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September 25, 2023

Talbot Spy

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Point of View Op-Ed Point of View Opinion

Respecting the Joy of All Marriages by Kathryn Lee

January 8, 2023 by Opinion

It is not every day that a former student and now good friend gets engaged at the White House, but, on December 13, 2022, Rod popped the question to his partner of eight years, Alex, at the White House signing ceremony for the Respect for Marriage Act. It was great to see their tweet (of course a tweet) and then to read the Religion News Service story about their engagement.   

For me, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, the day had double significance—not only did good friends become engaged, but now a federal statute requires states to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages. The act also invalidates the Defense of Marriage Act which had defined marriage as between “one man, one woman” and had permitted states to not recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Passage of the act was a positive note to end 2022. 

And yet, many challenges remain in 2023. Despite the Respect for Marriage Act, should the Supreme Court overturn its Obergefell v. Hodges decision (2015) that established a federal constitutional right to marry someone of the same sex, then that right would be in question in 35 states that have either a state statute, a state constitutional amendment or both prohibiting same sex marriages. The Obergefell decision, decided by only a 5-4 majority, was authored by Justice Kennedy whose seat now is filled by Justice Gorsuch. There is at least one justice who thinks the Court should revisit Obergefell, namely Justice Thomas, who said as much in his concurrence in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision which overturned the fifty-year precedent of Roe v. Wade.

The Court remains a focus for other reasons. The very same week that the House passed the final version of the Respect for Marriage Act the Court heard arguments in 303 Creative v. Elenis in which a Colorado web designer and evangelical Christian who does not support same sex marriage is arguing that she should not be required to design a wedding website for same sex couples because to do so would violate her freedom of speech. Colorado law prohibits businesses from discriminating against LGBTQ+ persons. Court observers predict that the conservative majority will side with the web designer.

And then there is the wave of state legislation and local school regulations targeting the rights of transgender and nonbinary persons.  A Washington Post article noted that in 2022 more anti-transgender laws were proposed than in any other year, laws which would limit participation on school sports teams to use of bathrooms to gender-affirming medical care.

Maryland, however, continues to protect its transgender and non-binary youth. In February 2022, the House of Delegates Ways and Means Committee unfavorably reported out HB 757 also known as the “Save Women’s Sports Act”  which would have barred transgender youth from participating on sports teams that reflected their gender identity and not their biological sex.

In May, our state enacted a law which requires private schools that receive state aid to not discriminate against students based on “race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.” 

Even more sobering than laws that target trans and non-binary youth is the rate of suicide among LGBTQ+ youth. Just three days after the Respect for Marriage Act was signed Henry Berg-Bousseau, the 24-year-old, transgender son of Dr. Karen Berg, a Kentucky state senator , committed suicide. Henry had been  a deputy press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT+ advocacy group. According to The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, “45% of LGBTQ youth considered attempting suicide in the past year” and “fewer than 1 in 3 transgender and nonbinary youth found their home to be gender-affirming.” 

And the violence against the LGBTQ+ community continues. Right-wing militia groups, such as the Patriot Front, have targeted the LGBTQ+ community. This past June, thirty-one Patriot Front members were arrested in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho before they were going to interfere with a Pride Festival there. And, in November, at the Colorado Springs LGBT club, Club Q, an assumed haven for the LGBTQ community, five persons were gunned down, among them two transgender persons. 

Safe havens are so important. I was encouraged to read that the three LGBTQ+ organizations at Washington College are active again after the effects of Covid on campus clubs. I hope that Kent County LGBTQ+ youth have safe havens where they can be who they are and be celebrated for who they are. 

I began this piece with Rod and Alex. Let me end with them. On June 26, 2015, the three of us were outside the Supreme Court with hundreds of others, waiting to hear what the Court had decided in the Obergefell case. I had flown in from Spokane, Washington where I was teaching and was at the Court with a dear friend. I’ll never forget the cheers that erupted when the crowd learned of the outcome. It was a joyful moment. The signing of the Respect for Marriage Act on December 13 was also a joyful moment. Yes, much has changed for the better, but meanness and discrimination and violence continue. Much work remains to achieve full equality. 

Kathryn Lee (Ph.D., J.D.), is  the former chair of the Political Science Department and Director of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at Whitworth University in Spokane, WA. Kathryn was recently profiles in the New Yorker which can be read here. She retired to Chestertown last July.

