Education

Leadership

February 18, 2004 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A Long Goodbye

The Howard County, Md., public schools won’t have Superintendent John R. O’Rourke to kick around any longer. Or, at least, not after June 30.

After a falling-out with its schools chief, the school board of the suburban 46,000-student district, just south of Baltimore, voted 5-0 last month to not renew Mr. O’Rourke’s contract, which expires at the end of this school year.

Members of the board would like him gone sooner. But by Maryland law, only the state superintendent of schools can dismiss a local schools chief in the middle of his or her contract. Even then, it can be done only for such flagrant transgressions as willful neglect of duty.

Courtney Watson, who chairs the Howard County school board, argues that forcing the district to retain its superintendent after the panel gave him a vote of no- confidence doesn’t make sense.

“Nowhere in private industry or the federal government do you have a situation where your CEO is legally protected and allowed to stay regardless of his employer’s decision to terminate him,” she said.

Ms. Watson said her board is seeking to amend the state law to let local school boards oust superintendents in the last four months of their contracts. Barring that, the board’s only option is to convince Mr. O’Rourke to accept a buy-out of his contract. Although he has declined to comment, he had earlier told the local press he has no plans to leave.

Mr. O’Rourke, who was named the 1997 National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators, came to Howard County in 2000. Asked why he fell out of favor with the board, Ms. Watson said only: “We would never nonrenew a contract if there weren’t performance issues.”

The state law barring local school boards from firing superintendents dates to the 1960s, but only recently has it stirred controversy. In 2002, state officials thwarted efforts by the Prince George’s County, Md., school board to fire its superintendent. State lawmakers then disbanded the district’s board and appointed a new one. (“Prince George’s County School Board to Be Replaced Under New Md. Law,” April 17, 2002.)

—Jeff Archer

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Well-Being Webinar
Creating Resilient Schools with a Trauma-Responsive MTSS
Join us to learn how school leaders are building a trauma-responsive MTSS to support students & improve school outcomes.
School & District Management Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: We Can’t Engage Students If They Aren’t Here: Strategies to Address the Absenteeism Conundrum
Absenteeism rates are growing fast. Join Peter DeWitt and experts to learn how to re-engage students & families.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz ICYMI: Trump Moves to Shift Special Ed Oversight And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Donald Trump signs an executive order on TikTok in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order on TikTok in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
Evan Vucci/AP
Education Quiz ICYMI: Judge Orders Teacher-Prep Grants Restored And Other Trending News This Week
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Image of the Supreme Court.
iStock/Getty
Education Briefly Stated: March 19, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Quiz How Much Do You Know: Ed. Dept.'s Mass Layoffs and More This Week
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Illustration of 2 hands cutting paper dolls with scissors, representing staffing layoffs.
iStock/Getty