Liz Bowie had a story in today's paper about the 2009 High School Assessment results, which indicate that making the tests a graduation requirement hasn't presented as big of an obstacle to students as originally feared, according to data provided by state education officials.

This news has some folks wondering whether the bar is being set too low, particularly as state officials say only 11 students did not graduate solely because of the assessment requirement.

Liz will have another story in tomorrow's paper, taking a look at the future of the HSAs, and where we go from here. Stay tuned.  Also, you can check out the results on the state's Web site, which also has an updated state watch list for schools failing to make adequate yearly progress.

In the meantime...what do you think?  Do the HSAs set the bar too low?  What do you think about the small number affected by this requirement (the city, for example, reported no students kept from graduating only because of the HSAs - but did represent about 20 percent of the waivers given to seniors statewide)?

Posted by Arin Gencer at 7:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
Categories: Anne Arundel, Around the Region, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County, NCLB, Testing
        

Today the paper ran a story I wrote about Howard County's latest effort to thwart inappropriate attire for teachers.

"Expectations for Professional Attire" is a pamphlet that the school system gave to its teachers this year for the first time. From what I've been able to find, Howard County is the only school system in the area with something of this nature.

The expectations frown upon: garments that expose underwear; sheer clothes; torn, tattered or disheveled clothes; flip-flops; hats; clothing with obscene, vulgar or profane language or illustrations; clothing with sexual overtones; and shorts for employees who do not teach physical education.

The expectations also list as inappropriate visible tattoos that are provocative or obscene; and jewelry or any other objects that are connected to the nose, tongue, lip, eyebrow or other exposed body part that may be "deemed a safety issue," according to the pamphlet.

The school system folks say that these are not requirements, but simply recommendations. Something tells me otherwise.

So far there hasn't been an major resistence from the teachers. But, I'm sure there has to be at least one who is not doing back flips of joy.

What do you think? Is this going to far? Should teachers be allowed to wear what they want? Or do you agree with many of the new teachers I interviewed yesterday who believe that dressing in a professional manner earns them more respect from their students in the classroom.

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
Categories: Howard County
        

In my story today, I take a look at dropouts – and, more specifically, dropout prevention and intervention – the focus of a day-long summit at Randallstown High School yesterday.  Hundreds of state educators, believed to represent all 24 school systems, attended the event, said to be a first for Maryland.  It was sponsored by America’s Promise Alliance, an organization tied to former Secretary of State Colin Powell and his wife and current chair, Alma.

One of the noteworthy moments during the summit involved a theatrical performance put on by a troupe from Garrett County, who portrayed seven characters – six students and a parent – explaining why they chose to drop out.  The writer of the play, called The Goodbye Kids, explained to the audience that the concept emerged from more than 20 interviews she did with dropouts.  The characters were composites of what she gleaned from those talks, she said.

The characters, all students at “Run of the Mill High School,” ranged from a boy who bellowed about how much his teachers bored him to a girl whose family never set a high priority on finishing school to a poor student who was sick of being mocked for his appearance – and stench.  Other highlights included a student who’d always gotten by – until that one teacher noticed his inability to read – and the mother of another who had been regularly mocked for being gay.

Interestingly, the profiles foreshadowed a later presentation from Robert Balfanz, director of the Everyone Graduates Center at the Johns Hopkins University. 

Continue reading "Tackling school dropouts" »

Posted by Arin Gencer at 9:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Around the Nation, Around the Region, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County, NCLB
        

In my story today, I wrote about efforts to increase the number of males in schools.

For whatever reason, males have been noticeably absent from the school setting. Recently there have been initiatives to reverse that. The program that I found at one Howard County elementary school encourages fathers at the school to spend the day helping out teachers, and serving as an addition set of adult eyes in the hallways.

What do you think about increasing the number of males in the school? Is it necessary? What other creative ways might work to accomplish this?

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 4:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Around the Nation, Around the Region, Howard County, Parents, Trends
        

A slew of administrative promotions and transfers were announced and approved at Thursday night's school board meeting in Howard County. The changes are effective July 1.

