Recent stories by Liz Bowie

12:00 PM EDT, September 19, 2012

Teen athletes suffer long-term effects of concussions

When Beth Kennedy's head hit the ice hard, she was stunned. The teen got up slowly, skated to her hockey team's bench and asked her rec league coach if she could sit out for a bit. But she returned to the heat of the tournament game a few minutes later.

7:25 PM EDT, August 28, 2012

Perry Hall High School reopens with resolve and emotion

Returning to school a little shaken, some students walked in clusters behind their parents, while others went arm-in-arm. A few even took their parents' hands, as though they needed the same reassurance they had received in elementary school.

8:53 PM EDT, August 27, 2012

A challenging day for new school superintendent

Dallas Dance knew a little of what the Perry Hall High School students were going through Monday after a student was critically wounded in the cafeteria by another student.

5:23 PM EDT, August 26, 2012

School year starts with new curriculum

Here's fair warning for students: Monday isn't just the first day of school in Baltimore City and the surrounding five counties, it's the beginning of life with a whole new set of expectations from teachers.

7:33 PM EDT, August 22, 2012

Duncan addresses Baltimore County teachers

In remarks that elicited applause from 800 Baltimore County English teachers, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Wednesday that teachers should earn more and there should be more focus on educating the whole child.

6:19 PM EDT, August 16, 2012

Baltimore County grad wins national art awards

Dylan Guest's elementary school world was full of frustration and embarrassment. Everything about his special education classes was a struggle. He came home each day demoralized and asked his mother why people called him a "retard."

11:53 PM EDT, August 10, 2012

Balto. County pays $150,000 total to two former school employees

Baltimore County school leaders have paid a total of $150,989 in a settlement with two high-ranking employees who signed contracts with the former superintendent, even though the school system and new superintendent contend that the contracts were not legal.

9:14 PM EDT, August 3, 2012

Balto. Co. schools are consolidating offices

The Baltimore County school system will begin moving some of its employees into vacant county government space in downtown Towson, a move that officials say will save $1.5 million annually.

9:53 PM EDT, August 7, 2012

Two school officials who had signed contracts with Hairston leave system

The two high-ranking school employees who signed contracts with former Baltimore County Superintendent Joe A. Hairston before he retired have both left the system.

11:24 AM EDT, August 9, 2012

Dance recommends two-year extension for struggling charter school

Baltimore County school Superintendent Dallas Dance is recommending the county's only charter school be given two more years to improve its sagging performance.

7:15 PM EDT, July 24, 2012

Deborah Phelps leaving job as Baltimore County principal

Deborah Phelps, the mother of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, is leaving her job as principal of Windsor Mill Middle, a Baltimore County school she opened six years ago.

8:29 PM EDT, July 24, 2012

Coaches required to get more training about head injuries

Emergency regulations passed by the state school board Tuesday will require that athletic coaches be trained in how to identify traumatic head injuries and that students be pulled out of a game as soon as a concussion is suspected.

6:54 PM EDT, July 16, 2012

Md. students lead nation in test gains over past 20 years

Maryland students have made greater gains on national tests than their peers across the country and are catching up with students in top-performing nations in the world, according to a Harvard study released Monday.

4:23 PM EDT, July 22, 2012

Baltimore school test results hit three-year lull

For a decade, the news from the city schools was good. Buildings might be dilapidated, deficits might bring schools to the brink of bankruptcy, and superintendents might be fired, but every summer, educators released test results standing next to charts that showed steady improvement. Baltimore was no longer the worst school system in the state.

10:05 PM EDT, July 20, 2012

Technician charged with infecting N.H. patients with hepatitis C worked in Md.

Four Maryland hospitals will be contacting patients who might have come in contact with a health care worker infected with hepatitis C when he worked in the state between 2008 and 2010, according to the state health department.

8:58 PM EDT, July 13, 2012

Hairston gave employment contracts to two top aides before retiring

Former Baltimore County school superintendent Joe A. Hairston signed employment contracts before he retired with two top aides that would pay them nearly a half-million dollars in severance if his successor fired them when bringing in his own leadership team.

9:04 PM EDT, July 11, 2012

Two elementaries have 100 percent passing rates on MSAs

At Shipley's Choice Elementary— one of the highest-achieving schools in the Baltimore region — the important state test is almost not relevant to what is going on in the classroom anymore.

9:46 PM EDT, July 10, 2012

Students continue to improve on state tests

A decade after passage of a federal law requiring statewide school assessments, nearly 90 percent of Maryland's elementary students are passing their reading and math tests, but that success does not continue when students hit middle school.

7:40 PM EDT, July 2, 2012

Residents cope after three days without power

Randy Race's shiny new generator was making a comforting racket Monday in the backyard of his home in Glendale in Baltimore County.

