Few College Graduates On Prince George's School Board - 2 Out Of 8 To Be Precise (Baltimore: 2013, public schools)

[AeroGuyDC]

The Prince George's County school board has fewer college graduates than any other school system in the Washington region according to an analysis by The Washington Post.

The newspaper reported Sunday that two of the county's eight board members have a bachelor's degree. Every member of school boards in the district as well as Montgomery, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties has at least a bachelor's degree.

Few college grads on Prince George's school board - WTOP.com-

The State's second largest school system doesn't even require its Board members to at least have a college education? That doesn't even come close to passing the Common Sense Test.

Maryland is at the top of the educational charts again for the fourth year in a row, but Prince George’s County remains on the bottom rungs of the academic ladder, School Improvement in Maryland data shows.

The Maryland State Assessment reveals that Prince George’s County schools are not at the bottom, but, in multiple categories, the jurisdiction sits right above Baltimore City as having the lowest academically-ranking schools in the state.

The Sentinel

PG County schools beat only Baltimore City schools as being the State's worst. How is it that we can expect children in PG County to succeed when the leadership itself hasn't even attained the most basic levels of professional education? What kind of leadership can we logically expect from someone who has only a High School Diploma? I'd reconcile that we'd get what we're getting......subpar schools.

The Prince George’s County Executive is seeking legislation to give his office more control over county schools.
County Executive Rushern Baker is seeking state legislation that would put him in charge of the superintendent’s office and the school system’s $1.7 billion budget while reducing the power of the board of education.

Baker says he believes county residents should have someone to hold accountable for the performance of county schools, which he says are critical to drawing new residents to the county and promoting economic development.

Prince George’s County Executive seeking more control over schools - The Washington Post

While I am not a PG County resident, I support Rushern Baker in his quest to wrest control of the County's education apparatus away from the hands of an under-educated Board. It makes no sense to let those who can't even attain a professional education themselves to be the leadership responsible for a school system that clearly has stumbled for far too long.

[North Beach Person]

So you're an elitist? Why should there be a minimum educational requirement? Name, please, another elective office that has an educational requirement. I'll give you judges. Now, name the others.

[MidValleyDad]

I'm not sure there is a legal requirement for Judges to have any particular education level. I believe it has become traditional to expect them to have a law degree and be a member of the bar but I do not believe there is a specific requirement for that

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by MidValleyDad

I'm not sure there is a legal requirement for Judges to have any particular education level. I believe it has become traditional to expect them to have a law degree and be a member of the bar but I do not believe there is a specific requirement for that

They have to be members of the MD Bar which means they've passed the Bar Exam. MD got rid of the allowance for non-JD holders being permitted to take the exam several years ago.

[MrRational]

The idea of people who have done well SOLELY with a HS diploma is a good thing to promote.
One of the biggest problem with public schools over the last few decades is the presumption that
the HS degree is inherently inadequate. This needs to be changed.

[justtitans]

Since when did having a college degree mean that you understand how education works? It should be more important to look at how involved that individuals has been in education through out their career either as a parent, teacher, administrator and even in some cases a student (that has recently matriculated through the system). For example, I have a Masters degree, but I don't have a lick of experience in the classroom, do you think I'm more qualified to be on a school board than someone that has raised 5 kids in the school system, was actively involved in PTA and only has a high school diploma?

[AeroGuyDC]

Originally Posted by MrRational

The idea of people who have done well SOLELY with a HS diploma is a good thing to promote.
One of the biggest problem with public schools over the last few decades is the presumption that
the HS degree is inherently inadequate. This needs to be changed.

This is all fine and dandy except the Prince George's experiment is an abyssmal failure.

[AeroGuyDC]

Originally Posted by pgtvatitans

Since when did having a college degree mean that you understand how education works? It should be more important to look at how involved that individuals has been in education through out their career either as a parent, teacher, administrator and even in some cases a student (that has recently matriculated through the system). For example, I have a Masters degree, but I don't have a lick of experience in the classroom, do you think I'm more qualified to be on a school board than someone that has raised 5 kids in the school system, was actively involved in PTA and only has a high school diploma?

I have a Master's Degree, and with it comes years of experience in the professional arena, including leadership and management of large projects. That experience alone gives me the right credentials to handle professional matters that may not have presented themselves had I eeked through a lifetime of jobs not requiring a professional education. I would think you could understand that being a Master's Degree holder yourself. Perhaps your career trajectory has not put you through the same professional wringer that mine has?

[justtitans]

Originally Posted by AeroGuyDC

I have a Master's Degree, and with it comes years of experience in the professional arena, including leadership and management of large projects. That experience alone gives me the right credentials to handle professional matters that may not have presented themselves had I eeked through a lifetime of jobs not requiring a professional education. I would think you could understand that being a Master's Degree holder yourself. Perhaps your career trajectory has not put you through the same professional wringer that mine has?

What does that have to do with running a school system? If you have no kids and you have been out of the school system 10+ years, how can you possibly understand what it takes to run a school system? In some ways school is indeed a business, but if you have no connection to a school system, can you really relate to the issues? Are you saying that you as a Masters degree candidate have more knowledge of a school system then the high school educated individual that I eluded to earlier?

[AeroGuyDC]

Originally Posted by pgtvatitans

What does that have to do with running a school system? If you have no kids and you have been out of the school system 10+ years, how can you possibly understand what it takes to run a school system? In some ways school is indeed a business, but if you have no connection to a school system, can you really relate to the issues? Are you saying that you as a Masters degree candidate have more knowledge of a school system then the high school educated individual that I eluded to earlier?

Using your logic, no one should be a leader in any field if they aren't bona fide experts in that field. I disagree with you. But i'll play along with you. Tell me how being a high school graduate prepares one for a leadership role in the State's second largest school system? What credentials did these "leaders" achieve? They certainly aren't teachers. They certainly aren't principals. So what, exactly, gives them specific insight? For all we know, they eeked their way through high school. And these are people who should be directing the educational trajectory of local children? LOL

At a minimum, these "leaders" should show that they have committed themselves to higher education before asserting that they have what it takes to run a school system.