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7/28/2010
New Leadership at Thurmont Middle
Meet Principal Donna Faith
Donna Faith has been recommended for Board of Education (BOE) appointment as the new principal at Thurmont Middle School.
Ms. Faith was Middletown Middle principal the past eight years. Before that, she served six years as Windsor Knolls Middle principal and two years as assistant principal there. Before becoming Windsor Knolls assistant principal, Ms. Faith taught science 14 years in Washington County Public Schools, Maryland, and was also integration resource teacher for four high schools. Under her leadership, Windsor Knolls earned state and national-level Blue Ribbon School status.
Ms. Faith earned her B.S. degree in elementary education at Towson State University in Maryland and M.Ed. in elementary education at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. She is certified in school administration and supervision as well as science.
Ms. Faith encourages incoming 6th, 7th and 8th grade students and their families to attend Thurmont Middle’s Open House on Thursday, August 12 from 7 a.m. to noon or 1 to 6:30 p.m. to meet her and learn about the new school year.
Former Thurmont Middle Principal Barbara Keiling has transferred to Brunswick Middle.
Posted by Dian Nelson at 4:00 PM
7/27/2010
FCPS Earns A- for Transparency
Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) earned top marks for proactive disclosure of government information, according to the recent Sunshine Review’s “10-Point Transparency Checklist.” The checklist measured Web site content available to the public at www.fcps.org, including information about budgets, administrative and elected officials, background checks, audits, contracts, academic performance, taxes, meetings and public records. The Transparency Checklist analysis assigned FCPS an A-, making the school system one of only three to earn an A in Maryland.
“This achievement is strong validation of the work we do to communicate with families and community members,” says Superintendent Linda Burgee. “I am very proud that we’ve earned such a high grade for commendable dedication to transparency in our mission to reach, challenge and prepare the students of Frederick County.”
Easy access to clear and accurate information is high priority at FCPS. “We launched a major overhaul of the Web site several years ago to increase the public’s ability to find current information online, post more information and provide clear explanations of the complex issues that a school system as large as ours often faces,” says Marita Loose, executive director of FCPS Communication Services. “About the same time, our Board of Education launched a paperless governance solution called Board Docs to share meeting agendas, minutes and more online.”
Take the school system’s budget, for example. Maryland requires FCPS to present the budget in a 15-category format that the average taxpayer isn’t likely to understand. FCPS maintains public access to the complex format but also added a version organized by division, an FAQ section and—during budget season—periodic summaries in layman’s terms to assist the public in tracking the budget process from request to final approval. This helps taxpayers share their priorities at BOE public hearings on this important topic.
FCPS has also increased transparency by streaming televised BOE planning sessions and meetings online. Now anyone with Internet access can watch the meetings live or access archived meetings via video on demand. All FCPS television programming is online at www.fcps.org/tv.
BOE policies and FCPS regulations are searchable online, thanks to the work of FCPS Webmaster Charles Helfenstein. In response to the Sunshine Review’s identification of only one weak area in the Web site—the process for employee background checks—Mr. Helfenstein has since created easier online access to the related regulation.
Every school now has its own Web site, each with the same format so parents can find information when their children transition from school to school. Administrative divisions and departments also have Web pages on the site, encouraging ease of access for the public and directory information for times when personal contact is best.
Sunshine Review has analyzed the Web sites of 1,560 school districts and is a non-profit organization dedicated to state and local government transparency in the cause of an informed citizenry. The other school systems earning an A in Maryland are Howard and Montgomery counties. Statewide, Maryland earned a C.
Posted by Cathy Menzel at 3:00 PM
7/27/2010
Back-to-School Essentials Are Online
Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) makes it easy for families to get ready for the new school year. We’ve posted all the essentials online at www.fcps.org/backtoschool.
