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Why did you choose to work in education?
Education was not my first career choice. I always imagined that I would argue cases as an attorney, serve as a member of Congress, and later hear cases as a United States Supreme Court Justice. But life has a funny way of pointing you where you are most needed, and where you will have tremendous influence and a significant impact on young people's lives, families, and communities. It turns out that need was in the field of education.

I view education as a vehicle on the road to access, opportunity, and choice. Yet, for many young people, the road to these three destinations is met with many obstacles and barriers. As an educational leader, it is my responsibility to help students overcome those obstacles and provide them with the tools they need to break down the barriers they face daily. My goal is to teach students how to effectively use the tools so that they may become more self-sufficient and independent. I hope to provide students with enough exposure to and knowledge of the tools so that they can use them to gain access through the toll booth, continue on the highway of opportunity, and choose their destinations on the road we call life.

What is the best professional advice you've ever received?
Never not do something because you are afraid to fail. Take risks. Failure will provide you with an answer but regret will always leave you questioning.

What is something you like a lot that would surprise people?
I love to cook. I love the creativity that cooking allows me to have. My favorite cuisine to cook is Italian food.

What is on your bucket list?
I want to open my own restaurant that specializes in authentic cuisine from all over the world. I would also like to go skydiving.

What is the most interesting place you’ve ever been?
If you love history then I recommend the World War II Tour in Europe. I traveled to Caen and Paris, France; Luxembourg, Belgium; and Berlin and Nuremberg, Germany. It was one of the best trips of my life. There is so much history like the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Pointe Du Hoc, the Beaches at Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge, Olympic stadium, and so much more.

What college/university did you attend, and why?
I attended Virginia State University, a Historically Black College and University. I chose VSU because I felt that it provided me with the best opportunities to be successful in life. VSU gave me tools to navigate the world. It helped me see that the world was much bigger than my hometown of Staten Island, NY. I graduated from VSU knowing and believing that I have a place in this world, and whatever role I was going to play was going to be impactful as well as influential.

All staff are reminded to NEVER use “Howard County Public School System” or “Anyone with the link” when sharing materials that contain student or staff confidential information such as IEPs.  Staff should only share directly with individuals who need access to the documents as part of their job function.

Under FERPA, you cannot share non-directory, PII information without parental consent. Non-directory information is educational records that are more sensitive than directory information, such as social security and student ID numbers, grades, disciplinary history, and attendance records. 

When it is necessary to share sensitive and/or confidential data electronically, staff should save the file in a secure location and provide access by granting permissions to only the necessary staff members. At no time should a staff member share confidential data with other people who do not already have access to the same data.

! Call to Action ! Staff can store files in their HCPSS G Suite account and provide direct access to individuals in the intended audience. This procedure allows staff to revoke access to the information when necessary. Review the G Suite Sharing Guide and Electronic Communications Best Practices to learn more. 

! Warning ! 

• Sharing files with “Howard County Public School System” makes the file available to all staff and students.
• Under FERPA, you cannot share non-directory, Personally Identifiable I information without parental consent.  
• Staff are reminded to verify intended recipients' email addresses prior to sending emails or sharing files. Staff email addresses can be verified by searching and finding a person in Workday (Workday Search QRC - pdf). Once you have reviewed the staff member’s job title, location and/or picture, click on the email icon under their picture to see their HCPSS email address.
• The penalty for non-compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) can be withdrawal of U.S. Department of Education funds from the institution or agency that has violated the law. This applies to schools, school districts, and state education agencies. The Family Policy Compliance Office of the U.S. Department of Education, charged with reviewing and investigating complaints, seeks to promote voluntary compliance with the law. 

If you have any questions about how to use the sharing permissions in G Suite or using Workday to verify a staff member’s email address, contact Technology Support at techsupport@hcpss.org or (410) 313-7004 option 4.

