See Forbes magazine article "Best and Worst School Districts for the Buck." Of 98 large school districts, Baltimore County was in the bottom 10%.

Article:

http://www.forbes.com/2007/07/05/schools-taxes-education-biz-beltway_cz_cs_0705schools.html

Rankings:

http://www.forbes.com/2007/07/05/schools-taxes-education-biz-beltway_cz_cs_0705schools_2.html

$214,000 for yet another administrator while they hurriedly excess classroom teachers? This is just further proof that when they claim that teachers are the backbone of the system, they don't really mean it. As a veteran BCPS teacher, I used to be proud to say that I was a part of this once-great system. Now, I'm proud to say that I'm retiring and leaving this mess. What has happened to Baltimore County Public Schools over the last ten years is shameful. I wish I could say that getting rid of the current administration would improve matters, but digging out from this kind of turmoil will take many years because it's deep.

Thank you, Liz Bowie. I feel incredibly sad that not only do these people earn this amount of money while teachers and families of Baltimore County scramble...they keep the "subjects" in line through tyranny! Not only are salaries an issue...what about the millions of dollars advanced to his friends outside the system for purchase of their consulting or materials? Please look into that. The people of Baltimore County deserve better. When will the politicians pronounce "enough!" and protect the families of Baltimore County?

Interesting. Baltimore County has the highest paid superintendent. (Do the schools reflect the value?) I do wonder what Ms. Foose does/will be doing to earn a higher paycheck than the superintendents in 17 jurisdictions.

I wonder if the listing in the Forbes Magazine was Baltimore County or was it Baltinore City as most cities are part of a county, but Baltimore City is not a part of Baltimore County so there may be an error in the Forbes listing and it may not be Baltimore County. Pleae post an answer.

I just don't understand how this continues and no one stops this insanity. I am glad that the lawmakers have written a letter, but this is not enough. Baltimore County Council, decisions are made based on who is a friend of the superintendent or his retired friend. The Blueprint for Progress that Mr. Hairston boasts about so proudly is just paper. Kids do not come first at all! This administration is fiscally irresponsible, choosing to spend money fattening his friends and their projects rather than make the best choices for kids. Shame on the superintendent and those who use their relationship with him to further their own pursuits. Follow the money to personal relationships...AND, please get rid of any board member that has presided over and supported the steady decline of what was an exemplary system. Come June, I expect the County Executive and Governor to do the right thing and place a appoint a NEW board member that will act with honor and in support of what is best for the students in Baltimore County. Enough is enough!!!! This taxpayer and parent has had enough!

How can the school board have any control over the school system when the superintendent runs the school board? Shouldn't there be a rule against Hairston beng allowed to be President and Secretary who sets agendas for the board meetings? Since he doesn't recognize his impropriety or the need for checks and balances, then rules need to be written to eliminate such arrogant moves.

As a former central office employee, I can attest to the fact that before the teachers are cut, they should definitely look at cuts to the Central Office and the first stop should be the HR Department.
In times when they are laying off teachers, why do they need nine personnel officers (as listed on the BCPS HR page of the website), most of whom make six figure salaries? These are the people who HIRE teachers. If they are not hiring teachers, why not start cutting there first? Cutting just half of those positions would reduce the budget by a half million dollars right there.

Also, each departmental area has a coordinator and a supervisor -- a #1 and #2 in the county to oversee the varioius departments, such as math, science, foreign language, English, social studies, and all of the vocational areas. They are also making the same types of salaries. Slash them in half and you have at least another half million, if not more.

Each one of these people has an individual secretary. Some have very large support staffs.

Those folks who work on the hill at Greenwood or at one of the other Central Office locations worry first about protecting their own. If cuts need to be made at the school level, that does not impact them.
They still have their jobs, and their luncheons, and their parties, and their paid travel expenses.

I hope that they look very closely at all of the departments. This is many years overdue.

Haven't the families of Baltimore County had enough? What I fail to understand is why a man who began his leadership in Baltimore County with leading the system forward would forsake those values to do what a small number of self-serving adults required of him. Sadly, the effects of this crony leadership will end with Hairston retiring and the system with a big mess. The money will have already been spent to advance "friends'" financial endeavors and personal causes, useless materials costing millions of dollars will collect dust yet prevent the system from purchasing anything worthwhile because the money has already been spent, and there will be noone to clean up the mess because he has seen to it that those people have left the system. Was is worth being at the beck and call of a few selfish adults? Mr. Hairston, they cost you a legacy with a great reputation for the cause of education. They cost the county's children much more. Was it worth it? How very, very sad.

Joan Frances asked: "I wonder if the listing in the Forbes Magazine was Baltimore County or was it Baltinore City".

A: I wondered the same thing. So I looked at the numbers they list for "Baltimore", e.g. graduation rate of 84.8%. My conclusion is that Forbes was looking at the county, not the city.

What else does the Board of Education need "Doc" Hairston to do before they request Dr. Grasmick to terminate him? He is getting paid a ridiculous amount of money and now negotiating contracts that are ridiculously high. He even put in for raises for these people in the FY12 budget. Yet, the Board approves these things. They constantly come to his support, but don't they see these are bad decisions. It was also a bad decision that Reese refused to share the salary with the Sun. Reese is a friend of Dezmon so it's not surprising that it's all to protect the emperor without his clothes. The teachers and students are the real victims and we need someone to come and get BCPS out of this mess. Maybe the Attorney General or state prosecuter can help? The corruption in BCPS makes Sheila Hixon's gift cards look like chump change.