Morrison resigned as CMS superintendent after investigation into misconduct allegations | CharlotteObserver.com

Morrison resigned as CMS superintendent after investigation into misconduct allegations | CharlotteObserver.com

Starr and Morrison on List for Los Angeles Superintendent Job .@mcpssuper .@CMSSupt

Deasy has stepped down as superintendent of LA Unified, replaced on an interim basis by Ray Cortines, it’s open season on speculating who might be considered as a permanent superintendent...

...In any case, let the speculation begin. Below is a list of possible candidates, compiled by LA School Report :

• Alberto M. Carvalho has served as superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the nation’s fourth largest school system, since 2008. He was named Florida’s 2014 Superintendent of the Year, the 2014 National Superintendent of the Year and has worked his whole career for the district. 
• Richard A. Carranza has served as superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District since 2012. He previously served as deputy superintendent of Instruction, Innovation and Social Justice at the district from 2009 to 2012 and as northwest region superintendent for the Clark County School District in Las Vegas. 

• Joshua Starr has served as superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland since 2011. He began his career as a special education teacher in New York City and served as superintendent of Stamford Public Schools in Connecticut.
• Heath E. Morrison has seved as superintendent of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg  Schools district in North Carolina since 2012. He previously served as superintendent of the Washoe County School District in Nevada and community superintendent for the Down County Consortium in Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland....

 http://laschoolreport.com/la-unifieds-next-boss-round-up-the-usual-and-unusual-suspects/

Dinner: Joshua Starr, Dallas Dance and Heath Morrison

mcpssuper = That's our Superintendent, Joshua Starr

CMSSupt = That's our former MCPS administrator Heath Morrison.  He's now the Superintendent of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system in North Carolina

S. Dallas Dance is the new Superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools.  He came to Baltimore County Public Schools from Houston.  

Now that we know who was at dinner, who picked up the check?  Montgomery County, Baltimore County or Charlotte-Mecklenburg taxpayers? 

Starr's Hire is a Broad Academy Graduate

The Montgomery County Board of Education Appointed Dr. Kimberly Statham as Deputy Superintendent on Superintendent Joshua Starr's recommendation.  Ms. Statham is a graduate of the Broad Superintendent's Academy.  MCPS has sent a number of administrators to the Broad Superintendent's Academy over the last few years.  

Maryland's new State Superintendent is also a Broad Academy graduate. 

Here's a guide for parents to acquaint them with the academy.

A Parent Guide to the Broad Foundation’s training programs and education policies

The question I ask is why should Eli Broad and Bill Gates have more of a say as to what goes on in my child’s classroom than I do? ...

“Run toward trouble,” Weast says.

...Run toward trouble 

Morrison’s work at Stone High got noticed. He was Maryland’s Principal of the Year in 2004.
His doctoral adviser, Carol Parham of the University of Maryland, was the one who told him it was time to move on. He went to work for Jerry Weast, superintendent in Montgomery County, Md.
Weast, who recently retired after 35 years as a superintendent, has a national reputation for finding and developing talent. He says he drills all his administrators in a few core values: Provide hope. Be compassionate. And own up quickly and publicly when you make mistakes. “Run toward trouble,” Weast says.
Montgomery County is a large, high-performing suburban district with a struggling urban edge abutting Washington, D.C. Those were the schools Morrison supervised. And that district, more than the smaller and less diverse one he currently leads, gave him a taste of what CMS might be like, Morrison says.
At the core of urban education lie troubling questions: Why are so many poor, black and Hispanic students failing and dropping out? And can anyone break that pattern?
Morrison says he’s always sought to work in schools where those students struggle. Beneath his successful white-guy-in-a-tie surface lies a boy who lived in an impoverished black neighborhood, an American who was a misfit in British school, a youth who lost faith in his own intelligence.
Every educator in America says all children can learn. Morrison believes it, say Weast, Parham and others who have worked with him. And his belief, coupled with his energy, is infectious...

full article at this link:  charlotteobserver: CMS gets a leader ‘on the rise’

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/05/12/3236570/cms-gets-morrison-on-the-rise.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/05/12/3236570/cms-gets-morrison-on-the-rise.html#storylink=cpy

Heath Morrison lands lucrative contract with CMS | Pundit House

Heath Morrison lands lucrative contract with CMS | Pundit House

Habemus Papam!

