$19K in Fees for 1 Conference: Starr and BOE Prefer BOSTON to Council Committee

Yesterday, we showed you the video of the County Council's Education Committee discussing the $21.8 million MCPS surplus.  Absent for the discussion were Superintendent Starr and BOE members.  Where were they?

Well, the Superintendent and additional unknown MCPS administrators, BOE members and union leaders were in Boston at an annual Harvard summer gab fest (aka conference) running up a hefty tab for taxpayers! And, why not? They have a $21.8 million surplus to spend as they like!

Superintendent Jerry Weast used to go to Harvard every summer and take along a group of administrators, BOE members and union leaders.  Remember the transcript we made public from the 2008 Harvard PELP presentation by MCPS administrator Frieda Lacey?   Who can forget "cream of the crap?" Superintendent Starr has continued the tradition.

What the public has never known is what these annual summer fun trips to Harvard cost taxpayers.  We still don't know the total cost, but now we know the cost of the registration for this one week program.

In 2011, the cost to taxpayers for MCPS administrators, union leaders and a BOE member to register for the one week Harvard summer gab fest was:

$19,800*

*That amount does not include transportation to the airport, airplane tickets, hotels, meals or entertainment for the MCPS entourage. But, no worries! What good is a surplus if you can't live it up a little!

Here's the MCPS 2011 payment to Harvard for the Public Education Leadership Project conference. Scroll through the document to see who went to Boston in 2011.

  2011 Harvard Public Education Leadership project by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland