Perhaps, now the board will realize what the system has had to endure for the past year...sheer nonsense! The exit cannot even be graceful! It is time for a clean break and get on the path to recovery.

She's going to write a tell all book, and hope to sell that to replace the income she lost from not being able to sell AIM???

Good riddance, Barbara. You had your chance to use your voice. Now, no one wants to hear from you again because you've proven yourself a cheat and a liar. Your credibility is gone so anything you have to say is just talking into the wind. It's time to pack up and peddle your wares in some other town.

Perhaps Dr. D will reveal the 'secret' electronic message that Dr. H sent to confirm the implementation of AIM. And, just to clarify, AIM is not finished! Curricular offices are still being forced to spend their time entering assessments on AIM and will even be paid additional summer funds to continue to work on this 'product'. AIM is alive and kicking...and wasting taxpayers time and money!

Much of the "adult bullying" stopped as soon as Dezmon left office. And she may want to be careful and reconsider her tell all because now that she has no authority - no one is scared of her and I guarantee many can write about their own experiences with her.

Barbara Dezmon had her chance to speak up for her flawed AIM program at the same time that the brave BCPS teachers spoke up to the school board and to the Sun. The teachers who were to implement the program gave thoughtful, articulate, and accurate testimony to the problems with the cumbersome AIM program. Kudos to them for standing up and speaking out for teachers, students, and parents. Shame on Barbara Dezmon. The only "bullying" has been done by Barbara Dezmon to teachers, resource teachers, and supervisors whether pushing her flawed AIM program, the grammatically incorrect grammar program, or yelling profanities at the professional staff in ESS. Barbara Dezmon's "truth" will not set us free or straight.

Barbara Dezmon seems never to have considered that a large group of teachers who oppose her AIM program may actually have a valid point. That's because her method of interaction is bullying. She seems to suffer from a condition of academic megalomania. According to her AIM grammar program, Baltimore County students may no longer be taught that verbs have a future tense. Who is she to do away with a published standard English grammar rule??

Thanks to Liz Bowie for the outstanding investigative reporting on AIM and Dr. Barbara Dezmon. The "truth" that Barbara Dezmon believes that the "parents in the county deserve to know" was clearly stated in each article that Ms. Bowie wrote regarding this issue. Now, maybe Ms. Bowie can begin investigating some of the other injustices and money wasting practices in BCPS. 1. Assesstrax testing program -- large, expensive 200 question scantrons for 10 - 25 question assessments, Shortcycle assessments tests and scantrons that are 'optional' and shredded at the end of the year. 2. Large, expensive, heavy mandatory take home textbooks for every 6th grade social studies student. The curriculum references the text but the curriculum is not a textbook driven curriculum. Teachers were never asked for input into the feasibility of a take home text or the problem of storing so many texts in addition to other print and media equipment. 3. The printing each year of Multicultural guidebooks and directories for every BCPS teacher when an office and Library copy would suffice. These are just a few of the wasteful spending measures of the BCPS that should have tax payers calling for an investigation. Barbara Dezmon was just the tip of the profit pyramid in Baltimore County Public Schools.

We welcome the sanity and professionalism that Mary Carey will bring to BCPS. She may want to keep a close eye on two of Desmonds 'best buds': dr. Judy Smith and ms. Karwacki - double-trouble!

The sheer audacity of this individual is beyond the pale. Bullying? Seriously...who are the bullies in this situation? Since Joe Hairston gave complete control to this person, who bullied who? This outburst and continued disrespect should serve to enlighten a board which chose to close their eyes for the past year while their selected superintendent and his friend never looked beyond their own best interests to serve the children of Baltimore County. This is disgraceful! We can only pray that the board will face the truth about what they have allowed to happen on their watch. We must hope that this very sorry chapter in BCPS will close and people will pull together to make this a great system for our children. The truth should be known and it will not reflect kindly on the current administration of BCPS.

The travesty and tragedy of this whole thing is so far beyond the fact that she used BCPS resources and employees to create something from which she was planning to profit. It goes into how this was allowed to happen by the Superintendent and the Board of Education. All of the citizens of Baltimore County should be concerned that this was allowed to happen and was approved by an Ethics Panel. In my view, this was unethical from start to finish. If she had truths to reveal, then why didn't she? How sad for the students of BCPS... the real victims in all of this.

Barrbara Dezmon said she couldn't say anything while she was an employee of BCPS. Why not? Weren't the teachers who spoke in opposition employed by BCPS? Maybe if there had been a little more transparency and truthfulness from the top Barbara Dezmon would not have left in disgrace. Who really cares what she says now?

This is unbelievable! Dezmon was not bullied...she was the offender. Joe would not allow anyone to do anything other than what she demanded. She was rude and disrespectful at every turn. She placed her people to follow her every command (BCPS should not purge the buildings of those people because she will still be pulling the strings, if they remain where they are). Interestingly enough, at the last board meeting, the superintendent introduced his "council of teachers"...everyone handpicked by Dezmon to do her bidding on the "Linguistics" curriculum, which is a complete mess! She needs to really go and let BCPS get back to pursuing a vision of excellence. GO AWAY!

