Feinberg later took Moore to task for what she called “inaccurate” a social media post regarding her actions.
The
Rockville mayor and City Council decided to delay action and wait
instead for the outcome of County Councilmember Roger Berliner’s (D-1)
forum on the county’s ordinance on March 7. The forum “is intended to
serve as the beginning of a conversation about what is working well in
our county and frankly, what is not working so well,” Berliner wrote in a
letter to each member of the mayor and council...
http://www.thesentinel.com/mont/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1639%3Arockville-buries-apfs-changes&Itemid=766
Friday, February 27, 2015
WUSA9: Family says MD teacher sexually abused special needs child
ROCKVILLE, Md. (WUSA9) -- WUSA9's Andrea McCarren learned more about a special needs student who shot video of the teacher's aide with whom he was having a sexual relationship at his school in Rockville. Andrea McCarren has been reporting all week on inappropriate, and criminal behavior by teachers.
http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/maryland/2015/02/26/local-family-describes-sexual-abuse-of-child-by-md-teacher/24073033/
Critical Area Commission will review cell tower for sensitive area land on public school playground
On March 4th, 2015, the Maryland Critical Area Commission will review the cell tower proposal for a middle school in Anne Arundel County. This is the cell tower proposal that suddenly included a fabricated cell tower construction curriculum when this application was submitted to the Critical Area Commission.
Critical Area Commission
All Commission Members
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch
Critical Area Commission
Maryland Department of Agriculture located at 50 Harry S.
Truman Parkway, Annapolis, Maryland 21401,
click here.
Monthly Commission Meeting Agenda
The agenda is posted approximately one week prior to the date of the Commission meeting.
Times listed are approximate and interested parties are advised to be present at the beginning of the
subcommittee meetings and the plenary meeting.
The agenda is subject to change in order to address modifications
to agenda items and to accommodate scheduling conflicts of applicants and presenters. To verify that an agenda item
will be discussed at a meeting and the approximate time, please contact the Commission the day before the meeting at (410) 260-3460.
Critical Area Commission
Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays
Meeting at
Maryland Department of Agriculture, Annapolis, Maryland
March 4, 2015
SUBCOMMITTEES
| 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Project Review Subcommittee | ||
| Members: | Setzer (Chair), Andrews, Carter, Clark, Coster, Cox, Gabel, Gardina, Goebel, Konapelsky, S. Meehan, Moss, Russell, Sutton, Varney-Alvarado |
|
| Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Memorandum of Understanding |
Nick Kelly | |
| Maryland Port Authority (Baltimore City) Fruit Slip Filling / Redevelopment |
LeeAnne Chandler | |
| Anne Arundel County Magothy River Middle School Cell Tower Conditional Approval |
Charlotte Shearin | |
| 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Program Implementation Subcommittee | ||
| Members: | Bloxom, Clagett, Cummins, Dubow, Feinberg, Gesl, Holloway, Lawrence, R. Meehan, Shanks, Sydnor, Trumbauer |
|
| Refinement – Town of St. Michaels Program Amendments – Growth Allocation |
Jennifer Anderson | |
| Refinement – Anne Arundel County Text Amendment – Structures on Piers |
Charlotte Shearin | |
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch
Critical Area Commission
Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays
Meeting at
Maryland Department of Agriculture, Annapolis, Maryland
March 4, 2015
AGENDA
| 1:00 p.m. – 1:05 p.m. | Welcome and Remarks Approval of Minutes of December 4, 2014 |
Louise Lawrence Acting Chair |
| PROJECTS | ||
| 1:05 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Growth Allocation Overview | Ren Serey |
| 1:30 p.m. – 1:40 p.m. | VOTE: Maryland Port Authority Fruit Slip Filling / Redevelopment (Baltimore City) |
LeeAnne Chandler |
| 1:40 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. | VOTE: Anne Arundel County Magothy River Middle School Cell Tower Conditional Approval | Charlotte Shearin |
| 1:50 p.m. – 2:05 p.m. | VOTE: Maryland Transportation Authority Memorandum of Understanding |
Nick Kelly |
| PROGRAMS | ||
| 2:05 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. | Refinement – Town of St. Michaels Program Amendments – Growth Allocation |
Jennifer Anderson |
| 2:15 p.m. – 2:25 p.m. | Refinement – Anne Arundel County Text Amendment – Structures on Piers |
Charlotte Shearin |
| 2:25 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | LEGAL UPDATES | Rachel Eisenhauer Mark Talty |
| 2:30 p.m. – 2:35 p.m. |
OLD BUSINESS NEW BUSINESS |
Louise Lawrence Acting Chair |
Maryland Department of Agriculture located at 50 Harry S.
Truman Parkway, Annapolis, Maryland 21401,
click here.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Tonight at 7 PM - MCPS BUDGET REVIEW at BCC Regional Services Center
[This event will be held this evening.]
It’s a Palooza! At least it is for those who are in to reading through the Montgomery County Public Schools’ $2.4 billion budget line by line.
