John Huber
Raid on Worcester County Schools Official Raises Questions Amid Media Silence
By John Huber, MarylandK12.com On Saturday, December 13, according to OC Today-Dispatch, a multiagency operation descended on the West Ocean City home of Denise Shorts, Worcester County Public Schools’ chief academic officer for pre-K through grade 8. The incident wasn’t broadcast with official press releases or media coverage, only a short article deeply hidden in …
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Abbey Zwerner Case Part IV: Immunity for Leadership, Blame for One: How Principal and Superintendent Failures Left Ebony Parker a Scapegoat
By: John Huber MarylandK12.com This is the fourth part in our series examining failures surrounding the January 6, 2023, shooting of first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. Previous installments explored the timeline of events, authority gaps, and the district’s disciplinary practices. In this piece, we focus on why …
Part 3: The Abby Zwerner Case—Why a Missing Reinstatement Conference Matters and What Else Went Wrong
In this third installment on the Abby Zwerner case, we look at this event in a little more detail and uncover some more gaps. The first article outlined the events surrounding the shooting, and the second article, “The Abby Zwerner Case and The Authority Gap,” explored why teachers could not act and why the defense …
Maryland Schools and the Real Risk of Mass Violence
By John Huber, MarylandK12.com A School Shooting, and No One Seemed to Notice On November 7, 2025, a 17‑year‑old student was shot during a fight outside Harper Woods High School in Michigan, during a Friday night football playoff game. The shooting happened in the parking lot as the game against Chandler Park Academy was underway. …
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The Abby Werner Case and The Authority Gap: Why Teachers Couldn’t Act and Why the Defense Got It Wrong
By John Huber Marylandk12.com When defense expert Dr. Amy Klinger testified in the Abby Zwerner case, her statements shocked and stunned many in the school safety community, and not in a good way. She argued that “school safety is a shared responsibility” and implied that teachers could and should have taken action, such as initiating …
Katie Addis Resigns from Worcester County Board of Education: What Her Departure Reveals About Our Schools
After three years of service, Worcester County Board of Education member Katie Addis announced her resignation yesterday. In her final comments, she offered a candid critique of the system she served. Addis shared concerns that went well beyond one board seat. She spoke of a variety of issues that she dealt with in her …
The Day Everything Went Wrong: How Ignored Warnings Led to a Tragedy at Richneck Elementary
By John Huber MarylandK12.com On January 6, 2023, a quiet first-grade classroom at Richneck Elementary in Newport News, Virginia, became the location of a tragedy that educators across the country would quickly learn about. Abby Zwerner, a dedicated teacher, was shot by her six-year-old student. The event was awful enough on its own, but what …
Maryland Schools at a Crossroads: Federal Discipline Order vs. Local Policy
When President Trump signed Executive Order 14280: Reinstating Common Sense School Discipline Policies earlier this year, it sent a message: the federal government wants schools to move away from equity‑based discipline reforms and return to “objective behavior” as the sole measure of accountability. The order warns districts against policies and practices that could be seen …
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Politics in the Halls
In recent years, the culture of student clubs in high schools has changed. Schools no longer just have sports, debate, or service organizations, but now they include an ever-increasing number of student-led groups with specific political missions. On the national stage, conservative youth movements like Turning Point USA are diving into high schools. The question now is …
Politics in the Classroom, The Teacher’s Role in a Divided Era
In today’s polarized world, the classroom has become more than a place of learning; it is increasingly a venue for conflict. Teachers, once seen primarily as neutral guides through academic content, now find themselves navigating a minefield of expectations, scrutiny, and ideological pressure. Whether through lesson plans, hallway posters, or personal social media posts, educators …
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