Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Eight candidates file for at-large post; O’Neill and Docca draw challengers
Durso Decides Against Running for Re-Election to School Board: Eight candidates file for at-large post; O’Neill and Docca draw challengers
National Organization Lobbies MoCo Delegates Ann Kaiser and Eric Luedtke House Bill 1110
 |
| https://ccfc.salsalabs.org/marylandschools/index.html |
Dear Chairwoman Kaiser and Delegate Luedtke,
I am a Maryland resident, and I urge you to vote in favor of HB1110, "Public Schools – Health and Safety Guidelines and Procedures – Digital Devices."
I am very concerned about the health risks children face as a result of required digital device use in their public school curriculum. Research tells us it isn't healthy for kids to be glued to screens all day, even for educational purposes. Excessive screen time is linked to attention and hyperactivity disorders, social-emotional problems, sleep disturbances, and irregular sleep patterns.
When we send our kids to school, we should be confident that they will be protected in their classrooms, not put at risk. This bill will allow parents, educators, and health professionals to develop guidelines for device use that will protect children’s health.
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Breaking News: ALL Board of Education Races Have Multiple Candidates
| From the Maryland State Board of Elections website as of February 27, 2018, at 9:01 PM Board of Education At Large |
| Arbuckle, Ryan Non-Partisan Jurisdiction Montgomery County Status Active - Filed Regular - 02/26/2018 Email ryanarbucklecampaign@gmail.com | Contact Information 4408 Brookfield Dr Kensington, MD 20895-4015 (404) 372-9168 |
| Edib, Timur Non-Partisan Jurisdiction Montgomery County Status Active - Filed Regular - 02/27/2018 Email timur@ediblaw.com Website www.timuredib.com | Contact Information 200A Monroe St Suite 115 Rockville, MD 20850- (301) 251-8830 |
| Ibrahim, Marwa Omar Non-Partisan Jurisdiction Montgomery County Status Active - Filed Regular - 02/21/2018 Email marwa.ibrahim@gmail.com | Contact Information 19 Misty Dale Way Gaithersburg, MD 20877- |
| Reiley, Julie Non-Partisan Jurisdiction Montgomery County Status Active - Filed Regular - 02/27/2018 Email reiley4education@gmail.com | Contact Information 4407 Tournay Rd Bethesda, MD 20816- |
| Rippeon, Brandon Orman Non-Partisan Jurisdiction Montgomery County Status Active - Filed Regular - 02/27/2018 Email brandononboard@gmail.com | Contact Information 10319 Westlake Drive Bethesda, MD 20817- (301) 977-6070 |
| Robertson, John A. Non-Partisan Jurisdiction Montgomery County Status Active - Filed Regular - 02/16/2018 Email johnrobertsoncampaign@gmail.com Twitter @robertson4BOE | Contact Information 12865 Murphy Grove Ter Clarksburg, MD 20871- |
| Silvestre, Karla Non-Partisan Jurisdiction Montgomery County Status Active - Filed Regular - 02/27/2018 Email karlasilvestre2018@gmail.com | Contact Information 1615 N. Springwood Dr Silver Spring, MD 20910- (301) 587-2752 |
| Sugg, Stephen Non-Partisan Jurisdiction Montgomery County Status Active - Filed Regular - 02/27/2018 Email stsugg@email.wm.edu Website www.suggformoco.com | Contact Information 305 Bradley Ave Rockville, MD 20851- (202) 957-4813 |
| Board of Education |
| Board of Education District 001 |
| Blaeuer, Maria Non-Partisan Jurisdiction Montgomery County Status Active - Filed Regular - 02/27/2018 Email maria.blaeuer@gmail.com | Contact Information 22504 Robin Ct Gaithersburg, MD 20882-1414 |
| Docca, Judy Non-Partisan Jurisdiction Montgomery County Status Active - Filed Regular - 11/03/2017 Email doccajud1@verizon.net | Contact Information P.O.Box 86232 Montgomery Village, MD 20886- (301) 442-7591 |
| Board of Education District 003 |
| Amano, Lynn Non-Partisan Jurisdiction Montgomery County Status Active - Filed Regular - 02/26/2018 Email lynnamano@gmail.com Facebook Lynn Amano for Board Of Education | Contact Information 8707 Sundale Drive Silver Spring, MD 20910- |
