How can quality programs be replicated under proposed MCPS regional model?

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) plans to make sweeping changes to the academic programs available to students. Part of this is the wholesale elimination of the Downcounty Consortium (DCC) and the Northeast Consortium (NEC) model in favor of a six-region model. The dissolution of the consortia will have a direct impact on countywide magnet programs and in particular the MCPS Visual Art Center (VAC) at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington. MCPS is among the nation’s best public school systems in part because it offers such exceptional programs. The county will lose one of its crown jewels if the MCPS academic programs committee implements this plan. Last year MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor celebrated the VAC’s 50 years of excellence. Today he wants to eliminate it.

The VAC, a criteria-based program, draws applications from students attending all schools in Montgomery County and admits between 30-35 students per class year. With two dedicated instructors, a purpose-built studio, and a double period schedule, the small class-based curriculum consistently produces artist-scholars recognized at the local, state, and national level. For example, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards from 2025 alone included an American Visionary nominee, seven gold portfolios winners, along with winners of 58 gold keys, 84 silver keys, and 132 honorable mentions. These artist-scholars are high achievers on AP exams, consistently outperforming the national average.

Beyond the numbers, the VAC presents opportunities for teen artists to express their creativity and their voices beyond the typical high school experience. VAC instructors mentor students to enter competitions as part of the curriculum. Last spring, VAC students exhibited work at the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival on the National Mall and at American University’s Katzen Arts Center. In the current small learning community model, students receive the instruction and mentorship of two dedicated visual arts educators, resulting in diverse candidates for scholarships, college application support, and career-ready portfolio development...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/11/20/letter-to-editor-how-can-quality-programs-be-replicated-mcps-regional-model/

Former Einstein High student allegedly steals student’s belongings, insinuates having gun

Albert Einstein High School in Kensington was placed in a “hold” and then “secure” status Thursday afternoon after a former student allegedly stole belongings from a student off campus and suggested he was in possession of a gun, according to a community letter sent from the school’s principal Friday.  

Principal Mark Brown Jr. said in the letter that a student reported at roughly 1:40 p.m. that a classmate’s belongings were stolen by a former student at a park off-campus at approximately 12:30 p.m. Later, other students confronted the former student who then “gestured and commented in such a way that suggested he was in possession of a firearm.” Students also reported that the former student had left campus.  

“However, per [Montgomery County Public Schools] district protocol, we moved into a hold and secure, as a precaution,” Brown said in the letter...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/09/19/einstein-high-former-student/

Jay Thirunarayanapuram, a gifted artist who had just completed his freshman year at Albert Einstein High School, died five days after he turned 15.

...When she opened the door and saw two Metro Transit police detectives standing outside, a wave of panic swept over her.

“Can we come in and visit with you?” one asked.

The detectives sat down on a couch and quietly told her that Jay was found next to the Metro tracks near the Rhode Island Avenue station that afternoon. They said it appeared he had been videotaping himself for social media when he slipped while riding atop a Metro train, a practice known as subway surfing — an escalating problem for some major transit agencies...

...The 15- and 16- year-olds interviewed for this article, who attend high schools in Fairfax County, Montgomery County and the District, said they had been riding on top of or between trains for the past year or so...

Jay Thirunarayanapuram, 15, died while subway surfing this summer. - The Washington Post

Update: @mcps Seth Adams Blames Parents for MCPS Poor Planning. Einstein HS will lose Tennis Courts. @mcps Seth Adams to Punish Students for His Poor Planning.

Portable Classrooms Placed at Einstein High School Tennis Court

Albert Einstein High School in Kensington is losing one of its tennis courts to make way for portable classrooms, and athletes there are not happy.

The portable trailers are needed due to over enrollment at the school, explained Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) spokesperson Jessica Baxter...

Portable Classrooms Placed at Einstein High School Tennis Court - Montgomery Community Media (mymcmedia.org)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let's remember who is behind all of these decisions. The Board of Education delegated all of their authority so they can hide and deny knowledge of decisions like these.  

From MCPS Staff Directory:

BREAKING: Footage obtained by The B&W shows police taking an Albert Einstein High School student into custody this afternoon after the school entered lockdown due to reports of a weapon on campus. The lockdown has since been lifted, per police.

