Two families in @MCPS @mocoboe allege their children were extensively exposed to pornography as they used their school-issued laptops amid the pandemic

...The families are unacquainted and live in different areas of the sprawling county...

 ...The younger child, 9 years old, accessed hundreds of pornographic sites through Twitter, which his parents discovered Nov. 11 in the Web browser history of his school account, according to the five-page letter of complaint filed on the families’ behalf by attorney Timothy F. Maloney...

...The older student, age 11, used the search engine Ecosia to get to sites with pornographic images, according to the letter. His parents said that he accessed the materials for more than six weeks and that at least one website asked for his name and other personal details. They discovered the problem last week when they examined his browser history...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/complaint-alleges-children-discovered-pornography-while-browsing-on-school-issued-laptops/2020/11/24/8e9c7cac-2dc8-11eb-860d-f7999599cbc2_story.html

Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving

Wash your hands. Wear a mask. Stay at home and don't travel, to keep everyone safe. This is a Thanksgiving like no other we have experienced in our lifetimes. But it's still a time of thanksgiving.

Audit of Baltimore County Public Schools Released One Day Before Ransomware Attack Shuts Down Virtual Learning. Audit Found Inadequate Security Safeguards.

NPR:  Ransomware Stalls Online Learning In Baltimore School District

A ransomware attack has shut down schools in Maryland's Baltimore County system. All online learning came to a standstill Wednesday when hackers locked down the school district's computer systems.

November 2020:  Maryland Office of Legislative Audits:  

Baltimore County Public Sch... by Parents' Coalition of Montg...

Eric Feigl-Ding @DrEricDing - Personally, I’m not gathering for thanksgiving. But if I were to, I would only do it outdoors. That is the safest honestly. Wear jackets and use heat lamps.

 

Eric Feigl-Ding

   

17h, 7 tweets, 3 min read

Public health warnings: “Don’t travel for Thanksgiving holidays.”

Americans: “hold my beer”.

#COVID19 

2) we honestly shouldn’t hold any Thanksgiving gatherings. But if you must, or already committed (never too late to cancel), make sure you ventilate your home sufficiently—but this is not zero risk. The better option is outdoor gathering only.

Unroll available on Thread Reader

https://twitter.com/fascientists/status/1331317382158176256

3) Personally, I’m not gathering for thanksgiving. But if I were to, I would only do it outdoors. That is the safest honestly. Wear jackets and use heat lamps.

4) Christmas is still a month away but current projections show close to 3000 deaths a day by then. Deaths usually lag case surge by 3-3.5 weeks. The wave front is already on its way to us in December.

Unroll available on Thread Reader

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1331022135876345857

5) VENTILATION is key if ever indoors. Both ventilation and masks needed to reduce risk indoors.

But my main worry is that most homes and buildings not ventilated well enough if many people gather.

6) the 6 feet rule not enough indoors. Also don’t argue or shouting at Thanksgiving dinner table please. Don’t do it inside. Take it outside. 

7) How do you ventilate your house? Japan assumed it was airborne from the very beginning. Here is how they ventilate to reduce risk. #COVID19 

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1331372101308198921?s=20• • •

11/25 BREAKING: Bullis (now with 10, up 2 from last week), The Heights (still @ 4) and Torah School (with 3) on MD State COVID-19 Outbreak-Associated Cases in Schools

