News

Working with the Maryland State Department of Labor, HCPSS can enable employees to apprentice with trained HCPSS HVAC technicians and complete the 8,000 hours of on-the-job training required to earn a state license.

Select the link below to learn more about the program, including how one employee completed both the courses and on-the-job training required to become an HVAC technician–all while continuing his work at HCPSS.

HVAC Apprenticeship Provides HCPSS Staff with a Unique Growth Opportunity

All HCPSS employees planning to retire within the next eight years are invited to attend upcoming virtual information sessions, hosted by the Community College of Baltimore County. Webinars will be held October 18 and 19 from 4-7:15 p.m.

Staff who wish to participate should register online (see below). You will receive email confirmation of your registration within three business days, and will receive instructions on how to join the webinar two days prior to the event. If you are unable to register using the steps below, please complete the highlighted sections on the attached form and send to Sarah Moore at scullip@ccbcmd.edu.

To register online:

1. Go to the CCBC online registration
2. Click the “Select” button next to the class Pre-Retirement Planning Webinar and you will advance to the next screen.
3. Click "Register for Selected Courses" to be redirected to the login page
   • If you have previously attended a Pre-Retirement Seminar or other class at CCBC, log in using your current username and password.
   • If you forgot your username and password, call at 443-840-5059 to register for course number/CRN 32622
4. If this is your first Pre-Retirement Seminar, click the "New Account" button on the right-hand side of the screen. 
5. Fill out your information (anything in red is required information) and choose Submit.
    

Stop by the Department of Education/Central Office to view “Then and Now,” an exhibition of retired and current HCPSS art educator works, on display through Friday, Nov. 11 on days offices are open.

Can’t make it in person? View our album of the exhibit!

Full details are available online.

HCPSS once again will offer flu shots at no out-of-pocket cost to staff. Insurance information will need to be provided; however employees do not have to be insured through the school system to receive the flu shot.

Flu clinics will be held at individual school locations, and at ARL for Central Office staff. Employees have or will receive details on their flu clinic, including a link to register, via direct email.
 
All employees must show an HCPSS ID to receive a flu shot. To save time getting your shot, please wear a short sleeve shirt or clothing that will give the nurse access to your arm.

HCPSS Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano on Sept. 1 presented to the Board his redistricting recommendations for the 2023-2024 school year. The Board will hold public hearings and work sessions throughout the next few months before making its final decision, scheduled for November.

Learn more in this Message from the Superintendent: Proposed Attendance Area Adjustment Plan and find full details on the redistricting process online.

Upon request of family members, the HCPSS Communications office shares notices of the passing of HCPSS employees and retirees and/or their immediate family members on its Canvas page. A link to the Canvas page also can be found on the Staff Hub homepage > scroll down to Resources > Communications.

Notices may be sent via email to communications@hcpss.org and should include the following, as applicable and/or available:

• Name of employee/family member
• Employees' most recent job title and location
• Previous HCPSS job titles and locations
• Link to obituary and/or arrangement details
• Date, time and location of memorial service
• Condolences mailing address

Welcome to the Staff Hub! We hope the information below is helpful in understanding this platform. Please email webmaster@hcpss.org with any questions.

Who is the Hub for?

Information posted to and shared from the Hub is geared toward all HCPSS staff, and at certain times toward specific staff groups. Please be aware that the Hub is a public-facing website and does not require a staff login to access links and/or information.
 

What is the Staff Hub?

The Hub is the home for all your staff needs, including links to information and resources, and non-emergency news. Features include:

• Drop-down menu: Select Instruction or Services for links to many websites and resources.
• Featured Applications: Quick links to the most commonly used staff applications.
• News: Important information for most or all HCPSS staff. Items posted as News generate an automatic email to all staff shortly after posting.
• Circulars: Provided to ensure staff awareness of the latest policies and procedures. Items posted as Circulars also generate an automatic email to all staff.
• Vacancies: View the latest HCPSS job postings.
• Resources: Links to additional information, including Canvas pages, employee well-being, staff discounts and more.

Where can I find the Hub and related resources?

The Hub is available directly at https://staff.hcpss.org/. Items posted as News or Circulars automatically generate an email to all employees. All other features, including vacancy postings, are available on-demand by going to the Hub. 

When is information available in the Hub?

Resources and information are continually updated, as needed.

Why does HCPSS have the Hub?

We want to make it easy for staff to access the information and resources they need. Additionally, the functionality of the Hub allows us to seamlessly email all staff with important news.

How do I provide feedback on the Hub?

The Staff Hub is managed by employees in the Office of Multimedia Communications and School Support. The best way to report issues or ask questions is to email webmaster@hcpss.org.

Education Support Professionals are reminded of updates to the ESP evaluation process. 

The evaluation rubric, guidebook, and resources can be found in the Employee Evaluation Canvas community. ESP staff are encouraged to explore the resources currently online. 

Full details are available online.

! IMPORTANT ! It is the responsibility of each staff member to check one of the HCPSS notification sources for closing information. 

The HCPSS emergency notification sources are:

• HCPSS Status website
• HCPSS homepage
• HCPSS community email/text alert
• Twitter
• HCPSS Information Hotline (410-313-6666)

HCPSS does not use schools-out.com, e-schoolnews.com or local news stations for any notifications. Only the sources listed above should be used to confirm emergency information.

Staff who have not already done so, or who are not parents in the system are encouraged to sign up for HCPSS email/text notifications. Otherwise, it is the staff member’s responsibility to check one of the above notification sources for closing information.

Please Note: 

• Staff who are parents in the system do not need to sign up, as you already receive these notices.
• If you believe you are signed up to receive messages and are not receiving them, please do not create a new account. Email webmaster@hcpss.org with any issues.  
• If you are unsure if you have already opted in to text messaging, text the word “YES” to 67587.
• Unsubscribing from any school or district email or text will unsubscribe a user from all messaging, including emergency notifications.

To subscribe or edit your subscription:

• Staff email/text sign up
• Manage your subscription (non-HCPSS parents/guardians)

Please see below for updates to the Education Support Professionals (ESP) Employee Evaluation process. 

Background:
Ensuring ESP staff have a fair and equitable evaluation model that authentically assesses performance aligned with responsibilities is critically important. Last year, a systemic committee was convened to revise the ESP Employee Evaluation process. Stakeholders included school-based administrators, central office program leaders, ESP staff, and representatives from the Howard County Educators Association (HCEA) and Howard CountyAssociation of Supervisors and Administrators (HCASA). Their efforts included studying models in the state and nationwide, engaging broader stakeholder groups in surveys and focus groups, and examining previous feedback from ESP staff and their supervisors. 

The committee’s deliberations resulted in a model recommendation that has been vetted by the HCPSS Educator Evaluation Work Group, which includes executive leaders from HCPSS, HCEA and HCASA, oversees all evaluation models and processes and rules by consensus.  

Details and Information:
The evaluation rubric, guidebook, and resources can be found in the Employee Evaluation Canvas community. ESP staff are encouraged to explore the resources currently online. In response to ESP/stakeholder group needs, additional resources and information will be added as they become available. 

Important Dates:

• September 2022: School-based information sessions will occur in all schools. 
• October 2022: Optional virtual question-and-answer sessions will be held with representatives from HCPSS, HCEA and HCASA
• October 2022: The new model is scheduled to go live in Frontline.
• May 2023: Final evaluation conference window.

Please note! No action will be required until the final evaluation conference window in May.