Right from the home page, a back-to-school icon takes readers directly to links with the information they need:
* School supplies lists by school
* Orientation, Open House and Back-to-School Night dates and times by school
* Information about new personalized Student Information Cards and a link to the new electronic Health and Emergency Form
* 2010-11 Calendar Handbook
* Signup link for FindOutFirst e-mail updates plus new text messaging for emergencies
* Middle and high school grades online information
* School meal costs and more
* Student walker information
* Report card dates and sample formats
* Parent-Teacher Conference information
Parents and students: Visit www.fcps.org/backtoschool today to get a head start on the new school year. (Note: Bus stop details are coming in mid August.)
Posted by Dian Nelson at 12:00 PM
7/27/2010
FCPS Student Named to State BOE
Gayon Sampson Hails from Tuscarora High
Frederick County Public Schools’ senior Gayon Sampson is the 2010-11 Governor-appointed student member for the Maryland State Board of Education.
Seventeen-year-old Gayon hails from Tuscarora High. He is very active at school and in the community, taking on positions ranging from executive vice president of the Frederick County Association of Student Councils, class president for two years, Necktie Club president and secretary and treasurer of the Student Government Association to vice president of the Basketball Coaches without Boundaries junior board, president of his church Youth Advisory Committee and membership in the Model United Nations and Mock Trial. In 2007 and 2008, Gayon worked as an office assistant for the Frederick County Department of Social Services and in 2009 as junior safety specialist at the U.S. Army Medical Command Installation at Ft. Detrick. He earned several awards in 2009 including the Tuscarora Titan Character Award, the Black Frederick Rising-Star Award and the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Award, among others.
Announcing Gayon’s appointment along with the adult appointments, Governor Martin O’Malley commended each for bringing “a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will serve as an asset and continue the progress we have made in building the No. 1 ranked school system in America.”
“Gayon is an exceptional student who sets high goals and works hard to achieve them. He will represent students very well on Maryland’s Board of Education as he works to improve communication among student members of Maryland’s local boards and to advocate for students statewide,” says Michael Bunitsky, FCPS secondary social studies curriculum specialist.
Posted by Dian Nelson at 12:00 PM
7/21/2010
FCPS Announces Key High School Appointments
Selects Instructional Director and Two Principals
Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) announces a new instructional director of high schools, following Rebecca Koontz’s retirement, and two high school principal appointments for the 2010-11 school year. Kristi Mitchell has agreed to serve as acting instructional director for high schools. In her place, Jack Newkirk II will transfer from Catoctin to Brunswick High. Bernard Quesada is acting principal at Catoctin High.
Ms. Mitchell has more than 30 years experience at FCPS, where she started in 1978 teaching English at Governor Thomas Johnson High. She then taught language arts at Thurmont Middle and transferred to North Frederick Elementary as a school support teacher. In 1990 Ms. Mitchell was promoted to assistant principal at Heather Ridge School, where she was promoted to principal in 1996. Ms. Mitchell went on to become principal at Walkersville High in 2002 and Brunswick High in 2005. She came to FCPS with a B.A. in English from Shepherd College and earned an M.A. in administration and supervision from Hood College in 1987. Excelling as a leader, Ms. Mitchell won the 2009-10 Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership Award for Frederick County.
Mr. Newkirk launched his education career in Pennsylvania in 1991. He holds a B.S. degree in business education from Shippensburg and earned his master’s in leadership in teaching from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland and master’s in business from the Johns Hopkins University. An assistant principal at Governor Thomas Johnson and Walkersville High, he became principal at Catoctin High in 2005.
Mr. Quesada began his FCPS career teaching English at Brunswick Middle in 1993. He transferred to Brunswick High in 1996 and Frederick High in 2001. In 2002, he was promoted to assistant principal at Frederick High, transferring in 2007 to his most recent position as Linganore High assistant principal. Mr. Quesada earned his B.S. degree in secondary English from West Virginia University and M.S. in education administration from McDaniel College. He participated in the 2009 FCPS Leadership Development Program for aspiring principals.
Posted by Dian Nelson at 5:00 PM
7/19/2010
Reaching Schools By Phone
Frederick County public schools are experiencing telephone problems for callers dialing in. Outbound calls are working at all locations.
