“It would make the person they think is responsible for education accountable,” Rushern Baker.
The School Board Superintendent would be appointed by the County Executive. The Board would also have 3 new voting members of the school board appointed positions: an education expert, a member of the business community and the President of the PTA would be a part of the school board. There would be 3 new nonvoting member representatives from Bowie State University, Maryland University, and Prince George’s Community College. While school board member Carletta Fellows is on board with Baker’s, the Board of Education has issued a statement denouncing Baker’s take over move:
Mr. Baker gambles away our children’s future
Over the weekend, our students, parents, teachers, employees and taxpayers learned of Mr. Baker’s plan to take over our schools from an article that appeared in the Washington Post. The bill resembles that of the DC school takeover by former DC Mayor Adrian Fenty. However, similar to the District, the bill falls short and fails to address the core issues facing our community. This is a bad bill that is being pushed through the legislature under the guise of education reform and without the benefit of a public hearing. The public’s voice will not be heard. Our students, teachers and employees will have no say in this decision. Mr. Baker’s proposal reduces public oversight of schools and voids the rights of our parents, students and labor unions. It also does not recognize the achievements of our students—80% perform satisfactory on state-mandated assessments.
If Mr. Baker truly wants to improve education in Prince George’s County, he should start by helping to promote more parental engagement. He should also help by finding funds to attract and retain our teachers. Our youth should not be used as political gambling chips. They are our hope for tomorrow. This bill undermines the progress our students are making. It places our schools in an untenable situation.
Mr. Baker’s proposal is an unnecessary distraction that gambles away the future of our children.
County Exec. Baker
The problem with Baker’s statement is that it contradicts what he initially said in his inaugural address about his intentions, “We will provide more rigor and accountability in our school system,” Baker said. “I know when I say this, people think, ‘Is he trying to take over the school board?’ … Absolutely not. This administration will go down a third way, not taking it over but not sitting idly by and silent.”
Now he’s saying this:
County Executive Baker says that he will look at the three finalists and see if they are what he’s looking for, so tonight’s meet and greet with the Superintendent finalists might be a complete bust. Verjeana Jacobs is fired up. See the video below.
I’m reading over the proposed amendment that would strip the school board of its powers and trust me, it strips the elected board of everything.
Read it here for yourself
Amendments to PG 411-13
