MABE eBRIEF

Maryland Association of Boards of Education News

October 2007 - Vol 2, Issue 1

 

 

 

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HISTORICAL TIDBITS

The first state convention was held October 2 and 3, 1958 at the Lord Baltimore Hotel. The theme was "The Education of School Board Members." The planning committee recognized the importance of the of the event. The minutes of the June 27, 1958, planning meeting record, "It was the agreement of all present that very probably the ultimate success of the effectiveness of the Maryland Association of Boards of Education might well depend on the success of this, first annual convention."

A constitution and bylaws were adopted and the Executive Committee, which was simply the officers, was expanded to include a second vice president. Miss Mary Russell (St. Mary's) was elected secretary and from that time until the present both men and women have been members of MABE's Executive Committee.

 

Every Board in Maryland Represented at Annual Conference

For the first time in several years, board members from every board in Maryland attended the Annual MABE Conference. Board members came to learn about educational issues and network with colleagues from across the state. There were keynote speakers, informative sessions, a great new General Session, Hot Topics, and opportunities to catch up with friends from around the state. The Exhibit Hall offered time throughout Thursday for attendees to visit with vendors and learn about products and services. And, of course, there was the "BoardWalk" with tee shirts, visors, French fries, and trophies.

To mark the Fiftieth Anniversary of MABE, Ms. Pat Foerster, Education Policy Advisor, presented a resolution from Governor Martin O'Malley. During the Presidents' Dinner, Dr. Joseph Villani, NSBA Deputy Executive Director, presented a plaque recognizing MABE's many accomplishments over the past 50 years. President Bill Phalen presented the Charles W. Willis Award to Wilson H. Parran, former Calvert board member and MABE past president. The conference ended with brunch and an address from newly elected President Sandi Barry (Caroline) who reminded us of history over the past 50 years.

 

During the Annual Meeting of the Association, the members elected the following officers and members of the Board of Directors:

OFFICERS
Sandra L. Barry, President (Caroline County)
Patricia S. Gordon, President-Elect (Howard County)
Cathy Allen, Treasurer (St. Mary's County)
Edward P. Carey, Secretary (Anne Arundel County)

DIRECTORS
George M. VanHook, Sr. (Baltimore City)
Frances A. S. Harris (Baltimore County)
Patricia W. Gadberry (Carroll County)
Donald M. Wade (Charles County)
Jean A. Smith (Frederick County)
Thomas A. Carr (Garrett County)
Mark M. Wolkow (Harford County)
Diane B. Mikulis (Howard County)
Linda Thornton Thomas (Prince George's County)
Salvatore Raspa (St. Mary's County)
William M. Miles (Somerset County)
Robin H. Holloway (Wicomico County)
William J. Phalen, Sr., Immediate Past President (Calvert County)

 

In our last article, we discussed the concept of Enterprise Risk Management, or ERM. In that article we reported several fundamental steps that can be taken to incorporate ERM in the workplace. Here are those steps we reported on last month:
o Incorporate risk management into the core values of the system;
o Support those core values with demonstrated actions;
o Identify risks through a risk analysis process;
o Select and implement specific strategies as a result of your risk analysis to reduce exposures;
o Monitor your efforts to insure that you are warned early about potential risks; and
o Review your program and take corrective actions when necessary.

Today, we will take a look at the first of these steps individually, "Incorporating risk management into the core values of the system".

Like so many things in today's work environment, employees need some direction and a common understanding of what is important to the organization, and what they should be working towards. School system leaders involved in strategic planning are often monitoring employee's attitudes and morale and crafting responses to provide guidance to their staff and to steer employees in the right direction. Some of the more common methods used to communicate strategic plans include "Vision and Value" or "Core Value" statements and/or "Mission" Statements. These are often developed to support strategic plans and can take various forms. They can be called many different things, but the importance of developing such documents and committing to them cannot be underestimated. They should be simple, clearly understood, and communicated, promoted, and supported throughout the organization. They also can be created and used at multiple levels (i.e. departments, divisions) throughout the system.

The Free Management Library offers good definitions of how these different types of statements compare at: as well as our very own Harford County Community College who has posted their Strategic Planning processes at: http://www.managementhelp.org/plan_dec/str_plan/st mnts.htm http://www.harford.edu/StrategicPlanning/terms.asp? FA=Welcome.

So, how should you tie risk management and its parent ERM into strategic planning and supporting the core values of the system? We've discussed several organizational statements that are linked by many common threads. The smaller element of pure risk management achieves the enterprise level when it is embedded into these organizational wide practices. This is when you begin to reach the level of ERM. Some organizations will keep the risk management practices separate, treating much of its concepts as more of a compliance issue. At the enterprise level, ERM will consider the total efficiency of a system and how to best channel everyone's expertise into achieving the desired goals. True ERM reduces the risk of not achieving our stated goals and objectives. For example, is energy efficiency a risk management issue? Efficient use of energy would be a desired ERM goal because excessive energy use could result in valuable assets being siphoned away from the core mission of the school system. By embracing ERM a school system will gain better control over risks both great and small that threaten to diminish our ability to reach our desired goals.

