The County delegation to the State Senate and House, and the County Council should all join together and demand that this be on the ballot for referrendum next election to be weighed in on by the electorate. At the same time, voters should all remember which candidates for office voted with Jim Smith on this. It is a sham that the County citizens have virtually no say in how our schools are run, and the politicians who play the game think they can continure business as usual.

Glen Thomas

Taxation with no representation...nothing will change until the citizens rise up. Frederick County did so 10 years ago. We should do the same.

It is more important that the school board represent the diversity of the student population than that the school board be an elected group. Sadly, taking judicial elections as an example, Baltimore county-wide elections would likely lead to an all-White school board, which would inevitably lead to charges of insensitivity towards our ethnically very diverse population of students. An all White Board would provoke needless contention around educational policies and oversight. I am glad to see the Task Force act at in the interests of maintaining racial diversity on this Board. If the Supreme Court, back in 1954 in the Brown v Bd of Ed decision, had mandated representative school boards when it mandated school integration, much subsequent white-only local school board resistance to integration around the country would not have surfaced and distracted everyone away from quality education goals and into side issues. Here in Baltimore County, let's not relive those pointless, self-defeating episodes.

I read about the vote in the Sun Paper and I knew something like this would happen. I voiced my concern about the how the commission was made up to our councilman. This vote is just another example of the kind of politics we face every day (underhanded and backdoor politics by our elected officials) The article mentioned that when the vote was taken, there were no Republicans present. Should I say more!!!!

Frederick County has a Lily White school Board. It just proves the point.

M Sullivan, You well state your case - that you prefer "minorities" not be part of the mix in our County. Which is exactly why "voting" on judicial and school board posts is so problematic. Representative diversity is an important component of a representative democracy - at all levels of decision-making. Reflecting diversity is essential to a well managed local jurisdiction. Without that, people will feel they are not being heard.

Robert if you mean "
Lily White" as White Americans ,nothing wrong with that . White people are GREAT !!

Richard. Diversity is necessary in our society to achieve our potential. ANY school board member, appointed or elected, should not allow their own ethnicity to influence their decisions concerning BCPS administration.

Thanks to Patch for trying to determine (even in an unscientific way) what the people of Baltimore County want with regard to filling the school board seats. I think that is the job of our elected leaders! Glad to see that Zirkin and Laugherty held out for letting the people decide.

The result was so predictable. Pander to the public. Make them think that they have input and that their opinions count. Juryrig the result using slick politician (Jim Smith) and slick political move (having an unannounced vote with council member and other representatives absent.

Baltimore County government has the school board in its pocket now with the majority of members caring more about what Baltimore County Exec and his "old political boys in Baltimore County want than with whether the students in Baltimore County Public Schools are making sufficient progress each year to ensure that they are literate and able to think and prepared to earn a living in the 21st century.

I am disappointed. Next watch what the school board does with the superintendent position. Look for "old boy" loyalist names to surface as candidates for Superintendent as the board tries to decide whether to offer Dr. Hairston another contract or try to fill the superintendent job with someone with ties to Baltimore County Government. Students in every zipcode have progressed academically under Dr. Hairston's leadership for 12 years, but that will probably not be a consideration.

Diversity... race,religious views, sex.. wow, We are talking about our Children. I think what is best for our children and their education needs to be what is important. Has everyone lost touch with the children. I want to know that my 5 year old has every opportunity that the person who sits next to him on the bus, no matter what race, religion, or sex. I want to know the my sons saftey is thought about. I want to know that he can learn and excel, but can get help if he has issues. I want to know that I can communicate and have a say in what is going on in his daily education. How do I do that? I vote, I want a say. I may not have the degrees in education, or I am not even a teacher, but I am a parent who wants my son to have a great future.
I believe that the board should be elected by our citizens and I believe that some of the board should be appointed.
Wake up everyone it needs to be about our Children, the future! ABC's and 1,2,3's.

While I believe the board should consist of those elected by the voters, I'm not opposed to having some appointed so long as the voters have a say in who makes the appointments. Those on the Board should be representative of the students who will be affected by their decisions.

Sen. Zirkin put out a good letter today updating his constituents and encouraging everyone to take the poll here at Patch. Well done Patch.

What would the students think??

I would like to see a return to the Board of Education Nominating Committee. The committee should have a set composition including representatives from the 7 council districts, the 5 BCPS bargaining units, the PTA of Baltimore County and other stakeholder groups in equal number. Candidate names and background information would be submitted to the committee for discussion. The committee would then submit name to the County Executive. The number of names submitted would be the number of BOE seats that are open for appointment plus one additional name. The County Executive would be required to select from this committee approved list.
This process would allow for county control of the BOE selection process, give all stakeholder groups a voice in the process and avoid financial factors that would limit community members who run in a county-wide election.

John,
To political! To corrupt, Again, As a parent I don't know that these people have a true motivation to make the county schools the best. I would be a better Board member as a parent than most of the people on the board now. I have not other motivation other than making sure my son has the best education. I know how to create a budget, healthy eating, and I am up to date on today's technology. People we need REAL people on these boards. I don't want people, whom only think aout how much money is going into their pockets, or what THEY as an individual has to gain, but they need to think our future and thier needs. One of them could be our future officals, presidents etc, and then they would have a stake in YOUR future. How would you want them to do it?
When you think about the future of the School Board, and you don't have a child or grandchild, go into a grocery store and ask the parents.. I am so passonate, Please, give me a call... I will be happy to help! Please look at their faces and relate it to TODAY, not 50 years ago, Not even when I was their age (30+ years), but TODAY. It is a different world.. Lets look to the children!

