[RP TownTalk] Fwd: Your Action Needed to Stop Baker’s Actions to Takeover the School System

Tue Mar 19 12:18:12 UTC 2013

The real question is "What is the right solution?" Dwight has eloquently
written about many of the factors that contribute to a good solution.

Is giving our county executive the right thing?

Let's say I like Rushern Baker and think he will do a good job. Great!

But what if Jack Johnson was elected to be our next county executive. Do I
want a convicted criminal hiring and firing my school superintendent and
determining its budget?

No. I don't.

This discussion needs to be thoughtful - and all angles need to be
considered. A quick reaction is more likely to lead to a solution that
doesn't serve us well over the long term.

-Sarah

On Tue, Mar 19, 2013 at 7:35 AM, Bruce Wernek <bruce.wernek at verizon.net>wrote:

>
> Lets review the proficiency rates in the PG county schools instead.  They
> are shown below the bold numbers in following the link.
>
>
> http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/maryland/districts/prince-georges-county-public-schools
>
>
>
> On 03/19/13, Sarah Wayland<sarah.wayland at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> From our school board member. Her perspective on the Baker proposal.
>
> -Sarah
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Peggy Higgins <peggy.higgins at pgcps.org>
> Date: Tue, Mar 19, 2013 at 6:28 AM
> Subject: Your Action Needed to Stop Baker’s Actions to Takeover the School
> System
> To: Peggy Higgins <peggy.higgins at pgcps.org>
>
>
> *Notice to My Community*
>
> * *
>
> *Your Action Needed to Stop Baker’s Harmful Legislation to *
>
> *Takeover the School System*
>
>
>
>                                                             Peggy Higgins,
> LCSW-C
>
>                                                             Prince
> George’s County Board Member, District 2
>
>
>
>
>
> Saturday, March 16, *suddenly and without discussion or notice* and
> immediately after the Prince George’s County School Board announced final
> details regarding its inclusive process of community input for the
> superintendent search, County Executive Rushern Baker suddenly announced
> his proposed takeover of the school system. *Mr. Baker’s proposal*, made
> just three weeks before the end of the legislative session, *requires
> action by either the full House or the Senate by Monday at 8 pm.  The
> suddenness of this proposal is structured to prohibit debate and
> reflection. *
>
>
>
> *Mr. Baker’s radical legislation eliminates the legal authority of the
> School Board* to select the superintendent, increases unelected
> membership of the School Board, and has the superintendent serving on
> Baker’s Executive Cabinet and reporting directly to the County Executive.
> Further it eliminates the School Board’s authority in the school budget
> process that is now then reviewed and adopted by the County Executive and
> County Council.  *The Board/Superintendent’s role will be reversed with
> the Board serving in an advisory capacity to the Superintendent.  Baker’s
> bill gives Superintendent sole authority to determine salaries of
> principals, teachers, staff, eliminating labor negotiations as well as
> Superintendent authority to authorize contracts. *
>
>
>
> The legislation does all of this, while continuing to hold the School
> Board responsible for academic achievement.  Mr. Baker equates his proposal
> as similar to the District of Columbia’s, which is recognized as having
> been unsuccessful.
>
>
>
> *Mr. Baker’s radical legislation is being made in the middle of the
> school year, in the middle of the superintendent search, without regard to
> the impact on this vulnerable time of transition for the school system and
> without regard for public deliberation and input.  *
>
>
>
> *So why would Mr. Baker do such a thing?   He says his decision is based
> on his sense of urgency about the school system and the slow pace of change
> that is occurring in student achievement.*
>
>
>
> A WJLA Internet article reports “A takeover of the Prince George's County
> School system's operational arm will lead to the more rapid enactment of
> academic reforms throughout the system, Prince George's County Executive
> Rushern Baker says…
>
>
>
> "This would afford the school board the ability to focus on academic
> improvements, preaching transparency, accountability and the coordination
> of our operation," Baker said.
>
>
>
> Under his plan, the school's academic policy would still fall under the
> school board's realm; however, the operational portion of the system would
> be overseen by Baker and the Prince George's County Council...  "By us
> being able to align the operations structure into the executive branch and
> allowing the school board to focus on academic improvement and reform, we
> will be able to move the system forward quicker."…
>
>
>
> For full article
>
>
> http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/03/rushern-baker-seeking-more-school-control-86340.html#ixzz2NyK3u1Ra
>
>
>
> Essentially Mr. Baker is taking over the school system’s financial
> affairs, having the Superintendent report to him and reversing the
> authority line between the Superintendent and the School Board.  But he
> leaves the responsibility for academic achievement, the issue he is raising
> that he is concerned about in the hands of the School Board.
>
> * *
>
> *Given Mr. Baker’s drastic actions* and declared sense of urgency, *one
> would conclude that he has been actively engaged with the School Board
> about the business of education since his term of office began December 2010
> *.    *As the District 2 School Board member in Prince George’s County, I
> can tell you categorically he has not.*  At *no time* in the past year
> and three months has Mr. Baker offered any opinion to the Board in either
> in writing or verbally of any pending Board decisions or actions taken. *
> NONE.* *In the past year and three months, he has met with the Board on
> only three occasions* that I can recall, and I may be overstating that.
>
>
>
> *If there was any merit to this plan, it would have been presented in a
> manner that would allow thoughtful dialogue by legislators and the community
> *.  That clearly is not happening. I believe these actions to be
> irresponsible and the upheaval created by this sudden initiative to be
> dramatically harmful to our community and the education of our students,
> especially if this plan becomes law.
>
>
>
> If you believe it too,  your action is needed *NOW.*  There is no time.
> Mr. Baker and his team are *now *working the legislators very, very hard
> to get them to sign onto the bill, sight unseen and they have met with some
> success.  That is partly because their is quickly becoming little regard
> for the truth.
>
> *
> *
>
> *The first critical timeline is to stop this bill from passing through
> either the House or Senate before Monday at 8 pm.*  If we are successful
> in preventing that, this will stop the bill. I encourage all to contact
> IMMEDIATELY your state senator and delegates and tell them that you are
> opposed to this takeover.  I also encourage you to contact other Prince
> George's County citizens regarding this issue.  It is OK to disseminate
> this email and/or put it on any listserves of which you may be members
>
>
> If you wish to fact check statements being made, have any questions or
> comments or want help getting information about how to contact your
> legislators, please contact me at peggy.higgins at pgcps.org.
>
>
>
> Yours in service
>
> Peggy Higgins
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Peggy Higgins, LCSW-C
> Board of Education, District 2
> Prince George's County, MD
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> TownTalk mailing list
> To post to the list, send mail to TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
> TownTalk-request at riverdale-park.org is for automated subscription
> processing only
> http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk
>
> For more information about Riverdale Park, visit
> http://www.riverdaleparkmd.info
>
> _______________________________________________
> TownTalk mailing list
> To post to the list, send mail to TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
> TownTalk-request at riverdale-park.org is for automated subscription
> processing only
> http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk
>
> For more information about Riverdale Park, visit
> http://www.riverdaleparkmd.info
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://riverdale-park.org/pipermail/towntalk/attachments/20130319/fb03a9ab/attachment.html>