Change at the Helm of BCPS Graduations Montgomery County School Executive Appointed New BCPS Superintendent
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE JUNE/JULY 2019 A free publication serving Owings Mills, Pikesville, Randallstown, Reisterstown, Windsor Mill, Woodlawn and Catonsville 4 Budget Chief Keith Dorsey Retires 11 Summer Meals For Youth PHOTO: KENNY BROWN, GEORGE WHITE GEORGE KENNY BROWN, PHOTO: Staff leadership of the Baltimore County Board of Directors transitions with the appointment of Darryl Williams as the new superintendent. Williams begins a four-year tenure on July 1. Verletta White is expected to remain with the system. 12-13 High School Change at the Helm of BCPS Graduations Montgomery County School Executive Appointed New BCPS Superintendent Without any advance notice or mention on its agenda, the career as a math teacher in the District of Columbia. He’s Baltimore County Board of Education voted at its May 21 spent 24 years with Montgomery County Public Schools meeting to appoint a permanent superintendent to lead the as a teacher before serving as assistant principal, principal, 114,000-student school district. Board members selected community superintendent, and associate superintendent. Darryl Williams, an area associate superintendent with In his current role as the area associate superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools, over the interim schools, Williams supports and manages eight high school superintendent Verletta White by an 8-4 decision. principals, two specialty school principals, 15 middle Many were surprised by the action, as the selection school principals, and 44 elementary school principals, 18 was to be made in June, according to the board’s public according to the board’s statement. Summer Police timeline. But minutes into the meeting, after the usual “I will focus on the needs of our students and staff Athletic League allotted time set aside for elected officials, stakeholders and work to maintain a positive and effective learning Program and randomly selected members of the public to environment for all,” Williams said in a statement. make comments, Lisa Mack, who represents District 1 “We have to continue to move our district in a positive Be among the first to (Catonsville and parts of Windsor Mill and Woodlawn) direction and listen to stakeholders and students about our be in the know. Sign up made a resolution that the board would name Williams to successes and areas of improvement and make necessary for news updates from a four-year term. changes. Our students come first and our work as a unified nwvoicenews.com. A native Washingtonian, Williams began his education continued on page 10 Page 2 Northwest Voice June/July June 2019 2019 From the Publisher, Kenneth Brown What is Our Goal and Vision For Employing Our Young People? As a young boy growing up in a poor neighborhood youth unemployment is three times that of the has services for job seekers? Hopefully, the agency of Baltimore City, I still had the ability to earn a few adults. There are lots of hidden costs to youth will more aggressively promote their services fso dollars by doing a variety of odd jobs. I delivered unemployment. When young people are not that they reach their intended audience. newspapers, shined shoes and helped the local working they’re not contributing to Social Security By the way, kudos to the Security Woodlawn milkman deliver bottles of Cloverland milk. and our tax base, which spurs our economy when Business Association, which had a very successful As I was driving through the city the other week, they spend money. Idle teens and young adults may job fair in May at Woodlawn High School! We I once again observed the squeegee boys at the have the motivation to commit crimes and mischief. all must do what we can to keep our youth active, corner cleaning the windshields of passing vehicles. To every society and government, no matter engaged and working. At that time, it hit me: How are young people where you are in the world, the most dangerous supposed to earn money and learn a work ethic thing you can have are unemployed young males. without having employment? Governments around the world have already identified Yes, there are a few internships available and an unemployment number they can’t afford to reach openings for entry-level jobs at fast-food facilities, because the widespread joblessness (and hopelessness) but the opportunities for legitimate side hustles for will cause people to rise up in chaos and crime. teens are gone. Newspapers are disappearing. Very Did you know that the U.S. Bureau of Labor few people shine shoes except at the airport. And and Statistics conducts interviews every month automation is replacing many jobs. of 60,000 households? The agency defines a Economic opportunity