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Filed Under: Op-Ed, Opinion

Werewolf and Vampire Economics 101 in Georgia by Robert D.  Ebel

December 3, 2022 by Opinion

There is a special election next week in Georgia that will greatly influence the partisan control of the U.S. Senate.  The outcome is as important to Marylanders as it is to Georgia. 

In his last week’s run up to the December 6 vote, incumbent Senator to Raphael Warnock (D) posted a television ad showing his opponent Herschel Walker (R)  making a campaign speech in which he, Walker, says that he would rather be a werewolf than a vampire.  

The video clip of that ad has generated much discussion among Talbot residents, many of whom are “dissing” Walker as unfit for the Senate. This note is to rise in defense of Mr. Walker who is raising a legitimate matter—a matter that has both political and economic implications. Some facts are in order:

Political: A werewolf can often be disabled by wolfsbane, but that is about it.  If the werewolf makes it through the night without having an encounter with someone who happens to have a ready supply of wolfsbane nearby, then your typical werewolf can go about a reasonably normal life, like participate in a U.S Senate caucus.   

However, a Vampire has a sleeping pattern problem — up at night, but sleepy during the day when most others in the party caucus are awake (or seem to be). Furthermore, there is the reality that if one puts a crucifix between themselves and a vampire, the vampire becomes dysfunctional. This fact combined with the reality that many members of the Senate caucus are identifying with religious nationalism and, thus, likely to have a crucifix in their pockets, gives them a ready tool to exclude a vampire from caucus participation. This is not good for democracy. Better to be a werewolf Market Economics.   

More to the point:  it all comes down to the fundamental principle of supply and demand.  One can kill a vampire by driving a wooden stake through its heart. Wooden stakes are inexpensive and easy to get at Lowes.  However, it takes a silver bullet to kill a werewolf.  The current price of a silver bullet is about $47 per ounce (Amazon.com). Add to that the transition costs incurred in getting ahold of a silver bullet,  and the price of fending off a werewolf rises even more relative to that dealing with a vampire.  Again, better to be a werewolf.

Behavioral Economics.  As noted above, markets work. However, to get a complete picture of why Herschel Walker has it right: the werewolf manifests itself only when there is a FULL moon, whereas the vampire can come out nightly. Accordingly, the supply of werewolves is limited by lunar events (in the economist’s jargon, “externalities”) relative to that of vampires. So, now the merits of Walker’s thinking becomes even clearer: go long in werewolf futures and short the vampires.  If he wins next Tuesday, perhaps Senator Walker should become a member of the Committee on Finance? 

Robert Ebel is a former Lead Economist for the World Bank Institute. He now lives on Tilghman Island. 

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Filed Under: Archives

Opinion: We are Not in Kansas Anymore! By Maria Grant

November 20, 2022 by Opinion

Last night, Easton’s Prager Family Center for the Arts held a concert featuring Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero, violinist Joshua Bell, and soprano Larisa Martinez. It was, in short, magic. The featured musicians were at the top of their game. The program was eclectic and charming. The acoustics were superb. I felt privileged to be in attendance.

During one introduction to the selected program, Joshua Bell mentioned that he had never played in a venue quite like this one. It reminded him of the salons of days gone by. He is right.  It is a unique experience to be so close to the artists in an environment with such amazing sound quality. 

Gabriela Montero is a renowned pianist who gave her first concert when she was only five years old. She has performed at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, as well as concert halls in Munich, Berlin, Bern, Amsterdam and other venues across the globe. Montero sometimes introduces improvisations into standard classical pieces, a practice that Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart also incorporated into their concerts. Montero also has composed many original compositions and released several albums. Her 2015 album won her the Latin Grammy award for best classical album.  Her mastery of the eclectic pieces played on Saturday evening was pure perfection. 

On Saturday’s performance, Joshua Bell was not front and center, as the concert truly showcased his wife, soprano Larisa Martinez. But, as usual, he did not disappoint. Bell made his Carnegie debut at the age of 17. His instrument is the Gibson ex Huberman, a Stradivarius made in 1713 during the Stradivari’s Golden Era. The violin was stolen twice and is the subject of a documentary The Return of the Violin. Bell, considered one of the greatest violinists of all time, has won numerous awards and has produced albums featuring Brahms, Prokofiev, Gershwin, Bernstein, Vivaldi, Mendelssohn and many more. 

In 2019, Puerto Rican-born soprano Larisa Martinez made both her Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall debuts—the same year she married Bell. Martinez appeared in her first opera when she was 19 as the shepherd in the third act of Tosca.  She studied vocal performance at the Conservatory of Music in Puerto Rico and obtained her master’s degree from the Mannes School of Music in New York City. Martinez has performed in New York and other operatic stages in the United States and Europe.  In recent years, she has performed with Andrea Bocelli where she typically sings one aria and then joins the tenor in four operatic duets. 

Saturday’s program at the Prager included works by Mendelssohn, Schubert, Chopin, and Bernstein, as well as some Spanish and Puerto Rican pieces. The standouts of the evening were the Chopin Sarasate I Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2, and the concluding Bernstein West Side Story suite with outstanding performances by Montero, Bell and Martinez. 

Easton owes a debt of gratitude to the Prager Family for bringing these amazing artists to a truly outstanding venue. Thank you. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of a federal human capital practice at an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, piano, gardening, and nature.

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Filed Under: Op-Ed, Opinion

Waterfowl Festival in Transition at 51 Years Old by Ken Miller

November 4, 2022 by Opinion

In many respects, 2022 has been a year of transition for Waterfowl Festival, Inc. – from the year-end 2021 resignation of the  organization’s Executive Director – to the mid-year retirement of the Executive & Development Assistant – to the July employment of a new Development Director – to the increased responsibilities by the Festival Director. Additionally, the decision to select Attraction magazine to publish the Festival’s “Official Guide”, after having previously engaged APG Media of Chesapeake to publish this important informational piece, created some new challenges but with an entirely satisfactory and exceptional result.

Notwithstanding these changes, we fully anticipate that everyone – from Board members to staff to volunteers – are up to the task of putting on one of the finest Waterfowl Festivals in recent memory. When considering the success of the Festival’s 50th Anniversary celebration, the bar has been raised and will be successfully crossed. 

While traditional downtown venues for exhibiting world class art, sculpture, carving, and photography remain, we are delighted to return to Easton’s VFW facility for new and exciting exhibits. The VFW will stage a flag raising ceremony on Friday morning at 9:00 am when the Naval Academy’s Brass Quintet will perform. The Chesapeake Marketplace has been relocated to Easton’s new elementary school, affording enhanced exhibit space, parking, and ease of access. Of course, the popular “Buy, Sell, Swap” venue to include the world renown “Duck and Goose Calling Contests” remain at the Easton High School as does the ever popular “Sportsman’s Pavilion” on the Easton Elks property. Last, because Veterans Day falls on a Festival Friday, we’ve introduced a 25% off ticket price on November 11th for all veterans and active military service personnel.  

Through the William A. Perry Scholarship Program, the Festival awarded $20,000.00 in scholarships to 11 students who, among their academic achievements, have provided valuable volunteer services to Waterfowl Festival, Inc. These individuals, as well as past scholarship recipients,  provide current and future Festival leadership.  

During the year, Waterfowl Festival, Inc. has been most fortunate in receiving several grants, such as the annual support of the Maryland State Arts Council from whom we received almost $57,000 for the support and promotion of arts in Maryland and a $100,000 grant from the Maryland Historical Trust for the continued restoration of the Waterfowl Building’s steel casement windows. Additionally, the Festival received a $10,000 grant from Preservation Maryland for application toward an extensive “Building Condition Assessment” on the Waterfowl Building and a $5,000 “Heritage Tradition” grant through the Maryland State Arts Council…thanks to the thoughtful nomination of our friends at Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

One of our primary goals for the Waterfowl Building is to repurpose the facility for year-round multi-purpose use by our community’s valued not-for-profit organizations and for-profit entities. As the building is in critical need of various improvements, we were disappointed that our grant application to Maryland’s Rural Economic Development Fund for the complete reroofing of the building’s failing roof membrane was not recommended by the Economic Development Commission of Talbot County to the County Council. A setback, of course; however, it has created greater resolve and determination for our organization to impart much greater awareness to all community, county, and state agencies, on the important, if not irreplaceable attributes, that the historic/landmark Waterfowl building provides to the community and our important not-for-profit organizations.