5:15 PM EDT, June 30, 2012

Dance seeks out disengaged students

Although dozens are vying for Dallas Dance's attention in his first days as Baltimore County school superintendent, he plans to seek out disengaged students and parents of private school students, two groups that he hopes respectively to keep and to attract back into the fold.

8:22 PM EDT, June 26, 2012

State school board looking into head injuries

Amid an increased awareness of concussions in sports (the NFL and Ivy League universities have limited football practices involving contact), the Maryland state school board is questioning whether action is needed to prevent head injuries in young athletes.

7:27 PM EDT, June 21, 2012

Principals feel new financial disclosure forms are too intrusive

Baltimore County principals are protesting a new financial disclosure form that is the most detailed of any required in the region, setting up a debate over how much personal information some school officials should have to divulge to the public.

7:11 PM EDT, June 13, 2012

N.C. administrator likely pick for deputy superintendent in Baltimore County

Kevin Hobbs, a top administrator in the Wake County, N.C., public schools, appeared on the verge of becoming the new deputy superintendent in Baltimore County schools Tuesday night before the school board voted 6-6 against the appointment because of a certification issue.

10:38 PM EDT, June 7, 2012

Last day of school for students and superintendents

Baltimore County Superintendent Joe A. Hairston looked out this week at 700 elementary students spread out on their school's lawn to celebrate the groundbreaking for a long-awaited new wing.

11:16 PM EDT, June 12, 2012

Baltimore County school board eases discipline policy

The Baltimore County school board voted Tuesday night to get rid of a zero-tolerance approach to discipline and replace it with a policy that will give principals more discretion in deciding how to handle serious offenses.

6:06 PM EDT, June 29, 2012

BCCC has been removed from probation

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education removed Baltimore City Community College from probation on Friday after the college made progress in assessing student performance.

8:30 PM EDT, June 13, 2012

Students at Baltimore County school make racist drawing involving Obama during class

Students at a Baltimore County high school drew a racially offensive picture on a classroom board last week and then sent it out on Twitter, prompting the principal to call police and suspend several students.

2:41 PM EDT, June 8, 2012

School's out for summer in three counties

Not much happens on the last day of school, but at Villa Cresta Elementary in Baltimore County, the principal made sure students would remember Friday.

6:51 PM EDT, June 8, 2012

School's out for students in three counties

Not much happens in classrooms on the last day of school, but at Villa Cresta Elementary in Baltimore County, the principal made sure students would remember Friday.

11:03 PM EDT, May 20, 2012

Arundel parent who helped bridge cultures wins involvement award

An Anne Arundel County parent whose gentle spirit is said to have built bridges between cultures at her sons' elementary school was named the Maryland Parent Involvement Matters Award winner Friday night.

7:02 PM EDT, June 8, 2012

Black bear in Baltimore Co. spotted near elementary school

When Lisa Moore searched outside her house in Jacksonville on Thursday for her 4-year-old daughter, she instead found a 2-year-old black bear.

9:01 PM EDT, May 13, 2012

Grandparents take on role of a parent

Ella Johnson thought she was done raising kids. Then one night her daughter, asleep in bed with her 1-year-old son, died of a heart condition, and Johnson suddenly found herself mothering a grieving grandchild who clung to the picture of his dead mother.

9:22 PM EDT, May 17, 2012

Baltimore County cuts back on school leadership positions

Baltimore County school officials told middle and high school principals last week that they must limit the number of leadership positions next year to save $814,000, a move teachers say means schools have again been targeted for cuts.

11:13 PM EDT, May 13, 2012

Police report 4 shootings Sunday in Baltimore; at least 1 man killed

A 33-year-old man was shot and killed near the intersection of North Loudon Avenue and West Franklin Street at 4:42 p.m. Sunday, according to the Baltimore Police Department.

8:18 PM EDT, May 10, 2012

Catonsville High teacher has respect of his students

James Fitzpatrick leans back in a huge black office chair with wheels and points at a projection on a screen in the front of the classroom, not far from the Soccer Barbie dolls and a clock featuring the portrait of French writer Voltaire.

7:36 PM EDT, May 4, 2012

City pre-K student brings gun to school

A pre-kindergarten student at Northwood Elementary School in Baltimore brought a small gun to school Friday morning, according to school officials.

7:48 PM EDT, May 3, 2012

Dance announces transition team

Newly appointed Baltimore County school Superintendent Dallas Dance has picked a transition team that includes two former state superintendents and a college president among the 21 individuals who will guide him in the first three months of his job.

7:36 PM EDT, May 14, 2012

Baltimore County legislators, parents to ask Dance to put more teachers in high schools

Baltimore County parents and legislators will ask incoming schools Superintendent Dallas Dance to consider putting more teachers in high schools, where class sizes have swelled since positions were eliminated a year ago.

6:54 PM EDT, May 9, 2012

Dance will work as a consultant in Baltimore County schools for June

Dallas Dance, Baltimore County's soon-to-be superintendent of schools, won't officially take the job until July 1, but the school board approved a contract Tuesday night that will allow him to begin working as a consultant for the month of June.