The board approved the following administrative promotions:

--Molly Ketterer, from Assistant Principal at Longfellow ES to Principal at Swansfield ES

--David Adelman from Assistant Principal at Deep Run ES to Principal at Ilchester ES

--Vicky Sarro from Assistant Principal at St. John’s Lane ES to Principal at St. John’s Lane ES

--Carol Hahn from Assistant Principal at Manor Woods ES to Principal at West Friendship

--Laurel Marsh from Math Support Teacher at Swansfield ES to Assistant Principal at Longfellow ES

--Nancy Richardson from Leadership Intern at Bellows Spring ES to Assistant Principal at Manor Woods ES

--Anthony Esposito from Grade Three Team Leader at Longfellow ES to Assistant Principal at Elkridge ES

--Julie Moraz from Grade Two Team Leader at Rockburn ES to Assistant Principal at Deep Run ES

--Gina Stokes from Assistant Principal at Elkridge Landing MS to Principal at Elkridge Landing MS

--Melissa Shindel from Assistant Principal at Patuxent Valley MS to Principal at Clarksville MS

--Carol Ketterman from Special Education Teacher at Patapsco MS to Assistant Principal at Patapsco MS

--Josh Wasilewski from Health Teacher at Mayfield Woods MS to Assistant Principal at Patuxent Valley MS

--Lisa Smith from Leadership Intern at Dunloggin MS to Assistant Principal at Dunloggin MS

Deputy Superintendent Sandra Erickson announced the following administrative transfers:

--Debbie Jagoda from Principal at St. John’s Lane ES to Principal at Bushy Park ES

--Corita Oduyoye from Principal at West Friendship ES to Principal at Gorman Crossing ES

--Becky Straw from Principal at Bushy Park ES to Principal at Northfield ES

--Jonathan Davis from Principal at Swansfield ES to Principal at Bollman Bridge ES

--Cheryl Logan from Principal at Gorman Crossing ES to Assistant Principal at River Hill HS

--Connie Stahler from Assistant Principal at Waverly ES to Assistant Principal at Guilford ES

--Anne Swartz from Assistant Principal at Guilford ES to Assistant Principal at St. John’s Lane ES

--Denise Lancaster from Assistant Principal at Waterloo ES to Assistant Principal at Waverly ES

--Tom Saunders from Principal at Elkridge Landing MS to Principal at Wilde Lake MS

--Scott Conroy from Principal at Wilde Lake MS to Principal at Lime Kiln MS

--Sue Brown from Principal at Mayfield Woods MS to Principal at Harpers Choice MS

--JoAnn Hutchens from Principal at Clarksville MS to Principal at Mayfield Woods MS

--Lori Willoughby from Assistant Principal Dunloggin MS to Assistant Principal at Burleigh Manor MS

--Julie Rout from Assistant Principal at Folly Quarter MS to Assistant Principal at Elkridge Landing MS

--Tammy Goldeisen from Assistant Principal at Ellicott Mills MS to Assistant Principal at Folly Quarter MS

--Nancy Eisenhuth from Assistant Principal at Patapsco MS to Assistant Principal at Ellicott Mills MS

--Bill Neugebauer from Assistant Principal at Oakland Mills HS to Assistant Principal at Mount Hebron HS

--Dale Castro from Assistant Principal at Atholton HS to Assistant Principal at Oakland Mills HS

--Adrienne Nasir from Assistant Principal at River Hill HS to Assistant Principal at Atholton HS

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 3:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Howard County
        

My story today takes a look at a bullying policy coming before the Baltimore County school board Tuesday.

But really, this could have been about any school board in Maryland, considering the state law that requires every district to develop and adopt such a policy.  School officials in the city, Howard, Harford, Anne Arundel and Carroll counties are in the midst of this process, which must be completed by July 1 (and submitted to the state superintendent).

In talking to some of my sources, I was struck by the fact that most everyone already has a policy like this - even if it's not in the exact words or format recommended by the state.  In fact, the state Department of Education worked with local districts in creating its model policy. 

A uniform stance on an issue can certainly be a good thing - particularly when it comes to the persistent, even timeless, problem of bullying.  But I did wonder what people on the ground think about this.  Will it make a difference in how educators handle harassment or intimidation among their students?

Posted by Arin Gencer at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Anne Arundel, Around the Region, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County, School Safety (Or Lack Thereof)
        

There’s an interesting op-ed in today’s paper praising Maryland for its Farm-to-School program. The program aims to put fresh, local food in school cafeterias and to teach kids more about where that food comes from. The op-ed considers the concept a win for everyone – students, farmers, local communities and the environment.

