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?

Predictable: The Cover-Up Continues with a Former @mcps Assoc. Sup. Running Council Hearing on MCPS.

On Thursday, February 8, 2024, the Montgomery County Council will hold a hearing "To review findings and recommendations of Office of Inspector General Report #OIG-24-08 and discuss next steps."

That's the title of the hearing as stated in the Staff Memorandum.    

But Council staff neglect to mention that one of its own staffers is a former very, very highly placed MCPS Associate Superintendent whose positions included supervising the MCPS human resources department from 2016-2021. Now that former MCPS Associate Superintendent is advising the Council how to run an oversight hearing on MCPS internal practices?  

Why disclose an obvious conflict of interest?  Who cares about ethics?  

The Council President has already announced his decision to not put any witnesses under oath.  Why get into the messy issue of his staff person who should probably be at the witness table instead of on the Council dais?  

Exactly what did Council staffer Essie McGuire know about complaints regarding Joel Beidleman and when did she know that information?  That question will not be asked by Councilmembers. Ever. 

The former MCPS Associate Superintendent who now works for the Council has once again done an excellent job of supplying the Council with a packet of garbage for tomorrow's hearing.  46 pages of MCPS policies and procedures all easily accessible on the MCPS website via a simple link.  46 pages of policies and procedures copied into the packet for the meeting to make it "look" like Councilmembers are being given something of substance. 

The former MCPS Associate Superintendent who now works for the Council neglects to mention anything about the powers the Council has to put witnesses under oath or to issue subpoenas.  

Once again, a nice thick packet with zero substance.  

9/26/2023 SURPRISE! County Council is "briefed" on MCPS Beidleman Matter by their staff, who is (surprise) former MCPS Assoc. Superintendent & who oversaw MCPS Human Resources

Breaking: SURPRISE! County Council is "briefed" on MCPS Beidleman Matter by their staff, who is (surprise) former MCPS Assoc. Superintendent & who oversaw MCPS Human Resources

It's a small world and the County Council can't find anyone to brief them on MCPS education issues except a former MCPS Associate Superintendent who now works for the County Council's Education Committee.  The County Council staffer is Essie McGuire and Ms. McGuire has decided that the topic for discussion at the Council's Thursday, September 28, 2023, Education Committee will be:

Discussion - Review of Initial Report Findings and Processes for Investigations of Employee Misconduct in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)

However, after stating that discussion topic Ms. McGuire has papered the Councilmembers with 103 pages of copied MCPS policies and procedures, all easily available on the MCPS website.

Ms. McGuire does not provide the Councilmembers with any information that could assist them in understanding their oversight powers.  She does not provide a list of inquiries that could be made by Councilmembers. 

Ms. McGuire is also a former Executive Director to the MCPS Chief Operating Officer.  In that position Ms. McGuire worked closely with the MCPS Office of Human Resources and was frequently included in Board of Education Closed Meetings.  

How about a new topic for the Council's Thursday Education Committee meeting?

What did Ms. McGuire know about the Beidleman allegations? If she knew, when did she know it and what actions did she take to address or investigate those allegations, if any?  

And then, how about Ms. McGuire stepping away from any Council deliberations involving MCPS Human Resources issues?   

Essie McGuire

(16) Essie McGuire | LinkedIn (note she does not list her time at MCPS on her LinkedIn resume)

Essie McGuire was hired in August of 2016 by MCPS to work in the position of Executive Director for the Chief Operating Officer.

Job description for Executive Director for Chief Operating Officer

Human Resources Job Descriptions - Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD (montgomeryschoolsmd.org)

Job description includes:  Works closely with the Office of Human Resources and Development regarding personnel and other human resources matters.

In this position she was in Closed Sessions of the Board of Education where personnel issues would be discussed.

For example:  170314 Report of Closed Sessions.pdf (boarddocs.com)

July 1, 2020, Essie McGuire was promoted to MCPS ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT of OPERATIONS 

OHRD Rec Appts Public 200210.pdf (boarddocs.com) (see page 4)

Superintendent Jack Smith's "vision" with 3 administrative heads, one was Essie McGuire.

Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland: Interim Superintendent McKnight Removes Superintendent Jack Smith's "Vision for the Future" Administrators. Where are they now? (parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com)

In 2021, Essie McGuire left MCPS and moved back to old job at County Council

Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland: On June 29, 2021, MCPS Associate Superintendent of Operations Essie McGuire was in a Closed Door Meeting of the Board of Education, Tomorrow She Runs the County Council's Briefing on MCPS. (parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com)

Essie McGuire back to County Council job of staff member handling MCPS matters

20210914_2C.pdf (montgomerycountymd.gov)

Breaking: Montgomery County Inspector General Announces Two Investigations into MCPS Matters.

 

Only 2 Montgomery council members ask county, state to handle MCPS inquest

 

Two members said that government inspectors general, not a law firm the school district hired, should investigate its handling of allegations against Principal Joel Beidleman

Two Montgomery County Council members requested Monday that state and county watchdogs investigate the county school system’s handling of reported allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and retaliation by former Farquhar Middle School principal Joel Beidleman...

https://wapo.st/3skifXZ

Chair of County Council Education Committee Took $3,900 Campaign Donation from Firm McKnight Hired to Run "Independent" Investigation of Beidleman Allegations @mcps @mococouncil @mocoboe

 Jawando Takes Money from Anti-Union Law Firm - Montgomery Perspective

Mont. Co. Councilmember Dawn Luedtke Insists Council Does not Have Power to Remove Board of Education Members. Not one Councilmember Corrects Her. She was Wrong.

Montgomery County Council June 21, 2023 - Community Conversation - Weller Road Elementary School, Silver Spring

At the Montgomery County Council's Community Conversation on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, the County Council was asked about their power to remove Board of Education members from office. Councilmember Dawn Luedtke took control of the microphone and "answered" the question by saying the constituent was wrong about this power.

Councilmember Luedtke even went so far as to say the Board of Education's Handbook could be wrong on this issue. 

In fact, Delegate Dawn Luedtke was wrong. Very wrong.  Not only did she not know Maryland law with regard to the removal of Montgomery County Board of Education members but not one other Councilmember did either.  They all sat by as she insisted she knew the answer to this question. 

That means that even the Councilmembers who sit on the Education Committee have no idea that they have the power to remove Board of Education members from office.

What else don't Councilmembers know about their powers?  Maybe they should start reading the Parents' Coalition blog and learn about the powers that come with their elected positions.  

The question with Councilmember Dawn Luedtke's incorrect response:  

Delegate Dawn Luedtke's retraction of her incorrect response:

Montgomery County Council Education Committee members:

Montgomery College Down 9,010 Students Since 2010. From 26,147 credit students to 17,137.

Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland: UPDATED: Montgomery College Enrollment Continues Dropping as MCPS Enrollment Increases (parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com)

Atty General Brian Frosh Responds to Parents' Coalition. The General Assembly, Governor, Comptroller, Treasurer, State's Atty, Marc Elrich or Gabe Albornoz can request an Opinion on Planning Board Appointments

On October 23, 2022, the Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, MD wrote to Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh and asked the Attorney General to answer the question: Can the Montgomery County Council change the statutory term for Planning Board appointments so that they are only temporary appointments?

Today the Attorney General's office responded:  

OAG <OAG@oag.state.md.us>

To:

• You

Wed 10/26/2022 12:58 PM

Dear Ms. Sartucci,

Thank you for contacting the Maryland Office of the Attorney General.

The Attorney General is the legal counsel for the State of Maryland and its agencies. As such, this Office provides legal advice to state agencies, boards and commissions and investigates and prosecutes crimes against the State. The Office further represents the State in all cases pending in the Appellate Courts of the State, and in the U.S. Supreme Court and lower Federal Courts. To learn more about the Office of the Attorney General, follow this link: http://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/ 

Under the longstanding policy of the Attorney General’s Office, we are unable to respond to requests for advisory legal opinions from private citizens.  We simply do not have the resources to undertake the many hours of legal research and writing that would be necessary to respond in the form of an official opinion to the hundreds of inquiries that our Office regularly receives from private citizens.  Instead, we must limit ourselves to opinion requests from the various State government agencies and officers that, by law, we are required to represent as well as, on occasion, to requests from local governments. See http://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/Pages/Opinions/faq.aspx (explaining our Office’s policy regarding official opinions). 

