Weast still withholding materials of instruction?

The Parents' Coalition has been forwarded the following note from a MCPS high school:

It has come to the attention of the PTSA that there is a need for TI83 calculators for students unable to purchase one in preparation for exams or completing assignments at home.  If you have an old TI 83 calculator or perhaps your student is upgrading to an newer model and you would like to donate the old one to other students in need it would be appreciated.  [XXXXX] in the Counseling Office is receiving these calculators.  Please drop them by the counseling office for her or have your student drop them by.  If you have any questions about this drive, feel free to contact me on [XXXXX] or contact [XXXXX] in the Counseling Office. Thank you in advance for your generous donation.

Here is the MCPS statement on graphing calculators from the MCPS website: 

If a student cannot purchase a graphing calculator, one will be loaned to the student for the duration of the course.

What's going on at this high school? Why aren't students being supplied with the tools necessary to be successful in their classes?  Why are materials of instruction being withheld while administrators continue to charge restaurant meals to the school system's budget? 


Here's hoping that the next Superintendent provides ALL Montgomery County Public School students with the necessary materials of instruction!  


All students are entitled to a free public education under the Maryland Constitution. 


MCPS administrators are not entitled to charge personal meals to the school system's operating budget.  That's not what the MCPS operating budget was set up to fund.

Exposing the hidden costs of a free public education

San Diego News Network:  Exposing the hidden costs of a free public education
(Article cites curricular fee issue in Montgomery County Public Schools)

...The right of free access also prohibits mandated purchases of materials, supplies, equipment or uniforms associated with the activity, as well as the payment of security deposits for access, participation, materials or equipment. Finally, a process that allows for a waiver process for an otherwise mandatory fee, charge or deposit does not render it constitutionally permissible.”...

...Teachers’ syllabi regularly list required course supplies, including calculators for mathematics courses and cameras for photography classes. ASB and student stores have become clothing stores selling physical education uniforms which some schools require students to purchase.

In order to comply with the law, these practices will have to cease.

Other school districts nationwide – like this one in Gaithersburg, Maryland – are also confronting similar challenges...  

What does it cost to attend a MCPS high school?

There was an interesting post on this blog the other day that cited a New York newspaper article about how much parents were paying to send their children to public schools. At one school the "suggested donation" was $600.

What are families in Montgomery County paying per child in fees for our children to attend their local public high school?

Here is a snapshot of the average amount of fees paid per high school student for each of the MCPS high schools listed.

Churchill $872
Whitman $795
Bethesda-Chevy Chase $741
Seneca Valley $554
Quince Orchard $547
Wootton $544
Blake $538
Poolesville $532
Paint Branch $514
Sherwood $507
Richard Montgomery $506
Rockville $472
Northwest $451
Magruder $418
Damascus $408
Walter Johnson $408
Clarksburg $400
Blair $377
Gaithersburg $372
Springbrook $350
Wheaton $350
Watkins Mill $340
Kennedy $338
Einstein $295
Northwood $295

Please note that this was based on 2006-07 school year financial information put out by MCPS for all fees collected at each school. That means that these averages include both extra-curricular fees and curricular fees paid by students to their local school.
This does not include funds paid in to PTAs or school foundations.

Here is the document that gave rough estimates of how much each local middle school and high school collected during the 2006-07 school year in fees from students. The amounts were only shown on a graph and exact figures were not provided. The averages above are based on estimates only. Contact your local high school principal for the exact amount of fees collected for any given school year.
2006-07IAFDATAMCPSmanagementreport

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Teachers Beg on DonorsChoose.Org

Our 'world class' school system with its $2.1 BILLION budget has teachers begging for money for school items on DonorsChoose.org (see below). Many of the items requested are curriculum related - things that should be supplied by the MCPS.

Oh wait - those Pain in the Ass parents are supposed to cough it up through 'curricular fees'.

How is it MCPS always has a SURPLUS for Textbooks and Instructional Materials, yet schools do not have these materials?