This focus on healthy eating is another facet of an ongoing conversation on childhood obesity and ensuring students are eating well during the school day. Even as they turn healthier, schools throughout the nation are simultaneously trying not to loose their young clientele by sacrificing taste. My colleague John-John Williams recently wrote about such efforts in a story about a Howard County contest allowing students to propose recipes for the cafeteria menu.

Posted by Arin Gencer at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Around the Nation, Around the Region, Howard County
        

Over in Howard County, a 61-year-old high school band director was arrested today and charged with sexually abusing a 17-year-old girl over two years. For all the problems in city schools, these teacher/student relationship scandals seem to surface far more often in the suburbs. Three teachers in Howard were arrested in the 2006-2007 school year for inappropriate relationships with students. I don't remember the last time a case like that was brought to light in Baltimore. I'm not saying there haven't been any, but if there have in recent years, they've been kept quiet.

Posted by Sara Neufeld at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Howard County, School Safety (Or Lack Thereof)
        

More than a week after the general election, the Howard County Board of Elections has announced the top three vote-getters in the race for the Howard County school board. The winners are current members Janet Siddiqui and Ellen Flynn Giles and newcomer Allen Dyer.

Siddiqui, a pediatrician from Clarksville who was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board last year, led all candidates with 62,126 votes. Giles, the board’s current vice chairman, received 57,266 votes. Dyer, an attorney from Ellicott City who ran unsuccessfully for the board in 2006, received 54,148 votes.

Diane Butler, a community activist from Ellicott City who claimed that Dyer hurt her chances when he distributed campaign literature that was taken out of context and distributed without her permission, placed fourth with 53,459. Retiree Betsy Grater was in fifth place with 34,686 votes. University of Maryland student Di Zou finished sixth with 22,406 votes.

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 4:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Howard County
        

Just in case you haven't been following the happenings in Howard County education, there is a pretty interesting school board race in which one candidate says dirty campaigning could cost her a seat.   

The winners will not be official until tomorrow, as election officials say they need to finish counting 4,500 absentee ballots. During the week-and-a-half wait for the outcome, Diane Butler spoke out.  

Butler, who finished fourth in the contest for three seats, said campaign literature distributed by third-place finisher Allen Dyer was distributed without her permission and had taken out of context her reply to a question on creationism. Butler was trailing Dyer by about 1,000 votes. Read more here. (Current board members Janet Siddiqui and Ellen Flynn Giles are comfortably in first and second places. The top three candidates will serve on the board.)

"I'm not a creationism-teaching, right-wing, voucher-slinging, home-schooling mom," said Butler. She objected to the way the literature portrayed her views:

Continue reading "Reply on 'Intelligent Design' figures in school board drama " »

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 5:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

Sometimes a parent sees a need and decides to try to make a difference at a school.  Larry Walker tried to do that at Mt. Hebron High School in Howard County. You can read about it in a story I wrote that appeared yesterday.

Educators do a lot of talking about getting more parents involved in their childrens' schools, but rarely do they do much to improve improve participation. In some cases, schools aren't very welcoming. The Maryland State Department of Education and Comcast are trying to promote more involvement with an award given annually  to a parent who has had a real impact on students in a school. Larry Walker was the first winner. Beginning Nov. 19 they will be asking people to nominate a parent they believe has made a significant contribution to a public school.

Posted by Liz Bowie at 6:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Around the Region, Howard County
        

In my story today about freak dancing, I explore the latest dancing guidelines established at Centennial High School, which were crafted in response to a back-to-school dance that got out of control.

My colleagues Nicole Fuller, Arin Gencer, David Kohn and Sara Neufeld were able to give me the policies that each of the school systems they cover follows:

Continue reading "Freak dancing rules" »

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Around the Region, Howard County, Trends
        

Parents will have the opportunity Thursday to hear Brad Sachs, a Columbia-based psychologist, give a presentation about students learning to handle responsibility independently. The event, "Whose Homework is it Anyway? Promoting Academic Self-Reliance During the Teen Years," starts at 7 p.m. at Long Reach High School. Sachs' presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer period.

HC DrugFree, a nonprofit organization based in Howard County, is sponsoring the event, which is free and open to the public. "This workshop will help parents understand the hidden reasons why many teens struggle with homework and classwork," says Laura Smit, head of HC DrugFree.

Last year, bad weather thwarted the chance for parents to learn how to avoid overstepping boundaries, which can impede their child's academic self-reliance. Sachs says an increasing number of parents are hindering their children's academic growth when they attempt to "help" motivate them. This can manifest itself in the form of parents who place inordinate pressure on their children and parents who help complete their children's assignments.

