(Joppatowne, MD) – – Congressman C. A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger and Harford County Executive David R. Craig, have announced additional funding of $143,000 for Joppatowne High School’s Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Program. The money, provided from the federal government, will help keep the program on the cutting edge and allow it to expand.
The program currently has 120 students and will add an additional 65 new students for the 2009 – 2010 school year. The curriculum prepares students for careers in the homeland security sciences, law enforcement, criminal justice and information technology. The Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Program at Joppatowne High School is now a pilot program. The curriculum is expected to be implemented at Dundalk High School in Baltimore County and Fort Meade High School in Anne Arundel County next year.
Among those joining Congressman Ruppersberger and County Executive Craig for the announcement at Joppatowne High School this week were, County Councilman Dion Guthrie, Sheriff L. Jesse Bane, Interim Superintendent of Schools Patricia Skebeck, Patrick Hess, President of the Board of Education, Principal Macon Tucker and Harford County Public School staff members and professional partners who aided in writing this unique course curriculum.
Jesse Bane should spend more time finding solutions for shutting down the crime train between Baltimore & Edgewood and less time preparing himself for Politics.
Joppatowne High School has always been, and will always be a Pilot School for reformers.
I’m a parent of two Joppatown High School students. I’ve seen it all from setting up day care for teen moms to drop their kids off in the morning 20 years ago, to 4 period classes twice a year 10 years ago. Both Programs failed and the caring teachers left.
The more they try to reform, the worst this school gets. This is all about money, nothing more, nothing less. Joppatowne High School is selling out its good teachers in lieu of government funding.
Joppatowne high school is nothing but a political guinea pig experiment. Shame on every political leader who continues to pretend they care about the kids.
Carole,
If you were a teacher and the county had a policy that you could go to any school you wanted based on seniority, wouldn’t you leave a Route 40 school in favor of a school in Bel Air, Abingdon, or North Harford? Check the statistics, teachers in Route 40 schools have less experience than the rest of the County because we allow them to transfer because of the more experience they have. And when the County tries to get balls and force an experienced administrator to come to a Route 40 school, parents complain and the administrator would rather take a demotion than switch.
If we are talking about a particular case. I do not think the complaining parents are at the rt 40 school but the school the person was leaving. I also believe he may have encouraged them. BTW Abingdon kids go to Edgewood.
A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing.
What does Abingdon kids going to Edgewood school, or the Rt 40 schools have anything to do with “Ruppersberger and Craig Announce $143,000 for Joppatowne High School Homeland Security Program”?
There is no Joppatowne High School Homeland Security Program. Never was, never will be. This is just a ‘feel’ good tactic to spend $143,000 more of your tax paying dollars.
Just as the Joppatowne High School pilot program, set up 20 years ago to help pregnant mom’s continue their education was a farce.
Just as the Joppatowne High School pilot program, set up 10 years ago to get every high school student ready for college was a farce.
Carole there is a program!
CDEV:
You seem to know everything about everyone!! I normally wouldn’t indulge you in getting off topic but in this case I have to. The particular individual leaving his home school didn’t encourage anyone to do anything – the parents in the community wanted him to stay. Any parent who has had to deal with horrible administrators in a school certainly understand that. I know firsthand what happened in that case and it is not what you are saying. Please do not try and incite people like this when you are the person who keeps complaining about parents not wanting to move their children to Route 40 schools and their rhetoric. You are the one stirring the pot…
BTW – Read the story about that Administrator. You obviously don’t have the facts.
Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Program:
The mission of the Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Magnet Program is to provide to the students of Harford County and eventually to the State of Maryland, the ability to have access to career pathways in homeland security studies to offer them a better education and more choices to allow them to provide services back to the community, the State and the Nation.
http://www.hcps.org/Schools/High/Joppatowne.aspx
“Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Program:
The mission of the Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Magnet Program is to provide to the students of Harford County and eventually to the State of Maryland, the ability to have access to career pathways in homeland security studies to offer them a better education and more choices to allow them to provide services back to the community, the State and the Nation.”
http://www.hcps.org/Schools/High/Joppatowne.aspx
Cdev,
Said administrator’s entire appeal was to go to that school! Either you have the facts and choose to ignore all the documents in the case or you are using false information to make a poorly constructed point. That same administrator is working with students who have dropped out and want to return to get their diplomas. Interesting for someone against moving to Rt 40.
I never said he didn’t want to but administrators serve at the pleasure of the superintendent and BOE at the location they want them. That is where they wanted him and others seemed to try to create a fuss to keep him. Convienently he choose a demotion to avoid moving. Then complained about that.
CDEV – again you are making yourself look completely ignorant. I am only commenting about this because you are making entirely false allegations. Said administrator did not choose to take a demotion so he could make thousands of dollars less to teach. He was forced to by people in HCPS who care more about themselves than they do about kids (see many posts here). How despicable of you to say that and an insult to he and his family. I guess the CMW community didn’t get the memo that if they dared question his leaving the school, that he would get in trouble.
Cdev,
I’ve noticed that you have a habit of making claims that reflect the party line of HCPS central staff. But sadly, those claims and that party line often diverge from the actual facts. I don’t know how you have all of this seeming inside acquaintance with HCPS, but that’s your business. But I also must take issue with you on this.
In regards to your incorrect and offensive claim above about the situation where the administrator left his home school: You either A) know the real story, and are lying in defense of Haas and Volrath, or B) you don’t know the real story, in which case you are just making things up. But either way you should be ashamed of yourself. Curiously, your ridiculous assertion in post #5 reflects one of the disingenuous smokescreens that were used at the time by central staff to rationalize the egregious treatment of said administrator. It was a horrible and vindictive abuse of power (the Dagger actually did an excellent piece on it. You can look it up). Your post had the stench of the usual rewritten history that echoes in the halls of the administration building and board room. Oh well, maybe that’s just a coincidence.
It’s certainly your right to post as much as you want. But I really think it is important for you to either A) tell us the truth, or B) tell us when you’re guessing at the truth without the benefit of the facts. Otherwise, we’ll never know when you have any basis for your claims or if you’re just spouting off misinformation. If you are an insider, don’t you feel that you owe us, yourself, and HCPS that much? Thanks.
The story of what happened when the administrator in question tried to leave HCPS can be found here: http://www.daggerpress.com/2008/07/01/bound-or-gagged-superintendent-haas-tries-gag-order-to-silence-former-harford-county-public-schools-administrator/
For the record I did not start this off topic discussion. I simply responded to post 3; and Congrats to the hard working members of the Joppatowne community who worked for this. I have heard it is a great program.
OK B is closer but I would not say guess as it is a supposition based on facts I just choose not to have my conclusion dictated to me which stories in the Aegis and sometimes this sight tend to do. I will confess my wife works for HCPS as a teacher. There are some facts which are not in dispute such as the fact administrators serve at the pleasure of the BOE and superintendent. and administrators are informed of moves before the populous (according to my wife) when they are informed they are not supposed to divulge that until after the BOE meeting (according to my wife who got it from a principal of hers who got moved). I would suppose then that either 3 things are possible
A) he told people and they shared it……
B) some HCPS employee saw it in the weekly e-mail (according to my wife)
C) he rabelrosed (least likely)
Either way I would say that based on quotes I read in the Aegis from members of the CMW community they insulted the Edgewood Community and made it impossible to effectively do his job with a preception that he would not want to be there. The fact that according to the Aegis he went to try to get the AD job at CMW which he was told he could not apply for as an AP. Maybe HCPS Admin overreacted but he made some choices he was told he could not do. The way the PR campaign of some members of the CMW community handled it insulted members of the EDG community of which I happen to be a part of. Additionally all information was only provided by him and not HCPS as they can not discuss it. Further more leaving in the middle of a contract is not routine as is suggested anyone else has their teaching certificate suspended. My sopposition was their was an accomodation made for him he did not like the terms so he played on sympathies of some.
