Six Prince George's County Public Schools will remain closed on Friday, August 26

UPDATE: Six Prince George's County Public Schools will remain closed on Friday, August 26.
August 25, 2011
For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Office of Communications
301-952-6001Weekend and After Hours (for press inquiries ONLY): 240-619-6293
communications@pgcps.org
Upper Marlboro, Maryland (8:30 p.m.) – Today, Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) announced that six schools will remain closed on Friday, August 26. All other schools will open on time. The following 6 schools are awaiting final inspection:
• Beltsville Academy• Bradbury Heights ES • Port Towns ES• Potomac HS• Suitland ES• Forestville Military Academy

Comments From Dr. Juanita Miller, chair of the NAACP Education Committee for the Prince George’s County Branch

I am Juanita Miller, chair of the NAACP Education Committee for the Prince George’s County Branch. The 2010/11 school year ended with a budget slash and many employees being terminated or downsized. The 2011/12 school year opened with blight as well, i.e., classrooms were without teachers—the foundation of a school system, impending law suits and allegations of age and racial discrimination as well as discriminatory hiring and promotional practices.

This is to apprise you that the NAACP will be working collaboratively with the unions, the County Council of PTA’s, the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce Education Committee and other community organizations to investigate and hopefully resolve the numerous complaints filed with our office. To be specific would take longer than the 3 minutes allotted. However, some of the complaints involve reassignment/replacement of the mentoring teachers, misuse and waste of funds by school system personnel and harassment of teachers by principals to name a few.

It is our hope that quelling these complaints will minimize the already astronomical costs to the system from a failed real estate venture, labor department fines and current law suits which, in total, range in millions of taxpayer dollars.

It is our intent to work with the school system to promote equity in the work place for its employees and most important to provide the best services to our stakeholders, the students. This can be accomplished throughout the school year beginning with transparent operations by the School Board and Superintendent—not “spoon fed” “feel good” rhetoric but the truth. I’d like to note that on a recent blog radio broadcast, Board member Armwood stated that Prince George’s Schools was no longer ranked #24 in the state but had moved up. When asked by the host the basis of his information and the current ranking, Mr. Armwood stated that he didn’t know and that Dr. Hite told him that we are no longer at the bottom. No hard data to support this claim was provided.

An earnest start would be with the Board responding to the request for a forensic audit which would provide a more comprehensive picture of the system’s financial operations. Stakeholders would get an understanding of whether funds and expenditures are utilized for more direct services to students or for maintaining programs that have been non productive with no accountability. Also, the audit would reveal the impact of the various litigation and (failed) real estate costs have had on the budget.

Another concern is the recent reorganization of the system by the superintendent to adjust to the budget cuts. Note: At this point, the NAACP is publicly requesting an organizational chart listing positions, names, and salaries of personnel. It appears ludicrous that executive level positions have been expanded while teacher, psychologists, counselors and other direct service provider positions were cut! Thus, the shortage of teachers on the first day of school.

The list is long but progress can be made. It is our intent to work diligently with the School Board to ameliorate the negative and move toward promoting a world class school system that will prepare our future leaders, engineers, technicians, other professionals and workforce persons who deserve not just better but the best.

Respectfully submitted,



Juanita Miller, Chair
Education Committee
NAACP Prince George’s County


You can listen to the interview with Mr. Armwood http://www.blogtalkradio.com/educationaljournal/2011/08/22/parent-talk-live-back-to-school

Meet Mike Robinson -- An Advocate for Prince George's County Students

Robinson, who was laid off by the school system last summer, writes a blog to keep county parents in the loop

By Khadijah Ali-Coleman

“While the economic outlook remains bleak, [the Prince George’s County Public Schools] budget will maintain the core instructional programs and services needed to support teaching and learning ...,” county Schools Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. wrote to school board Chairwoman Verjeana M. Jacobs in a letter of proposed budget cuts for the 2011-2012 school year.

The letter, sent last year as the new school board members were sworn in and local residents were winding down for the holidays, was given minimal attention -- aside from a few local media outlets and bloggers.

Yet, Laurel resident Mike Robinson, a self-appointed advocate for county parents and students, immediately picked up the story.

