[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6600408,"mediaKeyId","3065609-738039e0910993a344ece489d99881f6","parentId",3065609,"title","Votes at a glance: Harford County Board actions April 14, 2025","audioSeconds",187,"startMs",3330000,"endMs",3517000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3065609-738039e0910993a344ece489d99881f6&start=3330&end=3517","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3065609-738039e0910993a344ece489d99881f6/thumbnail_3330000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6600408/Maryland/Votes-at-a-glance-Harford-County-Board-actions-April-14-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6600408-2788dfd4c43d0f87a47a5143e2d39042/orig.mp4?Expires=1771098323&Signature=DlMxOAI~Q7KnGHlKhadD-bQntaLC~AItCa2j3yL7wQhmYfVScbxbmbtec8zC8274QybYiEGnujck~jx7bKWLfNgfajM0~ZTJg6cmk2oaHGsEhtE5UzV5bXCot4VaiRPDX8eIm0rk8qUewW18pGsFJXnPFzEq-~wK2oMBrmCvqNTXAk~U1~OltALzfIiHr35nmAmBQSkcLaJw5kobEMsTkajW3BNSqDcc5I1Q-WEYs1bTV0VCB2jK5KPhKsN396h45ceFPBoZm-cLA-iu4xElYRvJjkefxP2kn-E8CPWabP2e5NTd0rnmSjlo4z~fH7lJI2X3MA5qLJRi9raPd7ER0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Harford County Public Schools","date","2025-04-14T00:00:00Z","article","The Harford County Board of Education took several formal actions at its April 14 meeting. Below is a concise list of motions, the outcomes and available vote information.

- Consent agenda (personnel report, contract awards, minutes): Motion to adopt the consent agenda was approved. (Motion passed; individual roll-call not recorded in audio excerpt.)

- Appointment: Brett J. Parker as assistant supervisor of mathematics. Motion to approve appointment carried by voice vote; no roll-call recorded.

- Decision on kindergarten science curriculum: Approved for implementation for the 2025-26 school year after debate; the record shows one dissenting vote by Board member Yvonne Alvarez.

- Decision on ESOL 3 (English for Speakers of Other Languages 3): Board approved the new high-school ESOL 3 course intended for WIDA proficiency 3.0'ad3.9. (No opposition recorded in the public audio.)

- Student telehealth access policy: Motion to table the proposed telehealth policy passed by roll-call, 6'ad4. The roll call recorded votes by name; the board requested a working session to resolve implementation and equity issues before final action.

- Policy on McKinney-Vento (homeless student education): Proposed revised and renamed policy approved by the board. (No recorded opposition in public audio.)

- Search-and-seizure policy (renamed/updated): Board approved a revised policy; administrators and law-enforcement partners had reviewed the draft prior to the vote.

Other items presented but not voted: Proposed clear-backpack / student backpack-use policy presented for public comment; proposed revised student cell-phone rule was presented and posted for 30 days of comment.

Actions noted below include the agenda item identifiers and transcript evidence spans where the discussion and final vote appear in the public record.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board Meeting - Apr 14, 2025 ","oneSentenceSummary","Summary of formal votes taken at the April 14 Harford County Board of Education meeting, including approvals of curriculum and policies, one administrative appointment and a tabling of a telehealth policy.","taxTitle","Harford County Public Schools, School Boards, Maryland","taxId",17368,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6600411,"Community and coaches urge Harford County to fund reconstruction of condemned C. Milton Wright track",1123,744000,1867000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3065609-738039e0910993a344ece489d99881f6&start=744&end=1867","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3065609-738039e0910993a344ece489d99881f6/thumbnail_744000.jpg","/articles/6600411/Maryland/Community-and-coaches-urge-Harford-County-to-fund-reconstruction-of-condemned-C-Milton-Wright-track","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6600411-326bf7a7e1701e82c0d24380f3531fb9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771098323&Signature=M5RE789LdR5AloWb7jJ0uTKfstq~G0hg7l6jbbeFOvHTCG35ZJhUXSQxb0iDhabjzHjZuUgzXJzD~x7hZN1cdXkofcrX7c5pSDIppvtuREtae1x5251K3-AbuBlnJnxV7aNXi3S2yTIJetnyTLaZoPrCXK2du0QvFq3GLyT3rk51f44ggfhg1JW2chbCV0KTHqEc9~yXLhfM7m8tNyrFAPzjagqfgrDn74a6RHNWey41KnPEo2x1Ce0dEYWxltOhUwvAB0YbYUEXh7gmMUwLPBOKrB6K6jpUW9Z6zB-fwHvHa4-CyVaXUfVAxIKfmaje9Tl0OF66kn9Ddka86MHu-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Parents, student-athletes and coaches urged the Harford County Board of Education on April 14 to seek county funding to rebuild the C. Milton Wright High School track after officials declared the track unsafe April 10.

