The Saint Mary’s County High Schools have a huge problem in that about one-fourth of the ninth graders don’t go on to tenth grade. They usually have to go to summer school, repeat a semester or repeat a year. Why is this so important?
If a student fails one grade he or she has a 40% chance of dropping out and if he fails two grades a 90% chance of dropping out. Dropouts earn a significant amount less than high school graduates.
In an effort to address the situation, Fairlead Academy will open in the fall of this year for 60 of the approximately 400 students with the problem. What is this effort and what did it replace?
First, it replaced White Oak Secondary Center which was for students with emotional, social and academic problems. Mary Washington noted in her many visits to White Oak that the students liked the classes of ten. It is important to recognize that due to the great efforts at White Oak, there were some success stories. However, it had a significant dropout rate and its absentee rate was also a concern. I would like to know what the absentee rate was for these students before White Oak. Also, what will happen when these students are returned to their home schools? Their tendency to disrupt will not help their home schools unless it is addressed. Supposedly there will be some overlap between White Oak and Fairlead which would mean that some White Oak students would end up at Fairlead. Since the teachers at White Oak will have to reapply for their positions, questions remain about what will happen to those who apply for Fairlead and are not selected.
Fairlead will have small classes as did White Oak. The students will have ninety minute classes which might be a concern regarding focusing. Lecturing to these students will not work, however the plan is to have hands on activities, good extension activities, technology and teaming between the teachers. All of these efforts could help focusing if they are indeed done as planned.
At the end of next year we need hard data on this new effort including absentee rate, dropout rate, and promotion rate. We also need to track these students through high school and bolster them where needed. Follow up has been promised.
In the future, the public needs to know why one program is leaving and another replacing it. We advertise that we have hard data, and it needs to be shared with the public. As always, we must keep all of the children first.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
More Not Less Math
website Letter to the editor- FebMath credits-Feb. 24ruary 24, 2008
Marilyn Crosby- 301-8636404
46285 Cecil Road
Lexington Park, MD 20653
Regarding the subjects of math and science, our country is in trouble internationally according to the starbasedod.org. “In comparison of 15 year olds in 27 countries, U.S. youth ranked 18th in math and 14th in science.” We are not doing as well as we should be as an international leader.
The Saint Mary’s Public School System is to be praised for having the science, technology, engineering, and math academies otherwise know as STEM. The first word above the door to the STEM room at Spring Ridge Middle School is rigor!
However, as happy as I am with STEM, I was disappointed when the St. Mary’s County Public School System dropped its forth high school math credit requirement to three credits. The state currently requires 3. I saw this as lessening rigor for many, many students. One of the board of education members defended the move by saying that in strapped financial times it would make sense to adopt the state’s requirements. The state funds more than half of the school system’s operating budget. He was referring to
lessening both math and social studies.
His statement peaked my curiosity as the state did not seem to have a problem funding STEM during strapped financial times. I called the math department at the Maryland State Department of Education. I was told that about one half of the counties are moving toward or already require four credits of high school math to graduate. I was e-mailed a table titled “Summary of High School Course Sequencing and Graduation Requirements.” In Harford County the graduating class of 2010 will be required to have 4 credits. Somerset is phasing in 4. Last, St. Mary’s is going against the rigorous trend and now requires three.
St. Mary’s argues that counselors will encourage students to take the rigorous courses. Even the state agreed with me that given a choice, students might opt for something easier and have a harder time in college. If this country wants to continue to lead, we must require rigor for all, not just for some. Keep all of the children first!
Marilyn Crosby- 301-8636404
46285 Cecil Road
Lexington Park, MD 20653
Regarding the subjects of math and science, our country is in trouble internationally according to the starbasedod.org. “In comparison of 15 year olds in 27 countries, U.S. youth ranked 18th in math and 14th in science.” We are not doing as well as we should be as an international leader.
The Saint Mary’s Public School System is to be praised for having the science, technology, engineering, and math academies otherwise know as STEM. The first word above the door to the STEM room at Spring Ridge Middle School is rigor!
