School Employees

Teachers and other groups of Carroll County school employees would receive a 2 percent across-the-board raise under the terms of tentative agreements between two school employees unions and the Board of Education.The Carroll County Education Association, which represents about 1,300 teachers, sent the proposal to its members Monday after two months of negotiating with the school board bargaining team."I think it's the best we can get," said Ralph C. Blevins, president of the teachers union.

Old Court Middle School employees violated their contract when they used school equipment to produce a flier seeking campaign workers for failed state Senate candidate -- and Baltimore County school board member -- Robert F. Dashiell, school officials say.Though none of the workers has been disciplined, school officials say they will remind employees about the rules against using school equipment and work time for political activities."

In a possible violation of state election laws, at least a half-dozen Old Court Middle School employees were recruited and paid $125 each on primary election day to work the polls for state Senate candidate -- and current school board member -- Robert Fulton Dashiell.Dashiell, who was soundly defeated in his primary bid to unseat 10th District Democratic state Sen. Delores G. Kelley, confirmed that the $125 checks were given out at Dashiell's election night ++ headquarters at the Forum, a catering hall in Northwest Baltimore.

Pressing its case for broader protections, a union representing hundreds of Baltimore public school clerical employees said yesterday it would oppose an education aid-and-reform bill unless the legislature guarantees workers can cash in unused sick leave and keep their seniority in applying for other city jobs.But the chief sponsor of legislation sending $254 million in new aid to the city in exchange for a school management overhaul accused union leaders of trying to foment "hysteria," saying negotiators had agreed to preserve key collective bargaining rights for employees and were unlikely to agree to more changes.

Howard County schools Superintendent Michael E. Hickey -- who yesterday became the longest-serving superintendent in Maryland -- has been given a 5 percent salary increase for 1997-1998 by the county school board.The salary increase is similar in size to the ones negotiated by teachers and other school employees. Other central office employees typically receive raises of about the same size as the superintendent.Hickey's annual salary goes from $121,740 to $127,853 -- an increase likely to keep his salary among the top five Maryland school superintendents.

Contract negotiations for Carroll County school employees are going on behind closed doors this year, but when the doors open and the parties emerge, they're often smiling.The Board of Education, the county's largest employer, is trying a new style of bargaining. Called "principled negotiations," this collegial approach to contract talks was born in the think tanks at Harvard University a decade ago.The two largest unions, the Carroll County Education Association (teachers) and the Carroll Association of School Employees (instructional assistants, secretaries and licensed practical nurses)

City officials have scuttled a plan to dock school employees 10 days' pay and have begun to look elsewhere for savings to bridge a $23 million gap in the Baltimore school budget.Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke will meet with his budget advisers this week in an attempt to spread the burden of the deficit to all city agencies. The savings will range from a reduction in purchases to possible layoffs as a last resort, said Clinton R. Coleman, a spokesman for Mr. Schmoke.The city already has advised bond-rating houses that Baltimore will not proceed with the pay deferment plan in an attempt to cope with the budget shortfall, Mr. Coleman said.

Howard County schools Superintendent Michael E. Hickey has been given a 1.13 percent salary increase for next year by the school board, about the same size as the raises negotiated by teachers and other school employees.Hickey's four top administrators also were granted 1.13 percent pay raises, and other central office employees likely will receive about the same amount, said schools spokeswoman Patti Caplan.The raises go into effect Monday, when the new fiscal year begins. They were approved by the county school board this month in executive sessions but were not announced until yesterday.

Ten months after promising to develop an ethics code, Baltimore County school officials have yet to establish standards of conduct to prevent conflicts of interest between school employees and contractors.Officials said yesterday that Superintendent Anthony G. Marchione's original September deadline -- triggered by a controversial $5 million, no-bid technology contract -- was impossible to meet, but a proposal will be presented to the school board July 2."It was time well spent," said board member Robert F. Dashiell, who predicted the code would be approved at that meeting.

About three dozen top executives and administrators from the Baltimore County school system were flown to Arizona and lodged at a four-star hotel by a multimedia education company being considered for a $5 million, no-bid school contract.The company also paid for training trips by 33 county teachers, school system spokesman Donald Mohler said yesterday.Mr. Mohler said the 72 board members and employees visited the headquarters of Educational Management Group Inc. in Scottsdale, Ariz., between October 1994 and May 1995.