| O'Neill, Patricia Non-Partisan Jurisdiction Montgomery County Status Active - Filed Regular - 09/28/2017 Email pat4boe@aol.com Website www.patoneill.org Facebook www.Facebook.com/PAT4BOE | Contact Information 6716 Landon Lane Bethesda, MD 20817- (301) 807-4042 |
| Simon, Laura Non-Partisan Jurisdiction Montgomery County Status Active - Filed Regular - 02/27/2018 Email lbsimon001@gmail.com | Contact Information 11104 Hurdle Hill Dr Potomac, MD 20854- (301) 983-4981 |
| Board of Education District 005 |
| Pykosh , Paul J. Non-Partisan Jurisdiction Montgomery County Status Active - Filed Regular - 02/27/2018 Email pykosh@gmail.com | Contact Information 3905 Springarden St Olney, MD 20832- |
| Wolff, Brenda Non-Partisan Jurisdiction Montgomery County Status Active - Filed Regular - 10/04/2017 Email Brendawolffcampaign@gmail.com Website www.brendawolff.com Facebook @brendawolffforboardofeducation Twitter @brendawolff1 | Contact Information 16111 Llewellyn Manor Way Silver Spring, MD 20905- (301) 260-8760 |
School Board Sends $ 2.59 Billion Budget Plan to County Council
School Board Sends $ 2.59 Billion Budget Plan to County Council: Proposal decentralizes some administrative services, expands school programs
House & Senate Bill would not apply to situations such as where persons at the US Olympics Committee or Michigan State University were told of allegations by minor gymnasts that they had been abused by Dr. Larry Nassar, even if they had spoken directly to the gymnasts
More on why the Bill proposed in the Maryland House and Senate to create criminal penalties for administrators who fail to report the sexual abuse of students will actually be a virtually useless law. Is this Bill being proposed to actually protect children or just to make legislators "look" like they are doing something?
The definition in Maryland House Bill 500 of its "knowledge" element as requiring "actual knowledge" will restrict its application to only those highly rare cases where the State could prove that the mandated reporter actually witnessed the child abuse or neglect as it was being committed.
Statement from Lynn McLain,
Professor and Dean Joseph Curtis Faculty Fellow Emerita,
University of Baltimore School of Law
The definition in Maryland House Bill 500 of its "knowledge" element as requiring "actual knowledge" will restrict its application to only those highly rare cases where the State could prove that the mandated reporter actually witnessed the child abuse or neglect as it was being committed.
Monday, February 26, 2018
Teen Shot While Walking Back to High School in Burtonsville
Teen Shot While Walking Back to High School in Burtonsville: Bullet grazed his cheek and ear
Landmark legislation will establish safety guidelines for classroom computers
Press Release
February 22, 2018
(ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND)
HB1110: "Public Schools - Health and Safety Guidelines and Procedures - Digital Devices" directs the Maryland State Department of Education, consulting with the Maryland Department of Health to convene a group of medical experts and stakeholders to develop health and safety guidelines for the schools' technology equipment.
(ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND)
HB1110: "Public Schools - Health and Safety Guidelines and Procedures - Digital Devices" directs the Maryland State Department of Education, consulting with the Maryland Department of Health to convene a group of medical experts and stakeholders to develop health and safety guidelines for the schools' technology equipment.
Sponsored by Delegate Steven Arentz (R-District 36, Eastern Shore) and 32 co-sponsors - representing statewide bipartisan support - the legislation is in response to the mounting scientific data that underscores the need to protect children from visual, physical and mental health risks posed by the unsafe use of classroom devices.