The Montgomery County Civic Federation, the Taxpayers League of Montgomery County, and the Parents’ Coalition of Montgomery County are inviting anyone interested to this year’s Budgetpalooza! It’s the third year for this budget breakdown event. This year the group plans to go over the MCPS fiscal year 2016 budget chapter by chapter.
“It’s a good opportunity to go through the budget more carefully. I think we would like to see people take a close look at how their tax dollars are being spent,” said Paula Bienenfeld, president of the federation.
Bienenfeld said about 25 people attended the event last year, including County Executive Isiah Leggett. The results of the finding are expected to be released by the groups hosting the event, she said.
“Every year there are a few more people as a basic interest in transparent government. It’s an important process and event,” Bienenfeld said.
You can preview that budget here. You can sign up to present a chapter of the budget at the event here.
The event is scheduled for Feb. 26 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, one block from the Bethesda Metro.
According to the most recent MCPS data, the school system is expected to end this year with a budget surplus of $33 million.
http://www.mymcmedia.org/civic-groups-to-host-mcps-budgetpalooza/
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
14 Montgomery County teachers are among the nearly 400 that have been disciplined by the State of Maryland. Tonight at 11, Andrea McCarren shows us why their licenses were revoked or suspended.
Tonight on the WUSA 9 news at 11 PM. Part 2 of Andrea McCarren's report on the sexual abuse of students by teachers and staff.
http://www.wusa9.com/
http://www.wusa9.com/
Families of children victimized by #teachers, #school staff members or contractors, here's my dilemma. Ideas? @wusa9
Andrea McCarren
@AndreaMcCarren
Families of children victimized by #teachers, #school staff members or contractors, here's my dilemma. Ideas? @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/iaTpt9d6Px
— Andrea McCarren (@AndreaMcCarren) February 26, 2015
Más de 20 empleados de escuelas de Montgomery investigados por abuso infantil
Las escuelas del condado dijeron que están implementando grandes cambios en la manera que lidian con alegaciones de abuso incluyendo revisión de antecedentes y entrenamiento de empleados.
Más de 20 empleados de las escuelas del condado de Montgomery están siendo investigados por abuso infantil. Jennifer Álvaro, madre de estudiantes del condado y experta de este tipo de abuso explica que hay que reportar estos ofensores aunque tengan tan solo una sospecha.
Si uno sospecha hay que reportarlo a la ley en muchos casos con las escuelas vemos y tenemos pruebas que no llamaron a nadie intentando de ocultarlo y manejarlo por adentro," dijo Jennifer Álvaro, Trabajadora social y experta de abuso infantil
Las escuelas del condado dijeron que están implementando grandes cambios en la manera que lidian con alegaciones de abuso incluyendo revisión de antecedentes y entrenamiento de empleados.
"Muchos padres están extremadamente disgustados no solo por los crímenes pero porque dicen que en muchos casos, varias quejas y señales fueron ignoradas por el sistema escolar."...
http://www.holaciudad.com/mas-20-empleados-escuelas-montgomery-investigados-abuso-infantil-n553726
@mcpspio says "saw the video. It was a smoky, but was contained to engine compartment."
@MCPSPIO @ProducerKimB @Fox5Shawn smoke can be just as lethal. There's smoke coming out of every window open. pic.twitter.com/WmdGscKQi4
— Marina Marraco (@MarinaMarraco) February 25, 2015
Senator Nancy King wants school bus doors to lock. Here's why MD Law currently does not permit them to be locked.
Current Maryland law dictates that school buses can not have locking doors.
The law is designed to keep students safe in the event of an emergency. First responders can easily enter a bus and remove students if the doors are not locked.
But, Montgomery County Senator Nancy King wants to change Maryland law and permit school buses to have locked doors.
SILVER SPRING, Md. — About 40 high school students were evacuated from a Montgomery County school bus after an engine fire...
http://washington.cbslocal.com/2015/02/25/students-evacuated-after-engine-fire-on-md-school-bus/
The law is designed to keep students safe in the event of an emergency. First responders can easily enter a bus and remove students if the doors are not locked.
But, Montgomery County Senator Nancy King wants to change Maryland law and permit school buses to have locked doors.
About 40 high school students were evacuated from a Montgomery County school bus caught fire this morning. http://t.co/bE8GWR0t8q
— 99.1 WNEW (@WNEW) February 25, 2015
SILVER SPRING, Md. — About 40 high school students were evacuated from a Montgomery County school bus after an engine fire...
http://washington.cbslocal.com/2015/02/25/students-evacuated-after-engine-fire-on-md-school-bus/
...used the names of ... students living in the Maryland suburbs ...as “straw purchasers” for three dozen row houses in Baltimore.
Owner of Bethesda business indicted on mortgage fraud charges
Man accused of using county students, immigrants to obtain $3.8 million in loans
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
A secret database in MCPS lists current employees who display inappropriate and possibly criminal behavior toward children
Watch Andrea McCarren's report tonight at 11 on WUSA 9
http://www.wusa9.com/
http://www.wusa9.com/
Secret database lists MCPS employees who display inappropriate behavior toward kids. Watch @AndreaMcCarren at 11pm
https://t.co/9RGUmo0Cr9
— wusa9 (@wusa9) February 24, 2015
Special Education Legal Fees: @mocoboe Chooses Costly Litigation over Education
Special education legal fees for outside counsel for October 2014 totaled $43,403. The year-to-date total of $107,080 is $52,833 (97.4 percent) more than the same period in the previous year.
