Ed Portal Lead

Education Ed Homepage Education Ed Portal Lead

Talbot County Superintendent Kelly Griffith to Retire Next Year

November 18, 2021 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Talbot County Public Schools Superintendent Kelly L. Griffith, Ed.D. has announced that she will retire as of July 1, 2022 after 39 years as an educator.

Dr. Griffith was appointed as the Interim Superintendent in 2013, and was officially appointed TCPS Superintendent in 2014 after a national search was conducted. She holds a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Innovation from Wilmington University, and a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Salisbury University, where she also earned her undergraduate degree. Dr. Griffith began her career as a teacher in Delaware in 1983, and joined the TCPS team in 1988. Her leadership positions included serving as an assistant principal and principal of Easton Middle School, principal of Easton and Chapel District Elementary Schools as well as Easton High School, Director of Student Programs and School Improvement, and Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services.

“As I complete my ninth year and second contract serving in this capacity, I make this decision with mixed emotions,” Dr. Griffith said in a letter to the community. “Simply stated, it is time for me to embark upon new opportunities in both my personal and professional life.”

Susan Delean-Botkin, Talbot County Board of Education President stated “Dr. Kelly Griffith was just awarded the Maryland Superintendent of the Year, and is now in contention for that same recognition nationally. What a fitting way to conclude 39 years of professional teaching, child advocacy, administrative leadership, team building, foresight, and inclusivity. In those 39 years, starting as a middle school teacher, she gave so much to so many for so long that there are few in the Mid Shore area untouched by her passion for children, quality education, teacher and staff advocacy, diversity and equity.”

“Dr. Griffith promoted Talbot County wherever she went and served on multiple community organizations in her efforts to build bridges between the school system and the whole community,” Ms. Delean-Botkin added. “We wish her and her husband the very best in her retirement. And we salute her for giving Talbot County the wonderful gift of complete dedication for so many years.”

Dr. Griffith will remain actively involved in the community as an Easton Rotarian (currently President-Elect), a member of the Talbot Family Network, Talbot Mentors, Junior Achievement Board, the Local Emergency Preparedness Committee, and an Executive Board Member of the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce. She also volunteers for the Waterfowl Festival, Meals on Wheels, and Junior Achievement.

“During the remaining months of my time as your Superintendent, I will continue to work with the Board to promote the best possible decisions on behalf of our children and staff,” Griffith added. “I am also committed to making the smoothest possible transition for my successor’s administration. I am truly grateful for my TCPS and community family.”

Mid-Shore Education: A Chat with Gunston School’s John Lewis

October 25, 2021 by Dave Wheelan 2 Comments

It is instinctively hard for any thoughtful leader of an institution to use the word “thriving” to categorize the current state of their enterprise while the country recovers from an international health crisis. Yet, that might be the only word applied to The Gunston School these days.

At a time when many other schools need to slowly work their way back from the devastation that COVID-19 brought to secondary education, Headmaster John Lewis reports in his latest Spy interview on the fact that the Centreville-based Gunston is firing on all cylinders.

Not only is the school hitting record enrollment numbers, with now more than 230 students attending the 9-12 grade school, but, with the exception of the first dark months of the pandemic, those young people have been in the physical classroom as well.

In fact, with this remarkable stability in place, Headmaster Lewis is not thinking of keeping the status quo. He and his board of trustees have now embarked on a new strategic vision intended to allow the school’s physical plant to catch up with the kind of school Gunston has grown into since becoming a co-ed high school in 1995. That includes plans for more STEM classroom space, a dedicated performing arts center, and the addition of an athletic center that matches Gunston’s ever-expanding sports teams and fitness requirements.

The Spy drove over to talk with John Lewis a few weeks ago to hear about this remarkable phase in Gunston’s 110-year history as he begins his twelve-year as its headmaster.

This video is approximately six minutes in length. For more information about The Gunston School please go here.

Kent County High School Principal Resigns

October 15, 2021 by Spy Staff 3 Comments

A letter from Kent County School Superintendent Karen Couch posted on the KCHS School Board website on October 14 announced the resignation of the resignation of KCHS Principal Joe Graf.

Rock Hall Elementary Principal Mrs. Kris Hemstetter has been reassigned to KCHA as principal. Mrs. Gillian Spero will be reassigned as principal of Rock Hall Elementary for the remainder of the school year.

This is a developing story.

Mid-Shore Education: A Chat with Gunston School’s Abbey and Maggie Miller

September 26, 2021 by The Spy Leave a Comment

The Gunston School announced the other day that seniors Abbey and Maggie Miller of Easton have been selected as semifinalists in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program, making them part of the top 16,000 high school students selected out of 1.5 million qualified applicants.

This is a a major accomplishment for the twins since National Merit semifinalists represent less than one percent of high school seniors in the United States.

The Millers will be competing for about 7,500 scholarships worth almost $30M. Roughly 15,000 semifinalists will advance to the finalist level in February, with scholarships awarded later in the spring. The application process is rigorous, requiring an outstanding academic record as well as a detailed record of school and community engagement in various activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, endorsements and recommendations by a high school official, an essay, and near perfect SAT or ACT scores.

“Growing up, I was always encouraged to do my best in school,” said Maggie. “I worked hard to achieve my goals and learned that preparation was the key to success. I’ve always enjoyed math and science; I attended coding summer camps when I was younger and this past summer I was a leader for a week-long STEM camp for students at the local elementary school. Leading up to the PSAT exam date, I used some of my extra time on weekends to do practice problems, using resources like Khan Academy. Next fall, I plan on studying at an engineering school in the Northeast.”

Abbey adds, “I have always worked hard in my classes and done well in school. When I was younger, my parents encouraged me to excel academically. They supported me as I developed my interests and set different goals for myself. I would not have been able to achieve this if it weren’t for them. In school, I gravitate towards anything related to STEM, so I plan on majoring in engineering at college.”

English teacher Morey Weimer, who is also the advisor of the new chess club the Millers co-founded, recalled their individual impact in his class, “Maggie’s writing on Margaret Atwood inspired me to not only read a handful of Atwood novels over the summer, but to dive deeply into the realm of cli-fi (re: climate fiction) and to reconsider how stories can function as a sort of looking glass into a world where current issues are taken to an extreme. Abbey’s writing on Ray Bradbury offered insight into the relationship between science, technology, and storytelling. In fact, one of Abbey’s essays inspired an entire unit in my “From Stories to Science” [in the Anthropocene course] about engineering and the power of stories to influence the sort of world that we design and build. Maggie and Abbey both aren’t afraid to ask for help. They take constructive criticism well and consistently make an effort to improve their writing.”

“Abbey and Maggie are not just superior students, but also superior citizens,” shared Gunston’s Head of School John Lewis, “They have excelled throughout their career in the classroom, on the athletic field, and in their service to others. As a school, we are deeply proud of their accomplishments.”

Since Abbey and Maggie live only a few blocks for the Spy studio, we thought we’d have a quick chat with them as they begin the process of applying to college this fall.

This video is approximately four minutes in length. For more information about Gunston School please go here.

The Frederick Douglass Honor Society Honors A True American Hero on Saturday

September 23, 2021 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

The Frederick Douglass Honor Society, the Town of Easton, Talbot County Government, and Talbot County Free Library are pleased to announce their annual Frederick Douglass Day celebration will take place on Saturday, September 25, 2021. This virtual event is brimming with awe-inspiring creativity, world-wide participation, and an abundance of history, entertainment, and fun for people of all ages.

The story of Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) is immensely inspiring as his life embodies the American dream of surmounting immense obstacles to achieve greatness. His many triumphs changed the way the nation regarded oppression and equality. An abolitionist, statesman, and self-educated man, Frederick Douglass became one of the most prominent Americans of his time. He was a masterful writer, world-famous orator, an advisor to presidents, U.S. Marshall, Ambassador, Bank President, and the first African American to have his name placed in nomination as a presidential candidate for the United States. Douglass’s publications and speeches influenced the adoption of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Constitutional Amendments, known as the Reconstruction Amendments.

More than most, Frederick Douglass was the author of his life, educating himself, planning and effecting his escape from slavery, and creating his subsequent career as an abolitionist and advocate for equal rights for all oppressed people. His lifetime spanned the Civil War, the end of slavery, and the beginning of segregation. His legacy is timeless – a man for all seasons whose writings to this day inspire people around the world. He is far and away Talbot County’s most famous native son.