Textbooks and Instructional Materials Surplus

2009 $5,000,000
2008 $6,800,000
2007 $ 200,000
2006 $ 400,000
2005 $1,500,000

Besides noting what the teachers are asking for, please note the interesting teacher comments copied from their DonorsChoose pages.

These are not all the requests. I will note requests for special education supplies in another post. There's even a request for a Gifted Center.

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Twinbrook ES Gr 3-5 $566 81 subscriptions to "TIME for Kids Magazine - News Scoop Edition". The cost of this proposal is $566, which includes shipping for any materials requested and fulfillment."

Twinbrook ES Gr 3-5 $572 My students need reading comprehension centers, 14 different vocabulary centers, a poetry listening center, and privacy partitions. The cost of this proposal is $572, which includes shipping for any materials requested and fulfillment."

Twinbrook ES Gr 3-5 $565 My students need 6 cases of multipurpose paper, 3 packs of easel pads, and 1 chart pad. The cost of this proposal is $565, which includes shipping for any materials requested and fulfillment."

Twinbrook ES Gr PreK-2 Mrs G $642 My second grade students need 3 sets of guided reading kit books. The cost of this proposal is $642, which includes shipping for any materials requested and fulfillment."

Twinbrook ES Gr PreK -2 $544 Mrs G "Have you ever tried to teach students who were learning math on 2 or 3 different grade levels in the same room? It's not easy! ...Help my students read WHILE mastering their math skills with these math centers. Also, help me keep my sanity teaching 30 kids with different needs. We would really appreciate your generosity! My students need 10 math centers resources, including 2 Magic Function Math Machine sets and a set of Stamp & Solve Math Activity Boxes. The cost of this proposal is $544, which includes shipping for any materials requested and fulfillment."

Thurgood Marshall ES PreK-2 $1004 My students need 20 leveled book sets, from levels D-M. The cost of this proposal is $1,004, which includes shipping for any materials requested and fulfillment."

Meadow Hall ES Gr PreK-2 $373 "I teach second grade in a school where the neighborhood has a low socio-economic status. There are many immigrant families who do not speak any English and have limited resources. A major obstacle in our classroom is a lack of supplies. With families who have to work multiple jobs to support their families, there are not many donations from parents... My students need a mailbox organizer to put their papers in. This is a good way to keep us organized and to save time. Also, we always run out of school supplies like glue sticks! We need 30 glue sticks. Please help to keep our classroom running in an organized way. The cost of this proposal is $373, which includes shipping for any materials requested and fulfillment."

Meadow Hall ES Gr PreK - 2 $405 "... My students need supplies. It is as simple as that. We are not a Title 1 school, ...My students need pencils, glue sticks, glue bottles, Crayola crayons, Crayola markers, Scotch tape, highlighters, Expo dry erase markers, and other craft supplies. The cost of this proposal is $405, which includes shipping for any materials requested and fulfillment."

Corrected: How to look for Montgomery County Schools: go to DonorsChoose.org, click on "See Projects" upper right, or 'All Projects' in middle of page. Search State (Maryland) --> County (Montgomery)

More than one path to success? Be prepared to pay up.

The following is an OP-Ed piece from the Baltimore Sun. I will note that one of the controversies surrounding Montgomery County Public Schools this year has been the failure of the Superintendent and the school Board, under both President Nancy Navarro and President Shirley Brandman, to honor a student's Maryland Constitutional right to a free public education. While Superintendent Weast has scaled back some curricular fees, he is forging ahead with charging students curricular fees in vocational programs. Is that plan in the best interest of all children? The school Board has been silent on this issue. ~ Janis Sartucci

Baltimore Sun: More than one path to success

It's time for our schools to move beyond a focus on college preparation, which drives many black and Hispanic youths to drop out

By Walter A. Gill

April 23, 2009

There is a disconnect in the American education system. Blacks and Hispanics drop out of school in huge numbers, leading to high incarceration rates. Meanwhile, the schools impose a one-size-fits-all curriculum that envisions four-year college as a universal goal and marginalizes and minimizes alternative career paths.