Why did you choose to work in education?
I received the North Carolina Teaching Fellows scholarship to Elon College (now Elon University), so education was my ticket to college. My mom was my first grade teacher and my dad was my high school chorus teacher, so education was what you did in my family. As it turned out, I loved teaching 7th and 8th graders and hearing their funny, quirky, and insightful thoughts about social studies and English. After 31 years in education, I still believe that middle school is our last best chance to reach our amazing students.

What is the best professional advice you've ever received?
The best way to get your next job is to do great work in the job you have now.

What is something you like a lot that would surprise people?
Black licorice. Fine, don't like it; more for me!

What is on your bucket list?
I want to have lunch with Shaquille O'Neal. I'm sure he will let me call him Shaq after we've had lunch :-) He makes me laugh, he's around my age (cough cough), and he continues to reinvent himself since retiring from basketball. Let me know if you know someone who can make this happen!

What is the most interesting place you’ve ever been?
When I studied at the University of London in 1990, I had the opportunity to visit Berlin, Germany a few months after the Berlin Wall began to come down. Standing by the wall made of barbed wire and concrete that was meant to separate and segregate, and considering the thousands of people who risked imprisonment and death to escape East Germany was so powerful. I brought a few pieces of the wall home with me (shhhhhh) as a reminder of this time in history. Today, I see those pieces as a reminder that we should seek to dismantle what literally and metaphorically separates and segregates us. I haven't been back to visit the Berlin Wall Memorial, but I would recommend experiencing this historical reminder.

What is a question you should NEVER ask me?
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? That's just wrong to make me choose, even hypothetically.

Strong passwords are essential to protecting HCPSS systems from attackers. HCPSS is increasing the minimum length requirement for passwords from 8 characters to 12 characters. They will continue to require 3 of the following character types: uppercase and/or lowercase letters, numbers, and/or special characters.

Technology will begin to roll out the new password length requirement starting on February 2, and continue throughout the remainder of the school year.

• Staff who have passwords that do not meet the new requirement will begin to receive notices on the login screen that their password does not meet the new minimum length requirement of 12 characters and must be changed.
• Staff will have 14 days to change their password. After that time, their password will no longer work and they will need to have their password reset.

Staff can change their passwords by clicking on the Change Password button at the bottom of the hcpss.me website or by selecting Help > Change Password on the Staff Hub. More information regarding password requirements and directions can be found on the Technology Resources Canvas community. 

! IMPORTANT ! When changing your password, make sure to update your password on all mobile devices connected to HCPSS networks and/or systems. When they are not updated it will attempt to use an old password, which may cause your account to become locked. 

The new password requirement does not apply to student accounts.

If technical assistance is needed, contact Technology Support at TechSupport@hcpss.org or 410-313-7004 option 1.

The Technology Department recently added an additional HCPSS wifi network called HCPSS-Enterprise.

Android mobile phone users who cannot connect to the HCPSS-Wireless network, can join the HCPSS-Enterprise network. Review the guide for joining an Android device to Wi-Fi to learn the proper settings to apply when adding the network to your device.

If you have additional questions please contact Technology Support at 410-313-7004 or send an email to techsupport@hcpss.org.

In November 2022 HCPSS provided all staff the ability to enroll in multi-factor authentication (MFA). MFA is a security measure that requires users to enter multiple sources of authentication before being granted access to their account. 

Voluntary enrollment is currently ongoing and will transition to mandatory enrollment in the near future. 

• Voluntary Enrollment (In progress) – Voluntary enrollment provides time to become familiar with the authentication process and help minimize any disruptions to staff member’s daily workflow.
• Mandatory Enrollment (Coming soon) – Once mandatory enrollment is enforced, supervisors will be notified of staff that are out of compliance​ and access to some HCPSS systems may become restricted.

In the coming weeks guidance will be published that highlights the date when MFA enrollment will become mandatory. During this mandatory phase, staff may receive an increase in alerts and communications highlighting the requirement to enroll in MFA. 