A broad-shouldered man with wide-set eyes and a deep and memorable voice, Frederick Douglass stood six feet, two inches tall. He was a devoted father and family man. He and his first wife, Anna Murray Douglass, raised three sons and a daughter. Their children worked closely with Douglass as educators, printers, and business correspondents. Anna played many roles, including accomplished chef, business manager, and anti-slavery campaigner. She was also an important conductor on the Underground Railroad. Financially savvy, Anna saved enough money to finance Frederick Douglass’s escape to New York, wearing a sailor uniform she sewed for him for his disguise.

Twelve years ago, the Town of Easton and the Frederick Douglass Honor Society formed a partnership to bring the Frederick Douglass statue project to a successful conclusion. Over the following eighteen months, they approved a sculptor, secured a permanent location for the statue, and planned a four-day celebration known as “Douglass Returns”. Overwhelming financial support was received from the community, state government and agencies, and generous donors from near and far. Ten years ago this year, on June 18, 2011, the statue of Frederick Douglass was unveiled before a crowd of more than 3,000. Dr. David Blight of Yale and former Governor Martin O’Malley spoke about the depth of Douglass’s courage, the significance of his life, his messages that have withstood the test of time, and his lifelong fight for justice. The impact of Douglass’s fight for equality and justice holds a permanent place in America’s history, one that all visitors are reminded of when they catch sight of his statue on the courthouse lawn.

The virtual event, which goes live at 10 a.m. online at www.FrederickDouglassHonorSociety.com or www.FrederickDouglassDay.com , features four main components: a Welcome Ceremony with Mistress of Ceremonies Brenda Wooden, President of the Frederick Douglass Honor Society, a libation ceremony led by Harriette Lowery, the Morgan State University Choir, Dr. David Blight, Governor Larry Hogan, Terron Quailes, Rabbi Peter Hyman, Phylicia Rashad, former Governor Martin O’Malley, Professor John Stauffer, Mayor Robert Willey, Talbot County Councilman Corey Pack, Talbot County Free Library Director Dana Newman, Talbot County Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Helga Einhorn, Cameron McCoy, Brandon Coleman, and recollections from the “Douglass Returns” celebration.

The Talbot County Free Library (11 AM) highlights Kenneth Morris, Jr. (Co-founder and President of the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives) sharing his story about Anna Murray Douglass, his great-great-great grandmother. Laura Era, local artist, teacher and owner of Troika Gallery will unveil her portrait in oils of Anna Murray Douglass. The portrait will be presented to Director Dana Newman and donated to the Talbot County Free Library. Following the unveiling, Dr. David Blight (Director of the Gilder-Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance and Abolition), Dr. John Stauffer (Sumner R. and Marshall S. Kates Professor of English and of African and African-American Studies, Harvard University) and Dr. Celeste-Marie Bernier (Professor of U.S. and Atlantic Studies, University of Edinburgh) will review one of each other’s published books about Frederick Douglass.

The Children’s Village (11 AM) provides great entertainment for young children including free Frederick Douglass coloring books, a map game showing where Frederick Douglass lived and traveled, story time with Shauna Beulah, Talbot County Free Library- St. Michaels Branch Librarian, Zoom background, memes and opportunities to win fun experience based prizes from a visit to the Maryland Zoo Baltimore to the National Aquarium, a ride aboard the Oxford Bellevue Ferry, membership to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, gift certificates and more.

The Frederick Douglass Honor Society invites you to virtually join them at 11:30 AM as they introduce their new video “The World Honors Frederick Douglass”. This film brings together people and places across our nation and abroad paying homage to Frederick Douglass and the footprints he has left over the past two centuries.

The 2021 Frederick Douglass Lecture features Historian and Pulitzer Prize Winner Dr. David Blight and Keidrick Roy, a PhD Candidate in American Studies at Harvard University. The virtual lecture will go live at 1 PM. Following the lecture, questions can be presented to Dr. Blight and Keidrick Roy on the Frederick Douglass Facebook page.