Special education legal fees for outside counsel for September 2014 totaled $33,794. The year-to-date total of $63,677 is $41,828 (191.4 percent) more than the same period in the previous year.
Special education legal fees for outside counsel for August 2014 totaled $26,537. The year-to-date total of $29,883 is $22,657 (313.5 percent) more than the same period in the previous year.
Special education legal fees for outside counsel for July 2014 totaled $3,346. This is $1,304 (63.9 percent) more than the same period in the previous year.
Special education legal fees for outside counsel for September 2014 totaled $33,794. The year-to-date total of $63,677 is $41,828 (191.4 percent) more than the same period in the previous year.
Special education legal fees for outside counsel for August 2014 totaled $26,537. The year-to-date total of $29,883 is $22,657 (313.5 percent) more than the same period in the previous year.
Special education legal fees for outside counsel for July 2014 totaled $3,346. This is $1,304 (63.9 percent) more than the same period in the previous year.
Thurs. Feb 26th BOE and Planning Board Dinner Meeting
Thursday, February 26, 2015
6:00 PM
Joint meeting of the Montgomery County Planning and Montgomery County Board of Education (Meeting may be viewed live on our website, visit www.montgomeryplanningboard.org)
*MRO Auditorium, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring
Agenda: Meeting of Board of Education and Montgomery County Planning Board
Montgomery County Planning Board Headquarters,
8787 Georgia Avenue, Auditorium
Thursday, February 26, 2015
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. AGENDA
1. Introductions
2. Overview of Growth Trends in Montgomery County and Impact on MCPS Facility Needs
3. Overview of Colocation White Paper
4. Status Report on Current Master/Sector Plan Updates
5. Community Forum, “Infrastructure and Growth: Are We Keeping Pace?” scheduled for March 7th.
6:00 PM
Joint meeting of the Montgomery County Planning and Montgomery County Board of Education (Meeting may be viewed live on our website, visit www.montgomeryplanningboard.org)
*MRO Auditorium, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring
Agenda: Meeting of Board of Education and Montgomery County Planning Board
Montgomery County Planning Board Headquarters,
8787 Georgia Avenue, Auditorium
Thursday, February 26, 2015
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. AGENDA
1. Introductions
2. Overview of Growth Trends in Montgomery County and Impact on MCPS Facility Needs
3. Overview of Colocation White Paper
4. Status Report on Current Master/Sector Plan Updates
5. Community Forum, “Infrastructure and Growth: Are We Keeping Pace?” scheduled for March 7th.
Monday, February 23, 2015
At BOE Now: Parents Plead for BOE to Support Students with Diabetes. BOE told to OPPOSE.
The Board of Education recommended position is to OPPOSE this legislation.
Watch the BOE meeting online live this evening to see if the BOE will support students with diabetes.
Will Gov. Hogan Vote to Demolish a Usable MCPS Public School Building?
 | |
| 85,400 sq. ft. Ewing School |
In order to park the 400+/- school buses on this land, the Board of Education will have to demolish the 85,400 sq. ft. school building.
In order to demolish the school building, the Board of Public Works will have to approve the demolition.
The Board of Public Works is made up of the Governor, the Treasurer and the Comptroller.
Will Governor Larry Hogan vote to demolish a perfectly usable, functioning public school building? How about Comptroller Peter Franchot, how will he vote?
Friday, February 20, 2015
No Documents Exist to Support Cell Tower Construction Curriculum
The Maryland Critical Area Commission has received a request to
approve the construction of a cell tower on the Magothy River Middle
School playground. Magothy River Middle School is in Anne Arundel
County and sits within the land that is part of the Critical Area of the
Chesapeake Bay.
The Critical Area application is shown below.
The application references a cell tower construction curriculum that has been developed with the Anne Arundel Board of Education as a special circumstance that justifies the construction of this cell tower in a Critical Area of the Chesapeake Bay.
In an attempt to verify that such a curriculum existed, we filed a Maryland Public Information Act request with the Anne Arundel County Public Schools. The response was that AACPS "has no such curricular documents."
---------------------------------------------------
The Critical Area application is shown below.
The application references a cell tower construction curriculum that has been developed with the Anne Arundel Board of Education as a special circumstance that justifies the construction of this cell tower in a Critical Area of the Chesapeake Bay.
In an attempt to verify that such a curriculum existed, we filed a Maryland Public Information Act request with the Anne Arundel County Public Schools. The response was that AACPS "has no such curricular documents."
