"MCPS property is to be interpreted under this regulation to include the location of an MCPS
sponsored activity."
BCC High School staff AND Superintendent Joshua Starr are part of the BCC High School's Seventh Annual Wine, Chocolate and Cheese Community Fundraiser.
The event will:
Highlighting Academic Excellence at B-CC High School and
Honoring B-CC HS Faculty Leaders and Academic Program Directors
And, for the price of a ticket to this event parents can also get a special audience with Superintendent Joshua Starr. The following e-mail has been sent out to the BCC Community:
An Opportunity to Meet MCPS Superintendent Joshua Starr
Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Joshua Starr will be
joining us on March 14 at the annual fundraiser for the Bethesda-Chevy
Chase High School Educational Foundation. Please join us for the annual
Wine,Chocolate, and Cheese event to benefit the Foundation. The evening
will highlight academic excellence and honor B-CC HS faculty leaders and
academic program directors. In addition to delicious “heavy” hors
d’oeuvres. there will be chocolate samplings...
,,,
Ronna Borenstein-Levy
B-CC HS Educational Foundation Board Member
------------------------------------------------------------------
School staff and even the superintendent are attending a school event where alcohol is being served.
What message does this send to students about MCPS Policies and Regulations?
This is not a MCPS sponsored activity, so I don't see any problem.
ReplyDeleteThanks MCPS Pr Department. But, PTAs have been told they can't have school fundraising events with alcohol. So why don't you try to explain how a PTA is different from a "foundation".
DeleteAnd, explain how this looks to students? Oh, we can break the rules if we "claim" to be doing something that is not associated with school, even though it is COMPLETELY associated with school.
Yes, the Superintendent and school staff can go out and drink alcohol and even get drunk while raising money for a public school and claim the event is not related to the school.
Right.
Good example for students.
Especially in a part of the County that has seen SERIOUS problems with student use of alcohol.
DRIVING WHILE IMPAIRED BY ALCOHOL
ReplyDeleteLocation Stopped: I-270NB @ OLD GEORGETOWN RD
You are really, really reaching here. This is not a PTA, or MCPS event. Second, All of the attendees will be over 21. Are you honestly suggesting that Josh Starr cannot appear in public when wine is being served.
ReplyDeleteClearly you are really unfamiliar with policy. Why do you think that when Jerry Weast went on a paid big game hunt he didn't pose with his rifle? He posed with the animal that he killed, but not the weapon.
DeleteYes, the superintendent of a public school system should not be part of a SCHOOL event where alcohol is served. That has been the MCPS policy for some time. Events on or off property that are MCPS based are not to serve alcohol.
You are really, really reaching if you in any way shape or form think this is NOT a MCPS event. It is a MCPS event to raise money for a school by "honoring" school based staff. Hiding off site in no way separates the school from the function. That's why the BOE policy includes any function.
Why don't you remind our readers what the policy is for student athletes. Does it follow them no matter where they are? But, the rule for staff should be different?
Yes, this function is related to the school. However, considering this an "MCPS sponsored" activity is murky. It is run by a group affliated with Parents of BCC, not the PTA or the School system.
DeleteThe policy is in effect for student athletes for a completely different reason. Student athletes are under 21, and it is illegal for them to drink alcohol under any circumstances. Yes, the rule for staff should be different. I think someone the county pays 250,000 a year to should be allowed to appear at an event where alcohol is served.
Schools hold fundraisers at restaurants quite frequently, and alcohol is served at many of these restaurants. Should these events be banned as well? Where do we draw the line?
The line was already drawn. This is over it. And, so are all the "frequent" fundraisers you say are held at restaurants.
DeleteLet's see, does the BCC area have a problem with underage drinking? The example set by MCPS staff is what?
Guess the students can use "murky" to describe their activities and get away with it?
Delete"All MCPS employees are expected to convey by their actions, deeds, and teachings that they do
ReplyDeletenot in any way encourage or condone alcohol or other drug use/abuse"
Oops. That's the language from BOE Policy. So what is going on at BCC? Administrators and staff are doing what?
Explain to me how attending a fundraiser at which wine is served condones or encourages alcohol abuse? The key word there is abuse. A man in his 40s attending a wine and cheese event hardly condones or encourages alcohol abuse.
DeleteAlso, does the BCC area have a problem with underage drinking? I don't know. Yes, students at BCC drink before they are 21. Is there a rash of arrests and/or traffic accidents I don't know about?
Look, I understand you dislike the secrecy with which MCPS often operates, and criticize Josh Starr for many things. However, it is things like this red herring of an issue that make people discredit you. Of all the numerous issues you bring up on this blog, this hardly qualifies as newsworthy.
Key word is USE. Read the Policy, it is not just about abuse.
DeleteIt's the BOE's Policy. You will need to ask them about it.
And, if you aren't familiar with BCC, here's one:
http://www.wjla.com/articles/2011/10/students-accused-of-drinking-alcohol-at-bethesda-chevy-chase-hs-68118.html
But, don't worry. Starr hates the Policy and is currently GUTTING IT to delete this section! Clearly, he wants to be able to consume alcohol in public functions as the superintendent.
If it's such a red herring as "Ben" claims, why is the Policy currently being gutted? As in, the BOE will start gutting it at the March 12th BOE meeting. Starr wants to drink, and the BOE is going to change the Policy to allow him to do just that. The current Policy has been around for 23 years. But, apparently it isn't to the liking of the current super.
So, who is discredited? The person that violates the Policy, or the people that write about the public officials that violate Policy?
Sorry, if public school officials flagrant violation of a Policy bores you, Ben.
I submit that it is you that is discredited. I am quite familiar with BCC. I live in the district and attended the school. I am far more qualified to speak on the culture of alcohol "abuse" at BCC than you are. I am aware of the story you referenced. I fail to see how a 42 year old school superintendent drinking at a Party off school grounds, outside of school hours, does anything to affect the drinking culture of students at BCC.
ReplyDeleteIf the BOE is "gutting" the policy, as you claim they are, they why is this such a big deal? If you ask me, the policy is ridiculous. As you point out, the policy includes alcohol use in addition to abuse. Does the policy really mean to suggest that MCPS employees are not to convey that they use alcohol? If it does, that is a poorly worded policy, and I'm glad they are changing it.
As far as pubic officials committing flagrant violations of this policy, the policy is worded so broadly as to suggest that any MCPS employee who consumes alcohol is in violation of said policy. So yes, a "flagrant" violation of this policy does bore me, and distracts readers from real issues, like the Burden of Proof legislation you mentioned in your lead article.