Education Board Retains Leadership

By Nelson Hernandez
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 4, 2008

The Prince George's County Board of Education voted to keep Verjeana M. Jacobs and Ron Watson in the panel's top two posts for the coming year, but only after a process that highlighted divisions among the school system's leadership without clarifying what they are.

The action began much like last year, as Pat Fletcher (District 3) nominated Jacobs (At Large) to be chairman and Watson (At Large) to be vice chairman. "Their tenure this year has been unbelievable," she said. "I think we have gone on a great path. We have gone through great things under their leadership; and if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

There were no other nominations, and it appeared the vote would roll through as easily as it has in years past. Then Donna Hathaway Beck (At Large) departed from the script and made a motion to vote on Jacobs and Watson separately.

Board members, looking slightly puzzled, voted on that motion, which had five votes in support. It was briefly declared to have passed until board members were reminded that the motion required six votes to pass. A few motions later, they finally got around to voting on the nomination of Jacobs and Watson. It passed, but Beck and Linda Thornton Thomas (District 4) voted against it, and Amber Waller (At Large) and Edward Burroughs III, the student member, abstained.

Those who opposed the nomination offered no public explanation at the meeting.

"I would have preferred the vote to be split, because then I could have voted yes once," Beck said. She declined to elaborate.

Jacobs said she would "do everything in my power to ensure that we stay the course -- the course of success." She promised to reach out more to the community and to take a close look at the school system's budget.

She spoke sharply against "special interests" who "have come to rely on the dysfunction of this school district." Noting the county's steady gains in test scores, she implored the public to "please, stop, look and listen to what's going on in this school district."

Asked afterward what special interests she was referring to, she declined to say.

"It has just become even clearer that there are groups who really live and breathe on dysfunction," Jacobs said. "Whether it's business opportunity, whether they just enjoy it, or it's political opportunities. . . . When adults fail, the children fail."

High School Exit Tests Remain Contentious Issue

The school board was clearer in expressing its frustration with the Maryland State Department of Education, which has developed and grades a set of four exit exams students must pass before graduating from high school.

Board members received a briefing Monday night on how Prince George's seniors are doing on the exams, and they were alarmed by what they saw: A third of the senior class -- more than 2,700 students -- either had not taken or has failed at least one of the exams in algebra, biology, English and government.

One problem is that some students don't show up to take the exams. But another issue discussed by Prince George's officials was the state's role in administering the tests. Donna Muncey, the school system's accountability chief, said changes in what the state has been telling the county have created "a shifting sand of expectations."

Two years ago, she said, the state was advising school systems not to have students take the test until administrators were sure the students would pass. Now, the state suggests students take the test early and often, to identify those who are having trouble and place them in programs to boost their skills.

Board members said they were exasperated as well, and said the state needed to get the county test scores more quickly.

"I would call on MSDE to do their part," said Heather Iliff (District 2). "They have set their bar high -- some might say not high enough -- but they really need to be getting us those test scores in a timely fashion."

R. Owen Johnson Jr. (District 5) pointed out another pet peeve of principals: Students who complete projects under the "Bridge Plan" -- an alternative route to meeting state graduation requirements for students who fail the exams -- do not affect how a school's performance looks under the "adequate yearly progress" formula that determines whether a school is subject to state sanctions.

"The state has put us in a no-win situation," Johnson said. "We'll be calling for principals' heads because they haven't made AYP when in fact they've done the best they can."

Rosalind Johnson (District 1) got in a final dig.

"Why do we continue to listen to MSDE?" she asked. There were chuckles in the crowd because the powerful state agency sets Maryland's education law and might not take being ignored lightly. "Seriously. I am not being flippant," Johnson said. "They are not doing and serving us well at every level."

William R. Hite Jr., the school system's interim superintendent and a strong supporter of the exams, suggested that the board write a letter to the state expressing its concerns.