HOCO Families For Education Improvement

Families for Education Improvement is an advocate for all students in Howard County to have the resources and opportunities to achieve an outstanding education.

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Archives for 2020

FEI Statement 04.10.2020

April 10, 2020 by Editor Editor

April 10, 2020

Families for Education Improvement (FEI) and its affiliate non-profit FEI Foundation applaud the Howard County BOE and Superintendent Martirano for a rapid response to maintain nutrition assistance to students in need via the Grab-N-Go program.  FEI also urges the Howard County BOE to immediately postpone implementation of the Redistricting plan in lieu of more critical and urgent priorities. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered the social and educational framework and the BOE needs to focus all human and capital resources in this effort urgently. FEI requests the BOE consider the following immediate priorities:

  1. Create a task force and develop short-term, intermediate and long-term plans to maintain student, teacher and staff health and safety in order for schools to reopen.
  2. Develop more comprehensive on-line learning processes and protocols to allow uninterrupted education for all grades that meet the same standards of education that HCPSS provided via in-classroom education.  The BOE and HCPSS must consider distance learning to be a priority. 
  3. Reevaluate all operating budget decisions in light of the potential for a significantly different operating environment.  

HCPSS must deliver rigorous education opportunities to ALL students in Howard County, while also determining how to provide additional resources directly to students for whom distance learning may create challenges such as special needs and families without in-home access to internet connectivity. The county is entering an unprecedented situation with regard to public health concerns and also economic disruption.  Governor Hogan announced an immediate State budget freeze and anticipates that declines in state revenue due to COVID-19 will impact state budgets for years to come. We should expect similar COVID-19 ramifications at the county level. In the last 3 weeks, over 17 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits. Many economists now predict that the national unemployment rate could reach or exceed 20%.   The Socio-economic status (SES) data upon which the prior Redistricting was based, is now obsolete and useless in attempting to balance needs among schools. HCPSS and BOE must consider the potential for a dramatic increase in FARM needs at all schools and grade levels. Many additional families across all regions of Howard County will be experiencing economic hardship and the BOE needs to focus on (1) an operating plan for distance learning  (2) an operating plan that prioritizes safety and health and (3) capital spending plan that focuses resources and delivery of educational opportunities to the students and anticipates significantly greater FARMS needs.

Filed Under: Latest Development

FEI Strongly Endorses Christina Delmont-Small for Re-election to the Howard County Board of Education – District 1

January 12, 2020 by Editor Editor

FEI Strongly Endorses Christina Delmont-Small for Re-election to the Howard County Board of Education – District 1 

The voice of Howard County parents and students was overwhelmingly clear during the recent redistricting process. Alongside thousands of Howard County residents, FEI implored the Board of Education to move the fewest possible students to address overcrowding, while keeping neighborhoods together and communities stable. FEI advocated for separate, evidence-based strategies to address the achievement gap. Yet, the majority of BOE members failed to listen to the community, and instead chose to thrust their agendas upon constituents with a lack of transparency and integrity. It was a display of failed government – when elected representatives ignore the key values upon which our nation was founded – “We the People.” 

At a time when Howard County is in desperate need of effective leadership, Christina Delmont-Small has distinguished herself as a steadfast and courageous voice of the people – a true leader for the students and parents of Howard County. Her values align with those of Families for Education Improvement, and therefore FEI is proud to strongly endorse Christina Delmont-Small for re-election to the Howard County Board of Education (BOE) District 1. 

Listening to the Community 

After the BOE vote, Ms. Delmont-Small released a statement thanking the community for their engagement and advocacy. She expressed deep frustration with the redistricting process and outcome, and also affirmed the need for our leaders to listen to the community: 

“Listening to the community is vital to making the best possible decisions for all of our students and has made my voice stronger throughout this process because I heard your concerns and ideas.” 

Ms. Delmont-Small has demonstrated that she will engage and listen to all members of the community, and advocate strongly on their behalf. 

Check and Balance to our Local Government 

Ms. Delmont Small does her own research. She is data-driven, and has repeatedly emphasized the need for the BOE to base their policy decisions on accurate data. She will continue to serve as an important check and balance on our local government, and her independent, logical, and evidence-based decision- making will ensure the BOE makes prudent and appropriate decisions for our students. 

Advocate for Responsible Spending 

At a time when the Howard County Public School System is facing unprecedented budget shortfalls, Ms. Delmont-Small will be a consistent watchdog of unnecessary and inappropriate spending. She is detail- 

oriented and laser focused in her analysis, and this will be critical as the BOE makes decisions about how to allocate funding to best meet the needs of our students. 

A Proven Track Record 

Unfortunately, we have seen our elected leaders’ actions in office defy their campaign promises. In contrast, Christina Delmont-Small’s track record in office is proven and speaks for itself. She has the experience and integrity to build a better BOE and better future for our students. 

FEI is proud to endorse Ms. Delmont-Small and encourages our community to fully support her efforts for re-election. To learn more about how you can donate, volunteer, or host a fundraiser for Christina Delmont-Small, visit https://christinaforboe.org/. 

FEI has not yet endorsed any other candidates for BOE, but will continue to thoroughly assess each candidate’s credentials and values over the weeks ahead, leading up to the April 28, 2020 elections.

Filed Under: Announcements, Slider Content

Appeals filed relating to HoCo School Redistricting

January 2, 2020 by Editor Editor

Great work done by the legal team at Lawrence Whittaker, PC and coordinated by FEI legal team to get to the finish line.

Please donate here today to allow us to continue pushing forward for you: https://www.aplos.com/aws/give/FamiliesforEducationImprovement/general. Remember to designate it “legal”!

Thank you so much!

504.IEP-Appeal.redactedDownload
Alarcon-Appeal-Final-RedactedDownload
Dewani-Appeal_RedactedDownload
McCormack.Tayter-Appeal_RedactedDownload
Tucker-Appeal-with-exhibits_RedactedDownload
Xue.et-al-Appeal_RedactedDownload

Filed Under: Latest Development

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    FEI is an advocate for all students in Howard County to have the resources and opportunities to achieve an outstanding education. Our plan focuses on providing additional resources directly to the students, utilizing empirical evidence on the best way to achieve improved educational results, adheres to Policy Statement 6010 and listens to the feedback of ALL Howard County residents.

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