More of the same in BCPS... the Hairston-Dezmon team sure have created a mess. The system needs new leadership now! AIM, American Reading Company, AssessTrax, Science Weekly, Little Brown Handbook...and so on and so on. The energizer bunny of lack of ethics and enabling the schemes of leadership keeps going and going. Will this board ever act responsibly? Mr. Kamenetz, should the elected board/hybrid bid fail, I certainly hope that you will think twice about reappointing any board member who has simply endorsed this behavior. The board needs to be purged as well as leadership in BCPS. It seems that the new board members have some courage. Hopefully, you will choose very carefully when the next round of appointments are made.

Can we really be surprised? Liz Bowie's articles and education bloggers have warned of these relationships for the last several years. I just can't believe that we continue to accept the excuses. The concerns are real and the board simply will not deal with them. This article really shines a light on a cut that could be made...the new publicity man hired to make Mr. Hairston look good would pay several teachers salaries. Let's cut there. Any "leftovers" from the Dezmon debacle-Let's cut there. Shame on the county for carrying on business as usual. It's not very pretty.

I am reminded that "where there is smoke, there is fire." We have seen a lot of smoke coming from Greenwood and a lot of "blowing smoke" with unacceptable excuses. There are some serious problems going on over there and I fear we have only begun to scratch the surface. AIM was only one of many, many examples of the influence of friendships on the running of the system and "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" philosophy of decision making and spending. If the board continues to cover up and allow what they must know is poor leadership to continue as it has been, then certainly elected officials must do something to support and act in the best interest of the citizens of Baltimore County. Quite truthfully, I am stunned by the ease with which the superintendent and board members accept lies, manipulate truth, omit pertinent information, to act in their own best interest. It is shameful! The saddest part is that it looks like we have at least another year and a half to even begin to hope. But then you don't have to have the title to continue the deceptions...just look at Ms. Dezmon's continuing influence.

Enough is enough. Dr Hairston has done well in leading a well respected public school system, but there are too many skeletons being discovered in his closet that is taking away from his effectiveness as a leader. It's time for a change. Give the man his gold watch and let's enter into a new era for BCPS.

well, this seems to just another deal where "certain" people get the right digs.
Wonder what the BCPS employees will think when the County dumps
Blue Cross Blue Shield as one of their choices for health care NEXT YEAR. Wonder if they told them yet.

Send the County Auditor after them. On second thought send Liz Bowie after them she has many more facts than the Auditor could ever uncover.

Just curious - does anyone know where the procurement department or the accounts payable department was while all of these transactions were taking place? Did they not pickup on this, or fearful of speaking up anticipating retaliation from the Dr.? Checks and balances - do they exist in the BCPS system?

It may be important to ascertain whether or not the superintendent sits on the governing boards or boards of companies such as AssessTrax or Dell. If so there is a conflict of interest.

Even if the superintendent is an expert in technology,the school board should follow it own procedures for purchasing.

I would not hold the business services arm of BCPS responsible since they serve at the pleasure of the superintendent.

Why did every teacher (elementary!) recieve a Little Brown Handbook?
Why have schools been forced to use (figure out how to use?) College Board materials (Joe's on a CB board)?
Why was every computer lab/business program lab computer (some brand new) replaced with Dells? Was there an RFP for the Dell purchase? Plenty of other computer companies can provide the same -- or better (Apple).
Stay on it, Liz! Good job. Bring him down and get a Pulitzer!

Why did every teacher (elementary!) recieve a Little Brown Handbook?
Why have schools been forced to use (figure out how to use?) College Board materials (Joe's on a CB board)?
Why was every computer lab/business program lab computer (some brand new) replaced with Dells? Was there an RFP for the Dell purchase? Plenty of other computer companies can provide the same -- or better (Apple).
ALSO, doesn't Hairston work for the school board, not the other way around?

Stay on it, Liz! Good job. Bring him down and get a Pulitzer!

