Monday, April 29, 2013

PG Legislators' Voting Rights Hypocrisy

The 2013 session of the Maryland General Assembly passed a law entitled "Improved Access to Voting" intended to make it easier for citizens to register and vote.

Every Prince Georges County member voted for final passage, except Del. Geraldine Valentino-Smith, who was absent.

The General Assembly also passed a law entitled "Prince George's County - School System - Academic Revitalization and Management Effectiveness Initiative."

Every Prince Georges County member voted for final passage, except Sen. C. Anthony Muse and Del, Aisha Braveboy, who voted No, and Del. Tawanna Gaines and Del. Jay Walker, who were excused or absent.

The primary purpose of the latter bill was to overrule the will of the voters of the county and limit the authority of officials for whom they had voted.

So, while almost all of our Senators and Delegates voted to made it easier to vote, they also showed their distrust of, and contempt for, the voters by acting to set aside the results of the voter's choices.

Apparently they want more people to go through the motions of voting, but won't honor the voters' choices.

Disgusting hypocrisy in my opinion.
PermaLink: 4/29/2013 0 comments Links to this post

Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Rushern Baker's planned school coup d'etat, Part zero, list of news reports

Note: The timestamps (about x hours ago) are inaccurate, but they link to pages with the original Tweet and posting time.  This is not comprehensive.  Final daily issue, may be supplement later if law is challenged.
Read more »
PermaLink: 4/09/2013 0 comments Links to this post

Saturday, April 06, 2013

Baker-WaPo plan to end school superintendent turnover is already working.

Rushern Baker and his aides at the Washington Post are already succeeding in the plan to end turnover of school superintendents in Prince George's County.

They have chased away all of the current candidates for the job and have created an environment in which nobody worth hiring would want the job..

With no candidates to be hired, there won't be a superintendent who can quit.  Baker and the Post staff certainly deserve credit for coming up with a novel way of reducing turnover.
PermaLink: 4/06/2013 0 comments Links to this post

Monday, April 01, 2013

Delegates with potential conflicts of interest re Rushern Baker's school coup d'etat (Part eight)

The non-legislative employment of some of the Prince George's County delegates who will act upon Rushern Baker's school takeover plan raises the question of potential conflicts of interest and whether those delegates should recuse themselves from acting on related bills. 

These potential conflicts have been ignored in mainstream media reports on legislative support of or opposition to Baker's plan.

Del. Jolene Ivey (D-47) is the delegate who has been most often quoted as a strong supported of the Baker plan.  According to her official biography on the Maryland General Assembly website, Ivey has been "Director, Media Relations, Community Teachers Institute" since 2004.  Baker was Executive Director of the Community Teacher's Institute for a number of years before taking office as County Executive in 2010.  Shortly before Baker's election there were press reports that the institute was the subject of a state investigation. 

In September 2012 "The Real Prince George's" blog reported that Ivey "has a strong relationship with County Executive Rushern Baker."  An extensive search has not turned up any news or reports of her employment by Baker.  Has Ivey's support for the Baker plan been influenced by that employment relationship?

Del. Dereck E. Davis (D-25) has been quoted in the press as a supporter of the Baker plan and prepared an amendment to bill HB 1107 that would, if  adopted, give Baker the authority he seeks.  According to his official biography, Davis has been "Deputy Director, Prince George's County Office of Community Relations" since 2011.  That means he was appointed to that position by Baker or one of Baker's subordinates.

On the Maryland General Assembly website page for Prince George's County, Davis and his position are listed under the county's Chief of Staff, along with other officials responsible for communications and outreach.  Has Davis' support for the Baker plan been based on or influenced by his employment as a communicator for the Baker administration?

Del. James W. Hubbard (D-23A) apparently has not been quoted in the press.  He did support Baker's 2002 intervention in school governance.  According to his official biography, Hubbard has been "Executive Assistant to Deputy Director, Dept. of Corrections, Prince George's County" since 2003.  SO, while he is a county employee under Baker, he has held that position since long before Baker took office, his position is far removed from Baker's immediate supervision, and he is not directly involved in either education or communicating Baker's policies to the public.