“This is big news,” he recalled.

Robinson not only posted the letter on his Parental Engagement with PGCPS blog, he began researching and posting the strides that parents in other states are taking to make schools better for their children.

In California, for instance, there's the controversial "Parent Trigger" Law instated last year. Under the state law, school districts must take drastic actions to overhaul schools if parents petition for the change. The changes could include firing school staffers, hiring new administrators or reopening as a charter school.

“Parents in [the Prince George’s County school] system have lost avenues to become engaged,” Robinson wrote on his blog. “Parents have seen doors closed in their faces. Attempts to silence their voices have reached epic proportions ranging from the loss of Parent Liaisons to the elimination of parental engagement programs and services.”

Robinson, father of two daughters in the school system, is the former Coordinating Supervisor for Parental Engagement and Community Outreach for Prince George’s County Public Schools. Although he was laid off last summer due to budget cuts, Robinson wanted an active network among parents with children in county schools.

The school system has not refilled Robinson's position or developed a similar position.

“There is absolutely no one at my daughter’s school who makes dealing with parents a priority,” said Lisa, a Fort Washington resident who declined to give her last name.

Lisa's daughter attends Avalon Elementary School in Temple Hills. “I enjoy Mike Robinson’s blog because he gives you tips on navigating the system and answers questions that even the staff at my daughter’s school either don’t have or don’t want to give," Lisa said.

Robinson hosts a weekly radio show podcast and maintains an active community of more than 400 parents. As he puts it, he wants to bridge a widening communication gap between parents and school system administrators.

“I just want to see that we are helping to build high-performance schools," Robinson said. "I work with an organization that works in the foster care system. I find the energy and find the time. It’s my passion."

For Robinson and his wife, the first priority is to provide a "better life" for their two daughters -- aged 5 and 15.

And, after learning that Prince George’s County schools are some of the lowest performing in Maryland, Robinson is clear that parental advocacy is key in helping students excel academically.

“For too long, parents get information spoon fed or at the last minute,” Robinson said. “I try to approach my role from the perspective of a parent. What would I want to know? Even if it’s not germane to me, it may be something that may relate to a neighbor."

And the information Robinson shares is of interest to most parents. He profiles on his blog interviews with parents actively engaged in the schools — such as Eileen Collins, president of the Laurel Elementary School PTA, and area activist Nakia Troi Ngwala, a local advocate for universal Pre-K, who became invested in county schools when she was barred from enrolling her young son in pre-K because of income restrictions.

Robinson informs parents of news that they may not know unless visiting the county’s website, as well as commentary from national education leaders who speak on trends in education ranging from technology to school choice.

“I had an opportunity recently to interview Dr. Mavis Sanders, author of Principals Matter: A Guide to School, Family, and Community Partnerships,” Robinson said. "And, she said that when you have school systems who want parental engagement, they will have it. When a school system doesn’t have it, then they don’t want it. You don’t make it difficult for contact. You don’t make it difficult for your consumers to find you. We just have lip service here in PG County schools.”

To learn more about Mike Robinson’s efforts to support parent advocacy in Prince George’s County, visit him at Parental Engagement with PGCPS.

US Labor Dep't bans hiring of Pinoy teachers in Maryland county

by Rodney Jaleco, ABS-CBN North America Bureau

OXON HILL, Maryland - Hundreds of Filipinos teachers trooped to the Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) in a desperate bid to hold on to their jobs by carrying letters of appeal, following the decision of the US Department of Labor to bar it from hiring Filipino and other foreign teachers for 2 years.

The DOL reaffirmed a decision last April that concluded the PGCPS willfully violated H-1B visa rules by requiring an estimated 800 Filipino teachers to pay visa and other fees that should have been shouldered by the school system. The PGCPS has already agreed to pay back $4.2 million in back wages to the teachers.

Both the PGCPS and Filipino teachers appealed the DOL's findings, many of the mentors saying they paid the fees voluntarily and were more concerned about keeping their jobs.

A majority of them have been working in the Prince George's public schools for the past 4-5 years, with a smaller number who arrived last year and presumably, were still working off the expenses of resettling in Maryland.