If you're going, Long Reach is located at 6101 Old Dobbin Lane in Columbia.

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 6:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

Yesterday, after an hourlong discussion where Raymond Simon, deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Education, met with 19 of Maryland's high-ranking educators and fielded their questions and concerns about the No Child Left Behind Act, several superintendents were left dissatisfied.

While some said they were pleased with the opportunity to dialogue about some of the problems associated with the act, they also said that they were not pleased with some of Simon's responses.

During the discussion, the educators spoke about the shortage of qualified teachers, financial hardships caused by trying to meet the act's goals, and the challenge of closing the achievement gap for foreign-born students and special education students.

Sydney L. Cousin, superintendent of Howard County Schools, asked Simon about providing more testing flexibility for foreign-born students who are learning English.

Cousin explained that research shows that it takes five to seven years for foreign-born students to become fluent enough to take tests in English, yet No Child Left Behind gives them a one-year waiver before applying their test scores as part of a local school's achievement.

Simon launched into a spiel about holding accountable students who have grown up in this country.

Anne Arundel's Superintendent Dr. Kevin Maxwell immediately clarified that Cousin was talking about immigrant students.

“That is an issue that many of us are grappling with,” Maxwell said.

Simon responded that the one-year waiver was the result of a compromise between the federal government, local school systems, and advocates for foreign-born students. He also said that some schools have been able to offer assessment tests in the student’s native language. (Most of the superintendents appeared to be unaware of this option.)

Maxwell later said that Simon did not address the issue.

“I was a little disappointed by the response,” he said.

Cousin also wasn’t pleased with the response, but he said he did not have high expectations for the discussion.

"Given the limited amount of time, there really wasn't an opportunity to go into depth," Cousin said. "I don't know if that was the right forum."

Cousin was impressed by the fact that Simon wanted to meet with local superintendents.

"At least they said they want to hear what we have to say," Cousin said. "The follow-up is the critical question."

If you had the opportunity to talk to Simon about No Child Left Behind, what would you say? One reader e-mailed this morning and said he would have questioned Simon about the achievement gap among African-American students.

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Around the Region, Howard County, NCLB
        

They hover. And many teachers say that they harass, and disrupt the learning process in the process. Helicopter parents are landing at a school near you!

My article today looks at the overbearing actions of parents in schools.

Take Howard County as an example. For the past two years, 60 percent of the teachers responding to a job satisfaction survey conducted by the Howard County Education Association reported that they have been subjected to harassment. Last year's survey specifically identified parents as the offenders in 60 percent of the cases. This year's survey will report similar results, according to Ann DeLacy, the HCEA president.

Through my research I talked to educators from school systems throughout the state who recalled numerous examples of over-zealous parents who made their lives miserable.

What do you think? Have you witnessed parents who overstep the boundaries and interfere with the learning process? Are you a teacher who has been harassed by a parent? Please share your experiences. Or, are you a helicopter parent?

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: Around the Nation, Howard County, Parents, Teaching, Trends
        

Who knew that the story I wrote about TB would be so popular?

The Associated Press picked it up. A newspaper in Delaware linked to it. I’m not even going to talk about the T.V. reporters.

My colleague Dennis O’Brien also did a blog post – with a neat graphic -- about it.

Here are the nuts and bolts of the story: Howard County health officials are investigating whether the county's first tuberculosis case this year, diagnosed in a student, spread the bacterial illness to staff members or other students at Hammond High School in Columbia.

The students and staff members at the Columbia school were told of the diagnosis Monday. The county Health Department sent letters Saturday to 50 students who ride the bus with the student, warning them that they might have been exposed and encouraging them to get tested.

Health officials learned about the infected student four weeks ago.

No one – other than the student – has contracted the disease, according to health officials. 

Do you think that the health department and school officials should have notified students and parents about the student immediately? Do you think they waited too long?

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Need a last-minute biographical sketch about the candidates in the Howard County Board of Education primary? Then check out their comments in this election preview I recently wrote.

The election features a mix of familiar faces – two current board members are trying to extend their stint on the board – and a few new names. Check out this tidbit about how race is playing a factor in this school board primary.

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 3:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County
        

For all those students American students who missed the memo from Mama that warned against playing with food, these examples should thwart any future thoughts of food fights.