9:37 PM EDT, May 13, 2012

Aberdeen Proving Ground to celebrate Armed Forces Week

Aberdeen Proving Ground will celebrate Armed Forces Week with a variety of events including a golf tournament, veterans luncheon, and a museum open house.

9:21 PM EDT, April 27, 2012

Crofton Elementary principal asks for transfer after parents raised concerns

An Anne Arundel County elementary school principal has asked for a transfer to another school after district officials began investigating concerns that she did not respond to complaints about a student before he ended up threatening a teacher.

4:00 PM EDT, April 26, 2012

Former headmistress returns to St. Paul's

Former headmistress Lila B. Lohr, will return to the St. Paul's School for Girls in Baltimore County next year as an interim head of the school, the school announced Thursday.

8:52 PM EDT, May 11, 2012

Imagine Discovery school's charter in limbo

Parents of the only charter school in Baltimore County are criticizing the system for not having a process for the school to renew its contract, which is set to expire in two months.

8:42 PM EDT, April 20, 2012

Lillian Lowery named Maryland state superintendent of schools

An outsider with experience in leading a neighboring state through sometimes-unpopular reforms will become the next Maryland superintendent of schools, the state school board announced Friday.

4:22 PM EDT, May 12, 2012

Baltimore County high schools see class sizes grow

Baltimore County's decision to cut nearly 200 teaching positions last year has had far-reaching consequences in high schools, where hundreds of classes have been dropped from the rolls, leaving many more students packed into classrooms.

7:12 PM EDT, March 30, 2012

Dance will be at Baltimore County meeting April 10

The Baltimore County school board is expected to vote to approve S. Dallas Dance, a Houston school administrator, as its next superintendent at a special meeting Tuesday, April 10 at 6 p.m. in the school board offices on Charles Street.

10:19 PM EDT, April 24, 2012

Governor welcomes new state schools chief

Gov. Martin O'Malley made a rare appearance at the state school board meeting Tuesday to welcome the new state school superintendent, Lillian M. Lowery, and encourage the members to work harder on preparing principals and providing vocational training to students.

7:53 PM EDT, April 24, 2012

Annapolis leaders considering two special sessions

Gov. Martin O'Malley and top leaders of the General Assembly are considering the possibility of holding two special legislative sessions — one in May to deal with the state budget and another in summer to consider an expansion of casino gambling in Maryland.

7:40 PM EDT, April 16, 2012

City schools with federal turnaround grants have mixed results

Once students hurled computers out the windows at Calverton Middle School, but today they are learning on state-of-the-art technology that has flooded into the West Baltimore school. Once teachers couldn't wait to transfer out of a place where students ruled the classrooms, but now faculty turnover has slowed.

6:47 PM EDT, April 7, 2012

Baltimore County's new schools chief won over skeptics in Houston

In the crowded glass and steel lobby of the Houston school headquarters, Principal Susan Monaghan paused briefly to touch the shoulder of her boss, a man with far less experience in the education field and young enough to have been her student.

9:01 PM EDT, April 10, 2012

Baltimore County school board OKs Dance as superintendent

The Baltimore County school board voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve S. Dallas Dance, a Houston school administrator, as the next superintendent of its 105,000-student system.

6:59 PM EDT, April 10, 2012

Lacrosse players win appeal of suspensions

Two Easton High School lacrosse players should not have been suspended or arrested for having a penknife and lighter in their lacrosse bags, according to the Maryland state school board, which ordered that the boys' records be wiped clean.

9:21 PM EDT, March 28, 2012

Dance's career impresses some, worries others

When S. Dallas Dance was searching for his first teaching job out of college, he was hired by a Virginia high school principal nearly twice his age.

9:08 PM EDT, March 20, 2012

Board OKs Mays Chapel elementary school

The Baltimore County school board voted Tuesday evening to build an elementary school in Mays Chapel despite angry opposition from neighbors.

10:25 PM EDT, March 27, 2012

Howard, Baltimore county schools were vying for same superintendent finalists

As the clock ticked toward midnight Monday, school boards in Howard and Baltimore County were scrambling to make job offers to their next superintendents.

12:00 PM EDT, April 18, 2012

Baltimore County shortens school year by 4 days

So little snow fell this year that Baltimore County public schools are shortening the school year by four days.

11:14 PM EDT, March 26, 2012

Tony Hawk Foundation gives $25,000 for Hampden skatepark

The Tony Hawk Foundation has given $25,000 toward the construction of a skateboard park in Roosevelt Park in Hampden.

10:00 PM EDT, March 26, 2012

Hundreds march in downtown Baltimore to protest Trayvon Martin killing

Near City Hall, 5-year-old Shalyn Lloyd stood wearing a green hoodie and carrying a sign that read: "Are we next?"

