News

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.).

HCPSS staff are invited to submit their interest to work within one of the following HCPSS Summer Programs:

• Academic Intervention (AI)
• BSAP Summer Institute
• Extended School Year Summer School (ESY)
• Extended School Year Early Childhood Special Education (ESY ECSE)
• G/T Summer Institutes for Talent Development
• Innovative Pathways High School

Summer 2026 Compensation

• Current permanent HCPSS staff who are hired for any of the summer school programs listed above will be paid an hourly rate based on the activity for the hours they work before the first set-up day of the Summer Program.
• Current permanent HCPSS staff who are hired for any of the summer school programs listed above to serve in their regular school year position (as a teacher, substitute teacher, paraeducator, secretary, or liaison) will be paid an hourly rate for the hours they work, which is based on their current salary (per diem rate) excluding any stipends or supplements.
• Current permanent HCPSS staff in the ESP bargaining unit and hired in another ESP position other than their regular position, will be compensated at the grade of the position that they are working within. The staff member will be placed on the step they are currently on within that grade.
• Current HCPSS staff in the ESP bargaining unit that are hired into the HCEA certificated unit, will receive the hourly rate of a teacher on Step 4, Lane A of the certificated salary scale.
• Current HCPSS staff in the HCEA certificated unit working summer school in an ESP position will receive the hourly rate of the ESP position in which they are employed. The employee will be compensated at the last step of the grade of the position that they are hired into.
• Current permanent HCPSS staff who are hired for one or more of the summer school programs listed above that run 20 or more calendar days (including set-up days) will accrue a total of one (1) day of sick leave for working the entire program without missing any days of work. The accrued one (1) day of sick leave is not eligible for use during the Summer Program.

Hiring Interest Surveys

To be considered for hiring, complete the Summer Programs Hiring Interest Survey for HCPSS Staff. Completion of the interest survey is NOT a formal offer of temporary employment. 

• Invitation-based Programs (Academic Intervention and Extended School Year Special Education)
• Registration-based Programs (BSAP/GT/Innovative Pathways)

Qualified applicants who submitted their interest by 4:00pm on Wednesday, February 25th will be screened first. The forms will remain open until all positions have been filled. Program staff will review the information and follow-up with references as needed.

If you are interested in applying to MORE THAN ONE summer program, you will need to submit a SEPARATE form for each program. You will see a link to "Submit another response" after completing the survey.

If you have any questions regarding the dates/times, locations, pay scale or completing the Hiring Interest Survey (linked above), please contact the appropriate program lead listed in the survey. Thank you for your interest in working in HCPSS Summer Programs!

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.

The Bright Minds Foundation is pleased to offer classroom grants for HCPSS school-based staff interested in delivering educational projects focused on improving student achievement, engagement, and well-being during the 2026-2027 school year. All ideas are welcome, and projects should align with the HCPSS Strategic Plan. 

Approximately 20 proposals will be awarded grant funds (up to $2,000 per award). Details on the 2024-2025 awardees and their projects are available on the Bright Minds website.

Complete information, including details on how to apply, is available online.

Questions about the grant application components or process should be emailed to grants@brightmindsfoundation.org. The HCPSS Grants Office is available to provide technical assistance with grant applications, as needed. In addition, applicants can access helpful resources in this Google folder, or may contact HCPSS Grants Administrator Annette Bartlett at Annette_Bartlett@hcpss.org or (410) 313-2518. 

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m., Sunday, March 15.

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.

HCPSS staff may now access the Halo Information Technology (IT) Support Portal directly from the Staff Hub. 

Click the Halo Support Portal button on the Staff Hub and follow the prompts to submit all your IT support requests quicky and efficiently. 

Staff may also continue to call 410.313.7004 to speak with an IT Technology Support staff member or email TechSupport@hcpss.org.

Please be aware of a change in schedule this week for the Instructional Resource Center (IRC):

• Open, Wednesday, Jan. 21
• Closed, Thursday, Jan. 22

The IRC will resume normal hours Wednesday, Jan. 28.

Details on the IRC can be found online.