Multiple speakers told the board the track was condemned by HCPS one day after a competitive meet on April 9. Sean Loper, a Seamon (C. Milton) Wright cross-country and track coach, said the track continues to deteriorate with daily use and that the surface is a safety risk for athletes and community users. Deva Moore, a district teacher and head coach, said student athletes are suffering shin splints and that parks and rec programs also rely on the facility.

Jen Davis, an alumna and parent, told the board the athletic boosters had already appealed to County Executive Bob Casley and the Harford County Council and asked the board to prioritize funding either from remaining FY25 capital dollars or through the FY26 capital budget.

Board member Mr. Sewell urged the board to submit a specific funding request to the county executive and county council because only a portion of the district's capital priorities were funded last year. Vice President Hahn said she supported seeking immediate funding so the project can be completed quickly, and other board members also expressed support for coordinating with the council.

District leaders did not identify a dollar amount at the April 14 meeting; speakers said the athletic boosters and community groups are pursuing county and private support. The board did not take a formal funding vote at the meeting but indicated it would coordinate with county government and report back to the community.","Students, coaches and community members told the board that the C. Milton Wright High School track was condemned April 10 and urged the board, county executive and council to prioritize capital funding for reconstruction in FY25 or FY26.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6600416,"Board tables telehealth policy after members seek more time to resolve equity and implementation concerns",924,6447000,7371000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3065609-738039e0910993a344ece489d99881f6&start=6447&end=7371","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3065609-738039e0910993a344ece489d99881f6/thumbnail_6447000.jpg","/articles/6600416/Maryland/Board-tables-telehealth-policy-after-members-seek-more-time-to-resolve-equity-and-implementation-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6600416-81014146747798c536d28f58d364e4d3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771098323&Signature=f-mVE4vz2jxnu22GsF29OikeR0PKruGyaTIJS4BVX~zGUqBN~PrMEGbsx-H6BG5VQLTNBqZkJ2MeqOlHaN0hF~h0sCF~kiFG0mhPCIgghrm43vDbNgE6KdYAHopMyMAXEWOKOACE88UcoW-Gg2Uz4RkFe07x7yonvGqlNgNUfeNBbrtNqvFSqc22R8Woh3pVoRLpgfismTKR8HCw9vLBNXBNe6KpQQM5xxKQAr6HA0e3RS34ihGR6dRhGiwd1IDkdYgLaRhLNAaSkGqFA4Rnp6mvAdv1XpCKr008boc6Sz8xp7hjQrXYNselExGR~Vn4ETudBvIu2qEEc~8bwtQIYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Harford County Board of Education voted April 14 to table a proposed student telehealth policy after members raised questions about equity, staffing, and whether the policy in its current form would hand routine operational details to administration without sufficient board oversight.

Bernard Hennigan, assistant superintendent for student support services, presented the policy revision and said the district had posted a version that incorporated public comments and clarified that parents must be present, in person or virtually, during student telehealth visits. Hennigan said the policy had been revised to add that requirement and linked a detailed telehealth procedure for school staff to follow.

Several board members expressed concerns. Vice President Hahn and others said they supported the concept as written into law but wanted more clarity on implementation: whether every school had an appropriate private space or ADA-compliant rooms; how staffing would be handled so that principals would not have to assign staff members to wait during appointments; and whether the state requirement had accompanying funding. Board member Lauren Coker said she wanted to consult medical professionals about how school staff would support telehealth visits.

