Today: Letter from BCC High School Principal

Serious Incident 5-16-2

Unofficial 2024 Presidential Primary Election Results for Montgomery County

https://results.elections.maryland.gov/elections/2024/primary_results/gen_results_2024_by_county_16.html

B-CC student allegedly brought gun to school, later fled building

...In the letter, Mooney wrote the student allegedly had a “weapon” on campus and did not specify what type of weapon. Cram confirmed the weapon was a gun.

For the remainder of the school day, the school had an increased security presence “out of an abundance of caution,” Mooney wrote. That means the number of security guards and staff assigned for monitoring was increased, according to Cram.

County police did not immediately respond to MoCo360’s request for comment Monday afternoon...

https://moco360.media/2024/05/13/b-cc-student-allegedly-brought-gun-to-school-later-fled-building/

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing a wonderful Mother's Day to all our moms, grandmothers, aunts and cousins. Thank you for all you do and for always being there for us.

Kennedy High Students ‘Fed Up’ with Current Security Issues

Wednesday evening at Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, members of the community gathered to address safety concerns at the school.

Over this past school year several unsettling events have threatened the peace of mind and security of students. In the fall, bomb threats put them on lockdown. In January, a fight broke out at a basketball game and a security guard was injured. Most recently, a knife-wielding former student gained entry into the school while it was in session.

At an April meeting of the Board of Education, English teacher David Gebler told members, “The halls reek of marijuana.”..

https://www.mymcmedia.org/kennedy-high-students-fed-up-with-current-security-issues/

Antifreeze leak on MCPS bus transporting students raises concerns about maintenance, safety

Petition demanding investigation of Friday’s incident in Bethesda gaining traction

After a bus transporting Westland Middle School students malfunctioned and caused antifreeze to leak into the passenger cabin Friday morning, parents in the school community created an online petition demanding Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) address concerns around fleet maintenance, inspections and communication with parents.

As of the time of publication, the petition had 175 signatures.

The petition alleges that the students riding Bus 1113 to Westland Middle School in Bethesda “were subjected to a terrifying, traumatizing and nearly disastrous safety situation” when the engine in the rear of the bus malfunctioned and caused “eight gallons of highly pressurized antifreeze to be poured and aerosolized around the entire cabin, saturating everyone’s clothing, backpacks, and contacting skin and eyes.”..

https://moco360.media/2024/05/07/antifreeze-leak-on-mcps-bus-transporting-students-raises-concerns-about-maintenance-safety/

TONIGHT: May 8, 2024: Meeting to Discuss Serious Safety Concerns at Kennedy High School @mcps @mocoboe

We know that the serious safety and security concerns that have taken place at Kennedy have been an ongoing source of frustration and stress for students, staff, parents and family. We've consistently advocated about the serious safety concerns happening at Kennedy to MCPS leadership, the school board and the County Council. We have now gotten school leadership, MCPS leadership and Councilmember Fani-Gonzalez to pull together a community forum at the school so we can address these concerns in the open, as a community, and hopefully develop a path to some solutions.

On May 8, at 6 pm, we are inviting the community to join us in the cafeteria at Kennedy High School for a Community Night on Safety and Security.

We want parents, students, staff and community members to turn out for this event. This is your chance to show to MCPS that we want them to take the safety and wellbeing of our children seriously. I'm also attaching the agenda so you know what the flow of the night will be like. Please come with your thoughts, ideas and questions. We will have partners from the council, the school board and other entities to answer questions and listen to your concerns.

Please reach out if you have any questions.

U.S. House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Hearings May 8, 10:15am

Many of us will be watching tomorrow's House Education and Workforce Committee Hearing, which begins at 10:15.  MCPS has been subpoenaed to testify before the committee.

To watch the committee YouTube stream:

May 8, 2024 - 10:15 AM

CONFRONTING PERVASIVE ANTISEMITISM IN K-12 SCHOOLS

Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education

2175 Rayburn
Watch

Opening statement:

• Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL)

Breaking: MCPS Keeps Bus in Service after this! "The engine in the rear of the bus malfunctioned causing eight gallons of highly pressurized antifreeze to be poured and aerosolized around the entire cabin, saturating everyone's clothing, backpacks, and contacting skin and eyes..."

PETITION:

To:  Montgomery County Board of Education
From: Concerned Parents of Montgomery County Public Schools Students

We are writing today with grave concerns regarding recent incidents involving the malfunctioning of school buses within our district. As a collective, we feel compelled to bring these issues to your attention and demand immediate action to address them.

On Friday May 3rd, 2024, students at Westland Middle School riding bus 1113 were subjected to a terrifying, traumatizing and nearly disastrous safety situation.
The engine in the rear of the bus malfunctioned causing eight gallons of highly pressurized antifreeze to be poured and aerosolized around the entire cabin, saturating everyone's clothing, backpacks, and contacting skin and eyes.