The citizens of Baltimore County, and the employees of BCPS owe Liz Bowie a debt of gratitude for continuing to report on the 'happenings on the hill'. Here is something she should look into (and I hope the new person in charge reads this!): apparently the state is busy rewriting a new curriculum based on the recently published Core Curriculum. In a briefing last week, they heavily discouraged counties from writing new curriculum at this time, as it will have to be rewritten. In addition, major textbook purchases should wait unitl the publishers catch up with the the new information. Why then, is BCPS continuing to spend a great deal of time and money over the summer in writing new curriculum? My school has to 'pilot' new Language Arts planners in the fall, but it will all have to change at the end of the year. As a teacher, I will have wasted more time attending meetings, giving feedback, etc. and it will all be wasted. We'll also be 'gifted' with a newly published scope and sequence - that will be obsolete by the end of the school year! I guess I'll 'file' that away along with my useless Little Brown Book. And my husband says that the same is occuring at the middle school level. Why can't these people learn? Egos really are bigger than budget deficits! Liz - can you get answers for us?

As a parent and taxpayer, I am very happy to see this person retire. I am very hopeful that the school system will recover an move forward. Those who allowed this person to cause such turmoil in the system should feel great shame for what they have done to the chidren of Baltimore County.

Enough name calling, mud slinging and low road tactics! Charges to update and change the curriculum and instruction go back many years. Face it, if the supervisory curriculum and instruction employees had done what was expected and aligned the curriculum to the state curriculum seven years ago, all this drama would not have occured.

Liz has not reported all the facts and her decision to filter facts leaves readers in the know discusted. Report all the facts and stop creating news. Liz you have a responsibilty to the public and publisher. Report all sides of a story. Tabloid reporting does not reflect your previous record . A disappointed long time Sun reader.

While I never had the sheer displeasure of attending one of Barbara's "meetings", I did witness first hand those above me who had. They would regularly return shaking in their shoes with tales of step-and-fetch-it, you'll-do-it-my-way-or-the-highway, I don't-care-what-makes-sense-I'm-in-charge form of leadership. Collaboration among top leaders of BCPS has been non-existent throughout her entire reign of terror.
Tell all? She had better hope that those of us who know the real stories don't ask for our three minutes at the microphone. Barbara, go away!

I want to thank Liz Bowie for the complete and accurate reporting regarding the turmoil in the BC school system. Articles previous to this school year reflected only photo opportunities that hailed the initiatives of the superintendent without any real investigations into the poor quality of leadership demonstrated by Joe Hairston and Barbara Dezmon. This duo really focused on what was best for them while allowing amazing leaders to be mistreated and pushed out so that Joe could elevate his friend, Barbara. This was not an appointment made in consideration of what was best for the community of Baltimore County and its children, rather, it took into consideration only how a handful of adults could improve their own lot. My heart is breaking for what happened in Baltimore County because of the real bully, Dezmon. I honestly don't know how these individuals lay their heads down at night knowing what they have done to a school system that was on the path to greatness. It is repulsive how these adults have twisted the truth, mistreated employees, depleted quality staff, behaved with questionable ethics, defied their own "blueprint" to accomplish personal goals, and have brought the system to a new low (all with approval of an impotent board). I pray with great hope that the new assistant brought on board will put a stop to the questionable ethics and pursuit of personal goals to do what is right for children. However, for this person to be able to turn things around...Barbara must really go. Apparently, her tirade before the board indicates that she intends to cause trouble as long as Joe and the board let her. END THIS NOW!

As would be expected, "Anonymous" is quite brave in spouting vitriolic attacks against someone whose only crime is her passion to serve children first. The self-centered, self-serving, hate mongers who spew their garbage onto these pages need to STOP. Attack ideas and products, not people.

Shame on all of you for attacks against your peers. The teachers you so callously discredit were not hand-picked members of the grammar writing team. They are dedicated, hard-working professionals who put the needs of children first. Stop your venomous attacks against them – you certainly would not want to be the recipient of this type of bullying and harassment, yet you bravely hide behind anonymity to attack anyone who does not conform to the narrow views you set forth!!

I understand the use of the anonymous tag when posting regarding BCPS because I have watched many gifted and quality people dedicated to serving the community and children suffer retribution and demeaning behavior of Ms. Dezmon with the full approval of the superintendent and the board. I have heard the rants peppered with profanity and bullying speeches. I have watched what has happened to this county and it makes me weep. And, "Concerned Teacher" I have been the recipient of this bullying and harassment at the hands of your friend. I am consumed with sadness and have felt the hopeless and helpless as I have watched my county school system fall...The most discouraging thing is that the hope that accompanied the retirement is diminishing because the individual simply won't stop. As to the grammar writing team...the product speaks for itself. It cost the county dearly, in dollars and sense!