I live in Abingdon and grow tired of rude insults about our school and community are hurrled around. When something good happens in Abingdon it is Bel Air when it is bad it is Edgewood. For example the Wawa on 924 and 24 was built and headline read “Wawa opens in Bel Air…..when it got robbed (the same Wawa) it was Wawa robbed in Edgewood. Our schools may have issues but those are working to be resolved and to be honest I think the issues at some schools go under reported while others on the rt. 40 corrider are made to be larger then life. For example the boys who brought knives to Fallston or the Boy who broought a gun to North Harford last year. Not mentioned on this site and a very small article in the Aegis. If either of those happened at a route 40 school it would be front page!
Well, I too was the wife of a HC teacher and administrator….actually the one in “question.” As you can imagine, it was extremely difficult to hear what others believe to be true…..it still is. I can just say to CDEV and to others that there are many facts that you have incorrect. You are not alone in your account of the situation. I believe those in administration wanted it this way. The paper on the windows of the school board builing says volumes!
The only motive my husband had for his applying for an AD position was his love for sports, CMW, and his need to be close to home and more available in the lives of our 4 young children. He actually met with the late Dr. Haas in February to discuss his wish to apply. This was long before any talk of transfer was on the table.
We cannot control what others believe to be true. We pray for those who spread rumors not knowing the facts. We believe HC to be a great place to raise our family and we are making every effort to remain in this area. The support of those in and around our community was astonishing and I believe a testament to the service that my husband provided in his 16 years in public education.
Regards,
Holly Battaglia
Cdev,
It is unfortunate that the Edgewood community feels slighted. I understand your point. That is not good for any of us. And we should all do what we can to can to change that.
But feeling slighted does not give you license to say what you said about Mr. Battaglia, don’t you agree? Regarding your frankness in admitting that your comments on Mr. Battaglia were a combination of parroting the administration’s lies and also some irresponsible supposition: You are to be commended for that frankness. But then you spent another paragraph engaging in more of the same. I don’t get it.
Anyway, have a good day.
Cdev, post #15
Sorry but what you explained may not be fair, but when one looses their reputation, it is hard to get back, and may take many more years.
Abingdon kids go to Edgewood, or BelAir, depending on what side of the street you live on, and Edgewood kids go to Joppatowne regardless of which side of the street you live.
I can’t tell you how many times I have sat on the parking lot of Joppatowne High School, waiting to pick up my kids from school while witnessing drug dealings going on right in front of my car.
No amount of money from the government , nor feel good programs is going to change that fact.
Yes, there is a pilot program at Joppatowne High, but it isn’t working.
So I stand by my words when I said there is no Joppatowne High School Homeland Security Program. And in today’s economy, this will only get worst.
If it worked, the selling of drugs and the continuation of gang recruitment would have been absolute by now.
I am just laying out what I have witnessed 2 years ago. Do not get fooled by the “feel good” rhetoric the political hacks seem to push our way.
It’s all an illusion.
Carole,
You shouldn’t make statements unless you know what you’re
talking about. I’ve pasted a little portion of an article about JHS Homeland students for you.
“In July, Eric Cromwell, Coordinator of Accelerated Learning Programs, Jacqueline Smith, science department chair at Joppatowne High School, and two Joppatowne High School students, Joey Hightower and Matt Kelly, described their Geographic Information Systems (GIS) adventures to more than 10,000 GIS users at the International Users Conference in San Diego, CA. Governor Martin O’Malley was in attendance. The presentation team was able to meet with the Governor before the presentation and on stage afterwards. A video of the presentation can be found here.
Joey and Matt described their development as GIS users learning basic skills of layout creation, buffering, and changing coordinate systems. Soon they were creating their own shapefiles of crimes in their county. Matt entered the map in the Towson University GIS Conference and won first place.”