Seven Wisconsin high school students, ages 17 and 18, are facing fines and four-day suspensions after being involved in a food fight in their cafeteria last month.

In Howard County, a high school principal made news when he offered students a $30 reward for any information about students involved in a food fight in December. Read more here.

While researching the phenomenon, I found a slew of YouTube videos with cafeteria food fights. I also came across this theory that suggests that the popularity of YouTube has contributed to a growth in food fights. Apparently students are trying to one-up one another by starting food fights and then posting the mayhem on the site.

What is going on with all these food fights? Are these just isolated incidents, or are food fights a major problem in U.S. schools?

When I was growing up food fights were almost a rite of passage. I didn’t participate in these childish antics. (Not that I was a goody-goody. I was a fat kid who wouldn’t dream of throwing away his lunch.)

While I can recall dodging french fries and chicken nuggets, I can’t remember students facing court-imposed fines, or principals offering monetary rewards for information leading to the lunch launchers.

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Around the Nation, Howard County, School Safety (Or Lack Thereof), Trends
        

I’ve spent most of the week in court covering the trial of Joseph Samuel Ellis, a 25-year-old former Glenelg High School history teacher accused of having inappropriate sexual contact with several female students. Read more about the outcome of that case here.

Turns out this week has served as a primer for what’s coming up in March, when I will likely cover the trial of Alan Meade Beier.

Beier, for those of you who are not familiar with the case, is a former River Hill teacher accused of having inappropriate sexual contact with students.

All three cases against Beier will take place in Howard County Circuit Court on March 26. Originally one of the cases was scheduled for February 12, but a motion on December 20, 2007, postponed that case, which allowed all three cases to go to trial at the same time.

Beier, 52, a former chemistry and physics, was arrested on January 12, 2007. He is accused of undressing and photographing a 16-year-old boy in his classroom and with fondling a 17-year-old female student. A third student also reported inappropriate contact with Beier.

Beier is the third and final Howard County teacher arrested during a two-month period during the 2006-2007 school year to appear in Circuit Court for allegations of having inappropriate sexual contact with students.

Kirsten Ann Kinley, 28, a former teacher at Marriotts Ridge High School, pleaded guilty in August to having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy while she was a teacher at Hammond Middle School in late 2004 and early 2005. The boy was not a student at Hammond Middle. Kinley was sentenced to serve 18 months at the county detention center in November.

Do you think that there are enough safeguards in place to prevent situations like these? Do you think these incidents are isolated or do they represent a growing problem? Before you comment, check out some of these stories here, here, here, and here.

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 3:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Around the Nation, Howard County, School Safety (Or Lack Thereof)
        

I came back from a long vacation to some devastating news.

Natalie Wise Woodson, the education chair for the Maryland chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and a retired Baltimore City principal, died Tuesday after a near two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 79.

She was a great advocate for children and was a proponent for closing the achievement gap long before No Child Left Behind mandates. She will be missed.

Mrs. Woodson came from a long line of educators.

At one point during her employment as a principal in Baltimore City, five of her cousins were also principals; four more worked as teachers.

"We were all instilled with the importance of education," she said in an interview I had with her for a profile I wrote about her in June. Mrs. Woodson was also featured on this blog’s Educator Spotlight June 26.

Mrs. Woodson was instrumental in leading several initiatives to help improve student achievement for African-American students.

In 1990 she launched Education Advocates for African Americans, an advocacy organization in which members accompanied African-American parents in Howard County to teacher conferences and meetings about individual education plans. She also worked with the Black Student Achievement Program, another Howard County school system initiative.

In 2000, Mrs. Woodson completed the first NAACP Education Report Card, a comprehensive look at attendance, graduation rate, drop-out rate, suspensions and assessment scores for African-
American students.

I saw Mrs. Woodson just before I went on vacation in December. She was at a Howard County school board meeting talking to board members about improving student achievement.

A viewing will be held Sunday from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. at Vaughn C. Greene Funeral Home, 4101 Edmondson Avenue at Wildwood Parkway in Baltimore.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Celebration Church, 6080 Foreland Garth, in Columbia.

In lieu of flowers, the Mrs. Woodson’s family requests that contributions be made to:
Natalie W. Woodson Scholarship Fund
c/o Mrs. JoAnn Branche
P.O. Box 8621
Elkridge, MD 21075 

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Around the Region, Baltimore City, Howard County
        

Thinking about bringing food or beverages to a sporting event at a Howard County high school? Forget about it!