Well, not quite.  However based on our research, we have found three people that could be new superintendent candidates: Heath Morrison, Frank Stetson, and Gregory Thornton.

The secret 'Community Committee' has it appears almost or has completed their interviews.

Paula Bienenfeld
Education Committee Chair, Montgomery County Civic Federation

Jim Clark: Is Heath Morrison's glitter wearing off? | TahoeBonanza.com

Checking in on a former MCPS administrator, now a superintendent in Nevada. Commentary from Tahoe Bonanza.com

Jim Clark: Is Heath Morrison's glitter wearing off? | TahoeBonanza.com

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The glitter is beginning to wear off our many-degreed new superintendent of schools. Readers of the Bonanza know all too well about the recent battle that raged amongst Incline/Crystal Bay citizens over the proposed International Baccalaureate program for our schools. Dr. Morrison's position was if locals could raise $150,000 the school district would staff the program. Because of controversy, only $85,000 was raised.

Morrison's response was to call a town meeting at the Incline High auditorium and announce that IB would be offered only in the 11th and 12th grades. He then appointed a “Great Schools Committee” consisting only of educators (and later a few parents) which announced it was going to meet in secret and make recommendations for Incline schools. Public outcry ended the secret deliberations. Morrison then demanded the local nonprofit turn over the $85,000; he also ordered a survey which was sent only to parents, thereby disenfranchising the rest of the community. Then, before the “Great Schools Committee” even came up with its findings, Morrison canceled even the 2 grades of IB. The community is sharply divided over these autocratic antics and many who donated generously towards IB feel they got the short end of the stick...

...Sandoval is too much of a gentleman to criticize a critic, but some of the legislators at the GOP meeting were aghast at Morrison “stabbing the governor in the back.” There was also conjecture about why a superintendent of schools would advocate taking teacher salary funds and using them for school renovations when enrollment is declining. And if he would have had to lay off 5,000 teachers who would use the proposed classrooms? Finally why would Morrison publicly side with Democrats in a meaningless political PR battle where everyone knew up front that the Democrats were going to lose?...

continues here.

Another MCPS administrator leaves

In this tight budget year do all of the MCPS administrators that are leaving MCPS need to be replaced? 


Suzanne Maxey is currently in the MCPS "Leadership Development Team" office. She is leaving for Alexandria's Public School system. Does her position need to be replaced in MCPS? Not replacing her position could keep 2-3 teachers in classrooms for the 2010-11 school year.

The Washington Post: Alexandria names Suzanne Maxey principal of T.C. Williams

...Suzanne Maxey has more than three decades of experience in Washington area schools. In the past 10 years, she was principal at Bowie High School in Prince George's County and Seneca Valley High School in Montgomery County. Since 2008, she has worked as a mentor to middle school and high school principals in Montgomery County...

MCPS' Susan Marks and Stacy Scott vie for MA Superintendent position

Two out of the three finalists for the position of Superintendent of Newton, Massachusetts schools are MCPS administrators. Readers of this blog may recall that Stacy Scott was also a recent finalist for the position of Superintendent in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

3 finalists named to lead Newton schools - Newton - Your Town - Boston.com

Three finalists to become Newton's next superintendent of schools were named by the search committee today. They are David Fleishman, superintendent of schools in Chappaqua, N.Y.; and Susan Marks and Stacy Scott, both associate superintendents for the Montgomery County Public Schools in Rockville, Md...

...Consultants Debbie Raizes and John Connolly from the firm Hazard, Young and Attea assisted with the search...

...Dr. Susan Marks—Dr. Marks is currently the Associate Superintendent for Human Resources in the Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD. Before that, she was a Community Superintendent for five years in Montgomery County where she led the instructional programs in 30 schools. She has also served the Montgomery County Public Schools as Chief Information Officer, and as Principal of two elementary schools. Dr. Marks received her Ed.D from the University of Maryland. Dr. Marks will be visiting the district on February 24, 2010.

