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

The Neighbors Tune Out on TunedIn at Wootton

Here is the email sent around to members of one the the homeowners associations adjacent to Wootton HS and its TunedIn/ BBYO concert this Saturday April 28.

On Saturday, April 28th, Wootton High School will be holding a concert  
titled "Tuned In: Be the Voice that Rocks the World," a concert  
promoting political activism and civic engagement. This concert will  
be featuring many politicians, CNN's John King, and the musical groups  
Timeflies and Third Eye Blind. The Wootton High School Student Council  
is sponsoring this event and has informed us that there will be a  
higher than normal noise level through the evening.  The event will  
start at 8 p.m. and be over by 11:30 p.m.  Please plan accordingly.   
We will be locking the pool parking lot gate to prevent unnecessary  
traffic through the community that evening.

Yes, you are reading it right.  Bring earplugs, lock the gates, the kids from Wootton are coming!!

Wootton HS is such a good neighbor.  Civic engagement?  Political activism?  Not needed, just lock the doors and look the other way.

Two questions.

1.  Why isn't the community selling parking spots for this concert?  I bet the communities could raise enough money from parking at $25 a car to completely fund and outfit the swim team in new gear for the season?

2.  What type of notice went out to the adjacent communities that do not have a homeowners association?   Individual emails or no notice?  Bet those families off Scott Drive and Monterra Court will be surprised - unless they are planning on selling parking spots.