School - County - Cases - Date of MD Dashboard Update

Severn School Anne Arundel 2 11/25/20

Mount Saint Joseph Baltimore City 6 11/25/20

Roland Park Country School Baltimore City 4 11/25/20

Bais Yaakov Eva Winer High School Baltimore County 3 11/25/20

Immaculate Heart of Mary School Baltimore County 2 11/25/20

McDonough School Baltimore County 5 11/25/20

Mesivta Kesser Torah of Baltimore Baltimore County 2 11/25/20

Open Bible Christian Academy Baltimore County 5 11/25/20

Rosedale Baptist School Baltimore County 2 11/25/20

St. Joseph's School Baltimore County 4 11/25/20

St. Mark's School Baltimore County 7 11/25/20

The Harbour School at Baltimore Baltimore County 2 11/25/20

Frederick Christian Academy Frederick 6 11/25/20

Yough Glades Elementary Garrett 3 11/25/20

John Archer School Harford 3 11/25/20

Glenelg Country School Howard 10 11/25/20

Running Brook Elementary Howard 2 11/25/20

Bullis School Montgomery 10 11/25/20

The Heights School Montgomery 4 11/25/20

Torah School of Greater Washington Montgomery 3 11/25/20

St. Jerome's School Prince George's 2 11/25/20

Woodson Elementary School Somerset 6 11/25/20

Broadfording Christian Academy Washington 5 11/25/20

Grace Academy Washington 17 11/25/20

Truth Christian Academy Washington 3 11/25/20

Delmar Elementary School Wicomico 4 11/25/20

James M. Bennett High Wicomico 2 11/25/20

Stephen Decatur High School Worcester 2 11/25/20

https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/school-resources

Note: This dataset reflects public and non-public K-12 schools in Maryland that have COVID-19 outbreaks. Data are based on local health department reports to MDH, which may be revised if additional information becomes available. This list does not include child care facilities or institutes of higher education.

Schools listed meet 1 or more of the following criteria:

Classroom/cohort outbreak definition:

    1) At least two confirmed COVID-19 cases among students/teachers/staff within a 14-day period and who are epidemiologically linked, but not household contacts; or

School-wide outbreak definition:

    2) Three or more classrooms or cohorts with cases from separate households that meet the classroom/cohort outbreak definition that occurs within 14 days; or
    3) Five percent or more unrelated students/teachers/staff have confirmed COVID-19 within a 14 day period (minimum of 10 unrelated students/teachers/staff).

Cases reported reflect the current total number of cases. Schools are removed from the list when health officials determine 14 days have passed with no new cases and no tests pending. Archival data is available through the COVID-19 open data catalogue.

These data are updated weekly on Wednesdays during the 10 a.m. hour. MDH is continuously evaluating its data and reporting systems and will make updates as more data becomes available.

Cooking at home? MIssing art? How about the BUN(DT)SHAFT CAKE-OFF: BAKE A MINI HIRSHHORN!

The Hirshhorn Museum is asking you to submit a photo of your mini Hirshhorn cake. Details here.

Pull out your favorite round cake pan and bake the Hirshhorn Museum! In honor of the bundt-like shape of the Museum, and the Hirshhorn’s architect, Gordon Bunshaft, we bring you the Bun(dt)shaft Cake-off!

We want to see your creations! Share on social media @hirshhorn with #HirshhornInsideOut.

Time: 60 minutes
Skill Level: Advanced
Topic: Imagination

Constructing a building requires a lot of time for planning and building. The architect who designed the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden was named Gordon Bunshaft. He wanted to create a unique building for holding art collections, and designed the Hirshhorn Museum to feel like a large sculpture on the National Mall.

Talk together: Most buildings have square or rectangular shapes. How do you think a round building might be constructed to have a round shape?

MAKE IT!

For this project, we take inspiration from the Hirshhorn Museum’s unique architecture and its resemblance to the bundt cake. Thankfully, baking a round cake is a little easier (and faster!) than building a round museum!

How often do you get to use cake as an art medium? Dig in and create your own miniature—and edible—Hirshhorn model. It turns out you can have your cake and eat it too!

Bake your cake according to the recipe you choose.

2. 

"...researchers at Houston Methodist found the virus mutated in such a way that it spreads easier..."

What a new Houston Methodist study says about COVID-19 mutation

https://abc13.com/coronavirus-mutation-study-houston-methodist-research-covid-19-does-covid-mutate-how-work/7588692/

Trial scheduled for Magruder teacher accused of sexual abuse

...Peter Wright Priest Mason, 43, of New Market, was arrested in November 2019 and charged with sexual abuse after he allegedly had several sexual interactions with a 17-year-old student.

Court documents allege Mason and the student began communicating via the mobile app Snapchat on the last day of the 2018-19 school year and later began calling each other regularly.

In September 2019, Mason told the girl he was “interested in her,” according to court documents, and the two met in a park after school on Friday afternoons. The two performed sex acts on each other at the park at least four times, court documents say. Once, the two allegedly met in Mason’s classroom before school...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/courts/trial-scheduled-for-magruder-teacher-accused-of-sexual-abuse/

Did you know that one of the largest land developers in Montgomery County is a government agency called the Housing Opportunities Commission?

From Maryland Delegate Al Carr's Facebook:  

SUNLIGHT IS THE BEST DISINFECTANT
Did you know that one of the largest land developers in Montgomery County is a government agency called the Housing Opportunities Commission? HOC's roots are in administering federal housing funds - but their mission has grown over the years. With annual revenue of around $300M, HOC is also a landlord for a large number of both market-rate and subsidized housing units. I've heard complaints in recent years from constituents about the lack of transparency and communication from the HOC. A state panel ruled earlier this month that HOC violated our open meetings law more than a hundred times over the past 5 years. One way to strengthen housing is to boost public confidence in this organization by improving transparency. I have introduced MC 7-21 to encourage HOC to conduct its business in public. It is based on a law that has been on the books for decades for the Annapolis Housing Authority. The virtual public hearing is at 7pm on December 8th.

 

SUNLIGHT IS THE BEST DISINFECTANT Did you know that one of the largest land developers in Montgomery County is a...

Posted by Al Carr on Sunday, November 22, 2020

No, a Negative Coronavirus Test Does Not Mean You Can Safely Socialize

 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/21/upshot/coronavirus-test-thanksgiving-plans.html?auth=login-facebook&referringSource=articleShare

Maryland and Virginia nursing homes battle explosive covid-19 outbreaks — again

 

The second wave has reached the region’s most vulnerable.

Amid soaring coronavirus caseloads in Maryland, Virginia and the District, some nursing homes have begun to report explosive new outbreaks of the novel coronavirus among residents and staff, affirming the worst fears of family members and health officials.

Despite stringent lockdown measures in place since March, widespread community transmission has allowed the highly contagious virus to creep back into facilities through asymptomatic employees, threatening the elderly residents most at risk of dying...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/nursing-homes-covid-second-surge-/2020/11/19/14bc128c-291b-11eb-9b14-ad872157ebc9_story.html

Montgomery Co. music teacher sentenced for child porn possession

 

A man who once taught music to kids from his home in Montgomery County, Maryland, was sentenced to more than four years in prison for possessing millions of pornographic images featuring children on his computer.

Charles Victor Kopfstein-Penk, 75, of Bethesda, pleaded guilty to federal charges of child pornography possession in February, and was sentenced Friday to 54 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release....

https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2020/11/montgomery-co-music-teacher-sentenced-for-child-porn-possession/

Dr. Earl Stoddard, director of the county’s Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, said the lack of a national strategy to combat the virus has hurt the county’s ability to respond.

 https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/conflicting-messages-about-covid-19-confuse-montgomery-county-school-leaders/

County Executive Marc Elrich quietly gets rid of Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) in Montgomery County

On October 5, 2020, County Executive Marc Elrich quietly signed his Executive Order 119-20, indefinitely suspending any county responses to MPIAs. All gone! See how that works? 

"The deadlines imposed under §§4-202, 4-203, and 4-358 of the Act are hereby suspended..."

Executive Order 119-20_ Ext... by freestategal

County still working to protect confidential files of child abuse victims

More than a month ago, Montgomery County’s inspector general revealed that a county file-sharing platform provided access to confidential files of child sexual and physical abuse victims to any employee and contractor.

The victims’ information came from the Tree House Advocacy Center, a Rockville nonprofit that the county contracts to provide evaluations, therapy, support services and care to victims.

Nearly seven weeks after the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report, the county is still working on technology protections throughout the county’s file-sharing platforms for files with sensitive information.

The records of the children revealed names, medical information, specific abuse, and other details. It was the second time this year the OIG has found vulnerabilities within the county’s file-sharing platforms.

Inspector General Megan Davey Limarzi told the council on Tuesday that she continues to be concerned that documents containing sensitive data still have not been secured...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/government/county-still-working-to-protect-confidential-files-of-child-abuse-victims/

New York City Public Schools to Close Thursday, Mayor Says

 https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-city-public-schools-to-close-thursday-mayor-says-11605727446

11/18 BREAKING: Bullis (with 8) and The Heights (with 4) Added to MD State COVID-19 Outbreak-Associated Cases in Schools

 

Monsignor Slade Catholic School Anne Arundel County 4 11/18/20

Mount Saint Joseph Baltimore City 2 11/18/20

McDonough School Baltimore County 4 11/18/20

St. Mark's School Baltimore County 8 11/18/20

Saint Agnes Catholic School Baltimore County 2 11/18/20

Bais Yaakov School for Girls Baltimore County 2 11/18/20

St. Joseph's School Baltimore County 2 11/18/20

Bais Yaakov Eva Winer High School Baltimore County 4 11/18/20

Open Bible Christian Academy Baltimore County 3 11/18/20

The Harbour School at Baltimore Baltimore County 2 11/18/20

Windy Hill Elementary School Calvert County 2 11/18/20

Gerstell Academy Carroll County 3 11/18/20

Robert Moton Elementary Carroll County 2 11/18/20

North Point High School Charles County 2 11/18/20

Yough Glades Elementary Garrett County 3 11/18/20

Joppatowne Elementary School Harford County 6 11/18/20

Glenelg Country School Howard County 7 11/18/20

Manor Woods Elementary Howard County 2 11/18/20

St. Andrew's Episcopal School Montgomery County 2 11/18/20

St. Elizabeth School Montgomery County 2 11/18/20

Bullis School Montgomery County 8 11/18/20

The Heights School Montgomery County 4 11/18/20

DeMatha Catholic High School Prince George's County 3 11/18/20

Woodson Elementary School Somerset County 5 11/18/20

Cedar Ridge School Washington County 4 11/18/20

Grace Academy Washington County 16 11/18/20

Pangborn Elementary Washington County 4 11/18/20

Truth Christian Academy Washington County 3 11/18/20

South Hagerstown High School Washington County 3 11/18/20

Broadfording Christian Academy Washington County 4 11/18/20

James M. Bennett High Wicomico County 2 11/18/20

Delmar Elementary School Wicomico County 4 11/18/20

Seaside Christian Academy Worcester County 2 11/18/20

Stephen Decatur High School Worcester County 2 11/18/20

https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/school-resources

Note: This dataset reflects public and non-public K-12 schools in Maryland that have COVID-19 outbreaks. Data are based on local health department reports to MDH, which may be revised if additional information becomes available. This list does not include child care facilities or institutes of higher education.

Schools listed meet 1 or more of the following criteria:

Classroom/cohort outbreak definition:

    1) At least two confirmed COVID-19 cases among students/teachers/staff within a 14-day period and who are epidemiologically linked, but not household contacts; or

School-wide outbreak definition:

    2) Three or more classrooms or cohorts with cases from separate households that meet the classroom/cohort outbreak definition that occurs within 14 days; or
    3) Five percent or more unrelated students/teachers/staff have confirmed COVID-19 within a 14 day period (minimum of 10 unrelated students/teachers/staff).

Cases reported reflect the current total number of cases. Schools are removed from the list when health officials determine 14 days have passed with no new cases and no tests pending. Archival data is available through the COVID-19 open data catalogue.

These data are updated weekly on Wednesdays during the 10 a.m. hour. MDH is continuously evaluating its data and reporting systems and will make updates as more data becomes available.

Two Montgomery lawmakers propose bill to remove police from schools

Two Montgomery County lawmakers are again pushing to remove police officers from public high schools, marking the latest chapter in the suburb’s debate over racial equity and school safety.

Council members Will Jawando (D-At Large) and Hans Riemer (D-At Large) introduced a bill Tuesday that would prohibit the county police chief from implementing the school resource officer (SRO) program, which places armed officers in most public high schools and some middle schools in the county of 1 million people.

The lawmakers say the $3 million that funds the officer program should instead be used to expand mental health resources and after-school activities for students, as well as train school employees in restorative justice...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/montgomery-school-resource-officers/2020/11/17/6ad7d0ba-284f-11eb-9b14-ad872157ebc9_story.html

CDC quietly removes guidance pushing for school reopenings

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has quietly removed controversial guidance from its website that pushed for schools to reopen in the fall and downplayed the transmission risks of COVID-19 to children and others.

The documents, one of which was reportedly written by political appointees outside of the CDC, stated that children appear to be at lower risk for contracting COVID-19 compared to adults and that children are unlikely to be major spreaders of the virus...

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/526370-cdc-quietly-removes-guidance-pushing-for-school-reopenings

Over 1 million US children have been diagnosed with Covid-19, pediatricians say

 (CNN)Over a million children under 18 have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in the United States since the start of the pandemic, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association said Monday.

"As of Nov. 12, a total of 1,039,464 children have tested positive for Covid-19 since the onset of the pandemic. In the one-week period ending Nov. 12, there were 111,946 new cases in children, which is substantially larger than any previous week in the pandemic," the groups said in a joint statement...

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/16/health/covid-19-us-children-cases-wellness/index.html

Watkins Mill HS - The Current Editorial: Possibly exposing teachers, students to COVID-19 through phasing is a slippery-slope

 

In the midst of online school, Montgomery County Public School officials are continuing the search for a safe “in-school” plan as Montgomery County COVID-19 cases reach an all time high and the country falls back on tighter COVID-19 restrictions. However, as MoCo, once again, leads the charge in the number of COVID-19-related deaths (29,030 cases and 909 deaths, as of November 16) this proposed plan appears both imprudent and tone-deaf.