---------------------------------------------------
February 19, 2015This email is in response to your request under the Public Information Act, Annotated Code of Maryland, General Provisions Article (GP) § 4-101, et seq., seeking information “curriculum in place in Anne Arundel Public Schools that deals with the placement, construction, maintenance, and landscaping of telecommunications towers.Anne Arundel County Public Schools has no such curricular documents.Pursuant to GP §4-362, in the event you disagree with any determination regarding this Maryland Public Information Act request you may seek judicial review by filing a complaint with the Circuit Court in Anne Arundel County.Please contact me at 410-222-5312 should you have any further questions.Sincerely,Bob MosierChief Communications OfficerAnne Arundel County Public SchoolsPhone: 410-222-5312Fax: 410-222-5628Web: www.aacps.orgFacebook: www.facebook.com/aacpsTwitter: @AACountySchools
2014 Dec 17 Magothy River Critical Area Application by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland
School Overcrowding Forum Saturday, March 7th 8AM-4PM
Hi Everyone,
Recently
Ike Leggett took part in a groundbreaking for the new Public Safety
Training Academy (PSTA) on Snouffer School Road. According to the press
release, the current PSTA or fire tower area on Darnestown Road at
Great Seneca will be moved to the new Snouffer School Road site in order
to:
- “Create a transit-oriented bioscience enclave at the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center that will increase the County’s competiveness;
- Construct thousands of new housing units;
- Create new, high-paying jobs;
- Relocate and replace old, overcrowded, inadequate public facilities;
- Save $22 million a year on rent payments; and
- Create opportunities to protect the agricultural reserve.”
2,000
apartments are proposed for the existing PSTA site on Darnestown Road
at Great Seneca (56 acres). To put that into perspective, the Crown
Farm site (180 acres) will have 2,250 housing units stretching from Sam
Eig to Omega Drive.
I
have been told that the kids from the Crown development (2,250 housing
units) as well as the apartments on or near Key West Avenue
(approximately 1,570 housing units) will go to the Gaithersburg
schools. The kids from the PSTA (2,000 units) as well as the Rickman
property on Travilah Road (approved for 300 multifamily units) will go
to schools in the Wootton cluster. There is space reserved on Crown
Farm for a high school and space in the PSTA for an elementary school… “if needed”.
“School Clusters
- The Life Sciences Center is served by two school clusters: the
Gaithersburg Cluster and the Thomas S. Wootton Cluster. Based on the
results of the School Test for FY13, the Gaithersburg Cluster is now
over 105 percent of capacity at both the elementary and the middle
school levels. The Wootton Cluster is over 105 percent of capacity at
the high school level. To address capacity needs, certain residential
development proposals will need to make school facility payments to
receive plan approval in these clusters.” Note that this does not say that construction of new schools is imminent or even planned.
A
forum with county agencies to discuss how county infrastructure and
development planning and their timelines will impact school construction
planning, and the disconnects among county agencies in coordinating
that planning has been organized by WJ Cluster Coordinators and CIP
Committee, with coordination with Councilmember Roger Berliner. It will
be held on
Saturday, March 7th, 8am-4pm
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, Cafeteria
4301 East-West Highway, Bethesda, 20814
Accessible to Bethesda Metro station
The announcement states:
“While
this conversation was initiated by PTA leaders in the Walter Johnson
cluster with their council representative, we recognize that these
issues are countywide and Councilmember Berliner's office has organized
this forum accordingly.”
“This
is a heads-up for you and your communities, as we would like each
cluster to send as many representatives as possible, especially those of
you in areas where the increase and pace of residential development, in
particular, is impacting your schools.”
Please plan to attend.
Good schools are vitally important to our children and the quality of our schools directly affects property values. Please feel free to forward this email.
Thanks and best regards,
Donna Baron
Coordinator, The Gaithersburg – North Potomac – Rockville Coalition, online at scale-it-back.com
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Tonight: BCC Parents Meeting to Discuss MCPS & Pearson Product Privacy Concerns
 |
| Privacy |
Informal meeting on Chromebook and Student Privacy
Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 7:00 pm in the Conference room of Jane E. Lawton Community Recreation Center,
4301 Willow Lane, Chevy Chase, MD 20815.
We are following up on the Chromebook concerns about our students’ personal information, and also responding to those who emailed us back with similar concerns.While waiting for a response from CCES or MCPS, we ran into another, potentially more serious privacy issue: the newly implemented self-registration system for students and patents to sign up for classes online - see the attached file.As of Jan. 2015, class selection at Westland Middle School, B-CC High School and throughout MCPS is to be done online by students and parents via a website branded as myMCPS, which is in fact a Pearson’s Student Information System (SIS) PowerSchool. The new registration process was the topic of the recent Westland info sessions at CCES. We are given till February 14 to register our children for classes for 2015/16 academic year: https://scheduler.mcpsmd.org/public/home.html By registering the students, unbeknownst to us, we parents, consent to Pearson’s Privacy Policy. Pearson collects and data-mines students’ and parents’ personal information including names, home addresses, social security numbers, phone numbers and student grades, health and disciplinary records. To see these capabilities, visit the Pearson’s Features page and scroll down to Family management, Health Screening, Immunization Screening: http://www.pearsonschoolsystems.com/products/ powerschool/features/ Pearson and Google are companies that refused to sign the voluntary pledge not to collect and sell students’ data proposed by President Obama. Pearson is the company that pioneered the “stealth assessment”- the technology of continuous, secret monitoring and evaluation of student achievement and behavior.Other school districts that use these providers (Google, Pearson) have been a lot more forthcoming about their practices and have informed the parents proactively:
City of Baltimore Hearing on Prohibiting Cell Tower Contracts on School Property
You are cordially invited to a hearing of the
Land Use and Transportation Committee
Wednesday, February 25
1:00 pm
Council Chambers
City Hall, 4th floor
(Picture ID is required for admission to City Hall.)
