Don't Compare Us! MCPS Stops Releasing Budget Data

For over 10 years MCPS has participated in the Washington Area Boards of Education Guide (WABE). 


The Guide has been used to compare MCPS to other local counties in the D.C. area by this blog, by the County Council's Office of Legislative Oversight and others.


But no more! Data driven? Hardly. MCPS has now stopped participating in this local exchange of information. No more data for you Washington, D.C. public! 


An Arlington County watchdog group - ACTA (Arlington County Taxpayers Association) broke this story on their blog. They even called MCPS and asked why MCPS data was missing from the annual publication. 


Here's the background on the WABE Guide from Fairfax County Public Schools:

The Washington Area Boards of Education (WABE), previously known as the Metropolitan Area Boards of Education, was first established in 1971 as a means for area school divisions to share information, study common problems, and enhance cooperation among educational organizations.  Each year, the group surveys its members to publish the annual WABE Guide. This guide enables local school systems to learn about each other by reporting comparable information in a standardized format.  In addition, the WABE Guide is meant to be used by citizens as a source for consistent, reliable educational data.  

And here is the FY11 WABE Guide minus the MCPS data!