As conservation-oriented activities represent the nucleus of our purpose, Waterfowl Festival has made a $25,000 grant commitment to a DNR/DU project at the Wellington Wildlife Management Area in Somerset County, Maryland. Waterfowl’s contribution will be applied to toward the estimated cost of $289,000 for the 2023 restoration of approximately 40 acres of wetlands habitat for migratory waterfowl, songbirds, wildlife, and flood control. When completed, we plan to offer tours of this important habitat in the Fall of 2023.      

Lastly, completed within the last week of October, the Festival owes a debt of sincere thanks to long-term supporter McHale Landscape Design for donating its time, materials, and labor to replacing all landscaping at the front of the Waterfowl Building. The beautification of our landscaping will be appreciated by all residents and Festival visitors to Easton.  

With the continued further support of our community leaders in Easton and Talbot County, including our sponsors and volunteers, we all look forward to an exceptional 51st Waterfowl Festival.

Ken Miller is the Board President of Waterfowl Festival.

     

 

    

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Filed Under: Archives

Opinion: TIP’s Dan Watson Makes Closing Argument for 2022 Election Regarding Lakeside and Candidates

October 22, 2022 by Opinion

Talbot Integrity Project leader Dan Watson offer a oral closing argument for the organization’s platform to “Reset Lakeside” in the November 8th election.

 

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Filed Under: Op-Ed, Opinion

Opinion: We Oppose Question 5 by Orphans’ Court Judges Paul Carroll, John Hall, and David Wheeler

October 20, 2022 by Opinion

Ballot Question No. 5 proposes a constitutional amendment to do away with the three elected judges of the Orphans’ Court of Howard County.  Their duties would be assigned to a judge of the Circuit Court, as is currently done in Montgomery and Harford counties.   Although the proposed amendment, on its face, would affect only Howard County the current judges of the Orphans’ Court for Talbot County, that is, Paul S. Carroll, David J. Wheeler, and Jack Hall, unanimously oppose the adoption of Ballot Question No. 5.  Their opposition is shared by nearly all of their colleagues on that Court in other counties, who, collectively, have drafted an argument against adoption of the proposed amended.

One stated objection to the current system is that it allows judicial functions to be performed by non-lawyers.  However, as pointed out in the argument, “[m]any states . . . have “lay” (non-attorney) judges in specialty courts like probate and others where the breadth of the law … is very narrow.”   Because many Circuit Court judges come up through the ranks of prosecutors, their knowledge of Orphans’ Court procedures, in contrast, is sometimes non-existent. 

The Orphans’ Court are a bargain for the taxpayers.  The demand on many Circuit Court dockets are at, if not over, the limit of those Courts’ capacity.  Such courts rely extensively upon retired judges to deal with the overload.  Criminal trials, correctly, are given the inside track on the docket calendar in order to afford an accused a speedy trial.  Family law issues add to the strain. In the region of the upper Shore, from Cecil County to Talbot County, it would not be possible to timely address probate issues without adding another Circuit Court judge, whose annual salary, exclusive of benefits, currently is $174,400.  Such a judge would need a secretary, a law clerk, and an office, adding to the cost.  The sum of the annual salaries of all of the Orphans’ Court judges in Talbot County is less than $20,000.

The Orphans’ Court provides a user-friendly forum for families to resolve issues relating to inheritance matters.  Very often, hearings are conducted without anyone being represented by an attorney.  In a number of instances, while one side may be represented by an attorney, the opposing side is able to present its own case without such assistance.  Hearings are usually informal in which no one attempts “Perry Mason”-style cross-examination.  A lack of familiarity with formal presentation of evidence is not a disqualification.

There is nothing wrong with the system as it exists.  It works fairly, expeditiously, and efficiently.   As the argument of the collective body of judge’s state:

Of over 10,000 judgment orders over the past 12 years in Howard County, only 43 were appealed, only five of those were actually heard (the rest settled, withdrawn or dismissed) and only 2.5 were of the verdicts were changed, –2.5 of over 10,000, a microscopic  0.00025%.

