Program Planning 2024

Program Planning Annual Review

Program Planning meetings occur on March 18, 2:00 pm at the League office and March 27, 6:30–7:30 pm virtually. All members are urged to attend and join the discussions.

Local League engagement begins in our grassroots program planning process. It is an opportunity for each member to have a direct role in determining which issues we study and which areas of action we focus on the next year. Members may recommend areas of new study (or concurrence) and weigh in on whether current state positions should remain as they are. The LWV Baltimore County board will review your recommendations and present its Recommended Program at the 2020 Annual Meeting in June.

If you cannot attend, please review the attached Position Statements, p 4, then fill out the review and mail or email to the League office by March 27 ([email protected]).

Please bring these materials with you to the meeting of your choice.

Part 1: REVIEW OF CURRENT LEAGUE POSITIONS (page 2-3)

In this process we review the current positions and recommend retaining, updating or dropping positions. Are existing positions relevant today? Do you believe we should update or drop any of the current positions? What is missing from our positions?

Part 2: PROPOSALS FOR NEW STUDY OR CONCURRENCE (page 3)

League positions allow us to support or oppose issues before the County Council. We arrive at positions through a new study and consensus or through concurrence with existing local League positions or with positions developed by a resource committee. Where do you believe we need new positions? Should we arrive at them through consensus or concurrence with the position of another League.

We may also recommend advocacy initiatives and educational studies and meetings on timely topics as part of League Program.

Meeting Locations:

Monday, March 18, 2024, 2:00 – 3:00 pm

LWV Baltimore County Office
6600 York Road, Suite 211
Baltimore, MD 21212

Wednesday, March 27, 2024, 6:30 -7:30 pm

Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88613946981

Please RSVP to Maggy Lindgren at the League office (410-377-8046) or [email protected]

The following planning document may also be downloaded here.

2024 LWVBCo PROGRAM PLANNING:

REVIEW OF CURRENT LEAGUE POSITIONS

Deadline for Returning to the Office is March 27

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Our board will consider your proposals using the following criteria:

Does the League already have a position?
Is government action needed? Or possible?
Is the county the appropriate level of government to address the issue?
Is the issue timely?
Will League involvement make a unique impact?
Is there member interest? Will it attract new members?
Do we have people power to man the study?
Does the title specify the focus of the study?

Definitions of Terms:

Retain for Action - The position remains as is.
Edit - Minor wording changes to improve clarity.
Informational Update - Voter article or other researched information to members.
Re-adopt - Continue current study.
Drop/Delete - A new Study and Consensus is required to have the positions available for use.
Concurrence - Agreement of the members on a specific position developed by another League or at League level.

*If you checked informational Update or Re-adopt Study, please elaborate as to focus and purpose.

Position	Retain	Edit	Informational Update*	Re-adopt Study	Drop	Notes
Government
County Government Charter
Firearms Legislation
Real Property Assessments and Taxation
Transportation
Natural Resources
Land Use
Sludge Management Utilization
Solid Waste Management
Source Reduction and Recycling
Social Policy
Alternatives to the War on Drugs
Department of Aging
Economic Development
Education
Quality of Education, Part 1
Quality of Education (Teaching, Part 11)
Early Childhood Education
The Principalship
Safe Schools/ Safe Communities
Charter Schools
Selection of Board of Education Members
Health Care
Housing
Human Relations Commission
Job Retraining
Meeting Basic Human Needs
School Age Child Care

PROPOSAL FOR NEW STUDY OR CONCURRENCE

Title:

Purpose: (What is the goal? Why does the issue warrant state positions? What is the scope or focus of the study?)

Outlook for Work: (What will the Study Committee do? What issues should be analyzed? What are the steps needed to complete the Study/Concurrence?)

LWV Baltimore County: Position Statements

The following position statements are summarized. Complete texts and the background for these positions are available at the League Office. These positions were last reviewed and updated in 2021.