A Harford County high school teacher who was arrested last month after being accused of slapping a 16-year-old female student on the buttocks was found dead of a gunshot wound in his home last night. Brian Norman, 34, a history teacher at North Harford High School in Pylesville, was discovered in his home in the 1600 block of Denise Drive in Forest Hill shortly before 8 p.m. by friends concerned for his well-being, Harford County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Monica Worrell said. Norman was arrested Nov. 13 and charged with a fourth-degree sexual offense, second-degree assault and threatening school employees with bodily harm.

Baltimore County school employees will be able to choose from among five retirement plan provider options, after an 8-0 school board vote last night. The five recommended vendors for 403(b) retirement plans are: AIG Retirement, ING Life Insurance & Annuity Co., Lincoln Financial Group, MetLife Resources and Security Financial Resources & Security Distributors Inc. It is expected that one will be selected as a third-party administrator, school officials said. Board member Valerie A. Roddy recused herself, citing a potential conflict of interest: Her husband's law firm represents one of the bidders.

Responding to public criticism, Superintendent William H. Hyde said yesterday his decision to award pay raises and new job titles to administrators was nothing more than a routine personnel change in the continual process of reassessing the school system's work force. Hyde, speaking briefly at the school board's monthly meeting, said he has reclassified 15 employees - at a cost of $31,000 - based on the recommendations of a consultant who analyzed the salaries and job responsibilities of Carroll schools administrators.

Old Court Middle School employees violated their contract when they used school equipment to produce a flier seeking campaign workers for failed state Senate candidate -- and Baltimore County school board member -- Robert F. Dashiell, school officials say.Though none of the workers has been disciplined, school officials say they will remind employees about the rules against using school equipment and work time for political activities."

In a possible violation of state election laws, at least a half-dozen Old Court Middle School employees were recruited and paid $125 each on primary election day to work the polls for state Senate candidate -- and current school board member -- Robert Fulton Dashiell.Dashiell, who was soundly defeated in his primary bid to unseat 10th District Democratic state Sen. Delores G. Kelley, confirmed that the $125 checks were given out at Dashiell's election night ++ headquarters at the Forum, a catering hall in Northwest Baltimore.

Teachers and other groups of Carroll County school employees would receive a 2 percent across-the-board raise under the terms of tentative agreements between two school employees unions and the Board of Education.The Carroll County Education Association, which represents about 1,300 teachers, sent the proposal to its members Monday after two months of negotiating with the school board bargaining team."I think it's the best we can get," said Ralph C. Blevins, president of the teachers union.

Howard County schools Superintendent Michael E. Hickey -- who yesterday became the longest-serving superintendent in Maryland -- has been given a 5 percent salary increase for 1997-1998 by the county school board.The salary increase is similar in size to the ones negotiated by teachers and other school employees. Other central office employees typically receive raises of about the same size as the superintendent.Hickey's annual salary goes from $121,740 to $127,853 -- an increase likely to keep his salary among the top five Maryland school superintendents.

Contract negotiations for Carroll County school employees are going on behind closed doors this year, but when the doors open and the parties emerge, they're often smiling.The Board of Education, the county's largest employer, is trying a new style of bargaining. Called "principled negotiations," this collegial approach to contract talks was born in the think tanks at Harvard University a decade ago.The two largest unions, the Carroll County Education Association (teachers) and the Carroll Association of School Employees (instructional assistants, secretaries and licensed practical nurses)

Pressing its case for broader protections, a union representing hundreds of Baltimore public school clerical employees said yesterday it would oppose an education aid-and-reform bill unless the legislature guarantees workers can cash in unused sick leave and keep their seniority in applying for other city jobs.But the chief sponsor of legislation sending $254 million in new aid to the city in exchange for a school management overhaul accused union leaders of trying to foment "hysteria," saying negotiators had agreed to preserve key collective bargaining rights for employees and were unlikely to agree to more changes.

Howard County schools Superintendent Michael E. Hickey has been given a 1.13 percent salary increase for next year by the school board, about the same size as the raises negotiated by teachers and other school employees.Hickey's four top administrators also were granted 1.13 percent pay raises, and other central office employees likely will receive about the same amount, said schools spokeswoman Patti Caplan.The raises go into effect Monday, when the new fiscal year begins. They were approved by the county school board this month in executive sessions but were not announced until yesterday.