The school system has just announced that outside food and beverages will be banned at all county athletic venues including gymnasiums and stadiums. The effort is part of the school system’s attempts to thwart alcohol consumption and to keep their facilities clean.

The food and beverage ban in gymnasiums takes effect immediately. The stadiums ban takes effect when the spring sports season begins on March 1, 2008.

Read more about it in The Sun’s online edition.

What are your thoughts about the ban?

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 4:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Howard County, School Safety (Or Lack Thereof), Trends
        

In the debate over the high school assessments, Howard County parent Sara Seifter asked a question that got lost in the shuffle of wider issues. She wanted to know why some highly able students she knows haven't scored in the stratosphere on these exams. She said these are kids who have aced their AP exams, get high scores on the SATs but don't score much above 490 out of 650 on these exams. Mind you, that is still about 100 points above passing. But she still wanted to know from the Maryland state school board why they weren't getting the maximum 650 or close to it. In her testimony to the state board she asked, "How is it that these students who are receiving 800s on their SATs are not receiving at or near a perfect score on the HSAs which are supposedly tests of basic skills?"

I asked Leslie Wilson, who's in charge of testing for the state board of education, to answer this question. She said there are some perfect scorers, but not many. Last year, of the roughly 55,000 students who took the test, 39 students had a perfect 650, the top score. Another 50 students scored in the 550 range or up.

Wilson says that the high school tests aren't designed like the SATs to measure high achievement or very low achievement. They are designed to concentrate on whether students pass or not...That is the English translation of the complexity of scoring.

Seifter would like the state to use a national test with a proved track record that students can look at and see where their weaknesses are.

Posted by Liz Bowie at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Around the Region, Howard County, Testing
        

Life got your teen stressed, depressed?

Tonight HC DrugFree, a Howard County nonprofit organization, is sponsoring a free program for parents and teens that will address the factors that can lead to stress, depression and substance abuse in teens.

Dr. David Gold, a counselor with Crossroads Psychological Associates in Columbia, will share tips about how to spot signs of teen depression.

Organizers of the program promise plenty of time for parents and teens to converse about their experiences.

If you are interested in going, the 90-minute program starts at 7 p.m. at Atholton High School, 6520 Freetown Rd., Columbia, MD 21044.

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 1:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

With pressures mounting from religious groups and parents, more schools are abandoning traditional Halloween parties.

Child obesity and wellness policies have also altered the traditional menus of candy corn, and cupcakes. Now, you’re more likely to catch a kid snacking on carrot sticks with reduced fat ranch dressing.

Take Running Brook Elementary School in Columbia for example. Tomorrow I’m heading to the school for their annual vocabulary parade. The school asks students to dress up as vocabulary words. If a student picks the word “rain”, he or she will dress as a rain drop.

The parade will be followed by a party featuring healthy snacks.

This definitely isn’t your mama’s Halloween party!

What are your schools doing this Halloween? Are schools going to far to curb the Halloween tradition?

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 7:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Here are some kids who are definitely smarter than I am:

Gabriella Biondo, George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology, Towson

Sarah Kamel, Centennial High School, Ellicott City

David Lai, Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, Baltimore

Phillip Sandborn, Wilde Lake High School, Columbia

Liv Johannessen, Governor Thomas Johnson High School, Frederick

Paul Kominers and Damjan Korac, Walt Whitman High School, Bethesda

Andrew Kung, Benjamin Lee, Boris Vassilev and Yang Yang, Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring

These 11 students are Maryland's semifinalists in the Siemens Competition, a national science research competition administered by the College Board. They are among 295 semifinalists from 34 states, selected from a pool of 1,641 applicants. Another 95 kids nationwide -- including Benjamin Lu and Louis Wasserman from Montgomery Blair -- earned the even greater distinction as regional finalists. They'll compete to go on to the nationals, where they can earn up to $100,000 in scholarship money.

As evidence of how smart these kids are, check out this descrption of David Lai's project from a press release sent out by the Ingenuity Project, the program at Poly for kids gifted in math and science:

"Mr. Lai’s project, entitled 'Characterization of Genomic Instability in SGS1 Mutants,' is a part of the research on a cell’s ability to efficiently repair damaged DNA. Genes like SGS1 are important for the proper repair of DNA breaks in human cells. Mutations in homologs of SGS1 produce genomic instability syndromes, symptoms of which include premature aging and a predisposition to cancer. In the research, the SGS1 mutant yeast was used as a model for human cells. The results show that this approach can be used to give insight into the dynamics of certain specific cancer pathways."

