School Superintendent

Every Baltimore City school superintendent, mayor and state legislator of the last 50 years should be hanging their heads in shame over the atrocious condition of the city's public school buildings. The more than $2 billion of decay didn't just happen overnight. Where did all the money go? The cost to educate the city's schoolchildren continue to spiral out of control. Will the bottle tax be misused just like all the other well-intended taxes that were supposed to benefit the city's children?

As Dr. Cousin's duty as school superintendent comes to a close, I wanted to recognize his leadership over the past eight years. Dr. Cousin has always had a commitment to continuous improvement for central and building administration. His clear and explicit goals have increased student achievement across the county. What stands out the most to me is Dr. Cousin's belief that all students can achieve under the right conditions. His leadership has provided adequate support services to make schools an overall learning environment for both students and employees.

The Howard County school board announced Monday its two finalists for superintendent, and whoever gets the job could make county history. The candidates are S. Dallas Dance, chief middle schools officer in the Houston Independent School District, and Renee A. Foose, deputy superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools. Howard officials said they believe that if chosen, the 30-year-old Dance would be the youngest superintendent in the county's history; Foose would be the first woman.

Searching for a new school superintendent in Maryland sometimes takes the skills of a CIA agent, including clandestine meetings and flights to faraway places. Three Maryland school boards are nearing the end of searches for new superintendents, and each one has included a closed process during the last several months. In other secret searches, the names of the candidates are kept confidential and interviews with the school board are often held in airports or airport hotels so that candidates can fly in and out without being seen.

WEATHER Today's forecast calls for sunny skies, with clouds increasing this evening, and a high temperature near 82 degrees. It is expected to be cloudy tonight, with a chance of showers after 11 p.m., and a low temperature around 58 degrees. TRAFFIC Check our traffic map for this morning's issues as you plan your commute. FROM LAST NIGHT... Mayor tells Latinos they are important to growth goal : In a speech bookended by standing ovations, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake told members of Baltimore's Latino community Thursday night that they are critical to meeting her goal of reversing the city's population decline.

An Air Force squadron commander who grew up in Middle River and graduated from Baltimore County public schools is among those who have applied to be the school system's next superintendent. Timothy T. Tenne, 42, has no experience in education but said he believes the skills he developed in the Air Force will transfer to running a large organization such as the school system. Most recently, Tenne was a leader who helped oversee the NATO Air Operations Center's air mobility in Italy during the conflict in Libya.

Some prospective candidates for the Howard County superintendent's job have asked about the school board's efforts to have a member removed, according to the head of the firm helping with the search. But Gary Ray, president of Iowa-based Ray and Associates, said the board's attempts to oust Allen Dyer have not dampened interest in the position. Ray added in an interview Thursday that the sagging economy has reduced the number of candidates across the country who are willing to leave their positions for superintendent vacancies.

This is National School Choice Week, an occasion that always makes me think back to 1976, when as a writer for my high school paper, I interviewed retiring Baltimore County schools Superintendent Joshua Wheeler. I asked Mr. Wheeler why our schools didn't require proficiency testing for graduation. "I know we're a great school system," I said diplomatically, "but even so, some of our kids graduate without being able to read and write. " Mr. Wheeler was an honest public servant, and I'll never forget his candid response: "Your question shows that you do not understand the purpose of the public education system.

Annapolis Area Christian School officials said Monday that they are looking for a new superintendent after George J.W. Lawrence Jr. stepped down amid a lawsuit brought by three former employees accusing him of sexual harassment and retaliation. In December, former employees Sharon Finecey, Lynne George and Anthony Masevice sued Annapolis Area Christian School's association, accusing Lawrence of making sexual remarks. They allege that school officials were aware of such incidents but did not protect the three against them.

Howard County schools Superintendent Sydney Cousin unveiled Thursday night a $697 million budget for fiscal year 2013 that is about 2 percent greater than last year's budget and adds 69 new positions to address enrollment growth. Most new positions would be teachers: 43 in elementary school, 12 in high school and one in middle school. In addition, the budget calls for no layoffs or furloughs, school officials said. This year's budget requests $476 million from the county and $215 million from the state.