Dr. Stacy Scott—Dr. Scott is currently the Associate Superintendent for the Office of Shared Accountability in the Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD. Prior to that, he was the founder and President of the Center for Understanding Equity, an organization that coaches school districts on data management, accountability and equity. Earlier in his career, Dr. Scott was a middle school Math and Spanish teacher. Dr. Scott holds an Ed.D from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Dr. Scott will be visiting the district on February 23, 2010.

Each of the candidates will spend an entire day in Newton. The School Committee will convene in open session at 8:30 am on February 26th to deliberate on a finalist for the position. All sessions will be televised on NewTV and open to the public...

"Knowledge Transfer Sessions"

What is a "Knowledge Transfer Session?"

According to the American Productivity and Quality Council, Montgomery County Public Schools was a "best practice partner" in one of their studies. According to their website, APQC did a evaluation/study on "Professional Learning Communities," that culminated in a "Knowledge Transfer Session (KTS)" The "Knowledge Transfer Session" was described as follows:

This is the final event in the project. It is a two-day event held at APQC in Houston. Subject matter experts and APQC staff conduct breakouts and presentations based on survey results and key findings. Participants have the opportunity to network with colleagues from across the nation and develop long lasting relationships. Best-practice districts will participate in roundtable discussions, and APQC will facilitate activities for each district to develop action plans to take the results from the study and utilize them in their own districts.

Develop long-lasting relationships? Gimme a break.

In any event, readers will be pleased to know that MCPS administrators have participated in these APQC relationship-building meetings in Houston. CLICK HERE to see copies of the actual reimbursement requests and credit card logs, but in summary:

Stephen L. Bedford, Chief School Performance Officer, 7-8-08 thru 7-11-08. Houston, TX. Present at APQC conference. Common Carrier $114.18, Meals $302.02

Stephen L. Bedford, Chief School Performance Officer, 4/30/08 $318.50
Stephen L. Bedford, Chief School Performance Officer, 4/30/08 $318.50
Trip to Houston, Presenter at APQC

Stephen L. Bedford, 07/11/08 Greater Houston Transport $54.18
Stephen L. Bedford, 07/12/08 Houstonian Hotel, TX $137.00
Stephen L. Bedford, 7/10/08 Kona Grill, Houston TX $59.00
Presenter at APQC

Heath Morrison, Community Superintendent 7/8/08 thru 7/11/08
Knowledge Transfer Session with Mr. Bedford
Estimated Travel Expenses $96.00

So: at a minimum, taxpayers spent $1300 for two individuals to participate in a "Knowledge Transfer Session." (The Parents Coalition did not receive any documentation for Mr. Morrison's travel expenses to and from Houston.) Have we gotten our money's worth?

Going Door-to-Door to bring Kids to Class

Look what former MCPS Community Superintendent Heath Morrison is doing in Nevada. Why wasn't he doing the same thing when he was here in Montgomery County last year while our graduation rate was dropping? Who stopped him from taking this action in Montgomery County?

Going Door-to-Door to bring Kids to Class

Shared via AddThis

Reno News & Review: Meet the new boss

Washoe County’s new school superintendent Heath Morrison* is young, experienced and excited, but can he turn around the district?

By D. Brian Burghart

From the article (reporter's questions in bold, Heath Morrison's reponses in blue):

...Top administrators tend to develop kind of an aloof attitude toward the frontline, on-the-ground, in-the-classroom teachers. What are you going to do to prevent or alleviate that in your administration?

