Highlights of Prince George’s County school plan

By Ovetta Wiggins,April 11, 2013

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) signed a bill this week that gives County Executive Rushern L. Baker III more authority to govern the struggling Prince George’s County school system.

Baker (D) had sought a complete overhaul of the state’s second-largest school system, one that would have put him in charge of the new superintendent and the system’s $1.7 billion budget.

He said deficiencies in public education were hindering the county’s ability to draw businesses and new residents, and argued that one person — the county executive — should be held responsible for schools.

State lawmakers approved a compromise bill that allows Baker to select the superintendent, appoint three members to the school board and name the board’s chair and vice chair. The school board makes final decisions on the budget.

The change comes as the school system, which has experienced rapid leadership turnover, searches for its sixth superintendent in 10 years. William R. Hite Jr., the former superintendent, resigned last year to become the Philadelphia schools chief.

Here are some of the other highlights of the schools bill, which goes into effect on June 1.

- The county executive must appoint one board member with education experience; one member with business, finance or higher education experience; and one member with management experience in business, nonprofit or government work.

- The County Council must appoint one board member who is a parent with a child in the school system.

- New appointees to the board will serve four-year, staggered terms.

- The board chair and vice chair will serve two-year terms.

- The vice chair must be selected from among the elected members.

- The county executive will fill vacancies on the board. The County Council needs a two-thirds vote to reject a nominee.

- The schools superintendent will be known as the chief executive officer of the system.

- A three-member search committee will recommend three potential schools CEOs to the county executive.

- The search committee must include a member of the state Board of Education, selected by the state superintendent, and two county residents, selected by O’Malley.

- The school board chair will negotiate the CEO’s four-year contract.

- The CEO’s role is to manage day-to-day school system operations, including the management of activities related to administration, instructional salaries and student transportation.

- The CEO sets salaries of executive staff, and provides oversight of the fiscal affairs of the school system. The CEO will hire a chief financial officer, a chief academic officer, a chief of staff, a board liaison and any other necessary executive staff.

- The board can implement a policy or contradict the day-to-day management and oversight of fiscal affairs of the CEO unless it two-thirds of the members vote to do so.

What Is School Reform?

According to Project Appleseed, a Parents Advocating Challenging Education (PACE) located in St. Louis, Missouri.

School reform is......

Many schools in the United States are in the process of education reform. Changes in school policy are being considered as economic, social, and technological forces make new demands on what students need to know to be successful. This page explains some of the major aspects of education reform and offers parents guidelines for personal involvement. Parent participation is an important part of successful education reform--a process that will affect both parent and child.

UPCOMING INTERVIEWS

UPCOMING INTERVIEWS
“PARENT TALK LIVE”
HOSTED BY:
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Parent Talk Live is a weekly radio show for families and members of the community who aspire to become an integral part of their children’s academic success and the growth of communities. Parent Talk Live is hosted by Dr. Michael A. Robinson.

Felecia Hatcher
Author
The “C” Students Guide to Scholarships
Topic: “The “C” Students Guide to Scholarships”
Date: June 5, 2011
Time: 8:30pm-9:30pm
Call-in Number: 914.803.4591
Tweet Questions: http://twitter.com/pgcpsparents

Felecia Hatcher was recently named one of the Top 10 Superstar Entrepreneurs under the age of 30 by Allbusiness.com and she has been featured in Essence Magazine, Black Enterprise Magazine, ABC News, Inc.com, Entrepreneur and the Food Network. As an entrepreneur, motivational speaker and author Hatcher has dedicated her life to motivating young people to look past their circumstances and get creative!

Hatcher has recently published her first book titled The 'C' Students Guide To Scholarships, to help students with less then stellar grades beat the odds and put themselves in the running for scholarship funds. As an average high school student - with a GPA that fluctuated between 2.1 and 2.7 - Hatcher beat the odds and managed to pull down over $100,000 in scholarship money to attend Lynn University. At 19, she started her first college coaching business called Urban Excellence. Hatcher has since traveled around the country conducting workshops and building successful college prep programs for companies like DeVry, the YMCA, Texas A&M, TED and the Urban League.

Hatcher has also spearheaded a number of successful experiential marketing campaigns while working for Nintendo, Sony and the WNBA, and in 2008 she embraced her inner foodie and took to the Miami streets with her now wildly successful Feverish Ice Cream Truck and boutique ice cream catering company. In her free time, Felecia Hatcher works with the NFTE (National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship), consults with start-ups, and travels the country speaking to parents and students about scholarships and youth empowerment.

Dr. Jonathan Cohen
Cofounder and President
National School Climate Center
(Formerly the Center for Social and Emotional Education)
Topic: The Importance of a Positive School Climate
Date: June 12, 2011
Time: 8:00pm-8:30pm
Call-in Number: 914.803.4591
Tweet Questions: http://twitter.com/pgcpsparents

Dr. Cohen is an adjunct professor in psychology and education at Columbia University, adjunct professor in education at City University of New York and a practicing clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst. Dr. Cohen has worked in and with K–12 schools for over 30 years in a variety of roles: as a teacher, program developer, school psychologist, consultant, psycho-educational diagnostician and mental health provider.

Dr. William R. Hite
Superintendent
Prince George's County Public Schools
Topic: Leading A Large Urban School System in Times of Fiscal Challenges
Date: June 17, 2011
Time: 2:00pm-2:30pm
Call-in Number: 914.803.4591
Tweet Questions: http://twitter.com/pgcpsparents

Dr. William R. Hite, Jr. was named Superintendent of Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) on April 3, 2009, by the Prince George’s County Board of Education, after serving as Interim Superintendent since December 1, 2008.

In June 2006, Dr. Hite was hired as Deputy Superintendent of PGCPS, Maryland’s second largest school system and the 18th largest system in the nation. During his tenure, he focused on student access and educational equity to ensure that all students graduate college-and work-ready. This work continues at a rapid pace and without interruption.

Among his many leadership responsibilities, Dr. Hite has led major efforts resulting in increased student achievement, significant improvements in teaching and learning, and school improvement status. This included work on the Intensive Support and Intervention Schools (ISIS) that provided significant support to schools most in need based on student and school performance indicators, as well as work in partnership with the Institute for Learning at the University of Pittsburgh, which focused on improving the capacity of teachers and administrators to strengthen the teaching and learning process. Most recently, he oversaw a major reorganization of the district’s regions into zones to reduce cost and provide greater support to schools.