2022

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.

HCPSS BOE meeting 11-3-2022 recap

HCPSS BOE meeting 11-3-2022 recap

Student Representative: Reservoir High School

SMOB Report

Superintendent Report:

  • school office visit,
  • print service,
  • dual enrollment update,
    • JumpStart program will be free of tuition to HCPSS students.
    • Over 1100 students are enrolled in HCC and 2297 are enrolled in HCPSS-based courses eligible for college credits.
  • Asynchronous Inclement Weather Days.
    • Up to three inclement weather days as asynchronous instruction days.
  • Health and Safety Message

HCEA report

  • ESP Bill of Rights

Administrative Agenda

  • Proclamation: National Native American Heritage Month 
  • Extended School Year Programs – Summer 2022
  • Student Cell Phone Usage
  • Development of FY 2024 Budget Line Items for Board of Education Office
11-03-2022-Student-Cell-Phone-Usage-PowerPointDownload

Public Hearing

  • Policy 10020 Use of School Facilities

Policy

  • Policy 2000 School Board Governance 
  • Policy 7090 Transfer of Teachers, Approved.
  • Policy 4090 Debt Management. Approved.

ESSA Consolidated Strategic Plan/Blueprint Implementation Plan

11-02-2022-ESSA-Consolidated-Strategic-Plan-Blueprint-Implementation-Plan-Power-PointDownload

V4: 2022 HCPSS redistricting work session 4 recap

The board has a discussion on the four scenarios as shown in Four scenarios for HCPSS redistricting HS 13 | Dr. Chao Wu.

The board had a lengthy discussion on all scenarios.

The board will consider the superintendent’s proposal with some modification: 2022-2023 superintendent redistricting proposal | Dr. Chao Wu

The board moved unanimously with the superintendent’s proposal with addition of Work Session-Scenario 2 (changing students between Patuxent Valley MS and Thomas Viaduct MS)

V3: 2022 HCPSS redistricting work session 3 recap

Discussion 9th grader only HS 13

Board-Memo-High-School-13-9th-and-10th-Grade-Options-10_3_202240822Download

New Motion

  1. Move to create a modification to the Contiguous HS 13 Plan with the western limit of Interstate 95. For the Polygons reassigned from Reservoir HS to Hammond HS in the Contiguous HS 13 Plan, reassign all or a portion of them to HS 13, when feasible. For the Polygons reassigned from Atholton HS to Hammond HS in the Contiguous HS 13 Plan, replace them by Polygon 2010.  
  2. Move to request information in regards for moving 26, 27, 1026, 1027 from Thomas Viaduct MS to Patuxent Valley MS, information on capacity utilization, capacity utilization projections, walk zone and middle from elementary feeds.
  3. Move to request information from staff on the community generated redistricting plan, version 2.
  4. Move to gather more information about keeping Mayfield Woods MS as a full feed at Long Reach HS moving Rockburn area of Elkridge to Howard HS and moving 175 to 100 along Route 1 to Oakland Mills HS with the baseline plan being the community generated plan, version 2.

The following is the Community Generated Redistricting Plan, Version 2.

Plan-Notes-V240786Download

The following is recap from work session 2 for reference.

V2: 2022 HCPSS redistricting work session 2 recap

2022-09-08 BOE board meeting recap

SMOB report

Superintendent Report

  • Promotion: Brian Wallace, David Klotz, Allison McCoy, Emma Bullock
  • Updating Sporting Event Security Protocols
  • Updating Electronic Ticketing
  • School Meals Program & Salad Bars
  • Bright Minds Foundation Staff & Teacher Grants

Appointment

HCEA

Administrative Agenda

  1. Proclamation: National Hispanic Heritage Month
  2. Board of Education Legislative Program
  3. Virtual Instructional Day Plan 
    1. Synchronous instruction on each virtual day will be a minimum of four hours
    2. No more than a total of eight virtual days of which three may be asynchronous can be used
    3. Attendance will be taken for all students and teachers during the virtual day
    4. Virtual days will not negatively impact a student’s grade; meaningful opportunities are provided for students to make up work outside of virtual learning
    5. No employee’s pay will be negatively impacted due to a virtual day decision
  4. Reading Opens Doors, Inc. Charter School Application Evaluation