While Verizon is repairing the phone circuit disruption, anyone calling a school is asked to dial 301-644-4120. This number will prompt callers to select either option 1 to transfer to a school main number or option 2 to transfer directly to a staff member. After selecting the desired option, the caller will enter the last 5 digits of the 10-digit telephone number they wish to reach. This service will not work for fax extensions.
Inbound call service is working at FCPS central offices at 191 South East Street, 115 E. Church Street and the Hayward Road Complex. Phones are also working at all FCPS locations, using 5-digit, extension-to-extension dialing.
Posted by Cathy Menzel at 10:00 AM
7/13/2010
Service-Learning Project Wins State Award
Student Raises $18,800 Worth of Books for Head Start
Elementary students can make a big difference when they put their minds to it. Felicia Clements is a perfect example. Now a Middletown Middle School seventh grader, Felicia won a 2010 Maryland Department of Education Sherry Unger Award for an outstanding service-learning project she led when she was a fifth grader at Wolfsville Elementary.
Felicia organized a school-wide book drive that yielded $18,800 worth of books for the Frederick County Head Start. With only 202 students enrolled, Wolfsville Elementary followed Felicia’s lead in the Give-a-Book, or GAB, project and collected 2,350 books.
Felicia says she got the idea for the project when her older sister Anna, then a senior at Middletown High, worked on a similar book drive. Researching Head Start online and calling the director, Felicia learned that a book drive would support the organization’s mission to improve school readiness and literacy for children from low-income families.
“I used language arts, social studies, and math skills in the project,” wrote Felicia, describing her service-learning campaign. “Each week of the three-week book drive, I prepared a spread sheet and graph of the classroom collection results.”
Felicia also enlisted support from her sister Anna, whom she calls her mentor, the school counselor and fifth grade peer mentors. The plan they devised included classroom signs, take-home flyers, collection boxes and an incentive award. The Frederick Surgical Center also donated books and boxes for packing them. Felicia sorted the books based on age group and themes to make distribution easier for Head Start. Clements Creations and Woodworking, LLC transported the books to Head Start.
According to a congratulatory letter from State Superintendent Nancy Grasmick, information about the Give-a-Book drive will remain on the Web site indefinitely as a model project for others to emulate. For more about Felicia’s award-winning project, visit www.mdservice-learning.org.
Posted by Dian Nelson at 4:00 PM
7/9/2010
Students Achieve National Top 10
Outstanding Success in SkillsUSA Competition
Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) Career & Technology Center (CTC) students recently finished in the nation’s top ten in competitions at the 46th Annual National Leadership and Skills Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. Demonstrating exemplary skill and training, they competed in challenges with 5,600 other student champions from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
CTC alum Anthony Morse’s silver medal in the Criminal Justice (post secondary) category is among 13 gold, silver and bronze medals earned statewide this summer.
The other FCPS students demonstrating outstanding nationwide achievement are as follows. Placing 4th in T-Shirt Design: Grace Arendt, 5th in Esthetics: Jessica Escobar and Alicia Reddick, 6th in the Health Knowledge Bowl: Kathryn Adams, Lisa Le, Naara Rivera and Melany Rowley, 6th in Prepared Speech: Sean Regan, 8th in Computer Maintenance Technology: Derric Atzrott and 9th in Employment Application Process: DeVonte Chase.
At FCPS, career and technology education programs increase students’ academic, career and technical skills to prepare them for careers and further education. SkillsUSA is a national organization fostering partnership among students, teachers and industry to ensure America has a skilled work force.
Posted by Dian Nelson at 10:00 AM
7/8/2010
Teachers to Vote on Agreement
The Frederick County Teachers Association has mailed a proposed contract with the Board of Education to its members for ratification. Teachers will receive the tentative contract along with ballots this week without an FCTA recommendation whether to accept or reject. Ballots are due back by July 22.
If ratified, the contract will come before the Board of Education for adoption at an August public meeting. The agreement would then become immediately effective for 2010-11.
