Special Virtual Info Session on Property Assessment & Taxation

Special Virtual Info Session on Property Assessment & Taxation, Hosted by Delegate Chao Wu and Delegate Natalie Ziegler, District 9A

Time: Tuesday 7-8 PM, 1/31/2023

How: Register at the following link and you we receive the meeting details:

Special Virtual Info Session on Property Assessment & Taxation, Hosted by Delegate Chao Wu and Delegate Natalie Ziegler, District 9A (google.com)

Presentation by State Department of Assessments and Taxation

The Ways and Means Committee had a presentation from the State Department of Assessments and Taxation.

Here is the presentation ppt.

The SDAT has a very old computer system and received many paper applications from Montgomery County which led to their slow response.

In general, 3% homeowners appealed. And 40-50% appeals were successful (tax was reduced) in the past.

You don’t need an attorney during the appealing process.

Homeowner Protection Program

dat.maryland.gov/taxsale

Federal Internship Opportunities

Federal Internship Opportunities

Launching in January 2023, The Federal Internship Portal is a new internship opportunities page on USAJOBS (intern.usajobs.gov) that will serve as a one-stop shop for #internship postings across the federal government, allowing prospective interns to easily find #opportunities at any agency.

If you or someone you know is looking for an internship at a federal agency, keep an eye out this #newyear! More details coming soon!

Apply for JROTC, Through Jan. 3, 2023

Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) programs are offered at Atholton (Army), Howard (Army) and Oakland Mills (Air Force) high schools. Each JROTC program provides an introduction to career opportunities in the United States Armed Forces and teaches principles of leadership, discipline and civic responsibility.

Any student who wishes to participate in JROTC but does not attend one of the schools that offers the program may apply for participation. Each school has a limited number of additional spaces available. T

o apply for participation for the 2023-2024 school year, students must contact a JROTC official between November 16, 2022 and January 3, 2023 to schedule an interview. Only students who are interviewed during this designated period will be considered for enrollment.Letters of approval/denial/wait list will be sent home January 19-20, 2023.

To schedule an interview, contact the JROTC official for the program of interest:

Air Force JROTC at Oakland Mills High School: CMSgt, (USAF, Ret) Robert Castellano, Aerospace Science Instructor, robert_castellano@hcpss.org or (410) 313-6945

Army JROTC at Atholton High School: LTC (USA, Retired) William Reinhart, Senior Army Instructor, william_reinhart@hcpss.org or (410) 313-7076

Army JROTC at Howard High School: LTC (USA, Retired) Patricia Marshall, Senior Army Instructor, patricia_marshall@hcpss.org or (410) 313-2878

An application essay or other pre-interview materials may be required by each individual JROTC program. Contact your school counselor for additional information.Find more information about the JROTC program on our website.

Winning the general election

After nearly all the mail-in and provisional ballots were reported today, I am very excited and humbled to be elected as one of the Delegates for District 9A. 

Our team effort is paramount to the success of this election. I am so grateful to our supporters, volunteers and donors who placed their trust and confidence in me and worked so hard on the campaign trail for me.

I am so proud and grateful to have the support from Team 9. Congratulations to Delegate-Elect Natalie Ziegler, Delegate Courtney Watson and Senator Katie Fry Hester for their respective wins! Together we made it! I am honored to join them in Annapolis to work for our constituents. 

Just last week, I had my last public board meeting after my four-year service on Howard County Board of Education. These four-year public service experiences have taught me to actively listen, seek common ground, be practical and be a visionary at the same time. 

It will be a distinct honor and privilege to serve as your representative in Annapolis. I promise that I will do my best to be the champion of your voice.

2023 National AI Scholarship for Howard County Public Schools Students!

2023 National AI Scholarship for Howard County Public Schools Students!

The 2023 National AI Scholarship is alive! Encourage your students to apply!