9:29 PM EDT, March 19, 2012

Mays Chapel residents raise questions about scarcity of land for parks, schools

For the second time in four years, there's a fight brewing in northern Baltimore County that raises questions about the scarcity of county-owned land for parks and schools.

2:40 PM EDT, March 24, 2012

3 districts search for new superintendents, but have different processes

Searching for a new school superintendent in Maryland sometimes takes the skills of a CIA agent, including clandestine meetings and flights to faraway places.

2:51 PM EDT, March 27, 2012

Houston administrator to be Baltimore Co. superintendent

S. Dallas Dance, chief middle schools officer in the Houston school district, has been chosen as the next superintendent in Baltimore County.

7:28 PM EDT, March 14, 2012

Gilman headmaster to step down in 2013

John E. Schmick, the Gilman School's headmaster, announced Wednesday that he will step down in July 2013 after a replacement is found.

9:26 PM EST, March 6, 2012

Baltimore County board postpones final vote on Mays Chapel school

Faced with opposition from Mays Chapel residents, the Baltimore County school board postponed a final vote Tuesday night on whether to build an elementary school on 20 acres there to relieve overcrowding.

7:16 PM EDT, March 13, 2012

Grasmick to overhaul teacher training at Towson University

Several months after Nancy S. Grasmick left her job as state superintendent of schools, Michelle Rhee, the former schools chief in Washington, spoke in Baltimore and let a secret slip.

8:26 PM EST, March 7, 2012

How early is too early for high-schoolers?

It was hard to tell whether his eyes were actually open when Derek Jones shuffled into his dimly lit kitchen at 5:45 a.m., the smell of bacon in the air. The 16-year-old didn't speak, but took directions from his mother who whispered: "I have your coffee made and your breakfast sandwich ready."

7:39 PM EST, February 28, 2012

State school board issues discipline proposal

Officials would only be allowed to suspend students for more than 10 days if they believe doing so is the only way to ensure the school is kept safe, under a draft proposal released Tuesday by the Maryland state school board.

7:46 PM EST, February 28, 2012

Bill would force counties to pay for schools

To force counties to pay their share of the cost of operating K-12 schools, top legislators in Annapolis want the state to seize local tax dollars and deliver them directly to school systems.

5:00 PM EST, February 19, 2012

Md. schools moving from zero-tolerance discipline policies

State school board members still don't know her name, but a Dorchester County girl who was denied access to an education for a year is the pivotal figure in their push to abandon long-held zero-tolerance discipline policies across Maryland.

4:11 PM EST, February 26, 2012

Md. expected to apply for NCLB waiver Monday

State education leaders expect to apply Monday for a waiver from some of the most rigid requirements of a federal law widely viewed as flawed because it has labeled so many schools as failing.

5:17 PM EST, March 5, 2012

JHU alum establishes charitable trust with $10 million gift

Leslie C. Norins, a 1958 Johns Hopkins University graduate, has established a charitable trust to fund an exchange program for students and young science faculty between Hopkins and an Australian research center, the university announced Monday.

10:18 PM EST, February 27, 2012

Group tries to halt new rules for gifted education

A proposed regulation governing gifted education in Maryland has come under criticism from opponents who contend it would identify students for the program too early and limit opportunities for minorities and low-income students.

7:49 PM EST, February 6, 2012

School officials worry about overwhelming students, schools with tests

The 2013-2014 school year may seem like a long way off, but state school officials are already fretting over a perfect storm of education reforms that could make today's extensive state testing regimen seem like a snap.

8:44 PM EST, February 23, 2012

Baltimore County school superintendent job draws about 40 candidates

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.

6:00 PM EST, February 23, 2012

Baltimore County proposes new student discipline code

Baltimore County school leaders are reconsidering discipline policies that have led to one of the highest suspension rates in the state, saying they want to reduce the number of times students are sent home for minor infractions.

11:31 PM EST, February 19, 2012

Kamenetz seeks savings if pension costs shift

Baltimore County Executive Kevin B. Kamenetz said he is seeking legislation that would combine some school system and county government functions, an effort to save money if teacher pension costs are transferred to counties.

8:45 PM EST, February 8, 2012

Md. is No. 1 in number of graduates who pass AP exams

For the fourth year in a row, Maryland ranked No. 1 in the nation in the percentage of its graduating seniors who successfully passed the rigorous Advanced Placement exams, leaping further ahead of other top states.

6:37 PM EST, January 17, 2012

Education advocacy group to focus on pre-K funding, charter schools

A new education advocacy group, formed late last year, has pledged to lobby for charter schools, funding for pre-kindergarten education and leave time for parents attending meetings with teachers.

8:22 PM EST, January 13, 2012

Pact would give Balto. Co. school workers job security for 3 years

Baltimore County school employees have reached a tentative agreement with the school system that would raise the contributions employees make to their health care plans over the next five years in exchange for guarantees that there will be no layoffs or furloughs for three years.