"Under the statute governing the H-1B program," the DOL statement read, "willful wage violations are subject to a debarment period of at least two years. Violations are willful when an employer knew or acted in reckless disregard for whether its actions were impermissible."

"Due to the willful nature of some of the violations, PGCPS also has agreed to pay $100,000 in civil money penalties and to be debarred for two years from filing new petitions, requests for extensions or requests for permanent residency for foreign workers under any employment-based visa program," the statement read further.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis stressed that "the Labor Department has the responsibility for ensuring that employers who use the H-1B program follow the law and do not place U.S. workers at a disadvantage to H-1B workers."

The Filipino teachers vowed to challenge what they saw a "unjust labor practices", pointing out that they are being penalized for a wrong committed by their school employer.

"They will be performing a series of actions geared towards ultimately attaining what is most precious to them, which is keeping their jobs," declared Maricris Urbano in a statement given to ABS-CBN News.

She said this afternoon's "silent walk-through" at the PGCPS Board of Education office in Upper Marlboro, Maryland was just the beginning. They are blaming the school system for "unfair terminations as they capriciously allowed working visas to expire."

Urbano feared these developments would eventually lead to an exodus of Filipino teachers back to the Philippines.

The Filipino teachers have also hastily organized a town hall meeting with visiting Philippine Congressman Erin Tanada at the Philippine Multicultural Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland this evening. They will be asking for help from the Philippine government.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, in his Independence Day address at the Philippine Embassy here last month, cited the struggle of the Filipino teachers in Prince George's county. They were able to convince PGCPS officials to reverse their decision not to renew work visas for Filipino teachers in "non-critical" subjects; but that victory has been erased by the DOL decision.

If the DOL decision is upheld – it still has to be approved by an administrative law judge – only a handful of Filipino teachers will survive the cut. They belong mostly to the first batch of mentors recruited in the Philippines in 2003-2004 and who've gained legal permanent residency status or the so-called "green card". But they are very few.

Maryland schools sought teachers from the Philippines to fill vacancies and help meet federally-mandated "No Child Left Behind" standards imposed by former President George W. Bush.

The DOL order does not cover about 600 Filipino teachers in Baltimore, Maryland public schools, who were subjected to the same hiring practices that got the Prince George's public school system in hot water. The Baltimore Public School System (BPSS) is trying to avoid a similar fate by reportedly quietly paying back the fees that were illegally collected from their Filipino teachers.

The collection of fees from the Filipino teachers brought about a disparity in wages between foreign and local teachers doing the same job. "The H-1B program allows employers to hire foreign professionals in certain specialty occupations to work temporarily in the U.S," the DOL explained.

"Workers hired under the H-1B program must be paid at least the same wage rates and benefits as those paid to U.S. workers doing the same job in the same area, so that the wages of similarly employed U.S. workers are not adversely affected."

2011 Educational Bills and Acts in Maryland

Bill Number: SB 0776

Issue Code: Education

Title: PARENT EMPOWERMENT ACT OF 2011

Synopsis: Authorizing specified parents and legal guardians of students attending public schools that are subject to corrective action and are not making adequate yearly progress to petition county boards of education to implement specified interventions based on improving academic achievement or student safety; requiring county boards to notify the State Superintendent of Schools and the State Board of Education of the receipt and disposition of specified petitions; etc. Preliminary analysis: local government mandate EFFECTIVE: OCTOBER 1, 2011

Staff Assigned: Leslie Knapp Jr. (lknapp@mdcounties.org)

Bill Number: HB 1081

Issue Code: Education

Title: EDUCATION – PUBLIC SCHOOLS – PETITIONS FOR INTERVENTION Synopsis: Authorizing specified parents and legal guardians of students attending public schools that are subject to corrective action and are not making adequate yearly progress to petition county boards of education to implement specified interventions; requiring county boards to notify the State Superintendent of Schools and the State Board of Education on receipt and of final disposition of specified petitions; requiring county boards to make specified determinations in a specified manner in a specified time frame; etc. Preliminary analysis: local government mandate.

