Policies and Procedures Handbook


Last Updated: 8/1/98
Garrett County Public Schools
40 South Second Street
Oakland, MD 21550
(301)334-8900

GOALS FOR THE GARRETT COUNTY Public Schools
and THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Board Policy

     In recognition of its responsibilities under the Public School Laws of the State of Maryland, the Garrett County Public Schools articulates the following statements as it works to improve the academic performance of all our students.

Our Theme

"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."

- James Madison

A Mission Statement

     The public schools in Garrett County were chartered to serve the public interest. That interest lies in the maintenance of an educated citizenry necessary for the survival of a free society. The Garrett County Public Schools exists to provide teaching and learning environments which will enable our students to maximize their God-given full potential. Young adults should emerge from our schools possessing a knowledge of the basics, including but not limited to: proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking English; knowledge and appreciation of American and world history, classical culture and literary traditions, and understanding and applying basic scientific and mathematical principles.

Goals for the Garrett County Public Schools

     In order to reach the above mission the Public Schools commits itself to:

1.

Determine, with the advice of the superintendent, the educational policies of the county school system.

2.

Seek the input of our community and in so doing attempt to keep the community as well informed as is possible about the public schools.

3.

Encourage parental involvment in our schools in order to promote the academic growth of their children.

4.

Respect the rights of parents to influence the education of their children; to direct their attitudes, values, and opinions; and to be the primary source of their socialization in the family, community, and the world.

5.

Provide appropriate resources and staf f development for all employees of the Public Schools.

6.

Make wise use of available public resources in order to benefit the total student population by attempting to maximize these resources at the classroom level, recognizing the realities of the fiscal constraints existing.

7.

Provide students with accurate, content-based curriculum, texts, and media materials consistent with community standards.

8.

Regularly evaluate our progress in meeting both Board and school goals, and to make changes where necessary to enhance the teaching and learning environment.

Goals For The Garrett County Public Schools

In order to effect the mission of the Garrett County Public Schools, the Garrett County Public Schools establishes the following school goals:

1.

To provide safe, orderly, and drug-free environments;

2.

To provide consistently applied discipline which promotes among the students basic standards of courtesy, including respect for themselves, parents, school personnel, others, and their school and community;

3.

To provide learning experiences which promote the acquisition of knowledge, thinking, and problem solving abilities of students and to prepare them to continue their education and to pursue a career;

4.

To provide all students with rigorous and sequential courses of studies, delineating specific content and academic skills to be taught at each level;

5.

To ensure that all students are well-grounded in the basic academic skills with emphasis on applications of reading, writing, and mathematics;

6.

To provide intensive reading instruction in which students learn decoding strategies, including phonetic analysis, while the students, reading comprehension skills are developed;

7.

To hold all students to high levels of academic achievement, including appropriate grade level expectations for the use of proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, speech, and penmanship, in all subject areas;

8.

To expect every student, to the greatest extent possible, to perform at or above grade level in all academic subjects; and

9.

To provide the structure and environment for students, parents, community members, teachers, administrators, and other professional and support staff to work together to achieve these goals.


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Public Schools 105 JJR
Adopted 7/14/88
Revised 5/14/91, 9/14/93, 8/9/94