SB 1032

SB 1032

http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/billfile/sb1032.htm

Thanks for posting the link. The bill's text hasn't been uploaded yet, but you should be able to find it on that page once it is.

bill text is now online

Absolutely love it. Online learning is the future of excellent education.

City Schools Teacher Student Support (TSS). Our Online Parent Education Portal learning Education Observer Dashboard Teacher Parent Portal user request to all teachers/administrators.

By this systemic request we the Citizens, City Schools Community, and Parent Stakeholders need you City Schools teachers/administrators to begin immediately throughout the remaining school year to seek training by way of professional development (PD) to use the City Schools education online portal TSS Parent Portal Tools-Observer, Gateway Observer Dashboard, and My Courses Student Dashboard which displays to all parent observers a format that is in a list style form displaying our Currently Observing school student by name with student ID#, assessment, course ID, instructor, announcements, task, calendar events.

Additional portal use allows teachers and administrators to submit posting students MSA, HSA, Primary Talent Development (PTD)assessments and all core course content classroom learning experience, (Announcements), and (Tools Course Map) for mathematics, literacy, social studies, science.

Using the Control Panel major sections features: Content Areas, Course Tools, Course Options, User Management and Support. Using the Creating Assessments: Questions for the Test Canvas/Making the Test Available/Gradebook your City School staff classroom teacher/administrator cooperation to comply with the policy/guideleines of the SY2008-2009 City School Essentials and Indicators document.

ummm.... is a post on InsideEd really a "systemic request"? This post sounds more like a demand from an administrator than a request from a parent, and a single one at that as opposed to "the Citizens, City Schools Community, and Parent Stakeholders. Gosh, that sounds like some sort of official organization.

To.. a parent's InsideEd comment to a "systemic request"? it's not okay to be self-absorbed and uninformed. Sorry you don't know everthing. Thank you Interested and Engaged for the City Schools TSS info.

My mistake, I thought this blog (on the Sun Papers site) was for anybody who is concerned about education in the area. What are the requirements to post or read comments here? Am I supposed to be an employee of BCPSS? As an outsider in the system, exactly what was I supposed to be reading so as not to be "self-absorbed and uninformed"? Care to post a link or is it something a parent isn't allowed to see?

Not really sure what that "systemic request" post was about? What's the context? Just asking for teachers and administrators to get trained? I imagine they would... If they found the system valuable. Until teachers recognize some value-interest (other than an amorphous threat from an administrator that they "must use this system"), it seems rather self-defeating to merely go through the motions.

BALTIMORE CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM
Andrés A. Alonso, Ed.D.
Chief Executive Officer

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Classroom Support Services
200 East North Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
(410) 396-8500 Fax: (410) 396-5804

February 4, 2008

Dear Parents,

The Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS) has been using a tool called Teacher Support System (TSS) for a number of years to share information among the staff and students throughout our system. Your students have access to some really great resources and tools on the TSS to help them as they engage in their learning activities. Until now, you have not been able to share in these resources with your own username.

Beginning Monday, February 4, 2008 you will be able to request a TSS username of your own. This username will allow you to view the courses in which your children are enrolled and share in the educational resources that are used in their classes. In addition, you will be able to use a feature called “Find-A-Teacher” to obtain the BCPSS e-mail address of your child’s teacher as well as the school administrators to provide a convenient means of communication.

To obtain a TSS parent username, you will need to go to http://www.bcpss.org and locate the “Request a Parent User Name” module on the front page of the site. This will require that you fill out some information about yourself and your children so that we can verify that the person submitting a request has a valid request and a legitimate reason for wanting to observe the classes of children in the BCPSS. You must provide a valid e-mail address so that the validation process can communicate to you with your TSS username or any questions that might arise. The validation process should take no more than 24 hours after your submission before a TSS username and password is provided to you via your e-mail address.

We look forward to many parents joining us as we continue to expand the value of the TSS to our entire school community.

Sincerely,

Teacher Support System Group (TSS)

At the risk of being slammed (again) I have a question for Interested & Engaged BCPSS Parent.

If this is communication for parents from BCPSS, why is it via a posting on a newspaper website? I get emails from BCPSS, why didn't this come from there? I get letters sent home via backpack delivery (3 times over for 3 kids). Why didn't this come that way? This letter is a comment to a blog post that has to do with allowing kids to take classes via the internet.

