Phil,
you attended Anne Arundel County public schools, as do your three sons.
What do you remember most from those years?
"Number one, as a
student, they were fun years. I had a great time in school, particularly
in high school [Phil attended Southern High]. The friendships I made --
and the friendships I sustained throughout life -- are some of the
things I remember the most.
"On the academic side, I recall that I excelled in both lunch and
recess, although my performance at lunchtime suffered during wrestling
season when I had to make weight [laughs]. Seriously, the academics from
middle school to high school were challenging enough to give us the
opportunity to stretch ourselves. I enjoyed my social studies and
history classes the most. They fueled my interest as an adult in
genealogy. Back then, it was ok to be a C-student. Today, I think
students feel more pressure to be high achievers. I would like to see us
meet each student's needs, wherever they are on the academic spectrum.
"From
a policy perspective, it was the teachers that I remember -- how they
taught me and how they spent time with me. I felt that my teachers
really got to know me as a student and as a person. Our teachers were
extremely dedicated to us. If there ever was a need to call home, they
did it. [Phil admitted this happened – 'once or twice.']
"Sports were a major interest for me during my school years. I played
Little League baseball (my father was our coach), and in high school I
played soccer and wrestled. The competition, the teamwork – there were
life lessons there. That's why Robin and I have been so involved in our
own children's sports and extra-curricular activities over the years. We
want our boys to have those same opportunities to win and lose, to learn
how to work with others – and just to have fun.
"I can't repay our schools for all that they did for me. But I do try to
give back whenever I can. I've served on the Citizens Advisory Committee
for Central Middle School [Phil's son Cody's principal at Central, Dr.
Jenkins, taught Phil math], the PTA for Central Elementary, the PTO at
Central Middle, and the PTO for South River High. Just yesterday I
dropped off a load of pumpkins to Central Middle for a special project
in Cody's class. I know I'm not alone in that. A key component of our
public school system is parent involvement. We need to harness that and
encourage more involvement by parents and local businesses in schools
around the county.
Now
that you see our schools from a parent’s viewpoint, how do you
think things have changed?
"Certainly as a
child, you don't understand all the significant components that
make up an education system. But when you become an adult and
taxpayer, you realize these are hard-earned tax dollars being
spent. And as a parent, you always want to provide more for your
kids than you had. I now realize the anguish that my parents
went through to get me to do my homework! As a parent, it's hard
to get across to your kids how important success in school is to
their future.
"Today, it's harder than ever for parents to be involved in
their children's schools and to keep up with what's going on in
the classroom. We've got a lot of dual-income families in our
county; both parents are working. I think we need to take steps
to make it easier for busy parents to keep up with their
children's education.
"Robin and I made a pledge a long time ago, that no matter how
busy we were in our personal and professional lives, we'd take
time out to take the boys to Disney World – or to the park, the
movies, whatever. Oftentimes our kids don't need something
material; they need a few minutes of our time.
"Schools are over-stressed as well. I absolutely believe that
the system is taxed almost to the point of being ineffective in
some areas. We need to start by giving teachers a manageable
workload; then they'll have the freedom and flexibility to
teach. It's just good common sense. (back
to top)
As
county executive, what do you want to accomplish for the benefit
of our public school system and our community?
"My challenge is
going to be to make Anne Arundel County Public Schools as
attractive to local families across the county as any private
system would be.
"We need to refocus resources on the teacher and the child in
the classroom. That's where education really takes place, and
that's where we can achieve the greatest return on our
investment in public schools.
"In 2002, I pushed for more money for the textbook fund. Our
kids were using textbooks from the cold-war era in many cases.
I'm glad that the current county executive listened and
supplemented that fund. But we need to make sure basics like
this are adequately funded. If we have to take from the
'bureaucracy' to make some of these common-sense investments,
that's what we must do.
"It comes back to respecting teachers in the classroom. I want
to see teachers enjoying teaching again. I think we'll find that
happy, productive teachers will lead to happier, more productive
students. And we all have a vested interest in making that
happen. Today's students are tomorrow's employees and business
owners. A good economic development program starts in the
classroom of today. We need to reward teachers and keep them
motivated and creative to get a good product: well-educated kids
who are ready to succeed in the world.
"Another
key component is communication. In my experience as a state
legislator, we often acted as the referees of the education
system. We had to choose sides: whether for the superintendent,
the board of education, the county administration. As county
executive, I don't want to be a referee; I want to be a coach.
That's my leadership style. A good coach establishes good lines
of communication with the other members of the team. To be
successful, all players have to buy into the game plan. Until we
all agree on our goals by sitting down together regularly – not
just at contract time -- we're going to maintain the status quo
of tension and work-to-rule tactics. I think we can draw a clear
straight line back to the lack of communication that has led to
where we are today – searching for a new school superintendent.
"Finally, as I've stated, I think we need to restore autonomy in
the classroom. Autonomy means that our teachers have the
flexibility to identify and address the needs of individual
students. Today's teachers are required by law and policies to
teach to 'the test.' I believe they need to teach to the child.
We want our children to pass school tests, but it's more
important for them to pass the test to succeed in life.
(back to top)
More Talking with Phil:
"From
a policy perspective, it was the teachers that I remember -- how they
taught me and how they spent time with me. I felt that my teachers
really got to know me as a student and as a person. Our teachers were
extremely dedicated to us. If there ever was a need to call home, they
did it. [Phil admitted this happened – 'once or twice.'] 
"Another
key component is communication. In my experience as a state
legislator, we often acted as the referees of the education
system. We had to choose sides: whether for the superintendent,
the board of education, the county administration. As county
executive, I don't want to be a referee; I want to be a coach.
That's my leadership style. A good coach establishes good lines
of communication with the other members of the team. To be
successful, all players have to buy into the game plan. Until we
all agree on our goals by sitting down together regularly – not
just at contract time -- we're going to maintain the status quo
of tension and work-to-rule tactics. I think we can draw a clear
straight line back to the lack of communication that has led to
where we are today – searching for a new school superintendent.