The proposed change would be “the camel’s nose under the tent.”    Those who wish to abolish the elected Orphans’ Court will use success in Howard County to pursue such change state-wide, infringing on the voters’ right to select such judges on a four-year cycle, from their own county.  As further noted in the collective argument:

Orphans’ Courts provide quick, affordable access to the legal processes necessary to close out the worldly affairs of those who have passed on.  The atmosphere is compassionate, friendly,  less formal than the Circuit Courts, and is uniquely conducive to helping grieving families navigate the necessary procedures.   It is not a criminal or civil suit environment.  Abolishing it will lead to increased costs (filing fees) and lengthy delays to get matters settled in the Circuit Court. 

By Orphans’ Courts Judges Paul Carroll, John Hall, and David Wheeler of Talbot County

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Filed Under: Opinion

Preparing Eastern Shore Workers for 21st Century Jobs by Tom Timberman

October 15, 2022 by Opinion

The nine mostly rural counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore have benefited from their relative isolation from East Coast urbanization: natural beauty,  low population density, enviable way of life, first class boating, hunting and fishing and the best crab in the US.  The downside is that a number of younger people born here, leave to find training and job opportunities, elsewhere; often in large cities or their environs. A number of their population replacements are retirees or seasonal visitors or wealthy families with second or third homes on the Shore.    

But, what happens to those from low/middle income families not destined for college (2/3 of Americans don’t go)? This has been a mounting problem on the Eastern Shore for decades as agriculture needs  fewer people and large companies closed or relocated. The pandemic has led to even more closures particularly smaller service firms tied to tourism..   

The last 20 years of the Cyber Revolution and its multiplying business applications has further impacted local and commuter job opportunities.  Good career, family supporting jobs offered by 21st Century employers often require a level of tech capacity many don’t have. 

However, there is evidence slow changes are beginning to take place in corporate hiring practices and in the breadth of advanced tech training. They have already made noticeable positive changes in the lives of non-college graduates. But, it’s time they reached the Eastern Shore.

Historically, the US Government, until very recently, spent a lower share of its budgets than other  industrialized countries, on job training and support for workers. And the private sector has generally perceived paying for in-house training as detracting from their principal mission, i.e. generating high profit margins  

However, the pandemic has produced tight American labor markets and pressed corporations to look beyond college graduates to expand their available labor pool. They’ve begun reaching many more applicants by including apprenticeships and additional on-the-job training in their recruitment. Some recent research shows larger American firms have started reducing the old hiring priority, once a prerequisite, for  degrees.  This traditional practice of screening for college grads, had eliminated 76% of African American and 83% of Latino adults. 

The Cyber world of the 21st Century makes liberal arts degrees alone, largely irrelevant; a fact more, but not enough, employers are accepting.    

The Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan legislation appropriated $500 Million in grants for its Good Jobs Challenge programs to be dispersed by the US Economic Development Administration (EDA).  The principal mission of the Challenge is to raise the work force skill levels that are the keys to  career jobs and economic growth. More specifically, the Challenge goal is to create 50,000 good-paying jobs, defined as more than the regional prevailing wage for an occupation.  

In August 2022 EDA awarded grants to 32 industry-led, worker centered training in 31 states.  One was given to the Maryland Department of Labor to develop Industry Energy and Resilience. 

The Eastern Shore should consider applying for grants, perhaps through Chesapeake College or the two Workforce Investment Boards..  

One of the few nonprofit job training organizations to have achieved a good record of lifting lower income workers into jobs that serve as a bridge to the middle class, is called the “Year Up.” Their approach is a whole-life plan aimed at preparing individuals for and then getting, a well-paid job. They not only provide training in high tech skills, but also address human needs, e.g. subsidized child care, medical insurance, food assistance and even car repair to enable individuals to continue learning..  

Year Up develops close relationships with employers and offers training for local in-demand “hard tech  skills” together with coaching in important “soft skills”, communications, team work, interviews etc. Year Up like others, can only reach a few thousand people per year.    

About two years ago I started talking to a training firm called Interapt, Inc. from Louisville, Ky.  Its motto had attracted me: “We empower people through technology.”  The company provides hi-tech training to individuals across the country, that is matched to local private/public sector technical needs.  Often, the process includes post training paid internships. They were very interested in organizing classes  on the Eastern Shore.  Unfortunately, the Pandemic arrived and our discussions ended. 