12-0170 Wireless Telecommunications Antennae - Prohibited Contracts
FOR the purpose of prohibiting contracts or other authorizations for the placement of a wireless telecommunications
antenna on property that is owned or controlled by the City of
Baltimore and used for the recreation, care, or education of children;
defining certain terms; and providing for a special effective date.
Please plan to come and testify.
If unable to attend, please email your comments to the following
committee members:
Council Members
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Old and New MCPS Schools are Flooding This Week. All about that Maintenance.
On Monday the Parents' Coalition showed a picture of the flooding at the new Blair High School.
Today we have video of flooding at the old Blair High School.
This week, MCPS buildings old and new are flooding. The Board of Education has decided to keep hundreds of administrator positions in the budget, but cut 17 maintenance positions for next year.
We hope those 1,700+ MCPS administrators know how to repair pipes, HVAC systems and do mold remediation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4WjlUeDbAM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4WjlUeDbAM
Video Published on Feb 18, 2015
On
Monday, February 17th, 2015 several sprinklers on the second floor in
the front stairwell froze and ruptured sending water cascading down the
stairs to the front entrance, Band Room, Chorus Room and Main Office.
Water made its way down the hall into adjoining Sligo Creek ES. The
sprinklers that caused this flood were replacements for the ones that
burst and flooding in January 2014. It is believed that inadequate heat
in this stairwell caused both sprinkler failures.
Open government supporters push for public records update
The fees would only apply to the "actual cost of production" of the information, Bevan-Dangel said.
The bill also outlines monetary penalties for state agencies that deny information and also shifts the burden of proof for a denial to the agency, Bevan-Dangel said, "to show the public good is truly being outweighed by the personal harm they're using to justify not sharing the information."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/blog/md-xgr--public-information-access-20150211-story.html
School board decision to nix charge accounts was long overdue
Many remember the audit of the Prince George’s County school board in 2000, when lax accounting and widespread abuse of expense accounts were revealed. Questions surfaced about some board members charging items that did not appear to be related to their board duties, overspending and using funds for items that could be considered campaign related...
http://www.gazette.net/article/20150205/OPINION/150209691/1266/taking-a-swipe-at-the-credit-card-cloud-in-prince-george-x2019-s&template=gazette
$10 million cut from Starr’s original proposal
The county school system’s proposed operating budget for next year now stands at $2.39 billion. The budget moves next to Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and the Montgomery County Council for approval...
...Under the revised budget, the school system would cut $1.8 million, mostly by reducing and eliminating staff positions. These cuts deepen similar ones Starr had already proposed, meaning the loss of another 24 full-time equivalent positions.
Those positions include 17 building service worker positions, amounting to about $708,500; a professional growth consultant, costing $124,100; an instructional specialist involved in professional development, costing $144,296; and a consulting teacher position, costing about $105,000.
http://www.gazette.net/article/20150212/NEWS/150219581/1022/montgomery-school-board-approves-budget-reflecting-loss-of-state-aid&template=gazette
In 2013, MCPS had 1,697 Non-School Based Positions, Fairfax has 1,648
Below is the 2013 Washington Area Boards of Education (WABE) Guide. The WABE Guide compares data from 10 public school systems around Washington, D.C. The WABE Guide compares enrollment, class sizes, staffing, revenue, salary and benefits information from each of the 10 counties.
It usually compares data from all 10 counties, except there was the year that MCPS refused to participate.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Broad Foundation suspends $1-million prize for urban school districts
Billionaire
Eli Broad has suspended a coveted, $1-million prize to honor the best
urban school systems out of concern that they are failing to improve
quickly enough. And, associates say, he's no longer certain that he
wants to reward traditional school districts at all.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Twitter Picture Appears to Show Pipe Burst at Blair High School
Ummmmmm it appears we might have frozen water issue at @MCPS Montgomery Blair. #GIANTICICLES pic.twitter.com/M2CepEFwrT
— Kenneth (@terp11) February 16, 2015
With thanks to Kenneth @terps11 for permission to post his picture.
County to do new feasibility study on Blair Ewing Center
http://www.thesentinel.com/mont/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1623:county-to-do-new-feasibility-study-on-blair-ewing-center&Itemid=766...“The fact of the matter is English Manor is not going to be a new school, it’s going to have to be completely remodeled and I have not seen the feasibility study under this new program for example to understand clearly what would happen,” Navarro said. “For me it’s not about ‘we don’t want to give our students the best possible facility.’ For me, it’s about ‘have we done the feasibility study that we need to do under this new direction of this new program? Do we have enough data to know that the program is going to actually work?’” ...