At sunset on the evenings of September 24 and September 25, a special illumination of Frederick Douglass images will be shown on the front of the Talbot County Court House. The presentation is provided by Patrick Rogan, a designer of exhibitions for museums. His firm, Assemble, works with institutions to share compelling stories through images and other multimedia tools.

Last year, thousands of people visited our virtual Frederick Douglass Day events. Favorable comments were received from around the globe. “With so many viewers enjoying our 2020 Virtual Frederick Douglass Day celebration, the Frederick Douglass Honor Society will make all components of this year’s event viewable on our website for the next eleven months”, said Brenda Wooden, President of the Frederick Douglass Honor Society.

All events, timeline, and virtual instructions can be viewed at www.FrederickDouglassDay.com and www.FrederickDouglassHonorSociety.com. The virtual event is made possible by the Talbot County Arts Council, Maryland Arts Council, Paul and Joanne Prager, Blue Point Hospitality, Rise Up Coffee, The Town of Easton, Bay Photographic Works, Dr. Dodson House, the Star Democrat, Dock Street Foundation, Mr. & Mrs. Herb Miller, Mr. & Mrs. Richard Tilghman, Mr. & Mrs. Tom Hill, Jennifer Stanley, Queenstown Bank, and other community donors.

The Journey to Chestertown: A Chat with Washington College’s 31st President Michael Sosulski

September 7, 2021 by Dave Wheelan Leave a Comment

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges that faced Michael Sosulski after he finished his undergraduate work at Georgetown University was whether to become a jazz sax player or pursue an academic career in foreign languages.

There was more to this decision than wishful thinking on Michael’s part. As someone who had spent his junior year abroad, he was part of a jazz band that played professional gigs throughout southwest Germany. This was ample evidence he could provide his parents, who raised their family in the Western Suburbs of Chicago, that he had both the talent and the ambition to “make it” a career.

Their response was a thoughtful one. Rather than convince Mike to follow the more financially secure route into scholarship, they made the case that he should pursue a career in music by entering a well-respected conservatory. He felt this was a reasonable suggestion, and the following year he entered the highly regarded Berklee School of Music.

To make a long story short, Michael Sosulski failed brilliantly at Berklee. For many reasons, large and small, he realized that he was never intended to be a professional musician. And so, with the help of some generous scholarship support, he enrolled in the language graduate program at the University of Chicago, where he would earn both his master’s and a doctorate in Germanic Studies.

And it was at Chicago that Michael realized that his future in academics was to be in the small liberal arts college environment. While he was the product of much larger schools, he had come to conclude that the best form of higher education was when small communities of students and teachers could built a foundation of critical thinking and knowledge in a close, personal way.

From that point on, Dr. Sosulski has followed up on that intuition. Over the past two decades, he has served on the faculty of small schools like Valparaiso University, Pacific Lutheran University, Kalamazoo College, and eventually Wofford College.

It was at Kalamazoo College that Sosulski first became interested in the administration of a college. As a department head there, he started to see how one could have a more significant impact on an institution’s mission which eventually led him to Wofford, where he began Provost in 2016.

All of this was done while supporting his wife, Dr. Corinne (Cori) Crane, in her own academic career, and the raising of two boys, who have both now graduated from college themselves.

In this introductory interview with President Sosulski, the Spy’s Dave Wheelan and Jim Dissette learn about his unique journey to Chestertown, his impressions of Washington College and his passionate conviction that America’s needs to double-down on the liberal arts tradition.

This video is approximately minutes in 11 minutes in length. For more information about Washington College please go here.

Mid-Shore Education: The Win-Win Results of a STEM Camp

August 17, 2021 by Dave Wheelan Leave a Comment

Like many communities throughout the country, the summer can be an essential time for young students to catch up on critical cognitive skills in order to be on equal footing with their peers by the fall. That is certainly true on the Mid-Shore as children take advantage of a special STEM Camp in Talbot County for 1st through 5th-grade youngsters.

What might be more unique with this camp is that the instructors are all area high school students. And that might be part of the special sauce that makes this summer school fun as well as successful for some 30 students every year.

These older students not only can relate well to their young wards while studying tough subjects like math and science; they actually run every aspect of the camp.