Del. Carolyn J. B. Howard (D-24) apparently has not been quoted in the press.  She did not support Baker's 2002 intervention in school governance.  According to her official biography, Howard has been "Director, Department of Federal Programs, Prince George's County Public Schools" since 2000.  She works in the school system, ultimately under the supervision of the superintendent and school board, so her employment could be affected by the outcome of pending legislation to effect Baker's plan.

It would be useful to know if any of these delegates have sought or obtained ethics or legal advice on the potential conflicts of interest, but does not seem likely that they, or the media, will tell us.
PermaLink: 4/01/2013 0 comments Links to this post

Proposal for Integrated Police Governance of Prince George’s County Police

Prince George's has one of the worst records in the state when it comes to homicide.

School children are being murdered on the streets far away from schools and outside school hours. County Executive Baker criticizes the elected board of education for the failure of his police to protect these children.

While the homicide rate is down some, progress in reducing them has been very slow.  Prince George's County has the second worst homicide record in the state and the second worst record in the D.C. area.

Despite Baker's self-serving claim that "You look at public safety, it’s going in the right direction," the murder rate remains several times that of nearby suburban jurisdictions.

The Prince George's County police department has a long record of using excessive force and outright brutality, both on and off the job.  Several former police officers are currently in prison for robbery, corruption, and even murder.

The county has had numerous chiefs of police over the past several years.

We have to do something about the homicides, we can't wait any longer.

So, let's look at the Baker school improvement plan and see if we can apply it to crime and the police.

Proposal for Integrated Police Governance of Prince George’s County Police

Innovative plan changes police governance structure to better align
government resources and improve police operations

A proposal to alter the governance structure of the Prince George's County police. The  Integrated Police Governance Proposal for Prince George’s County Police would keep the current County Executive and County Council, expand the expertise on the council through certain appointments, focus the council on crime-fighting policy, strengthen the role of the chief of police and give the Governor the authority to appoint the chief of police. Under the proposal, the Maryland General Assembly would confirm the chief of police as well as have authorization to appoint a voting member to the County Council. Ultimately, this proposal gives the chief of police more control over police operations and greater, more efficient access to other State and County government resources.

“I firmly believe the people of Prince George’s County deserve the best police protection possible." This proposal is an effort to make our streets safer by using all the resources the County government has to offer so that our residents and their families have the tools they need to be successful. I am confident, that by providing the chief of police with more autonomy, giving the police department more resources, and expanding the law enforcement expertise of the county council, our police will be able to serve the residents and families of Prince George’s County in a more holistic manner.”

Under this proposal, the needs of the police department will be better aligned with Maryland State Government services and resources. Integrated Police Governance will accelerate improvements across the police department and, through the chief of police, give the state government more oversight of operations of the County’s police. It will restore the public’s confidence in the police department and help stem the exodus of families out of the County because of the county's declining reputation and image. It will also assure accountability for the success of the police department.

It is critical to note that, under the Integrated Police Governance proposal, the elected County Executive and County Council will remain as an elected body serving the same districts. Additionally, under this proposal, three voting appointed members would be added to the County Council, representing the fields of law enforcement, business victims, and individual victims, along with three non-voting appointed representatives from the law enforcement faculties of three of the County’s institutions of higher learning - Bowie State University, Prince George’s Community College (PGCC), and the University of Maryland, College Park.

The additional members will represent interests that are currently not reflected on the council: a background in law enforcement and two types of crime victims. This expansion would focus decision-making on the safety of our residents of our children as well as increase victim engagement. By including members representing the higher education community, the council could direct academic resources so that County police become better prepared to fight crime and protect the public.

If passed by the General Assembly, an Integrated Police Governance Transition Team would be immediately formed to analyze, review, and propose an implementation plan. They could evaluate the current chief of police and determine whether to begin a search search process to find a new chief.  It is critically important for candidates for chief of police to know who they will be reporting to and what police governance will look like.