The main ingredient of antifreeze, ethylene glycol, is a toxic alcohol. It can cause chemical burns and can cause kidney failure and death if as little as two teaspoons are swallowed.
Firefighters used a low pressure fire hose to decontaminate all of the kids.

They said we were very lucky that the engine had not been running for longer, because superheated antifreeze would have resulted in thermal burns and a Mass Casualty Incident.
The children arrived to school tardy, soaking wet, with their possessions in biohazard bags.

The safety and well-being of our children should be paramount, and it is unacceptable that such incidents are occurring within our school transportation system.

Furthermore,  the same bus was utilized for transportation in the afternoon-- despite children reporting a smell on the bus, and seats and floors that were still wet and sticky.
 
This demonstrates a lack of oversight and accountability within the transportation department, putting the children at risk of further harm.

Regrettably, the problems persisted into the following school day, Monday May 6th, when the same buses broke down again, causing children to be late for school once more. These recurring malfunctions highlight systemic failures in maintaining the safety and reliability of our school buses, and they cannot be overlooked or dismissed.

It is imperative that immediate action is taken to address these serious maintenance and safety concerns within our school transportation system. As concerned parents, we demand the following actions be taken:

1. A thorough investigation into the maintenance protocols and procedures for school buses, with a focus on identifying and rectifying any deficiencies.
2. Immediate inspection of all buses in operation to ensure they meet safety standards and are fit for transporting students.
3. Implementation of a robust system for monitoring and reporting bus maintenance issues, with clear protocols for addressing them promptly.
4. Transparent communication with parents regarding any incidents or concerns related to school bus safety, including updates on corrective actions taken.

Our children deserve to travel to and from school in a safe and secure environment, and it is the responsibility of Montgomery County Public Schools to ensure that this fundamental expectation is met. We urge you to take decisive action to address these issues and prioritize the safety of our students above all else.

We look forward to your prompt response and the concrete steps that will be taken to address these urgent concerns. Thank you for your attention to this critical matter regarding our children's safety.

Sincerely,

https://www.change.org/p/ensuring-school-bus-safety-in-montgomery-county

'Rampant' drug use raises concern at Kennedy High School in Montgomery County

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — A ninth-grade English teacher at Kennedy High School in Glenmont said what's happening at the school is also happening at other public schools in Montgomery County.

At an April 11 Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Board of Education hearing David Gebler told school board members the halls at Kennedy "reek of marijuana."

"Usually drug use occurs in our bathrooms but vaping directly in the halls is becoming popular, and make no mistake, the ever-rising opioid epidemic is in our buildings," he testified.

Gebler described the drug use at Kennedy as "daily, rampant, and repeated."..

https://wjla.com/news/local/drugs-kennedy-high-school-montgomery-county-public-schools-board-education-hearing-testified-david-gebler-policy-change-concerns-crime

BOE Candidate Keeps PTA President Position, Includes 5 Councilmembers in Elem. School Culture Night event. Is this a campaign rally or a PTA event for kids?

The Montgomery County Council of PTAs (MCCPTA) Bylaws states that when an officer of the organization files for candidacy for public office they are to resign within a week. 

Individual PTA Bylaws also have language that speaks to how the organization handles it when an officer files for candidacy for public office.

At North Chevy Chase Elementary School, the PTA Bylaws state that members in their official capacities shall not, directly or indirectly, participate or intervene...in any political campaign on behalf of...any candidate for public office...

And yet, at North Chevy Chase Elementary School (NCCES) we see what is typically a night devoted to spotlighting the heritage of students turned into what looks like a campaign event.  20 MINUTES of the 2 hour Culture and Heritage Night are being turned over to 5 County Councilmembers and 10 minutes will be spent hearing from a current candidate for a Board of Education seat.  

The NCCES Culture and Heritage Night is being run by a current candidate for the Montgomery County Board of Education, Rita Montoya.  Rita Montoya is currently the PTA President at North Chevy Chase Elementary School and is actively maintained that position while campaigning.  

Montoya uses her PTA position in her campaign materials.  Montoya's day job is General Counsel and Founder of Cannabis Patient Advocacy Association but that position is not stated on her campaign information.   

Here's how the Culture and Heritage Night is being advertised to NCCES students and parents: 

But here's what the proposed Agenda for the NCCES Culture and Heritage Night looks like. Students and their families are in for a surprise.

For reference, here's what a typical MCPS elementary school Culture and Heritage or International Night looks like: 

Is the May 2, 2024, School Culture Night at North Chevy Chase Elementary School a student centered, PTA event or a campaign event?

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