Delegate Arentz reports, "The research just continues to mount - our kids need to be protected, while they learn how to compete in the world today."
The University of Southern California's Roski Eye Institute has identified the use of screens as a factor contributing to the epidemic myopia now seen among children in the United States. Says lead researcher, Dr. Rohit Varma, "the use of mobile devices and screens on a daily basis, combined with a lack of proper lighting or sunlight, may be the real culprit behind these dramatic increases." Extreme myopia can lead to serious complications later in life, including glaucoma, cataracts, retinal detachment and macular degeneration -- all potentially blinding conditions.
Clinicians are also concerned about dry eye disease, since children do not blink often enough when using screens, in addition to "eye discomfort, fatigue, blurred vision and headaches." Making matters worse, the research shows that because children don't realize anything's wrong, they don't report or mitigate their own discomfort.
Clinicians are also concerned about dry eye disease, since children do not blink often enough when using screens, in addition to "eye discomfort, fatigue, blurred vision and headaches." Making matters worse, the research shows that because children don't realize anything's wrong, they don't report or mitigate their own discomfort.
Researchers are also concerned about the effects of sleeplessness caused by the use of digital devices, including computers used for homework at night. The HEV blue light emitted from digital devices suppresses an important hormone called melatonin, which tells the brain it's time to rest.
Without melatonin, kids can't sleep, and, according to the National Sleep Foundation, become agitated and anxious. Their research reports that "adults usually become sluggish when tired while children tend to overcompensate and speed up. For this reason, sleep deprivation is sometimes confused with ADHD in children."
The World Health Organization reports that obesity, diabetes and heart disease in children are also being associated with the increased sedentary behaviors that coincide with unsafe digital device use, noting "the increasingly urbanized and digitalized world offers fewer opportunities for physical activity through healthy play."
Addiction to technology, anxiety and suicide are also grave concerns for clinicians, and the focus of numerous studies. According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide is the number 2 cause of death among teenagers today. And while much of those studies concentrate on personal use of computers, schools are increasingly using digital devices as their primary platform for communication, even within the classroom.
As a result of the increasing research, the American Academy of Pediatrics' Maryland Chapter and the Mental Health Association of Maryland as well as the Maryland State Medical Society, (MedChi) representing all of the state's physicians, have all endorsed the legislation, hoping that the General Assembly will heed the medical warnings.
"Maryland lawmakers are leading the nation by protecting children from overuse of digital devices in the classroom. We applaud this initiative and wholeheartedly support this bill," said Josh Golin, CCFC Executive Director, whose organization has just launched the Children’s Screen Time Action Network. The Network will host the first national conference on children’s screen time issues in Boston on April 20-21.
Queen Anne's County parent Cindy Eckard, who has spearheaded this effort, has compiled scientific studies and safety warnings from digital device manufacturers on her website, www.screensandkids.us and @screensandkids Twitter account to help educate policy makers, legislators and the public.
"While the debate over the personal use of screens will likely continue as a parenting issue, it is the legal responsibility of the schools and the individual teachers to avoid known hazards and provide a safe classroom. Educational applications pose the same risk to our children's developing eyes and growing bodies as any other content," she says.
"The medical evidence cannot be ignored: our children will be damaged without protections in the classroom."
The hearing for HB1110 is scheduled in the House Ways and Means Committee on Friday, March 2 at 1:00. For more information, contact Delegate Arentz's office at 410-841-3543, steven.arentz@house.state.md.u
Friday, February 23, 2018
Dallas Dance Led Principal Training Academy for California School System While Employed by Baltimore County
Through his limited liability company, Deliberate Excellence, LLC (DELLC), Dance signed a four-month agreement with the California-based school system totaling $38,000, including an additional $4,501.06 in reimbursements for travel and other expenses. The training included a system-wide leadership speech as well as in-person and virtual (Google Hangouts) personalized leadership development, coaching, mentoring, and support for up to 15 Pasadena principals and aspiring leaders, between February 1 and May 30, 2015...
http://thebaltimorepost.com/dallas-dance-led-principal-training-academy-california-school-system-employed-baltimore-county
Thursday, February 22, 2018
7 On Your Side: Maryland bill to protect children may not be effective
Update: This bill did not pass in the 2018 legislative session.