Often, discussions of “education” focus solely on K-12 public schools and college deliverables, measured in “future earnings”.  The usual comment is that those with college degrees will over a life time  earn considerably more than those that who don’t.  This has always struck me as outdated, but particularly in the Cyber Era.  

The Western Europeans for more than a century recognized there is another approach to preparing for good family incomes and comfortable lives, i.e. high skilled, always in demand, professional trades.  For over a century, the European technical high schools have graduated individuals with post secondary certifications, considered the equivalent our bachelors. 

Unfortunately in America, this dichotomy between college and non-college educated people has continued to skew the way we consider successful careers and the decisions many young Americans make.  However, in 2022 and moving forward, it is essential parents and governments, particularly local, strongly support and create more easily accessible opportunities for Cyber Tech training. 

Eastern Shore high schools do offer hi tech training and today’s teenagers have been using it since they were five or younger.  However, specialization has occurred in this career path as it has across all other employment.  

The Upper Shore counties’ public high schools definitely offer hi-tech courses.  And these students also have the possibility of dual enrollment at Chesapeake Community College where they can find useful collateral courses and more advanced tech training. The Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board also offers support for job enhancing classes.

The five County Governments support Chesapeake College, but my hope is that they will also fund the dual enrollment tuition and stipend, Chesapeake professors need to teach locally.  However,  for my part, I’m going to reconnect with Interapt, Inc. and once again solicit support from prospective hi-tech  employers on the Upper Shore to partner with Interapt and offer paid internships following their training. 

We are in a very new and expanding work world and our children and grandchildren on the Eastern Shore should be able easily to obtain the type if cyber training that interests them, e.g. cyber security is a current high priority. And  we need to catch up and create these no or very low cost  options. 

Tom Timberman is an Army vet, lawyer, former senior Foreign Service officer, adjunct professor at GWU, and economic development team leader or foreign government advisor in war zones. He is the author of four books, lectures locally and at US and European universities. He and his wife are 24 year residents of Kent County.

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Filed Under: Op-Ed, Opinion

Opinion: Should Teachers be Social Workers Too? By Kalman Hettleman

October 7, 2022 by Opinion

Maybe it’s because Halloween is lurking, but I am scared that something creepy is going on in our public schools. I’m referring to the mission creep that is occurring as teachers are asked more and more to add mental health and social-emotional learning to their already grueling workloads.

Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore) recently identified school mental health as a priority in the wake of the pandemic. The U.S. surgeon general warns that “the challenges today’s generation of young people face are unprecedented and uniquely hard to navigate. And the effect these challenges have had on their mental health is devastating.” Students’ anxiety, depression and suicide symptoms doubled during the pandemic.

The saving grace is the remarkable policy response. In Maryland, federal COVID and state funds are dedicated to a dizzying array of programs, including school-based health coordinators, teacher training, community schools and partnerships linked to schools, restorative practices, and social and emotional learning (SEL) in classrooms.

SEL, which has the most potential direct impact on classroom teachers, has been around for decades. The leading national organization on SEL calls it the process through which students “acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.”

In an article “Should Schools Embrace Social and Emotional Learning?” Johns Hopkins expert Robert Balfanz notes the “strong case for taking an integrated approach to the social, emotional, and academic development of children rather than focusing on academics in isolation.” It should be a win-win for students and teachers.

Yet, it isn’t that simple. SEL and related mental health programs raise vexing questions. Are they a proper role for schools or should they be left to families, communities, and mental health providers?

And no surprise, SEL is now a political flashpoint. One prominent conservative opponent told a New York Times reporter that while SEL “sounds positive and uncontroversial in theory, in practice SEL serves as a delivery mechanism for radical pedagogy, such as critical race theory and gender deconstructionism.” Republicans are far more disapproving of SEL than Democrats.

However, apart from its political weaponization by conservatives, it’s hard to know what is really going on because there are so many question marks. How is SEL delivered? Do teachers have the right training and skills? Is it effective? (The scant research on effectiveness seems divided.)

And, in my view, here’s the toughest question of all: is SEL diverting teachers from their core academic mission? Does it change the role of the teacher, as one analyst pondered, “from a pedagogue to something more closely resembling a therapist, social worker, or member of the clergy?” In one poll, 81% of teachers said they were spending more time than ever on SEL.