and social mobility have person as being unemployed if he or she doesn’t defined us in this country. It’s said that where you have a job despite having looked for one for four The Northwest Voice is a privately-owned start in life doesn’t determine where you should weeks in a row. Labor and Statistics considers an community newspaper founded in 2005 to finish. But without the necessary support and unemployment rate of 12 percent to be alarming inform, entertain and inspire, as well as share programs, that value seems to be disappearing. and dangerous. The United States has gone above 10 news of interest to the northwest Baltimore Today, oftentimes the zip code that you’re born in percent twice in 70 years. But Baltimore City, which County communities of Owings Mills, Pikesville, does indeed determine your destiny. That’s why as now has an overall 4.9 percent unemployment, is Randallstown, Reisterstown, Woodlawn, Windsor a society we should have a vested interest in helping experiencing a 16.2 percent unemployment rate Mill and Catonsville. our teens and young adults. among people 16 to 24 years old. How do you think In a free society, inequality isn’t unavoidable. Not that number impacting crime? Readers are welcome to comment and respond to everyone will rise to the same level. Some people will In Baltimore County, the overall unemployment articles. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and be distinguishable by their skills and ambitions. But rate is 3.5 percent, and the youth rate is lower than length, as well as to publish them online, in print or as a television commercial promotes: talent is spread the city’s. not at all. Anonymous letters or those that cannot equally around the world, but opportunity is not. You’ve heard the arguments in support of robust be verified will not be published. The opinions of It’s not that young people lack talent and funding for jobs and education over incarceration readers and guest columnists are not necessarily ambition; they lack opportunity. That means no before. Some $300 million each year is spent on the opinions of the Northwest Voice. Unsolicited jobs, no work ethic or experience, no money, and a incarcerated people each year in the U.S.? That’s material will not be returned. future that’s potentially off to a diminished start. about $37,000 per prisoner. If these inmates had As news reports tell us daily, people leave jobs making $37,000 a year, would they be in jail? A Publisher: Kenneth C. Brown, countries in South and Central America and other good number of them may not be. If governments [email protected] parts of the world to come to the United States have the money to support prisons, why is it not Writer-Editor: Janet Anderson, seeking work and opportunities. Families are a priority to provide adequate funding to create [email protected] leaving other jurisdictions like Baltimore to come to sustainable jobs and have job training? Creative Director: Lori Kirkpatrick Baltimore County, Howard County and other areas When do you start teaching people the skills Photographer/Circulation Manager: for what they believe will be a better opportunity. and work ethic? You do that when they’re young. George E. White So, what’s our goal and vision for employing our Business will say we can’t afford to hire these young Advertising: Kenneth C. Brown, young people? people. Isn’t a private public partnership a win-win At one of the town halls with County Executive for everybody. [email protected] Johnny Olszewski, one parent, who was a teacher at We set up young people, especially young men, P.O. Box 47266 Milford Mill Academy, asked what the county was where they believe that if they can’t make it in a Windsor Mill, MD 21244 doing to provide jobs for our teens? The response capitalist society the way society wants them to, Phone: 410-508-1424 was short on details, but in my opinion, appeared then they must pursue other options, such as drugs Web: nwvoicenews.com to be on the right track. Stacy Rodgers, county and crime. Desperate people do desperate things. Email: [email protected] administrative officer, said the county was looking Did you know that there is a Community at public-private partnerships. College of Baltimore County site at 3637 Offutt Rd. No reprints or copies without express permission. Across the country, young people ages 16 to in Randallstown? Also housed there is the Career © 2019 Northwest Voice 24 are experiencing unemployment rates that Center at Liberty —which is open from 8:30 to 4:30 are double the national average. Maryland’s p.m. Monday through Friday, and on a bus line— Page 4 Northwest Voice June/July June 2019 2019 Keith Dorsey Retires Owings Mills Resident Looks Back on 35 Years in Office as Budget Director In a selfless cost-saving move and member of the public.