From developing the curriculum, working out field trips, or deciding the meals, a core group of 30 staff comes together to make the four-day program one of the most memorable experiences for their younger peers. But another part of this magical formula is that those older kids are learning as well.

Given the responsibility (and the risks associated with it) of running a full-scale program from soup to nuts, these teens find within themselves core leadership skills that are just as impactful life lessons as those they provide to the smaller children.

The Spy sat down the other day three of those young leaders last week to talk about the program. This included rising senior Will Burgess, who developed the camp’s curriculum plan, and his colleagues Damian René and Banchi Short, to share their impressions of this year’s program.

This video is approximately three minutes in length. For more information about the STEM Camp, please contact its volunteer advisor Bob DeGour here.

Chesapeake College’s Future in Cambridge: A Chat with Brandon Hesson

August 4, 2021 by Dave Wheelan Leave a Comment

It is most likely not the fault that your average Mid-Shore resident tends to associate Chesapeake College only with its main campus at Wye Mills. This intentionally-made central location in Queen Anne’s County, built in the late 1960s, was conceived in the belief that those seeking higher education could easily drive from all five counties it planned to serve.

Much has changed since those days, including the significant increase in traffic, the high cost of car ownership, and growing family obligations. Less than a decade after the Wye Mills campus opened, the college opened up an extension in Cambridge in 1978.

The Dorchester campus has shown itself worthy of that investment. Before COVID began, the Cambridge Center was attracting over 500 students taking some 2,000 courses. And while the pandemic has sharply reduced those numbers, Chesapeake has already seen enrollment start to return to those 2019 numbers.

The health crisis also hit the Cambridge Center in an unexpected way with its primary water pipe eruption in May of 2020. Beyond the significant damage to its facilities on Race Street, this tragedy did come with a silver lining. It gave the staff a rare moment to create a new vision for the building and its role in the community.

Heading up that effort was the relatively new Cambridge Center director, Brandon Hesson. A native of Talbot County, Hesson was not a new kid of the block when it came to Dorchester County. For most of his career, first as Main Street Cambridge and then worked directly for the City as associate director for economic development.

As Brandon explains in his Spy interview, he feels he’s still in the business of economic development. While he does manage the college programs in Cambridge, he sees his role as addressing the definite need for workforce employment.

And with the chance to resign the Cambridge Center, bringing in new partners to help students, and plans to expand programming into the soon to be open Packing House a few blocks away from downtown, Chesapeake College is entering into a very exciting time.

This video is approximately five minutes in length. For more information about the Cambridge Center of Chesapeake College please go here.

The Chromebook of Executive Function Skills by By Radcliffe Creek School’s Meg Bamford

July 14, 2021 by Meg Bamford Leave a Comment

It happened, AGAIN. I went to the supermarket after work to get some bread. I spent over $100 on groceries, loaded them into the car and then as I was about to get into the driver’s seat, I remembered the forgotten bread. How could I forget my sole reason for going to the grocery store on a dark, wet evening?

Working memory is our ability to hold, use, and manipulate information in our mind for brief intervals of between10 to15 seconds. Things like shopping lists, multi-step directions, or (remember when this was necessary?) someone’s phone number, are all executive function skills that our working memory performs. Our working memory is central to cognitive functioning skills. One thing we know is that like a Chromebook, our working memory has limited capacity to hold onto information before it is replaced by other information. In order to hold onto information in our working memory, we have to make the conscious decision to keep it there. Neuroscientists have determined that our working memory can only hold a certain amount of information at a time and for a very limited amount of time. Our working memory capacity can vary depending on the type of information we are trying to remember and how the information is chunked in our brain as we try to remember it. I love the trivia fact that the reason why our phone numbers have 7 digits has to do with average number of digits most people can hold in their working memory at once.

Many school psychologists believe that an intact working memory is critical for allowing other skills to develop. It incorporates the ability to draw upon past learning experiences to apply to a situation at hand or to project into the future. For example, when we review cognitive testing, a lower score in the area of working memory can explain why a young student may struggle to decode unfamiliar words. Often the act of breaking down a word, sounding it out and then blending the sounds together can cause the reader to forget the first sounds of the word. Has your child ever got off the phone with someone she just spoke with and completely forget what the message was that she needed to relay? Long division and working memory deficits are not compatible unless there are supports in place.