Thank you again for contacting our Office.

Sincerely,

Citizen Response Coordinator

Office of the Attorney General

************************************

Who can request an Opinion from the MD Attorney General's office:

...The Maryland Constitution directs that the Attorney General is to give an "opinion in writing whenever required by the General Assembly ... the Governor, the Comptroller, the Treasurer or any State's Attorney on any legal matter or subject." Article V, §3...

...a request by a local government for an Opinion of the Attorney General must be made by the chief executive of the local government or by the presiding officer of the local legislative body on behalf of the entire body...

MoCo County Council Forgets to Check Backgrounds on Top Candidates for Planning Board.

This week the Montgomery County Council is setting a really bad example for students. They forgot to do their homework.  

In this case that means that the County Council released a list of the names of their "top" candidates to fill the vacant Montgomery County Planning Board seats without researching the candidates.

Just a few simple Internet searches would have yielded important information, such as tax liens.   

Why do personal liens matter on candidates for Planning Board positions? It's always a concern to put someone in a position of power that might have some vulnerabilities related to their personal financial status.  

Not only did they County Council forget to do their homework on their "top" candidates, but they are also blatantly violating Maryland law with regard to the appointment process for Planning Board vacancies.  

This week the Montgomery County Council is hell bent on showing the next generation how to violate the law, eliminate transparency and ignore ethics. Is their goal to show future generations what not to do? 

BREAKING: 9 Groups + Mayor Sign Letter to @MoCoCouncilMD Calling for 1- Council to Follow MD Law, 2- Independent Investigation of Planning Board

Open Letter to County Council of Montgomery County, MD

October 21, 2022

Dear Council President Albornoz and Members of the County Council,

We are writing in light of the recent resignation of all five Montgomery County M-NCPPC

(Planning Board) Commissioners. According to an October 12 press release, the Council

President stated: “The Council has lost confidence in the Montgomery County Planning Board

and accepted these resignations to reset operations.”

On October 11, the day the Council decided to seek these resignations, seven various land use

changes were under consideration – some of which will impact the County for a generation

and beyond, including six zoning text amendments (ZTA) and Thrive 2050 – prior to October 31,

after which time by State Law these decisions must be left to the incoming members of the new

Council. Since October 11, the Council has adopted four of these ZTAs.

If the Council “lost confidence” in the fired Commissioners who authored these land-use plans

and recommendations, how can the Council have confidence in what the fired Commissioners

have written and edited, and that proper procedure was and is followed?

We the undersigned urge the Council, in its capacity as County Council and District Council, to

suspend any and all further action on any pending zoning amendments or zoning legislation

until:

1. A new Planning Board comprised of five permanent members is duly appointed in

accordance with Maryland Land Use Code §15-103; and,

2. The Council publicly releases a full and independent investigation to assure that all

Planning Board management policies, procedures and controls were in place and

properly followed in the preparation of these seven Planning Board recommendations

and plans.1

Respectfully,

(In Alphabetical Order)

Biodiversity for a Livable Climate Montgomery Countryside Alliance

Citizens Coordinating Committee on

Friendship Heights

Montgomery County Coalition for the Control

of Cell Towers

Community Vision For Takoma 

North Potomac Citizens Association

Huntington Terrace Citizens Association 

Parents’ Coalition of Montgomery County

Empowering People in Communities of MoCo 

Jeffrey Slavin – Mayor of Somerset

Friends of the Earth

1 https://montgomeryplanning.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Adopted-and-Approved-Chapter-50-and-59-

Administrative-Procedures-Regulations.pdf

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

2022 Open Letter Montgomery County Council Re: Planning Board by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd