I have a child in the system, and I have a right for my voice to be heard.” Blocking parents from social media is censorship. “Proper decisions can’t be made when you’re only hearing comments that you agree with. “We have a right to comment about what’s happening in our schools,” Smith said. Some parents claim they have been blocked on social media. Speakers are chosen by a randomized, computerized lottery. The Board of Education hears testimony from up to 10 speakers (combination of virtual and in-person) per agenda item during a single public comment section in the early portion of the meeting. “Many parents and children are afraid to speak.” “By silencing parent and student voices, they are practicing a form of bullying,” she continued. They cut people off when they don’t like the direction of the conversation. “The school board picks who speaks,” added Lisa Smith of Severna Park. With homecoming dances postponed, classes disrupted and asymptomatic students quarantined, many parents believe the Anne Arundel County Board of Education is hiding behind propriety and procedures to prevent public discussion. “The social restrictions, policy flip-flops and administrative inconsistencies have placed a terrible burden of anxiety on our children." ![]() "More children have been hurt by self-harm than COVID," said Severna Park resident Chris Acton, whose son is a senior. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), anxiety among teens is on the rise. ![]() With acrimony spilling into the public square, it’s clear that effective communication between parents and the Anne Arundel County school board has hit an all-time low. It sometimes gets in the way of family, so I find that comment unwarranted.” “I often spend my nights and weekends talking to parents and teachers, and my family can attest to this. “I take constituent services very seriously,” Schallheim said. “The public pleas, phone calls and emails from school parents to Superintendent George Arlotto and the Board of Education have been ridiculed, belittled and admonished for months,” said Gillespie, a mother of four, including a daughter at Magothy River Middle School.ĭana Schallheim, who represents District 5, disagreed with that assessment. Other than eye-rolls, she said she has received no feedback from the board members in attendance. On November 15, Kerry Gillespie spoke about “parental choice” at the Anne Arundel County Board of Education public session.
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