6:57 PM EST, February 4, 2012

School community reaches out to support family

Wearing just their T-shirts and underwear, Christina Means and her family escaped from a house fire that struck in the middle of the night.

9:19 AM EST, January 14, 2012

Legislative leaders say they will seek fixes to school funding requirements

Gov. Martin O'Malley joined legislative leaders Friday in saying they will take action this General Assembly session to make county governments live up to their responsibility to fund public schools at a minimum level required under state law.

8:27 PM EST, January 12, 2012

Almost one-third of counties aren't meeting school funding requirements, state says

While Maryland has been ratcheting up aid to local school systems, state education officials say that seven counties aren't paying their share and are failing to fund schools this year at the minimum level required under state law.

8:33 PM EST, January 10, 2012

Balto. Co. schools budget would preserve teaching positions

After receiving criticism last school year for cutting high school teaching positions while keeping administrators, Baltimore County Superintendent Joe A. Hairston is proposing to do the reverse next year — preserve classroom teachers and eliminate 46 administrative positions.

4:03 PM EST, January 2, 2012

Mount Washington residents criticize plan to build solar panels in the neighborhood

A proposal to build solar panels on a historic property in Mount Washington has drawn criticism from neighbors who believe it will be an eyesore for some nearby houses.

6:15 PM EST, January 31, 2012

Education leaders offer plan to fix school funding law

State education leaders have offered legislators their recommendations for fixing the state law that requires local governments to fund their public schools at a minimum level.

7:55 PM EST, December 6, 2011

State school board recommends minimum GPA standards for sports eligibility

The state school board voted Tuesday to recommend that students maintain a C average to be able to play sports in public high schools over concerns raised by some educators and coaches that marginal students might drop out without the incentive of sports.

8:45 PM EST, December 25, 2011

Suspensions high in Baltimore County

Baltimore County reported the highest suspension rate of any Maryland district apart from the Eastern Shore in the last school year, despite its efforts to focus on discipline that doesn't require students to miss classroom time.

6:54 PM EST, November 18, 2011

Schools exchange naming rights for donations

A $500,000 contribution immortalized Mike Callas' name on the North Hagerstown High School Stadium. Other donors had their names placed on the athletic field for a $250,000 contribution and on the scoreboard for $100,000. And for $10,000, you could have your name put on one of the facility's restrooms.

January 12, 2012

Maryland ranked no. 1 in schools again

Maryland schools have been ranked No. 1 in the nation by a leading education publication for the fourth year in a row, earning a grade of B+ compared to the national average of C.

9:26 PM EST, December 7, 2011

Baltimore students remain in bottom third on test vs. other cities

Baltimore's scores on a rigorous national math and reading test were in the bottom third of large urban school districts across the country, though educators highlighted some progress in math and a promising trend of better-than-average results among some low-income black students.

9:56 AM EST, February 4, 2012

Glen Burnie man in critical condition after crash

A 31-year-old Glen Burnie man is in critical condition after a crash on Green Branch Lane in Anne Arundel County, according to Anne Arundel County police.

1:20 PM EST, December 19, 2011

$8 million donated for children attending Jewish day schools

The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore and the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation announced that they will donate $8 million over five years to provide scholarships to children attending Jewish day schools in the Baltimore area.

November 26, 2011

Debate on whether cursive writing should still be taught

Darius Riley displays the concentration of a tightrope walker as he fastens his eyes on the lined paper in front of him and grips his No. 2 yellow pencil down to its point to make his most perfect curly letters.

9:14 PM EST, January 24, 2012

State wants to curb student suspensions

Concerned about the high numbers of student suspensions, state school board members are proposing an overhaul of discipline codes that would move away from zero-tolerance policies.

5:05 PM EST, November 13, 2011

Md. teacher of the year focuses on connections with students

Joshua Parker fell in love in 10th grade, discovering the power of words when his English teacher put a volume of Langston Hughes in his hands.

8:04 PM EST, November 13, 2011

38 arrested in Anne Arundel warrant sweep

The Anne Arundel County Sheriff's office arrested 38 people Sunday morning in an effort to reduce the number of outstanding warrants in the county.

4:43 PM EST, January 2, 2012

City Springs wants to turn dilapidated schoolyard into sports complex

Most mornings, students arrive early at City Springs Elementary/Middle School to throw a football around on the blacktop. They love the game, but it is hard to play in the raggedy yard behind the school.

7:42 PM EST, December 1, 2011

National search firm hired to conduct search for Balto. Co. schools superintendent

The Baltimore County school board, which has been criticized in the past two years for failing to listen to complaints from the public, has pledged to seek advice on the hiring of the next superintendent from an array of interests in the community.

10:48 PM EDT, October 30, 2011

St. Ignatius school to move to Federal Hill

St. Ignatius Loyola Academy, a Jesuit middle school for boys housed in a small space between the parish church and Center Stage on Calvert Street, will be moving to new digs in Federal Hill.

