Breaking: Inspector General Investigation into MCPS Charter School Operator

In October, 2014, an individual contacted the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to lodge numerous allegations regarding the school and residency programs at Crossway Community, Inc. (Crossway). This individual expressed concern about alleged abuse of children in the day care program and that program participants who complained were retaliated against and/or kicked out of the school or residency programs.
Several other program participants subsequently expressed similar concerns to our office.

...

Inquiry and Outcome:
Mr. Nelson advised us that DHCA had been made aware of assertions that Crossway residents were threatened with the loss of their project-based Housing Choice Voucher Program subsidy if they did not complete the Crossway Family Learning Academy (FLA) program and enroll eligible children in the Crossway Community Montessori School childcare facility. HOC had previously advised the OIG that if true, this could be a violation of HUD rules.

...

Full memorandum at this link: 

 http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/OIG/Resources/Files/PDF/IGActivity/FY2015/mcdhca_mchoc_crossway_community_pim15002_12_dec_2014.pdf

Exclusive: SEARCHABLE MCPS Budget Information!

At the recent Board of Education budget hearings, BOE members asked MCPS staff questions. MCPS staff is never able to answer the questions on live television, so the answers are typed up and submitted to the BOE at a later date.

(It's sad that the BOE has to ask questions about the budget, but since they don't write the budget they have no clue what's in it!) 

On the evening of January 23, 2014, the BOE held their first FY 2015 Operating Budget worksession.  At the worksession the answers to the BOE budget questions were distributed in binders.  MCPS posted the 44 pages of answers online in a non-searchable PDF file.

Why can't MCPS make a searchable PDF document?
No worries. We can!  So, here you go with TWO searchable versions of important MCPS budget information.

2/4/2014 UPDATE:  These budget answers have now been Revised.  See the searchable Revised document at this link. 

You can either read and search this document on

Dropbox: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31645241/FY2015%2001-23-14.pdf

or on  SCRIBD:

  FY2015 01-23-14 by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Charter Schools in Maryland

Total Number of Charter Schools in Maryland

Charter schools are only in 7 counties.   
Anne Arundel County Public Schools ... 2
Baltimore City Public Schools ... 38
Baltimore County Public Schools ... 1
Frederick County Public Schools ... 2
Montgomery County Public Schools ... 1  [Charter school is closing.]
Prince George's County Public Schools ... 7
St. Mary's County Public Schools ... 1

Exclusive: Charter School Blames Parents

Yesterday, the Parents' Coalition posted the press release from MCPS announcing that the one and only public charter school in the county would be closing.  Today we bring you the statement that some charter school parents received yesterday.  This statement says that MCPS was involved in the decision to close the school through "a series of informal discussions."   The statement also places much of the blame on the closing of the school on the public school parents. 

The public school parents at this school were never part of the funding model as presented by Crossway's director to the Board of Education or the County Council!  Why are the public school parents now being blamed? 

Note that this statement refers to the Crossway Board.  The public charter school was to be run by its own board, not the Crossway board. From this letter it is confirmed that the public charter school never did have a board as required by its charter agreement with MCPS.

STATEMENT ON COMMUNITY MONTESSORI CHARTER SCHOOL 

After a series of informal discussions with representatives of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), the Board of Directors of Crossway Community, Inc. has concluded that Crossway will be unable to continue absorbing the growing operating deficit of the Community Montessori Charter School (CMCS) and, accordingly, has decided to terminate its Charter School Agreement and has adopted a plan of dissolution to close CMCS effective the end of the current 2013-2014 school year, that is, June 13, 2014. 