Think about how frustrating it is for children (or adults) who struggle with working memory deficits. A child goes upstairs to get her shoes and socks on, brush her teeth, and grab her reading book. She comes down with her socks on and reading book. She is sent back upstairs by a frustrated parent because she didn’t follow directions and now the family is running late. She knows she needs to remember something, but can’t because the information has gone out of her working memory.

How can we help the child with working memory deficits build this critical skill? Teach your child to repeat or even sing the instructions to herself to put the information into their auditory memory. Model chunking the information for them. Instead of remembering individual digits 7-7-8-8-1-5-0, teach them to remember 778, 81, 50. Consider the idea of “off-loading” so the child doesn’t have to hold as much in his working memory. Teach your child to use agenda books and calendars, make “to do” lists (keep that white board displayed prominently in your kitchen) and have your older children use their phones as assistive technology tools for prompting. There are great apps such as Todoist and BugMe! that can be helpful.

Children develop their working memory from infancy until about late adolescence when it peaks. A young child may be able to hold onto one step directions in her mind while a middle school student will need to remember the expectations of multiple teachers.With repeated rehearsal, visualization, and active association to past experiences, over time a child with working memory deficits will learn ways to hold on more efficiently to information. The size of their storage capacity, may not change. However, like the Chromebook, there are many different ways to extend its capacity to get things done. There is limited storage capacity but the platform exists to get things into our longer term memory.

Meg Bamford is the Head of Radcliffe Creek School in Chestertown

Treasure of 18th and 19th-century documents saved from auction block

July 1, 2021 by James Dissette 3 Comments

Sometimes there’s more in an old house’s attic than moldy winter clothes, broken children’s toys, and mice enclaves. Sometimes there’s treasure.

And treasure, hundreds of rare 18^th and 19th-century documents, were found in the attic of a Queen Anne’s County house on the brink of demolition. The retrieved papers, some 2,000were sent to auction at Crumpton. Luckily, an eagle-eyed historian—Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience Director Adam Goodheart—noticed the auction online and knew what he was looking at: rare slave documents and other papers related to Black history on the Eastern Shore.

The full story written by Michael E. Ruane appeared in Monday’s Washington Post.

Ruane describes the first moment he saw the small broadsheet that offered a reward for a runaway slave “A Negro Man Named Amos:

“It was chilling. There, on cheap rag paper, was the story of American slavery. Amos was “a smart fellow,” about 20, who might be headed for his mother in Philadelphia. But in 1793 he was the property of one William Price, who wanted him caught.”

Charles Sumner Hall just released their official announcement about the find:

“The Commodore Collection of original historical documents on the early experiences of African Americans in Kent and Queen Anne’s counties is a rare find,” according to Dr. Ruth Shoge, First Vice President of Sumner Hall. “The documents, which are intellectually enriching, also evoke an emotional response to the harsh reality of the lives of enslaved and freed Black people in 17th and 18th century America,” she continued. “It is very important to Sumner Hall that this collection has been given to us in perpetuity. The ownership of this collection is an honor and, in a special way, a homecoming for the memories of our ancestors. This collection supports our mission of promoting an understanding of the African American experience within the overall context of American history and culture.”

Thanks to the efforts of local Black residents and the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience at Washington College, approximately 2,000 pages of documents were purchased from Dixon’s Crumpton Auction this spring. The collection, named after Washington College’s first local Black alumnus, Norris Commodore ’73, will belong to Sumner Hall but is being conserved and archived at the school’s Miller Library. Mr. Commodore, who has deep roots here, gave generously toward the acquisition cost and was joined by the Hedgelawn Foundation, the Kent Cultural Alliance and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The papers are being digitized as a part of the Chesapeake Heartland Project and several can already be viewed online here. President of Sumner Hall’s Board of Directors, Larry Wilson, says, “The Commodore Collection is a very meaningful record of African American life and survival. I believe that it is very important to know our history and to learn from the lives of our ancestors as we work together for equal rights, justice and freedom in this county and across the country. We look forward to having exhibits at Sumner Hall based on these materials soon.”

For more about Sumner Hall, go here.

Sections

More