Every Tech Tool in the Classroom Should Be Ruthlessly Evaluated

Educational technology in schools is sometimes described as a wicked problem — a term coined by a design and planning professor, Horst Rittel, in the 1960s, meaning a problem for which even defining the scope of the dilemma is a struggle, because it has so many interconnected parts that never stop moving.

When you have a wicked problem, solutions have to be holistic, flexible and developmentally appropriate. Which is to say that appropriate tech use for elementary schoolers in rural Oklahoma isn’t going to be the same as appropriate tech use in a Chicago high school.

I spent the past few weeks speaking with parents, teachers, public school administrators and academics who study educational technology. And while there are certainly benefits to using tech as a classroom tool, I’m convinced that when it comes to the proliferation of tech in K-12 education, we need “a hard reset,” as Julia Freeland Fisher of the Christensen Institute put it, concurring with Jonathan Haidt in his call for rolling back the “phone-based childhood.” When we recently spoke, Fisher stressed that when we weigh the benefits of ed tech, we’re often not asking, “What’s happening when it comes to connectedness and well-being?”..

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/24/opinion/ed-tech-classroom.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR39rHrCtYM4f0Nla6YUlPVAmmjVbibpEYOyY8a6bXnMTICmMkcIJ64sjMc_aem_ATmrEmU62ChfwgjIOI-eArgn7LqI8cycQDG2enzRKYAPFwyrI8q8O3wEo9sXaLkQCjyhrGXPtAFLzb7aVTsEWbWg

Breaking: Details on MCPS testifying before the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee May 8, 2024

 Details here:

Three public school systems have been subpoenaed to appear before a congressional committee on May 8, 2024. These are: MCPS, Berkeley Unified School District, and New York City Public Schools.

The hearing will be held in the Rayburn House Building, Room 2175 (First Floor). Doors to the room open at 10:10 and the hearing will start at 10:15. There will be an overflow room.

The hearing will also be online, on YouTube. To access the YouTube stream, go to: edworkforce.house.gov, Click on the Events tab at the top of the screen, then go to Hearings and there will be a link to the YouTube feed.

@mcps Superintendent Monique Felder Absent Amid Endorsement of BOE Candidate with Fake Ph.D.

Superintendent Monique Felder is embroiled in a scandal in her previous school system and dodging questions from the North Carolina media while absent from this week's Montgomery County Board of Education meeting.  

June 7, 2021, Orange County Superintendent Monique Felder announces that Orange County Board of Education member Jennifer Moore obtained her Ph.D. in Business Administration on June 5, 2021, from Bellevue University (no location, there are two). Felder announced Moore's dissertation as, "Implementing Needs Assessment and Task Analysis in North Carolina Public Schools." 

This year, Orange County Board of Education member Jennifer Moore was running to be re-elected to her seat and a run-off election for that seat is to be held May 14, 2024.

The runoff election was announced March 15, 2024. 

On March 16, 2024, Superintendent Monique Felder wrote a letter endorsing Orange County Board of Education member Jennifer Moore.  The letter was posted on the candidate's website. 

April 19, 2024, Orange County Board of Education candidate resigns from seat.  

Moore was also reportedly facing questions about her doctoral degree from Bellevue University. Neither Bellevue University in Nebraska nor Bellevue College in Washington state have a record of Moore attending or earning a doctorate, according to the News & Observer’s report.

April 19, 2024, News & Observer:  

Felder also did not return a phone call seeking more information about Moore’s doctorate.

April 23, 2024, Orange County Board of Education candidate Jennifer Moore posted a letter to her campaign website announcing she was withdrawing from the race and admitting that she did not have a Ph.D. 

Montgomery County Board of Education President Karla Silvestre opened the April 25, 2024, Board of Education meeting by introducing Henry Johnson, MCPS Chief of Staff, who was sitting in the superintendent's chair.  No explanation was given for why the MCPS Chief of Staff was in the place of the superintendent.  

Superintendent Monique Felder put someone in charge of the school system during her absence that does not run the school system on a daily basis. Henry Johnson is not the Deputy Superintendent nor is he the Chief Operating Officer.  

More antisemitism, this time at Pyle Middle School

 From the principal today, April 26:

Teacher arrested, accused of using AI to falsely paint boss as racist and antisemitic ***The school district will seek to fire Darien, the superintendent said.***

 A Maryland high school teacher was arrested after he allegedly used artificial intelligence to create phony audio, planting racist and antisemitic words into the voice of his boss, officials said Thursday.

