More fun in sun urged for schoolchildren

By Matthew Cella

The Washington Times

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Listen up, Maryland public schools — state Comptroller Peter V.R. Franchot has a bone to pick with you.

Mr. Franchot, a Democrat, kicked off a campaign last week urging schools not to start their academic years until after Labor Day in order to help increase revenue for some of the state’s popular tourist spots.

At a Board of Public Works meeting, the outspoken comptroller lamented how school districts in recent years have asked students and teachers to report earlier. The start of school has been pushed up from around Labor Day to a full one or two weeks before the first Monday in September.

Schoolchildren may not have been thrilled with this development, but Mr. Franchot said the biggest losers might be business owners in tourist-heavy areas such as Ocean City, Baltimore's Inner Harbor or Western Maryland’s Deep Creek Lake whose busy seasons seem to get shorter every year.

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Fifth-graders move up a year early under proposal

Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News


OAKLAND — In addition to calling for the closing of several elementary schools, the Garrett County Board of Education’s five-year plan outlines the reconfiguration of fifth-grade students into middle schools. The reconfiguration is being considered because of reduced space, staff and “related arts,” according to Sue Waggoner, interim superintendent of schools.
“The reconfiguration will provide the maximum effective use of staff and space while providing students optimum educational programing,” said Waggoner. “The reconfiguration will afford fifth-graders the opportunity to participate in foreign language, tech education classes and allow them to experience more than they have at the elementary school.”
A presentation on the reconfiguration will be held Tuesday at 8 p.m. at Southern Middle School. After the presentation, the board will take public comment followed by possible action on the recommendation.
Rebecca Gordon, a Finzel resident whose child is a fourth-grader at Route 40 Elementary, attended the Jan. 10 board meeting and questioned if the board had done any research on how the reconfiguration would impact the fifth graders academically and behaviorally. Gordon said that she wasn’t provided with an answer.
Fifth- and sixth-graders would be on a separate lunch schedule from the other grade levels, so there would be no interaction with the older students, explained Waggoner. They would also have pods to separate them from the rest of the grade levels.
Gordon noted that studies done by Harvard, Duke and Johns Hopkins universities indicate that students fare better if they are left in a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade setting.
In her research, Gordon did come across a study where the reconfiguration was completely successful, but she noted that at this school the fifth-graders were in a different building than the rest of the middle-schoolers.
“We just don’t have the resources to do that,” said Gordon, noting that it would be impossible to separate the students completely while they are in the same building.
Gordon suggests that elementary schools remain open as kindergarten through eighth grade.
Many parents who attended the January board meeting were concerned about bullying, according to Gordon.
“There is bullying going on now in the middle school. In fifth grade, kids still have SpongeBob lunch boxes and they are going to go to the middle school and get made fun of,” said Gordon.
Other concerns of Gordon’s include the lunch schedule and the fact that fifth-graders are going to be riding the bus with eighth-graders.
“I’m also concerned with the fact that there is no recess, especially with obesity rates climbing,” said Gordon.
The fifth-graders will be eating lunch at 10:50 a.m. with no snack, according to Gordon. In her child’s case, that means an extra hour wait to eat because of the hour-long bus ride from school to home.
“This will mean bigger class sizes, loss of jobs and a lot of disruption to our kids,” states a petition started by Elizabeth Hebden to stop the closing of Dennett Road Elementary.
“I feel it is unreasonable to send fifth-graders to the middle school, they will miss out on experiences of being the fifth-graders,” wrote Michelle Riggleman on the online petition.
Gordon also opposes the Dennett Road Elementary closing.
“I understand that Kitzmiller and Friendsville schools need to close because the numbers are just not there. But the numbers for the Dennett school are there,” said Gordon.
Hebden, an Oakland resident, started a petition on Change.Org to keep the school open and she opposes the reconfiguration. With 511 signatures so far, the petition appeals to the board, county commissioners, Gov. Martin O’Malley, the state Senate and House of Delegates, Delegate Wendell Beitzel and Sen. George Edwards to keep the school from closing.
Gordon is encouraging everyone to attend Tuesday’s meeting.
“I’m asking that every parent, grandparent, aunt and uncle please attend this meeting. It’s affecting our children’s future,” said Gordon, who plans on speaking at the meeting. “I want my children to have a voice.” 
For more information on the petition, visit the website http://www.change.org/petitions/the-governor-of-md-keep-dennett-road-elementary-school-open-and-pk-5.

Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.

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Intel Foundation Lists Crellin Elem. Among Nation's Most Innovative

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by Kyle Lantz

Crellin Elementary School is set to receive a $10,000 grant and $100,000 in donated equipment and professional resources from the Intel Foundation. This award comes after Crellin Elementary joined just six other schools from across the country to be named as one of the 2011 Intel Schools of Distinction.

Through this award, the Intel Corporation, which partners with sponsoring companies to distribute around $1 million in grants and awards each year, recognizes schools for the implementation of innovative math and science programs.