...The future of the Ewing Center is further complicated by plans to relocate the Shady Grove bus depots on Crabbs Branch Way to the current Ewing Center site on Avery Road. MCPS has to vacate the bus depots by January 2017 to make way for county redevelopment.Some who live near the Ewing Center said they much prefer the school to be there rather than hundreds of buses turning out onto Avery Road.“I’m concerned about safety. Avery Road is a two lane winding country road with no shoulders, absolutely none, and when I encounter a school bus now I have to virtually come to a stop,” said resident Brenda Vaughan at the rally before the committee meeting. “I can’t fathom the amount of traffic.”The community has also voiced concerns because the bus depot currently fits 410 buses onto 35 acres and is already a little too small, according to Song. Song said MCPS would design efficiently to try to fit 370 buses on the 22.5 acre Ewing Center site, more than six acres of which is protected by a conservation easement. Also on the site is the Mark Twain Athletic Fields, which the city of Rockville maintains and uses outside of school hours.Committee Chair Craig Rice (D-2) said he views the bus depot and the Ewing Center relocations as two separate issues. Councilmembers Navarro and Marc Elrich (D-At large) said the two are intertwined.“We can’t not know what we know,” Elrich said...
Councilmember Hans Reimer called for a very public process to select his [Starr's] replacement.
http://www.thesentinel.com/mont/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1648:board-approves-starr-replacement-search-firm&Itemid=766
Rockville buries APFS changes
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Washington Post: Departing MoCo schools chief reflects on short tenure of superintendents
Montgomery County’s departing schools chief reflected on his record as leader of Maryland’s largest school system and said that sometimes expectations for superintendents are out of step with reality, according to an exit interview posted online Sunday.Entire story at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/departing-moco-schools-chief-reflects-on-short-tenure-of-superintendents/2015/02/15/9b3ecccc-b523-11e4-9423-f3d0a1ec335c_story.html?hpid=z4
Contrast Montgomery’s wishy-washy approach... with that of Fairfax County
...Contrast Montgomery’s wishy-washy approach, including Superintendent Joshua P. Starr’s mixed signals, with that of Fairfax County, which figured out a way to start high school between 8 a.m. and 8:10 a.m. There, Superintendent Karen Garza made clear she was committed to change, expert help was enlisted in fashioning a solution and board members based their decision on facts rather than anecdotes. Moreover, instead of having to contend with a teachers union more concerned about the convenience of its members, Fairfax officials had a real partner in teachers. “It will be a little uncomfortable for some, but ultimately it will be much more comfortable for our children and ultimately that is what our priority is,” said Steven Greenburg, president of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers. The Montgomery County Education Association, which released a suspect survey on the eve of the vote, should take a cue...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/alarm-bells-over-school-times-in-montgomery/2015/02/14/18e7b662-b230-11e4-827f-93f454140e2b_story.html
Saturday, February 14, 2015
WTOP: 3 arrested after 2 fights, 1 fire alarm at Montgomery Co. school
Police were called to the Burtonsville, Maryland, school for a report of fighting about 11:20 a.m., a spokeswoman for Montgomery County Police says.
The sequence of events began when security guards tried to stop a fight from starting between two students inside the school’s cafeteria. A young woman who was sitting nearby then attacked one of the guards, police say.
A guard pulled the fire alarm to evacuate the building. The second fight broke out soon after when a police officer barred another student from getting back inside the school...
http://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2015/02/5-arrested-montgomery-co-school/
Friday, February 13, 2015
Board of Education Members Decline To Talk About Opposition To Starr
http://www.bethesdanow.com/2015/02/13/board-of-education-members-decline-to-talk-about-opposition-to-starr/
Back in 1999, Same Search Firm Found Candidate with Bankruptcies, Candidate Immediately Withdrew
Montgomery Board Searching Again
By Manuel Perez-Rivas
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 6, 1999; Page B01
Elfreda W. Massie bowed out yesterday as Montgomery County's leading candidate for school superintendent, just two days after revelations of her personal bankruptcy filings stunned school board members and threw her candidacy into a tailspin.
Massie, currently the number two school administrator in Baltimore County, was nominated Friday to succeed Montgomery Superintendent Paul L. Vance, whose term ends June 30. She was widely praised over the weekend as a well-qualified and enthusiastic educator who would ably lead Montgomery's school system, with its $1 billion budget, into the next century.
Civic, government and educational leaders anticipated meeting Massie in Rockville this week to learn about her educational vision.
But those meetings were canceled. Instead, Massie came to Montgomery to attend a private, late-night meeting Tuesday with the school board at the home of board President Reginald M. Felton (Northeastern County). During the meeting, Massie discussed the circumstances of her and her husband's two bankruptcy filings -- the most recent one last June -- and attempted to explain why she had not warned school board members before they endorsed her. It was not enough, however, to save her candidacy...
