Hogan Appointed State Board of Education Hires Controversial Former HoCo Superintendent

Renee Foose, who resigned in May as Howard County’s school superintendent after months of publicly feuding with members of a politically divided school board, was hired Tuesday by the Maryland State Department of Education...

...A power struggle between Foose and the school board erupted last spring after three new board members were elected on a platform opposing her. She was left her with a minority of the board’s support. Foose eventually sued the school board claiming, among other things, that they were trying to usurp her authority. Under a settlement reached with Howard County and signed May 2, Foose agreed to drop her lawsuit and both sides agreed to cease making disparaging comments about each other. The terms of the settlement were criticized by legislators and parents at the time as being excessive and a waste of taxpayer money. Her opponents had said she was dictatorial and ignored issues that were important to parents.

The hiring of Foose by the state education department angered state Del. Warren Miller, a Howard County Republican.

“She received well over a million dollars. Now we are rewarding her with a state job?” he said. “I think the biggest issue is that this is someone who sued the taxpayers of Howard County. We never found out in court what would have happened. ….I think this is a tremendous liability for the state taxpayers.”...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/bs-md-foose-hire-20170919-story.html

Howard Co. BOE to Pay Foose $1.65 Million to Leave

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/k-12/bs-md-foose-buyout-20170503-story.html

Howard County Superintendent Tells Staff She Will Resign #ReneeFoose

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/k-12/bs-md--foose-resign-20170502-story.html

Howard Co. BOE to Go Into Closed Session at 4 PM Today

http://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/hcpssmd/Board.nsf/files/ALYJJN4CC37C/$file/05%2002%202017%20Press%20Release.pdf

State BOE: Foose Must Recuse Herself in Contract Review, Contract Falls Outside Requirement for Superintendent Approval

   BOE Howard Co. v. Foose OR17-06 by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

Howard board, superintendent in legal battle as they run county school system

A new majority took over the Howard County school board in December and passed sweeping measures to assert its authority over superintendent Renee Foose.
In response, she sued them.
Now the superintendent and school board are locked in a costly power struggle with dueling accusations and no lack of recrimination. The internal strife threatens to disrupt Maryland's sixth-largest school system, a district with 76 schools and 55,000 students that consistently ranks among the best in the nation.
"I've been very disappointed with the way that we're operating right now," said Kathryn McKinley, principal of River Hill High School. "It just seems to be dysfunctional." ...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/bs-md-howard-schools-lawsuit-20170413-story.html

Breaking: MD State BOE issues Declarations, Tells Parties to Mediate Dispute in Howard Co. Superintendent v. BOE

   BOE Howard Co. v. Foose v. BOE Howard Co.op.No.17-13 by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

State BOE has primary jurisdiction over HoCo Superintendent Dispute with HoCo Board of Ed @SuperHCPSS

   BOE Howard Co. v. Foose v. BOE Howard Co. Opin. No. 17-08 by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

State BOE: HoCo Superintendent must respond to HoCo BOE request for Declaratory Ruling by February 6, 2017

   BOE of Howard Co. v. Foose by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

Understanding The Rift In Howard County School’s Leadership

Note:  The Howard County Public School System uses one of the same outside attorneys that is used by the Montgomery County Board of Education.  The relationship between the Howard County Board of Education and the school systems outside attorney is one of the issues at the heart of the dispute between the Superintendent and the Board of Education.

In Maryland’s Howard County, where residents are encouraged to “choose civility,” the relationship between the school superintendent and the board of education seems broken. In December, the school board passed a number of measures that Superintendent Renee Foose claims undermined her authority to govern the county’s school system. In response, Foose took unprecedented action this week and sued the board. Where did things go wrong? Kojo explores the rift with Foose and School Board Chair Cynthia Vaillancourt...

http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2017-01-18/the-feud-between-howard-county-school-superintendent-and-board-heats-up

Ho Co BOE Wants BOE Staff to Report to BOE and Internal Audit, So Superintendent Sued Them.

...The complaint states one of the first resolutions passed by the newly sworn-in board on Dec. 5 sought to " misappropriate the superintendent's lawful authority."
At that first meeting with the new board member, Delmont-Small and Ellis passed eight resolutions, including a move to give the board responsibility over school board staff, such as the board administrator, secretarial staff and internal auditor, to increase transparency.
This change, which was passed despite opposition from board members Christine O'Connor and Sandra French, states that staff will report directly to the board rather than the superintendent. The board would then handle any staff terminations.
Another passed motion, introduced by Delmont-Small, instructed and authorized the board's internal auditor to review operations of the transportation department and all current and existing sole-source contracts.
According to state law, the complaint read, the superintendent is responsible for school administration, including discipline and terminations; therefore, deeming the board's actions illegal...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/columbia/ph-ho-cf-foose-suit-boe-0119-20170112-story.html

