The Ombuds Blog: Frederick County Public Schools to Appoint First Ombuds

August 30, 2018

Frederick County Public Schools to Appoint First Ombuds

The Board of Education for the public school system in Maryland has approved funding for an Ombuds position, starting in 2019. According to a local new report, the FCPS Ombuds "will be a neutral and impartial party working to address the concerns of students, families, parents, employees and county residents," but will not participate in formal investigations. The board approved an annual budget of $115,000, which will cover start up costs (about $3,000), salary, and fringe benefits.

Additional details about the new Ombuds program have not been finalized or made public. Several other school districts in Maryland have Ombuds offices. Frederick County Public Schools enrolls 42,000 students and employs nearly 6,000 teachers and staff. (Frederick News Post; FCPS FY2019 Budget Questions; FCPS FY2019 Budget.)

Related posts: Howard County Schools Hires New Ombuds and Plans New Limits on Authority; New Ombuds for Queen Anne Public Schools; Prince George's County Public Schools Hiring First Ombuds; Frederick Community College Weighs Ombuds Program.

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Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

Some other variants include:

Austria -- Ombudsstelle

Brazil -- Ouvidor

Croatia -- pravobranitelji

France -- médiateur/defénseur

Germany -- Ombudspersonen

Italy -- difensore

Netherlands -- ombudspersoon

Norway -- ombudet

Poland -- Rzecznik

Portugal -- provedor

Russia -- омбудсмен

Spain -- ombudsman organizacional

Sweden -- studentombud

Switzerland -- ombudsmann

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August 30, 2018

Frederick County Public Schools to Appoint First Ombuds

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