News

Maryland Governor Wes Moore on June 14, 2023, named Wilde Lake High School student Abisola Ayoola as the 2023-2024 Maryland State Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB). Ayoola was selected as a finalist in November during the Maryland Association of Student Councils annual Legislative Session attended by over 300 student leaders from across the state.

Ayoola served as the Howard County Board of Education SMOB during the 2022-2023 school year, during which time she amplified student voice between the thousands of students in the school system and school system leaders. She will be a senior during the 2023-2024 school year and is active in her school where she is a part of several clubs, including student government, class council, Rise Up mentorship, and Active Minds, which supports student mental health. She additionally is a member of the Spanish Honor Society and the National Honor Society.

Full Release: Howard County’s Abisola Ayoola Named Maryland State Student Member of the Board
 

Staff should be aware of the following information:

HCPSS has partnered with Bonfire Interactive, a Euna Solutions company, to create a new procurement portal that will allow HCPSS staff to receive notifications on contracts that they manage, submit intake requests for solicitations, and conduct evaluations of RFP/IFB documents digitally.

The Office of Purchasing is currently in the implementation process with Bonfire. As current contracts are loaded into the new system, the staff responsible for managing the contracts will receive an email from Bonfire. The Bonfire email will provide notice of the contract being added and the ability for HCPSS staff to sign on and review the associated contract documentation. The system also will send out alerts periodically to these staff when actions need to be taken regarding these contracts.

HCPSS staff also may submit intake requests for formal solicitations that are required by Board of Education Policy 4050 Procurement of Goods and/or Services. To submit an intake request, please visit https://hcpss.bonfirehub.com/login, select “Create a Requestor account,” sign on with your HCPSS credentials, and complete the required fields for the solicitation. The Office of Purchasing will assign the request to a Procurement Specialist who will reach out to the requesting staff to move forward with the solicitation.

Questions may be directed to Office of Purchasing at 410-313-6644 or by email at purchasing@hcpss.org.  
 

HCPSS employees and their dependents have access to free professional confidential counseling and support services to manage their needs. This program can connect you to resources including confidential emotional support, financial information, legal guidance, work-life solutions, online will preparation, and much more. 

Employees and family members can receive up to six free counseling sessions per person, per episode, per year. See attached for more information and/or watch this brief orientation video. (Please note, video is third-party sponsored and does not provide subtitles/closed captions.)

Create an account by visiting guidanceresources.com. Click on the “register” tab and use the Organization Web ID: HCPSS. GuidanceResources provides services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via a toll-free nationwide number, 1-888-532-7874 and (TDD) 1-800-697-0353.

All employees should be advised of the risks associated with reusing account credentials due to credential harvesting. 

Credential harvesting is a type of cyberattack in which the malicious actor acquires usernames, login IDs, and passwords that are stored by online website providers or web-based applications, and then uses those credentials to impersonate the victim. Harvested username/password pairs can be automatically fed into the login pages of other websites and web-based applications to gain unauthorized access to the account.

! Call to Action ! 

1. Do not use your HCPSS username and/or password to enroll, register, or sign into any personal or non-HCPSS websites or online applications, including but not limited to your personal social media, financial or retail websites.

2. Enable MFA on your HCPSS account and your personal computing accounts that offer the service such as Facebook, Gmail, and Apple ID.

3. Create strong passwords and do not reuse them for other systems. Learn what makes a strong password by reviewing EFF Super-Secure Password. 

4. Make sure your family and friends do not use your work devices and do not share your HCPSS credentials with anyone.

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

Jen Robinson is the HCPSS Community Superintendent for Area 2 schools.

Why did you choose to work in education?
During my senior year in high school, I worked with students with cognitive and physical disabilities as a student aide. I fell in love with the special education field of study and there was no turning back!

What is the best professional advice you've ever received?
I was always told by my parents that if you are invited to the table, be sure to speak up; otherwise there is no point in you being there. I definitely internalized that and have always kept that in mind in the different roles I have had throughout the years.

What is something you like a lot that would surprise people?
Getting up early. I love waking up no later than 5 a.m. to start my days! Even on weekends!

What is on your bucket list?
Going to Italy and Ireland … I truly look forward to traveling!

What is the most interesting place you’ve ever been?
I really enjoyed the Carnaval de Quebec (Old Quebec City, Ontario, Canada)! French culture is unique, the brick paved streets lined with quaint shops and restaurants are beautiful, and the town is filled with fire pits, hockey rinks and street performers. There is also an ice hotel right outside of town that is such a unique experience!
 

Why did you choose to work in education?
My teachers, at all grade levels, had a profound impact on my social-emotional and academic well-being. They were there to provide sanctuary as I worked through the trauma associated with domestic violence, abuse and substance abuse at home. They provided the knowledge, skills and experiences that helped to lead me out of that darkness and on to college, where I committed to being part of the community of educators, driven to help all students, but especially those experiencing trauma or who needed additional support to achieve success.
 

What is the best professional advice you've ever received?
A mentor gave me the best piece of advice early in my career. She said that it was important to truly know oneself. To understand, and to be able to articulate, your purpose, your values, your beliefs and goals. She said that this understanding would serve as my north star, a guiding light that would help me with the difficult decisions that I would inevitably face. So, essentially, know yourself and be true to yourself.
 

What is on your bucket list?
I would like to see more of the world with my wife, Page, and my daughter, Abby. Alaska and Hawaii are on the list!
 

What is the most interesting place you’ve ever been?
Seven years ago, our family went on a European vacation. Our favorite place was Florence, Italy. We were awestruck by the architecture and art museums. We visited churches, climbed domes, saw works by Michelangelo, biked in Tuscany, watched European futbol, and enjoyed trying out the Italian language every time we were in a store or restaurant.
 

What is one hobby that you enjoy that you think would surprise people at work? 
When my mom passed away at the age of 53, it was a sobering reminder that life is short and that each moment is precious. I had always wanted to learn how to play guitar. So, I bought a guitar and taught myself how to play through books and YouTube videos. When we moved to our current home, I was fortunate enough to meet neighbors who also played (only better). So, we formed a band called “Barely Audible” and we have headlined many of our backyard picnics with renditions of our favorite songs.

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

Android and Apple cell phone users can join the HCPSS-Enterprise network. Review the guide for joining an Android device or iOS 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.

! WARNING! To trick people into providing their HCPSS credentials, attackers sometimes create a spoof, or copy, of the official HCPSS login pages, including the page with the Digital Citizenship Pledge and the Office 365/Email page.  

All employees should be advised that we have noticed an increase in phishing attacks. Employees are reminded they should read all emails with a healthy level of suspicion, even those sent from @hcpss.org email addresses or that have the name of an HCPSS employee.  

Please note: 

• HCPSS does not email employees telling them that their password is expiring and to click a link. Instead, HCPSS would notify you that your password needs to be changed upon login.   
• If a link directs you to a login page and you are unsure if it is the official HCPSS site, close the window and navigate to the appropriate login page on the Staff Hub or hcpss.me websites. You may be able to identify a spoofed page by looking at the login screen’s URL.  

To defend yourself against these cybercriminals sign up for multi-factor authentication today by following the directions on the Technology Resources community in Canvas. 

Employees are encouraged to forward any suspected HCPSS phishing emails to abuse@hcpss.org, and then delete the message. Spam text messages can be reported by forwarding the message to 7726 (SPAM). If assistance is still needed, contact the Technology Support at TechSupport@hcpss.org or 410-313-7004.

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.