In an effort to evaluate and improve service, the Procurement Office is conducting a performance survey. If applicable, please take complete this online survey to provide feedback by December 19.
Questions may be emailed to HCPSS Director of Procurement Robert Bruce at robert_bruce1@hcpss.org.
Do you work with an outstanding English Language Development (ELD) teacher or administrator who goes above and beyond in making a difference in the lives of our multilingual learners? Nominate them for the ELD Teacher of the Year award or the ELD Administrator of the Year award.
The nomination window is open through Jan. 31, 2026. The award is open to ELD teachers and administrators at all levels. Full details, including eligibility requirements and nomination forms, are available in Canvas.
As we move into winter, staff are reminded of the HCPSS emergency notification procedures, including during inclement weather. A similar message to families will be sent today as well.
HCPSS operating status options are:
IMPORTANT! It is the responsibility of each staff member to check one of the HCPSS notification sources for closing information.
In emergency situations, information will be shared with the community through the HCPSS website, email and text, and the HCPSS hotline. These are the ONLY approved sources for emergency notifications.
Staff who also are parents in the system are already signed up to receive email/text notifications. All other staff are strongly encouraged to subscribe to HCPSS notifications. Otherwise, it is the staff member’s responsibility to check one of the above notification sources for closing information.
Please Note:
To subscribe or edit your subscription:
If you contribute to a 403(b) plan and would like to make a change to the amount you currently contribute, those changes must be submitted no later than December 5, 2025, for all remaining 2025 paycheck dates. Any changes submitted after December 5, 2025 will take effect in your January 2, 2026 paycheck.
Instructions on changing your 403(b) deduction can be found here: Workday Instructions for 403(b) Plans
Beginning 1/1/2026 under Secure Act 2.0, new IRS rules will impact all HCPSS 403(b) plans. All 403(b) plans will be required to offer a post-tax Roth account. Additionally, there are changes to the catch-up provision for employees ages 50 and older. The new catch-up provision will be as follows:
Individuals earning $145,000 or more must make any elected catch-up contributions to their Roth (post-tax) account. Workday will be configured to ensure that employees do not exceed their maximum allowable contributions, and follow IRS rules for catch-up contributions.
Email Benefits@hcpss.org with any questions.
HCPSS staff interested in working for the Innovative Pathways Evening Program for the Spring 2026 semester are invited to complete this online Hiring Interest Survey.
Please review the Innovative Pathways Evening Program Overview before completing the survey. Additional information can be found on the Innovative Pathways Evening Program webpage.
Please note the following:
Questions can be emailed to Kimesha Parker or Angelena Johnson, or call 410-313-6627.
HCPSS employees planning to retire under the Maryland State Retirement Agency (MSRA) within the next two years are invited to attend one of our upcoming virtual information sessions. Attendees will receive information about retiree healthcare and life insurance eligibility and coverage. A timeline and steps of the retirement process will be reviewed, as well as information about unused sick leave, years of service, and the earnings limitation. There will also be a Q&A section during the seminar.
Please note: MSRA and HCPSS are the only organizations that provide seminars specifically related to your retirement with MSRA and HCPSS. We have been made aware of other companies and/or individuals offering retirement-related conferences, seminars, or meetings; however, these events are not approved or endorsed by HCPSS, and may provide misinformation.
Dates:
The same material will be presented at each seminar; employees only need to attend one of the following seminars
Time: 4:30-6:00 p.m.
Location: GoogleMeet. The code will be provided at the time of registration
Registration: Online registration is required.
Helpful things to do before the seminar:
Questions? Please email HRRetirement@hcpss.org.
Employees who are members of the following sick leave banks will have their annual contribution processed during the week of Nov. 10. The donation will be processed in the following priority order:
To view your sick bank status in Workday, click on your photo in the top right corner; Select View Profile > Overview from the left navigation menu > Additional Data toward the top, then scroll down to Sick Bank. This will indicate if you are a member and when you joined.
See attached for bargaining units and donation amounts.
Staff are reminded that not all students are allowed to access the YouTube website and teachers should embed curated YouTube videos in their Canvas courses. However, please note that using the Lightseed Parent Portal families may control the viewing of any YouTube videos while off the HCPSS network.
Parents/guardians may monitor their child’s HCPSS Chromebook internet usage by signing up for Lightspeed Parent Notifications to receive a weekly email summary of their child’s usage.
Once parents have signed up for Lightspeed Parent Notifications an email summary will be delivered each Sunday and will contain a link with access to the Lightspeed Parent Portal.
The Lightspeed Parent Portal offers near real-time information on their child’s internet activity, and, when they are not on the HCPSS network, the ability to block YouTube and pause the internet for 1 hour, 3 hours or until 6 a.m. the next morning. Frequently asked questions about Lightspeed and the Parent Portal can be found online.
As we conclude this year’s Cyber Resiliency and Preparedness Month, we as educators and staff play a vital role in helping students navigate the digital world safely. Whether they’re using school devices, accessing online resources, or communicating through digital platforms, students rely on us to model and reinforce smart cybersecurity habits.
Here are three simple ways you can support student cyber safety:
! Call to Action ! Explore Cybersecurity Training in Vector
To deepen your understanding and strengthen our collective cybersecurity culture, we invite you to voluntarily explore the Cybersecurity Extra Training section in K–12 Vector Training. Short courses for Cybersecurity Awareness for Education Leaders include:
Let’s continue to lead by example and keep our students—and ourselves—safe online.
If after reviewing the resource you have any questions, contact Technology Support at (410) 313-7004 option 4 or TechSupport@hcpss.org
As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen account security, HCPSS will enable Duo Number Matching for multi-factor authentication (MFA), effective this Friday, October 31, 2025.
This enhancement, also known as Verified Push, adds a short verification step to help prevent accidental or fraudulent approvals during login.
What’s Changing?
When logging in with Duo Push, you may occasionally see a three-digit number on your computer or device screen. To approve the login, simply select or enter that same number in the Duo Mobile app.
This feature helps ensure that only legitimate login attempts are approved, significantly reducing the risk of phishing or “push fatigue” attacks.
What You Need to Know
Call to Action
No immediate action is required. On Friday, Oct. 31 when you next login and are prompted for number matching, simply follow the on-screen instructions.
If you have any questions, contact Technology Support at (410) 313-7004 (option 4) or TechSupport@hcpss.org
Together, we can make HCPSS more secure — one smart click at a time.
