervision is applied, it’s not an issue.
Frankly, I’m very comfortable with having people who use similar equipment in their livelihood teaching the kids rather than giving that responsibility to someone who may have zero actual experience with it but have the correct job classification.
Crybaby says
You offended me with your intolerant comment.
Town Drunk says
It should be mentioned here that HCPS stressed that DI teams CAN function outside of the school system. There are no restrictions that keep a coach & students from having a community team or one sponsored by groups other than HCPS. In addition to the power tool concerns there were also discussions about allowing a group of students to gather at a volunteer’s house for a school sponsored activity. Legal council for HCPS advised that that situation would place undue liability upon the system with absolutly no control over the venue. Other commenters are correct in saying that if the school system doesn’t want it, they will find a way to craft language around their case. You are also correct that sports teams are most definitly given a pass while liability concerns like concussions are never mentioned. However, if you fail to directly address what has publicly been given as justification for the policy, then you should be prepared to be ignored.
It won’t matter anyway. If we can’t figure out how to PAY TEACHERS NOW, this will seem like a small loss compared to those around the corner. We’re going to suffer from the current CE’s lack of leadership for quite some time. We’ll have some really nice brand new buildings with awesome atheletic fields all staffed by 1st & 2nd year teachers (that will leave as soon as we pay to train them.) It’s going to be a long time before we regain the ground we’re loosing.