###

This E-mail and any of its attachments does not contain any Prince George’s County Government or Prince George's County 7th Judicial Circuit Court proprietary information or Protected Health Information.  Unlike emails from County Executive Baker and other county offices, it does not claim to contain privileged and confidential information. It is intended for broad dissemination, distribution, copying, or other actions, without threats of civil and/or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this E-mail in error, feel free to delete it or to be entertained and pass it on.
PermaLink: 4/01/2013 0 comments Links to this post

Sunday, March 31, 2013

PG legislators' positions on Rushern Baker's school coup d'etat (Part seven)

Notes: Dates shown are for the online version of news reports and may differ from the dates a story appeared in print.  * indicates legislators who voted for Baker's 2002 school interference law.  That change did not improve educational results, but did result in the Baker-created appointed school board appoint, defending, and paying off a superintendent later convicted of committing felonies on the job.  Potential employment-related conflicts of interest highlighted in Red.

Supporters
Others (opponents and questioners)

Details

Del. Benjamin Barnes (D-21). Gazette, 23 Mar 2013 
Delegation Vice Chair Del. Benjamin S. Barnes (D-Dist.21) of College Park pointed out that the school board has gone though seven superintendents in 14 years and questioned whether the board was doing enough to address turnover.
Sen. Joanne Benson (D-24).  Post, 16 Mar 2013
State Sen. Joanne Benson (D-Prince George’s), a former school administrator and the delegation’s liaison for education, described Baker’s plan as “a good fit,” one that will increase accountability.

“I think that a change is needed,” she said. “We also need a facelift for the reputation of our school system. . . . I don’t have a problem with [the superintendent] becoming a cabinet-level position.”
Del. Aisha Braveboy (D-25). Gazette, 23 Mar 2013 
Del. Aisha N. Braveboy (D-Dist.25) of Mitchellville questioned why these issues had to be settled with legislation instead of through some other agreement or study.
"I dislike making a change just to make a change," she said. 
Del. Aisha Braveboy (D-25).  Post, 23 Mar 2013
Del. Aisha N. Braveboy (D-Prince George’s) argued that Baker is “making a change just for the sake of making a change,” and she suggested that an outside expert be brought in to assess the system.

“Why don’t we give this issue the level of importance it deserves and give it a study like we give other important issues,” she said.
Del. Aisha Braveboy (D-25). CNS, 28 Mar 2013
Delegate Aisha Braveboy, D-Prince George’s, said there have been other executive takeovers of school systems across the country, but she is not convinced they have been as effective as they initially sought out to be.

“I think it’s difficult for us to say that this change (in structure) would yield better results given that the proposal hasn’t proven to be successful in other areas,” Braveboy said.

Both Turner and Braveboy agreed they wanted changes made to help improve Maryland’s second largest school system.
Sen. Ulysses Currie * (D-25).  Post, 17 Mar 2013
State Sen. Ulysses Currie (D-Prince George’s) said he plans to support Baker’s proposed state legislation, which likely will be added as amendments to a bill that Del. Geraldine Valentino-Smith (D-Prince George’s) proposed months ago to form a task force to review the operations of the school board.

“I think he is going in the right direction,” Currie said, describing the school system as the “weak link” in the county’s ability to move forward. Baker has long said the schools — which rank toward the bottom of Maryland’s school systems in terms of achievement — are a hurdle to economic growth.
Del. Dereck E. Davis * (D-25).  CNS, 28 Mar 2013
Others in the Prince George’s delegation, including Delegate Dereck Davis, believe the changes in power make sense conceptually.

“If the executive is willing to take this on and wants to be held accountable for it, I’m supportive of the idea,” said Davis, adding that the county has been consistently ranked at the bottom of the state in terms of student achievement during the nearly 19 years he has been in office.

Davis said he has talked to many of his colleagues on the House side, and that a majority of them are in favor of taking some type of action in the near future.