Dazhon Darien, a physical education teacher and athletic director at Pikesville High School, was accused of falsifying the voice of principal Eric Eiswert in January, authorities said.

"We now have conclusive evidence that the recording was not authentic," Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough told reporters in Towson. "It’s been determined the recording was generated through the use of artificial intelligence technology."..

https://www.yahoo.com/news/teacher-arrested-accused-using-ai-211421739.html

Concerns grow over proposed MCPS budget cuts, including reductions to program for kids with autism

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Some proposed budget cuts for Montgomery County Public Schools have parents concerned.

A proposed $7.1 billion dollar budget for Montgomery County includes $3.3 billion for MCPS.

That will fund about 98 percent of the school board’s request, but because it doesn’t fully fund MCPS that will mean a reduction or elimination of some programs.

One of those programs is the special needs program at the Darnestown Learning Center which serves children with autism.

Three other programs within MCPS may also see changes in the next school year or be cut completely without funding.

7News takes a closer look at rising legal fees paid by Montgomery County Public Schools

Parents demanded the right to shield their children from books that went against their religious beliefs. The firm Wilmer Hale represented MCPS in a lawsuit about the issue and has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal payments from the school system.

"They're already significantly over budget and that is not the best use of taxpayer funds," said Esther Wells, President of Montgomery County Taxpayers League.

The MCPS Board of Education recently reviewed legal fees paid between July and December.

7News analyzed the numbers and found in Fiscal Year 2023 MCPS paid more than $462,000 in legal fees.

In FY24 that number skyrocketed to more than $1.3 million...

https://wjla.com/news/local/mcps-legal-fees-montgomery-county-public-schools-2023-lawsuit-law-firm-payments-taxpayer-funds-transparency-former-principal-joel-beidleman-parents-community#

Montgomery County Police Facebook with Press Conference on Ye Arrest

Montgomery County Police Press Conference on Ye Arrest

Charging Document in Ye arrest.

2024 April 16 Andrea Ye Cha... by Parents' Coalition of Montg...

Montgomery Co. student charged with threats of mass violence after police discover disturbing ‘manifesto’

An 18-year-old high school student in Montgomery County, Maryland, has been charged with making threats of mass violence after authorities said he wrote a 129-page document describing a desire to “shoot up” his high school.

Andrea Ye, who uses the name Alex, was arrested Wednesday and is being held at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit where he awaits a bond hearing, police said...

https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2024/04/montgomery-co-student-charged-with-threats-of-mass-violence-after-police-discover-disturbing-manifesto/

#BREAKING 18yo charged with threats of mass destruction. @mcpnews allege Andrea Ye, who prefers the name Alex and identifies as male, planned shootings at Wooten HS and Lakewood ES and detailed them in a manifesto. An 18 page charging doc includes a number of excerpts:

#BREAKING 18yo charged with threats of mass destruction. @mcpnews allege Andrea Ye, who prefers the name Alex and identifies as male, planned shootings at Wooten HS and Lakewood ES and detailed them in a manifesto. An 18 page charging doc includes a number of excerpts: pic.twitter.com/CDYEhI0CXJ

— Brad Bell (@Brad7News) April 18, 2024

John F. Kennedy High School went into a Shelter-in-Place today when a trespasser came onto school grounds during lunch. The trespasser had an altercation with one of the students, and when other students approached the scene, the trespasser brandished a knife.

John F. Kennedy High School went into a Shelter-in-Place today when a trespasser came onto school grounds during lunch. The trespasser had an altercation with one of the students, and when other students approached the scene, the trespasser brandished a knife. #MCPS pic.twitter.com/S7WN4wjITy

— Allison Papson (@AllisonPapson) April 19, 2024

Wootton High School student arrested for planning shooting said he wanted to 'be famous': police

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - Montgomery County Public Schools has increased security at several schools in the district after police arrested an 18-year-old student who was threatening to carry out a school shooting.

Police say Andrea Ye, whose preferred name is Alex, was arrested and charged in connection with plans to commit a school shooting at Wootton High School in Rockville.

Police say Ye was taken into custody on Wednesday, April 17 following a joint investigation by Montgomery County police and FBI agents with the Baltimore Field Office...

