Former school specialists tell Harford board cuts removed supports for priority schools

Several former school performance and achievement (SPA) teacher specialists addressed the Harford County Board of Education during public comment on July 20, saying the district's recent elimination of 11 positions harmed school-improvement capacity in state-identified priority schools.

Priscilla Bucci, formerly an SPA teacher specialist at Aberdeen Middle School, said the roles provided data-driven coordination, helped reduce chronic absenteeism and supported continuous improvement. "When our positions were eliminated, students lost something," Bucci said, arguing that school improvement is a continuous cycle interrupted by the cuts.

Cheryl Riccio (introduced by the board secretary as a speaker) described receiving a June 29 notice that her position was "excessed," a rapid offer of a demotion, and a short deadline to accept. She said the decision appeared rushed and not explained to those doing the work. Ashley Wilson, also a former specialist at Joppatowne High School, provided outcome figures she tied to that work: 9th-grade on-track rates rose from 23.13 percent to 42.7 percent; credit attainment increased and chronic absenteeism fell by eight percentage points in one year. "These aren't just numbers on a dashboard. They are significant achievements," Wilson said, and she urged the board to consider the value of positions rather than only line-item costs.

Board members heard the comments but did not take formal action on staffing at the meeting; staff and the board previously discussed budget priorities and the district plans to continue operations while the public-comment period for other items proceeds.