Teachers had back-breaking jobs before the pandemic. According to a recent survey, “a typical teacher works a median of 54 hours per week. But just 46% of their time in the school building is spent teaching.”

No wonder the mental health of teachers, like students, is going downhill. Another survey revealed that teachers and principals suffer from job-related stress at a rate roughly double that of other working adults.

It’s also hard to predict the future course of SEL and related programs. SEL, in particular, comes in many different modes. For example: specialized SEL curricula, teacher-led discussion groups, and the infusion of SEL into all school courses.

Student mental health problems and programs are soaring in Maryland. Inquiries to several local school districts reveal an impressive assortment of efforts, notably SEL in the early grades where relationships between teachers and children are especially crucial.

One thing for sure: teachers strongly support the goals and values of SEL and other mental health programs. The kids need SEL. But that still begs vexing questions about its net effect on classroom teaching and student achievement.

Fortunately, there are straightforward ways to take the time and pressure off of teachers. One is for SEL and related mental health services to be provided largely by inside school staff who are mental health specialists like social workers, psychologists and counselors. Better still, the full panoply of mental health services can be best provided outside the regular school day.

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future commendably blazes the outside trail, expanding “Coordinated Community Supports” and especially outside “wraparound services” for families and children. The rub, as I’ve analyzed elsewhere, is that wraparound programs compete with in-school academic instruction and mental health specialists for scarce education funds.

How, then, should the mental health crisis of students be resolved? Throughout U. S. history, reformers have often tried to lay society’s ills on the doorstep of the schoolhouse and on the shoulders of teachers. It typically hasn’t worked well, and today, more than ever, public schools face existential challenges.

That’s why policymakers must not be Halloween scaredy-cats and shy away from the challenges of mission creep. At the very least, the next Maryland governor and General Assembly should substantially increase funding for in-school psychologists, social workers and counselors, while sustaining support for outside wraparound programs. An analysis of federal data shows that Maryland ranks near the bottom of all states in the ratio of psychologists and counselors to students.

And the Maryland State Department of Education must follow through on its recent thorough overview of ongoing mental health efforts. There should be follow-up comprehensive planning, collection of data, monitoring and evaluation, including whether in-school mental health programs like SEL put undue pressure on teachers at the expense of academic instruction.

We’ll all be feeling healthier about the future of our schoolchildren if these challenges are met.

Kalman Hettleman was a member of the Maryland Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education (also known as the Kirwan Commission), a former Baltimore City school board member, a former deputy mayor of Baltimore and a former Maryland secretary of Human Resources.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Op-Ed, Opinion

Opinion: Fisherman, Scientists, Residents, and Environmentalists in Agreement on AquaCon

October 3, 2022 by Opinion

On September 19, the Mid-Shore Fishing Club and ShoreRivers were among roughly 75 attendees at a work session in Federalsburg on AquaCon, the Norwegian start-up trying to establish a 25-acre indoor salmon factory that will discharge 2.3 million gallons of contaminated water into Marshyhope Creek daily. For nearly two hours, AquaCon’s attorney spoke at the clearly disgruntled crowd, who were given little chance for public comment at the end of the meeting. We’d like to provide our comment now.
First, we applaud the Federalsburg Mayor & Town Council for hosting this session and for Mr. Showalter, on behalf of AquaCon, for his participation. However, after nearly a three-hour meeting in total, we left with more questions than answers, owing in large part to Mr. Showalter’s most repeated phrases of, “I don’t know” and “I’m not a scientist.”

Fortunately, we have heard from scientists and what they have to say about this facility and its grossly deficient proposed permit (currently under review by the Maryland Department of the Environment.) Scientists worry, rightly so, about the serious threat this operation poses to the Atlantic Sturgeon. Federally and state designated as critical habitat, the Marshyhope is the smallest known river in the United States that is home to this endangered species and is the only river in Maryland where it is known to spawn, with cobble beds that could be eroded away by the amount of wastewater AquaCon proposes dumping just upstream from their habitat. Mr. Showalter was specifically asked at the meeting if AquaCon could guarantee there would be no impacts to the Atlantic Sturgeon and his response was “no.”

 We’ve heard from countless environmentalists about this issue, too, with groups like ShoreRivers, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Friends of the Nanticoke River, Dorchester Citizens for Planned Growth, and the Wicomico Environmental Trust all coming out in opposition to this facility and the pollution and runoff it will dump into our waterways.

ShoreRivers supporters generated more than 360 letters expressing their concerns in just four days, letters that urge the Maryland Department of the Environment to do the right thing and deny the dangerous discharge permit, which would allow AquaCon to dump nitrogen and phosphorus in excess of what the state’s own model says are safe levels for the area. Without the offsets needed to reduce the loads (still unsecured), the permit application is incomplete.

We’ve also heard from advocates like Tom Horton and those who recreate on the Bay, like our Mid-Shore Fishing Club and its 121 members, who consider the proposal “ludicrous.” And Federalsburg residents seem to agree, from those in attendance at the recent meeting who made it abundantly clear that they didn’t want this fish factory in their town to the more than 100 who have signed an online petition in hopes of saving their beloved Marshyhope.

Residents at the September 19 meeting expressed repeated concerns about the withdraw of groundwater and its impact on their drinking water wells, and about the impact this will have on a town already prone to flooding. According to Mr. Showalter, the company proposes to withdraw millions of gallons of water per day from underground aquifers, yet both he and MDE have failed to address whether groundwater supplies and existing uses can accommodate this level of withdrawal, or could cause saltwater intrusion or nearby land to sink, as has happened elsewhere.  Federalsburg already floods on high tides and after heavy storms—add 2.3 million gallons of discharge daily, and the flooding will undoubtedly get worse.

It’s not often that this many voices are able to reach a consensus on the best way to maintain the health of our local waterways, but on this case it’s easy to come together—indoor salmon farming of this size and scale hasn’t been done safely and successfully anywhere in the country, and we can’t be the guinea pigs in this experiment. It’s past time to listen to our voices.

We believe it is the Federalsburg Mayor & Town Council’s right and duty at this point to take back control of this process by asking the state to discontinue processing the discharge permit. We call on them to make their own voices heard and to protect their town, their residents, and their waterways by stopping this process before it’s too late.

Our Eastern Shore rivers are too fragile for this type of operation. The proposal from AquaCon represents a distraction from the multi-layered effort to reduce pollution flowing to the Chesapeake Bay and to protect native species like crabs, rockfish, and the delicate population of Atlantic Sturgeon. Those of us who support healthy waterways and product fisheries have an obligation to ensure that this negligent permit does not pass.

Tom Wilkison, President, Mid-Shore Fishing Club
Matt Pluta, Director of Riverkeeper Programs, ShoreRivers

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Archives, Opinion

It’s in the Bag, Easton by Marion O. Arnold

September 9, 2022 by Opinion

The Easton Town Council unanimously passed a new law prohibiting retail stores from providing customers with single-use plastic bags at the checkout counter.  The vote brought to the end a long process of public hearings and workshops that took place since the idea was mooted by members of Plastic-Free Easton back in March.  Council members discussed their support of the bill, finally passing it 5-0 to happy smiles and applause. This was an achievement on reducing an important source of plastics pollution in Easton guided by Council President Megan Cook.  The law is a result of an positive collaboration between town leaders and residents.

In his message supporting the new law Ward 2 Council member Don Abbatiello noted, “The overall goal is to reduce the amount of plastic trash in our community and our waterways.  Every piece of plastic that was ever produced but not incinerated is still with us today. If the Puritans invented plastic, it would still be here.”  Mr. Abbatiello said when the president of the Talbot Watermen Association spoke in favor of a ban, “We were all listening. The Tred Avon, the Miles, and the Choptank all have part of their headwaters in Easton. The ban will help to improve the bay.” He also said that unlike plastics used in life-saving medical applications, “plastic bags are a convenience, not essential.”

Ward 4 Council member Rev. Elmer Davis urged residents to consider how our lifestyles might do harm to our environment and advised residents “do good and not cause harm to our community.”

The new law not only bans single-use plastic bags at checkout, but also requires retailers to charge 10 cents for paper bags. Retailers keep the fee to help defray the added cost of paper bags.  The combination of plastic bag ban and fee on paper bags helps move consumers towards bringing in their own reusable bags. The law goes into effect April 2, 2023.

 Marion O Arnold is leader of the Plastic-Free Easton action committee.  She lives in Easton, MD.

 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Filed Under: Op-Ed, Opinion

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