EFFECTIVE: OCTOBER 1, 2011

Staff Assigned: Leslie Knapp Jr. (lknapp@mdcounties.org)

Bill Number: HB 1208

Issue Code: Education

Title: HIGHER EDUCATION – EXEMPTION FROM TUITION FOR FOSTER CARE RECIPIENTS – ELIGIBILITY AGE.

Synopsis: Altering from 21 to 25 the age before which foster care recipients must be enrolled at public institutions of higher education to be exempt from paying specified tuition; and altering from 21 to 25 the age before which foster care recipients must be enrolled as candidates for specified degrees to not be required to pay the difference between the amount of specified scholarships or grants and the amount of specified tuition.

EFFECTIVE: JULY 1, 2011

Staff Assigned: Leslie Knapp Jr. (lknapp@mdcounties.org)

Bill Number: HB 1228 crossfiled with SB 882

Issue Code: Employee Benefits and Relations

Title: UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE – FEDERAL EXTENDED BENEFITS FOR THE LONG–TERM UNEMPLOYED.

Synopsis: Specifying that, for specified weeks of unemployment, a State “on” indicator for extended unemployment benefits exists under specified circumstances; specifying that a State “off” indicator exists for specified extended unemployment benefits under specified circumstances; prohibiting specified extended benefits from being payable for any week of unemployment beginning before a specified date; specifying the total amount of specified extended benefits that are payable to an eligible individual; etc.

EFFECTIVE: OCTOBER 1, 2011

Testimony: Testimony

Staff Assigned: Andrea Mansfield (amansfield@mdcounties.org)

MACo Position: Support with Amendment Revised Position: Support Bill Status: PASSED Comment: Bill was amended to reimburse local governments for a portion of the costs associated with providing the extended benefits.

Bill Number: SB 0262 crossfiled with HB 127

Issue Code: Education

Title: STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION – FINANCIAL LITERACY CURRICULUM – GRADUATION REQUIREMENT.

Synopsis: Requiring the State Board of Education to develop curriculum content for a course in financial literacy; requiring each county board of education to implement the financial literacy curriculum content developed by the State Board in every high school in the county; and requiring students to complete a course in financial literacy in order to graduate from high school.

EFFECTIVE: OCTOBER 1, 2011

Staff Assigned: Leslie Knapp Jr. (lknapp@mdcounties.org)

Bill Number: SB 0474 crossfiled with HB 191

Issue Code: Education

Title: PUBLIC SCHOOLS – STUDENT ATTENDANCE – PREVENTING CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM.

Synopsis: Requiring public schools to maintain a record of the daily attendance of students in kindergarten through 12th grade using a specified identifier, calculate and maintain a record of specified attendance information, and submit a report to the county board of education that includes specified student attendance information for each grading period each year; requiring each county board to calculate and maintain a specified record of countywide student attendance information; etc.

EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2011

Staff Assigned:

Leslie Knapp Jr. (lknapp@mdcounties.org)

Bill Number :SB 0676

Issue Code: Education

Title: COUNTY BOARDS OF EDUCATION – ALIEN STUDENTS.

Synopsis: Requiring each county board of education, on or before March 1 of each year, to make a good faith effort to provide the governing body of the county with the total number of students enrolled in the public school system of the county whose presence in the United States cannot be reasonably documented; and prohibiting a county board from associating a student’s race, appearance, language, or name with citizenship or immigration status.

EFFECTIVE: JULY 1, 2011

Staff Assigned: Leslie Knapp Jr. (lknapp@mdcounties.org)

Mrs. Kimberly K. Parker, Discusses Summer Time Fun

SUMMER TIME FUN

There are exactly six weeks left before school begins again. Wow! Where has the summer gone? Holding on to all the joys of summer for as long as they can, children everywhere are still looking forward to spending countless hours in the pool and attending a variety of summer camps specializing in culinary arts, horseback riding, and academic enrichment. After all the work they have done during the 2010-2011 school year, they really deserve a break.

As you may very well know and may even have experienced, the state of the economy has forced many households to forego tuition based activities. Realistically, the luxury is one many parents simply cannot afford. Yet, the need to actively engage children still remains.
Determined not to plant them in front of the television for hours on end, one question remains: What am I going to do to ensure my child has fun while learning for the remainder of the summer and not break the bank in the process?

