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Friday, April 26, 2013

$1,282,621 in County and Federal funds for program that refuses to serve students with learning disabilities


On April 24, 2013, the Montgomery County Council held a hearing to discuss various programs that serve County children.  One of the programs briefly discussed was the George B. Thomas Sr. Learning Academy, Inc.(GBTLA)   The hearing revealed that the GBTLA program will receive $1,096,621 in County funding between the County and MCPS in FY 2014.  

What the Council staff and MCPS did not disclose is that the FY 2014 budget also includes another $100,000 slipped in by Superintendent Joshua Starr from money taken from MCPS copier repairs and $86,000 funneled to the program from Americorps.

From the Council Packet (page 16-17)
The George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy, Inc.
Provides Saturday school for mentoring and tutoring to a minimum of
3,200 Kids at 12 MCPS High Schools. $780,498
Council staff notes that the George B. Thomas Sr. Learning Academy has also been recommended for a community grant in the amount of $70,000 to support a development director. MCPS reports that it provides the following financial support for GBTLA:
16 • rental offacilities (12 sites) - $85,000;
• materials -$50,000;
• insurance - $20,000;
• transportation - $30,000;
• young scholars - $20,000; and
• 50 percent of the salary of the program coordinator.* 
*$42,529 is shown in the MCPS funding database for FY 2013.
Council packet also did not disclose the $86,000 in Americorps funds that are funneled to the GBTLA program.
Council's Staff packet did not reveal the $100,000 that will be handed over to the George B. Thomas Learning Academy in the MCPS FY 2014 budget as was revealed in our recent blog posting
Total County and Federal funding for this program that refuses to serve children with learning disabilities appears to be $1,282,621.


14 comments:

  1. Can anyone in the Parents Coalition community tell me if all the dollars above are actually given to GBTLA or if some is the value attributed to things given to them. For example, is the $85,000 for rental of facilities an amount that is given to GBTLA for them to spend or is that the value that another entity would be charged if they leased the school space that GBTLA gets without charge.
    Also, the GBTLA site (http://www.saturdayschool.org/about/) says "A measurement system has been developed with the Office of Shared Accountability (Montgomery County Public Schools) to show the impact of the program on the academic progress of students." I can't find any published measures, perhaps I am overlooking them. Before reading their website I thought it was a program for families needing low cost Saturday childcare.
    From their website, it looks like GBTLA is highly leveraged on student volunteers so I don't see how can it be so costly to run. e.g. at our closest site, Rockville, they report 192 students enrolled, 109 student volunteers, 15 adult volunteers and 13 "lead tutors" which I assume are paid staff positions. They also report the Rockville location enrollment as 32% Asian which doesn't seem in line with their stated goal of help “close the achievement gap” .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MCPS facilites must be rented through the ICB organization. So, MCPS gives GBTLC the $85,000 and they pay ICB.

      The new development director for GBTLC is Frieda Lacey! Newly retired MCPS administrator who Ike Leggett is going to hire for GBTLC at a $70,000 salary! That's $70,000 on top of her MCPS administrator retirement!

      Oh, yes, the cash is flowing.

      Delete
    2. yes. what are the measures of success? and how are they calculating the number of children served?
      i looked at the website and it looks like they operate 25 Saturdays for 2.5 hours/each = 62 1/2 hours per year. The $1.2M / 62 hours = $20k for each saturday session.

      Delete
  2. http://connectedcommunities.us/docs/Montgomery%20County%20Public%20Schools%20Salary%20Database.htm

    Michael A Thoms, GBTLA Exec Dir, salary paid by MCPS.... See above listed as "Principal Special Assignment." I don't think tha tis captured in any of the comments above

    thi8s org offers 2 1/2 hours of instruction on 23 saturdays.... that's all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Is that the same Michael Thomas that runs the GBTLC???? Are you saying that the person that runs the GBTLC - and refuses to enroll students with special education needs - is a MCPS employee?

      Delete
  3. http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/community/awards/2007.shtm



    MCPS Staff

    Michael A. Thomas
    Michael A. Thomas became executive director of the George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy, Inc. (known as Saturday School) in February 2005. He has successfully managed the growth of the program from eight centers serving approximately 2,400 students in 2005 to 12 centers serving more than 3,500 students in 2007. Because of the success of Saturday School, the County Council selected the academy to pilot two high school after-school programs to help students academically and to provide activities during the critical aft erschool time period. The academy was awarded the 2007 Excellence in Minority Achievement Award by the Maryland State Department of Education.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. I don't think we realized Michael Thomas was on the MCPS payroll and on the GBTLC payroll.

      We have the form for parents to fill out to file with the Department of Justice when they have been discriminated against by a program that receives federal funding. We will post that to the blog soon. Parents that are denied services can then file directly with the Department of Justice since no one in Montgomery County is interested in defending the rights of students needing special education services.

      Delete
  4. He got an award for MCPS STAFF (see above)

    New dir of dev is likely an mcps emp too

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. Oh, we know who the new Director of Development is for GBTLC. It is Frieda Lacey! Newly retired from MCPS as Deputy Superintendent of Schools and immediately hired at $70,000 per year by GBTLC. Of course, her salary isn't going to be paid by GBTLC. County Executive Ike Leggett is funding her salary out of tax dollars. So she'll be receiving $70,000 a year on top of her MCPS retirement.

      Isn't Montgomery County cozy!

      Delete
    2. And for people not familiar with the GBTLC, they didn't have a "$70,000 Director of Development" before. This is a new position.

      Delete
  5. i doubt any of thomas salary is paid by gbtla, either. likely all of it paid by mcps. so all that money... yet two top staff salaries are paid out of different funds.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. GBTLC gets federal money, County money, MCPS money, and County Executive money. At least 4 different sources of government funds with zero accountability and no services for children with special needs (in violation of the law).

      Delete

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