It is with deep regret that the Board took such action.  However, the Board felt that there was no other choice because the anticipated levels of revenue for CMCS were not achieved, and following a close review, it was determined that there was not a realistic chance of reaching such levels in the near term.  The shortfall was attributable to two factors. First, under the Charter School Agreement, MCPS provided funding for income eligible students who were 4-years-old by September 1 and for students who were 5-years-old by September 1.  CMCS opened last year for 3 and 4- year - olds.  As a result, during the first year of operation (SY 12-13), only those children who reached 4 years of age by September 1, 2012 and met income-eligibility guidelines received public funding for their tuition.  All other enrolled children received a full-tuition scholarship from Crossway Community to attend CMCS.  For SY 2013-2014, CMCS was expanded to include 5-year olds. Although, the school had a mixed-age classroom of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds, in keeping with the Montessori educational model, public funding was available only for the income eligible 4-year-olds and those 5-year-olds whose birthdays were on or before September 1.  Such public funding covered only [37%] of CMCS's operating costs.  The remaining [63%] had to be borne by CMCS and its families. 

The second factor was that a greater level of financial support from CMCS families was anticipated.  Despite some efforts to achieve a higher level of voluntary support and the generous response from some families, our operating expenses consistency exceed the revenue of CMCS.  Crossway Community will negotiate with MCPS an arrangement for the repayment of any monies due.  

This has been an agonizing experience for everyone but I want to reassure our families and the general community that all other related Crossway Community operations and functions - Crossway Community Montessori Children's House (CCMCH), the Family Leadership Academy, the Crossway Community Center, and the Intergenerational Learing Center -- will continue uninterrupted.  CCMCH will continue operations as it had for 22 years before the creation of CMCS; as a private, non-profit organization.  The primary source of revenue for CCMCH will be tuition payments from our families.  The tuition schedule for 2014-2015 will remain the same as it was for 2013-2014.  In keeping with the school's long-term plan, a lower elementary class will open for the 2014-2015 school year.  It is the long-term plan to add a grade each year thereafter until third grade. 

I know this announcement may come as an unwelcome surprise to some families.  I will be happy to answer any questions parents might have at an information meeting on Thursday, January 16, 2014, from 6-7 p.m. in our Community Room here at Crossway.  Please call Lauren Cooper at 301-929-2505 to make plans to attend.   

I look forward to working with all of you to plan a successful transition for your family as we continue to work toward "learning, community, and creativity for all families." 

Kathleen Guinan
CEO/President, Crossway Community, Inc.

Gazette: Montgomery County to lose only charter school #CommunityMontessoriCharter #Crossway

County and school system officials previously raised concerns about Crossway’s ability to raise enough funds.
Guinan said at a July 22 meeting with the County Council’s Education Committee that the school has the support of “highly reliable sources” in the county to help it raise the funds it needs.

http://www.gazette.net/article/20140115/NEWS/140119419/1124/montgomery-county-to-lose-only-charter-school&template=gazette

Breaking News: Crossway Community Votes to Terminate Charter for Community Montessori

MCPS Press Release:  School will operate as public charter for remainder of current school yearThe Board of Directors for Crossway Community, Inc., which operates the Community Montessori Charter School, voted January 14 to terminate the charter at the end of the current school year. Community Montessori will operate as a public charter school for the rest of this school year and plans to continue as a private school beginning next school year.

The Board of Directors took the vote after determining its financial structure was not sustainable. The Board of Directors came to its decision after making every effort to close a budget gap that existed between what the school received in public funding and what it needed to raise in private donations.

Public funding was available for 40 of the 100 students at the school, which educates students in mixed-age classrooms of 3, 4 and 5-year-olds in keeping with the Montessori educational model.  The school worked diligently to raise the funds necessary to supplement the public contribution but despite the generosity of parents and the community, it was still short of the goal.  This effort has been a mutual and concerted one by all involved and the decision for the board was very difficult.

Parents were notified of the vote in a letter today (January 15, 2014) and a parent meeting will be held on Thursday, January 16, 2014, at 6:00 p.m.

“Despite our best efforts, we could not sustain the school financially as a charter and will move forward to provide services as a private school,” said Peter Kirby, chair of the Crossway Community Board of Directors. “We appreciate the support and guidance we received from Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) throughout this process and we are committed to serving our students as a charter school for the rest of this academic year.”

