HEART: The Association of Retired Howard County Public School Personnel
We hope all of you and your families are staying healthy in this terrible time. Please STAY HOME and encourage your younger relatives to do the same.
HEART sponsors two $1500 college scholarships each year. Please click on the scholarship application tab for information. The deadline for applications is April 1, 2023
HEART Newsletter February 2023
Check out timely information on our newsletter. Thanks to new editors Anne Swartz and Genee Varlack
February Newsletter Personal data sheet
Helpful Community Resources from Senior Care Helper
Useful information on falls, finances, COVID, and senior legal issues
Use this pdf to the right to access and print HEART personal data form.HEART personal data form
Consumer Alert: Home Warranty Scam Letters Sent to Maryland Homeowners
Home Warranty Scam Alert
Are you an MRSPA member? Why not join today and sign up for automatic dues deduction? What a convenience! You don't have to remember to send a check each year. MRSPA has an incentive for new members. Click on the PDF for more information.
Please be aware:
HEART is not an official non-profit organization. This means that our dues are not deductible on your taxes. Neither are contributions to the Scholarship Fund.
Meet your HEART officers
Co-President Addie Kaufman
After graduating from Boston University, I began my career in Hillside, NJ, as a teaching assistant. Shortly thereafter, I moved to Atlanta, GA, where I taught high school special education for five years. With a desire for an advanced degree, I moved back to New Jersey and obtained a M.Ed. in Administration & Supervision from Rutgers University. Moving to Maryland in 1986, I continued working as a special education teacher at Chatsworth Elementary School. After a year, I transferred to Howard County Public Schools and taught at Mt. Hebron High School for three years. I was then promoted to Assistant Principal at Atholton High School and moved laterally to Glenelg High School. When Dr. Hickey contacted me to ask if I wanted to be the principal of Mt. Hebron, I was thrilled; I stayed for six years. During that time, I attended University of Maryland, the school from which I received my doctorate (Ed.D.). Opening Reservoir High School as the founding principal was the highlight of my career! In 2011 I was transferred to Marriotts Ridge High School, and I retired from HCPSS in 2016.
Co-President Sue Mascaro
I began my tenure with the school system in 1984 as a science teacher at Hammond High School. I enjoyed working with high school students, both as a teacher and as a class advisor. While teaching, I collaborated with a science colleague at Mt. Hebron High School. to design and pilot the “independent research” program at the high school level. In 1985, I left the classroom to become an Assistant Principal. After five years as an AP at Hammond and Mt. Hebron high schools, I left the school setting to work as a hiring specialist and eventually Manager of Teacher Recruitment and Hiring in the Office of Human Resources. It was a wonderful opportunity to convince those new to the profession to join our outstanding school system. In 2002, I became Director of Staff Relations, working with school system and Union leadership to negotiate and implement employee contracts. Finally, I retired in 2015 as Chief of Staff to the Superintendent.
Vice President--Vacancy--Contact Sue or Addie if interested
Budget Chairperson--Vacancy--Contact Sue or Addie if interested
Treasurer Ellen Hill
I began my teaching career in 1978 in a small town in the Catskill Mountains of New York (one building for K-12). In 1980, I taught for one year in Harford County and then began my tenure with HCPSS in 1981 as a special education teacher at Hammond Elementary. In 1984, I “graduated” to middle school and taught at Owen Brown (now known as Lake Elkhorn) and stayed for 13 years. There were lots of changes to special education during that time as we moved away from “pull-out” classes to more team teaching and inclusion. I loved working with middle school students who taught me patience, flexibility, and the need for strong relationships. In 1997, I left the school setting and became a Resource Teacher in the Department of Special Education where I worked with middle and high school teachers. I was able to obtain a broader knowledge of how special education services were implemented throughout the school system and continued to work in both instruction and compliance of special education regulations. From 2006 through my retirement in 2015, I worked as an Instructional Facilitator for High Schools in DSE and continued my work with staff, students and families. A major focus was providing professional development to general and special education teachers, as well as ensuring students with IEPs met their academic and social goals with an emphasis on preparing them to successfully transition to post-secondary options.
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Secretary Janet Zimmerman
I began my teaching career in 1974 in Prince George’s County teaching fifth grade. I taught grades five and six for nine years before resigning to become a stay-at-home mom. After seven years I returned to education in HCPSS, first as an Instructional Assistant at Longfellow for one year and then the school’s special education resource teacher for three years. I enjoyed the challenge of educating students in kindergarten through fifth grade; no two days were ever the same. At that time, including students with IEPs in general education classrooms was in its infancy. It was very exciting to see some of my students join their peers and do extremely well. In 1993 I left Longfellow when I was promoted to Resource Teacher for the Department of Special Education, working with special education teachers in elementary, middle, and high schools, with a focus on instruction and compliance. In 2004 my role as a Resource Teacher shifted to focus on special education compliance and monitoring students in nonpublic placements until 2010 when I was promoted to Instructional Facilitator for Compliance and Nonpublic School placements. My responsibilities as Instructional Facilitator also included serving as the Section 504 Coordinator for the school system until my retirement in 2015. In retirement I thoroughly enjoy making my own schedule and working part time as a consultant in special education.
Past President Mary Teague
My experience in HCPSS began at Centennial High School where I taught English from 1997-2003 and was Department Chair for one year. After that I moved to the Office of Professional Development as a Facilitator. I enjoyed working with a variety of schools and personnel on topics such as leadership and multicultural education. After that until my retirement in 2014, I was a Facilitator for Secondary Language Arts and loved visiting schools to support English teachers. Before working in Howard County, I taught in Baltimore City and at Calvert Hall High School and the Catholic High School of Baltimore.
HEART: The Association of Retired Howard County (Maryland) School Personnel, welcomes teachers, administrators, support staff, and anyone else who has retired from Howard County Public Schools (HCPSS).