The first online registration on the new ASBO MD&DC website for the 63rd Annual Spring Conference was a huge success making the registration process so easy! The online registration process allowed our attendees the opportunity to make reservations at hotels, review and select specific options for each day and event and so much more!

Although it isn't new news, it's Good News! ASBO MD&DC reminds its members (or share with new members who may not know) of one of the many benefits that are offered to the members of our organization. Wilkes University and the Association of School Business Officials of Maryland and the District of Columbia have a cooperative agreement to offer a degree program to ASBO MD&DC members. In 2006, the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials and Wilkes University partnered to develop a series of very affordable advanced courses for school business officials. These fully on-line courses are taught by professionals who are currently active in your field, and the 10 course, 30 credit program culminates in a Master of Science degree with a concentration of School Business Leadership. To learn more about a degree program that will prepare you for the challenges you face every day in the world of school business, please visit the Wilkes University website at: http://www.wilkes.edu/sp/sbl.asp

Did you know you could recommend to your co-workers and friends that they can be a part of the ASBO family? There are so many reasons to join and the membership options range from an individual membership to a corporate membership! Visit our website for more information, share the link!

The Job Opportunities section of the ASBO MD&DC website has a place for you! Look for job opportunities, or the opportunity to hire by posting your employment needs here!

Forty-seven top notch education sessions and computer labs, B.I.G sessions to facilitate networking with your peers. Monday's Featured Speaker will be Sean McComb, National Teacher of the Year. Tuesday, our Keynote speaker -Dr. Jeff McCausland will present "Leadership in Four Directions" and on Wednesday morning at breakfast – his topic, "A Discussion of the Four Directions Paradigm". Hope to see you there!

In retirement news in Baltimore County Public Schools, Dale Rauenzahn, Executive Director, Department of School Safety and Security, Dr. Alan Hill, Manager, Office of Student Behavior, Department of School Safety and Security and Ms. Deborah Snyder, Administrative Assistant, Department of School Safety and Security will all be retiring effective June 19, 2015. Congratulations All!

ASBO welcomes Mrs. Alison Sweitzer and Mr. Richard Wesolowski

J.C. Parks Elementary School was named one of only two Maryland schools selected for the U.S. Department of Education’s 2015 Green Ribbon Schools (GRS) Award. The honors were announced April 22 by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. In announcing the national award recipients, Duncan said the selected schools demonstrate strong examples of innovative learning and civic engagement.

Students from Charles County Public elementary and middle schools competed in the 2015 College of Southern Maryland Junior (LEGO) Division robotics challenge held Saturday, April 11, at the La Plata campus.

The desire to build schools that addressed indoor air quality and natural daylight evolved into national recognition for sustainability.

By embracing technology, this district raised student achievement and lowered costs. By Mark D. Benigni and Michael S. Grove

PowerPoint can make your point—if you use it effectively. By John Hutchison, CPA, MBA, SFO

Drones are making their way into more and more districts—with multiple uses. By Richard Weeks, RSBA

Districts can save thousands of dollars by using staffi ng agencies to recruit, hire, and manage substitutes. By Shelley Reynolds

Is it time to review and re-think your teacher compensation plan? By Martha Gutierrez, PHR

Summarizing major statutes that may affect education. By Charles J. Russo, J.D., Ed.D.

To be successful, we must "dehumanize" ourselves to think better, learn better, and collaborate better. By Edward D. Hess

Can school districts use social media to vet candidates? By Chase Potter and Amanda Costello

There are many reasons why addressing the environmental health of schools is essential for protecting children's health and improving their performance...

A state-by-state breakdown of the 2015 Best High Schools rankings shows that Maryland is this year's leading performer, with 28.9 percent of its eligible schools earning gold and silver medals.

April 16, 2015: 

I applaud the leadership of Chairman Alexander, Senator Murray and the members of the HELP Committee on the important steps taken this week to advance a bipartisan proposal to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It is long past time to replace No Child Left Behind with a law that ensures continued progress and opportunity for America’s children. The bill now honors the widespread bipartisan call to expand access to high quality preschool. The bill also makes a critical investment in innovation and scaling what works. However, to live up to ESEA’s legacy of advancing equity and providing opportunity for every child, we join with numerous civil rights and business groups in urging that further significant improvements be made to the bill to create the law that America’s children deserve. Every family and every community deserve to know that schools are helping all children succeed - including low-income students, racial and ethnic minorities, students with disabilities and students learning English. And they deserve to know that if students in those groups fall behind, their schools will take steps to improve, with the strongest action in the lowest-performing 5 percent of schools. In addition, we should ensure that educators have the resources they need, and that federal dollars reach the most vulnerable students they are intended to support. I am encouraged that this week, members of the HELP Committee recognized the need to strengthen the bill's accountability measures as this legislation advances in the Senate. I look forward to continuing to work with Congress on that effort.

Jeff LaPorta and Sherry Ramsey Downen in Harford County Public Schools share the results of their research in providing enhanced purchasing services to their end users, before, during and after a purchase, a challenge that the Purchasing department in Harford County embarked upon a few months ago.

Creating Green Clean and Healthy Schools requires mastering the indoor environment using a comprehensive approach. This unique webinar series is developed and hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in collaboration with a group of diverse stakeholders known as the School Health and Indoor Environments Leadership Development (SHIELD) Network.