BREAKING: Footage obtained by The B&W shows police taking an Albert Einstein High School student into custody this afternoon after the school entered lockdown due to reports of a weapon on campus. The lockdown has since been lifted, per police. pic.twitter.com/zjzQyrhZIe

— The Black & White (@bdubbsonline) January 20, 2023

Einstein High School Closed due to Mechanical Failure

Albert Einstein High School is closed Monday due to a mechanical failure, according to Montgomery County Public School’s Twitter account. The mechanical system’s failure affects heat and water for the school and won’t be “repaired in time for normal school operations.” All MCPS students are off Tuesday for a Teacher Professional Day...

https://www.mymcmedia.org/einstein-hs-closed-due-to-mechanical-failure/?fbclid=IwAR0-lppf1xwebofz0_doGQfSuwBKmCci1Q_tmZHgc-4LjQTBq0rGIic02bI

Racist comments at high school sports events lead to effort to ‘repair the harm’

Montgomery County school officials will bring together students and staff from two high schools Monday to begin meetings to “repair the harm” after racial slurs were made toward Asian students at two recent sports events.

Sherwood High School spectators are accused of directing the demeaning remarks at students from Einstein High, a more diverse, less affluent school in the suburban Kensington area.

Sherwood’s principal said in a letter to the Einstein community that his school would investigate the incidents — which have touched off parent complaints and social media posts — and that there would be “serious consequences” for those responsible.

Sherwood Principal Tim Britton said the two schools also would hold a dialogue among students and staff to “better understand the pain and hurt these actions have caused” as Sherwood separately engages in “reflective and restorative practices within our own school community … to examine our school culture and how we are perceived within and outside of our community.”..

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-high-schools-racist-incidents/2021/10/10/2b22abfa-2878-11ec-8831-a31e7b3de188_story.html

Police did not press charges against the Albert Einstein student because they say there wasn't a credible threat. @mymcmedia

Police did not press charges against the Albert Einstein student because they say there wasn't a credible threat. @mymcmedia https://t.co/RYlfD4GkIL

— Deirdre Byrne (@DeirdreByrneMCM) April 8, 2020

Montgomery student displays gun during distance learning session

A student displayed a gun during an online classroom session held by an educator at Albert Einstein High School in suburban Maryland, officials said.

Montgomery County police and school system security staff were notified after the Friday incident, according to a letter from Einstein Principal Christine Handy.

“They have investigated the incident and determined that there is no imminent threat to school or student safety,” Handy said in the message. “I am deeply disappointed by this behavior.”

District officials are investigating whether the teacher knew about the gun being shown and how the teacher responded, said Derek Turner, a spokesman for the school system. School system officials think students may have posted photos or videos to social media, he said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2020/04/07/coronavirus-dc-maryland-virginia-live-updates/

.@fox5dc learned last Friday an Albert Einstein HS student brandished a gun during an online learning session. @mcpnews investigated.

.@fox5dc learned last Friday an Albert Einstein HS student brandished a gun during an online learning session. @mcpnews investigated.
Today @MCPS issued a notice informing everyone of their online safety school policy when using Zoom.

Principal email👇• MCPS info👇 pic.twitter.com/PVVVdnYZtI

— Stephanie Ramirez (@RamirezReports) April 6, 2020

MCPS Math: $3.7M + $1.3M = $4.9M Do The Math. It Means MCPS had to Pay $161K for the MSI Artificial Turf Fields

Let us start with a bit of history.

Montgomery Soccer, Inc. (MSI Soccer) sued the Montgomery County Board of Education because they said the MCPS Bid Process was "highly irregular and rife with conflicts of interest, false statements..."

The case did not go to a trial, instead the Board of Education reached an out of court settlement with MSI Soccer that gave MSI Soccer the use of 3 school fields in exchange for MSI Soccer paying for the installation of artificial turf at each of those schools.  

On May 2, 2017, the Montgomery County Council approved the appropriation of a $4.9 million contribution from MSI Soccer to pay for the 3 artificial turf fields.  

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/Resources/Files/res/2017/20170502_18-787.pdf

On April 24, 2018, the Montgomery County Board of Education approved a contract for the installation of the artificial turf football field at Whitman High School.

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/AXVPH464979A/$file/Award%20Cont%20Install%20Turf%20Walt%20Whtiman%20HS.pdf

On June 12, 2018, the Montgomery County Board of Education approved a

contract for the installation of artificial turf fields at Einstein High School and

Julius West Middle School. 