Wow!!
I’m a little late in the game here but here goes. It sounds like a lot of the posts are closely connected to the situtation at JHS. There are a few names I recognize, and I apologize if I associate them incorrectly, I’ve been away from JHS for a number of years. Haas, Craig, and Battaglia are all familiar names to me from the area. I graduated from JHS in 1982. I came from a graduating class where we were dubbed by one of my instructors, “one of the most well-behaved classes.” As Mr. Gaughan explained, his observation was based on actual statistics–detention, morning announcement name calls to the principals office, teacher referrals etc. My point is, that although I was not one of the more popular members of my graduating class, and this will most likely unnerve people, I was also not very involved in extra-curricular activities, I was proud to be a graduating student from JHS. We had an excellent teaching staff. They cared and took time with students. Most of them. Again, this is an outsider’s point-of-view looking in because I wasn’t one of the people receiving the benefits of what the school offered in richness of good character, however I did recognize it. I later,…much later attended Harford Community College where I experienced some of the same caring character from the instructors. These were or are not perfect people, but they cared about their purpose and took seriously their “role-model” positions. I dont’ know about the “Homeland Security” program currently at JHS, but I, again from an outsider looking in perspective (with an amount of vested interest)I do know that at its inception, JHS was a good school and an affective one. I am sad to hear of the drug deals and failing spirit. In a society of 2010 which seems to value violence and vindictiveness, JHS sounds to be fitting in very well.
That all said, I don’t doubt that money was spent yet again for a failed program. This is not the problem, the problem is what has dominated the values of the students and parents. The problem is the purity of the motivation and intentions of the money spent. Are students enjoying the negative attention that drug deals bring, what are they experiencing at home. To whom do they look as role models themselves and what are those core values. JHS doesn’t need a Homeland Security Program to be ahead of the industry from which careers may or may not be emerging, it needs better management.
Ahhh, and I’d like to mention, that its original purpose as a magnet school to integrate races, was at its time very successful until…
The $143,000 provided to Joppatowne High School for “homeland security projects” is a joke. This is typical of the short-sighted, lame-brained actions of Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, to “train” young, impressionable minds to distrust anyone who looks different, in preparing them for “careers” in operating body-scanning equipment. Sen. Mikulski is also to blame for this piddling stupidity.
If you want to train young people about how to function in the world, you have to teach them foreign languages and world history–about other nations and cultures in the world. We live in a world where there are a lot of different people and many who have different world views. Even though they may be different, we all have a humanity in common and it is possible to share common ideals such as equality, security for our families, economic prosperity, freedom from disease and freedom from ignorance, and personal freedom.
If Rupp and Mikulski wanted to do something truly valuable with that money, they would sponsor exchange programs of students from around the world to come to Joppatowne High and other high schools in Harford County, and to have some of our students spend a year abroad in other schools. This helps to build friendship and understanding that has long term benefits. The Lions Club in Joppatowne did this a number of years ago, to their credit, and other organizations have done this also.
I remember as a kid during the cold war, some idiots running the school I was attending, forcing us all to crouch under desks to avoid nuclear war! I refused to do it. Sitting under a desk would do nothing to prevent a nuclear bomb from incinerating or otherwise killing a student. Dutch Ruppersberger is an idiot, he knows nothing about how to be a world leader even though he thinks he is one, and this is a waste of taxpayer money.
Anyway, how did he slip this through? I thought the Republicans were stopping earmarks from being enacted. The Congress as a body would never have passed this nonsense. David Craig also should know better. Shame on him.
The Homeland Security $143,000 to Joppatowne H.S. is a cruel earmark joke played by Sen. Mikulski and Rep. Ruppersberger, to buy votes at the taxpayers expense, for a worthless program to prepare young people for careers in operating body-scanning equipment at airports and in throwing away travelers food and drinks who are just trying to avoid the outrageous prices for these items at airports.