...Felton said the board had directed the firm conducting the search, Illinois-based Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, to find new candidates for consideration and to "strengthen the background and financial review of potential candidates."
Despite mounting criticism over the secrecy with which the board has conducted the search to date, Felton reaffirmed that members remain "committed to the search process underway at this time as the best method of identifying and selecting candidates for consideration as superintendent."
The board had been criticized by many in Montgomery's active educational circles for not giving the community a larger role in reviewing candidates, even before the revelations of Massie's personal financial problems derailed the process this week. Some said the board's stance was especially disheartening considering its stated support for collaborative decision-making...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/daily/june99/massie6.htm
BOE Paid $70,000 to No Bid Superintendent Search Firm in 2011 Search
On Tuesday, February 10, 2015, Board of Education President Patricia O'Neill handed a $35,000 contract to a firm she liked. The firm was hired to find the next MCPS superintendent. Ms. O'Neill skipped any Request for Proposal or competitive bidding.
Minority, women owned or owned by individuals with disabilities companies you are out of luck.
Now, here's the surprise. The contract is $35,000 plus expenses! Back in 2011, when the Board of Education used the same firm to hire Joshua Starr the amount paid to the firm ended up just shy of $70,000.
BOE President Handed Same Search Firm 3rd Contract #no bid
Why take competitive bids on a public school contract when you can just pick the firm that you like and hand them a $35,000 contract?
...Thumbs down to former Stamford Superintendent of Schools Joshua Starr making another abrupt exit from a district.
...Thumbs down to former Stamford Superintendent of Schools Joshua Starr making another abrupt exit from a district. The circumstances of Starr's departure from Stamford still stings for many in the city. He followed a similar script in leaving the Montgomery County district four months before his contract runs out. In both jobs, he built a reputation for being aloof, and for focusing on his next step up a career ladder. Starr is an off-stage player in the current drama in Stamford, as he shielded Donna Valentine when others came forward to complain about her performance as Stamford High School's principal. Now Valentine is fighting for her career after mishandling a sex scandal between a teacher and student, and Starr was under fire in Maryland for his response to reports of abuse on school grounds...http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Thumbs-up-thumbs-down-6071574.php
Thursday, February 12, 2015
...shortly after starting her job, she learned that school administrators were counting students from Jamaica, who speak English, and students with Hispanic-sounding last names, even those fluent in English, as those in need of ELL instruction...
...In the lawsuit Lawson says she was hired in 2010 by former Superintendent Joshua Starr because of the growing population of non-English-speaking students.
Lawson alleges that, shortly after starting her job, she learned that school administrators were counting students from Jamaica, who speak English, and students with Hispanic-sounding last names, even those fluent in English, as those in need of ELL instruction.
The counts were so inaccurate, the lawsuit states, that Lawson refused to certify to the state and federal departments of education that Stamford was in compliance with the program.
Lawson claims that school administrators were using federal money earmarked for ELL teachers to hire other teachers; failing to designate enough space for ELL programs, creating a waiting list of students; encouraging eligible students to opt out of ELL instruction; prohibiting ELL instruction for special-education students who needed it; using ELL teachers to cover lunch waves and non-ELL classrooms; and failing to purchase ELL instructional materials, among other violations.
When she tried to establish standards for evaluating students for ELL eligibility, her then-supervisor, Mara Siladi, reprimanded her and cut her off from Starr, Lawson alleges...
...In November 2012, the Department of Justice cited Stamford schools for many of the same violations that Lawson raised, the suit states...
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Angela-Carella-Culture-of-fear-cited-in-lawsuit-6078034.php
"In my opinion, the Board once again showed its utter disdain for the little guys and gals of the world."
 |
| Slice of pie |
by Joseph Hawkins
On
Tuesday, February 10, 2015, the Montgomery County Board of Education
hired Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA) to search for a new
superintendent for the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). HYA
will be paid $35,000 for its work. HYA is the same firm that
conducted previous MCPS superintendent searches.
The
Board awarded the HYA search contract without a competitive bid
process. In my opinion, the Board once again showed its utter disdain
for the little guys and gals of the world.
Since
1998, I’ve worked as a research contractor. I’ve lost track of
how many contracts I’ve bid on, but to make things simple, let’s
just round up and say I’ve been involved in over 100 competitive
bids. The bids have been both small and large. The bids have included
governments (local, state, and federal), foundations, and private
companies.
Over
the years, I’ve noticed that some government agencies take
competitive bidding very seriously, including making sure that small,
women-owned, and minority-owned businesses receive a fair share of
the contract dollars awarded.
I
once had a contract with the state of Pennsylvania and the state
required me to share 25% of the contract dollars with a pre-approved
minority-owned business. I ended up using a certified small-business
located in Washington, D.C., owned by a black woman (this business
also was certified in the state of Pennsylvania). A multi-million
dollar contract with the federal government required me not only to
have annual goals with a pre-approved minority-owned business, but I
had to submit to the feds each year proof that I spent what I had
agreed to spend with the minority-owned business. For this contract,
I ended up using a certified small-business located in Silver Spring,
Maryland, owned by a black man. In the end, both of these black owned
businesses ended up with a fairly substantial slice of the contract
pie.