However, as happy as I am with STEM, I was disappointed when the St. Mary’s County Public School System dropped its forth high school math credit requirement to three credits. The state currently requires 3. I saw this as lessening rigor for many, many students. One of the board of education members defended the move by saying that in strapped financial times it would make sense to adopt the state’s requirements. The state funds more than half of the school system’s operating budget. He was referring to
lessening both math and social studies.
His statement peaked my curiosity as the state did not seem to have a problem funding STEM during strapped financial times. I called the math department at the Maryland State Department of Education. I was told that about one half of the counties are moving toward or already require four credits of high school math to graduate. I was e-mailed a table titled “Summary of High School Course Sequencing and Graduation Requirements.” In Harford County the graduating class of 2010 will be required to have 4 credits. Somerset is phasing in 4. Last, St. Mary’s is going against the rigorous trend and now requires three.
St. Mary’s argues that counselors will encourage students to take the rigorous courses. Even the state agreed with me that given a choice, students might opt for something easier and have a harder time in college. If this country wants to continue to lead, we must require rigor for all, not just for some. Keep all of the children first!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
St. Mary's County Budget 08-09
Letter to the Editor:
December 30, 2007
According to the headline of the December 16, 2007 Southern Maryland Extra, “Schools Prepare for Smaller Funding Increases.” Why is this so, and what are the implications?
First, according to the Extra, we have put more money into education because of the Bridge to Excellence Act of 2002 that increased state aid to public schools. Also, according to the article we can’t sustain that spending. If we did not do something we would run an annual deficit of 1.5 billion dollars. Since the state of Maryland has a balanced budget amendment a solution was imperative. How was this to be accomplished?
The state legislature met in November and decided that revenue to the state would have to be increased and expenses decreased. According to the Southern Maryland Extra, at the state level it is estimated that Saint Mary’s County will probably receive over 4 million less than expected from the state. The data was based on data from previous years.
The article indicated that school officials are waiting to see how much they will get from their respective counties. Saint Mary’s County does have “maintenance of effort” where the school system is entitled to what it got the previous year. One time only grants such as a textbook purchase can be deducted from that number. We must remember that even though state taxes were raised, and only for some wage levels, deductions were increased. The county gets a percentage of a taxpayer’s taxable income. If that income is reduced because of deductions, the county will get less from that particular taxpayer.
What is the bottom line? We will not get as much as we did in previous years as far as increases go. Education is supposed to increase 1% in FY09 and 1% in FY10. It should get more funds in FY11 if the state referendum legalizing slot machines pass.
What will we do in the interim? School officials will be going over the budget line-by-line to find places to trim and strategize on ways to conserve energy and reduce utility bills. We must not further enhance the school system for the immediate future; we must stay in place and not lose ground. First and most importantly, we must not let instruction suffer, and that means keeping our class sizes low. I worked with three board members in the nineties to lower class sizes. Those numbers still remain, and we must not at all costs let them go higher! Keep our children first!
December 30, 2007
According to the headline of the December 16, 2007 Southern Maryland Extra, “Schools Prepare for Smaller Funding Increases.” Why is this so, and what are the implications?
First, according to the Extra, we have put more money into education because of the Bridge to Excellence Act of 2002 that increased state aid to public schools. Also, according to the article we can’t sustain that spending. If we did not do something we would run an annual deficit of 1.5 billion dollars. Since the state of Maryland has a balanced budget amendment a solution was imperative. How was this to be accomplished?
The state legislature met in November and decided that revenue to the state would have to be increased and expenses decreased. According to the Southern Maryland Extra, at the state level it is estimated that Saint Mary’s County will probably receive over 4 million less than expected from the state. The data was based on data from previous years.
The article indicated that school officials are waiting to see how much they will get from their respective counties. Saint Mary’s County does have “maintenance of effort” where the school system is entitled to what it got the previous year. One time only grants such as a textbook purchase can be deducted from that number. We must remember that even though state taxes were raised, and only for some wage levels, deductions were increased. The county gets a percentage of a taxpayer’s taxable income. If that income is reduced because of deductions, the county will get less from that particular taxpayer.
