News

The free weekly virtual yoga sessions offered on Wednesdays by Bluebird Yoga and Wellness are on hiatus for the summer. Sessions will resume in September 2026.

As you prepare for the end of the school year, please review the below staff technology reminders. 

Staff who will not be returning to work for HCPSS next school year:

• Staff who are leaving and are assigned HCPSS devices, including laptops, cell phones and tablets, must return those devices to HCPSS by their last day of employment. Devices can be returned to the school’s library media specialist or elementary technology teacher, or taken to the Logistics Center 9645 Gerwig Lane, Columbia, MD 21046, Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Staff devices collected by offices or schools should be returned to the Technology Department. A Halo Pickup/Move ticket should be entered indicating what devices are being returned and where they are being securely stored. 
  • Staff who will not return next school year but will continue to work in a temporary capacity over the summer (summer programs) may return their device(s) at the conclusion of their temporary assignment.
• Active Directory accounts will be suspended once a person no longer works for HCPSS. Staff who are leaving who wish to have copies of non proprietary materials they created, in Google, O365 or other, must download the files prior to their last day of work. Access will not be provided after their account is suspended. They must not take proprietary or confidential information including documents containing student personally identifiable information (PII) .

Temporary Staff

• Daily substitute teachers and other temporary staff who are not working over the summer should return their assigned device and charger to the Library Media Specialist, Elementary Technology Teacher or Technology Support at the Central Office so that they may be returned to the Logistics Center.  A Halo Pickup/Move ticket should be entered indicating what devices are being returned and where they are being securely stored. 

Staff Support Over the Summer 

• If issues arise with your HCPSS-issued technology over the summer, call 410-313-7004 or email techsupport@hcpss.org.
• Store your assigned computer so that it will not be damaged, and take appropriate precautions to prevent damage, loss or theft. Report any damage immediately by calling 410-313-7004 or email techsupport@hcpss.org. 

Multi-factor Authentication Reminder

• Staff who replace their mobile phone over the summer and use it for Duo MFA should use the directions under the heading “I lost, replaced, or don’t have my mobile device or security key…” to remove their old phone and add their new phone to MFA.

Questions may be directed to Technology Support at TechSupport@hcpss.org or 410.313.7004.

Applications are now open for Secondary English Language Arts 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.

All staff are invited to share your perspective on the Blueprint for Maryland's Future via a brief online survey.

The survey is part of an ongoing evaluation of Blueprint, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago (NORC) on behalf of the Accountability and Implementation Board. It is part of a statewide study and asks about Blueprint-related changes in your work or experiences with schools, students, families, or communities. 

Take the survey 

See attached for more.

In accordance with FY26 Circular #3002, all employee expense reimbursement requests related to FY26 must be submitted and fully approved by July 15, 2026, to ensure expenses are recorded in the correct fiscal year.

Please note that any expense reports initiated in July 2026 for FY26 expenses must be post-dated to June 30, 2026.

Employees and approvers are encouraged to review and complete all pending expense reports as soon as possible to avoid processing delays.

The salary payment option update timeframe will be June 1, 2026 – July 31, 2026. This annual opportunity allows 10-month employees who would like to change their current election to select either a 10-month or 12-month salary option for the upcoming school year. Eligible employees will receive a Workday notification to perform the update.

Please note:

• If you wish to continue your current pay option, NO action is required.
• If you wish to change your current pay option, the salary payment option election must be completed no later than July 31, 2026. Please note that Workday will be updated with your new pay option no sooner than August 13, 2026.

Employees can find their current pay option in Workday, following these directions:

1. Log into Workday (Staff Hub > Services dropdown > Workday)
2. Select your profile picture at the far right and then select view profile
3. Select Job from the left side blue navigation menu
4. Select the Organizations tab at the top
5. Your current pay option displays in the first line 
    

Employees can now view their personalized Total Rewards Statement in Workday. This statement provides a comprehensive view of the full value of your employment with HCPSS; including base salary, employer paid benefits, FICA, and pension contributions. Within Workday, you can review a personalized breakdown that includes:

• Total Compensation (base pay and any applicable incentives)
• Employer-Paid Benefits (such as health insurance and benefits credits)
• Employer Contributions to FICA
• Employer Contributions to your pension

Together, these elements represent your Total Rewards, giving you a clearer picture of the overall value you receive as part of your employment.

To view your statement:

1. Log in to Workday
2. Navigate to your profile
3. Select the “Compensation” section
4. Click on “Total Rewards”

We encourage you to take a few minutes to review your statement and better understand the full scope of your total compensation. For questions about your compensation, please contact humanresources@hcpss.org, for questions about your benefits please contact benefits@hcpss.org, for questions about employer contribution to FICA, please contact payroll@hcpss.org, and for questions about employer contribution to your pension, please contact HRRetirement@hcpss.org.

HCPSS is searching for two innovative leaders to serve in leadership roles of Chief Human Resources Officer, and Chief Equity and Innovation Officer.

The initial review of applications will begin on June 1 with first consideration being given to applications submitted by May 31. Applications submitted after this date may be considered based on the needs of the school system.

Current employees can view and apply for these or other jobs in the Workday Jobs Hub.

Several circulars recently have been posted/updated:

• #0004 – Policies 1070, 3000 & 9050; Updates for 7070 IP & 8080 IP
• #0005 – Campaign Activities by Staff on School Property
• #0011 – Religious Cultural Observances 2026-2027
• #4003 – 2026-2027 Furnishing School Book Covers

HCPSS circulars are to share information when that information is needed by staff systemwide and is not specific to a particular school/location or position/job class. All HCPSS staff are responsible for adhering to the guidelines and procedures outlined in the circulars. Circulars are released on July 1, and subsequently as needed throughout the year. When a circular is added or updated, staff will be notified via Staff Hub post/email. 

Circulars are available anytime in Canvas (staff login required), which can be accessed from the Staff Hub under the Services dropdown menu, or Hub homepage Featured Applications button.

Several new features are now available in theLightspeed Parent Portal that increase parental oversight at home. Parents/Guardians can now create internet activity schedules, block specific groups of websites and create a custom block list. As a reminder, settings created by parents in the portal are active when students are logged into HCPSS Chromebooks off the school system’s network. Learn about all the features of the Lightspeed Parent Portal on the HCPSS website and direct parents to the website to learn how they can sign up.  

As a reminder, Lightspeed Classroom is a software application that allows teachers, during specified timeframes, to control how a student uses their HCPSS-issued Chromebook, including viewing student screens, sharing resources, locking devices, reviewing class activity, and restricting some non-instructional sites. Teachers who wish to use the tool must complete the required Classroom Management professional learning module to ensure compliance with student data privacy policies and access, and learn how to use the application.