Liz, the teachers in my school and the parents of children stuffed into our overcrowded neighborhood school are so grateful that someone is working to give the people the truth. I hope that you will continue to keep board members' and the superintendent's feet to the fire, so to speak. In this time of economic uncertainty, the foolish spending in Baltimore County is just appalling. Please look into the millions of dollars advanced to the American Reading Company. Where was the vetting? Where was the open bidding and competition for the best? Where was the observance of even the board's own policies when they rubber stamped these purchases? Could it be that another friend of the superintendent is an employee of this company and benefits from BCPS business? Which friend owns the company that publishes Science Weekly? Who made the decision to spend additional millions on resources purchased on the okay of a retired employee and from which the students share no benfits? Can we really afford to write off millions of dollars for construction because BCPS once again messed up? Why are we stuffing kids into classrooms with climate issues and poor conditioned facilities while we invest millions on a high-tech game board at Chesapeake which serves very few students? Why are employees of BCPS still taking directions from a retired employee? Please keep going...Balt. Co. can no longer indulge the ego of this man. We have paid dearly and seem destined to continue to do so. Again, thank you.

Every time we turn around, there is something new being turned up about the irresponsible and expensive purchases made by the BCPS leadership. (Thank you, LIZ for continuing to dig!!) As a taxpayer, I am almost getting calloused to each new finding. The shock factor has worn off. I am to the point that I EXPECT Hairston to make flippant excuses for his lack of good fiscal judgment and being a failure at being a good steward of Baltimore County money. I just saw him on Fox 45 News and it's the same ol', same ol' rhetoric. I figure the poor students and families of Baltimore County are stuck with Joe for another year and a half. He is a POOR EXAMPLE for our children, and so are the other money mangers of the taxpayers' funds. Shame on everyone who is allowing all of this to happen. There are some wonderful leaders in the system, and they just keep on getting shoved to the side if they do not go along with the politics. Our dedicated teachers and young students are the ones who will be suffering for all of these ridiculous spending sprees. Please let the teachers teach and students LEARN!! Best of luck to everyone as they face the next year and a half. We can only pray that the next Superintendent will not be a puppet to the people currently leading this system.

This is just the tip of the ice berg. Keep digging Liz! American Reading Company is a good place to look to find another no bid contract and ties to a former Board member with close ties to Dr. Dezmon and her crew. Million dollar contracts to American Reading Company. American Reading consultants who were also employed independently by Dr. Dezmon. Why were these contracts under Equity and Assurance when it's a reading program? Maybe because Dr. Dezmon was pulling all the strings and getting friends jobs. I think they are the Dezmonites!This is all so sad for our great county. Please Board, stop the bleeding and seek new leadership now.

My thanks to the Sun for exposing once again the unfair practices and unethical behavior of the superintendent and the board. Yes, the board because they have sat in silence and allowed these behaviors to go unchecked. Do they even try to find out what is really going on in this county or will they just continue to enable the arrogant leadership at the expense of students' best interest? It's great for Joe Hairston to pat himself on the back about the AP scores and heap praise on himself but will he also take credit for the .8 *that's point eight, not eight) percent of students at Woodlawn? It is sleight of hand...everytime the superintendent and the board are called out for their unacceptable behaviors, they say no, no, look at what we have done. The saddest thing is that what they have done over the last several years will take years to recover from and that can only begin when Mr. Hairston and his cronies are gone. It will be one long road to recovery from the likes of American Reading Company. I hope our students' achievement has been worth the millions of dollars thrown to the sales rep who happens also to be a friend of a retired employee and a board member, and a former school board president who also has business ties to the company. NO vetting of the products, no scientific-based research, skewed data, inferior product, no competition for the best, shady practices, representatives that support the product paid for by BCPS while teachers are looking at larger class sizes through attrition. But, oh we can pay these employees to represent a company? Has this ever been done for any other company? It is so sad to see what BCPS is becoming. Could you please look into what is going on? Financial sacrifices will need to be made. I am a teacher and I know that . I am far more distressed that decisions are made with consideration to personal relationsips and how adults can benefit financially rather than what is best for our children. You can help by keeping the pressure to force them into truthtelling and being accountable for their selfishness.

Thank you for reporting about this issue of great concern for any parent of a child attending Baltimore County Public Schools and any citizens concerned with how education dollars/ taxes are being spent. Enough of this guy. New superintendent and new board is quite in order. Oh and when his term is up...please, let Ms. Dezmon and her surrogates still working in the offices of BCPS go with him. She is STILL a partner with Mr. Hairston in running the sytem, and quite poorly!

Dr. Hairston saying, "I don't make procurement decisions" reminds me of Clinton saying, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

There were some pertinent facts missing in the article. What other companies could have met the specs? Some mentioned are sole service providers, much like local and state government indulge in some of the same type of sole source provider contracts .Surprised AVID is not mentioned, it provided over 9 million in scholarship money to graduates last year.