Ron Trzcinski

Prince George's County Maryland Public Schools

Are you considering a move to Maryland, but are concerned about the educational opportunities available for your children? Do not worry, the schools of the Maryland public educational system are rated among the best in the entire country.

Maryland tracks key performance indicators to determine how it compares to the nation as well as to compare the school districts within its own boundaries. Maryland continually strives to improve its performance in all of these areas.

In all categories, Maryland is at or near the top. Maryland has information regarding important factors such as:

• graduation rates;
• college acceptance rates;
• SAT and PSAT scores; and
• assessment scores for math, reading, and writing.

Also provided are demographics for the various schools and school districts.

For detailed information about the schools in Maryland you can start at the following web site:

http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE

For detailed information about the schools in Prince George's County Maryland you can start at the following web site:

http://www1.pgcps.org/

To determine the specific schools for a particular address in Prince George's County Maryland, you can use the following web site:

http://schools.pgcps.org/SchoolFinder/findschool2.asp

Montgomery County Maryland Public Schools

Are you considering a move to Maryland, but are concerned about the educational opportunities available for your children? Do not worry, the schools of the Maryland public educational system are rated among the best in the entire country.

Maryland tracks key performance indicators to determine how it compares to the nation as well as to compare the school districts within its own boundaries. Maryland continually strives to improve its performance in all of these areas.

In all categories, Maryland is at or near the top. Maryland has information regarding important factors such as:

• graduation rates;
• college acceptance rates;
• SAT and PSAT scores; and
• assessment scores for math, reading, and writing.

Also provided are demographics for the various schools and school districts.

For detailed information about the schools in Maryland you can start at the following web site:

http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE

For detailed information about the schools in Montgomery County Maryland you can start at the following web site:

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/

To determine the specific schools for a particular address in Montgomery County Maryland, you can use the following web site:

http://gis.mcpsmd.org/gis/Publiclocator.asp

Presumed Buyer Agency and Confidentiality

Presumed Buyer Agency does not exist in all states, but it does exist in Maryland.

In the past, prior to Presumed Buyer Agency, when a Buyer went to an Agent, that Buyer would, frequently, presume that the Agent was representing them, unless the Agent was the listing Agent for a property. However, in the past, the Agent was actually representing the Seller regardless of whether or not it was the Agent's listing.

Because of this confusion, Presumed Buyer Agency was created. Now, unless the listing which is being shown is listed by the Agent or the Agent's Broker, then the Agent is presumed to be representing, in an agency relationship, that particular Buyer.

A key word here is Agency. In an agency relationship, one of the fiduciary responsibilities and expectations is confidentiality. Even though, it is not a written agency agreement between the Buyer and the Agent, it is still an agency relationship with all of its implied fiduciary responsibilities.

The requirement for confidentiality is ongoing; it exists forever, even after the agency relationship ends or even upon the death of the Buyer.

Presumed Buyer Agency has its limits. In the State of Maryland, an Agent, when working with an actual contract to purchase or lease, must represent one or the other Buyer or Seller, beyond a presumptive state. This representation must be disclosed in writing.

Confidentiality example: An Agent works with a Buyer in the capacity of a Presumed Buyer Agent. During this time the Agent shows the Buyer several houses and learns of the Buyer's financial means and ability to purchase a house. Eventually the Buyer orally ends this Presumed Buyer Agency relationship. The Buyer signs a Written Buyer Agency Agreement with another Agent from another Brokerage and puts in an offer to purchase one of the listings from the original (Presumed Buyer) Agent. The listing Agent can not give the Seller, his client, any financial information from this Buyer, which he learned while acting as his Presumed Buyer Agent, unless this information is otherwise made available. This is true, eventhough the Presumed Buyer Agency relationship was not in writing and, eventhough, the Agent has a fiduciary responsibility to his client, the Seller.

So be careful.

Howard County Maryland Public Schools

Are you considering a move to Maryland, but are concerned about the educational opportunities available for your children? Do not worry, the schools of the Maryland public educational system are rated among the best in the entire country.

Maryland tracks key performance indicators to determine how it compares to the nation as well as to compare the school districts within its own boundaries. Maryland continually strives to improve its performance in all of these areas.

In all categories, Maryland is at or near the top. Maryland has information regarding important factors such as:

• graduation rates;
• college acceptance rates;
• SAT and PSAT scores; and
• assessment scores for math, reading, and writing.

Also provided are demographics for the various schools and school districts.

For detailed information about the schools in Maryland you can start at the following web site:

http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE

For detailed information about the schools in Howard County Maryland you can start at the following web site:

http://www.hcpss.org/

To determine the specific schools for a particular address in Howard County Maryland, you can use the following web site:

http://public.hcpss.org/sl/

Health Reform?

Without an overwhelming and all encompassing piece of legislation, the United States of America has gotten to a point where over ninety percent of its citizens (and a few more) have some form of health care insurance. How did this happen?

My answer: A growing economy, which increased the wealth of all Americans, thereby affording them with the opportunity to have health care, along with many other basic and higher level needs.

My opinion on how to cover the remaining uninsured individuals is to further grow the economy. Do you think that the debate in third word countries is about health care and health insurance? To some extent, yes it is, but to a larger degree it is about more basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, and safety. Why is this? It is in large part because these regions of the world have not grown their wealth so they have none to spread around.

If a comprehensive heath reform bill is not passed by the end of the year, does that mean that health reform is dead forever? Of course not, however if our economy does not start to grow again and to create new wealth, then, with massive legislation or not, the number of uninsured will increase.

Has there been improvement in the health care system already? Yes there has. Let me give a minor example. First, I warn you that this may not be considered an improvement, but nonetheless here it is. Many insurance companies and pharmacies will not provide name brand drugs if a generic brand exists, however for some conditions, such as anti-epileptic drugs, the generic drug may not be as effective and the consequences could be fatal. In the State of Maryland, an insurance company can not deny the name brand drug if it is deemed necessary by the patient's doctor and if it has been reviewed and approved by the State's Benefits Review Committee. Why the Doctor alone is not sufficient, I do not know, but this was a problem that was addressed with one small piece of legislation.

Does it not make more sense to address the concerns as they arise, rather than to completely revamp a system which is already adequately providing health insurance to over ninety percent of Americans?

How many people were insured in 1800, in 1850, in 1900, in 1930, and so on, as compared to today? The growing economy has increased the number over the years and it will continue to do so, unless a new economic system is put in place in the United States, which stymies growth instead of allowing for growth.

The proposed health care reform legislation is not health care reform at all, but in actuality, just one more step, and a big one at that, towards that new form of economy, which would lead to our demise.