Board members also debated a governance issue: whether specifics in the written procedure are suitable to be linked from policy or whether the board should include certain criteria directly in policy so the board retains oversight of substantive elements. Several members asked for a working session with the administration and with members of the county delegation before finalizing the policy.

A motion to table the policy passed in a roll-call vote, 6'ad4. The roll call recorded: Alvarez (yes); Bruce (no); Kocher (yes); Mueller (no); Pizzoke (yes); Perry (no); Sewell (no); Strauss (yes); Vice President Hahn (yes); President Poitna (yes). District staff said the legislation that generated the district requirement sets a July 1 implementation target; the administration said it will schedule a work session so board members can examine implementation details and return the item to a future public meeting if changes are needed.","Board members voted 6'ad4 to table a proposed telehealth policy the district posted for public comment; members raised questions about required facilities, staffing, equity across schools and whether the policy should be embedded in district procedure or board policy.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6600421,"Board approves new ESOL 3 high-school course to help intermediate English learners",1058,5369000,6427000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3065609-738039e0910993a344ece489d99881f6&start=5369&end=6427","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3065609-738039e0910993a344ece489d99881f6/thumbnail_5369000.jpg","/articles/6600421/Maryland/Board-approves-new-ESOL-3-high-school-course-to-help-intermediate-English-learners","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6600421-a123cf9025d686c71f4d1a45cfd9555c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771098323&Signature=ahRfYf5YpRtW3gaXCYPTcutcWY3Xsm32HRCOwXiHw~f-Rjw9Dc-5dT57gzW8feQHar0OSg2xdWfODJZj3TdFGBTpLFH-6moW-6qqNA1rUaZxoxzcXnQnpkbki263D9waOt~E3c1Z-DwIGrBjwR25Dg-gIRk~8kf-DcEUsFV-ozlWHljCma8KGXJtIPa6rcEENTNgW3992o88YPn6HIOdz1HeboEAaaasyfg0BFal5BORnbfKz7~VsClWjAbor1dkDpjQiZeQ8DWfHkpCQgx2nV2TTkQsFzus13aOz4eZUiEtN2G~Xn6-n2bNCquYr0Sx5zHutZueO7A87rU~pa~2VQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Harford County Board of Education voted April 14 to add an ESOL 3, one-credit, year-long high school course designed for intermediate English learners to build academic language and subject-specific vocabulary.

District officials said the course is aimed at students whose yearly WIDA ACCESS test scores place them in the 3.0 to 3.9 proficiency range. The course is intended to close the gap between everyday conversational English and the academic English students need to access rigorous content classes.

Dr. Shondra Krantz, supervisor of multilingual instruction, told the board that students take the WIDA ACCESS exam annually between January and March; the WIDA scale ranges from 1.0 to 6.0 and students scoring 4.5 or higher typically exit direct EL services. Krantz said ESOL 3 will provide targeted scaffolding so students can progress to greater independence in grade-level classes and on state assessments.

The board approved the course after administrators described a phased implementation plan: teacher preview and training in summer 2025, classroom rollout in fall 2025, teacher feedback and course adjustment in spring 2026, and further resource development in summer 2026. The administration said the course will be mapped to WIDA English language-development standards and that staff will monitor effectiveness via WIDA score changes, formative assessments and student feedback.

Board members asked about staffing and costs; the administration said existing EL staff and Title-funded supports will be used and any summer writing or resource work will be compensated from curriculum office budgets. The motion passed with no recorded opposition.