Crellin was chosen along with 17 other finalists to attend Intel's award ceremony last week (Sept. 20) in Washington, D.C., where winners were announced. Representing Garrett County at the ceremony were school system administrators and Crellin Elementary teachers, including the school's principal, Dr. Dana McCauley.

"It was really a humbling experience and a privilege to be able to join the other finalists in D.C.," McCauley stated. "We met with so many excellent educators and were inspired by all of their stories."

After a visit to Capitol Hill and a Tuesday-night gala event, Crellin Elementary was honored for its "extraordinary commitment to educational excellence and innovation," winning for its performance in mathematics.

"Improving math and science education is one of the critical issues we see facing the United States if it is to compete effectively in a global economy," says Wendy Hawkins, executive director of the Intel Foundation.

"It is encouraging to see examples of such excellence from across the country. These schools launch their students on a path to lifelong learning with programs that are rich, exciting and demanding."

The Intel Foundation chose its winners based on its criteria of extraordinary commitment to instituting 21st century teaching and learning environments, as well as the implementation of innovative programs that inspire students to excel in the areas of math and science.

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Support what works for our state’s schools

To the Editor:
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Tue Jun 07, 2011, 09:22 PM EDT

— I recently returned from another leg in my education listening tour of Maryland, hosting my fourth and fifth roundtables in Allegany and Garrett counties to talk to educators and parents about what is working and what isn’t in the way the federal government works with rural schools.

I’ve always said the best ideas come from the people. And when it comes to education, one size doesn’t fit all.

Maryland’s schools are No. 1 in the country. But, as Congress gets ready to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), I’m listening to superintendents, principals, teachers and parents from all over Maryland so I can take their ideas back to Washington and make our schools even better.

As a senior member of the Senate’s committee on education and the chair of the Subcommittee on Children and Families, I am fighting on behalf of Maryland’s children, parents, teachers and administrators to make sure the ESEA reauthorization encourages meaningful community engagement, high expectations for students, and rigorous and fair accountability for schools.

I started my education tour in Easton in March, where I met with the superintendents of nine counties to hear about the challenges they face as rural administrators. Then, after a stop in Baltimore to see wrap-around services at work, I met with teachers and parents at a Charles County Judy Center to hear about community schools and the integration of early-childhood services into elementary education.

Most recently, I sat down with educators, students and parents at the Allegany Career and Technology Center in Allegany County and heard about the unique needs of the county’s school system. I also visited the award-winning Garrett Engineering and Robotics Society (GEARS) to hear about how Garrett County is preparing its students for careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

At all of my roundtables, we talked about how the current legislation works, how it hurts and how it must be reformed. I want to make sure the ESEA I reauthorize is helping schools improve student outcomes, not creating a barrier to success.

What I’ve heard time and time again is that rural school districts are more likely to have trouble recruiting teachers and have limited numbers of staff in their district offices compared to urban districts – making it more difficult for them to meet ESEA requirements or compete for grants. Yet, our rural schools are doing a great job of educating students.

I’ve also heard that teachers and administrators want to be held accountable – but they want to be held accountable for student progress, not for meeting an arbitrary benchmark. Superintendents want the resources to provide quality professional development for teachers and principals. Rural schools are also facing challenges in competing for federal grant funding.

Students and teachers in our rural communities need flexibility and funding they can count on, not more unfunded federal mandates. I will continue to fight in the U.S. Senate to make sure all children — including those in our rural communities — have the tools they need to succeed.

U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md.

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School board reviews feasibility study for construction projects

Officials name Outdoor School after Fred Sloan
Matthew Bieniek
Cumberland Times-News The Cumberland Times-News Thu Nov 11, 2010, 07:48 AM EST

— CUMBERLAND — It will be two or three years before any of the three school building projects being considered by the Allegany County Board of Education actually are ready for shovels and perhaps bulldozers, according to Vince Montana, the school system’s director of facilities.

At a board meeting Tuesday night, members heard an update from Montana on the first stage of any school building project in the state, a feasibility study. Schools being considered for repair or replacement are Allegany High School (estimated cost $45.6 million) and Braddock and Washington middle schools (estimated at $28 million each). The study is required by state law for plans to build a school or demolish part of the existing school.

The board is requesting proposals from companies interested in preparing the feasibility study. After that study is completed, the board can begin working with the state on funding for the projects. Once a contract is awarded, current timetables call for the study to be completed in May 2011, school officials said. The board has already committed to retaining two high schools and two middle schools in Cumberland, Montana said.

The study will contain information and recommendations to help school officials develop a capital improvement plan for the schools, said Mia Perlozzo Cross, public relations specialist for the school system.

“The evaluation of this study will measure the condition of the buildings based on current standards, regulations and how well the facility supports the educational program,” said Montana.

Proposals for the study are due at the Board of Education by Dec. 15. The proposals will then be evaluated by a committee appointed by Superintendent David Cox. The school board will consider the committee’s report and make a final contract award for the study, Cross said.

In other action, the board voted to honor C. Frederick Sloan by renaming the Allegany County Outdoor School Program after him. Sloan died in December after a long illness. Sloan began a career with the school system in 1971 and served as a teacher, vice principal, principal and elected school board member.