“It may not be precisely what the county executive introduces, but overall they are not satisfied with what’s currently going on.” Davis said. “They’re definitely supportive of seeing something happen that would alter the course that we have been on.”
Del. Dereck E. Davis * (D-25).  Post, 30 Mar 2013
Del. Dereck E. Davis (D-Prince George’s), who has served in the General Assembly for nearly 20 years, said he is constantly bombarded by constituent complaints about the school system’s slow progress.

“There have been modest gains . . . but we had nowhere to go but up,” Davis said. “Can I guarantee that this will improve schools? I can’t make that guarantee. But we need to plot a different course. . . . If [Baker is] willing to take it on, I’m willing to back it.”

After a bitter battle took place in 2002 to get rid of the elected board of education and replace it with an appointed board — a move that was reversed in 2006 — Baker’s new schools plan has run into fresh resistance in the General Assembly, where several lawmakers are concerned that the county executive would have more power than any other in the state.
Del. Anne Healey * (D-22). Post, 23 Mar 2013
“I am not happy that this is here at this time with so little preparation,” said Del. Anne Healey (D-Prince George’s) .

“We are going to deal with it, go through it line by line, piece by piece and figure out if anything in here will advance our school system,” she said.
Del. Jolene Ivey (D-47). Post, 17 Mar 2013
Del. Jolene Ivey (D-Prince George’s), the chairman of the county’s House delegation, applauded Baker for addressing what she called the “final and most important piece in our county’s renaissance.”

Ivey said she has attended numerous public forums in the county where residents have criticized Baker for the school system’s shortcomings.

“People think the county executive is running the schools, but all he can do is send money,” Ivey said. “If he is going to be judged on our schools, he needs to do more.”
Del. Jolene Ivey (D-47).  Post, 20 Mar 2013
“I truly think we’re asking too much of our school board,” said Del. Jolene Ivey (D), chairman of the Prince George’s delegation in the House, who supports Baker’s proposal.

“We’re paying these people $18,000 a year. Most of them have to have an additional job,” Ivey said. “You’re asking people to have 1½ jobs, manage a $1.7 billion budget, and focus on parental engagement and academic policy. Now come on — how much can you expect people to do?”
Del. Jolene Ivey (D-47).  Post, 20 Mar 2013
State Del. Jolene Ivey, head of the Prince George’s delegation and a supporter of Baker’s plan, said when Baker and other elected officials meet with residents around the county education consistently tops the list what residents want to discuss. “That’s what we hear,” she said. “What they want to talk about usually are schools. The reality is that [Baker] is doing all he can do with the current set up. The question is what can we do differently.”
Del. Jolene Ivey (D-47).  Gazette, 21 Mar 2013
Del. Jolene Ivey (D-Dist. 47) of Cheverly, chairwoman of the county’s House delegation, believes the change could be positive for Baker. Prince George’s students’ test scores have ranked near or at the bottom on the state standardized tests for years, and although the school board oversees the education system, voters tend to hold Baker and county leaders responsible for the state of local schools, Ivey said. Ivey added that she did not think Baker’s proposal comes with any future political agenda.

“Sure, anything good he’s able to accomplish benefits him in the future politically, but he’s got three kids who graduated from Prince George’s schools and he’s committed to making them better,” Ivey said. “There’s always that risk of it not working out, but if you take the safe route, what have you accomplished? That’s how he’s been in his whole political career. He’s been willing to do something unpopular to get something accomplished.”
Sen. Thomas V. 'Mike' Miller, Jr. * (D-27). Post, 29 Mar 2013 
Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller (D-Calvert), whose district includes a chunk of southern Prince George’s, sat near committee members as they heard two hours of testimony.

Miller said when the hearing broke up that he thinks that the system has improved but that progress is too slow and the county cannot afford to wait much longer.

“We turn over huge sums of money to the school board,” he said. “We need to see results.”