John, you have just stated the reason I'm not in support of an elected school board. Fund Raising! The system you proposed sounds like the way it used to be. The board members had the kids' welfare as their #1 priority. There was always a nice mix, and they all worked very good at what they were passionate about.
An elected school board would become too political, because if somebody asks for money from someone else, there will be a payoff expected somewhere down the road.
The best advocates for our children's education might not be the best fund raisers, glad-handers and back-slappers.

If Lou Grasmick wasn't dumping major $$ do you think his his wife would have made it as far as she did?

For the past several years, Maryland Schools have been ranked #1 in the Nation by many ranking organizations. I think Nancy Grasmick did a pretty good job while she held the position, and will leave some might big shoes to fill, no matter WHO her husband was.

I support Senator Delores Kelly Ph.D. The Govenor would make sure that diversity exits for this very important issue.

John,
So again it goes to one thing Money! What does that have to do with My childs Education. What are the requirements to be a school board memeber?
Money is needed?
No, I don't have money!
A high profile resume with big corporations?
No, I worked in the same industry for 18 yrs and quit recentley to spend more time with my family.
Connections?
Lived in Maryland for 10 years..
I know that I am a parent who wants what is best for my son! The background of those people making the decision should display:
Morals
Ethics
and display that the Education of our Future is the most important thing of their job.
The current board was grievously unethical in its behavior, so they don't qualify in my book. I should have a choice.
Rasing money for an election for what..? Take the money they raise and donate it to the school, Have you looked at the budget? Wow..
I will take donation of poster board, markers and someone who has better handwriting than I do. Put the money to the schools.. No I don't have my name on the list, but give the parents a voice!

The League of Women Voters of Baltimore County supports a mix of elected and appointed (hybrid) method of selection of the school board. In 2010 we came to that position after a process of study and membership consensus. To read our fact sheets which include pros and cons of each method, go to www.baltimore.lwvmd.org and click on “Our Published Studies”.
Betsy Sexton, Co-President
League of Women Voters of Baltimore County

I had been in favor of an elected school board, but after reading this string and the LWV study I find myself in favor of the status quo. "John's" arguments are especially persuasive. Democracy may be the least bad political system, as Winston Churchill famously said, but majority rule can often be very insensitive to minority concerns. The current school board has shown itself responsive to public opinion on several issues, and I am not aware of any crisis which requires a radical change in the mode of selecting it.

Sometimes I find it incredibly difficult to accept some of the perspectives I read. To choose the Churchill reference above is to ignore many of his inspirational thoughts that helped motivate humanity to be its best, especially in times of adversity. To accept the status quo of our electorate and to lose faith in our system, as Paul and John do above, is to lose hope in a better America and a better Baltimore. The reason we must have our voices heard in circumstances such as the one involving the panel's arrogance and indifference, is to stop the facilitation and apathetic response to the erosion of what has made our communities great. I will not give up on any voice that feels oppressed and whose aspirations for bettering themselves is being held captive. The people will learn to be responsible for themselves, their neighbors and their governments or we will perish. The first step is believing the people can and will; and then giving each other the support we need to help ourselves and each other.

johnny towson...Yes!

Hey, at least people are having discussion and thinking. I think that was the point of the article. Anything is better than what we have now.

Take a look...http://www.schoolboardcampaign.com/ First item this site brings forward "Budget Planning".

‎"Every man builds his world in his own image. He has the power to choose, but no power to escape the necessity of choice. If he abdicates his power, he abdicates the status of man, and the grinding chaos of the irrational is what he achieves as his sphere of existence – by his own choice."

My initial reaction was that Mencken was an unusual choice for you Mr. Cook. However, fear and low self-esteem dominated Mencken's opinions so much so, that his best means for achievement was to strictly believe only his own dogma. Any differing perspectives were met with cynicism. His was a philosophy of contradictions: like supporting elitists while championing the oppressed. I do applaud the choice of Mencken, for its subtlety in that he did acknowledge Rand's work early on, but I am not convinced of his motivation. I also applaud your passion for civil equity and justice, but differ on approach on how to best achieve the opportunity and capacity we both seek. Acceptance and tolerance must be accompanied with open hearts and minds; regardless of the history and future of our personal journeys.

"We promise according to our hopes; we fulfill according to our fears." — François La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680)

Don't believe the hype!!!  I must respectfully disagree with Bobby Zirkin on this one.  Baltimore County Public Schools is ranked pretty high locally and nationally for graduation rates of African-American males, in particular.  We all know about the challenges of keeping young Black men in school and graduating them.  The School Board is currently appointed by the Governor upon recommendation from local officials (legislators, county exec, etc.).  To leave the task of deciding who gets on the Board to VOTERS will greatly decrease the probability of having any diversity on the Board.  We all know that some do not vote the way and as often as they should, and only generally pay attention to "big" elections, like President.  Our voter turn-out is historically LOWER than almost every other ethnic group. 

Trace H Sharp,

Very well stated. It is more important that the school board represent the diversity of the student population than that the school board be an elected group. Introducing electoral politics into the school board selection process - with the politicians' need for dollars and their temptation to promise results that have nothing to do with quality education, is not the way to run this railroad - except maybe of the tracks.