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/AZEH84473086/$file/Award%20Cont%20Turf%20Install%20Julius%20West%20MS%20Albert%20Einstein%20HS.pdf

Now do the MCPS math:

$1,344,000 + $3,717,579 = $4,900,000

If that doesn't add up then that means that the Board of Education had to kick in $161,579 to pay the difference between what MSI Soccer contributed to these fields and the actual cost of installing these 3 plastic fields. 

Didn't the Board of Education just vote to not install water bottle filling stations at all middle and high schools because they had to make "trade offs" in the budget and they couldn't afford the $200,000 for the water stations?  

Here's the trade off:  Artificial turf for MSI Soccer instead of water bottle filling stations at middle and high schools. 

Whitman HS Student Athlete Says: MCPS: Stop building more turf fields like ours #artificialturf

“And the field takes another victim!” 

For my soccer teammates and me, this joke has become all too colloquial at every home game. But as we waited two months for Whitman’s new turf field to open last fall, did we expect to be cracking that joke multiple times per game? Definitely not.

 The turf field was supposed to be state-of-the-art, made with a different material than older turf fields with “cancerous” black pellets at schools like Walter Johnson and Wootton. Whitman isn’t the only school that has this type of turf field; B–CC, Wheaton, Richard Montgomery and Einstein all have relatively similar surfaces...

...MCPS officials recently tested Whitman’s turf field and found that its surface is outside the FIFA range for the degree of friction and “too smooth” for FIFA standards — leading to athletes slipping, sometimes resulting in injuries. FIFA is the international organization that makes rules for soccer, whether for the World Cup final or a youth soccer game. I understand the “smooth” standards may be different for soccer than for other sports that play on the turf field, but I also know that other athletes still slip and fall on the surface of the field too.

Also, when it’s hot and humid outside, dust from the sand in the turf rises in the air. There’s a potentially toxic chemical called silica in the infill of the field, which rises from the turf surface. Symptoms of silica poisoning include shortness of breath, coughing and rapid breathing...

https://theblackandwhite.net/66448/opinion/mcps-stop-building-more-turf-fields-like-ours/

Former Einstein High School Counselor To Serve 20 Years for Raping Two Women

A former Montgomery County high school guidance counselor was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday for raping two women he met through the dating application Tinder.

Colin Sime Black, 35, of Rockville, was found guilty on June 28 of second-degree sexual offense charges for raping a woman on March 24, 2017, according to court documents.

He was also found guilty on July 8 of sexual-degree sexual offenses for raping another woman on Dec. 31, 2016, according to court documents. The two convictions happened in separate trials.

On Friday, Montgomery County Circuit Judge David Boynton issued two consecutive 20-year sentences for the two convictions. Boynton suspended five years of the sentence for the June conviction and he suspended 15 years of the sentence for the July conviction, leaving 20 years for Black to spend in prison.

As part of his punishment, Black must register as a sex offender.

Black, who worked at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, got together with one woman through Tinder on Dec. 16, 2016, when they engaged in sexual activity, according to court documents...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/courts/former-high-school-counselor-sentenced-to-20-years-for-raping-two-women/

‘Why don’t we get the field?’: Use of playing field pits an elite private school against D.C. public schools

An elite private school has been granted special access to a public playing field in Northwest Washington in exchange for funding upgrades to the site. But the deal with D.C. officials has some residents and politicians calling foul on a move they say shortchanges public school students.

The deal between the Maret School and the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation allows Maret exclusive use of the field at the Jelleff Recreation Center during the hours of highest demand, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., on weekdays for the next decade, according to Marjo Talbott, Maret’s head of school. In exchange, the school is spending about $950,000 to improve the turf field, add a fence and renovate the recreation center building, Talbott said.

In response, a coalition of public school parents, elected officials and area residents is petitioning Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) to reverse the deal...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/why-dont-we-get-the-field-use-of-playing-field-pits-an-elite-private-school-against-dc-public-schools/2019/08/31/5081b5de-ca5c-11e9-a1fe-ca46e8d573c0_story.html

Board of Ed Releases Only One Page of Three Page February Artificial Turf Report. Report Shows Whitman Got Taller Plastic Grass and ZEOFILL is Abrasive Infill.

Handwritten notations and highlighting have been added. 

The above page from a February Report on artificial turf infill was posted to the Board of Education's Agenda for the June 24, 2019, meeting (video of parent reporting on continuing injuries to athletes from Richard Montgomery HS artificial turf).

