Editorial: Baltimore County Council oversteps its role with schools

The Baltimore County Council is expected to offer some level of financial oversight of the county’s school system, its superintendent and governing board, particularly as budget time approaches. Asking questions, debating spending requests, even having conversations about sensitive issues like school redistricting or renovation priorities, all are part of the normal back and forth. But recently, the council dispatched a letter to the school system that should raise some hackles. It was not typical of the customary give and take. It was certainly cordial enough (there was no name-calling or direct threats). But where it went astray was in attempting to set COVID-19-related educational policy for Baltimore County Public Schools.