Shh! Human Trafficking brief at House Delegate secret meeting this Friday
Shh! Don't tell anyone. The House delegation will have a briefing on human trafficking. The meeting will not be videotaped or streamed and there will be no minutes. Your house "representatives" hold a weekly secret meeting. They don't want you to know the proceedings.
And here's the rest of the agenda. Yes, they will be voting. But you won't know how they voted.
And here's the rest of the agenda. Yes, they will be voting. But you won't know how they voted.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Churchill High Evacuated After Bomb Threat
Churchill High Evacuated After Bomb Threat: Montgomery County police are investigating at Potomac school
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
ARSENAL OF WEAPONS FOUND IN CLARKSBURG HS STUDENT’S HOME
District Court Judge John C. Moffett said there was clear and convincing evidence that Alwin Chen was a serious danger to the community and ordered Chen to remain in jail without bond...
Kevin Lewis @ABC7Kevin BREAKING: MoCo Police located the following items in home of Clarksburg HS student who allegedly brought handgun to class last week:
BREAKING: MoCo Police located the following items in home of Clarksburg HS student who allegedly brought handgun to class last week:— Kevin Lewis (@ABC7Kevin) February 20, 2018
•AR-15 style rifle
•Multiple grenades
•Detonator for C4 land mines
•Additional guns
•Tactical vest
•List of grievances re: students/school pic.twitter.com/oBo71QoFVH
MORE: Defense attorney stated the additional weapons/items were not located in Alwin Chen’s bedroom, but rather another area of his home.— Kevin Lewis (@ABC7Kevin) February 20, 2018
Attorney also claimed the weapons were properly licensed, but he did not provide physical proof.
Judge is keeping Chen in jail without bond.
MORE: Authorities also stated Chen brought a gun to class on a *prior* occasion.— Kevin Lewis (@ABC7Kevin) February 20, 2018
They did not, however, provide additional details. No doubt, a million follow-up questions... What kind of gun? Was it loaded? Did school know about it at the time? If so, was Chen disciplined?
DAMASCUS HS STRUGGLES TO MAINTAIN CALM AFTER POSTED SOCIAL MEDIA THREAT
Students from Damascus High School were in panic mode Friday after an old social media threat against Damascus students had been reposted to social media sometime around noon...
http://www.thesentinel.com/mont/news/local/item/6455-damascus-hs-struggles-to-maintain-calm-after-posted-social-media-threat
http://www.thesentinel.com/mont/news/local/item/6455-damascus-hs-struggles-to-maintain-calm-after-posted-social-media-threat
Monday, February 19, 2018
Statement in Support of Gov. Hogan's Proposal for an Inspector General for Education
Statement on Senate Bill 302 Accountability in Education Act of 2018
February 7, 2018
February 7, 2018
Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee
Janis Zink Sartucci
Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland
parentscoalitionmc@outlook.com
Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland
parentscoalitionmc@outlook.com
Formed in 2002, the Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland seeks to achieve the goals of coherent, content-rich curriculum standards; high expectations combined with timely remediation and acceleration; a wider range of educational options for parents and children; greater transparency and accountability; and meaningful community input. The Parents' Coalition is a non-partisan group made up of independents, Republicans, and Democrats like myself. We believe that public school education is a vital right for all children. We believe that every dollar labeled for education should benefit classrooms and that when children attend public schools they should be in a safe and secure environment.
In Governor Hogan's press conference announcing the introduction of this bill, he mentioned our 2014 investigation into the use of personal MCPS credit cards by Board of Education members and MCPS administrators.
