Hairston: Education, Not AIM, Should Be Focus
Superintendent says he and legislators define accountability differently.
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Joe Hairston wants to change the subject.
The county schools superintendent thumbs through a copy of the most recent edition of his ever-present "Blueprint for Progress" and notes that the system's comprehensive plan has been his top priority throughout his 11-year tenure.
But the issue at the forefront for county schools these days is the continuing criticism over the Articulated Instruction Module, the system's grading and curriculum software more commonly known as AIM.
And Hairston sees the controversy as an unwanted distraction that has been eliciting strong feelings that he equated to people's hatred to "Hitler."
"It's been 11 years and 11 years of one thing only and that's focusing on our children," Hairston says in an interview with Patch. "Anything else outside of that, I'm not sure what it is."
Aides say the superintendent takes a "60,000-foot view" of education. Hairston acknowledges he has a tendency to ignore anything he considers less than pertinent to his agenda and that includes the politics of overseeing the 104,000-student school system—the country's 27th largest.
The superintendent also acknowledges that his big-picture approach can lead to his detractors claiming he is aloof.
"This has nothing to do with being elusive or aloof," he says in an 80-minute interview.
The reason AIM is at the forefront of public scrutiny is parents have criticized the superintendent for not communicating to them about the software system and state legislators have raised questions about the copyright issues surrounding it.
Hairston says the biggest goal with AIM was not the labor-intensive grading process that teachers and parents have criticized, but the goal of making curriculum digital across the system.
"The curriculum component is what you see happening across this country," he says. "All the textbook companies are going digital. So it's not AIM, it's that reporting feature" that has so many critics.
Some Baltimore County schools are still using components of AIM's grading system and it digital curriculum program, but Hairston says he expects more changes will come to the school system for teacher evaluation.
The federal Race to the Top program calls for states to implement a performance-based teacher evaluation tool. When Maryland won $250 million this year, it was expected that the state would develop a new evaluation system for teachers. AIM was starting to address some of those components, Hairston says.
Parent and union criticism of AIM, he says, "was a well-orchestrated attempt to try to kill something that was perceived to be a threat in the form of accountability."
"That's a national issue, and I think we still have to address that," he adds.
Developing a more detailed teacher evaluation and student performance analysis method is something that can't be done in isolation, Hairston says, and he expects local school districts to collaborate after they receive guidance from the state.
But it is the continuing controversy over ownership of AIM that continues to be an issue between Hairston and state legislators who say Hairston has been less than forthcoming.
Eleven of the county's 29 delegates and senators asked Attorney General Douglas Gansler's office in February to review an arrangement between Hairston and the school system, and Barbara Dezmon, the retired deputy superintendent who developed AIM.
Legislators wanted to know whether the program Dezmon developed when she worked for the system—which other school employees later turned into software while on the county payroll—belongs to her or the school system.
Dezmon retains the rights to the program and could market it for sale to other jurisdictions, though the county school system is allowed to use the program for free.
Hairston provided documents in response to the attorney general's inquiry but both he and Dezmon declined interview requests from attorneys from the office.
In a September letter to those legislators, Robert McDonald, the chief counsel to the legislature, wrote that his office did not have enough information to determine who owned the rights to the program or if any ethics rules were broken.
Many of those legislators said last month that they now want more accountability in the system and are committed to passing legislation to create some form of an elected school board.
Legislators say they are growing weary of being limited to simply writing a check for the $1 billion school budget.
"When we ask questions we should get more than a pat on the head and asked politely to go away," said Del. Bill Frank in an Oct. 29 interview. Frank is a 42nd District Republican who also signed the letter to Gansler.
Hairston also talks about accountability in what he sees as his main role—ensuring the school system meets state and federal requirements for providing county children with an education.
"Accountability on the political side is certainly a different kind of accountability that we deal with here even though their paths certainly cross," says Hairston.
Hairston says that the grading component of AIM draws "a very strong, hostile reaction."
"AIM is like Hitler," Hairston says. "Everything that you hate and everything that you dislike is thrown in there. I don't even think that most people who talk about AIM even know what it is."
Hairston says he believes he has been upfront and consistent with legislators when it comes to communicating with them.
"I answered every question," says Hairston, adding that he believes legislators were overstepping their bounds by getting involved in what he terms a curriculum issue.