The proposed FY ’11 agreement calls for:
- No salary increase or reduction.
- No step increase or increment.
- No furlough days.
- No change in the teacher work year.
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Domestic partner health and dental insurance availability for those that meet eligibility requirements.
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A one-time rebate issued in 2010 to employees and retirees who paid medical and/or dental insurance from January 1, 2010, to June 30, 2010, as follows:
– $565 before taxes for employees who contributed to both medical and dental.
– $200 before taxes for employees who contributed to dental only.
– $200 before taxes for retirees over 65 years of age who contributed to both medical and dental.
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An additional insurance premium tier, Employee-Plus-One, which will save eligible employees approximately $50 per month.
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No change in other insurance premium tiers for 2010-11.
“With the US and local economy still in a slow recovery, we have not been able to secure the step increases educators have earned. It is also the second year with no cost-of-living increase for our members. Like many Americans, school employees are being asked to do more with less and having to defer some of their personal financial goals,” said Gary Brennan, FCTA President. “However, the proposed contract does include positive language regarding benefits and does not include furlough days or pay cuts that had been on the table during contract talks. It is now up to the members of FCTA to decide if this offer is acceptable, and the Association leadership will support whatever decision they make.”
According to Paula Lawton, Executive Director of Human Resources and a member of the negotiating team for FCPS, “It’s gratifying that, despite difficult budget times, we were able to work toward a mutually agreeable package. There’s no salary increase in store, but we avoided furlough days and salary-scale reductions plus maintained an affordable benefit package for our employees.”
Negotiations continue with the Frederick Association of School Support Employees and the Frederick County Administrative and Supervisory Association.
Posted by Peggy Ballew at 1:00 PM
6/30/2010
FCPS Offices Are Moving
Please Note Our New Address
The countdown is on for Frederick County Public Schools central offices to relocate to downtown Frederick. The first department to move to the new building is Technology Services, starting July 7. By October, all departments scheduled to relocate will be in place, serving the community more efficiently from a functional, consolidated workplace.
The FCPS office building stands on the corner of East and South Streets at the new gateway to Frederick City, with easy access from I-70, I-270 and Rt. 85 thanks to relatively new East Street connections. Parking is available at Frederick’s most recently constructed parking deck on East All Saints near Carroll Street, and, for quick visits, in an adjacent parking lot shared with the new Tourism Council building under renovation next door.
The new address is 191 South East Street, Frederick, MD 21701-5918. For convenience to the public, phone and fax numbers will stay the same.
“Of all the benefits of the move, perhaps the greatest is that our most frequently visited offices are consolidating in a single, handicapped-accessible place—rather than remaining scattered between five buildings,” says Ray Barnes, executive director of Facilities Services.
FCPS will be able to provide one-stop shopping for visitors—families, vendors, business partners, government officials—whether they are attending a meeting, seeking employment and partnership opportunities, or going to a Board session. The Board of Education will hold its first meeting at the new headquarters in August.
The Board room seats 150 people comfortably for public meetings and offers enhanced sound and visibility for the audience and participants. When the Board isn’t in session, FCPS will reconfigure the space for other meetings. Most of the building is outfitted with space-saving modular work stations for staff.
The offices busiest during summer months will move last. Here is the move-in schedule, subject to change:
July 7 Technology Services
July 10 The Board of Education, Superintendent’s Office and Communication and Legal Services
July 13 Elementary and Secondary School Improvement, Instruction and Administration including Research, Development and Accountability
July 16 and 19 Curriculum, Human Resources and Special Education
July 21 Student Services, Facilities Services, Media Arts and TV
September 22 Budget Offices
October 1 Finance, Payroll and Purchasing
For practical reasons, some departments are staying where they are. Food Service and the Warehouse will stay at 33 Thomas Johnson Drive, and Maintenance and Transportation will remain at 7446 Hayward Road. The Print Shop will continue to operate at 7630 Hayward Road for a few months, and then move 33 Thomas Johnson Drive.
Posted by Dian Nelson at 2:35 PM
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