Over the years the Parents' Coalition has investigated various issues related to our public school system. Each and every investigation has been validated by State Audits and, or investigative journalists from all of the major news sources in the Washington, D.C. area. Today I would like to briefly mention some of our investigations in the hopes that the vital need for an Investigator General for Education in the State of Maryland will become clear.
• Our investigation into the use of personal credit cards by Board of Education members and Montgomery County Public School administrators revealed that thousands of credit cards had been issued but that the credit card bills are paid without verification. Over the years the credit card bill has climbed to over $8 million a year. Any time these bills are reviewed, improprieties are revealed.
• No bid purchases continue to be the prevalent with the Board of Education and often the majority of Board of Education spending is without bids or review of vendors. At the last Board of Education on January 9, 2018, there was $4.8 million in spending. Of those purchases 8 contracts were no bid and 12 were “extensions.” The majority of the $4.8 million was spent without competitive bidding or a review of contractors for quality or price.
• In 2009, while working with a federal inspector general, I uncovered the no bid purchase of 3,300 Promethean boards for over $12 million. Those Promethean Boards were being purchased on individual invoices so as to avoid Board of Education public votes on the purchase.
• Further investigation into the under the table Promethean Board purchases revealed that the Board of Education had been receiving rebates from the federal government that they were not reporting in their public budget documents. As of 2009, the Board of Education had received over $21 million that had not been disclosed in public budget documents. The Board was then spending those funds on no bid purchases, without any public disclosure.
• Our 2013 investigation into the placement of commercial cell towers on public school land revealed that those cell towers were hiding in plain site and not paying property taxes. At the time Louis Wilen discovered that the cell tower companies had avoided hundreds of thousands of dollars in property taxes by building on public school land. He prompted the State to begin issuing property tax bills as required by law, but years of tax revenue was lost forever.
• In 2008, we uncovered the illegal charging of class fees. In Maryland, students are entitled to a free public education. Unfortunately, that right is not honored by the Montgomery County Board of Education and to this day students are denied their right to attend public school free of charge.
• In 2013, working with parents and staff we exposed the stealing of student funds at Rock Terrace School.
• In 2013, I uncovered that our Board of Education was allowing teachers who were suspected of sexually abusing students to stay in classrooms. The Board would issue “restriction letters” to the teachers telling them to stop touching or otherwise physically interacting with students. In some cases, the teachers were left in their classrooms, in other cases they were moved to new schools without parents ever being informed as to the potential danger to their children.
• I uncovered that Capital Budget funds of over $8 million are diverted annually to the Operating Budget without disclosure in the public budget documents.
• We have investigated students with disabilities not receiving services they need, yet that same testing qualifies them for services under the Americans with Disabilities Act if they go to college.
• Monitoring gaps: MCPS, as well as other Maryland school districts, have been addressing educational achievement gaps forever. MCPS has been at it for more than 3 decades. Yet, pretty much every school district in the state is unable to answer simple questions. For example: Overtime, has the black-white achievement gap--measured with test scores narrowed within districts like MCPS? The reason we cannot answer the question is because districts like MCPS have not used a common measurement standard overtime. But one does exists: NAEP. Make districts use NAEP for gap measuring initiatives. NAEP is low cost. The federal government produces it. Districts can buy in. https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
• Require districts to periodically conduct follow-along (longitudinal) studies: We have no systematic means by which to determine if inputs generate significant outputs (outcomes).
We want all districts to conduct follow-along studies. And these studies would include following dropouts. Normally, such studies pick a cohort/class and begin following them at the end of middle school. By beginning this early, studies include dropouts. Districts also would capture what happens to special populations. Right now, a district like MCPS only seems interested in kids that complete college--never documenting what happens to other populations. https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/hsb/ Jerry and Jody’s Kids: Where are They Now? | MoCoEdBlog
• We have monitored the public school funds diverted to the Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE). We continually watch as public education dollars are spent on this private club that gives no bid vendors exclusive access to Board of Education members in closed meetings and at an annual vacation in Ocean City. Those vendors have secured no bid contracts with Boards of Education across the State, all without public oversight or competition.
