The Somerset County Board of Education held their meeting on December 17, 2024 and the meeting did not end as usual. After the meeting was adjourned, the camera and microphones continued to record. To our surprise, the superintendent can be clearly heard stating her intention to close down Deal Island Elementary School, which "should have been closed down years ago." Dr. Ava Tasker-Mitchell, Superintendent of schools shared her secret plan with her administrative assistant who can also be seen and heard agreeing with the superintendent's position. The superintendent acknowledges that she did something wrong by her own making, and blames her assistant when she said, "are you trying to get me in trouble?
The original video of the meeting was posted on the school district's website, which became public record. When it became known that the recording had been discovered, the superintendent ordered the video to be altered to remove that portion. This was done despite being warned not to alter the public record, going against the advice of an elected board member to leave the video intact.
In fear that the record would be altered to flee public transparency and scrutiny, the Delmarva Parent Teacher Coalition archived the original video just hours before.
The original video can be seen below.
Why would the superintendent want to shutdown a performing school that's a major part of the community?
Because of "EQUITY."
Although Deal Island Elementary needs academic improvement, it is the highest performing school in the county. Because of this, the superintendent has to explain the "anomaly of success" to the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and why the other schools aren't performing as well. To avoid dealing with this dilemma, a dismantling of the performing school piece-by-piece is in order to level the playing field. This is the modern-day example of equity (lowering the bar) that comes at the expense of others.
Out of the gate, the superintendent launched a "Listening & Learning to Lead Tour" by ironically making her debut by first visiting Deal Island Elementary on September 19, 2024 to seek parent, family and community input for the development of SCPS’ strategic plan. Members of the Somerset community were encouraged to attend for the opportunity to contribute valuable insight into the system’s strengths and opportunities, and assist with identifying SCPS’ challenges and areas for growth.
Since starting her position only 6 months ago, the superintendent has had Deal Island Elementary in her crosshairs based on her comment. To date, it is reported that a handful of stellar teaching positions were eliminated and staff were reassigned to underperforming schools.
In an excerpt from her opening letter that was sent out last September, the superintendent affirmed, "I am committed to and I look forward to working closely with the Somerset school community to uphold the mission of Somerset County Public Schools. Together, we will celebrate our accomplishments, address challenges with resilience, and create a positive and nurturing educational environment where every student feels valued and inspired to reach their full potential."
Her letter also stated a goal of "Building a Strong Climate and Culture to Connect with Students, Staff, Parents, and the Community: Strong relationships are at the heart of our school community. We are committed to fostering a positive climate and culture where every individual feels valued, respected, and included. By strengthening our connections with students, staff, parents, and the wider community, we can create a shared sense of pride and unity in our achievements and aspirations."
Is there a contradiction here? Deal Island is a deep-rooted community where Deal Island Elementary is a part of culture that goes beyond brick and mortar. It's a "Diamond on the Shore."
Lastly, the superintendent made a totalitarian comment towards the end of the video expressing her annoyance with community involvement and due process stating, "We keep drag(ging) stuff out because people have the right to have conversation."
From a conduct point of view, her agenda is being secretly implemented without the knowledge and direction of the elected school board and the citizens they represent. In addition to an obvious effort to obstruct transparency, there's also a potential violation of the Maryland Open Meetings Act and Maryland Records Retention & Disposition laws having a wilful destruction of records.
In the end, behavioral issues and academic proficiency is unacceptable in Somerset County Public Schools. The big question is, how can one lead by example, enforce discipline, promote honesty, unity, work ethic, and positive behavior when misbehaving themself? Is this the kind of conduct one would expect from a superintendent? With newly-elected board members coming in January, we hope the standard is set high - Success and Nothing Less.
Fellows & Editors
December 19, 2024
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