News

Congratulations, HCPSS Principal and Teachers of the Year!

L-R: Kacy Valentine, Dan Notori, Samantha Mathis

 

HCPSS Superintendent William J. Barnes today announced the recipients of the school system’s annual principal and teachers of the year award:

Each recipient was named during surprise visits at their respective schools, and will be recognized at an upcoming Howard County Board of Education meeting. The three also serve as the HCPSS nominees for Washington Post Principal of the Year, Washington Post Teacher of the Year (Mathis) and Maryland State Department of Education Teacher of the Year (Valentine).

Congratulations to these outstanding employees, and all those nominated!

Expectations for HCPSS Staff ID Cards

This is a reminder that staff IDs must be worn and visible at all times while inside all HCPSS buildings. The intent is for all staff to be easily identified by students, visitors, and other staff throughout the day. 

Please note: 

  • IDs should be worn on a lanyard or clipped to clothing so it can be easily seen. 
  • IDs should not be covered, turned around, or placed in a pocket, bag, or desk. 

These expectations support safety, accountability, and the ability to quickly identify authorized individuals in our buildings. 

Additional information on obtaining a staff ID can be found online. 

Thank you for helping ensure our school and office environments remain safe and secure. 

 

Free Weekly Yoga & Monthly On-Demand Videos for HCPSS Staff

HCPSS staff have access to systemic well-being programming, made possible through the HCPSS Employee Well-Being Program. AETNA provides funding to support this program. These opportunities include:

Weekly Livestreaming Yoga Class

HCPSS staff can join the livestreaming “Yoga Flow & Restore" class every Wednesday from 6:30-7:30 p.m., using this Zoom link (Meeting ID: 865 9872 9492 and Passcode: 590493). Classes will be recorded and accessible online using case-sensitive password – BlueBirdforHCPSS – so staff can access them any time – whether individually or in a group setting.

Nervous System Regulation Videos

These monthly on-demand videos provide staff with self-regulation practices to use during the workday and evening wind-down practices. The March videos are available now:

  • In the Moment Nervous System Reset: Try one of these quick grounding strategies if you are feeling stressed in the middle of your workday? Each strategy will help guide you to return to the present moment, providing a tool to help move from stress to self-regulation.
  • Evening Wind Down: After a stressful, active day, it can be difficult to fall asleep. The body can feel charged and tense, and the mind might be filled with racing thoughts. Taking a few minutes to intentionally wind down—both physically and mentally—can help release built-up tension, calm the nervous system, and quiet the mind, making it easier to drift into deep, restorative sleep.

Update to Board of Education Policy 8080 Implementation Procedures

At the Feb. 26 Board of Education meeting, HCPSS staff shared updates to the Implementation Procedures (IP) of Policy 8080 Responsible Use of Technology, Digital Tools, and Social Media. HCPSS began implementing these changes effective immediately.

Among the changes, the implementation procedures were updated to include Section B. HCPSS Employee Responsibilities related to personal social media use. The new section clarifies that an employee’s use of personal social media “may not disrupt the work/school environment, impair the employee's ability to effectively perform the duties of their role, impair the school system’s ability to function, impact student’s ability to gain benefit from HCPSS programs, services and/or supports, and/or compromise working relationships within HCPSS schools and offices.”

More information about this policy change is available on Boarddocs. Policy 8080 and its updated IPs are available online.

Notice of Availability of Form 1095-C

Due to recent legislation to the Paperwork Burden Reduction Act, the HCPSS Benefits Office is informing staff of upcoming changes as to how 1095-C forms will be distributed.

Previously, HCPSS was required to automatically provide employees with Form 1095-C each year. As a result of changes in federal law, HCPSS is now only required to furnish the form to employees within 30 days if requested. This form is not required to file your taxes.

What is Form 1095-C?
Form 1095-C provides information about the health insurance coverage HCPSS offered during the year.

How to Request Your Form 1095-C:
Staff can request the form by:

 The Benefits Office will provide the Form 1095-C within 30 days of your request.

Restricting students’ use of HCPSS Google Authentication for 3rd party apps

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:

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.

HCPSS Launches Lead Teacher Application and Pool Process

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.

Student Loan Assistance Repayment Program

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.

 

TalkingPoints Two-Way, Translated Messaging Available

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.