Crossway’s not-for-profit non-charter school, which has operated for the past 22 years, is fully prepared logistically to absorb all charter school children for the next school year--and at this year’s tuition rates. Parents can also enroll their children in their neighborhood MCPS schools for next year.  All other Crossway activities will continue uninterrupted.

“We will work closely with the school and parents to ensure a smooth transition for students who move to their neighborhood school next year,” MCPS Superintendent Joshua P. Starr said. “We know this was a difficult decision for the Board of Directors and we will work with the charter school to facilitate the transition for students and their families.”

“Everyone involved can take heart that we’ve all had a promising vision of what the future of education will look like,” said Kathleen Guinan, Crossway Community CEO.  “We know now where some of the pitfalls are and we have also seen the great potential of the idea.  For over 22 years, Crossway Community has been and is committed to making great things happen for young children and their parents.  This is consistent with the best research in the country in preparing our children for the 21st century.  We will continue to focus on improving the lives of our youngest citizens ages zero through six years.”

MCPS Charter School: Please No Characters on Clothing!

Here are the uniform requirements for public school children that attend the MCPS Charter School.

When did the Board of Education discuss this policy for the Charter School? Was this requirement disclosed in the Charter Schools application packet to the BOE?

Guess Mickey and Minnie are out at MCPS' one and only Charter School.
Parents and guardians, take note!

  Uniform.pdf by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

BOE Off Camera Retreat Addressed Public Comments

Here's a memo about what the BOE did on their off camera retreat on October 17, 2013.  
Too bad all of the parents and citizens that have given or sent comments to the BOE missed the BOE's actual discussion of their issues. 

...In addition, the Board used this work session as an opportunity to conduct its first quarterly deliberation regarding concerns raised by the community. This memorandum seeks to memorialize the decisions made by the Board during our retreat...

  2013 Board Work Session by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Valerie Ervin likes MCPS Charter School Contract Binding Parents to Fundraising

Montgomery County Council member Valerie Ervin likes the fact that the MCPS Charter School requires parents to sign a contract. But, has Councilmember Ervin ever seen the contract that MCPS Charter School parents are required to sign?

The MCPS Charter School contract requires parents to sign that they will participate in the annual fundraising! 

Why does Councilmember Ervin think that requiring parents and guardians to participate in fundraising for a publicly supported school is appropriate?

  Parent Agreement by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

MCPS Charter School Teaching Assistant, Who Claimed "Dissociative Fugue" Amnesia, Has Been Lost And Found Again

WUSA reports:

This time, searchers found Hannah Upp after just a few days walking on solid ground near Wheaton Regional Park. "When you start to see a pattern like that, you really start to wonder, 'Ok, what's going on with this person?'" says Dr. Baum. "I would be looking for things with a cyclical tendency. BiPolar Disorder or underlying personality disorder or substance abuse or seizure disorder."

http://www.wusa9.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=2651989088001

Missing Charter School Teach Assist. Lives in Charter School

...Montgomery County police said Hannah Emily Upp was reported missing Tuesday morning and was last seen near Kemp Mill Road and Glenallan Avenue. Upp is an assistant teacher at the Community Montessori Charter School in Kensington. She also lives in the building, which is at 3015 Upton Drive...

http://www.gazette.net/article/20130904/NEWS/130909687/1124/montgomery-teacher-who-disappeared-in-new-york-five-years-ago-is&template=gazette

Crossway Teaching Assistant Missing

NBC4: Md. Woman With Rare Form of Amnesia Goes Missing Again

...She was last seen Tuesday morning around the time she should have been reporting to work, when a coworker saw her walking several miles from the Montessori school where she is a teacher's assistant. She also lives on the grounds...

Durso: "charter school is experiencing some structural and procedural issues that need to be addressed"

http://www.gazette.net/article/20130904/NEWS/130909820/1022/charter-school-makes-changes-to-lottery-process&template=gazette

Public Comment to State Board of Ed: Illegal Fees, Charter School, Restrictions on Teachers, Cell Towers on Playgrounds

The following public comment was given today to the 

Maryland State Board of Education.