It's time to connect the dots. Real reform, especially in large urban school districts, cannot occur until we recognize the reality that many students will not attend a four-year college - and provide alternative avenues to success for those students.

In his speech to Congress in February, President Barack Obama correctly noted, "The U.S. has one of the highest dropout rates of any industrialized nation," and said, "Our children will compete for jobs in a global economy that too many of our schools do not prepare them for." He recommended that students must "commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training."

Noble goals indeed - but first things first. Students need to graduate from high school before than can aspire to anything grander.

continues here

Fees waived if you know who to ask

You might remember my article from about five weeks ago, where I described how I stumbled upon a way to get illegal curricular fees removed my daughter's account so that she will be able to attend graduation and participate in other school activities.

If you don't have time to read (or reread) the article now, the short story is that I received a demand letter for a curricular fee for one of daughter's classes and was eventually able to have the fee rescinded with help from Maryland State Delegate Saqib Ali. The fee was rescinded because, according to Superintendent Jerry Weast, the demand letter that I received was a "mistake".

A question that has never been answered is: Does the decision to rescind the curricular fee apply just to my child -- presumably because of Delegate Ali's involvement -- or to all MCPS students? To get an answer, I repeatedly called and emailed MCPS Director of School Performance Mr. Stephen Bedford (since he is handling the fees issues), but Mr. Bedford refused to answer my question.

Even after repeated calls, Mr. Bedford continued to be nonresponsive, so I contacted my elected BOE representative, Ms. Nancy Navarro. Here is my email to Ms. Navarro. (Again, I recommend that you read my previous article about the situation for background information.)

Publish at Scribd or explore others: School Work Study Guides, Notes, weast mcps

Initially, Ms. Navarro did not respond to the email message shown above. I wasn't too surprised, though, since she did not respond to any of the other three emails that I sent her during the past two years, even though I'm her constituent. (In comparison, my county councilmember, Mike Knapp, has been responsive and effective when I have contacted him. Now I'm not saying that Mr. Knapp has supported all of my positions, but he has always replied and provided an explanation for whatever action he decided to take.)

After waiting about three weeks for Ms. Navarro to respond to my email, I left her a voicemail message. About a week later, Ms. Navarro finally returned my call and I reiterated my request to get an answer to my question about the fee policy. Ms. Navarro told me that she would work to get an answer, but as of now -- five weeks after asking for her assistance -- I still don't have an answer from Ms. Navarro or from anyone in MCPS.

At this point, I doubt that I'll get an answer from Mr. Bedford or Ms. Navarro before the end of the school year. If things change, I'll certainly give an update.

Howard Co. to provide free public education

Schools to eliminate activity fees

Parents had complained of wildly varying charges

Columbia Flyer By Jennifer Broadwater Posted 3/12/09

Howard County school officials have decided to eliminate “activity fees” charged to parents. The fees, used to pay for materials such as craft supplies, calculators, magazine subscriptions and spelling workbooks, previously varied wildly from school to school and had prompted complaints from parents. In addition to eliminating the fees, officials have drawn up school supply “menus” in order to make supply lists at different schools more consistent...

The changes follow a moratorium on activity fees and all other requests to parents for supplies imposed by Superintendent Sydney Cousin last fall.

