Frustrated parents might take the Howard County School Board to task Thursday when officials discuss a myriad of issues, including a computer software program that has wrecked havoc with high-school student?s grades.
The board also is expected to review possible budget cuts to deal with a proposed loss of $3 million in revenue from the county; and results of a survey of school system employees.
With regards to the computer glitch impacting student?s grades, attendance and community-service credits, Mary Jane Barbato-Grauso, president of the county PTA council, said, “I?m hoping that they give us a timeline to address this issue quite rapidly. It?s been a long, arduous road for everyone.”
As for the budget funding issue, School Board directors said they remain committed to having the school system?s proposed $554.5 million operating budget totally funded.
“I?ve never been more confident,” said School Board Chairman Joshua Kaufman when asked how sure he was the budget would be fully funded. But Kaufman also said if cutting does happen, the board hopes to preserve cuts that affect the classroom.
Ann DeLacy, president of the Howard County Education Association, said she will release results of a survey of system employees who overwhelming stated they have confidence in the leadership of Superintendent Sydney Cousin and board members. But 44 percent of 3,289 respondents pointed out that they had either witnessed harassment or experienced it by co-workers, supervisors or parents.
DeLacy said she will focus on the “positive” during the meeting, but hopes to address the schools where the harassing behavior was reported with school administrators and board members.
“The goal is not to get people fired,” she said. “We?re going to talk about it to see what we can do to impact some change,” she said.