"I discussed the issue," he says. "They didn't know what questions to ask, quite frankly. I knew more about the issue than anyone in the room. I answered every question."
He says he believes, at least in some small way, that the issue is personal, though he can't say why. He recently told a TV news station that he believes his race has played a part in the criticism.
"Why is all this attention being placed on me as a human being when there's no real issue here?" says Hairston. "I can't knee-jerk to this group of legislators or that group of legislators.
"I have to look at the bigger picture," he adds. "I can't pick and choose my interests."
Despite the lack of a determination contained in the attorney general's letter, Hairston maintains that the attorney general vindicated the school system.
"We cooperated with them fully and I agree with their conclusion that there was nothing illegal and nothing unethical," says Hairston. He rejects any notion that the attorney general's office did not take a definitive stance.
"(It) did," Hairston says. "Based on everything we gave him there were no violations."
Hairston alluded to other aspects of education reform that will be coming in conjunction with Race to the Top, including a data system that tracks students through the system.
Baltimore County is ahead of many other districts, Hairston says, because it has 10 years of data on students.
"The law clearly states that you need a data system in place," he says.
Stan Modjesky
8:54 am on Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Lovely. Now he plays the Hitler card.
If Mr. Hairston genuinely wants the focus to be on education in the county, he could simply answer the queries about the ownership of AIM.
Allow me to pose this question: if your employer asked you for similar information and you shrugged it off, would you still be employed? I think not.
F.T.R.
6:59 pm on Thursday, November 18, 2010
I agree...the avoidance and bizarre accusations made by the superintendent make me wonder about what is really going on in Baltimore County. The saying "he doth protest too much" rings too true in this case. Why this response from the superintendent? Mr. Hairston certainly favors accountability (as do I!) and it is time that someone holds him accountable. Someone who proclaims that there is nothing to hide should welcome the questions. Why is the board allowing their choice of superintendent to behave in this manner? I find it quite remarkable.
Roxane
10:15 pm on Wednesday, November 17, 2010
He knows there are issues about AIM so he uses the race and/or Hitler card because he hopes that will scare everyone off and leave him (and Dezmon) alone to do what he wants. Dezmon also knows there are issues and she used the racially charged word "lynching" when she was quoted in the local newspaper. Hairson should go back to to PG County where he was groomed before arriving in Baltimore.
John
8:17 am on Thursday, November 18, 2010
Really? Mr. Hairston benfits from keeping the focus on AIM and his racially charged accusations. AIM is only a symptom of the questionable ways in which the superintendent runs the school system. He brought the whole controversy on himself when he allowed a friend to make Baltimore County her place of operation for a product she wished to sell. The county always had the ability and vision to digitize the curriculum, AIM was never needed. As to the accountability side of AIM, it does not do what Mr. Hairston would lead you to believe. It is simply a checklist, completed by a teacher, with no objective data needed to support it. Certainly, this is not what those connected to Race To The Top envisioned. Another skip down distraction path by the superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools. If he wants it to go away...start acting like a man with vision, integrity, and leadership. He may want to begin by choosing smart people with integrity to fill the multitude of leadership positions; however, until he is willing to listen and work collaboratively for the best interest of the kids, those positions will be hard to fill. Do not let one person's influence continue to dismantle the system.
Patricia Wright
9:23 am on Thursday, November 18, 2010
Not an expert on this particular debate, but I do seem to think that this AIM issue is being used by some to further their cause against Dr. Hairston. The performance statistics (and education of our children) is the priority and from most reports, Baltimore County school students are performing admirably and making strides everyday.
Perhaps those against AIM should work with the District in finding suitable alternatives that will achieve the same goals, sans the controversy. Keep the focus on what is best for our students.
I would like to see these same individuals show some passion for making sure that all County schools have appropriate heating/air conditioning systems (which is a health issue for many).
Stan Modjesky
9:35 am on Thursday, November 18, 2010
I am certain that many people would be willing to "work with the District" if there were a means by which to do so. Lacking an elected school board, no such means exists in the county.
The a/c system concerns that you cite are a great example how the current system is malfunctioning. PTA groups petition the school board for help and they are ignored. And if you are, like me, not the parent of a child in the school system, you are considered nothing more than a crank.
Roxane
10:04 am on Thursday, November 18, 2010
Ms. Wright, if, as you say "Baltimore County students are performing admirably and making strides everyday [sic]," there is no explanation for the necessity of adding AIM. Perhaps that money could be used to address the physical plant issues you raise.