“Dr. Sloan wanted every child to be able to experience the beauty and wonder of the outdoors, and all that our students could learn from nature. I am very happy that we are able to honor and remember Fred this way,” said board president Karen Treber.

Allegany County’s outdoor school program was reinstated three years ago after a more than 20-year hiatus due to a lack of funding, and Sloan was instrumental in bringing this residential outdoor school back, school officials said. The program allows all fifth-graders to attend camp at the Western Maryland 4-H Center, located in central Garrett County.

Two elementary schools at a time attend the camp in one-week sessions. The 4-H camp staff members are responsible for teaching classes, and regular classroom teachers in attendance assist with lessons, all of which are created to align with the state curriculum standards. The program is free to students and parent volunteers, school officials said.

Contact Matthew Bieniek at mbieniek@times-news.com

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State business and education leaders to create new tool for teachers

By Liz Bowie, The Baltimore Sun

9:24 p.m. EST, November 10, 2010

Second-year chemistry teacher Mark Wilcox has never had a lot of colleagues at Patterson High School who could help him think up lesson plans or new approaches to a topic.

But he has imagined the benefits of reaching across the city and state to those who might have created a better way to teach a chemistry concept.

State education officials and business leaders put Wilcox and 29 other teachers in a room and asked them to dream up an online network that would help them be better teachers. The result will be STEMnet Teachers Hub, an initiative announced Wednesday, the same day a major new report revealed that the U.S. ranks 31st out of 56 countries in the percentage of high school graduates who have advanced math skills.

Read the rest here.

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Be on the lookout for kids returning to schools

Cumberland Times-News

— Students will be returning to area schools within the next few days, so motorists will need to be on the lookout for them.

This will be particularly true during the morning and afternoon hours, and to be aware of increasing traffic congestion in and around schools and the neighborhoods in which they are located.

Tomorrow will be the first day for students in Mineral County, W.Va. Hampshire County, W.Va., students will return to schools on Aug. 23. Allegany County schools start Aug. 24, and Garrett County begins the new year on Aug. 25.

Just as drivers are urged to be alert, parents should tell their children about some safety tips as they head back to school. Children are unpredictable and not always mindful of traffic safety.

AAA says parents should tell their children to always obey crossing guards, look both ways each time they cross the street, use crosswalks and corners to cross the roads even when cars are not around, not to run or rush, and to remember that motorists can’t always see them.

They also need to know that they are no match for cars, which are are bigger and faster than they are,

For their part, motorists should slow down and obey the speed limits, particularly in school zones and residential neighborhoods, and be prepared to stop quickly for school buses.

The law forbids motorists from driving around stopped school buses, something that has proved fatal for children in our area.

Drivers also should avoid unnecessary distractions. It’s already illegal to text while driving in Maryland, and it soon will be illegal to talk on cell phones.

If possible, drivers also should modify their routes to avoid school zones altogether.

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98 Md. high schools ranked in U.S. survey

State's percentage is highest on magazine's top-1,600 high school list
By Liz Bowie, The Baltimore Sun

Maryland claimed 98 spots on Newsweek's annual list of top high schools in the country, and no other state had a higher percentage of its schools make the list.

More than half of the state's 185 high schools were considered good enough to be ranked, according to state schools Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick.

The rating system, developed by Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews, includes an index that measures the number of graduates who take challenging Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes and exams. Because Maryland has been placing a priority on training teachers and getting students to take the exams for the past decade, public schools tend to do well on this ranking system.

Only 6 percent, or 1,600, of the 27,000 high schools in the country make the list.

Read the rest here.

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Snow (ice) Day! No school in Garrett County :)

POSTED AT Jan 22 05:22AM

Garrett County Public Schools will be closed on Friday, January 22, 2010.

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Maryland Public Schools Once Again Rank Best In The Nation

Jan. 14, 2010

The Maryland public school system remains firmly at the head of the class, according to an independent national report being released today.
Education Week, the nation's leading education newspaper, looked at data in six critical categories over the past two years, and once again placed Maryland's state education system at the very top of national rankings.

Maryland placed at the top of the list in Education Week's annual "Quality Counts" tally, with the nation’s only B+ average. New York and Massachusetts followed closely with B grades. The majority of states received grades of C or less, according to the report.

"We have chosen as a people to invest in our public schools – in the future of our State – even when times are tough," said Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. "Today, Education Week, for the second straight year, has certified that Maryland has built the number-one public school system in America. Even during these difficult economic times, we've continued to fully fund efforts to build new, state-of-the-art classrooms, integrate curriculum across all grade levels, and hire and retain the nation’s best educators. Now, for yet another year, Education Week has affirmed the importance of protecting these shared priorities."

Maryland's 2010 ranking is based on state education policies and student performance that reflect nearly two decades of work on a preK-12 curriculum; state accountability and standards; teacher effectiveness; and work on school readiness, high school reform, and preparation for college and the workplace.

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