Should teachers use Facebook to air their disagreements with parents? When does a teacher’s right to free speech cross the line? The growing use of social networking sites by teachers, parents and students raises some thorny questions.
A case in point is the slugfest going on in Havre de Grace over the controversial drama production known as Drama Therapy.
To review:
Drama Therapy was developed four years ago by teachers and guidance counselors at Havre de Grace High School as a series of short skits that are part drama, part therapy, and mainly written by students. The skits deal with serious issues facing some teens, such as suicide, incest and abortion, but they also include more light-hearted fare. The founders of Drama Therapy expected that some students would seek counseling as a result of seeing the skits. The idea was to help those students.
The skits comprising Drama Therapy changed each year, but somehow ...Continue Reading
The following letter was sent from Del. Rick Impallaria to Harford County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Tomback. A copy was provided to The Dagger:
Robert M. Tomback, Ph.D., Superintendent
Harford County Public Schools
102 South Hickory Avenue
Bel Air, Maryland 21014
Dear Dr. Tomback:
I have reviewed the Havre de Grace HS drama therapy tape, and I find very little positive to say about it. It is even difficult to talk about what occurred on stage without using language which is both offensive and improper in any setting, school or otherwise.
In addition to viewing what was on stage, I also paid attention to the reaction of the students both to the skits being acted and to explanations of what they were about to see.
I found nothing improper in the short restaurant scenes between the longer skits, and my comments do not refer to them.
In the following letter to Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Nancy Grasmick, a former educator requests an independent investigation into Drama Therapy, the controversial drama production shown to students at Havre de Grace High School at a school-wide assembly held in early December, 2009. The letter to Dr. Grasmick generated a response of sorts. More on that in a minute. First, here’s the letter from Churchville resident, Barbara Falukner-Davis.
Ms. Faulkner-Davis told The Dagger that she first heard about Drama Therapy from an upset friend who is a parent in the Havre de Grace district. Faulkner-Davis is not a parent herself; she says she got involved as a former educator, a taxpayer and a concerned citizen. She says she isn’t trying to get anyone fired, but Faulkner-Davis thinks Drama Therapy should not be shown during the school day and that program’s therapeutic efforts were inappropriate. After viewing a ...Continue Reading
At an unusual and perhaps unprecedented meeting called by the Harford Delegation to discuss a controversial high school program known as “Drama Therapy”, Harford Schools Superintendent Robert Tomback acknowledged for the first time that mistakes had been made with the Drama Therapy program presented at a Havre de Grace High School assembly on December 4, 2009.
Dr. Tomback later told The Dagger that Drama Therapy was still under an internal investigation, involving what he called a “personnel matter that is being addressed” Tomback wouldn’t comment further, citing the negotiated agreement with school employees.
Drama Therapy is a drama production, formerly promoted by Harford County Schools and jointly developed by teachers and counselors at the Havre de Grace High, to help teens deal with serious issues. Drama Therapy has been presented in each of the past four years, but much of the content is written by students ...Continue Reading
Superintendent Robert M. Tomback said at a school board meeting Monday that his proposed operating budget for Harford County Public Schools contains no increase over the current fiscal year and no new programs or initiatives for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011. Tomback said some funding would be shifted next year to meet certain obligations and that his budget objectives were threefold; to preserve the integrity of the educational program for students, to preserve jobs and to preserve employee benefits.
Tomback provided few details in introducing his first budget proposal as superintendent and there were no questions from board members in attendance. In a departure from previous practice, numerical data and a broad overview of budget categories were not included as part of the initial public presentation.
School Board President Mark Wolkow said the school board would review the budget in detail in the coming weeks.
Harford County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Tomback told the school board at a work session October 19th that middle school students who complete high school coursework should receive high school credit.
Approximately 40% of HCPS students take the advanced math class Algebra I in middle school, according to Tomback. He said it “doesn’t make sense” not to award credit to middle school students who demonstrate the same achievement as their high school counterparts. “I see moving forward with this proposal.” Tomback said, adding later that a task force should determine how to implement the plan.
Dr. Tomback’s comments came in response to a recommendation to the school board by the Citizens Advisory Committee on Gifted Education.
Several school board members also expressed support for the concept. A final decision would require a board vote at a future business meeting.
Veteran Harford teacher one of seven to compete for state title
Kimberly A. Schmidt, social studies teacher at Havre de Grace High School, was selected as one of seven finalists in the state who will compete for the 2010 Maryland Teacher of the Year title by State Superintendent of Schools, Nancy S. Grasmick.
The finalists were selected by a panel of judges from various Maryland educational organizations representing principals, teachers, boards of education, teacher unions, students, parents and higher education. Finalists were measured against a rigorous set of national criteria that includes teaching philosophy, community involvement, knowledge of general education issues and suggestions for professional and instructional improvement. Each of the seven finalists, including Mrs. Schmidt, will participate in oral interviews with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) on Saturday, September 12th.
Mrs. Schmidt is a committed educator, having been in the field for more than 18 years, graduating from the ...Continue Reading
The Board of Education of Harford County Public Schools is seeking applicants for membership on its Citizen Advisory Committees. Membership is open to all Harford County residents, including those without children in the school system. The Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee is open to any parent of a student with a disability and no formal application is needed.
Each committee will meet on a regular basis, or as necessary to accomplish its charge. New members are confirmed in December; members are assigned to one?, two?, or three?year terms. Regular attendance is vital to maintain the continuity and effectiveness of the committee.
Residents of Harford County interested in serving as a member of any one of these committees should send a letter of interest to Mrs. Teri Kranefeld, Manager of Communications, Harford County Public Schools, 102 S. Hickory Avenue, Bel Air, Maryland 21014. Letters must include the name of the committee, complete contact ...Continue Reading
President Barack Obama has just announced that a new Pay Czar will oversee compensation for top executives at some of the businesses benefiting from government bailout money; the idea being that where public money flows, public oversight will follow.
It is in that latter spirit that we bring you a contract which will be funded entirely by public money, for the newest superintendent for Harford County Public Schools, Dr. Robert Tomback. The contract was released in full by HCPS after a request made by The Dagger.
In these tough economic times, it’s especially easy to jump on a six-figure salary being paid to any public official. Fair enough. But some perspective is also in order.
Public education is arguably one of the most important services currently provided by government. Education is the key to both personal and collective prosperity and without the underpinning of an educated populace, our democratic republic is easily ...Continue Reading
The newly-named superintendent for Harford County Public Schools Dr. Robert Tomback signed a contract with the school board for a base salary of $190,000 per year for four years, at the board’s business meeting in Bel Air Monday night. Terms of the contract were not released during the public portion of the meeting.
The length of the superintendent’s contract is required by state law, according to HCPS Manager of Communications Teri Kranefeld. Kranefeld said the other provisions of the contract are not being released to the public.
After the Harford County Board of Education unanimously approved his contract, Dr. Tomback said that although his term doesn’t officially begin until July 1st, “you’ll see me around before then”.
Tomback also said he’d been asked if he was “the change agent” but he considered himself an agent of progress. “It is my highest priority to be an agent of progress for ...Continue Reading