This isn't a problem for me (clearly I read the message), but I think you'll find the number of parents who read all the comments on InsideEd is fairly small. I'll ask again, please don't slam me and call me "self-absorbed and uninformed". That will not encourage me to sign up for a TSS account.

GREAT KIDS
GREAT SCHOOLS

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
200 E. NORTH AVENUE
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21202

NOVEMBER 24, 2008

CITY SCHOOLS TECHNOLOGY ALERT
TO: ALL CITY SCHOOL EMPLOYEES
FROM: MICHAEL PITROFF, CHIEF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
SUBJECT: TRAINING FOR PARENT PORTAL ON TSS

Beginning on January 12th 2009, the Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) Teacher Support System (TSS) will be offering Parent Portal approval process training for designated staff members. Two (2) staff members from each department will be trained in this new authorization/approval process for the Parent Portal. The training for this new process is minimal (1 hour) and will occur in two formats: face-to-face at the Professional Development Center (PDC) and by Bridgit (web conferencing tool).

The Parent Portal provides parents with access to TSS so they have the ability to observe student activities, grades, assignments, and resources as well as an entryway to contact teachers and administrators through the Find-A-Teacher module. The Parent Portal authorization/approval process will guarantee secure guardian/child verification.

Sign up early to be prepared to assist the parents who are seeking to help their children improve their educational experience through the new Parent Portal.

Request for Parent Portal approval process training by way of Bridgit web conferencing can be made by contacting the TSS Support @ 443-984-1550.

Information Technology Department
200 E. North Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
January 24, 2008
BCPSS Technology Alert
To: All BCPSS Employees
From: Michael Pitroff, Information Technology Officer

Subject: Parents now have access to BCPSS resources in TS3
General Overview:

Beginning on February 4, 2008, Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS)
parents and guardians will now have access to various educational resources and
activities in the Teacher Student Support System (TS3). In TS3, parents and guardians will obtain and utilize their own TS3 username and password to locate
teacher and school administrator e-mail addresses, identify courses taught by
teachers, find and enter their child’s courses as a parent observer, and access grades,
where available and selected educational resources.
What are the Parent Features in TS3?
Parents and guardians will use their TS3 username and password to log-on to TS3 and
then, they will see a Parent tab which provides them with access to two new parent
features designed just for their use. The first parent feature is the “Find a Teacher”
tool which allows parents and guardians to enter the name of their child’s teacher
into a search box. Then, they will see a list of the teacher’s courses, e-mail address,
and school name. The parents and guardians can use the same tool to locate the
e-mail address of a school administrator. Please, see the screenshot on the next page
of the Find a Teacher tool in TS3.

Find a Teacher tool:

The second parent feature is the “Observer Dashboard” tool which provides a link to
the courses in which their child is enrolled. By clicking this link to the courses in the
Observer Dashboard tool, the parents and guardians may observe the course and
view any learning objectives, assignments or activities provided by the teacher. This
information will help the parents and guardians to understand what is expected of
their child while providing guidance in how they can assist their child to strive for
learning excellence in school. Please, see the screenshot below of the Observer
Dashboard tool in TS3.

How will Parents obtain their TS3 username and password:?

To utilize the new parent features in TS3, parents and guardians must complete a
form that is located in TS3 which is accessible using the following website,
www.bcpss.org. This form will request basic information about the parent and their
child who is enrolled in the BCPSS. Parents and guardians are required to provide a
valid e-mail address on the form to enable us to send the TS3 username and
password to the parent or guardian. We will also verify the information submitted on
the form by the parent or guardian with the data which is currently stored in our
Student Information Management System (SASIxp) database. After this information
has been verified, an e-mail will be sent to the parent or guardian which provides the
TS3 username and password as well as step-by-step instructions on how to access the
new parent features in TS3. Please, see the screenshot below of the form which
parents will use to obtain their TS3 username and password.

Questions:
If you have any questions regarding this BCPSS technology alert, please contact the
Command Center by either calling (443) 984-2000 to press option 7 for technical
issues or sending an email to commandcenter@bcps.k12.md.us.