9:05 AM EST, November 23, 2011

Baltimore Co. school board questions administrators over spending

Saying that money had been wasted and school system policies had not been followed in the purchases of books and writing of curriculum, Baltimore County school board members asked administrators Tuesday night for reassurances that similar mistakes would not be made in the future.

6:46 PM EST, December 16, 2011

Maryland wins $50 million Race to Top grant for early childhood programs

Maryland was one of nine states that won a federal competition Friday for early education funds intended to boost the quality of programs available to young children.

6:50 PM EST, December 13, 2011

Balto. Co. school evacuated, 16 sent to hospital from pepper spray

A school security officer used pepper spray to break up a fight between two students at an Essex high school, causing the school to be evacuated and sending 16 students to the hospital Tuesday morning, officials said.

8:53 PM EST, January 6, 2012

For many parents, books that can be held are still the first choice

Jo Keller relies on her Kindle when she travels so she can forgo lugging hardback books, but when it comes to her children's reading habits, she feels differently.

7:32 PM EDT, November 1, 2011

Md. students make gains on national test

Maryland's public school students made greater gains on a national standardized test than their peers in nearly every other state, although the achievement gap between white and minority students persists.

7:53 PM EDT, October 25, 2011

School board considers minimum academic standards for athletes

The state school board is considering whether students who play sports in high school should maintain a minimum 2.0 grade point average to be eligible, a requirement already in place in 16 school systems in Maryland.

4:50 PM EST, November 27, 2011

Baltimore County music teacher brings drumming to school

With 600 students, including a significant percentage of immigrants, music teacher Diane Schaming wanted to try something new to interest the children in the music of different cultures.

9:01 PM EDT, October 19, 2011

Baltimore Co. moves to address school crowding

At Stoneleigh Elementary School south of Towson, classrooms are too crowded to hold all the students, so many classes are held in portable trailers parked outside. It's a common problem in Baltimore County's York Road corridor, where trailers are being used at eight of the 12 elementary schools from Stoneleigh to the Pennsylvania line.

11:22 PM EDT, October 14, 2011

Baltimore County educator named state teacher of the year

Joshua Parker, a 28-year-old Windsor Mill Middle School teacher in Baltimore County, was named the Maryland Teacher of the Year on Friday night, beating out five other finalists from across the state.

6:58 PM EDT, October 27, 2011

Maryland identified as a leader in teacher evaluations

Maryland is one of 17 states leading a movement to evaluate teachers based on student performance in the classroom, but the state doesn't require a teacher to be evaluated on an annual basis, according to a new report.

8:17 PM EST, November 10, 2011

Baltimore County schools spent $5 million on textbooks, curriculum despite warnings

Baltimore County school leaders disregarded advice from state officials and forged ahead to overhaul the teaching of English, spending more than $5 million over the past few years to buy textbooks that mostly sit unused and to rewrite a curriculum that has been shelved.

7:44 PM EDT, October 24, 2011

Catholic school enrollment continues to decline

Catholic school enrollment continued to decline this year, although at a slower pace than in recent years, according to the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

7:18 PM EDT, October 13, 2011

Md. declines to file in first round of No Child Left Behind waivers

Maryland will not be one of the first states to apply for a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind Act, state education officials said Thursday.

9:09 PM EDT, October 14, 2011

Hairston talks about Baltimore County schools' successes

Baltimore County schools Superintendent Joe A. Hairston formally announced Friday that he will leave his post this June, saying he has a record of success.

9:09 PM EDT, October 11, 2011

School board starts superintendent search process

The Baltimore County school board began the process of selecting the next superintendent Tuesday night by creating a committee to set guidelines for public participation and choosing a search firm.

9:59 PM EST, November 11, 2011

Baltimore County leaders concerned by $5 million expenditure

Baltimore County leaders expressed concern Friday that the school system may have wasted as much as $5 million on textbooks and a curriculum that are not being widely used, calling on school officials to more closely monitor spending.

9:23 PM EDT, October 6, 2011

Hairston says he doesn't plan to seek another contract

Baltimore County schools Superintendent Joe A. Hairston said Thursday that he does not plan to seek another contract when his current four-year deal expires in June.

9:57 PM EDT, October 10, 2011

School board voted against giving Hairston a new contract

A month before longtime Baltimore County school Superintendent Joe A. Hairston said he will step down when his contract ends in June, the school board voted in private not to extend his employment.

7:58 PM EDT, October 19, 2011

Lack of air-conditioning in Baltimore County schools criticized

State Comptroller Peter Franchot criticized Baltimore County leaders Wednesday for failing to use $7 million in school construction funds to air-condition schools.

2:12 PM EDT, September 27, 2011

State school board to meet with public about selecting next superintendent

As it begins the search for a new state school superintendent, the Maryland state school board will hold meetings in different areas of the state as well as provide an online survey for the public to give input on what they want in a new leader.

