Pr. George's County Board of Education fires 2 high-level staffers

Thursday - 9/27/2012, 10:43pm ET

 

 

Recently fired Roger Thomas (in the center) and Matthew Stanski (far right)

WASHINGTON - The Prince George's County Board of Education called an emergency meeting Thursday afternoon and, hours later, two high-level staffers were gone.

Sources tell WTOP two Prince Georges' County School System staffers were fired: Matthew Stanski, the Chief Financial Officer, and Roger Thomas, Chief Legal Counsel were terminated. One source says as the Board of Education members filed in to the central offices in Upper Marlboro for their emergency meeting, Stanski, carrying boxes, was on his way out.  The same sources say the firings came after Board members learned Stanski and Thomas arranged for a six-figure check to be issued to Synthia Shilling, the school system's former Human Resources Officer.

Shilling resigned in August. At the time, she faced charges of leaving the scene of an accident.Shilling had been with the school system since 2006.

Attempts to reach both Stanski and Thomas were unsuccessful. By 3:30 pm the school email accounts for both men had been disabled.  The school board declined to offer any details on the firings, citing that it was a personnel matter.

Briant Coleman, spokesman for the Prince George's County School system, sent the following statement to WTOP:

Last week, an allegation was brought to the attention of the Board of Education and the interim Superintendent that specific Board directives issued in July and again in August regarding severance packages for members of the executive cabinet who resigned from employment were not properly followed. The Board immediately directed the interim Superintendent to investigate the allegation and take personnel action if he determined it appropriate to do so. Certain personnel actions have been taken. However, because information relating to personnel investigations and actions are confidential, no additional information will be provided at this time. This matter continues to be under review. The Board is taking this matter very seriously. Any abuse in complying with the Board's directives, policies and procedures will not be tolerated.

PGCPS District 4 Board of Education Candidate Discussion

 

PARENT TALK LIVE

 

 

Dr. Mike Robinson, host of Parent Talk Live will facilitate a discussion on September 15, 2012 from 9am-10am with District 4 candidates for the Prince George’s County Public Schools’ Board of Education: Patricia Eubanks and Micah Watson their views and visions for the county’s educational system. This is not a debate, but a discussion on the important challenges, opportunities and trends impacting education in our County and across the United States. For one hour these candidates will answer questions, outline their goals and share their will answer questions, outline their goals and share their assessment of educational strengths and weakness of Prince George’s County Schools. These discussions are designed to help the community to fully understand the platform of those seeking to guide the 2nd largest school district in Maryland and the 18th largest in the United States.

Topic: The Future of PGCPS
Guest: Patricia Eubanks and Micah Watson
Date: Saturday, September 15, 2012
Time: 9am-10am
To call in dial: (914) 338-0344
Listen Online: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/parenttalklive3/2012/09/15/pgcps-district-1-board-of-education-candidate-discussion
Facebook:facebook.com/DrMikeRobinson
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrMikeRobinson














Patricia Eubanks

 

Micah Watson

 

Kimberly K. Parker: NOTHING SHORT OF A CRISIS

It’s 7:30pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012 and you’re probably wondering, “Why is Kimberly giving us time and date information?”  You see, I usually write in the wee hours of morning.  My creative juices tend to flow much better before the cock crows.  However, the exception today is nothing short of a crisis!

I just walked in the house from attending Rev. Jay Cameron’s Debt Free College Degree: The Seminar held at The Life Center.  The goal of the event was to show how to earn a top-quality college education…DEBT FREE.  Mission accomplished.  Due to so much jaw-dropping information shared, my mouth is still out on Route 301.  On a more serious note, Rev. Cameron dispensed tough medicine on the state of student loan debt that left me floored.  It is with his expressed consent that I will share...just a little.

Let’s start with the facts.  According to Fastweb.com:

1. Student loan debt has surpassed credit card debt in America and is expected to surpass $1,000,000,000,000 (that’s one trillion dollars) in 2012. 
2. The average undergraduate degree takes 5.58 years to complete.
3. More than $150,000,000,000 (that’s one hundred fifty billion dollars) in financial aid is awarded annually.  Only 3% is in the form of scholarships.

These statistics go on and on.  See for yourself.

Rev. Cameron made it clear that, in large part, College Recruiters are professional sales people forced to make a quota.  Skeptical?  Check out the lies levied by these two for-profit universities and how one woman quit because her conscience, finally, became her guide.  Wait!  There’s more.  Rev. Cameron weaved in another video clip that really drove home his message on our crisis like this video on Looming Student Loans.  Thereto, he strongly encouraged us to watch this documentary called College Conspiracy.  Brace yourself.

Again, this is nothing short of a crisis that is impacting our country in a horrendous manner. Alas, Rev. Cameron offered much hope if we’re willing to change our lethal financial management habits, sacrifice to the bone, where necessary, and develop a plan…NOW! 

Here’s just a snippet:

1. Take a real honest look at your debt and assess your financial picture.  No more running and hiding from those five to six figures.  You can’t “just pray it away.”  There must be deliberate action.  Faith without works is oh so dead!
2. Don’t take on more debt.  Period.
3. Develop a college education plan that will not add to your existing debt.  It’s quite possible to attend college without loans.

I could have sat there all day just ingesting the priceless information shared.  Now, I’m a bit more equipped to map out my children’s college education.  I merely scratched the surface of the seminar in this blog.  Please plan to attend and yourself as well as his stage play College Fever: The Stage Play.  Trust me: your life will forever be changed.

Kimberly K. Parker is the President and CEO of Writing Momma Publishing, LLC (www.writingmomma.com). On September 8, 2012, the 2012 Write On! Writing Program participants will release their book entitled Young Voices.  Wise Words: Poems, Essays, and Short Stories at the Spaulding Library.  For more information visit Book Release Celebration.  Kimberly is a publisher, author, and blogger living in Maryland with her husband and three children.

National Men Make A Difference Day For Academic Success

 

10.8.12

National Men Make A Difference Day For Academic Success



Research has shown that a father’s involvement in the academic lives of their children will last beyond their childhood; in fact their influence will expand well into the child’s early adult lives (Rosenberg & Bradford, 2006).  The benefits of an involved father or significant male role model are not limited to the homes of children’s where the fathers live. Studies have indicated children with fathers living outside the home but who remain involved benefit from having an engaged father. According to Fogarty and Evans (n.d.) children in homes with absent as defined in their study as nonresidential fathers, but who nevertheless engaged fathers benefit in a variety of ways: (1) stronger relationship with their dads as they enter adulthood; (2) better social skills in many cases than children whose nonresidential father is not engaged; (3) less behavioral problems; and (4) better grades. These are just a few of the benefits to having an engaged father who may not live in the home with the child.