Howard Co Public Schools superintendent files lawsuit against Board of Education

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. - Howard County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Renee Foose is pursuing legal action against the Board of Education for their “unlawful conduct” in preventing the superintendent from fulfilling her job responsibilities, according to a lawsuit.
In a lawsuit filed in Howard County Circuit Court on Wednesday, Dr. Foose filed a Complaint for Declaratory Judgment and Injunctive Relief asking that the Court keep the Board of Education from illegally interfering with her duties as superintendent.
The lawsuit alleges that almost immediately after taking office on December 5, 2016, the new Board took action to prevent Dr. Foose from doing her job of administering and managing HCPSS.
The examples provided include: Unlawfully directing the superintendent to not engage or communicate with legal counsel; directing the counsel to illegally begin inspecting HCPSS records, which include student and employee records; “usurping” the superintendent’s authority to hire and fire non-certificated employees; preventing the superintendent from attending board meetings she is legally required to attend; and unlawfully substituting the superintendent’s designee on the Howard County School Budget Review Committee.
The lawsuit alleges the Board’s “illegal actions are creating chaos and uncertainty in HCPSS and are jeopardizing the orderly administration of public education in Howard County.”
Dr. Foose has come under scrutiny from parents in the past for her handling of mold concerns at several Howard County public schools. Last year, a petition to deny Foose's contract renewal received more than 1,500 signatures...

http://www.abc2news.com/news/region/howard-county/howard-county-public-schools-superintendent-files-lawsuit-against-board-of-education

Balt. Sun: Dance and Foose say they aren't seeking job in Montgomery

Baltimore County school Superintendent Dallas Dance, who has asked that his contract be renewed, denied reports Tuesday that he has applied to be the next superintendent in Montgomery County.
"I have not applied for the Montgomery job," he said. "I have not applied for any job."
Howard County Superintendent Renee A. Foose also denies that she is in the running for the job.
Montgomery County's school board expects to make an announcement this spring on a permanent replacement for Joshua P. Starr, who resigned after reports that he did not have the votes needed to get a new contract. The Washington Post cited unnamed sources saying that both Dance and Foose were in the mix of applicants for the superintendent's job. John White, a spokesman for Howard County schools, said Foose hasn't applied for the job...

 http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-co-dance-montgomery-20160112-story.html

2007: Foose and the Test Prep Scandal. WPost says Foose on Short List for MCPS Superintendent.

Sunday, March 4, 2007
The principal of Earle B. Wood Middle School in Rockville gathered teachers and handed out a list of all the black, Hispanic, special-education and limited-English-speaking students who would take the Maryland School Assessment, the measure of success or failure under the federal No Child Left Behind mandate.

Principal Renee Foose told teachers to cross off the names of students who had virtually no chance of passing and those certain to pass. Those who remained, children on the cusp between success and failure, would receive 45 minutes of intensive test preparation four days a week, until further notice.

...That is what some teachers say has happened at Wood. Their accounts and interviews with Foose offer a glimpse at a kind of test-prep triage that analysts think is increasingly common at many schools but is rarely discussed in public...

...Test preparations began in earnest, the staffers said, on the day faculty returned from winter break. In separate meetings with the English and math teachers, Foose handed out lists of "subgroup" students and outlined her plan:
"We were told to cross off the kids who would never pass," one staffer said. "We were told to cross off the kids who, if we handed them the test tomorrow, they would pass. And then the kids who were left over, those were the kids we were supposed to focus on."

The next week, teachers regularly began pulling selected students from social studies, science, gym, art and other elective classes to work in small groups to prepare for the test. They used test-prep workbooks and sample material from the state education department's Web site.
The principal and some employees disagree on how often students were removed from classes for test-preparation. Foose said that many teachers delivered extra instruction in the classroom.
Employees say that Foose and one of her administrators added to the urgency by telling students and parents that those who failed the assessments might be held back. The principal said the comments came from an assistant principal and were more about students' long-term academic prospects...

... Others, inside and outside the school, said they thought the exercise crossed a line.
"They're not teaching the material," Cullison said. "They're teaching them how to take a test, which is a huge disservice to these kids." 

 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/03/AR2007030301372_3.html

Secret Source says Dallas Dance and Renee Foose among candidates

...S. Dallas Dance, schools superintendent in Baltimore County, and Renee A. Foose, superintendent in Howard County, are among candidates who could be in play as the process heads into a critical period in the coming months, according to a person familiar with board discussions who requested anonymity to speak freely about a sensitive personnel process...