• We have investigated and exposed the failure of our public school system to keep children safe from sexual predators in classrooms. We have attended court proceedings and heard how teachers who have been arrested and convicted of crimes against children remain on the MCPS payroll and can even have their records expunged so that they can return to jobs working with children. The list of teachers and administrators who have had their licenses suspended and revoked should be made public and parents should have access to this information. Currently, the Parents' Coalition is the only source for this complete information.
• The fraud, waste and abuse of tax dollars is unfortunate, but dollars can be replaced. Our childrens' lives can not. First and foremost, we would like to see an Education Investigator General work on making sure that all Maryland children are safe and protected from predators when they attend our public schools.
Thank you for your time today and for your consideration of Senate Bill 302.
Friday, February 16, 2018
Legislature Proposes Bill that would be "Nearly Impossible" to Use
Children will Continue to be Victimized by Known Sexual Predators in our Schools when Administrators Fail to Report without Consequences.
A Washington Post article today discusses legislation that has been proposed by the Maryland General Assembly to add a criminal penalty for professionals, including public school administrators, who fail to report suspected child abuse of children. (Click here to read about MCPS administrators, including the superintendent, who failed to report MCPS teacher John Vigna to the police or Child Protective Services when they were informed he was lap sitting with his female students.)
As reported by ABC7, only Maryland and Wyoming do not have penalties for failure to report child abuse. The legislation proposed in this session of the General Assembly would supposedly change that for Maryland, except that if the bill is useless what will actually change?
Below is the Statement of Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby on Senate Bill 132 - Child Abuse and Neglect - Failure to Report. Her statement below explains why Senate Bill 132/House Bill 500 as written will not be useful to prosecutors if passed.
A Washington Post article today discusses legislation that has been proposed by the Maryland General Assembly to add a criminal penalty for professionals, including public school administrators, who fail to report suspected child abuse of children. (Click here to read about MCPS administrators, including the superintendent, who failed to report MCPS teacher John Vigna to the police or Child Protective Services when they were informed he was lap sitting with his female students.)
As reported by ABC7, only Maryland and Wyoming do not have penalties for failure to report child abuse. The legislation proposed in this session of the General Assembly would supposedly change that for Maryland, except that if the bill is useless what will actually change?
Below is the Statement of Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby on Senate Bill 132 - Child Abuse and Neglect - Failure to Report. Her statement below explains why Senate Bill 132/House Bill 500 as written will not be useful to prosecutors if passed.
"...I suggest amending the "actual knowledge" standard to "knowledge." To prove a crime occurred under the current language, the listed professionals must have "actual knowledge" of the abuse or neglect. It is nearly impossible from a legal perspective to prove that an individual had "actual knowledge" of abuse, especially if the mandatory reporter contends that they did not see the abuse occur and did not believe the child's disclosure."
Jan. 23, 2018: Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby Letter on Senate Bill 132 by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd
ABC7 BREAKING: 18yo Alwin Chen allegedly brought loaded 9mm handgun + knife to class at Clarksburg High School.
BREAKING: 18yo Alwin Chen allegedly brought loaded 9mm handgun + knife to class at Clarksburg High School.— Kevin Lewis (@ABC7Kevin) February 16, 2018
Police are searching Chen’s Germantown home + researching/confirming ownership and purchase history of handgun. Chen’s motive for bringing weapons to school still unknown. pic.twitter.com/BKxBV3kDmP
Should teachers [Administrators], doctors and social workers face jail time for failing to report child abuse?
But prosecutors did not have the option to seek charges against anyone who they felt should have reported the abuse but failed to do so, because Maryland is one of only two states that does not allow criminal penalties for that type of violation.
