News

The Superintendent’s FY27 proposed budget includes the conversion of one 10-month special education teacher position per school to an 11-month Special Education Team Leader position. Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, each school, and in addition, each Early Childhood Special Education program with more than one classroom, will have a designated 11-month Special Education Team Leader.

Job Announcement and Qualifications 

Staff interested in the position may review the job announcements which include qualifications here:

• Elementary Special Education Team Leader 
• Secondary Special Education Team Leader

Information Sessions 

The Department of Special Education will hold virtual information sessions for staff to learn more and ask questions on Thursday, March 5.

• Morning: 7:45 - 8:15 AM and 8:15 - 8:45 AM 
• Afternoon: 3:30 - 4:00 PM 
• Link: Join via Google Meet using code: ITL Interest 
  No pre-registration is required.

Interest Form 

If you are interested in serving as a Special Education Team Leader - either at your current school or another location - please submit an Interest Form.

• Availability: Starting Monday, March 2. Forms may be submitted through March 16.
• Access: Forms will be available through Workday.
• Instructions: Specific directions and direct links to the forms will be posted on the Staff Hub the morning of Monday, March 2.

Questions may be sent to the Office of Human Resources’ Position Control and Staffing Team via email at staffing@hcpss.org.

HCPSS staff members who fall into one of the following categories and who are parents or legal guardians of graduating seniors may present the diploma to their child(ren) at their commencement ceremony. 

• Current Permanent Staff
• Elementary Lunch/Recess Monitors who have been a Lunch/Recess Monitor since Sept. 30, 2025
• Substitutes who have consistently supported HCPSS by substituting 100+ days since the start of the 2024/2025 school year (08/28/2024-current)

Parents who wish to present the diplomas must notify the graduation coordinator at their child’s school by April 10.
 

Applications are now open for 4 positions in the Momentum Academy at the Homewood Center for the 2026-2027 school year. There will be one position in each of the following content areas: mathematics, science, social studies, and English Language Arts.

Momentum Academy teachers serve in a short-term, intensive setting that emphasizes restorative practices, family engagement, close collaboration with home schools, and continuous professional learning to support successful student transitions. Momentum Academy teachers will be expected to communicate with assigned home school transition staff weekly and spend one week a quarter supporting students and staff on-site at home schools. During these designated times, Momentum Academy teachers will work with administration to flex start and end times to align with contractual agreements and home school start and end times.

Current permanent or temporary employees must apply through the Jobs Hub in Workday to be considered for these positions. Voluntary transfer requests to Homewood would not qualify current employees for consideration for these roles. Applications must be submitted by 11:59pm on March 1, 2026.

The Office of Human Resources will host optional virtual information sessions via Google Meet to discuss the voluntary transfer process and answer questions. The sessions are scheduled for:

• Thursday, February 26, 4:30pm-5:30pm
• Monday, March 23, 3:00pm-4:00pm
• Wednesday, April 8, 4:30pm-5:30pm

To sign up to attend an information session, click here (HCPSS login required). Please note, the Google Meet code can be found in the registration form and is available only to HCPSS staff.

As a reminder, voluntary transfer requests for the 2026-2027 school year may now be submitted. Requests must be made in writing, using the established online system (Workday), and must be submitted by April 15, 2026.

Instructions on how to access the voluntary transfer request forms can be found here. The forms are accessed through Workday.

Questions may be sent to the Office of Human Resources’ Position Control and Staffing Team via email at staffing@hcpss.org.

Starting March 2, HCPSS Google authentication (Sign in with Google) will be turned off for select third-party applications for student accounts only.

There is no impact to staff Google sign-in access at this time. Staff will continue to use Google authentication as they currently do.

Before this change takes effect, here’s what you need to know: 

• This change applies to students only.
• After the turn-off date, students will not be able to access certain third-party applications using their HCPSS Google credentials.
• Students will be notified of this change via the Student Newsletter and a Canvas banner.

Approved applications that will continue to allow student Google sign-in include:

• List of Approved Apps for Google authentication

If students have files, projects, or other data saved in an app that will no longer support student Google authentication, they should download, transfer, or archive their content prior to February 27, 2026. Once authentication is disabled, access to those accounts may be discontinued.

Per Article 15.E. of the HCPSS/HCEA Master Agreement, "Any unit member who retires or resigns effective July 1 of any year and who files the necessary documents committing to such intent no later than March 1 of that year will receive termination pay matching the greater of the following two options:

1. $500 or
2. Pay equal to two percent (2%) of accumulated unused sick leave as of the date of retirement or resignation, up to a maximum of $1,200.”