Anybody care to explain what a homolog of SGS1 is?

Posted by Sara Neufeld at 6:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Around the Region, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County
        

Today’s installment features Kimberly A. Statham, the former chief academic officer for Howard County Schools who resigned following allegations of a grade changing scandal involving her daughter.

Statham, 49, has resurfaced as deputy superintendent of teaching and learning for the Office of the State Superintendent of Education for the District of Columbia.

Statham's career as Howard County's chief academic officer ended after allegations that she intimidated school staff members at Centennial High School to obtain preferential treatment for her daughter, who was a student there. She resigned in 2004 and eventually was exonerated by the Howard County Board of Education. Statham was a consultant for the Howard County school system the next year.

During that period, Statham, who is African-American, was the victim of an apparent hate crime when someone used a chemical to burn a cross into the front lawn of her Ellicott City home.

Deborah A. Gist, state superintendent of education for the District of Columbia, said she was aware of the events that preceded Statham’s departure from Howard County.

 “We discussed it really briefly,” Gist said. “It seems clear that it was an unfortunate situation, and that Kimberly had done the right thing, and that she did not do anything that would concern me at all.”

Prior to her return to the Beltway, Statham had been working in the Oakland (Calif.) Unified School District. In fact, Statham was working as the interim chief executive officer for the 41,000-student system, when she resigned. She held that position for the final five-months of her 28-month stint.

Statham was instrumental in advancing the performance of Oakland's public school students, according to officials there.

She is credited with requiring all students to take the PSATs. In addition, officials say that the number of Oakland students accepted to the California state college system nearly doubled.

For more, check out today’s article.

Statham, who has never made herself available for an interview with me on numerous occasions during the past two years, was surprisingly not available for comment for today's story.

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Tomorrow as part of our “Where are they now?” feature, I will update you on the latest accomplishment of a former top-ranking Howard County Schools official who left Maryland shortly after a controversy erupted at a high school.

Turns out this educator has returned to the Beltway. Read about it online tomorrow. Comment about it on the blog after.

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 4:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The AP is reporting that American teachers commit an abusive sexual act at a rate of nearly three times for every school day. Wow!

A seven-month investigation reveals that there were more than 2,500 cases during a five-year-period where educators were disciplined for sexual misconduct.

Of the 2,570 educators, young people were the victims in at least 1,801 of the cases. More than 80 percent of those were students.

This is a subject that I have dealt with extensively in Howard County. During a two-month-period last school year, I reported that three Howard County teachers were arrested for having inappropriate sexual contact with students. Their cases are currently making their way through the judiciary system.

There were also a slew of cases in the counties surrounding Baltimore.

What safeguards do schools need to take to ensure that abusive teachers are kept out of the classrooms?

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Around the Nation, Howard County, School Safety (Or Lack Thereof)
        

What are you’re thoughts about my story today that delves into digital dirt being used against people?

Were you surprised by the digital dirt that exists in the education community?

Are educators held to an unfair standard? Are employers over reaching in their efforts to monitor the actions of employees outside of the workplace?

I’ll be responding to any comments you have about this story throughout the day.

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 5:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Howard County, Trends
        

I informed you about the recent slew of staph outbreaks last week. Here’s an update. A 17-year-old Virginia high school student died after being hospitalized with the infection last week. As a result, officials shut down 21 schools for cleaning to keep the illness from spreading. Read more in this article.

Last week, Ruma reported that four local high schools - Severna Park, Glen Burnie, Old Mill and Chesapeake - had received reports of 28 staphylococcus infections over the past three weeks.

On Friday, Wilde Lake High School in Columbia informed parents that one student had been infected with the staph. The school shared the following safety tips to protect against the infection:

1. Keep your hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

2. Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.

3. Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or bandages.

4. Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors.

5. Use a barrier between your skin and shared equipment.

5:20 p.m. UPDATE: Read this article about a disturbing CDC report. One official believes that deaths tied to the drug-resistant staph "superbug" could exceed those caused by AIDS.

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Today the paper ran a story I wrote about two 11-year-old Howard County boys whom alleged that they were shot by pellets on their way to school last week.

Police now say that the two lied.

