Howard County has many wonderful attributes that enrich life in our community. One of the greatest of these attributes is ethnic and cultural diversity. There are few places in the US where you will find such a wealth of diverse races, religions, and cultures. From an...
In my last post, I discussed the necessity for keeping Howard County Public School students safe during crises and exceptional situations—through security enhancements, emergency procedure drills, stricter check-in guidelines, and improved mental-health resources....
Here in Howard County, we are lucky to have many dedicated, competent teachers in our public schools. However, the education of our students should not simply be left up to luck. If programs for attracting and retaining quality teachers are going to be effective, they...
Gauging Trends and Utilizing the Strengths of Our Community In some ways, Howard County is like school districts all over the world: We constantly walk the line between the quality of our educational programs and the health of our budget. Our students need many things...
A few months ago, I addressed the issue of inequity in Howard County Public Schools. Another inequity exists that deserves a closer look: the one experienced by our special education students. Granted, Howard County offers many superior services to these students....
Do students in Howard County Public Schools have too much homework? It’s an intriguing question. Moreover, it’s an important one, as any answer to it will also reveal what best helps student achieve success. To answer it, we have to go back and ask ourselves why we...
Shooting at Great Mills High School on Tuesday (March 20th, 2018) frightened all of us. It is a too-close-to-home example of the terrifying incidents that have stolen the lives of precious young people around the country. More and more parents and students are...
The challenge of addressing inequity in the classroom has been with us for decades, ever since the historic Brown vs. Board Supreme Court decision in 1954, which began the process of equal educational rights for all. But equality is not the same as equity. Students of...
In a previous post, I advocated for a commitment to equity in Howard County Public Schools so that all students have access to the best resources and highest quality of instruction, whether they live in affluent or less-privileged neighborhoods. Sadly, our universal...
Charter schools have always been contentious and still confuse many people. I believe Howard County School Board candidates should be clear about their understanding of charter schools and state their positions. I’m happy to start. Let me state this as firmly as I...
What is the value of a good meal? None of us like to miss breakfast, or have a late dinner because of our hectic schedules. It’s just not healthy, physically or mentally. But what about lunch? Specifically, what about school lunch? We are extremely fortunate in Howard...
It was two years ago in February that the HCPSS administration formed a community-based Committee for Diversity and Inclusion to recommend ways to integrate the many cultural voices of our community into the curriculum, workforce, and professional learning standards...
Mobile technology can enhance learning and every student deserves access. It represents educational opportunities previous generations could not have imagined, and we should continue to find the best ways to integrate its power into our classrooms. We are now almost...
Howard County Board of Education’s inability to find a solution just made things worse After much principled hand-wringing at the December 19, 2017 meeting, the Howard County Board of Education voted 6-1 to keep current school start times, and rescinded their motion...
Do our valuable teachers and priceless students spend too much classroom time on standardized tests? Is it time well-spent? The answers might surprise you. To orient you to the impact of standardized tests on our local classroom, a typical 8th grader in Howard County...
Imagine this: You are six years old and it’s your first day of school. Your parents wave goodbye as you get on the bus. You are excited, thinking of all the new things in store, all the friends you’ll make. At first, everything seems great! But then you go to your...