12:14 AM EDT, September 26, 2011

Balto. Co. police shoot man who they say attacked officer

Baltimore County police say an officer shot a man near Dundalk Sunday night after responding to a call of a man threatening to kill himself with a knife about 9:20 p.m.

9:50 PM EDT, September 25, 2011

Portion of Cathedral Street closed indefinitely to fix leak

A portion of Cathedral Street will remain closed indefinitely until the city repairs a broken storm drain that was leaking water into the Walters Art Museum.

8:45 PM EDT, October 7, 2011

Baltimore County school superintendent will likely be attractive job

Baltimore County will be just one of a number of large school districts in the nation and several in Maryland looking for new leaders this year, but those familiar with the process said that despite the competition, the county will be attractive to many applicants.

10:03 PM EDT, September 22, 2011

Obama willing to waive education targets

President Barack Obama is prepared to offer states that have embraced his administration's key education reform initiatives — including Maryland — a break from the most rigid requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, senior officials said Thursday.

6:54 PM EDT, October 10, 2011

Baltimore County average teacher salary is lowest among large systems

Baltimore County's average teacher salary is the lowest among large school systems in Maryland, but its two top officials are some of the highest-paid, according to data collected by the state.

10:06 PM EDT, September 30, 2011

State reports highest graduation rate in past 15 years

Maryland's public schools are graduating a higher percentage of students than they have in the past 15 years but they have seen a troubling increase in the number of students dropping out.

8:38 PM EDT, August 22, 2011

School systems around state need to address improvements to buildings

Rodgers Forge Elementary had reached nearly double its capacity, so parents and students were relieved last year when the new $22 million WestTowson Elementary opened to ease crowding at neighboring schools in Baltimore County.

8:20 PM EDT, August 27, 2011

Overhauling a troubled school

By the time most other high schools began their ritual end-of-summer awakening, the teachers at Dundalk were already a week on the job, clustered in the stuffy classrooms of a tired school that so many others had written off as a lost cause.

12:48 PM EDT, September 27, 2011

O'Malley replaces majority of Baltimore City Community College board

Concerned about the academic achievement of students at Baltimore City Community College, Gov. Martin O'Malley has overhauled its board of trustees, replacing the majority of its members.

9:10 PM EDT, September 20, 2011

Maryland in joint effort to change science education

Maryland has joined a multi-state campaign to improve science education — a move that will lead to a greater emphasis on analytical and conceptual thinking.

8:12 PM EDT, August 8, 2011

Baltimore County rewrites school facilities policy

The Baltimore County school board is expected to vote Tuesday night on a revised facilities policy that would allow PTAs and community groups to hold craft fairs and bingo games that had been in jeopardy.

12:33 AM EDT, July 30, 2011

City notes second declining set of test scores

The performance of Baltimore's first- and second-grade pupils fell significantly in reading and math on a national standardized test, mirroring the drops on statewide assessments this year.

11:45 AM EDT, September 15, 2011

Md. seniors score slightly lower on SATs

Maryland's graduating seniors scored slightly lower on the SATs this year, mirroring a national trend that the College Board attributed to an increase in the number and diversity of students who take the tests.

8:54 PM EDT, September 26, 2011

Witness to Dundalk shooting: Police fired through glass door

A man fatally shot by a Baltimore County police officer Sunday through a closed glass storm door had charged at the officer while brandishing a large knife after his girlfriend told a 911 operator that he was "fixing to get someone hurt," authorities said.

8:57 PM EDT, September 23, 2011

Educators say Obama plan relieves stress

It didn't matter whether they worked at a small city elementary school or a large, suburban middle school. Educators said Friday that President Obama's decision to lift the increasingly rigorous targets of the No Child Left Behind law would mean less pressure and a greater freedom to be creative in their classes.

September 10, 2011

Balto. Co. panel votes against elected school board members

A legislative task force considering ways to improve the selection of Baltimore County school board members abruptly decided Friday to rule out recommending the addition of any elected board members.

9:03 PM EDT, September 1, 2011

Power outages force schools to adjust lesson plans

At the beginning of the week, Principal Amanda Rice had all the first-day-of-school preparations at George Washington Elementary: a pristine building, a fresh vision and a new suit.

9:07 PM EDT, September 8, 2011

Teachers bring 9/11 events to classroom

Nearly 10 years ago, Wilde Lake High School teacher Herb West flipped on the television in his American government class in time for students to see a live image of a plane flying into the side of the World Trade Center. Students screamed and shouted in disbelief as one and then two towers fell.

9:03 PM EDT, August 4, 2011

UB faculty had earlier voiced concerns on spending

The University of Baltimore faculty had voiced concerns about how the university was spending its money long before the dean of the law school publicly aired allegations over funding when he was forced to resign last week.

