MCCPTA-NAACP School Funding Meeting

On January 4, 2012, MCCPTA and the NAACP co-sponsored an evening forum on "Maintenance of Effort." It was held at the Carver Center, in the auditorium. The panelists included Senator Jamie Raskin, Delegate Brian Feldman, Delegate Sheila Hixson, Shirley Brandman, and John Woolums, Government Relations director for the Maryland Association of Boards of Education. Montgomery County Public Schools spends a lot of money on the MABE lobbying group: $47,937 in FY 2012 already.

The moderator lobbed softball questions, designed to elicit MCCPTA's desired responses, to the panel. At the same time, MCEA passed four-page flyers through the audience with their desired outcomes detailed. (Click HERE to see the chart on the last page of the flyer)

Some of the more interesting statements from the panel included the following:

Shiela Hixson: We send a block of money with no strings attached. It is between the county and the school board how to spend it.

Jamie Raskin: Education is a high priority. Delegate Hixson and I have met with teachers to hear what it is like with no raises. This was arranged by MCEA.

Berliner: Education is our number one priority. We reaffirm our committment year after year. We have had unprecedented economic challenges. We are no on a sustainable path going forward, with a multi-year fix. We will meet MOE going forward. Current MOE law is too inflexible. Doesn't allow for consideration of economy. We're trying to arrange a meeting with Dr. Starr, the Board of Education, Ike Leggett, to talk about the penalty.

Brian Feldman: The State Board of Education is appointed. They have no fiscal expertise. Are they the appropriate people to decide the waiver issue? They are not elected.

Sheila Hixson: With the budget, we have a problem again. It is YOUR (Montgomery County's) choice to go above and beyond with education funding. Last year's MOE bill is pre-filed. Montgomery County has maxed out on the piggyback tax.

Brian Feldman: What are other options? Need to maintain AAA bond rating. Bond rating depends on tax revenue. We are growing less wealthy. That benefits us in terms of money from state. Our job is to get as much money for county. What happens after that we can't dictate. We need one voice. If not, then there is exposure.

Because it didn't seem like the moderator was going to ever permit questions from the audience, I asked. The moderator wanted to ask just one more question of the paid lobbyist from MABE, and then she opened it up to questions from the audience. Stay tuned for the video of Roger Berliner stating that the public wasn't going to be offered the opportunity to attend the meeting between the County Council, Board of Education, and Ike Leggett on the issue of what to do about the "penalty."