“We wanted to be sure there was some consistency, and more importantly, we wanted to be sure we weren’t asking for things the school system should be supplying,” Cousin said in October. “Free and public education is what the state says we should be supplying and that’s what we’ll do.”
continues here
~~~~~~~~~~~
How did Howard County Public Schools look at the exact same laws and the exact same letter from the Maryland Attorney General's office and come up with different conclusions from Superintendent Weast?

Don't forget the Turf Cam!

On March 10, 2009, the MCPS Board of Education voted to turn the Walter Johnson High School field over to a private organization. In the deal the football field will be covered with artificial turf. The "deal" was described as revenue neutral.

But wait a minute! Don't forget the TURF CAM! Every artificial turf field press box needs TURF CAM to protect the investment in the $1.2 million artificial turf field. How much does TURF CAM cost? The All Weather Camera System w/ Telephoto Day/Night Lens for Richard Montgomery High School's artificial turf field was $5,575.01. Hopefully, the MCPS Board of Education will fund this add on for the Walter Johnson HS field at their next meeting. No money for classroom supplies, but you gotta have your TURF CAM!
Turf Cam

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Superintendent Weast determines that charging curricular fee was a "mistake" following inquiry by Maryland state delegate

MCPS policies and practices don't always agree with Maryland state laws, but the law is authoritative when there is a conflict. So, when I received an "obligation letter" for a $35 "Consumer Science" (cooking class) fee from my child's school, I decided to challenge the fee.

For many years, the Maryland Attorney General has held the position that curricular fees are illegal. In January 2009, MCPS Superintendent Jerry Weast released a memo describing a new curricular fee policy that does away with most curricular fees. However, the new policy continues to allow some curriculum-related fees. An article in the Washington Post summarized Dr. Weast's curricular fee memo as follows:

Under Weast's proposal, schools could no longer charge for any materials required for an academic course, with a few exceptions for items that go home with the student, such as a ceramic bowl, or go into their stomachs, such as a cake baked in cooking class.

Here is the "obligation" letter that I received from the school. Note that it says that my child won't be allowed to attend graduation or receive a diploma if I don't pay the $35 fee.

(You can click on the control buttons on any of the documents below to make them larger and easier to read.)

Demand Letter for Consumer Science Class Fee

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I sent MCPS form 270-8 to the school principal to ask that he rescind the curricular fee. (Note that you can get a blank copy of form 270-8 from this web site, specifically from here.) Here is my form 270-8, showing my complaint and the principal's response.

Initial Complaint Against Curricular Fee (with denial)

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And here is a letter that the principal sent to me that gives his detailed explanation for denying my request to rescind the fee.
Denial letter from Principal - Request to Remove Fee Obligation

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After receiving the denial letter from the principal, I sent an appeal package to Dr. Weast. Here is my cover letter.

Appeal to Superintendent Weast for Removal of Curricular Fee

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While I was waiting for the response to my appeal, I remembered when Maryland State Delegate Saqib Ali asked BOE President Shirley Brandman for clarification about curricular fees during public testimony, so I wrote to Delegate Ali to give him an update. Here is my email to Delegate Ali and his reply.
Correspondence Between Maryland State Delegate Saqib Ali and Louis Wilen Regarding Fee Removal

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About the same time that I received the reply email (shown above) from Delegate Ali, I received an email from the principal of my child's school stating that the fee was being rescinded. He provided no explanation for the change in his decision.

A few days later, I received the following letter from MCPS Chief Operating Officer Larry Bowers.

MCPS - Appeal of fee for consumable items "moot", says Larry Bowers

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At this time, I am still waiting for a reply from Mr. Bedford as to whether the decision to rescind all curricular fees will apply to all MCPS students or just to my child and/or those who bring the issue to the attention of a Maryland state delegate.

Also noteworthy is the fact that Mr. Bowers advised, in his letter shown above, that if I wish to appeal his decision to the BOE, the appeal must be submitted within 10 days. The policy documents say that 30 days are allowed for an appeal to the BOE. I've been told that Mr. Bowers has worked for MCPS since around the time that chalkboards were first introduced into MCPS classrooms, so if anyone knows the policies, it's Mr. Bowers. Therefore, I cannot explain the discrepancy between the 30 days allowed in the policy and the 10 days allowed in Mr. Bowers' letter. Update: A member of Mr. Bowers' staff called to tell me that the "10 days" was a typographical error and that a corrected version of the letter will be mailed to me.

