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'A-' for FCPS

Originally published in the Frederick News-Post

Education, Government Transparency

by Marta Hummel Mossburg

OP-EDS

Maryland government tries to hide lots of information from residents.

It does not want people to know about government employee salaries and benefits, loans made to well-connected businesses and many grants to politically in-vogue organizations.

But three state school districts, including Frederick County Public Schools, earned "A" grades from Sunshine Review for the quality of data they provide on their websites.

Sunshine Review is a nonprofit organization whose website (sunshinereview.org) is a clearinghouse of information on state public information laws and news about transparency issues across the United States designed to help citizens hold their governments accountable.

FCPS earned high marks for providing information about student spending, elected officials, school contracts and other public records, student academic achievement and meeting notices. The only area evaluated by Sunshine Review where FCPS did not shine was in providing information about background checks on school employees, an area where every school system in the state failed except for Howard County's.

Given the problems around the state with teachers being fired in one county moving to another, some for crimes as heinous as child molestation, that information should be added to the FCPS website to give parents confidence their children are well cared for.

But the school system's "Fast Facts" page is one of the best that I've seen. It includes information about per student spending, the number of teachers and staff, national rankings, graduation rates and Advanced Placement tests on one easy-to-access page. It also links to a comprehensive report on student performance and demographic information. If I were considering a move to or within Maryland, this is exactly the type of information that I would want to know to make an informed choice about where to send my children to school.

The other top performers in Maryland were Howard County Public Schools, which received a perfect score, and Montgomery County Public Schools, which received an "A-" like Frederick .

Marita Loose, executive director of communications services for FCPS, said the high grade did not happen by accident. FCPS began to post budget summaries and other information the school system thought parents and residents would want to find starting about five years ago. Those who miss school board meetings can even watch a webcast of the event -- bookmarked so that a viewer can go directly to the agenda item of interest.

Overall, the state received a C, pulled lower by a number of low-ranking counties including Baltimore City Public Schools (C-), Kent County Public Schools (D) and Garrett County Public Schools (F). Of the 13 states whose school districts have been evaluated by Sunshine Review so far, only Maryland and Hawaii school district websites have achieved overall grades above a D, and many failed.

FCPS has little to hide, since student performance for the cost is one of the best in the nation. It can also boast a low administrator-to-teacher ratio. Both items give the school system something to boast about, unlike other school districts with less stellar records.

That FCPS is willing to give parents and other taxpayers the tools to stay informed and hold their schools accountable deserves high praise. The FCPS website should be a model for other counties throughout the state as government comes under more scrutiny for how it uses each dollar in these tough budget times.

Marta Mossburg is a senior fellow at the Maryland Public Policy Institute. Contact her at mmossburg@mdpolicy.org.