In
all honesty, I have learned that while it takes a little extra energy
finding small-businesses, in the end, it has always been worth the
extra time.
I’m
totally disappointed that our Board of Education seems so calvalier
about bidding contracts. At the end of the day, I believe HYA should
have competed for that $35,000. And if our Board was serious about
sharing the pie with the little guys and gals, it might actually
award extra bid points to bidders that involve minority-owned
businesses.
And
why is competitive contract bidding some critical for small
businesses, especially the women-owned, and minority-owned
businesses? Because believe it or not fair and open competition is
more likely to level the playing field for such businesses.
Below,
is a 2010 interview I conducted with a black woman who owns her own
small research firm. I think this person helps us understand why
competitive bidding is so critical to the survival of such companies.
---------------------------------------------
In
1998, when I resigned my Montgomery County Public Schools job, I
went to work for the American
Institutes of Research. When
at AIR, we hired Crecilla Cohen Scott to work on a testing
contract AIR held with the School
District
of Philadelphia. Crecilla
was one of the smartest young researchers I had ever come
across. She always had an uncanny instinct for asking
great questions, and she could crunch numbers with the best of
them. Since 1998, we have remained friends and colleagues.
Departing
AIR in 2000, Crecilla took her skills to the U.S. Census Bureau.
After working there for several years, she went into business
for herself, establishing Infinity Research
in 2007. Infinity is a women-owned research
social-science company. The company also is certified as a
small disadvantaged business. Infinity is based in
Bowie. Crecilla is African American.
Like
all research firms, Infinity survives by bidding on what we in
the industry call requests for proposals (RFPs).
Coming from both government and non-government entities, RFPs
are a lifeline to business contracts, and they are the
difference between staying profitable—surviving—and going out
of business. For the most part, governments are extremely
open and transparent when it comes to contracts, RFPs, and the
bidding process. This openness—when it is consistently
present—aids the “little guy,” including small businesses
like Infinity.
Probably
once a week, Crecilla and I talk shop. When we can partner,
we partner—I personally believe in sharing the pie with the
little guy. For example, several years ago, I used Infinity
to help put workers on the ground so Prince George’s County
Public Schools could restructure its database for the homeless
students the district serves. And so I thought it was
worthwhile to ask Crecilla a few questions about why being open
and transparent is critical to small businesses and their ability
to remain profitable. My questions and her answers (gathered
via email and over a face-to-face lunch) appear below.
Question: In your
opinion, as a small business, why is an open RFP process so critical
to staying afloat?
Answer: An
open RFP process is essential to small businesses because it
provides an opportunity for us to showcase our capabilities,
competitively bid on work, and increase awareness of our
products and services. An open and transparent RFP process opens up
the market and helps to level the playing field. Without an open
and transparent process, many small businesses find it difficult
to compete and generate sufficient revenue to remain profitable.
Question: Recession
or not, it is my experience this region continues to spend money
on research contracts. For a small research firm, what are some
of your biggest challenges when trying to obtain contracts?
Answer: Our
biggest challenge is establishing a professional relationship
with decision-makers and building trust. Larger companies have
the advantage of name recognition and long-established working
relationships with government agencies. When decisionmakers are
unfamiliar with a smaller company’s work, it is particularly
challenging to establish trust. We have several clients that have
provided repeat business, but in the beginning, there was a lot of
work that went into establishing the relationship. We definitely
benefit from and rely on partnerships with larger companies to build
our portfolio—it adds to our credibility and helps build trust.
Question:
Do you have any horror stories about bidding on contracts in this
region? Perhaps a situation where it looked like an agency wanted a
small business, especially one owned by a minority, but then at
the last moment, the contract was awarded to someone else?
Answer: Once,
we were asked to bid on a project that had the potential to
generate significant revenue. We were awarded a very small
contract to develop a high-level “blue print” (or Phase I) of
the larger project. After delivering the “blue print,” we thought
we would be a natural fit to be awarded the larger contract (or
Phase II). As it turns out, the agency decided to go with a
large company to execute the work that we designed.
Question: Just thinking
out loud here, if you could sit with government officials and
give them advice on how to making the bidding process work
better to the advantage of small businesses, what are some
suggestions you’d offer?
Answer: I
would suggest that officials take the time to reflect on the
value that small businesses bring not only to each project, but
also to the U.S. economy. According to the U.S. Census
Bureau, small businesses employ half of all (private
sector) employees, generate 65 percent of new jobs, and pay 44
percent of U.S. private payroll. We are an important part of
the U.S. economy. It is critically important to understand
that small businesses have the ability to provide quality products
and services. Given the opportunity, I would suggest that officials
reduce the paperwork required to submit responses to RFPs. A
simplified, on-line submission process would be more efficient
and it would reduce the number of hours needed to competitively
bid on projects. Also, I would suggest that officials increase
the incentives to larger companies to partner with small businesses.
Sometimes, the “piece of the pie” is so small, we wonder if we
will make it another year.