Weast can't provide free public education

In a February 3, 2009, memorandum to the MCPS Board of Education, Superintendent Weast states that, "The cost of eliminating all fees and expenses for students would be prohibitive."
Superintendent Weast is stating that he is unable to follow the Maryland Constitution and provide all MCPS students with access to a free public education? Why is he unable to follow the law?
Below is the memorandum where he makes this statement. The memorandum was supposed to be in response to Board members questions about the cost of eliminating all Curricular Fees.
However, the memorandum is very confusing because Superintendent Weast discusses all student fees - extra-curricular fees and parking fees are not the issue.
What is at issue is the charging of public school students to attend classes in MCPS public schools. How is it that the law can be followed in other Maryland counties, but cannot be followed in Montgomery County?
02 03 09CourseFees(2)Memo

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MCCPTA: Students are entitled to a free public education

This month the Montgomery County Council of PTAs (MCCPTA) will be taking up a resolution regarding Curricular Fees charged to families in Montgomery County Public Schools. The first sentence of the resolution states: Students are entitled to a free public education. It is great to see that the word is finally getting out to PTA members countywide! In Maryland, your child has the right to a free public education! For more information, please refer to the Parents' Coalition's Guide to Fees.

WPost: Board Told to Open Up About Closed Sessions

As first reported here, the Montgomery County Board of Education has been found to be in violation of the Maryland Open Meetings Act. At the time of the violation the President of the MCPS Board of Education was Nancy Navarro. No elected Board of Education members are quoted in the February 19th Washington Post article on this violation.

At the meeting that was the subject of the Complaint, the Board of Education went behind closed doors, without proper disclosure of the topic, to discuss the illegal curricular fees that are being charged MCPS students. The topic of that meeting was disclosed after the fact by President Navarro in a prepared statement later that day.

Note that to date, the Board of Education has not put the issue of illegal Curricular Fees as an agenda item at an Open Meeting. Yet, the Superintendent has gone forward with "new" curricular fee rules to be implemented for the 2009-10 school year, without any public discussion by the elected Board of Education.

What was the Board discussing at the September 9th meeting? When did the Board decide to remain silent on this issue of major importance to public school families? When did the Board delegate this issue to the Superintendent?

The Board's silence on the issue of Curricular Fees means that MCPS parents will continue to be charged to attend public school classes in MCPS for years to come. The Maryland State Constitution, the opinion of the Maryland Attorney General and the opinion of the Maryland State Board of Education are to be ignored in Montgomery County.

Our elected Board of Education will not stand up for a child's right to a free public education in Maryland and they will not take up this issue in public.

If it is curriculum related a school system cannot charge a fee

These words come from the Maryland Attorney General's office in response to questions about hundreds of course fees charged students who attend Montgomery County Public Schools.

If it is curriculum related a school system cannot charge a fee.

Yet, we see Superintendent Weast continuing to put out contradictory information to MCPS staff via the February 17th edition of the MCPS publication "The Bulletin". In this edition of the MCPS Bulletin, MCPS staff are told:

Generally, allowable course-related fees are limited to:

• Materials that become a product that belongs to the student, such as a student art project.
• Personal items that become the student’s property, such as auto technology uniforms.
• Food consumed by the student as part of a course.

According to the Maryland Attorney General, there are no "allowable course-related fees". Why are MCPS staff being given bad information?

On August 18, 2008, Superintendent Weast was sent a letter (see below) from the Maryland Attorney General's office. The letter outlined current Maryland law with regard to curricular fees and quoted the opinion of the Attorney General that, "we are safe in saying that anything directly related to a school's curriculum must be available to all without charge."

Why are MCPS students being denied their Maryland Constitutional right to a free public education under Superintendent Weast's leadership? Why has the Board of Education been silent on this fundamental issue of equal access to education for all?

For a complete overview of the Curricular Fees issue in Montgomery County Public Schools, please see the Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland's Guide to Fees, including MCPS' own attorney's explanation of the difference between Curricular Fees and Extra-Curricular Fees in Maryland. MCPS' own attorney knows that Extra-Curricular fees can be charged under Maryland law, and Curricular Fees can not be charged.

KameenOAGLetter

What Really Motivates Parent Activists

Today's Washington Post include Letters to the Editor on "What Really Motivates Parent Activists".