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/montgomery-county-teen-arrested-after-manifesto-detailing-school-shooting-discovered

ZOA Files Title VI Complaint Against Montgomery County Public Schools

 From ZOA.org:

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has filed a civil rights complaint against Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), alleging severe, persistent and pervasive antisemitism in the schools that district officials have failed to address, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.  The complaint, against Maryland’s largest school district, was filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today.

 

The ZOA’s complaint documents years of antisemitic harassment and intimidation endured by Jewish students and staff, including the following: 

 

• Ethnic slurs, such as “Jewish f—k,” “Jew-boy” and Hey, Jew”; “Heil Hitler” salutes; and Jewish “jokes” from peers that recommend that Jewish students should be put in a concentration camp. One Jewish student was recently told that Hitler had not done enough and that he should go back to Israel. 

• School property throughout the district has been defaced with swastikas.

• In December 2022, the entrance sign at one MCPS high school was vandalized with the words, “Jews Not Welcome.” The day before, several staff members at the high school received antisemitic email messages.

• School staff who have publicly denied the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, and who have publicly called for Israel’s elimination are tolerated and remain in teaching positions in the district. MCPS retained a staff member who promoted the lie that “Palestinians are being killed and their organs are being sold.”  MCPS hired this staff member as a “diversity, equity and inclusion” teacher.

• Student “pro-Palestinian” walkouts at MCPS high schools after the Hamas massacre disrupted school operations and caused many Jewish students to stay away from school out of fear for their safety. School officials tolerated the walkouts and remained silent even after student protesters at these walkouts legitimized and encouraged violence and terrorism against Jews and Israelis and called for Israel’s destruction.

• At one MCPS high school, the organizers of the “pro-Palestinian” walkout posted on social media that “There is no country called Israel” and “‘Israel’ is a group of Zionist Jewish people from all over the world & dont [sic] have a state.” The organizers also openly called for Israel’s elimination, posting, “We want liberation, we want our lands back.  All of PALESTINE.  From the river to the sea.”  School officials not only failed to condemn the conduct; they allowed the walkout to proceed and disrupt classes, and later commended the protesters for “demonstrating peacefully.”

• At another high school walkout in MCPS, a faculty member overheard one student say, “We should bring Hitler back,” and another student say, “Kill the Jews.” After being alerted to the antisemitic comments and threat, the principal failed even to alert the community or condemn the comments.  Instead, the principal praised the protesters for their “fantastic job.”  Moreover, MCPS retaliated against the faculty member who reported the antisemitic comments and threat, by knowingly making false accusations against her and baselessly sanctioning her.

• MCPS retaliated against other staff members after they raised concerns about antisemitism in their schools.

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein and Director of ZOA’s Center for Law and Justice, Susan B. Tuchman, Esq., stated, “The ZOA’s complaint is based on horrifying reports from parents and teachers about the antisemitism that MCPS officials have known about for years and have failed to address.  Their indifference and inaction are a stark contrast to how vigilantly district officials have responded when other ethnic and racial groups were targeted.

“Members of the MCPS community have spent years trying to resolve the antisemitism in their school district. They’ve asked for district officials to speak out forcefully against antisemitism, to appropriately discipline perpetrators, and to provide students and staff with the training they need to understand how antisemitism is expressed today and how to respond to it effectively.  But these community members have largely been met with indifference and even hostility from district officials.

“We are grateful to the many community members who came forward to share their painful experiences with us.  And we are hoping that the Office for Civil Rights will investigate the ZOA’s complaint promptly and thoroughly.  It’s time that MCPS is finally held accountable under the law for failing to provide a learning environment that is physically and psychologically safe for Jews.”

ZOAs Title VI Complaint Against MCPS 4-18-24 by freestategal on Scribd

BOE Candidates Forum April 15, 2024

The complete forum held on April 15, 2024, is here.

Board of Education Candidates Forum Results of 'yes/no' questions

 As part of the BOE Candidates Forum on April 15th, organized by Moderately MoCo, one segment of the forum was a series of 'yes/no' questions posed to the candidates.  Here are their answers.

Forest Oak Middle School School Building Service Manager Charged With Possessing Loaded Handgun on School Property @mcps @mocoboe

A Forest Oak Middle School employee was arrested and charged with possessing a loaded privately manufactured handgun on the school campus in Gaithersburg.