Risk Management Updates

 

As you may know, NSBA's Walk of Excellence is an opportunity for school districts to showcase their individual programs as part of tabletop displays in a special area of Orlando's Orange County Convention Center during the NSBA Annual Conference. Such district displays are the centerpiece of an all- conference event that typically draws hundreds of people and includes information on best practices as well as refreshments. The event will take place on Sunday, March 30 from 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm. Setup for the Walk of Excellence displays will take place Sunday morning, March 30, from 9:00 am - 12:00 noon.

MABE encourages all Maryland school districts to showcase their programs. The deadline for proposals is 5:00 pm Eastern Time on November 30, 2007.

Walk of Excellence Proposals

 

"NEA Books Across America Library Awards" The NEA Foundation will make awards to public schools serving economically disadvantaged students to purchase books for school libraries. Maximum Award: $1,000. Eligibility: practicing pre- kindergarten through grade 12 school librarians, teachers, or education support professionals in a U.S. public school in which at least 70 percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. Deadline: November 12, 2007. http://www.neafoundation.org/programs/BAA_2007.ht m

"Junk-Free Schools Video Contest" The Center for Science in the Public Interest is hosting the first-ever Junk-Free Schools Video Contest The contest invites young filmmakers to make a video under three-minutes making the case for getting junk- food out of schools. It is part of a nationwide campaign to bring healthier foods to schools. Maximum Award: $100 gift certificate for iTunes and the video will be showcased on the school foods Web site. Eligibility: youth filmmakers. Deadline: November 1, 2007. http://www.schoolfoods.org/contest.html

"Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes for Excellence in International Education"The 2007 Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes for Excellence in International Education raise awareness of the growing importance of international knowledge and skills for U.S. students. Eligibility: Any public or private elementary, middle, or high school with a clear focus on raising American awareness of the world and bridging the international knowledge gap. Maximum Award: $25,000. Deadline: December 3, 2007. http://www.internationaled.org/prizes/

"Toyota Family Literacy Teacher of the Year Award" The National Center for Family Literacy and Toyota Family Literacy Teacher of the Year Award is given to educators who demonstrate exemplary efforts to help parents and children achieve their academic and non- academic goals. Eligibility: nominated teacher must have worked in a comprehensive family literacy program for three years that includes children's education, adult education, parenting education (Parent Time), and interactive literacy activities between parents and children (Parent and Child Together Time). Maximum Award: $5,000. Deadline: December 5, 2007. http://www.famlit.org/site/c.gtJWJdMQIsE/b.2014417/k. CBF7/Toyota_Family_Literacy_Teacher_of_the_Year_ Award.htm

"CTE Month Public Service Announcement Contest" The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) announces the first CTE Month Public Service Announcement (PSA) Contest to celebrate and promote CTE Month during February 2008. The contest requires students to submit a video incorporating CTE Month's logo and theme, "Discovering Skills for a Competitive Workforce," in the PSA and highlighting the importance of CTE. Maximum Award: $750, Apple Final Cut Studio 2. Eligibility: secondary and postsecondary students in CTE-related film, video and production classes. Deadline: November 15, 2007. http://www.acteonline.org/contest/videocontest.cfm

"Air Force Association Educator Grants 2007" The Air Force Association Educator Grant program aims to encourage development of innovative aerospace activities within a prescribed curriculum. The program also encourages establishing an active relationship between the school and the local Air Force Association organization. Maximum Award: $250. Eligibility: classrooms K-12. Deadline: November 15, 2007. http://www.afa.org/aef/aid/educator_guide.pdf

"Verizon Foundation: Building More Literate Communities" Verizon Foundation Literacy grants are available to organizations committed to basic literary skills in the United States. Verizon has invested in a network of collaborative literacy partners, offering wide variety of programs with a focus on e-learning. Verizon's leadership in technology and communications provides the distribution network. Maximum Award: varies. Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations. Deadline: November 30, 2007. http://foundation.verizon.com/02008.shtml
"Leaders in Learning Awards" Cable in the Classroom's Leaders In Learning Awards recognize teachers, administrators and community leaders who are helping to improve and transform education for children in and out of school, creating 21st century learning environments children need to succeed in the world that awaits them. Maximum Award: $3,000. Eligibility: teachers, administrators, and community leaders. Deadline: January 16, 2008. http://www.leadersinlearningawards.org/

Additional Grant Information

 

 

Please pass this newsletter along to any staff member who would be interested in learning about information in the articles in the issue.

Remember, your central office and school staff members may be interested in grants in News You Can Use, or in learning more about MABE services and programs.

 

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