7:06 PM EDT, July 19, 2011

Students score slightly better on state science test

Maryland's fifth- and eighth-graders scored slightly better on their annual science exam this past school year; however, the gap in performance is growing between special-education students and their peers.

7:44 PM EDT, August 3, 2011

Baltimore County Council supports partially elected school board

In an attempt to push for a more accountable school board, a majority of Baltimore County Council members say they would support a move from a fully appointed school board to a partially elected one.

7:50 PM EDT, August 9, 2011

Teachers trained on new national curriculum

They might as well have been ninth-graders puzzling over the SAT word of the day. Instead, they were teachers sitting in a Towson High School classroom, their heads bent over a list of new vocabulary words and phrases they couldn't seem to categorize in a way that made sense.

7:36 PM EDT, August 9, 2011

School board OKs new facilities policy

The Baltimore County school board unanimously voted Tuesday night to adopt a new policy that gives community organizations and the public more access to using school facilities.

5:22 PM EDT, August 9, 2011

Danette Howard named interim higher education secretary

Gov. Martin O'Malley has appointed Danette Howard, a former director of research analysis for the Maryland Higher Education Commission, to become the interim secretary for higher education, according to a statement released Tuesday by the governor's office.

5:34 PM EDT, August 14, 2011

Maryland's only public boarding school tries for new start in its fourth year

When Khalek Kirkland and one of his college buddies imagined their dream jobs, they wanted to be in charge of schools where they had students for enough hours in the day to change the course of their lives.

8:28 PM EDT, June 28, 2011

Grasmick's last day marks end of an era

As a senior at Western High School, Nancy S. Grasmick imagined becoming a pediatrician, but a near-fatal reaction to penicillin left her deaf and altered her life.

8:55 PM EDT, May 1, 2011

Man thrown from car during Glen Burnie carjacking

A man clung to the driver's side door of his 1995 Isuzu Trooper while two men tried to steal it from a Shell gas station at 6616 Ritchie Highway in Glen Burnie Saturday morning, according to Anne Arundel County police.

6:29 PM EDT, July 19, 2011

Culinary college seeks reconsideration over accreditation

Baltimore International College will file a "request for reconsideration" with the Middle States Commission, the agency that is taking away the college's accreditation Aug. 31.

September 6, 2011

Education reform coming to the suburbs

As the school year finally gets under way, public school students across the state will be writing more often and learning to think differently in math class, as the state begins major education reforms that will change everything from the curriculum to the way teachers are evaluated.

6:23 PM EDT, June 21, 2011

State school board delays action on suspensions

After strong objections surfaced from educators around the state, the Maryland State Board of Education delayed Tuesday any action on proposals to ensure that students who are suspended are dealt with fairly and quickly.

July 21, 2011

UMBC gets high marks for student teacher training programs

A national study on the quality of student teaching at schools of education ranks two of the three programs examined in Maryland as weak.

9:40 PM EDT, June 20, 2011

State to evaluate teachers on student progress

Maryland moved Monday to begin evaluating teachers based in part on how well their students learn their lessons — a significant change that will be tried first in seven school districts, including Baltimore city and county, this fall.

12:01 AM EDT, June 22, 2010

98 Md. high schools ranked in U.S. survey

Maryland claimed 98 spots on Newsweek's annual list of top high schools in the country, and no other state had a higher percentage of its schools make the list.

3:07 PM EDT, July 28, 2011

Baltimore County schools continue to hire on business side of operations

At a time when Baltimore County schools are cutting nearly 200 teaching positions, the system has added three dozen new employees to the business side of its operations at salaries that total $1.9 million.

7:54 PM EDT, June 16, 2011

Kindergarten teacher embraced changes over 43-year career at Norwood

Eleanor Saulsbury's entry into teaching did not bode well for a long, successful career.

February 7, 2010

For utilities, heavy snowfall means heavy work

Despite the best efforts of more than 1,100 Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. workers, some of whom trudged through 3-foot drifts and climbed poles in the driving snow, about 20,000 residents of the region remained without power Saturday night.

5:55 PM EDT, July 14, 2011

Four counties receive $1 million for school-based health care

The U.S. government awarded about $1 million in federal grants Thursday to four Maryland counties to improve school-based health care for students.

8:12 PM EDT, July 15, 2011

University of Maryland's founding chancellor John Toll dies

John Sampson Toll, a gifted physicist and founding chancellor of the University System of Maryland, died Friday of heart failure at the Fox Hill assisted-living Facility in Bethesda. He was 87.

February 8, 2010

School systems close to running out of snow days

Just when the snowplows and shoveling might allow schools to be open on Tuesday or Wednesday, a second storm with at least 5 inches of snow could arrive Tuesday night.

6:52 PM EDT, July 18, 2011

Baltimore International in talks with two out-of-state institutions about merger

In an effort to stay open, the Baltimore International College said Monday that it "is in conversation" with two out-of-state institutions about a merger that would allow it to remain accredited.