Certificated instructional staff (teachers, counselors, etc.) who are planning on retiring effective July 1 should complete the Intent to Retire form and submit the completed MSRA/HCPSS retirement paperwork to their Retirement Specialist by March 1 in order to receive the additional pay listed above upon their retirement.

If after March 1, you choose to rescind your retirement, your current position and work location for the following school year cannot be guaranteed and may change based on staffing needs. 

The HCPSS Intent to Retire form and the MSRA/HCPSS retirement paperwork can be found on the Staff Hub > Services > Employee Resources > Retirement.

Certificated instructional staff (teachers, counselors, etc.) who are planning on resigning effective July 1 should enter their resignation into Workday by March 1 in order to receive the additional pay listed above upon resignation. Resignation instructions and additional information about resignation can be found on the Staff Hub > Services > Employee Resources > Resignation.

Please note! This notification incentive is for HCEA certificated staff only and does not apply to non-certificated staff (paraeducators, secretaries, student assistants, custodians, etc.), or supervisory staff (principals, assistant principals, directors, coordinators, etc.).

Applications are now open for 10 Lead Teachers and establishing a Lead Teacher Pool aligned with the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future for the 2026-2027 school year.

Working under the direction of the building principal, the Lead Teacher is an expert educator who serves as a school-based instructional leader, providing both direct instruction to students and instructional support to teachers. This role focuses on improving instructional quality by providing job-embedded professional learning, including collaboration, mentoring, and coaching. The Lead Teacher is integral in fostering equity, inclusivity, and reflective practice across the school community, ensuring better outcomes for students and teachers. A Lead Teacher shall teach in the classroom on average 40% of the teacher’s working time; and spend the remaining time on other teacher activities, including mentoring newer and struggling teachers, and leading workshops and demonstrations at the school level. This is subject to change based on Blueprint legislation.

National Board Certification is a requirement of this position. Teachers with strong experiences in elementary and secondary English/Language Arts and Mathematics will be prioritized, along with those who have experience teaching in schools that represent the demographic and socioeconomic diversity of HCPSS or have worked in Title I, CSI (comprehensive support and improvement), and/or community schools. This position includes a $5000 supplement that stacks on top of other NBC supplements for which the teacher is eligible.

Current permanent employees must apply through the Jobs Hub in Workday.

Howard County Council Bill 14-2023 established the Student Loan Assistance Program for HCPSS teachers. The program provides $225,000 per year for five years to help eligible certificated HCPSS staff repay their student loans.

To be eligible for funding through the Student Loan Assistance Program, an HCPSS employee must meet the following the criteria:

• Be a current, full-time, permanent HCPSS employee
• Be covered by the Howard County Education Association (HCEA) certificated bargaining unit
• Have received a graduate, professional, or undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university
• Have been employed with the HCPSS full-time for a total of at least 5 years
• Possesses one of the following certifications:
  • Professional Eligibility Certificate (PEC)
  • Standard Professional Certificate I (SPC I)
  • Standard Professional Certificate II (SPC II)
  • Advanced Professional Certificate (APC)
  • Conditional Certificate (CND)
  • Initial Professional License (IPL)
  • Advanced Professional License (APL)
  • Conditional License (CL)
  • Conditional Special Education License (CSL)
• Not currently in default on any of their student loans
• Have incurred at least $20K in student loan debt for any education loan used for undergraduate or graduate study obtained for tuition, educational expenses, or living expenses
• Have a remaining balance of $5K or more on their student loan

Applications for the Student Loan Assistance Repayment Program will be accepted between February 2 and April 10, 2026. The application can be found here and is also posted on the Student Loan Assistance Repayment Program website.

The amount of money awarded to each applicant will be determined by the Howard County Government. Applicants will receive an email no later than May 29, 2026 outlining the amount of their award.

More information about the Student Loan Assistance Repayment Program is available in these FAQs and on the HCPSS website.

Should you require assistance, please email TeachersLoanAssistance@hcpss.org with your inquiry.

Voluntary transfer requests for the 2026-2027 school year may now be submitted. Requests must be made in writing, using the established online system (Workday), and must be submitted by April 15, 2026.