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-schools-superintendent-could-be-selected-as-soon-as-march/2016/01/10/046dd5a2-b3e4-11e5-9388-466021d971de_story.html

...the school system's legal fees have nearly tripled. "Cut Foose Loose" petition.

An online petition requesting the Howard County Board of Education not renew Superintendent Renee Foose's four-year contract has collected more than 700 signatures since it went live last week.
The "Cut Foose Loose" petition cites several concerns about the superintendent's leadership, including her elimination of the Citizens' Operating Budget Review Committee; lack of communication with parents about mold issues at Glenwood Middle School; and elimination of the school system's in-house attorneys in favor of contracted legal services — since that decision was made in 2012, the school system's legal fees have nearly tripled...


http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/columbia/ph-ho-cf-foose-petition-1231-20151229-story.html

The petition:


We request that the Howard County Board of Education not renew the contract of Superintendent Foose, if she requests renewal. We demand that our elected BOE hire a superintendent who will require transparency, accountability, and responsiveness. The years under Superintendent Foose have caused escalating difficulties for taxpayers, parents, students, and teachers.

IMPACT on Taxpayers. Under Foose’s HCPSS Leadership…
Elimination of the Citizens’ Operating Budget Review Committee - the group that provided public oversight of the proposed school budget (which is the majority of the Howard County taxpayer’s budget). [source]

Elimination of the HCPSS in-house attorney, incurring much higher costs for outside attorneys [PDF] [PDF] who have a financial incentive to litigate over working with parents, teachers and students to resolve disputes. [PDF]

Hiring an attorney for the Ethics Panel who was fired from Prince George's County Public Schools for unauthorized use of school funds. [source] [PDF p16 (last page)]

Spent over $10M last year on sole-source (non-competed) contracts. Chose to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on renovating the Board of Ed room [PDF] and a social medial consultant for the Superintendent and BOE [PDF] [PDF] while getting rid of direct support for teachers and students by eliminating paraeducator positions and increasing class sizes. Spent twice as much as Montgomery County on a special education audit. [PDF] [PDF]

IMPACT on Parents. Under Foose’s HCPSS Leadership…

Parents were not informed about known mold problems at Glenwood Middle School. When school staff wanted to tell parents, they were silenced. Mold was characterized as a “maintenance issue” - rather than a health issue - that did not need to be revealed to parents. Both students and staff with mold allergies suffered on-going illnesses. [PDF] [PDF]

Parents of students with disabilities and the Special Education Citizen’s Advisory Committee, were denied a (publicly funded) contractor's report of the HCPSS special education audit. Sanctions were sought and obtained on a special education student’s mother when attempting to obtain a copy of this special education audit report. [PDF] The Superintendent and senior staff noted that the report existed in records, then denied the MD-PIA request stating that the report did not exist. [PDF] The report still has not been released to the public.
There are other examples of non-compliance with the MD Public Information Act. [PDF] [PDF]

IMPACT on Students. Under Foose’s HCPSS Leadership…

BULLYING was IGNORED. Grace McComas was a bright, kind, and well-adjusted 14-year old who committed suicide on Easter Sunday, 2012. A drug-assisted sexual assault by a Glenelg High School student was not investigated, and Grace endured months of sexual harassment and bullying, which was reported to the school system. Next to nothing was done in response. Title IX of the federal Education Amendments Act, which describes a school’s responsibilities to address sexual harassment and sexual violence, was not followed, according to a parent. The family requested Grace’s counseling records, and have not received them. Several requests were made from June 2011–2014. Although legally required to do so, the HCPSS has not responded. [source] [source]. Foose recently told Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman she was not aware of requests for these records. [source] [source]. Grace’s Law, the child protective Maryland law against cyberbullying in Maryland, is not being properly communicated to families and victims. [source].
Other personal experiences of ignored bullying. [source]
Special Education students have had a particularly difficult time getting proper attention. Funds were removed each year from the special ed budget. The cutting of paraeducators affects them more, and parent requests for proper resources has not only gone unheeded, but has produced inappropriate antagonism. [PDF] [PDF] [PDF]
Suspension rates are higher for African American students in the HCPSS. [source]
It is proposed to remove the Jewish holidays from the HCPSS calendar. [source]

IMPACT on Teachers. Under Foose’s HCPSS Leadership…

Recently retired teachers have spoken at hearings saying they were afraid to speak for fear of their jobs in this Administration. There is not an atmosphere of open communication. [source]
Signing this petition is a call for HCPSS leadership to demonstrate greater fiscal responsibility, transparency, and communication. PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT and sign. Your email address will not be released to any third party.
By Authority: The People's Voice, LLC, PAC Lisa Markovitz, Treasurer (www.PeoplesVoiceLLC.org)