Miller, who will have extensive influence over the course of the debate, predicted there would be a compromise. “The county executive will want more than we are going to give him,” he said. “The other side doesn’t want to see any change. We are going to find a way to fashion a compromise.”
 Sen. Douglas J.J. Peters (D-23).  Post, 16 Mar 2013
State Sen. Douglas J.J. Peters (D), chairman of the county’s Senate delegation, said he wonders whether restructuring would yield academic improvements.
Sen. Douglas J.J. Peters (D-23).  Post, 22 Mar 2013
Sen. Douglas J.J. Peters (D-Prince George’s) said he told Baker that the General Assembly would not approve his proposal. “It needs to be retooled to have a chance,” Peters said. Throughout the week, Baker’s aides, working with Senate staffers, redrafted the legislation, which is slated to be introduced Monday, according to lawmakers.
Sen. Paul Pinsky * (D-22).  Post, 20 Mar 2013
Sen. Paul Pinsky (D-Prince George’s) said the issue was reaching a climax now partly because of concerns that the board isn’t up to the task of making the best choice for superintendent. The board recently narrowed the search to three finalists, but Baker’s bombshell could mean the hunt is reopened.

“There’s some question of confidence in the Board of Education to make a good choice,” Pinsky said. Noting that only a couple of members work professionally in education, he said, “Few have ongoing experience sitting around the table with other superintendents, either in the county or the state.”
Sen. Paul Pinsky * (D-22).  Post, 22 Mar 2013
Sen. Paul G. Pinsky (D-Prince George’s), an ally of Baker’s who was a key architect of the takeover plan, acknowledged that “some people will be concerned about a power grab.”

“But I don’t hear a lot of people coming to the defense of the Board of Education,” he said. “Most people want good schools, and they don’t care how we get there.”
Sen. Victor Ramirez (D-47).  Gazette, 21 Mar 2013 
State Sen. Victor Ramirez (D-Dist. 47) of Cheverly said he doubted any one single issue would derail Baker’s re-election bid as long as voters see he is trying to improve the county.

“When you’re trying to do the right thing, I don’t think it can be seen as political suicide,” Ramirez said. “He’s trying to be a leader, and education is our No. 1 priority. ... He wants our system to be one of the best in the nation. I don’t believe it’s a power kick. He’s trying to move the county forward.”
Del. Veronica Turner (D-26). Gazette, 23 Mar 2013 
But other delegates were concerned with how Baker's proposal would deal with the cooperative bargaining among the school system and teachers unions. "I'm worried how this will affect labor contracts," said Del. Veronica L. Turner (D-Dist.26) of Temple Hills.
Del. Veronica Turner (D-26). CNS, 28 Mar 2013
“The bill came too fast too late (in the session)” said Delegate Veronica Turner, D-Prince George’s. “There was no time really for us to conduct a study to understand what the county executive is trying to do.”
...
Both Turner and Braveboy agreed they wanted changes made to help improve Maryland’s second largest school system.  When asked whether she believed the policy was the county executive’s attempt to seek more power, Turner said Baker’s “motives were legit.”

“He knows that there are problems and he was trying to fix them,” Turner said. “But his approach of trying to fix them may not have been the right approach.”
Del. Geraldine Valentino-Smith (D-23A).  Gazette, 23 Mar 2013
Del. Geraldine Valentino-Smith (D-Dist.23) of Bowie argued that the current model is faltering despite those numbers, saying decreasing enrollment is affecting state funding for Prince George's schools. "At the end of the day, the school board is advocating we follow a model that other jurisdictions are following when we are the largest in the state," she said. "It's a shared responsibility. This proposal is saying 'Can we share with you?'"
Del. Geraldine Valentino-Smith (D-23A).  Post, 23 Mar 2013
Del. Geraldine Valentino-Smith (D-Prince George’s) said she has tried to win school board support in the past two years for legislation that would offer the public more information about contracts and spending practices, but has been repeatedly rebuffed by the school board.

“This year I came in and said ‘Can we please put together a task force and look at best practices,’ ” she said. “It was vehemently opposed by the school board.”
Del. Jay Walker (D-26). Gazette, 23 Mar 2013
"My main question is 'Where's the plan?' What's the county's plan? What's the board's plan?" said Del. Jay Walker (D-Dist.26) of Fort Washington during the special hearing on the proposal in Annapolis.
PermaLink: 3/31/2013 0 comments Links to this post
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)