The Kent County Public School system is the smallest school system in the State of Maryland with a student population prekindergarten through grade 12 of 2, 236. Even though our staff and student populations are small, there are lessons that we can learn from larger school systems. Many of the larger counties such as Montgomery County, Baltimore County, and other systems in Maryland are able to offer instructional opportunities for their children that we cannot offer because of our size and resources. As superintendent of schools, I do not accept this as OK. Our students will live and work with people from all over the State of Maryland and across this world, perhaps in person or virtually. To the fullest extent possible, we have a responsibility to provide programs that will allow our students to be competitive, not just on the Eastern Shore but everywhere. Large counties often have the resources to pilot programs and strategies that we can replicate after the “bugs” have been worked out. Networking with professionals from other counties, large and small, provides a different perspective as well as different resolutions to issues.
Maryland, along with 23 other states, have decided to replace their mathematics and English/Language Arts standards with a common set of national standards. Ultimately, curricula and tests will be crafted that embody the new standards. The State of Maryland has had a state curriculum for a number of years, but the new common set of standards will require that what we teach is aligned to the national common standards.
How our children achieve on these standards will measure the effectiveness of the instruction that students receive in Kent County as compared to every other system in the nation. The educational stakes are high. We must prepare our children to compete so that they have the same choices for employment opportunities or college acceptance as students who are in larger and, perhaps, more affluent counties.
Yes, we are small in size but not in brainpower. Our job is to provide the tools that will empower our children to be great! YES WE CAN!
Erin says
Of course KCPS need to prepare our children for the world beyond as well if not better than other counties in MD. And we most definitely need to take advantage of any and all resources available. But HOW is this being done? What programs are being used or implemented to make this happen? My suggestion is to tap into the parents even more–the more parents who are positively involved in our schools, the better they will be and the more successes our children will achieve. “It takes a village to raise a child.” And Kent county is a great village in so many ways.
connie schroth says
There are numerous child-oriented organizations in Kent County; by coming to consensus on the needs of our children as they enter the future, these groups and individuals can create a community-based foundation for helping families and schools prepare our students for the world out there. Such partnerships could use our various educational resources more effectively and efficiently and our children would benefit.
There is sometimes a sense of territoriality within groups in our “village” that prevents Kent County from serving all our citizens well.
Candidius says
How about KCPS cut their top heavy administration and require teacher’s pay be based on merit instead of length of tenure? How about we cut the waste?! KCPS is hemorrhaging money, how about we find some ways to stop up some holes in the bucket so that our children can get the best possible education. How many people do you have over there in that board office and in the school system making $100k+? What have they done to deserve that other than continue to run the school system into the ground?! Its time the BoE was run like a business. Private schools all over the country can do more and provide a much better education for a fraction of the amount of money KCPS spends on a per pupil basis. Its time we overhaul our education system to make it more efficient.
Missy says
YES WE CAN – is a spin off of Obama’s speeches to be elected. With the current US status and the fact that this superintendant really needs the community support, maybe the sayings of this sort should be left out as some may take offense when referencing this current administration – be it local or US Government.
Top heavy is right! need to clean house and spend more on the children. Being the smallest county in the state should support and equal the smallest pay. All things being equal.
Candidius says
AMEN Missy!
Also I got to thinking about the title of this article today (I didn’t pay much attention to it the first time I read it) and the more I thought about it the more I really started to get confused. Does Wheeler think that just because we may “talk slow” out here in the country that we’re stupid? “A Great System Does Not Negate a Great System” What does that even mean?! The only logical conclusion is that just because KCPS is small does not mean that its not great, but that that is a fallacy. The school system is small but it is not a “great” system by any stretch of the imagination. All I can figure is that Wheeler was trying to impress readers with her big vocabulary and she fell flat on her face in the attempt because she did not use “them big words” correctly. And this is the person in charge of our children’s education?! Now its all starting to make sense.
doneitall says
I was beginning to think that I was the only one to whom this didn’t make any sense. Cut and paste from some seminar or online garbage. Yes, we can, but we’re surely not.
Bobby Joe says
Teachers and school systems beg, borrow, and steal good ideas and best practices from each other all the time. Kent County should continue to do this. It seems to me that the biggest problem in our schools is a lack of self-discipline on the part of our students…and much of that emanates from poor parenting in many cases.
Do you monitor what your children watch on TV, or are exposed to on the internet? Do you allow them to play violent video games? Do you discuss with them the awful consequences of bullying? Teachers and principals cannot replace parents and guardians in the rearing of children. If you want a better school system, do something to help. Become involved. The cliche is true: If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem!
Aunt BeBE says
As a quasi-educator in Baltimore City and County, I read this article as someone with a different perspective than most of the readers (I just happened upon this site — imagine that!), but I too was perplexed by the comments of the superintendent. I really thought that she would speak about the blessings of a small student population that were taught to depend upon as well as technology. I thought she would speak of more relevant relationships between education professionals, parents, and teachers. I am not sure she realizes how much can be done in a system with a total population of less than 3000. But then again maybe I am the one who doesn’t know. Maybe Dr. Wheeler should have a heart-to-heart with some of her counterparts in other jurisdictions. They could learn from each other. What a difference perspective makes.
MD Eastern Shore says
Eesh. This article is a combination of 5th grade writing and deep-seated inferiority-complex issues not explainable by a mere taxpayer like myself. Holy cow, run for the exits and take your children with you to a decent private school. How much do we pay this woman? And what school did she hoodwink into giving her a doctorate?
New day says
Now that the smoke has cleared …
the costs are stacking up we see what 577k bought us with consolidation … two trailers for the alternative program and a Board of Admin office placed strategically, so parents and teachers could not be involved easily. More costs mounting every day …. the highest respect of KCPS. The children who had an opportunity for drama or music in Rock Hall and Galena Middle … now have to choose it as an elective with the added choice of a language : drama, art, music or spanish . Sounds like it is taking away opportunity to me. STEM is now just a glorified math. Wow .. is this the great opportunity that we all sacrificed our social benefit of community rural schools??? We need a new superintendent, someone that appreciates the value of rural community schools and all the dynamics of success.
rhes parent says
Why does RHES Kindergarten class have to suffer with 27 kids in their class with one teacher and a instructional assistant? What can we do to split the class up? We may have a small county of students but why does Rock Hall Elementary students have such a huge class of 5 and 6 year olds? Imagine being on a playground and bring responsible for 27 children. Look at all the activites and lesson plans that are not accomplished due to the size of the class because another teacher was not in the budget this year???? How can this be?
RHKMOM says
I thought a K class in the state of MD maximum was 10:1 and if there is a teacher and a IA then it should only be 20 students. Perhaps Dr Wheeler could explain this one.