“We were able to hold Mr. Carraway accountable for his actions . . . but what we have not done is further close the loophole that would make us able to say to parents that we can assure to them that this will never happen again,” Prince George’s State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks recently told a panel of state lawmakers.
The General Assembly is now considering whether mandatory reporters — health practitioners, police officers, educators and human service workers — should face a misdemeanor charge and up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine for failing to report child abuse if they have “actual knowledge” that it has occurred.
Maryland and Wyoming are the only states that do not impose criminal penalties for failure to report, which can lead to felony charges in several states, including Arizona, Minnesota and Connecticut...
...Jennifer Alvaro, a longtime clinician in the field of child sexual abuse, said she supports criminal penalties but doesn’t support the bill because “actual knowledge” is “an impossibly high standard.”..
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/should-teachers-doctors-and-social-workers-face-jail-for-failing-to-report-child-abuse/2018/02/15/1d3281c2-119e-11e8-9065-e55346f6de81_story.html?utm_term=.38c048dfd9d5
Thursday, February 15, 2018
UPDATE: Second MCPS employee arrested during drug bust at Mason Inn bar in Glover Park.
UPDATE: Second MCPS employee arrested during drug bust at Mason Inn bar in Glover Park.— Kevin Lewis (@ABC7Kevin) February 15, 2018
Scott Price is a digital arts teacher at Kingsview Middle School in Germantown + a tech teacher at Wheaton High School.
Sherwood HS counselor Erin McKenna was also arrested during the sting. pic.twitter.com/zOvhuELyKt
Breaking: Second MCPS Teacher Arrested in DC - Middle School Teacher Arrested for Selling Pot in DC Nightclub
A teacher at Kingsview Middle School was one of two Montgomery County Public Schools employees picked up in a raid on so-called underground “pot parties” by District of Columbia Police on February 1.
Metro Police charged Scott Price, a digital art teacher who works at both Kingsview Middle School in Germantown and Wheaton High School, and Erin McKenna who is a high school guidance counselor at Sherwood High School with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
A letter was sent home to Kingsview Middle School parents today, Feb. 15 from Principal Dyan L. Harrison stating, Price had been arrested in DC on misdemeanor drug charges and that school was only just made aware of the charges on Wednesday, February 14.
The story of McKenna’s arrest, which was first reported by WJLA on Wednesday, also mentioned that Price and another individual, Joshua Myers, were also arrested by DC police in the same incident.
According to charging documents, Price, McKenna, and Myers were selling the drugs at a vendor table set up at a D.C. nightclub called The Mason Inn located at 2408 Wisconsin Avenue Northwest. On February 1, police raided at 6:45 pm to find Price and company in possession of 102 assorted marijuana edibles, five capsules containing a brown liquid, nine bags of marijuana, and two glass jars full of pot...
Public Hearing on Regulations to Put Cell Towers in Front Yards #MontgomeryCounty
SIGN-UP TO TESTIFY ON Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 18-02!
VOICE YOUR POSITION ON CLOSER CELL TOWERS & FEWER RESIDENT PROTECTIONS!
Contrary to the “official line,” the Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) 18-02 significantly reduces residents’ protections. It eliminates and waters down regulations that govern small and large cell towers, including regulations that keep antennas and towers out of our front yards and at safe distances from our homes.
ZTA 18-02 shifts enormous power to the same agencies that have been catering to the wireless industry, failing to enforce the laws and regulations that protect the public, and betraying the public trust.
The public hearing is Tuesday, March 20, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. On-line sign up is open!
So immediately, please link to this portal; scroll down to the March 20th hearing for ZTA 18-02, Telecommunications Towers; and sign up before the list is closed: http://www.montgomerycountymd.
You will need to identify yourself as being “for” or “against” the ZTA. But you may be reading this ZTA for the first time, and you may not yet have formulated a clear position yet, pro or con.