Policy

Policy 10020 Use of Schools Facilities

*Superintendent’s Proposed FY 2024 Capital Budget & FY 2025-2029 Capital Improvement Program
09-08-22-Capital-Budget-BOE-FY-2024-Capital-Budget-Super-Prop-PPDownload

Clarksville Youth Care Group (Arthur Wang, Amanda Wang and Wendy Gu) with HCPSS superintendent Dr. Martirano and myself after they delivered self-care kits to the central office.

2022 Endorsement for Dr. Chao Wu

2022 Endorsement for Dr. Chao Wu for Maryland State Delegate

Here comes the endorsement for Dr. Chao Wu for Maryland State Delegate, District 9A. Although I have been endorsed by various organizations or persons, I believe it is not a specific organization that can speak for you.  It is you, our voters, by making some effort to understand the candidate’s background, experience, and vision for Maryland. Then you cast an informed vote. Your vote is my endorsement. 

My service on the Howard County Board of Education (2018-2022), one year as chair and more than 500 articles on various topics on this website will help you understand me better.

I am a data scientist, a proud father of two, an immigrant, and a community volunteer. I currently serve on the Howard County Board of Education (BOE) (Term 2018-2022). 

I will be your voice and you are my strength.

A Vote for Dr. Wu is a Vote for you. 

 

2022 Maryland Education Survey Result

Maryland State Board of Education (MSBOE) and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) in February 2022 to provide input for the development of a multi-year strategic plan for Maryland’s education system.  To date, 22,950 Marylanders have responded to the survey which will remain open for the foreseeable future.  The preliminary results included in the attached document identify the five top priorities Marylanders have identified in their responses thus far, including:

  1.  Improving reading and writing in the early grades.
  2.  Improving social, emotional, and mental health supports.
  3.  Improving math and science skills.
  4.  Developing more excellent teachers.
  5.  Improving critical thinking, problem solving, and collaborative teamwork skills.

It is very interesting to see the divergence among different school system. The whole survey result is attached here:

Top-5-priorities-by-respondent-group-6-22-202236887Download

Guest Article: Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month by Amy Liao

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

By Amy Liao

The month of May was officially designated as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month under the George H. W. Bush administration with the passing of Public Law 102-540. The month of May was chosen to coincide with two important milestones in Asian/Pacific American history: the arrival in the United States of the first Japanese immigrants (May 7, 1843) and contributions of Chinese workers to the building of the Transcontinental railroad, completed May 10, 1869.

Since the middle of the 19th century, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders charted their unique journey in American history. The multi-ethnic communities (from east and south Asian immigrants to the native Hawaiian and other Pacific islanders) endured many institutional discriminations such the infamous “Chinese Exclusion Act” in 1882 and the Japanese Encampment during World War II. Yet the AAPI communities thrived in this great nation that many times corrected paths and embraced differences into the melting pot.

Throughout the 180-year history, there were many AAPIs left their marks. From the 16-year-old Chinese immigrant Mabel Ping-Hua Lee who helped lead a 1912 Suffrage march, to Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu, honored by the US Postal Service by featuring in the Forever Stamps as the Manhattan project contributor and one of the most influential nuclear physicists in the 20th century. According to the Census Bureau, by 2019, there were more than 22 million residents in the US who identified as of AAPI origin or descents. This vibrant community has been weaved in every part of the American society, from Silicon valley big tech executives to the half a million business owners; from military service men and women to the doctors and nurses who fought in the frontline against Covid-19 and many others who are active contributors in the workforce of industries and government agencies.

This year, we celebrate AAPI heritage with a special highlight! On Tuesday, April 26, 2022, the US House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill to study the creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American history and culture. Let’s all learn from history, embrace diversity, and build a bright future together.

