And you guys wonder why Prince George's is a target (Baltimore: private schools, DMV)

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by adelphi_sky

Those are your opinions. You know nothing about me outside of this forum. You don't know who I've talked to, who I write letters to, or who I call. No one rationalizes criminal and unethical behavior. I've only attempted to weed through the BS comments that the PG school system is the worst on the planet. THat's all I've spoken out against.

THe race card comment was expected. It is a tool used by those who can't seem to grasp the idea that 60 years of half-baked civil rights laws will never remediate the harm done economically and educationally to African Americans.

Unfortunately, race is intertwined in every facet of inequality in this country and that includes education. If anyone is using a race card, it isn't people of color. Look to those who have the power and the resources to use race to horde privilege while at the same time oppress others that don't look like them.

A bit defensive aren't you.

You're correct, the school system isn't the worst on the planet or even the State. It's the 2nd worst.

As I've been retired, and really have never gotten into reflecting on mistakes I've made, I've come to realize that I have 3 main regrets over the course of my life. Two of them are not germaine to this thread, or any other.

The third one is that I spent so much time in the above school system, defending it and, ultimately, enabling it to be what it is today.

I could have spoken out and I didn't. For a number of reasons which, at the time made sense. None of them related to my job security since I have a tendency to not think before speaking.

[Moth]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

You're correct, you don't deny them. You ignore them, minimize them, rationalize them or, when the previous don't work, throw the race card.

Yea you noticed that too, eh?

[adelphi_sky]

Originally Posted by Moth

Yea you noticed that too, eh?

You wish. But like I said, enjoy your thread.

[Jalux]

Originally Posted by adelphi_sky

Unfortunately, race is intertwined in every facet of inequality in this country and that includes education. If anyone is using a race card, it isn't people of color. Look to those who have the power and the resources to use race to horde privilege while at the same time oppress others that don't look like them.

Just want to chime in on that bolded part there. I think that is an uncalled for racial attack, one that I'm especially attuned to being that I experience a significant degree of dismissive bias being one of a handful of non-black persons running for office in this region. Whenever there is a dominant group, they'll exercise actions to maintain their dominance, whether it is conscious or not.

[coquinegra]

This sucks.

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

wusa9.com | Sources: Prince George's Co officials authorized secret pay raises for central office employees

Explain this away boosters.

Meanwhile, my last 10 years before I retired my cumulative raise as a classroom teacher was 2.5%.

[DCnotDMV]

Well, DC Public schools are even worst and people are still moving to DC?

[Steelers10]

Originally Posted by adelphi_sky

Not sure I understand the title of this thread. A target for what?

Originally Posted by adelphi_sky

Oh stop. The county is not the only county with administrative issues. I think some people just enjoy highlighting the negative instead of the positive.

IT's like reviews. People are more likely to post online a negative review than they are a good one.

But hey, to each his own. It is well known that the county has had challenges with the school system for a long time and still does. And I don't want to get into the weeds of why. And apparently, the administration and school board keep shooting themselves in the foot.

Just as there are boosters, there are detractors. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Thanks for sharing though.

Yeah I'm still wondering why PG County specifically is a target. Keeping this thread germane to Maryland, every large jurisdiction in the state at some time or another has been rife with some corruption or scandal during my lifetime, and multiple instances of it. This is simply not news (at least news in a variety that singles out PG County as some bastion of corruption that deserves any more attention then any other of the largest Maryland counties or Baltimore City):

COURT SAYS AGNEW TOOK BRIBES; ORDERS REPAYMENT

Opportunity in Md. political corruption

Moving toward resolution in Arundel

In Scandal’s Wake, Howard, Maryland Reconsider Wells Fargo

MCPS principal kept child sex abuse case quiet to avoid 'scandal,' prosecutors say

[seanlax]

Yeah the headlines down here don't fit this thread's.... agenda?... either.