The great thing about being married to a teacher, whether she’s actively teaching or pursuing her doctorate, is she’s always going to be a teacher at heart. And so I’m married to somebody who’s always going to remind me about how important teachers are and the important work that they do. A big part of it is to be in the schools and to be in the schools a lot. I’ve been in a school every day that I’ve been on the job. That’s something I want to try as best I can do to maintain. The principals I’ve met with already have really enjoyed the fact that I’ve come out to the school, that it hasn’t been a rushed visit, that I’ve sat down with them. As a matter of fact, I was at Silver Lake Elementary School today, and the principal said many times, “I really appreciate how much you listen.” And then spending time out visiting classes and speaking to teachers and support staff and to some parents were there [is also important]. The core business of what we do is teaching and learning, I’m actively involved in those decisions, and I’m out there where it’s happening. You can’t do this job at a distance. The only way that I know how to do this job is to be out in the schools, visiting, meeting, listening and asking how we can support. The one thing I know about this building we’re sitting in is it exists to support schools. And I’ve been speaking to my executive cabinet about the customer service that’s important that we give to our schools, our principals and our teachers. I’m going to be out in the school’s a lot.

You were quoted on The Broad Superintendents Academy website as saying: “Public education has entered into an unprecedented era of accountability. We cannot continue to talk about ‘closing’ the achievement gap; we must be dedicated to eliminating the gap by raising the level of rigor for all children. As leaders, we must be steadfast in asking all stakeholders to think ‘how we can,’ not ‘why we can’t’ as we create the optimal conditions for teaching and learning.” What does that mean?

[Laughs.] Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

It’s great. It’s a great quote, but it’s dense.

...and later in the interview with Superintendent Morrison...

Now you’ve got interactive whiteboards, you have the ability to do things called Active Votes. So the teacher asks a question: “Is it A, B or C?” Kids have to vote. She can see that everybody voted. You’ve got 25 kids in the class; you’ve got 25 votes up here. She hits a button, and you see a bar graph. Twenty-five kids in the class, 20 answered A, A is the correct answer. Twenty kids got it, five kids answered B or C. They clearly didn’t get the material, so here’s what I’m going to do: The 20 of you that got A, I’m going to give you this other problem; this is the new concept. While the 20 kids are working on the new problem, the teacher can pull those five kids, and reteach that concept. She’s not delaying the learning of the 20, but she’s also not there just to meet the needs of the five. Technology can do a lot of that. It’ll never replace a teacher, but …

I’ve never seen that.

...and later in the interview...

I think a big part of what we’ve learned over the last five years about trying to help our students who don’t speak English as a primary language is that we used to do what we called “pullout.” We would take those students, we’d pull them out, and we’d give them their English-language instruction outside of regular classroom. And that made a lot of sense because in that way we could keep a small number of kids and a teacher, and we could try to meet that student’s needs outside of a classroom. But then I think people started to look and say, “What are we pulling them out of when we do that?” They were pulled out of math and reading and other things that they’re going to be held accountable for in the state tests. Now I think people are being much more thoughtful of what we’re doing; it’s called “plug-in.” The English-second-language-learner teacher comes into the classroom, partners with a regular teacher and addresses the needs of many students with a focus on the students who are not speaking primarily English.

Read the full article here.

*Heath Morrison: former MCPS Down County Consortium Community Superintendent

DCC Community Superintendent moving to Nevada

The Community Superintendent for the Downcounty Consortium, Heath Morrison has accepted a job in Nevada. Read about his move here and here.
Heath Morrison on MCPS, transcript here.

Heath Morrison expense reports obtained by Parents' Coalition:
Community Superintendent (See pages 9-14)

The Ongoing Battle for the Eastern MS Magnet Boutique Program in MCPS

The recent proposal to cut the magnet program at Eastern Middle School is the current poster child illustrating Dr. Weast's efforts to eliminate "Boutique" programs throughout MCPS, as mentioned during the April 14, 2009 Board of Education Meeting.

The topic was AP/IB High School programs, yet the Board discussion of this agenda item was filled with references to the middle school program at Eastern, and parents who expected MCPS to maintain a program that was by exam and invitation. Imagine that.

Thanks to SwitchedonMom for her recent "the 'More' Child" Blogpost with a link to the report of the Eastern Middle School Schedule Decision Reversal Group. I don't have current connections to the Eastern situation, so if you want to read more, go to the MoreChild blog for details.

This year its the Eastern MS magnet program in the news and in jeopardy; last year it was the Blair High School magnet. Additional cuts in teachers and class offerings are still plaguing the Blair Science, Math, and Computer Science magnet, despite promises from Marty Creel and MCPS that last year's cuts would be the last. Current students and alumni fear that Blair, and its sibling programs at Eastern and Takoma Middle School, may soon have nothing left to cut.