District leaders said the course is designed to improve academic writing, formal speaking and comprehension of content-specific texts in math, science and social studies, and to provide pathways for English learners to remain competitive in college and workforce readiness.","The board approved a year-long ESOL 3 course for high-school students scoring in the WIDA 3.0-3.9 proficiency band to strengthen academic English and content-specific vocabulary.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6600427,"Harford County board approves new kindergarten science curriculum for 2025-26",1826,3508000,5334000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3065609-738039e0910993a344ece489d99881f6&start=3508&end=5334","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3065609-738039e0910993a344ece489d99881f6/thumbnail_3508000.jpg","/articles/6600427/Maryland/Harford-County-board-approves-new-kindergarten-science-curriculum-for-2025-26","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6600427-5e1eea0ee76a5a170f8e14a8452baeb2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771098323&Signature=ZNXbZTCSa-4XF373x3zrfHUQwS13LVEx17taQVTc1b2-3nJduhtpRJRi~8jOjDPdFEo7un9jWkZ57KHH1MlF3otfWZcO--89Kx23N-wks8z4T3lh8mcCxWH3pnvOu1x~m41R-L2FEmQ3burUHj3M6PU5WO5574qrigWPi1kjA16waPwyiPzlsfrQFnBGW6XwpOo8n~8Bm1sTcgbYZB6Vn-AQlRxtUnZjp5Xpq13GDeeo0F5LBX7b-C6kZ0HRTsmstAOBxuTP45TLK-IbMfnPWSywoB6A-2NYtrO2QgJ2mjrhkUX5CXhPmLcwB9FBOz02nJuwKX1Gq9lf0xsA0pyAPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Harford County Board of Education on April 14 approved a rewritten kindergarten science curriculum the administration says aligns instruction with the state'adopted Next Generation Science Standards and will be implemented in the 2025-26 school year.

Board members were told the curriculum was written in-house by HCPS teachers, is housed on the district learning platform Canvas, and restructures kindergarten science into three content units'ad'adEarth and space, physical science (pushes and pulls) and life and the environment'ad'adwith embedded engineering design challenges and more hands-on inquiry lessons.

The administration and the teachers who led the writing team said the rewrite responded to \"evidence statements\" tied to the Next Generation Science Standards and to the Maryland environmental literacy expectations. Amy Ryan, the district'ads elementary science specialist, told the board the curriculum team trained in inquiry pedagogy and used a 5E lesson model (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate) while drafting the units and associated teacher materials.

During debate, board member Yvonne Alvarez said she had submitted written questions and continued to have concerns about clarity and depth in the draft, and said the curriculum did not treat the scientific method in the way she expects older students to learn it. Alvarez spoke at length about her view that students should learn the scientific method and that teachers needed stronger preparation in engineering concepts to implement the engineering design elements.

Assistant superintendent Heather Kushner and the science team replied that the curriculum aligns to Maryland's NGSS implementation guidance, uses the state'adprovided \"science and engineering practices\" rather than a linear \"scientific method\" checklist at the kindergarten level, and that district training for kindergarten teachers would emphasize how to present evidence, inquiry practices and age'adappropriate engineering tasks. The curriculum team said a summer training for kindergarten teachers is planned and that teachers who helped write the curriculum will lead the sessions.

The board voted to approve the curriculum for implementation in 2025-26. The record shows Alvarez cast a dissenting vote; the board did not record individual yea votes in the public audio beyond the one dissent. Implementation steps described by staff include summer 2025 training options for kindergarten teachers, in-school coaching, lesson walkthroughs, teacher feedback surveys and Canvas access for teacher materials.

Supporters on the administration team said the goal is to provide a stronger, more coherent progression from kindergarten into later elementary science while keeping instruction hands-on and developmentally appropriate. Alvarez said she will follow up on the training plan and asked for continued attention to how evidence and engineering are taught.

The decision comes as Maryland districts continue to refine local materials to match state frameworks adopted after 2018; the district said it revised the kindergarten materials after a gap analysis identified depth and instructional-practice gaps in the prior curriculum.

Provocation over the proper balance between early inquiry, engineering design and explicit instruction is likely to continue into training and implementation, the staff said.","The Harford County Board of Education approved a rewritten kindergarten science curriculum aligned to Maryland's Next Generation Science Standards and scheduled for implementation in the 2025-26 school year after a month of review and debate over instructional approach and teacher training.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Harford County Board actions April 14, 2025

Community and coaches urge Harford County to fund reconstruction of condemned C. Milton Wright track

Board tables telehealth policy after members seek more time to resolve equity and implementation concerns

Board approves new ESOL 3 high-school course to help intermediate English learners

Harford County board approves new kindergarten science curriculum for 2025-26