On February 18, 2014, Adam Spence testified before the Maryland Senate’s Education Committee during a hearing on Senate Bill 0123 co-sponsored by Senators Jim Brochin and J.B. Jennings. SB 0123 seeks to provide parent, student, teacher and faculty input into and rights regarding high school schedule changes.
Mr. Spence currently represents Hereford Works, LLC, a parent and student group in a legal suit against the Baltimore County Superintendent. Without parent, student, teacher or faculty input, the Superintendent made sweeping changes to a semesterized high school bell schedule in effect at Hereford High School for the past 22 years.
Distressingly, the Superintendent’s mandate changed an extremely successful schedule that helped Hereford HS achieve a national ranking of 426 out of 21,000 high schools (235th in STEM).
The Superintendent’s arbitrary actions led to a petition signed by 1,700 interested persons in less than three days. In turn, the entire Baltimore County Council, all six state legislators touching the district and all three state senators touching the district have written letters urging the Superintendent to reconsider his decision without avail. In addition, the Superintendent’s actions led to enactment of legislation providing for a partially elected School Board for the first time in Baltimore County’s history.
For more information on this issue, check out www.facebook.com/HerefordWorks