Also posted with this page of the Labosport Report was information from MCPS showing which field was referenced by each column of the chart.  We have made notations on the above Report showing which MCPS field the data refers to and what type of infill was used at each field.

Pages 1 and 2 of the Labosport Report were not made public.  

The Labosport Report shows that the Whitman High School artificial turf plastic grass is taller than the plastic grass installed at Richard Montgomery HS and Einstein HS.  The Report also shows that the Richard Montgomery HS infill is highly abrasive.  In addition, in the columns evaluating the ZEOFILL infill we see higher numbers for abrasiveness.

This Report shows that there is increased abrasiveness when ZEOFILL is used in the infill.

Why has the Board of Education been withholding this report from the public since February?  Students continued to use these fields even when the Board of Education KNEW there was a hazardous situation causing injury to students.

When will the Richard Montgomery High School artificial turf infill be REMOVED and REPLACED with a less abrasive infill?
 

Trial of Albert Einstein HS Guidance Counselor Begins

Trial Begins in Sex Assault Case Where Liaisons Were Arranged Via Dating App

...Colin Sime Black, 35, was arrested in October 2017 and charged with second-degree rape, four counts of second-degree sexual offenses, two counts of second-degree assault and false imprisonment stemming from two interactions with women he met through the Tinder matchmaking service between December 2016 and March 2017.

Black was a guidance counselor at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington and was placed on administrative leave after his arrest...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/courts/trial-begins-in-sex-assault-case-where-liaisons-were-arranged-via-dating-app/

Board of Education to hand out meaningless diplomas during the next several weeks

Note:  The following article is based largely on information that an internal MCPS source leaked to the Washington Post without authorization.

Washington Post: Can you skip 47 days of English class and still graduate? At this Montgomery County high school, yes.

As graduation approached last year, the list of often-absent students at Albert Einstein High School in suburban Maryland was long. More than 175 seniors repeatedly missed classes, many in courses required for their diplomas.

Most students at the Montgomery County school graduated anyway.

Entire article at:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/can-you-skip-47-days-of-english-class-and-still-graduate-from-high-school/2019/05/25/be3318ca-1b84-11e9-88fe-f9f77a3bcb6c_story.html

Excerpts from article:

Longtime Einstein Principal James G. Fernandez, who recently announced his retirement, declined to speak about absences or related issues, school system officials said.

At Magruder High School in Derwood, 43 percent of high school students were chronically absent, the county’s highest.

The documents obtained by The Post show that 115 Einstein seniors were frequently absent in math courses and that at least 88 missed senior-year English classes required for a diploma. Others were often out during science, social studies, art, physical education or Advanced Placement classes that may — or may not — have been required for graduation.

Some teachers see the fallout in the Montgomery County graduates who arrive at Montgomery College unprepared every year. Nearly 70 percent of those students in 2018 needed to take remedial classes in math and 37 percent in English, college officials said.

This is a new security checkpoint at Einstein HS in Kensington, MD. The school added it because a lot of the students were ordering food delivery every day at lunch. UberEats, DoorDash, etc. @MCPS discourages food delivery to closed campuses for safety reasons @nbcwashington

This is a new security checkpoint at Einstein HS in Kensington, MD. The school added it because a lot of the students were ordering food delivery every day at lunch. UberEats, DoorDash, etc. @MCPS discourages food delivery to closed campuses for safety reasons @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/mDO9MucT5z

— Drew Wilder (@DrewWilderTV) April 30, 2019

Dakota Brothers strangled and stabbed pregnant Einstein High School classmate because he did not want to be a father

A Montgomery County judge on Friday handed down two 35-year sentences to a Silver Spring man on two counts of 1st degree attempted murder for strangling and stabbing his on-again, off-again girlfriend in the woods near Albert Einstein High School in 2016.

Circuit Court Judge David A. Boynton told 20-year-old Dakota Brothers, an Einstein student at the time of the crime, his attempt to kill his former lover and classmate, Samuela Wolfe, was premeditated and deliberate...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/courts/judge-sentences-silver-spring-man-to-two-35-year-prison-terms-for-attempted-murder/

Video: Elrich, Hucker, Rice, Floreen, Riemer, Katz and Navarro Voting to Install Plastic Fields at Julius West MS, Whitman HS and Einstein HS