Stan, you have hit the nail on the head.
Penny Riordan
1:26 pm on Thursday, November 18, 2010
All, thanks for commenting on this story. Bryan and I are happy to continue to follow this story, as it is very important to the people of Baltimore County. I hope that you all will continue to dialogue about this our Patch sites in a respectful manner. Thanks again for the insights so far.
Patricia Wright
5:57 pm on Thursday, November 18, 2010
@Stan - No, unlike yourself, I am a parent of Baltimore County Public School students. And I will always place the education of children as the #1 priority for the district. Your comments still lead me to believe you have a hidden agenda.
@ Teresa - So I guess you are suggesting that when you have made certain strides you rest on your laurels and do not make any attempts at improvement? Again, I am not advocating AIM or any other program but would expect our school officials to continually look for ways to keep our district on the cutting edge of the advances in education.
Roxane
10:55 pm on Thursday, November 18, 2010
Ms. Wright, I am suggesting that if something isn't broken, don't fix it. The programs in place are doing a very good job.
F.T.R.
6:49 pm on Thursday, November 18, 2010
I too am a parent, taxpayer, and educator in Baltimore County. I too, would love to get the AIM debacle behind us and move forward with providing the best education for every child in our county. The problem: AIM has taken the focus off of the important matters of educating our kids to advance the cause of a now retired employee's personal endeavor. Our kids lost the benefit of BCPS resources so that the district's resources could be used for the benefit of a single adult. Years of human and capital resources were expended on behalf of AIM. What a terrible waste! I could mourn the loss for our kids and move on except that AIM is still here and still sucking up BCPS resources paid for by taxpayers. It is also important to note that AIM does not nor could it provide accountability for teachers through objective data. It is a very long checklist which neither provides useful data that could be linked to accountability nor useful information that will advance the education of our kids. Also, I am very sad that our superintendent feels that he does not need to respond to the concerns of parents, teachers, legislators, and residents of Baltimore County. It seems that he is saying that he knows what is best and he will make the decisions without input and anyone who questions such a process will be attacked personally. Comments made by the superintendent have been quite offensive and I feel that if the superintendent will not apologize, the board should on his behalf.
Stan Modjesky
9:45 pm on Thursday, November 18, 2010
@Ms. Wright - you have just proven my point beautifully. I am a lifetime resident of this county, a product of its public school system (more than 4 decades ago), but merely expressing interest in school matters implies I have a hidden agenda, because I am not a parent? A "crank," as I myself put it.
Whatever would you imagine that agenda to be?
Should one who is not a parent have no interest in the quality of education of the young people who are his neighbors' children, may grow up to become neighboring homeowners, and may indeed end up as his caregivers? It's bizzare that you would make such an accusation.
Penny Riordan
10:15 pm on Thursday, November 18, 2010
All, thanks for commenting. At Patch, we value readers debating stories, sharing ideas and engaging with each other on our site. That is why we allow you to post directly on our home page and comment on stories.
But I think the dialogue on this story has gone on long enough. We're covering other things on the site, and I think it's time to move on. We're going to stop comments on the site starting tomorrow.
Stan Modjesky
10:39 pm on Thursday, November 18, 2010
@Penny - I hope you mean you are cutting off comments only on this story.
If I may make a final comment on it, my concern is not about whether AIM is effective, or whether it could be improved upon. The original story here hinged on Mr. Hairston's giving the rights to sell the AIM system to a colleague, whether or not that system is copyrightable, and if so does Hairston have the legal right to give away the county's rights in it. As I have commented on other forums where this matter has been discussed, generally something developed on-the-job is considered a "work for hire," and the creator has no special rights in it. A marvelous example of this is the little audio clip "you've got mail" used by AOL. If the man who spoke those words into a microphone had a royalty/residual agreement, he'd be worth more today than Bill Gates. But apparently he did it as just another task required by his employer.
Penny Riordan
11:01 pm on Thursday, November 18, 2010
Folks, we always allow comments on the site, as it is a huge part of Patch and our mission: to engage with readers. But I think the comments on this story has veered from the original story Let's all be respectful of each other please! I look forward to reading your opinions on other stories that we write about. We will continue to follow the AIM issue as it unfolds.