Next year? Your guess is as good as mine.

Also from Blair HS - Independent Activity Fund Creativity at Blair

Here is a creative idea from the Blair HS Administration on how to get more money into your independent activity fund account. The letter was distributed in senior English classes (and thus is publicly available to all, not those just on the list or in those classes).

1. Overcharge your senior parents for graduation costs in October, by setting a higher than needed senior class fee based.

2. Limit the distribution of information to families by requiring that the student attend English class to receive the letter or the families read the listserve. Note that Blair HS has approximately 2800 students, but their PTSA yahoo list has 662 members, not all of them have current Blair students. The Blair announcement only list has 199 members, but some families have more than one account).

3. Add lots of caveats to obtain a refund
a. signatures of both parents and students
b. return must be requested within a limited time (less than two weeks)
c. Offer a donation option.

And the default position is. . . .
4. School gets to keep the refund if families don't respond.

Way to Go Blair!

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

Senior Parents:

Please read the following letter carefully. For those that this applies, letter must be signed by both Parent and Student. Please allow two weeks turnaround time for check reimbursement. The deadline for return of this form is March 6.

Thank you for your help in this regard.

Dear Senior Parents:

We are happy to announce that we are adjusting the senior dues for the Class of 2009 based on recent cost and expenses for using the Comcast Center. Instead of the $35 senior dues, the new amount is $16.50. For those parents who have already paid the senior dues or senior package, you have the following options:

Option 1: Request a refund; check in the amount of $18.50

Option 2: The difference of $18.50 can be applied to the cost of the prom tickets

Option 3: Apply the difference to any outstanding obligations

Option 4: Donate the difference to help assist students with financial hardships

We are still encouraging our parents to pay the senior dues as soon as possible. All money orders and checks should be made out to Montgomery Blair High School. Payments can be made at the financial window during lunch or after school to Ms. Franklin.

We thank you for your cooperation and flexibility.

Sincerely,

Danyel Hartfield

Senior Class Sponsor

Darryl L. Williams

Principal

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Class of 2009 (who have already paid the senior dues)

Please complete and return to Ms. Franklin by March 6, 2009

Full Name (print) _________________________________________

Student ID # ___________________

_____Option 1: Request a refund; check in the amount of $18.50

_____Option 2: Apply the difference of $18.50 to the cost of the prom ticket.

_____Option 3: Apply the difference to any outstanding obligations

_____Option 4: Donate the difference to help assist students with financial hardships

Student’s Signature: __________________________________________

Parent’s Signature: ___________________________________________

It's official - cuts to Eastern MS Magnet in 2009

Here is a link to the PTSA Presidents letter in the Eastern Eagle Post. See page 2.

Did the Board of Education take a vote to change the program substantially? I didn't see any motions or discussions at the "table."

Are cuts to the other magnet programs also in the works? Can we expect more surprises from Mr. Creel and Mr. Morrison?

Blair magnet students are planning on an eight period day next year. The school system has an amazingly complex system where the magnet students at Eastern MS, Takoma Park MS, and Blair HS share bus transportation. So - aside from the educational impact, what are the transportation plans?

Parents this week are signing up their students for the high school magnet programs, and will be making similar decisions for their middle school children.

Inquiring parents need to know what is really in store for their families.

Weast: MCPS is "Cream of the Crap"

The rapid spread of an e-mail across Montgomery County this week prompted outrage among parents who opened it to learn that school Superintendent Jerry Weast refers to his district as “the cream of the crap.”
The unsavory wording was discovered by members of the Parents Coalition... It was used in a June presentation at Harvard University by Deputy Superintendent Frieda Lacey and several other administrators.

Examiner: Superintendent under fire for comments about district

and additional coverage;

WJLA News Channel 7: Montgomery County Superintendent Makes Crude Comments

Read the full text of Deputy Superintendent Frieda Lacey (p. 5) and Community Superintendent Heath Morrison's (p. 9) comments at Harvard University here or watch the video of the presentation here.