Monday, May 12, 2008

Kevin M. Maxwell, superintendent of the Anne Arundel Public Schools, "doth protest too much" ["Proposed Budget Irks School Chief," Metro, May 2]. Despite the current economic realities faced by local governments, he submits an unrealistic plan to increase the schools budget by $100 million (more than a 10 percent increase), then throws a public tantrum when those realities are explained to him by the County Council and the county executive.

This is nothing new. Mr. Maxwell has a well-established pattern of engaging in thinly veiled public relations stunts and maintaining an antagonistic stance year-round with elected officials and parents. That route is much easier for him than engaging in constructive dialogue with all stakeholders to develop a realistic, comprehensive long-term plan to improve county schools. Since his appointment, he and the Board of Education have done nothing to foster positive relations with elected officials, parents and the community at large.

Mr. Maxwell consistently expands the size of the school's administrative bureaucracy, ignores recommendations for greater efficiency and uses the threat of cuts in the classroom to instill fear and anger in parents toward the council and executive. His long-term plan for school achievement lacks any accountability, which is apparent in both the current performance of the system and how he conducts himself in office.

CHRIS DOHERTY

Harwood

The writer has two children in the Anne Arundel school system.