At this point police do not know what prompted the two to fabricate the incidents. In addition, no charges have been filed against either youth.

What kind of punishment – if any -- do these two deserve?

The police department used a helicopter and its K-9 units to search for the suspect that the two boys lied about. In addition, the accusations caused a panic in the area. One school held indoor recess. Many said that the incidents reminded them of the sniper attacks of October 2002.

Should the two have to pay the police department for the time and resources spent on these false claims? You decide.

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Howard County, School Safety (Or Lack Thereof)
        

I am on my way to cover the Howard County school board approval of the 2009 fiscal capital budget. One of the hottest ticket items this year is a renovation plan at Mount Hebron High School in Ellicott City.

Read this story for a brief recap of what's going on at the school.

What is your definition of bad school conditions? Parents, students, and staff at Mount Hebron High School think that their school is in desperate need of repair and attention.

Mount Hebron is among Howard County’s oldest.

Top-ranking school system officials have favored a renovation project at the school that includes mechanical upgrades, full systemic renovations and an expansion of the school's art, athletic and administrative offices.

Many parents at the school want the renovation project to correct a slew of deficiencies, which is in excess of 20, and would essentially require a replacement school.

Advocates have made the conditions sound like the school is a step down from Beirut.

Watch the YouTube video below, which was produced by students at the school. Judge for yourself.
In 2004 students made a video about the school. As a result, the school was featured on a morning television news show. The school later received a renovated auditorium.

Should the squeaky wheel get the oil? Are there other schools that do not get the resources they need because their parents, students, and staff are not as vocal and skilled in the arts of effective communications? You decide.

Do you know of schools with worse conditions that you would think are in more need of attention? Do you think that the conditions documented at Mount Hebron High warrant immediate attention?

In the coming weeks we will solicit input from you about unfavorable facility conditions in Maryland public schools. Believe me, this is an award that schools do not want to receive.

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 2:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Howard County
        

Educator Spotlight

Natalie Woodson

Education chair for the Maryland chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People  

 
The 79-year-old Columbia resident has been an advocate for African-American children for more than four decades.

Woodson worked in the Baltimore City Schools for 28 years as a teacher and administrator.
After her retirement in 1988, she continued to volunteer in the Cherry Hill community, where she served as principal at Patapsco Elementary School for 11 years.

In 1990 she launched Education Advocates for African Americans, an advocacy organization in which members accompanied African-American parents in Howard County to teacher conferences and meetings about individual education plans.

She  currently works with the Black Student Achievement Program, a Howard County school system initiative. She is also an active member of the Black Student Achievement Council of Elders, an organization of African-American senior citizens who volunteer and work as mentors for African-American students. 

In 2000, Woodson completed the first NAACP Education Report Card, a comprehensive look at attendance, graduation rate, drop-out rate, suspensions and assessment scores for African-American students. The three-month preparation process requires Woodson to collect hard copies of school system data - she doesn't trust the accuracy of computerized data - and analyze the information by hand. She then grades school systems using the data.

This year Woodson completed the laborious report card task despite receiving chemotherapy for an inoperable tumor that doctors discovered in September. 
 
For more information about Woodson, read a profile about her in Sunday’s Ideas section of the Sun.
 
Below are comments about Woodson from former colleagues. 
 
Loretta Wainwright, a retired Patapsco Elementary School teacher who worked with Woodson for 15 years, said: “With her, the children are number one. With them being primary, she possesses the power of nice. She considers staff and faculty and involves them in decision making. She makes everybody feel important. She’s just dynamic. She runs so many different programs. She keeps things going. She doesn’t let anything get stagnant. She’s just wonderful. The children and the teachers all respect and love her. I’ve been in the education field more than 30 years and she’s the most dynamic principal I’ve ever had.”  

Martha Dailey, a retired Patapsco Elementary School teacher who worked with Woodson for 10 years, said: “She was very, very strong and persistent with what she did with parents, staff, and the children. She was knowledgeable about every grade in that school. Nothing was too good for her to do when it came down to demonstrating what needed to be done. She did not mind subbing in the classroom when there was not a teacher or a substitute.”

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)
Categories: Howard County
        

Good day readers,

It’s prom season and schools are encouraging parents not to throw after-prom parties where alcohol is served. Check out my story about what Howard County principals are doing.

Is this a major issue in your school system? Should parents be allowed to serve alcohol to their children in the "safety" of their own homes? What do you think?

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Howard County