Tuesday at 12:24 p.m., Gaithersburg Police Community Engagement Officers were called to the school in the 600 block of Saybrooke Oaks Boulevard for a report of a staff member with a firearm.

William Broadus Coleman, 30, of Washington, D.C. consented to a search of his vehicle, where the officers found a loaded handgun, police reported...

https://www.mymcmedia.org/school-building-service-manager-charged-with-possessing-loaded-handgun-on-school-property/

REMINDER FOR BOE ELECTION: Confirmed: Board President Karla Silvestre and Vice President Shebra Evans Violated Maryland Law in Hiring Outside Law Firm without Board of Education Approval.

 https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2023/09/confirmed-board-president-karla.html

MCPS requested to testify on May 8th at U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce on antisemitism in MCPS

 

2 School Districts to Testify as Congress Expands Antisemitism Inquiry

New York Times/Yahoo News, reporter Troy Closson For the full story go here.

"The leaders of public schools in New York City and Montgomery County, Maryland, will testify about how their districts are handling antisemitism before a congressional committee next month. It will be the first time that K-12 districts have taken center stage in the House hearings focused on how schools are responding to a wave of student protests since Hamas’ attacks against Israel on Oct. 7."

And:

"And in Montgomery County, the biggest district in Maryland, a number of local schools have struggled with antisemitic episodes, including swastika graffiti, since Oct. 7. Several teachers were also placed on administrative leave for social media posts in recent months, including one teacher who signed an email with the contested phrase, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

And: 

"The committee could cover a similar range of issues in the K-12 hearing, including discipline policies, the handling of antisemitic episodes and student protests.

In Montgomery County, for example, Silvestre will likely be asked about the status of an investigation into the social media posts of another teacher who claimed that the Hamas attacks were a hoax.

The county had been grappling with a rise in antisemitism in schools even before Oct. 7. Those included an episode this fall at one high school, where the principal said students filmed themselves “performing an antisemitic salute.”

The district said in a statement that Silvestre was eager to share how schools were tackling antisemitism and intolerance, and creating “a safe and welcoming learning environment that supports all students.”

When will victims of sexual abuse by @mcps staff get their chance to be heard by the Board of Education? @mocoboe

Survivors of abuse address archbishop of Baltimore in bankruptcy court | NBC4 Washington

Board of Education Candidates Forum Tomorrow! Monday, April 15th 6:30 PM

Mail your taxes and then head to the candidates forum! Easily accessible by metro and bus, parking nearby.

Detectives Continue to Investigate Lost Knife Road Attempted Abduction; Composite Sketch of Suspect Released

For Immediate Release: Thursday, April 11, 2024

Gaithersburg, MD – Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police - Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) have obtained a composite sketch of a suspect who attempted to abduct a 10-year-old girl in the 18300 Block of Lost Knife Road. Detectives have released the composite sketch of the suspect and are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying him. 

 

On Sunday, March 10, 2024, at approximately 3 p.m., a 10-year-old girl was sitting outside of an apartment building in the 18300 Block of Lost Knife Road.  The victim told police that while sitting there, an unknown male grabbed her arm and told her to come with him.  The victim believes the suspect ran away when he saw police cars that were in the neighborhood.

 

The suspect is described as a light complected unknown race male, between twenty-five and thirty-five years old, with a thin build, a tattoo on the left side of the face and a straight piece of blonde hair. The suspect was last seen wearing a black shirt, a black sweatshirt jacket with a hood and black pants.

 

Anyone with information regarding this case or suspect is asked to call 240-773-5400 or visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org. Click on the “www.p3tips.com” link at the top of the page or call 1-866-411-8477.  Tips with information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a reward from $250 up to $10,000. Tips may remain anonymous...

https://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail_Pol.aspx?Item_ID=45070

Maryland legislature passes bill banning registered juvenile sex offenders from schools

Annapolis, Md. (WBFF) — Certain juveniles sex offenders will no longer be allowed to attend Maryland public schools in person. Legislation that just passed in Annapolis aims to make school safer following an alarming Fox45 News investigation.

“I'm really pleased with the final product. I think it's the right thing that protects students in schools and makes sure that everybody's rights are protected,” said Senate President Bill Ferguson who promised to get the bill passed.

It took just 72 days for Maryland lawmakers to fulfill that promise.