I am so glad you asked! Here are a few suggestions to help you not only enrich your child’s summer academically, but socially as well…all while having a very cost effective great time:
1. Start with a schedule. Just like teachers during the school year, parents need to plan every moment of a child’s day. Be sure to incorporate a little rest and relaxation as well.

2. Visit your local museum. Here in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, the Smithsonian museums are plentiful. Also, the Newseum is offering free admission for children with a paid adult. Visit www.si.edu and www.newseum.org for more information.

3. Incorporate curriculum enrichment. Before you know it, science fair projects will be due. Why not get a jump start on them now? Since your child will more than likely read at least 30 minutes a day anyway (I hope), may I suggest you have them read a book centered around their upcoming science fair project? What a way to accomplish two goals with one task, huh?

4. Hang out at the local library. Story time, games and activities on the computer, and events are always funs to enjoy. Most importantly, it’s free! Visit www.publiclibraries.com to find a library near you.

5. Spend a cool evening at The National Harbor in Fort Washington, MD (if you’re in the area). They have a free movie night on Friday and Sunday. Visit http://www.nationalharbor.com/consumer/entertainment.htm#movies.

6. Make the Community News section of your local newspaper the “go to” resource for other free events. You’d really be surprised at what you will find.

There you have it! I sure hope these will help you to enjoy the last few weeks of the summer with your children!


Kimberly K. Parker is the President and CEO of Writing Momma Publishing, LLC (www.writingmomma.com). On July 23, 2011, she is hosting "The BEST Young Writer’s Workshop EVER” in Clinton, MD for youth between the ages of nine and 18. Additionally, she is hosting “Write On!” an eight week summer writing program for youth. Visit www.writeonprogram.eventbrite.com for more information. Kimberly is a ghostwriter, author and blogger living in Maryland with her husband and three children.

Living Education eMagazine

Hello Engaged Parents, Dedicated Educators, and Business Leaders,

You are receiving this exciting press release because we value your contributions to expanding the conversation about the importance of education.

Forest Of The Rain Productions' mission is to serve as a conduit by which conversations regarding challenges confronting education today are presented unfiltered. Forest Of The Rain Productions prides itself on introducing leading researchers, scholars, engaged parents, dedicated educators, and involved civic leaders to those who are as equally passionate about education.

In an effort to bolster and expand the dialogue about the role education plays in the lives of all Americans we created Living Education eMagazine. It is our goal, our purpose to introduce our readers to the multiplicity of roles education has in our everyday lives. Through our exploration and examination of all educational issues germane to parents, students, educators, and political leaders we hope to play a role in redefining the economic benefits to an educated society.

In our inaugural edition, we examine a variety of educational topics we believe important to Americans and global educators alike. Staff at Living Education eMagazine was sent on a mission to find unique views and perspectives on education as a means to re-establish the importance of education in our everyday lives. We believe the staff of Living Education eMagazine has done just that! Educators and civic leaders from all over America have provided their voice to our discussion. We welcome you to join the conversation and to make Living Education eMagazine a part of your educational conversation.


Thanks for all you have done to expand the discussion about the value of education in our everyday lives. Below you will find the link to Living Education eMagazine. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at editor.forestoftherain@gmail.com

http://www.yudu.com/item/details/354142/Living-Education-eMagazine-Vol.--1

Also, please review our video discussion on bullying at http://education4and2parents.podbean.com/2011/04/15/living-education-magazine-discusses-bullying-video/

Sincerely,

Forest Of The Rain Productions
P.O. Box 326
Savage, Maryland 20763
240.593.3813
www.forestoftherain.net

African American Male Teachers

QUESTION:

What is the Value of African American Male Teachers in the Classroom?


