Support for Child Care. Basic elements should include support for the well-being, development and safety of all children. The programs should be well-managed, affordable, with trained and well-paid staff, with appropriate staff-to-child ratio, and with creative age- appropriate activities.
1.supervised programs for infants through middle school, including special needs children to a later age
2.a full-time County Child Care Coordinator and Child Care Resource Center
3.a representative, county-wide Child Care Advisory Board which would
a.work with the County Child-Care Coordinator,
b.develop and maintain delivery of quality Child Care services, and
c.ensure the health and safety of all children in Child-Care.
4.financing by a combination of public subsidy, business contributions, and parents’ ability to pay
5.flexible, year-round programs
6.dedicated space for child-care programs in the schools.
7.publicly supported, licensed and accredited child-care programs
8.governmental encouragement of employers to provide on-site child-care through zoning, tax incentives and other means
9.government’s setting of an example in its providing of quality child-care for its own employees
10.government support for child care should include
a.purchase of Care (POC) subsidies.
b.locally funded Working Parents Assisted Programs
c.increased individual tax credits for child care and
d.training for child-care workers. (2001)
1.a strong program for teacher development; evaluation and promotion within the system; recruitment of experienced teachers from centers of recognized merit.
2.teacher salary schedules which recognize experience and education with an incentive pay schedule for designated special teaching positions.
3.a stipulated maximum class size, lower at the elementary level and increasing at higher levels.
4.enrichment programs based on individual needs of students.
5.early identification of and improved programs for all children with varied and/or special learning needs, with additional trained personnel as needed; such personnel not to be included in assigning district-wide pupil/teacher ratio.
6.the community school concept, with community use of school facilities the entire year and which is coordinated, staffed, and funded by the County government.
7.increased counseling service in schools, including elementary grades; training for mental health counselors. (1987)
8.Year Round Education (YRE)
a. the implementation of a pilot plan in elementary and middle schools for YRE in Howard County.(1995)
b. the measurement of the change in academic performance in YRE as reflected by the Maryland School Assessment Tests. (Note: members agree that assessment after a single year may lack substantial validity.) (1995)
c. YRE in Howard County if:
i.the school population exceeds design capacity by 15% or
ii.split shifts in schools become the alternative method of housing students. (1995)
9.an elected Howard County Board of Education with at large election of its members. (1999)
a.Board members should have staggered terms (2001)
b.Board members should be residents of the County and registered voters at the time of their election. (2001)
10.Equity in Education (2021)
Equity requires that we provide each student with the resources, support, and instruction necessary to achieve academic success. Schools with disproportionate numbers of students with special needs [including English as a Second Language (ESL) and Free and Reduced Meals (FARM)] require more support than schools that are less challenged.
a.Equity is achieved through:
i.Balanced school redistricting. Balanced school redistricting is defined as: (1) capacity utilization, (2) community continuity, (3) factors related to social-economic diversity.
ii.Allocation of resources such as communication systems, technology, maintenance and capital improvements, and even playground equipment based on the need of each school.
iii.How experienced the staff, administrators & support staff are.
iv.Transparent and comprehensive data collection related to factors affecting equity that allows citizens to understand how equity goals are achieved.
v.Expanded multi-cultural course offerings and consistent advanced placement offerings among all schools.
Support for an adequate housing choice, in a suitable living environment, within the economic reach of persons of all ages. Support for increasing diverse housing types as well as increasing the number and percentage of affordable units, both low-income and moderate-income units, to be distributed throughout the county. (2005) (2018)
1.Residential Care facilities, with establishment of County regulations governing their use, to protect the rights of the facilities; residents and the community. (1970, 1971, 1985, 2005, 2018)
2.Assistance in the relocation of low and moderate income persons involuntarily displaced by government action. (2005, 2018)
3.Strategies that increase the number of low-income and moderate-income housing units including:
b.Favorable tax treatment for the building and maintaining of affordable housing
c.Limited selective use of fee in lieu of alternative compliance
d.County financing and construction of housing
e.Public financial assistance
f.Public and private partnerships to build and manage affordable housing facilities (2005)(2018)
4.A portion of new affordable housing to be reserved for Howard County public employees. (2005)
5.To continue, to enhance, and monitor MIHU (moderate income housing units) rental and purchase assistance and units for those with special needs. (2018)
6.Increasing and monitoring funds to prevent homelessness. (2018)
7.Redevelopment of existing residential properties without reducing the existing number of moderate and low income housing units. (2018)
Support for tax supported public transportation and for the encouragement of alternative to the use of the private automobile. Support for the establishment of a Department of Transportation, a Transportation Authority or an Office of Transportation within the Executive Branch. (April 1995)
1.Financing of public transportation in the county should be by these means:
a.federal funds (capital and operating);
b.state funds (capital and operating);
c.local funds (capital and operating);
e.non-profit user fees and fares;
g.special taxing districts where all residents are taxed, but heavy-user districts are taxed more than non or lower-user districts;
2.The following factors should drive the expansion of public transportation services in the county:
c.coordination with existing transportation service systems
j.cultural and community events;
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