“It did happen quick,” said Delegate Nino Mangione. “It was a shocking story that you guys did a great job with, and it proves that we can be bipartisan. We can come together and get important things done when need be.”..

https://foxbaltimore.com/news/project-baltimore/maryland-legislature-passes-bill-banning-registered-juvenile-sex-offenders-from-schools

MCPS considers adding vape, weapons detection systems, plus mandatory IDs to improve school safety

Recognizing growing community concerns about safety and discipline, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is considering new security and safety tools such as vape and weapons detection systems and mandatory student and staff IDs, according to a community letter from interim Superintendent Monique Felder.

In the letter sent April 2, Felder reaffirms the district’s commitment to safety and discipline in schools and aims to address mounting worries regarding student behavior that have been “in the forefront of community discussions, among student and staff and, lately in the news.”

“Comprehensive methods … can foster higher levels of safety and minimize incidents that violate the Student Code of Conduct,” Felder wrote...

https://moco360.media/2024/04/10/mcps-considers-adding-vape-weapons-detection-systems-mandatory-ids-to-improve-school-safety/

Four Montgomery schools lose Title I money after change in poverty metric

Nine-year-old Leo Kennedy used to struggle with writing.

Then an enrichment teacher at Viers Mill Elementary School in Silver Spring, Md. — where Leo is a fourth-grader — started pushing him more, recounted his mom, Laurel Kennedy. After the teacher gave him C’s, it motivated him to try harder. Leo started writing, and he loved it. Now, his dream is to become a reporter.

But the program that helped Leo discover his love of writing is in jeopardy, now that Viers Mill is losing a federal Title I grant that’s key in paying for the enrichment teacher and other positions. Three other Montgomery County elementary schools are in a similar predicament.

The four campuses are among 58 Montgomery schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision, another federal program that gives free breakfast and lunch to all students at certain schools with high need. Through it, Montgomery County Public Schools says it is feeding more children than ever at no cost...

https://wapo.st/4b6Dpdh

Opinion: Cutting MCPS autism program is detrimental mistake

Darnestown Elementary Learning Center is only one focused on autistic-specific strategies

As parents of children with autism (ASD) attending Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), we are not strangers to advocating for our students’ needs. We attend countless Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, we research local ASD resources for help and accommodations, we attempt to comprehend the federal and Maryland education and disability laws, and we champion the voices for our neurodiverse children. But once considered at the forefront of special education, MCPS has taken one step forward and two steps back when it comes to taking accountability and creating the best-possible learning environments for our children on the spectrum. 

In March, the dissolution of the autism program within the Darnestown Elementary Learning Center (ELC) was announced during the school’s PTA meeting and was later confirmed by MCPS central staff at the Board of Education meeting...

https://moco360.media/2024/04/06/opinion-cutting-mcps-autism-program-is-detrimental-mistake/

12-year-old hospitalized after being hit by car while walking to Montgomery Co. school

A 12-year-old boy has suffered serious injuries after being hit by a car on his way to school Thursday morning in Damascus, Maryland.

Montgomery County police told WTOP they were called to the area of Ridge Road and Oak Drive around 7:45 a.m. for reports of a pedestrian hit by a vehicle...

https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2024/04/12-year-old-hospitalized-after-being-hit-by-care-while-walking-to-montgomery-co-school/

 

Maryland schools report highest dropout, lowest graduation rates in 5 years

 https://www.wmar2news.com/local/maryland-schools-report-highest-dropout-rate-lowest-graduation-rate-in-5-years

Board of Education Candidates Forum April 15th 6:30pm - in-person, Council Office Building

 

Top 100 salaries of MCPS employees in 2023

 https://moco360.media/2024/04/02/top-100-salaries-of-mcps-employees-in-2023/

@mcps @mocoboe Board of Education to Select Superintendent Search Firm in Open, Transparent Process*

 *APRIL FOOLS!

Sorry! That would never happen. 

On April 2, 2024, the Montgomery County Board of Education will select a search firm to find the next superintendent in a Closed Session. 

No RFP has been issued. No Bids were taken. No public process was used.  

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/D3QRC26D3C12/$file/240402 Resolution for Todays Closed Session.pdf

Every time you hear the Montgomery County Board of Education President say something is going to be "transparent," just remember that in MCPS land, every day is April Fools' Day!