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Unions and community members press Baltimore County board for clarity on leadership transition, library media roles and benefits glitches
Summary
Union leaders and individual employees urged the board for a clear leadership transition plan ahead of the superintendent’s departure, called for restoring library media specialist roles, and reported Oracle payroll/benefits glitches that left at least one employee temporarily uninsured.
Several public commenters used the May 5 meeting to press the Board of Education of Baltimore County for near‑term decisions and clearer communications.
Billy Burke, executive director of CASE, told the board administrators need a transparent plan for the impending superintendent transition and asked who will make difficult personnel and operational calls after July 1. "We are now less than 60 days away from having no superintendent at the helm of this district," Burke said, urging the board to provide a timeline and clarity for reassignments.
Kapathia Campbell, speaking for TAPCO, said the board had not followed through on restoring secondary library media specialist positions as discussed at a February meeting and urged the board to review meeting video and minutes and reinstate those positions without forcing media specialists to teach content classes.
Jennifer Bookman, an elementary teacher, described a benefits administration problem tied to the district’s Oracle system that left her without health insurance until her doctor flagged the issue. "What you bought was a car with no tires, no steering wheel, no airbags," Bookman said of the software rollout and asked the district to improve communications to staff about benefits and Oracle troubleshooting.
The board did not take immediate action on the specific public requests during the meeting but board members noted the concerns and requested transparency and follow‑up reports, particularly about library media specialist funding tied to budget motions and about ERP/payroll costs.
The board also acknowledged student leadership transitions: Claire Gebaggi introduced herself as the student member‑elect for 2026–27 and Dr. Rogers highlighted a district video celebrating BCPS students.