Hi Chao,   We are excited to announce our 2023 National AI Scholarship Application is now LIVE! Share this email with your students and encourage them to apply! This is quite a time-sensitive opportunity as the deadline for the scholarship is 11/29/2022 (in 10 days)!   With instructors from Stanford, MIT, and Carnegie Mellon University, Howard County Public Schools students can jump into the world of AI, gain real hands-on experience, develop creative projects and boost their competitiveness on their college applications and on the job market! I chatted with 20 school districts last few weeks, and this scholarship opportunity is the number one request from the educators and administrators!   I myself am from a low-income family, and I know how much this can help. So far AI Camp has given away almost $1 million in scholarships to students. Please let your students and faculty know about this. They will thank you.   Click here to access the application form! Oh also, here is a flyer for you to share with your students. Please let me know if you have any questions. Happy to answer them.   Best,   Michael   Michael Ke Zhang (Linkedin Profile) Co-founder and Chief Instructor at AI Camp AI Camp – learn AI with zero coding experience Read about our latest blog posts about AI on Medium Watch our Intro to AI at Youtube. (626)688-7921   AI Camp, 2627 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA, 650-436-4477 Unsubscribe Manage preferences

Chao Wu BOE Farewell Speech

Chao Wu BOE Farewell Speech

Thursday, 2022-11-17

It has been my great honor and pleasure to serve on the Howard County Board of Education since 2018. I enjoyed the past four years’ experience, along with my colleagues on the board, the superintendent and school staff, working together for our students, teachers, staff and parents. 

First and foremost, I would like to thank my family, my wife, my daughter, and my son. They have shouldered the burdens because of my public service. It is indeed very challenging to serve on BOE while having another professional job with two young children. 

I would like to thank many community members for your support along the way, and for your continued support to the future. 

We  have achieved a lot during the last four years:

  1. eliminated more than 50 million dollars’ health fund deficit,
  2. Keep fighting for better APFO and revealed problems in the currently used, decade-long allocation formula, and proposed a new formula,
  3. Finished redistricting twice and helped relieve school overcrowding,
  4. constructed and renovated three schools and purchased and negotiated two new school sites
  5. supported and upheld school safety, and maintained safe operations,
  6. reoriented greater support for reading proficiency, dyslexia intervention, and continuous support for special education,
  7. expanded high school career academy to more than 20 programs,
  8. improved high school graduation rate to 94% in 2021, which exceeds the Maryland average of 87% and the highest rate since 2011,
  9. Working on a concrete plan to start high school later in 2023,
  10. reformed board operations to be more efficient and effective,
  11. listened to students, teachers, parents and communities, and appreciated their inputs all the time.

There are some other issues that I wanted to address and have not finished them:

  1. Improve the lunch time for our students and add more recess time. I don’t think 10:30 am is a good time for lunch. I believe more recess time will improve the learning efficiency and student mental health.
  2. Address staff shortage and diversify staff and leadership team.
  3. Improve reading proficiency.
  4. Find innovative ways to serve special education, through collaboration with other school systems and stakeholders. 
  5. Have a robust remote learning channel for students who are in need.

I hope the next board will work together, keep an open mind, find solutions for the most general populations and tailored solutions for specificity, and be practical and visionary. 

What lies in front of us is full of challenges and opportunities. Through collaboration and teamwork, I believe HCPSS will continue the path to provide quality education to all students. 

I wholeheartedly thank the voters for your trust and for giving me the opportunity to serve you. 

Thank you. 谢谢。

HCPSS Board Meeting 2022-11-17 recap

HCPSS Board Meeting 2022-11-17 recap

This is my last board meeting recap. My board term came to end next month

Recognition of outgoing board member:

  • Chao Wu
  • Vicky Cutroneo

Student Representative Report: River Hill High School

SMOB report

Superintendent Report

Appointment:

Howard County Association of Supervisors and Administrators (HCASA)

Administrative Agenda

  • FY 2022 Audit Report
  • Approval of Attendance Area Adjustment Plan 
    • approved sibling exemption
  • Naming of New High School #13: Recommend: Quarry Heights High School

Appointment:

Howard County Education Association (HCEA)

2022 HCPSS redistricting work session 7(final) recap

The board reached a consensus on the board approved preliminary plan. The plan will be voted in our next board meeting.

Exemptions Approved

  • Exempting rising 12th, 11th graders from previous board motion.
  • Exempting rising 10th graders, except for those who are going to HS13.
  • Exempting students with IEP or 504 plans.
  • Exempting students with parents on active military duty
  • Based on exempting10th,11th,12th graders, trailing siblings who share at least one year in the same high are covered already.

Election result update

Dear friends and supporters, although final polling numbers for District 9A will not be ready until next Friday ( Nov. 18th), Team Wu is trailing at the number 3 place. There are still a few thousands mail-in ballots that need to be counted. It will help us, but it may be not enough. The final gap will be a few hundred votes. No matter the final outcome, I am so grateful for your overwhelming support. Let’s cross our fingers and stay tuned. Thank you.