GOVERNMENT

County Government/Charter

ACTION to support the concept of charter government and measures to make it efficient, effective and responsible (1969)

ACTION to oppose a full time County Council (1969) and a full time Council Chairman 1974) Action to oppose the County Attorney serving as a legal advisor and advisor and legislative draftsman for both the County Council and the County Executive. (1976)

ACTION to support maintaining the present number (7) of County Council Districts (1992) (2002). ACTION to support retention of the position of People's Counsel (see Land Use Positions, 1992)

Firearms Legislation (1977)

ACTION to strengthen gun control law

Real Property Assessments and Taxation (1978)

ACTION to support continued use of the real property tax as a major source of revenue for Baltimore County

Transportation

ACTION to support financing transportation and Action to support the role of Baltimore City Government

NATURAL RESOURCES

Land Use

ACTION to support a good system of planning and zoning

Sludge Management Utilization (1988) and/or disposal of sludge from wastewater treatment plants

ACTION to support legislation prohibiting, regulating or restricting discharge of pollutants into the sewer system or waters of Baltimore County by individuals, commerce or industry. (1982)

Solid Waste Management (1971)

ACTION to support improved solid waste management goals and practices in Baltimore County

ACTION to support increased financial aid for, and greater public awareness of, solid waste management problems (See Recycling)

Source Reduction and Recycling (1990)

ACTION to support emphasis on recycling and source reduction.

SOCIAL POLICY

Alternatives to the War on Drugs (2005)

ACTION to support: continuation of present drug treatment programs focusing on treatment instead of incarceration on every level when evaluated for efficacy; focusing the Government’s budget mainly on education and treatment instead of enforcement and punishment; lengthening of drug treatment options to a year or longer; legalizing drugs with various degrees of regulation; decriminalizing drugs as a first step; allowing addicts to obtain their drugs from licensed medical professionals; sentencing adult dealers to prison and giving judges flexibility for first time offenders.

Department of Aging (1987)

ACTION to support programs, services, and personnel to meet the needs of Baltimore County Senior Citizens

Economic Development (1981)

ACTION to support economic development in Baltimore County through integrated planning, transportation, site selection assistance, loan guarantees, promotion and giving priority to the above order.

EDUCATION

Edited and updated by Caroline Seamon and Judy Miller, 2019-2020

QUALITY OF EDUCATION, PART I (1999)

Affirmation of the following to be the purposes of public education:

To prepare students to be responsible citizens and to understand and affirm the democratic values in our society
To prepare students to be economically self-sufficient
To prepare students to be life-long learners, appreciative of the arts, knowledgeable about technology and sensitive to cultural and individual differences

ACTION to support the following to ensure that BCPS students have well qualified teachers:

Strengthening and extension of pre-service training and continued professional development
Recognition and celebration of teachers of high quality
Promotion and marketing of the teaching profession with students and the public
Strengthening support services for new and experienced teachers (e.g. technology training, mentoring, etc.)
Provision of diversity training that engenders respect for academic, socio-economic, and cultural differences among student and staff
Provision of adequate staff to ensure that performance actually meets standards

ACTION to support the following measures in order to motivate accomplished persons to enter and remain in the teaching profession

Salaries competitive with other professions
Salary supplements for those with high performance ratings and those who achieve certification by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards
Exploration of possible incentives to encourage those in other professions to enter the teaching profession

ACTION to support budget priorities of staff, instructional materials and school maintenance including sabbaticals and professional conference attendance

QUALITY OF EDUCATION (TEACHING), PART II (2000)

ACTION to support the following programs that will ensure quality of teaching:

Promotion of parent involvement in every school
Promotion of interaction between parents and teachers
Provision of training by BCPS that gives teachers a variety of strategies to reach and teach students from diverse backgrounds
Provision of instructional aides in all schools
Inclusion of all “stakeholders” in any and all education surveys
Full funding of pre-school education
Full coordination and cooperation between BCPS and DSS in improving the quality of day care programs
Provision of teachers to provide remediation, acceleration and enrichment programs in elementary schools with high percentages of low achieving students

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (2005)

ACTION to support the following early childhood education initiatives:

Provision by BCPS of parent education and assistance with pre-literacy enrichment activities to families with greatest need
Provision by BCPS of Pre-K education for 4-year-olds from disadvantaged families and those with special needs with the ultimate goal of provision of pre-K for all children
Full funding of pre-K and all-day kindergarten

THE PRINCIPALSHIP

Affirmation of the following principles:

The principal’s role is key to a well-functioning school and sets the tone for its mission to successfully educate all students.
The principal is the chief administrator of his/her school.
The principal’s main responsibility is that of Instructional Leader

ACTION to support the following:

Provision of discretionary funding allowing the principal to hire a person to supervise tasks which are not directly instructional in nature
Urging BCPS to expand its training program for potential principals to include all requirements necessary to become a full principal and to require part of that training to be in “challenging” schools with an emphasis on human relations.
Encouraging BCPS to create a mechanism for teachers to evaluate the principal

ACTION to support principal evaluation procedures which include appropriate input by teachers and parents

SAFE SCHOOLS/SAFE COMMUNITIES (1996)

ACTION to support

Increased and enhanced before and after-school programs
Increased cooperation between BCPS and other government agencies dealing with the welfare of children
Provision of funding to maintain safe schools and safe communities

CHARTER SCHOOLS (1998)

The League of Women Voters of Baltimore County neither supports nor opposes Charter Schools but does support specific criteria which should be implemented should Charter Schools be permitted in Baltimore County.

DEFINITION: Charter Schools are public schools, non-profit and non-sectarian, which offer alternative approaches to education and are exempted from certain rules and regulations except those related to health, safety, civil rights, special education, criminal background check and financial disclosure in exchange for accountability after a specified length of time. Common characteristics are: small size, (usually fewer than 300 students; relative degree of autonomy over decisions regarding curriculum, staffing, and budget; significant parent involvement; and innovative programs.

CRITERIA:

Parents, teachers, institutions of higher education, community agencies and existing public schools should be free to apply to form charter schools. However, Boards of Trustees of Charter Schools may hire for-profit companies for specific services (e.g. tutoring, accounting, janitorial help).
Federal moneys, foundation, businesses and other agencies can supply start-up funds. For operating expenses, customary funding from local, state and federal sources should flow to charter schools.
State certification for the majority of the teachers is important. Strengthening the certification process for charter school teachers as well as for other public school teachers, along with continuous staff development, is recommended.
Charter School Contracts should be reviewed frequently (e.g. one year, followed by contracts for three to five years).
Students desiring to attend should be admitted using a lottery system.
Students should take the tests customarily given in Maryland. After three years the charter school itself should be held accountable for student success based on its curriculum plan.
Charter schools should be open to non-intrusive visits from citizens who have scheduled appointments.
There should be open disclosure of finances including annual audits which are reported to education boards and the public.
The State Board should not limit the number of charter schools.
All governing and advisory boards and councils for charter schools should include lay citizens.
Transportation of students to charter schools should be addressed including transportation for homeless students.
Accountability is crucial for the success of charter schools.
Monitoring by local and state boards or by entities appointed by these boards is essential.

HEALTH CARE (1976)

ACTION to support adequate community resources

ACTION to support the LWVUS position of equal opportunity for all, with emphasis on housing for low- and moderate-income families (1968)

ACTION to support the local League Land Use position of affordable housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income families and individuals throughout Baltimore County near centers of employment, public transportation, and community-based support services, and where appropriate, in existing dwelling (1991)

HOUSING

ACTION to support the LWVUS position of equal opportunity for all, with emphasis on housing for low- and moderate-income families (1968)

ACTION to support the Basic Human Needs position of increasing the current local supplement for all assistance recipients who currently receive a supplement; creation of additional shelters through funding support by the county, but operation of shelters by private, non-profit groups (1988)

HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION (HRC) (1989)

ACTION to support a strong Commission under our national human relations position of equal rights for all

JOB RETRAINING (1984, 1990)

ACTION to support retraining of dislocated workers which should be planned for in advance and occur on an ongoing basis.

MEETING BASIC HUMAN NEEDS (1988)

ACTION to support increasing the current local supplement for all assistance recipients who currently receive a supplement; creation of additional shelters through funding support by the County, but operation of shelters by private, non-profit groups.

SCHOOL AGE CHILD CARE (SACC) (1985, 1990, 1992)

ACTION to support assumption by Baltimore County of the role of Facilitator for a diverse range of SACC services, including regulation, child care information and referral, planning, training and technical assistance; designation of SACC services as second in priority for use of school facilities; assumption of funding for SACC programs by parents and business community with government involved only for low income families on a sliding scale.