Board meeting recap 2022-4-7

Friends of Education Award

  • Awardee: Ying Matties
  • Nomination: Amanda Wang, Okinawan Karate Dojo, EnRich Minds

Long Reach High School Presentation

Superintendent Report

  • HCPSS is giving out covid test kids to students. HCPSS is encouraging students to test themselves after the spring break.
  • screen time and school lunch discussions

HCEA appointment

Legislative Report

  • The board support: CB26-2022, introduced by the Howard County Council Member Walsh during their April 2022, Legislative Session is presented to the Board of Education of Howard County in the attached Legislative Report. The Legislative Committee met on March 30, 2022, and recommends that the Board adopt the position indicated in the attached. Original language for the bill is also attached to this report.

MABE BOD

  • The board nominated Ms. Mosley to the MABE Board of Directors.

Policy Activities

  • Direct the Superintendent to review the policies that address screen time.

HCPSS Musgrove Farms Community Shared Septic System

  • The Board is requested to approve the Option 1 Fee Structure so that the accounting department may implement the fee structure for billing and receivable activities to commence for FY2022 (and beyond).

Policy

  1. (Approved) Policy 9090 Wellness through Nutrition and Physical Activity
  2. (Approved) Policy 9100 Education Programs for Pregnant and Parenting Students
  3. (Report) Policy 6060 Community Improvement to School Sites or School Facilities
  4. (Report) Policy 4050 Procurement of Goods and/or Services

Proposed Instructional Materials and Review Schedule

Final Exam

  • Some board members proposed cancelling the final exam again. Motioned made and failed.

Polygon numbers for the HS 13 impact area

A few people approached me with questions for the presentation on HS 13 impact areas by our consultant during the HS 13 redistricting community meetings. Here is my 2019 post on this topic. You will find the polygon numbers and other relevant info.

Superintendent’s proposal for High School 13 boundary

A side note: Readers should not use that map as reference since that map was presented before the last redistricting. Many things has changed. It is unfortunate they used that map for illustration which causes confusion.

The latest redistricting information could be found out: https://www.hcpss.org/school-planning/redistricting-for-23-24/

Here is the link to find your own polygon:

https://hcpss-gis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=b1d3153921514fbead0abb0f92090217

Board meeting recap 2022-3-10

Public forum:

  • home and hospital program

Student Representative Report: Centennial High School

Superintendent Report:

  • Promotion of Tammy Jones to principal, Lime Kiln Middle School
  • Covid update: none of the metrics the health department has been regularly tracking to inform COVID‐related decisions are in the red or danger zone.
  • Tents will come back to all elementary schools
  • Field trips: overnight and school‐to‐school field trips may now resume. One factor that may still result in a denial of an overnight field trip is if it is to an area of the country that has been identified as a COVID “hot spot”.
  • Student‐Athlete Vaccination and Testing: we are discontinuing the weekly testing requirement for student‐athletes who have not confirmed their vaccination status.
  • End of Year activities: Schools are planning in‐person end‐of year activities this spring. This includes celebration and promotional opportunities. Additionally, proms and graduations will be occurring in‐person

Appointment

  • Howard County Education Association

Incentive Pay Discussion for NBC teachers at Low Performing Schools

  • The board discussed $7,000 incentive pay for Nationally Board Certified (NBC) teachers at low performing schools, following Blueprint for Maryland legislation. The eight schools are: Cradlerock ES, Swansfield ES, Harper’s Choice MS, Lake Elkhorn MS, Oakland Mills MS, Wilde Lake MS, Oakland Mills HS, Homewood.

Portable Classroom Discussion

  • The board discussed portables for Bollman Bridge ES, West Friendship ES, Folly Quarter MS, Mount View MS . In total there are 212 units, 255 class room spaces, 7650 seats in HCPSS. The motion failed. We will have discussions in the next board meeting.

Policy Discussion:

  • Approved: Policy 6080 Sustainability
  • Approved: Policy 9400 Student Behavior Intervention
  • Approved: Policy 1060 Bullying, Cyberbulling, Harassment, or Intimidation
  • Approved: Policy 4070 Fund Balance
  • Report: Policy 1050 Tobacco-Free Environment
  • Report: Policy 9230 Alcohol, Other Drugs, Prescription Medication and Over the Counter Products