Maryland State Board of Education

August 27, 2013

Public School Students Should Be First Priority

 of State Board of Education

1. Montgomery County Public School students are still paying fees to attend public school classes. This is the third time I have come before you on these illegal fees. In 2010, the State Board of Education did a survey of Maryland public schools to determine if other Counties were charging students to attend public school classes. What did you do with your survey results? You know this illegal practice continues, yet you remain silent.

2. Seven students were admitted to Montgomery County Public Schools one and only public charter school without being part of the public lottery process. You were given this information as part of your evaluation of the Charter. Have you contacted the seven families from the wait list that were denied admission to this school to alert them of their right to appeal the denial of admission? Have you done anything to protect the right of these seven public school students to a fair and open public lottery process?

3. How many teachers in public schools in Maryland are in classrooms with restrictions on their ability to touch or interact with their students? Please do a county by county survey and make the results public. Parents need to know if they are required to send their child to a public school if the classroom teacher is restricted from tying a shoelace, touching a child to show how to hold a pencil, or picking a child up who has fallen down. Parents have the right to know if their child's teacher is restricted from taking these basic actions. Do we need regulations? Legislation?

What needs to be done to make sure that no teachers are in classrooms with children with these unconscionable restrictions on their movements. If a teacher has such restrictions, then promote them to administration and get them out of the public school classrooms! NOW!

Clearly, the State Board knew there was a serious problem when you signed off on your September 2012 Opinion 12-34, Picca v. Montgomery County Board of Education, but did you take any action? Here's what you said in that 2012 Opinion:

September 25, 2012, Opinion from the Maryland State Board of Education in the Picca v. Montgomery County Board of Education matter :

"...Recent child sex abuse cases have shone a bright light in that dark corner.  We think that this case can shine a light on the abusive conduct, albeit infrequent, of school staff toward children.  We ask local boards to review and put in place a policy addressing teacher and staff conduct with students, and make it a part of the message in staff training and meetings.  We ask local boards to inquire about the safeguards that are in place to assure that the type of persistent conduct that occurred in this case does not occur in their schools..."

Did MCPS take any action after that Opinion was released?

It appears that neither the State Board of Education, nor Montgomery County Public Schools took any action after the September 2012 Opinion because it took HOMELAND SECURITY to remove this teacher from a MCPS classroom in February of 2013.

According to court documents, school leaders placed restrictions on Joynes in November 2011, after two complaints. Joynes was told not to touch children, be alone with them, sit in the cafeteria during lunch or stay on the playground during recess. His classroom door was to remain open, and he was to use staff restrooms, not those for students, documents say.

The Washington Post, August 21, 2013 – Article attached.

4. We need a Statewide ban on cell towers at elementary schools. Parents and guardians need to focus on their children's education and should not have to spend these important educational years battling private interests who want to turn playgrounds into Hazardous Materials compounds. It's time to protect playgrounds for public school students!

Thank you for the opportunity to give public comment.

Janis Zink Sartucci

Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Dubious Charter School Funding Model

Gazette:  Montgomery school system, county raise questions about charter school’s fundraising

Exclusive: Charter School Violates Public Lottery - MCPS and Council Cover Up Violation?

From page 4 of the February 26, 2013 internal MCPS memorandum.

The Parents' Coalition has obtained a copy of a February 26, 2013, internal MCPS memorandum from Community Superintendent Donna Hollingshead to the Community Montessori Charter School administration.

In this memo we learn that for the 2012-2013 school year the Community Montessori Charter School enrolled 7 students who were not part of the public lottery.  Back on July 7, 2011, Board of Education member Laura Berthiaume had been very concerned that the charter school run a fair lottery for seats with "no thumbs on the scale".

We know that in the 2012 public lottery for seats at the MCPS charter school there were 247 applications for 70 seats. 

Why has this memo been covered up by MCPS and by the County Council? 
Note the memo is not even copied to the Superintendent or to the Board of Education!

The Montgomery County Council's Education Committee has held two hearings on the Community Montessori Charter School since February and MCPS and Council staff have suppressed this memo at both hearings.