Instructions on how to access the voluntary transfer request forms can be found here. The forms are accessed through Workday. Complete the form that identifies your desired position. There are five (5) different forms, and the positions identified in the five (5) forms include:

1. Teachers
2. Audiologists, Behavior Specialists, Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Psychologists, School Social Workers and Cluster Nurses.
3. Paraeducators, Health Assistants, School Culture and Safety Assistants and Student Assistants
4. Liaisons
5. School Counselors and Reading Specialists

Voluntary Transfer Request forms will be accepted through April 15, 2026.

Please Note:

• Submissions will only be accepted via the established online system (Workday).
• You will have the option to submit a copy of your resume and/or cover letter by providing a link to a Google Doc.
• Your request does not constitute a change in your current assignment as all assignment changes are based on the needs of the school system.
• The placements of employees listed above in #2 and #4 will continue to be made by program supervisors.
• After you submit a transfer request, you will receive an invitation to participate in a confidential survey.

The following employee groups may apply for a voluntary transfer anytime during the school year when an appropriate position is available. Employees will use the Jobs Hub worklet in Workday to apply for an open position. 

• Secretarial, clerical, floating nurse, food and nutrition service assistants and central office technical personnel.

Voluntary Transfer Information Sessions 
The Office of Human Resources will host optional virtual information sessions via Google Meet to discuss the voluntary transfer process and answer questions. The sessions are scheduled for:

• February 26, 4:30pm-5:30pm
• March 23, 3:00pm-4:00pm
• April 8, 4:30pm-5:30pm

Details regarding how to register will be forthcoming.

Questions may be sent to the Office of Human Resources’ Position Control and Staffing Team via email at staffing@hcpss.org.

Please note this message is being shared with all staff for awareness; however the details below currently are applicable to school staff.

We are excited to announce that beginning with Quarter 3, effective Monday, Jan. 26, all schools will have access to the paid version of the TalkingPoints messaging platform to connect with families through two-way, translated communication. 

The application had previously been available only to Title 1 and Community Schools and is being made available districtwide to better support more effective and accessible communication. Using the TalkingPoints paid version, student and parent/guardian information is pulled automatically from Synergy, ensuring contact information is accurate and protecting the privacy of students and families.

For those unfamiliar with the platform, TalkingPoints is a nonprofit education technology organization. Staff can use a web browser or mobile app to send/receive a message to parents/guardians, which they can receive via text or mobile app. Parents/guardians may receive/send communication in the language they identified in HCPSS Connect Synergy (Family File) and can change this in the TalkingPoints mobile app. No matter the parent/guardian selected language, messages are transmitted back to staff in English. 

At this point, TalkingPoints will not replace any of the current messaging platforms staff use to communicate with parents/guardians. Instead, it is a new tool staff may choose to use to engage in two-way conversations via text message/mobile app. To help guide you on the various options, the HCPSS Communications Department has a new resource on the various communications platforms available online. 

! Important !

This is not a required communications tool. Effective Jan. 26, access to TalkingPoints will be available for those who choose to use it. The HCPSS Communications Department has information on, and resources for using TalkingPoints available in Canvas.

Please note:

• Staff Who Have Been Using TalkingPoints’ PAID Version - There is no change for the Title I and Community Schools staff who have been on the paid version of TalkingPoints. You may continue using it as you have been.
• Staff Who Have Been Using TalkingPoints’ FREE Version - You may continue using TalkingPoints as before. Your home screen will look different, as you will have access to features not included in the free version, but the overall functionality will be the same. The most important change is that with the paid version, your students, parent/guardian contacts as well as home language, and classes will sync automatically from Synergy. Any edits to phone numbers will have to be made in Synergy/Family File. Your sending number also will change. If you have any message history that you wish to save, follow these steps to download a conversation. You should message your families and let them know that you will be switching to an upgraded version of TalkingPoints and future communications will come from a new number. A draft message to families is available for your use.
• Staff Who Have Not Used TalkingPoints - If you choose to use the TalkingPoints application, you should first communicate to families about this new tool. A draft messages to families are available in Canvas, and TalkingPoints provides translated flyers for new users. 

Staff have long asked for an approved digital tool for two-way communication, and we are pleased to provide a solution that also will better help meet the needs of our multilingual families. That being said, transitioning to a new tool can be overwhelming for many people. If you choose to use TalkingPoints, we encourage you to take advantage of the training resources available and take your time to learn the platform.

Technical support for TalkingPoints is available through the TalkingPoints Help site. General questions may be directed to communications@hcpss.org.