Previous violations here (2009), here (2009), here (2011), here (2011), here (2011), and here (2011).
The Maryland Open Meetings Compliance Board provides a free, online training program for board members and members of the public. How many of the Montgomery County Board of Education members have taken this online training?
On January 5, 2015, the Maryland Open Meetings Compliance Board issued an Opinion citing the Montgomery County Board of Education for another violation of the Maryland Open Meetings Act.
Submit your question to the Open Meetings Law Compliance Board. ("How many of the Montgomery County Board of Education members have taken this online training?") The OMA training requirement requires each public body to send a list of its designees to the Open Meetings Compliance Board (http://www.oag.state.md.us/opengov/openmeetings/training.htm).
ReplyDeleteNo, they don't have that information. They are not tracking compliance, they just put certificates in a binder. The legislature did not include a requirement that compliance be tracked.
DeleteMontgomery County Public Schools have been cited for other violations, such as special education and the five day rule, and rarely are penalties applied. So, why should they care about compliance?? The violator only has to prepare a written corrective action plan that is hardly followed.
ReplyDeleteI am actually surprised they don't boldly reply to the complaint with a two word answer, "So What?" There's no "Compliance Police" that is going to arrest them.
ReplyDeleteJanis - I appreciate everything you do even if I don't always agree with you. It is just so sad that things like this are met with that cricket sound from the people in this county. It's only when something happens to someone does that someone begin to pay attention. I see the apathy within the school itself from the parents. It's stupefying. Keep fighting.
Dear Chris, Maryland open meetings law complaint procedures are here: http://www.oag.state.md.us/Opengov/Openmeetings/complaint.htm. Set a good example for parents within the school: Submit an Open Meetings Law complaint.
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