As a high school senior, blended virtual learning is both beneficial and a struggle for me. The college preparation process seems to proceed much smoother, but the support that would be readily available at school is nearly absent. As an advocate for equitable education, I am concerned. I recognize that the struggle for equitable education includes the rights and protection of teachers, and I am concerned about the health and well-being of my teachers as we plan for this second semester...

https://wmcurrent.com/26229/opinion/possibly-exposing-teachers-students-to-covid-19-through-phasing-is-a-slippery-slope/

LA Times: Maryland executive charged with bribing Harvard fencing coach to guarantee sons’ admission

A Maryland telecommunications executive ensured his two sons were admitted to Harvard University by plying the school’s fencing coach with inducements totaling $1.5 million, including buying the coach’s house at an inflated price, paying his car loan and utility bills, and funneling payoffs through charitable foundations, according to court papers charging the pair in a bribery conspiracy.

The executive, Jie “Jack” Zhao, and the coach, Peter Brand, were arrested Monday morning, federal authorities said. Harvard fired the coach, saying he had violated the school’s policies on managing conflicts of interest, after the Boston Globe detailed a series of transactions linking Zhao to Brand in 2019.

The case against Zhao, 61, and Brand, 67, was brought by the same federal prosecutor’s office that uncovered William “Rick” Singer’s cash-for-admissions scheme, and the Internal Revenue Service agent who signed the charging documents against Zhao and Brand, Elizabeth Keating, was among the case agents who oversaw Singer’s cooperation. Yet there is no indication that Singer or any of his conspirators were involved in the Harvard deal.

Full story at: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-11-16/maryland-executive-charged-bribing-harvard-fencing-coach-sons-admission

Also in the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/11/16/harvards-former-fencing-coach-maryland-businessman-arrested-college-admissions-scandal/

Dutch Museums Unveil Free Digital Collection of 1,000+ Artworks by Van Gogh

As new lockdowns are implemented across Europe and cases sky rocket in the United States, it is comforting to enjoy beauty and culture in safe ways. With the Netherlands returning to lockdown, a consortium of museums is doing their part to bring the work of one of the world's most famous artists to the global masses. Van Gogh Worldwide is a new project by a group of Dutch museums which presents a digital collection of over 1,000 of the artist's masterpieces. Building off the digitized collection begun several years ago by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, almost half of the post-Impressionist works of this prolific artist are now available to view—with scholarly commentary—from the safety of your own home...

https://mymodernmet.com/van-gogh-worldwide/

Arlington: Bishop O’Connell High School Goes Fully Virtual After Two COVID-19 Cases Reported #HalloweenParty

 

Bishop O’Connell High School went fully virtual on Friday, and will remain so until December, out of an abundance of caution after two positive cases came to administrators’ attention.

The two cases were traced to what head of school Bill Crittenberger called “an off-campus gathering” with “quite a few young people” on Halloween (Oct. 31).

The two cases, one confirmed and one presumed, were reported to the school on Wednesday. The second case was confirmed on Thursday. The two students likely came to school on Tuesday, with the 500-student cohort that comes Tuesdays and Thursday, though it’s also possible one or both were in on Wednesday, with another 500-student cohort comes in on Wednesdays and Fridays....

https://www.arlnow.com/2020/11/06/bishop-oconnell-high-school-goes-fully-virtual-after-two-covid-19-cases-reported/

PCMC Exclusive: Firm hired by MCPS to perform equity study pays their two executives six-figure salaries while apparently paying most other employees minimum wage

Montgomery Community Media is reporting that MCPS has hired Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium of Bethesda, also known as MAEC, Inc. to perform an "anti-racist audit."

https://www.mymcmedia.org/board-of-education-hires-firm-to-conduct-anti-racist-audit/

Susan Shaffer
$185,000 + $51,000 extras

According to their most recent IRS form 990 on file, MAEC Executive Officers Susan Shaffer and Maria Del Rosairo Basterra were paid annual salaries of $185,000 and $130,000, respectively, a total of $315,000.  They each received additional compensation of about $51,000 and $13,000, respectively. 

Maria Basterra
$130,000 + $13,000 extras

The IRS 990 also reveals that MAEC paid $1,102,000 to their 35 employees. After subtracting the $315,000 paid to the executive officers, that leaves $787,000 for the remaining 33 employees. 

This works out to average pay of $23,848 per year for each of the remaining 33 employees.  It's possible that some of the 33 employees were employed only part of the year, in which case the average pay would be higher, but it would still likely be well below a living wage.