Want To Be On the Board Of Education? Get Your Resumes Ready
June 12, 2008
Candidates interested in being recommended to the governor by the newly formed Harford County Board of Education Recommendation Committee have until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24 to deliver a letter of interest and a resume addressed to County Councilman Richard C. Slutzky, chairman of the committee at 212 South Bond Street in Bel Air. Submissions must be made in hard copy only.
Applicants must be at least 21 years old, may not be current employees of Harford County Public Schools and must have lived in the county for at least two years. Interviews will be held on Monday, July 7th beginning at 6:30 p.m. Opening statements of up to five minutes will be allowed, followed by questions from committee members. The public will be able to attend the interview session, although the vote will be held in a closed session, immediately following the interviews. Continue reading Want To Be On the Board Of Education? Get Your Resumes Ready
Harford County Council Resolution Establishes New Panel To Endorse Candidates For Board Of Education
May 21, 2008
Rarely do politicians pull back the curtain and let the public see how political appointments are made, but Harford County Councilman Richard Slutzky has done just that by introducing the resolution to open up the selection process for school board members. Designed as a temporary fix until elections are approved by the General Assembly, the resolution establishes a 7-member panel composed of elected officials and representatives from the county executive’s office which will review and endorse candidates for the school board in view of the voting public.
Currently, school board members are appointed by the governor who relies on endorsements from local officials; a process that serves almost no one. Local officials are often flying blind because they have no formal way to recruit or to vet the candidates, candidates are dependent on having the right political connections and the public has no way of knowing who’s in the running or who’s backing whom.
Such is the case with the Bel Air seat on the board of education which will soon be vacated by current president Tom Fidler. Fidler reportedly favors a certain candidate as his replacement, one who does not support an elected school board, and on whose behalf he has been contacting local officials. This type of thing now happens behind closed doors, but may soon be brought into the open. Continue reading Harford County Council Resolution Establishes New Panel To Endorse Candidates For Board Of Education
“First, do no Harm” - Councilman Slutzky Questions the Merit of Board of Education School Reform
March 17, 2008
Read the ‘Erroneous and Malicious’ Comments that Forced the Board of Education President to Announce He’s Leaving Office
Public frustration with the Comprehensive High School Reform Plan (CSSRP) prompted the Harford County Council to make an unprecedented address to the Board of Education at its meeting tonight (Monday) in Bel Air.
The half-hour presentation delivered by county councilman Richard C. Slutzky, a veteran educator of 39 years, reflected questions raised by parents, students, teachers and administrators who had contacted the council as a result of what they believed was a lack of response from of the board since CSSRP was presented in 2005 and implemented in the fall of 2006.
Before councilman Slutzky was able to begin his presentation, board president Thomas Fidler, Jr. announced that he will not seek a second term and wanted to clear the air about “erroneous and malicious” comments made on a website regarding the scheduling of the county council’s discussion.
Slutzky began by commending the board for their efforts at reform, but noted that an evaluation was necessary to determine whether the “good intentions” of the board had actually been carried out by CSSRP. Using the board’s original rationale for reform as a framework, Slutzky posed questions which he said would assist the board in determining whether intended results were being achieved and what unintended consequences have resulted. He also suggested areas for future exploration.
Why the Board of Ed Doesn’t Want You to Know About the Harford County Council Visit Monday Night
March 16, 2008
UPDATE: At tonight’s (3/17) Board of Education meeting, board president Thomas Fidler, Jr. announced he will not seek a second term on the board. Stay tuned for details.
You might not know by looking at the agenda released by the Board of Education, but The Dagger has learned that the Harford County Council is expected to raise a series of serious questions Monday night regarding secondary school reform in the Harford County Public School system.
Prompted by public concern over the Comprehensive Secondary School Reform Plan (CSSRP), County Councilman Dick Slutzky is expected to make a presentation on behalf of the entire county council during the Board of Education meeting Monday, March 17 at 6:30 p.m. in Bel Air.
As rare an occasion as it would be to have most, if not all, of the Harford County Council in attendance for the Board of Education meeting, Slutzky’s presentation has been curiously dubbed “County Council Discussion” and buried 2/3 of the way down the agenda under General Public Comments. Continue reading Why the Board of Ed Doesn’t Want You to Know About the Harford County Council Visit Monday Night