Historically, there have been times when the Council has deleted some speakers from the list, in an effort to balance those “for” with those “against” the legislation. There will likely be many more residents “against” the ZTA than “for” it, signed up to speak. So, if you are ambivalent about the ZTA, your opportunities to speak may be better if you identify yourself as “for.”
The industry helped design this ZTA. Please sign up, tonight. Our voices need to be heard, too!
Remember the adage:
”If you don't have a seat at the table, you're probably on the menu.”
Videos of full Assembly sessions get slim support, even though cost estimates reduced
A brief, perfunctory hearing in a Senate committee Tuesday made a weak case for Gov. Larry Hogan’s legislation to make the legislature’s proceedings more open and accessible to the public.
Hogan’s Transparency Act of 2018 (SB295/HB352), sponsored by almost all Republican lawmakers and no Democrats, requires the legislature to live video stream and archive all sessions of the House and Senate and their committees, including voting sessions.
The governor’s communications staff put out a “Hearing Alert” promoting the bill, but Deputy Legislative Officer Heidi Dudderar was the only person to testify for the legislation before the Senate Health, Education and Environmental Affairs Committee.
Sen. Cheryl Kagan, D-Montgomery, noted the conspicuous absence of good government groups Common Cause and League of Women Voters, who generally support more openness in government. The Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association submitted a brief statement supporting the bill.
Committee Democrats expressed concern about the $1.1 million price tag to install the cameras and other equipment in the 120-year old chambers. Dudderar assured them Hogan would put the money in the budget...
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
NEW: Sherwood High School counselor Erin McKenna charged with intent to deal drugs at NW DC sports bar...MCPS says McKenna remains on staff at Sandy Spring school. @ABC7Kevin
NEW: Sherwood High School counselor Erin McKenna charged with intent to deal drugs at NW DC sports bar.— Kevin Lewis (@ABC7Kevin) February 14, 2018
McKenna allegedly had 102 assorted edibles, five "brown liquid" capsules, two jars of marijuana + nine bags of pot.
MCPS says McKenna remains on staff at Sandy Spring school. pic.twitter.com/VIvHqFz9Jx
#Breaking Montgomery County guidance counselor charged with possession with intent to distribute. Erin McKenna was arrested on 2/1. She works at Sherwood High School. @ABC7Annalysa
#Breaking Montgomery County guidance counselor charged with possession with intent to distribute. Erin McKenna was arrested on 2/1. She works at Sherwood High School.— Anna-Lysa Gayle (@ABC7Annalysa) February 14, 2018
Police say she was in possession of 102 assorted edibles, 9 bags of marijuana and more. pic.twitter.com/8shFPSUnxm
Money for Expanded Preschool, Hiring School Counselors Included in MCPS Budget
Money for Expanded Preschool, Hiring School Counselors Included in MCPS Budget: School board takes preliminary action on .59 billion spending plan
During Tuesday’s meeting, board members also took action to temper some of the changes that Smith had recommended for central services. Smith has advocated for an MCPS reorganization designed to put resources and staff closer to the classroom.
“Every single dollar we spend in this building [MCPS Headquarters at 850 Hungerford Ave.] is not spent in schools,” Smith said during the meeting at the MCPS central services building in Rockville.
Silver Chips: Blocking usage of personal Gmail accounts limits what students can do with learning tools
In September of last year, MCPS decided to block the 'accounts.google' page on Chromebooks, preventing students from signing into any other email account other than those issued by the school. The laptops are powered by Google Chrome OS, and function only with internet access.
The blocked page has become a hassle for many students. When they complete work at home on their personal accounts, switching from one to the other is nearly impossible to do at school.
MCPS Chief Security Officer Peter Cevenini explained that the blocking of the page was done to protect students. "We're always looking to tighten up our security. We're trying to lock things down. Your normal student email account is a closed system so that you can only email teachers and fellow students in Montgomery County and that's a protection practice,” he explained...
http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/story/13708
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