Phyllis Ettinger and James Walker Take Emotional Bows at June 8 Board Meeting

Board Vice President Janese Murray presents a plaque to retiring Board member James Walker for his years of service as Board President James Sasiadek applauds.

Between them, they devoted 15 years of their time, talents and passion for education to Baltimore County’s schools and 108,000 school children. And when the time came during the Board of Education’s June 8 meeting to say goodbye, Phyllis Ettinger and James Walker ended their tenures as Board members as they had begun – thinking of the children.

“As I look around this room and see all these distinguished portraits (of past Board presidents), I’d ask you to entertain one more request,” Mrs. Ettinger told her fellow Board members, her face smiling. “Add some faces of children to the walls of this Board room, to remind all of us about why we are here.”

For Mr. Walker, who ends his term on the Board this summer, the most memorable moment of his five years as a Board member came early in his term, as he attended an athletic match between two east side high schools.

“I saw this young girl on one of the teams rush off the field and run up to a man who was having a heart attack,” he told Board members. “She helped him out, and that – still – was the most memorable part of being a Board member for me.”

Both Mrs. Ettinger, who ends her second five-year term on the Board in June, and Mr. Walker were honored by their fellow Board members and those in attendance at the June 8 meeting in a familiar end-of-the-school-year ceremony. Board members, who are appointed by Maryland’s governor, serve up to two terms on Baltimore County’s 12-member Board of Education. Terms are for five years.

(Left to right) Board Vice President Janese Murray, Board member James Walker, and Board President James Sasiadek.

The June 8th meeting was particularly emotional for Mrs. Ettinger, who dabbed at her eyes frequently during the ceremony and as Board President James Sasiadek read her long list of accomplishments and service to the school system, both as an education advocate and as a Board member.

A tireless advocate for children and Baltimore County schools since 1974, Ms. Ettinger joined the Board in August 1994 and served as its vice president from July 1999 through June 2001. She has served on numerous committees and task forces, including as chair of the Board’s Curriculum Committee and as an appointee to the Achievement Initiative for Maryland’s Minority Students Steering Committee. She has especially concentrated on program development during her tenure, including support and advocacy for Gifted and Talented education.

Retiring Board member Phyllis Ettinger (center) listens as Board President James Sasiadek reads a citation in her honor. Board Vice President Janese Murray (left) looks on.

After Mr. Sasiadek bestowed a bouquet and resolution of appreciation on her, Mrs. Ettinger took the opportunity to address the Board and those who care about education in Baltimore County. She thanked her colleagues on the Board and expressed her gratitude to parents and others in the community. She exhorted them all to be people of vision, good will, and courage.

“What do we want to be (as a school system and as a community) in 5, 10, 20, or 30 years?” she asked during her remarks. “We are so much smarter collectively than we are as individuals.”

Mr. Walker, too, thanked his fellow Board members and others throughout Baltimore County for their support and hard work. He joined the Board in August 1999 and also served on a variety of committees and organizations, including the Board’s Curriculum Committee and the Governor’s Task Force to Study College Readiness for Disadvantaged and Capable Students. Earlier this year, he received the “Fulwood Valued Hours Award” in recognition of his years of dedicated service to the community.

Board Vice President Janese Murray, Board member Phyllis Ettinger, and Board President James Sasiadek.

It was Mrs. Ettinger who had the last word of the evening, however, as she concluded her remarks about her long tenure on the Board, during which Baltimore County has seen three school superintendents and many advancements of the educational system under the Board’s leadership.

“It’s been a privilege to serve,” she said. “For someone who loves this community, I cannot think of a better way to spend 10 years.”

Story and Photos by Charles Herndon Office of Communications