Parents Of Students

Session for parents on assessment tests The PTA Council of Howard County will offer an information session for parents, "High School Assessments and Their Impact on Howard County Students," at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Homewood Center, 10914 Route 108, Ellicott City. State and county officials will speak. The examinations in English, biology, U.S. government and algebra/data analysis are given in May of the year in which students complete the course. Beginning with the Class of 2009, success on the tests is a graduation requirement.

School Attendance Policy Isn't 'Sick'Your editorial of Jan. 7, titled "Havre de Grace High's Sick Policy," is an inaccurate characterization of Havre de Grace High School's attendance policy and our efforts to work with parents of students with chronic absenteeism.The Maryland School Performance Program (MSPP) has established an attendance standard for all Maryland schools delineating 94 percent attendance as satisfactory and 96 percent as excellent. MSPP also set five days per marking period a maximum standard for individual absences.

Waterloo Elementary School's nearly 20-year-old magnet program for seriously emotionally disabled children could be dismantled as early as next year, as school officials struggle to find the best way to meet those students' needs.The highly praised program's uncertain fate comes at a time when some parents say the school lacks staff to deal with its 13 percent enrollment of emotionally disabled students -- the highest percentage among county elementary schools."We just want our numbers to be handled," says Cathi Hill Morrison, Waterloo PTA president.

The Johns Hopkins University's announcement this week that it will increase its tuition for next year by 7.2 percent - the largest percentage increase since 1987 - will assure the school its place among some of the nation's most expensive. With its new tuition of $33,900, Hopkins is pricey, but likely not pricey enough to earn a spot among the 10 most expensive colleges and universities in a listing by The Chronicle of Higher Education this fall. Among those on the list were George Washington University at $36,400, and Sarah Lawrence, Kenyon and Vassar, whose tuitions of more than $33,000 could also go higher next year.

The Christmas decorations are down . . . well, almost. And greetings have arrived from the tax man.Meanwhile, I'm deep in thought, dreaming of how life will change after Ed McMahon picks my entry over those of billions of other hopefuls in a few short weeks. Well you have to a dream, right?El Gordo was a bust and Keno seems to move too fast for me. a lot safer with good old Ed. At least if I don't win, I'll have a magazine to curl up and dream with.*Experience an evening of poignant drama balanced with comedy when Chesapeake High School Drama Club presents its winter production, "An Evening of One-Act Plays," in the school auditorium tonight and tomorrow at 7 p.m. .Four presentations, under the direction of Kathy McBee, will share the bill.

Parents of students in the county schools' Black Student Achievement Program took educators to task Monday, saying their children feel alienated in the school system and suggesting dozens of ideas for strengthening support for minority students.During the three-hour meeting at the Board of Education building in Ellicott City, parents listed about 50 recommendations for the school system to improve test scores of black students and increase awareness of black history.the recommendations are passed, teachers would view "Eyes on the Prize," principals would hire more black coaches, and administrators would have to track hiring practices of black teachers.

Black dialect fine in some situationsAfter working for the Baltimore County school system for 32 years as a speech-language pathologist, I admit to having encountered the situation of black dialect use with hundreds of wonderful African-American youngsters on countless occasions.I never had a problem with it. Black dialect was described as one way of talking. It is an honorable and legitimate form of oral communication. Like many other dialects, its use is limited.My students were never urged to discard it as an alternative form of talking.

More home work needed to reform city schoolsHoward Bluth of Baltimore, in his Jan. 6 letter, clearly cites the pessimism of Donald F. Norris that more money in aid to Baltimore's schools will do little to improve student outcomes and that the overwhelming obstacle to be faced is poverty rather than educational opportunities.However bad the poverty problem may be, as in the case of underdeveloped countries, students from those difficult circumstances nevertheless still succeed.More money in taxes from more affluent parents would not necessarily go to education in this city or state.

Clear skies and a slight breeze combined to provide the perfect autumn afternoon Wednesday for the kickoff of an 18-month oyster aquaculture science project at Gibson Island Country School.For most of us, the only time we come in contact with these delicious mollusks is downing a few on the half-shell at a roast or consuming them fried orstewed. We hear about the effects of pollution and DMX on the oysterharvest and lament their passing. But it is rare to get to observe them in their habitat.

When I graduated from high school I was able to determine the circumference and area of a circle. I could recite the names of the United States' presidents and their vice presidents in chronological order. And I knew how to ask "Where is the train station?" in two languages (three if you count English).Unfortunately since that time no one has ever asked me to calculate the size of their orange. I've never traveled to a foreign country and needed a train and with the exception of Trivial Pursuit fanatics (who are usually just a wee bit too intense for most social situations anyway)