What is the bottom line? We will not get as much as we did in previous years as far as increases go. Education is supposed to increase 1% in FY09 and 1% in FY10. It should get more funds in FY11 if the state referendum legalizing slot machines pass.
What will we do in the interim? School officials will be going over the budget line-by-line to find places to trim and strategize on ways to conserve energy and reduce utility bills. We must not further enhance the school system for the immediate future; we must stay in place and not lose ground. First and most importantly, we must not let instruction suffer, and that means keeping our class sizes low. I worked with three board members in the nineties to lower class sizes. Those numbers still remain, and we must not at all costs let them go higher! Keep our children first!
Class Size St. Mary's County
Letter to the Editor October 2, 2007
Marilyn Crosby 301-863-6404
In 1998, I wrote a letter to the editor of The Enterprise titled “There Is Absolutely No Doubt We Must Keep Class Sizes Down Throughout Schools.” I noted that a study called “Project Star” concluded that small elementary classes, kindergarten through third with classes of 13-17 students, benefit children in reading and math and are very beneficial to minority students.
In 1999 the goal for kindergarten was 22 students per class, one and two at 22, and three through five at 25 students. I helped persuade many on the board of education to lower kindergarten to 20, and grades one and two to 21. Grades three through five remained at 25.
Where are we now? Most goals are the same except I am very happy to report that grades three through five are now at a goal of 23. The cap for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten is 23, the cap for grades one and two is 24, and the cap for grades three through five is 29. Cap used to be defined as the number, that when exceeded, paid assistance was given. We no longer offer paid assistance, but we do offer resource help or pull groups to lighten the load. We watch closely when grades three through five get close to twenty-seven or twenty-eight. I would suggest that we lower the cap for grades three through five as the goal has been lowered. I would lower it to 27.
At times, on a grade level, we might have one class at cap and another significantly below. In that case the principal has grouped students on the basis of need. Remember, we now include special education students in regular classes. If we distributed the students in the above example evenly, the classes would be under cap. Overall, we look good as a system. We must remember that class size averages are reported. There is always the outlying situation where a particular class has gone above although not very often. Where can you find more? Go to the school system system’s web site . Class sizes are listed on page 36 of the budget. Always "Keep Children First."
Marilyn Crosby 301-863-6404
In 1998, I wrote a letter to the editor of The Enterprise titled “There Is Absolutely No Doubt We Must Keep Class Sizes Down Throughout Schools.” I noted that a study called “Project Star” concluded that small elementary classes, kindergarten through third with classes of 13-17 students, benefit children in reading and math and are very beneficial to minority students.
In 1999 the goal for kindergarten was 22 students per class, one and two at 22, and three through five at 25 students. I helped persuade many on the board of education to lower kindergarten to 20, and grades one and two to 21. Grades three through five remained at 25.
Where are we now? Most goals are the same except I am very happy to report that grades three through five are now at a goal of 23. The cap for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten is 23, the cap for grades one and two is 24, and the cap for grades three through five is 29. Cap used to be defined as the number, that when exceeded, paid assistance was given. We no longer offer paid assistance, but we do offer resource help or pull groups to lighten the load. We watch closely when grades three through five get close to twenty-seven or twenty-eight. I would suggest that we lower the cap for grades three through five as the goal has been lowered. I would lower it to 27.
At times, on a grade level, we might have one class at cap and another significantly below. In that case the principal has grouped students on the basis of need. Remember, we now include special education students in regular classes. If we distributed the students in the above example evenly, the classes would be under cap. Overall, we look good as a system. We must remember that class size averages are reported. There is always the outlying situation where a particular class has gone above although not very often. Where can you find more? Go to the school system system’s web site . Class sizes are listed on page 36 of the budget. Always "Keep Children First."
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Welcome
My name is Marilyn Crosby and I am running for the St. Mary's County Board of Education. I will be maintaining this blog throughout my campaign to keep you informed about my goals for education in our County as well as relevant news about the school system. I thank you for taking the time to learn about my passion for education and why I wish to serve the children of St. Mary's County.
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