Friday, February 10, 2012
Proposal to unify school schedules, tweak content offerings passes on a 5-3 vote.
After weeks of controversy, the Howard County Board of Education on Thursday voted 5-3 to pass a proposed middle school program that eliminates formal reading clases in favor of project-based modules for some students and seminars and intervention programs for others. Three years of required reading instruction will be reduced to just two quarters of instruction by way of the board's decision. The Feb. 9 meeting began amid a side dispute in which one member asked to be allowed to participate electronically, sparking a heated exchange. Brian Meshkin, who participated in the meeting by phone from California, changed his opposing vote of two weeks ago to one of support, joining board Chair Sandy French, Vice Chair Frank Aquinio and members …
Saturday, January 14, 2012
The school board will decide by the end of January whether to move ahead with the plan.
Educators, parents and students have made known their feelings about a Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) plan to cut middle school reading classes, and the Board of Education will make a final decision in less than two weeks. At a public hearing on Thursday, nearly 30 citizens spoke out against a proposal that calls for the addition of physical education instruction time, the addition of world languages to the sixth-grade curriculum and the elimination of standalone reading classes. According to Paul Lemle, president of the Howard County Education Association (HCEA), at least 65 HCEA members attended to support those who signed up to speak at the Jan. 12 hearing. Lemle said his organization, which represents HCPSS teachers and …
Sunday, November 13, 2011
The responsibility of teaching reading strategies would fall to teachers in other content areas.
Reading teachers in Howard County middle schools are being told they won't be teaching formal reading classes next year—a proposal that has sparked controversy among teacher advocates who are worried that basic education building blocks could be abandoned. The proposal, crafted by a county school system committee, recommends the elimination of reading classes. Reading teachers would then be reassigned in different capacities in other classes, which would absorb reading responsibilities, said Howard County school board member Brian Meshkin. The Howard County Education Association, a professional association who membership consists of staff at Howard County's public schools, is among those concerned. On Nov. 8, it unanimously passed a …
Karen Reilly Munter
7:33 am on Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Another reason I am elated our kids are attending Catholic School. more ›