Saturday, February 20, 2010
4:00pm – 5:00pm
1537 S. Philadelphia Blvd., Aberdeen, MD 21001
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Progressive Maryland is hosting a healthcare reform rally in Aberdeen THIS SATURDAY in connection with a series of rallies held from Philadelphia to D.C. this month! We need a big turn out to show just how much Democrats in particular (and for that matter any progressively-minded person that is hoping to see health insurance reform a reality) to show up in big numbers. We turned some heads with almost 80 people in Bel Air last September, now lets see if we can get a few times that many in the progressive stronghold of our county. PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO ALL OTHER INTERESTED GROUPS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH A VESTED INTEREST IN SEEING HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM A REALITY!!! For more information contact me or visit http://melaniesmarch.com/ or www.progressivemaryland.org. Remember… this Saturday ...Continue Reading
The year 2009 opened on a sad note in Harford County with residents still mourning the death of prominent, longtime school superintendent Jacqueline Haas. Before the year was over, Harford County would lose two other wellknown female leaders – former delegate Joanne Parrott and Harford County Councilwoman Veronica Chenowith.
It was also a year of contradiction. Even as President-Elect Barack Obama slowed his inaugural train ride through Edgewood in January to wave and thank a thousand or so supporters, there were a thousand or so more Harford County residents who fought tooth-and-nail in September to prevent President Obama’s live address to be shown to their children during the school day.
Bel Air High School was demolished and Fallston Library was spared from closure. Art Helton survived another political scandal in Aberdeen while Harford County’s delegation to the Maryland General Assembly played a furious and humiliating game of musical chairs in Annapolis.
The following letter was sent by Tony Passaro of the Bel Air Tea Party Patriots:
AMERICANS YOU ARE BEING CALLED On TO AGAIN TO MAKE A STAND………
We are in the final days of the National Health Care Reform Debate. The Senate is debating Majority Leader Harry Reid’s health care reform bill all week —and a cloture vote, to end debate, is just around the corner. If Reid has his way, his health care reform bill will usher in the largest expansion of government in history, federalizing one-sixth of the American economy.
The time to act is now. In August we turned out to Congressional meetings throughout the country and stalled the march to OBAMA’S health care. With a final vote in the Senate imminent this is our LAST stand.
This time we press the Senate.
Freedom fighters from all across the nation are joining with Patients First, Americans ...Continue Reading
The following letter was provided by Jansen Robinson, Chair of the Edgewood Community Council:
Racism is defined as the belief that a particular race is superior or inferior to another, that a person’s social and moral traits are predetermined by his or her inborn biological characteristics. Racial separatism is the belief, most of the time based on racism, that different races should remain segregated and apart from one another”.
Discrimination is a sociological term that refers to treatment taken toward or against a person of a certain group that is taken in consideration based on class or category.
Several years ago-and prior to any BRAC revelations, the issue on the table was over-crowded high schools north of I- 95. However the high schools south of I-95 had excess capacity. Also it was revealed that at that time total school enrollment had increased slightly. But not enough to ...Continue Reading
Dr. Leonard Wheeler, Vice President of the Harford County Board of Education, said at a meeting last week that racism was behind the decision by school officials not to air an address by President Barack Obama live on September 8, 2009. The speech was recorded by HCPS instead and shown days later to more than 99% of the students in attendance, according to Superintendent Robert Tomback.
Before Vice President Wheeler leveled his charge against the school system that he oversees, the controversy was addressed by other school officials, along with a number of public speakers.
Newly appointed Superintendent Tomback explained that school staff “knew from the outset” that they would not be able to air the speech live, because “we simply do not have the technological capability to do such a live broadcast”. Tomback called the lack of capability “regrettable” and continued:
Superintendent Robert Tomback reported to the Board of Education Monday night that 99.994% of Harford County Public Schools students viewed President Barack Obama’s address last week.
The students were said to have “engaged in meaningful dialogue and discussion in their classrooms on Wednesday and Thursday of last week.”
Here is a description, provided by HCPS, of the presentation made to the Board of Education during Monday’s meeting:
Received a presentation regarding the usage of the Presidential Address in Harford County Public Schools. Superintendent Robert M. Tomback reported that 99.994% of Harford County Public Schools students viewed President Barack Obama’s address and engaged in meaningful dialogue and discussion in their classrooms on Wednesday and Thursday of last week. Mrs. Linda Chamberlin and Mr. David Volrath, directors of elementary and secondary education respectively, presented information regarding instructional activities that were used to maximize the teachable moment of the address. Mr. Roger Plunkett, ...Continue Reading
Harford County Public Schools never planned to censor President Barack Obama’s September 8th address to the nation’s school children, but did not air the speech live so that plans could be made to use the speech appropriately, according to Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Roger Plunkett.
While acknowledging that communications from HCPS could have been “worded differently” to better convey the school system’s intentions, Plunkett told The Dagger that there had been a “misunderstanding” and that the President’s address was always going to be shown to all students. But he said the short time frame available for planning meaningful classroom activities, along with technology constraints, led HCPS to use recorded copies of the speech instead. Plunkett said principals were given some discretion as to the exact timing, but all students would view the speech by the close of school Thursday, except in cases where parents sent a note ...Continue Reading
President Barack Obama’s address today to the nation’s school children will be recorded by Harford County Public Schools and then delivered to each school “for appropriate instructional use”. Teachers will decide whether and how the speech will be presented to their students, according to a message on the school system’s website dated yesterday (Labor Day – September 7).
A message sent out by HCPS at just after 10 a.m. Tuesday indicated the school system “will provide its students the opportunity to view President Barack Obama’s address by the end of the school day, Thursday, September 10.”
Questions about the president’s speech and the accompanying classroom activities planned by the U.S. Department of Education prompted HCPS to announce late last week that the speech would not be aired live. School officials cited internal instructional guidelines preventing the streaming of live broadcasts, but left open the possibility that the address would be shown ...Continue Reading
The New Harford Democratic Club has issued an “Action Alert” to those parents, students, and Harford County residents who are upset with the Board of Education’s decision not to air President Barack Obama’s speech to students.
The alert advises those interested to attend a protest planned to be held Tuesday morning, just prior to Obama’s speech, outside the Harford County Public Schools administration building in Bel Air.
Here is the text of the release:
SPECIAL EVENT OF INTEREST TO MEMBERS OF THE THE NEW HARFORD DEMOCRATIC CLUB
Many parents of school-age children in Harford County Public Schools are outraged that the Board of Education will not air President Obama’s speech to students on the importance of education. The speech is slated to be live-streamed on Tuesday, September 8 at 11 a.m. A protest of parents and students will be held, starting at 10:30 a.m., outside the School Administration Bldg. on Hickory Ave. in Bel ...Continue Reading
The White House issued an advisory Wednesday that President Barack Obama will be speaking live to the nation’s school children at noon on Tuesday, September 8th in an address that can be streamed directly into the schools. The President’s speech about the importance of education was reportedly planned for weeks, but in recent days a national backlash has erupted that includes a call to boycott the schools that decide to air the speech by keeping students home on the day of the broadcast.
Locally, opponents are urging parents to keep their children home or otherwise ensure that they will not be required to see the speech or participate in the accompanying classroom activities created by the U. S. Department of Education.