Dr. Chance Lewis
Associate Professor
Urban Education
College of Education
Texas A&M University

Having an African American male in the classroom breaks the stereotype that classroom teaching is only for females. It presents an image that African American males and males in general are able to be classroom teachers. This is important because many students really aspire to be like those they see. So, they [students] may never see an African American male in the classroom and these results in a ripple effect of students’ aspirations to become a teacher. I am pushing through my research to have more African American male quality teachers in the classroom, as a means to present a strong image for all students, particularly African American males. This is very important for students. It really breaks the stereotype that teaching is only for females

Living Education eMagazine

Enlarge this document in a new window
Online Publishing from YUDU

Hello Engaged Parents, Dedicated Educators, and Business Leaders,

Forest Of The Rain Productions is proud to announce the publication of our first magazine, Living Education eMagazine. Forest Of The Rain Productions' mission is to serve as a conduit by which conversations regarding challenges confronting education today are presented unfiltered. Forest Of The Rain Productions prides itself on introducing leading researchers, scholars, engaged parents, dedicated educators, and involved civic leaders to those who are as equally passionate about education.

In an effort to bolster and expand the dialogue about the role education plays in the lives of all Americans we created Living Education eMagazine. It is our goal, our purpose to introduce our readers to the multiplicity of roles education has in our everyday lives. Through our exploration and examination of all educational issues germane to parents, students, educators, and political leaders we hope to play a role in redefining the economic benefits to an educated society.

In our inaugural edition, we examine a variety of educational topics we believe important to Americans and global educators alike. Staff at Living Education eMagazine was sent on a mission to find unique views and perspectives on education as a means to re-establish the importance of education in our everyday lives. We believe the staff of Living Education eMagazine has done just that! Educators and civic leaders from all over America have provided their voice to our discussion. We welcome you to join the conversation and to make Living Education eMagazine a part of your educational conversation.


Thanks for all you have done to expand the discussion about the value of education in our everyday lives. Below you will find the link to Living Education eMagazine. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at editor.forestoftherain@gmail.com




Sincerely,


Forest Of The Rain Productions
P.O. Box 326
Savage, Maryland 20763
240.593.3813

Summer Learning Loss Can Be Prevented

Dr. Michael A. Robinson

I just reviewed data on the percentage of fourth grade students passing their 2008-2009 state reading exams, according to NBC’s Education Nation website. Click here to see the Maryland data for yourself. Below are a few Maryland public school systems and their percentages of fourth grade students passing state reading:

Anne Arundel County (91%)
Baltimore City (78%)
Baltimore County (87%)
Calvert County (94%)
Howard County (93%)
Montgomery County (91%)
Prince George's County (77%)

As engaged parents, we have to address the low percentage of students performing well in the classroom and on state exams. This is especially important during the summer when academically centered activities give way to summer fun and frolic.

Former CEO for the National Summer Learning Association Ron Fairchild stated that 65% of the achievement gap can be attributed to summer learning loss. If this is true, we as parents cannot sit idly by and watch all the gains our children have made during the previous school year fall back. In a report released by the National Summer Learning Association, summer learning loss has been linked to low academic achievement and extremely high dropout rates.

The research brief cites the work of Dr. Karl Alexander and his colleagues which suggested that students from low economic backgrounds tend to experience a greater degree of academic drops in skills during the summer. Their research also discovered that students from economic disadvantaged backgrounds typically enter the school year at a lower level than typically middle class students, however, the researchers’ suggested that by the end of the year students from the low income families have progressed at or about an equal rate of those from a more affluent economic background. According the writers, their struggles really pick up during the summer when they experience the summer slide. The summer slide was not a phenomenon their more well off peers encountered.

Dr. Alexander when asked to explain why income levels impacted summer learning and more specifically why higher income students performed better upon return from summer breaks, he posited there were “some definite differences (Alexander, 2010). He further explained,

I don’t want to break it down into a checklist, but some differences seemed relevant. For example, better-off children were more likely to go to the library over the summertime and take books home. They were more likely to engage in a variety of enrichment experiences such as attending museums, concerts and field trips. They were more likely to take out-of-town vacations, be involved in organized sports activities, or take lessons, such as swimming or gymnastics lessons. Overall, they had a more expansive realm of experiences.

Many of the activities outlined by Dr. Alexander could be out of the reach of lower income families and to an extent a growing number of middle class families. Thus families have to create alternative learning opportunities to for their children. Scholars and school administrators agree there are ways this can be accomplished.