TBH this thread just seems like a great topic to discuss and an immature way to frame that discussion.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Steelers10

Yeah I'm still wondering why PG County specifically is a target. Keeping this thread germane to Maryland, every large jurisdiction in the state at some time or another has been rife with some corruption or scandal during my lifetime, and multiple instances of it. This is simply not news (at least news in a variety that singles out PG County as some bastion of corruption that deserves any more attention then any other of the largest Maryland counties or Baltimore City):

COURT SAYS AGNEW TOOK BRIBES; ORDERS REPAYMENT

Opportunity in Md. political corruption

Moving toward resolution in Arundel

In Scandal’s Wake, Howard, Maryland Reconsider Wells Fargo

MCPS principal kept child sex abuse case quiet to avoid 'scandal,' prosecutors say

Agnew was 50 years ago while only one of the rest deals with a school system.

Since 2000 here are some major "issues" PGCPS has faced.

The elected School Board is abolished by the Legislature and is replaced by a Board appointed by the Governor, County Executive with input from the County's Legislative Delegation (ie: Sen. Thomas V. "Mike" Miller). The stated reasons were general dysfunction and inability to get along with Superintendent Iris Metts, a very good friend of then State Superintendent of Schools Nancy Grasmick.

The newly appointed Board discovers that Metts really is impossible to get along with. Dr. Metts resigns when it's discovered that PGCPS has a 5 year ineligibility for federal education grants due to misuse of previous ones.

The appointed Board hires Dr. Andre Hornsby. He resigns just before being indicted for taking kickbacks from school system vendors while he was Superintendent. He is later convicted of bribery charges and receives a 7 year sentence.

Hornsby is replaced as Superintendent by the outgoing appointed Board, an elected Board having been authorized to take over in a few months, by Dr. John Deasy.

Dr. Deasy implements new programs, a major one requiring all high schools to offer a minimum of eight AP classes called the AP8. A good program but schools had to offer the same list of courses with no variation. That was later amended to any eight AP courses.

Another program initiated by Deasy was the hiring of foreign teachers. More on that later.

Before the foreign recruitment of teachers really began Deasy resigns when questions about the validity of his doctorate surface.

Dr. Deasy is replaced by Dr. William Hite, his chief deputy and only applicant.

Hite ramps up the recruitment of foreign teachers, implements some new programs and eliminates others. He is noted for referring to the system's teachers as "human cattle" and "dumb deadbeats" in an address to administrators.

Hite leaves under fire for personnel issues, primarily abuse of the foreign teacher recruitment program. Fees for visas were illegally charged to the foreign teachers. Those fees were refunded to the teachers, the school system had to pay a $3M fine, was enjoined from recruiting internationally for five years and could not sponsor a visa extension for those teachers who had been hired. Many had to return to their home countries while others went to other school systems which were allowed to sponsor them.

The coordinator of the foreign teacher program is asked to resign and her severance pay is suspended by the Board. The CFA writes the check anyway, resigns and then joins Hite in Philadelphia.

While the elected Board is searching for a replacement for Hite County Executive Baker requests emergency legislation at the end of the legislative term wresting control of schools from the elected Board and placing in the office of the County Executive. That legislation passes.

Baker then hires Dr. Maxwell as CEO and installs his ex-brother in law as School Board Chairman as well as appointing a majority of Board members.

Maxwell implements new programs and eliminates others. He tries very hard to smooth relations with teachers which Hite had nearly destroyed.

The Deonte Carroway sex abuse scandal hits.

The grade fixing scandal hits (in the interest of honesty that had been going on since athletes were required to maintain a 2.0 GPA beginning in the 1980s).

The unauthorized raises become public.

I know a couple participants don't see the connection between turmoil in the schools and the inability to attract business headquarters and, recently, the FBI, which truly should have been a no brainer.

[Quick Enough]

Originally Posted by adelphi_sky

Oh stop. The county is not the only county with administrative issues. I think some people just enjoy highlighting the negative instead of the positive.

IT's like reviews. People are more likely to post online a negative review than they are a good one.

But hey, to each his own. It is well known that the county has had challenges with the school system for a long time and still does. And I don't want to get into the weeds of why. And apparently, the administration and school board keep shooting themselves in the foot.

Just as there are boosters, there are detractors. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Thanks for sharing though.

"the county has had challenges with the school system"

"challenges"?

What a mild way to put it.