April 24, 2013, Council Education Committee Hearing Video

July 22, 2013 Council Education Committee Hearing Packet:  Note how the Council Staff covered for the Charter School's 2012 Lottery Process.  We believe that Council staff had the Feburary 26, 2013, memo shown below, but did not mention in the information supplied to Councilmembers the 7 students enrolled outside the lottery process.

From July 22, 2013, Council Education Committee Packet prepared by Council Staff

It is important to note that the MCPS funding for the charter school is based on the number of pre-schoolers who are eligible for public funds.  The February 26, 2013, memo (shown in its entirety below) makes no reference to the eligibility of the 7 students enrolled outside the lottery process for public funding.  Did these 7 students change the MCPS funding given to this public charter school?

It is now August and the February 2013 internal MCPS memo is just being made public by the Parents' Coalition.  The 2013 lottery for this charter school has already been held.  Was it a public process?  Were seats filled from the public lottery?  What guarantee do parents and taxpayers have that this public charter school lottery is being run without "thumbs on the scale?"

  MCPS Community Montessori Charter School by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

MCPS Assistant Principal to take over Charter School

Karen E. Caroscio, currently assistant principal, South Lake Elementary School, as principal, Community Montessori Charter School

And, look they got the name of the Charter School right in the Press Release!  Congratulations to the MCPS Public Relations Department on figuring out the legal name of MCPS' one and only Charter School.  The name of the MCPS Charter School is Community Montessori Charter School and does not include the words Cross or Way in the title!

Now the MCPS Public Information Office can go and fix the rest of the MCPS website.

"The name Montessori is not legally protected, and unfortunately can be used by anyone without oversight."

Source of quote in title of this blog post:  Montessori International website. 

Neither Crossway nor the MCPS Community Montessori Charter School are registered with any Montessori chartering organization. 

Here are the 3 Montessori organizations:

• AMI (Association Montessori International):                http://www.amiusa.org/school-locator-2/
• AMS (American Montessori Society):   http://www.amshq.org/School%20Resources/Find%20a%20School.aspx
• NAMTA (North American Montessori Teachers Association ) School Directory list, with certification and class levels listed - USA and International. http://www.montessori-namta.org/School-Directory

Crossway and Community Montessori Charter School are not listed as members of any of these organizations.  

Why did the Montgomery County Board of Education approve the name of their one charter school to include the name "Montessori" if the school is not an accredited Montessori school?

Exclusive: Why doesn't the Council Have This Document?

On Monday, July 22, 2013, the Montgomery County Council's Education Committee claims they will be reviewing the one and only MCPS Board of Education charter school. For their meeting Council staff prepares a "packet" of information for Councilmembers.

What's in the Monday "packet" for this discussion?  Fluff from the charter school vendor.  Is that what Council review is about? Letting vendors put on a show?

Well, if the Council was really interested in providing some oversight they would start by reviewing the Charter School Agreement that was executed between the Board of Education and the charter school vendor.  But, the Council can't review that document because they don't have it.

But, we do.

Here is the Charter School Agreement for the MCPS Board of Education's one and only charter school.  Maybe its time the Council's Education Committee read this document and exercised some real oversight over the almost $700,000 in tax dollars this school will receive this year?

  CMCS Charter by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

  Crossway Charter School Application Montgomery County MD 2011 by freestategal

Charter School Needs to Raise $500,000 Annually to Stay Afloat

What kind of a public school is MCPS' one and only Charter School that it needs to raise $500,000 every year to stay open?  Is this how MCPS runs all of its public schools?  Why was a Charter School allowed to open if they didn't have sufficient funds to be sustainable?

Families at the Community Montessori Charter School have been told that $500,000 needs to be raised.  
What does this mean to those families?  What burden does it put on them now that they have enrolled their child in what they thought was a MCPS public school?

Are the Board of Education and the County Council monitoring this fundraising?  

See #5 on this document from the Community Montessori Charter School:

  Community Montessori Charter School by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland