Good Things 8/25/05

     For those of you who may not have heard, St. Mary's County Public Schools have a new motto from their new Superintendent, “Work Hard and Be Nice.”  

     There are many onlookers who are hoping that the motto will change the culture of the school system.  After Margaret Palko was denied personal leave in violation of the contract between EASMC and the St. Mary's County Board of Education, it became obvious that Dr. Edward Weiland and Dr. Lorraine Fulton, and the Board of Education may not have a real understanding of the “Be Nice” part of the motto.  Weiland and Fulton supported Principal Barbara Abell in her denial of Mrs. Palko's leave, thus depriving St. Mary's of two very experienced and capable teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Palko.  The Board of Education watched saying that they could do nothing.  However, at least one Board member was heard to say that the Board did not need to do anything because EASMC would lose the arbitration.  One assumes this to be the opinion of the Board's attorney Ed O'Meally.  If so, gosh!  He was wrong.  Again.  We taxpayers pay for this advice.

     Further, the old value of providing special favors for certain people seems to be rolling along.  Dr. Martirano may be able to fix that problem, but he will need to act now.  Having relatives be hired over more experienced teachers ought not to be in conformance with the “Be Nice” part of his motto.  

--There is some good news about our schools --

     Some of it lies in what is not happening in our schools.  For example,

     1) we do not have any school which falls in the State's “persistently dangerous” category

2) unlike Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Dorchester, Harford, Kent, Montgomery, Prince Georges, and Wicomico Counties, St. Mary's does not have any high schools “in improvement (i.”

Some of the good news is in what has stopped happening.  Maryland designates the schools which do not achieve their Annual Measurable Objectives (test score goals) as “in improvement

     1) Greenview Knolls Elementary School is no longer “in improvement.”

     Some of the good news is in what continues to happen.

     1) Our test scores remain higher than the Maryland average.

     2) Most of our Title I schools are not in improvement.

--There is some other news about our schools--

     \

     1) Spring Ridge Middle and Carver Elementary Schools are “in improvement.”

2) Many groups have test scores which are lower than last year.  (To be fair, this is a  Maryland wide phenomenon.)

3) Despite recommendations from last year's Diversity Forums that the school system hire more African American teachers, only 3 of the approximately 150 new teachers are African American.  Word is circulating that during new teacher orientation Dr. Weiland was busy “making nice” with almost every new teacher except the African Americans.  

     Parents who want more information about their child's school can go to this web site address:  http://www.mdreportcard.org/menu.aspx?WDATA=Local+School+System&K=18AAAA

and chose their school.