I would not expect that the superintendent would be forthcoming in his responses. He is most certainly a "master of spin." It is much easier to spin tails when you can do so in private. I am not surprised that the superintendent would make a private meeting a condition for answering questions that the public (that pays his salary) is not privy to. Perhaps the legislators could ask how many contracts (under $25,000 so as not to make them public) have been made with friends of the superintendent. Perhaps they could ask about the continued participation and pressure exerted by the retired employee and "owner" of AIM on the school system. I am sure that the superintendent will explain that Renee Foose's salary combines that of Mr. Haines and Ms. Dezmon. Do we really need to replace the destructive force that was (and apparently still is) Ms. Dezmon? Please could they just ask him to retire and leave the county to clean up the mess he will leave? What a shame that Mr. Hairston surrounded himself with people who made him look pompous and ineffective.

Teaching children takes place in classrooms, not in offices in Greenwood or Timonium. How many are really necessary? How many have duplicate jobs? Has Baltimore County even thought about a buy out as they did about 23 years ago? Allowing teachers with 20 to 29 years of service with the county to have the same board contribution to health care as those with 30 years when they retire, would cause many, many more teachers to retire while still retaining many seasoned teachers. Sixty more teachers who would retire with this buy out would save the county over two million dollars a year if new teachers were highered to replace them. encourage a buy out and you will see a lot more teachers leaving and more money saved to help the kids. After all, the children are what this is all about, isn't???

How about doing away with any unnecessary consultant contracts below the radar? The pockets of money in chunks $25,000 that the superintentdent does not need to take before the board and make public? And, isn't it a shame that so much was spent to support Ms. Dezmon's initiatives when the money could have been spent to keep teachers in the classrooms? And, isn't it a shame that money continues to flow to businessess that do not need to compete because they have "connections?" Isn't it a shame for so many reasons...yet, the superintendent and board feel no shame.