HCPS 411 Update

The Maryland State Department of Education will be conducting a statewide election to fill the newly created teacher member position on the State Board of Education (SBOE). The individual with the most votes will win the election and their name will be forwarded to the Governor for appointment to the SBOE. Links to more information, including eligibility, the nomination process, the responsibilities of SBOE members, and the election schedule, may be found below. Please monitor the MSDE website for updated information pertaining to the upcoming election. Information pertaining to the teacher election will be available on the home page of the MSDE website at www.marylandpublicschools.org.

• Memo: Teacher Member Vacancy on the State Board of Education
• State Board of Education Member Responsibilities
• Application Form

Dr. Karen Salmon, state superintendent of schools, announced the names of seven finalists for 2019-2020 Maryland Teacher of the Year on September 5. Congratulations to our very own Paige Milanoski for being named one of the seven finalists in the running for the State title!

The finalists were selected by a panel of judges from a number of key Maryland education organizations representing principals, teachers, school boards, teacher unions, parents, and higher education. All finalists were chosen based on a rigorous set of state and national criteria that include teaching philosophy and results, community involvement, knowledge of general education issues, and suggestions for professional and instructional improvement. The finalists were selected from a group of 24 local teachers of the year, representing the 24 Maryland school systems.

The 2019-2020 Maryland Teacher of the Year will be announced during a gala reception and dinner at Martin’s West in Baltimore on October 25, 2019. The winner will receive cash awards, technology equipment, national travel opportunities, and a new car valued at more than $25,000, donated by the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association.

The selected Maryland Teacher of the Year will go on to compete for the esteemed National Teacher of the Year Award, to be announced next April. Maryland’s Teacher of the Year will spend the coming year as an educational speaker and advisor in Maryland, and will be honored by the President at the White House next spring. The Maryland Teacher of the Year will also participate in several national meetings and conferences.

GOOD LUCK, MRS. MILANOSKI!!

Medical Assistance Caseloads Due: The Department of Special Education and the Office of Third Party Billing have sent digital files to all principals asking for their special education caseloads to be entered and returned to Diane LaPenna in the Office of Third Party Billing. The requested due date is September 13 to allow for entry into the MA Billing and Case Management software for billing to begin in a timely manner. We appreciate your support in getting this task accomplished to ensure that maximum reimbursement can be achieved. Questions regarding this information should be directed to Pauline Timmons, in Special Education, at Pauline.Timmons@hcps.org or x5246, or Diane LaPenna, in Third Party Billing, at Diane.Lapenna@hcps.org or x6052.

HCPS, together with CareFirst, Healthy Harford/Cecil, and other community partners, is committed to providing our employees with information, resources, and inspiration to encourage a holistic approach to health and wellness. In addition to the #HCPSGetFit initiative, which focuses on tracking exercise and fitness goals, this year we will roll out a new campaign with CareFirst - details coming soon!

Continue tracking your steps and join together with others in HCPS working toward their health goals by connecting on social media using #HCPSgetfit.

Look for monthly videos with health tips from Dr. Rob Reier in future issues of the HCPS 411 Update!

Every semester, HCPS teachers host HCC students for their 30-hour field placement experience. This is a great opportunity for teachers to take on a leadership role and refine their teaching practice through helping an aspiring educator. A significant number of special education placements and classroom placements of all grade levels and content areas are needed for this semester. Interested teachers should visit the following link to indicate their interest: HCC Intern Interest Survey - Fall 2019. Questions regarding this information should be directed to: Heather Kutcher, in Professional Development, at Heather.Kutcher@hcps.org or x5322.

• "I’d like to give a shout out to the counseling secretary at Aberdeen Middle School, Cathy Thompson. Not only does she go above and beyond to help the students, parents, teachers, and counselors, but she always does it in a calm, kind, speedy, and proficient manner. Even if she is completely snowed under with work, she will stop to help if she notices someone else struggling with the workload. Finally, she never fails to recognize first days, holidays, birthdays, etc. in the form of treats. I can’t imagine this job without her." -Dawn Flynn

• "There was a student today who was getting teased because of her wig. She didn't want to eat in the cafeteria. [The Aberdeen Middle School food services staff] were cleaning, and I asked if they could provide a lunch for her. They were gracious enough to give her a PB&J sandwich without even knowing why she did not make it to lunch like the other students. The smallest amount of kindness means so much to our children." -DeAnn Webb

• "Jack Getz [in Technology] rocks….he treats his coworkers with respect, he makes himself available to assist you and does whatever he can do to help you." -Patricia Smith
  

#HCPScustomerservice

Please verify that the address shown on your 9/6/19 pay stub is your current address. If the address is incorrect, log into Employee Self Service (ESS) and update your address (click on 'Life Events' and then 'Move'). Please note, to access ESS, you must be logged onto an HCPS computer/HCPS network. Also, the format for username is now your network username followed by “@hcps.org,” for example, johsmith@hcps.org. See the DSS/ESS Instructions for all you can do in DSS/ESS. For questions regarding this information, please contact Mary Folus at Mary.Folus@hcps.org or x5241.

Nominations for the Support Services Superstar Award are being accepted from now until September 30, 2019. APG Federal Credit Union (APGFCU) is the proud sponsor of the HCPS Support Services Superstar Awards program. All HCPS regular support staff employees are eligible for the award. Program information and nomination forms may be downloaded at www.hcps.org, or by clicking here. Questions regarding this information should be directed to Jean Mantegna, in Human Resources, at Jean.Mantegna@hcps.org or x5226.

Are you excited about teaching engineering to your students? Are you a full-time classroom teacher or special educator working in an elementary school in HCPS? Are you curious about what it would be like to teach student avatars? If you answered “yes” to all of these questions, then Towson University (TU) and the Educational Testing Service, need your help in contributing to their research project on how teachers with expertise in teaching science and engineering to elementary students conduct engineering discussions. Compensation is $250 for about 3.25-4.25 hours of participation time. Research takes place at the TU in Northeastern Maryland (TUNE) building on the Harford Community College Campus on Friday, October 11 (afternoon/evening) and Saturday, October 12 (morning/afternoon). Participation is voluntary, and there is no penalty for choosing not to participate. Click here to see the complete recruitment flyer. In it is a link to the Consent and Application survey, which is due September 13, 2019, and will take about an hour to complete. To access this Consent and Application survey directly, click here. For more information, contact the Principal Investigator of the study, Dr. Pamela Lottero-Perdue, professor of Science and Engineering Education at plottero@towson.edu.

Editor: Lindsay Bilodeau, communications specialist

To submit an HCPS Shout Out or recognize a colleague in the Spotlight on Customer Service, please email the information and photo (if available) to HCPS.411@hcps.org.

Email: HCPS.411@hcps.org
Website: www.hcps.org
Location: 102 South Hickory Avenue, Bel Air, MD, USA
Phone: 410-588-5213