A year ago, lawyer Alan I. Baron recommended that the Anne Arundel County school system begin routinely transferring employees every five years, based on his investigations into the system's handling of child sex abuse cases.
Yesterday, the school board got its first look at a proposed transfer policy that stops short of setting deadlines for transfers but restates Superintendent Carol S. Parham's right to give new assignments to employees.
Specifically, the proposal states that "all school system employees should have a variety of workplace assignments at various times throughout their careers." In addition, it notes that the superintendent "may initiate an involuntary transfer or reassignment of any employee."
"One of the things that Mr. Baron cited in his report was a belief that sometimes employees, teachers and others stay too long at one given building, and when they do that there's a temptation for them to perhaps be too familiar with students, or to continue in associations that may not be healthy," said Kenneth Lawson, associate superintendent for instruction and student support services.
The issue is a difficult one, he said.
"There's one school of thought that stability is the best because the employee learns the community, the kids and the routine, and that stability is powerful and productive," Mr. Lawson said. "Another point of view says that variety is the spice of life and the only way to grow is to face new challenges."
The new policy would provide for a "variety of work experiences" for employees, Mr. Lawson said.
Dr. Parham already has shaken up the transfer protocol for school administrators, transferring or promoting more than 72 principals, assistant principals and acting principals in June.