! Call to Action ! Learn more about Duo MFA on the Technology Resources Canvas community and start using the new system today. During the process, staff who are currently using MFA via Microsoft Authenticator will be able to discontinue its use.

 If after reviewing the resource you have any questions, contact Technology Support at (410) 313-7004 option 4 or TechSupport@hcpss.org.

The FBI has reported a substantial increase in the number of cases involving children and teens being threatened and coerced into sending explicit images online—a crime called sextortion. Children are being targeted using email, gaming devices and other apps, often encouraging victims to move to a secondary messaging platform after making initial contact. Sextortion, like other forms of abuse, can lead to changes in a student's mood, behaviors, and school performance. As a reminder, Board Policy 1030 - Child Abuse and Neglect outlines employees, contractors and volunteers responsibilities for the handling and reporting of suspected abuse or neglect of a child or vulnerable adult student and more information about the child abuse reporting procedures can be found on the Student Support Resources and Information Canvas community.

! Call to Action: Take a moment to learn how sextortion works so you are aware of how this occurs and possible warning signs.. Information, resources, and conversation guides are available at fbi.gov/StopSextortion.

General Information Regarding Phishing Emails:
As always, staff should maintain a heightened state of awareness and caution when receiving external email messages containing hyperlinks and attachments. Employees are encouraged to report any suspected HCPSS communications by contacting abuse@hcpss.org. Do not forward any messages that you suspect may contain sensitive information or imagery.

If assistance is needed, contact the Technology Support at TechSupport@hcpss.org.

Why did you choose to work in education?
I have always loved children and wanted to be a teacher since I was six years old. As I have gotten older, I have realized my calling is to serve others. Helping others is the core of why I am in education and it has pushed me to try other roles. Being in education allows me to help others each and every day.

What is the best professional advice you've ever received?
Look for the "light" in your day. It is the small, positive moments that make working in an elementary school so special.

What is something you like a lot that would surprise people?
Comfortable shoes! I rarely sit so having comfortable shoes is very important to me!

What is on your bucket list?
I would like to visit Ireland with my family. My maiden name is Murphy and going to Ireland would be very special.

Tell us about your family.
I am married to my husband, Adam, and we have three wonderful children. Two are currently in HCPSS schools and one has graduated and is in college. I am very proud of all of them!

What is something others may not know about you?
I am a product of HCPSS. My family and I moved to Howard County when I was nine years old and I have pretty much lived here ever since. I love living here and giving back to the system that I grew up in!

Looking for deals during this holiday season? Check out the HCPSS Staff Discount Program for a variety of discounts on apparel, electronics, attractions and more.

Don’t forget to use your 2022 FSA funds!

Over the previous two Plan Years due to the pandemic, the IRS has allowed employers to offer employees the ability to rollover any unused FSA Healthcare and/or FSA Dependent Care dollars to the next year, without enacting the “Use It or Lose It” provision. HCPSS opted to allow this in both 2020 and 2021; however the IRS has not extended this option into Plan Year 2022. As a result, the “Use It or Lose It” provision is in effect, and the following deadlines exist:

2022 Healthcare FSA - Any unused balance can be used for service dates January 1, 2022 through March 15, 2023. The last date to submit claims to Navia for Plan Year 2022 is April 30, 2023. Claims submitted after April 30, 2023 will be denied.

2022 Dependent Care FSA - Any unused balance must be used for service dates January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022. The last date to submit claims to Navia for Plan Year 2022 is April 30, 2023. Claims submitted after April 30, 2023 will be denied.

Any remaining balance after April 30, 2023, will be forfeited.

Employment Termination

If your employment terminates (voluntary or involuntary), you must submit your healthcare and /or Dependent Care claims to Navia within 120 days after your termination date. The dates of service must be on or before your termination date. Any remaining balance after 120 days of your termination date will be forfeited.

If you have any questions, please email benefits@hcpss.org