Jay Guan, a resident of Clarksburg, has filed to run for the at-large seat of the county Board of Education. The seat is currently held by Dr. Judith Docca, who has been on the board for 16 years and is serving her fourth four-year term now.
After much thought over the past two years, I have decided to run for the Board of Education again.
Our system many urgent issues to think through and talk about. If you have an idea or issue you (or your friends) want to discuss, drop me a line, I am all ears.
Phil - no matter how hard you try, you just keep on messing up on the Montgomery County Board of Education's New Policy on Expense Reports.
First, you have the new policy listed for action on the agenda dated July 28. Isn't this supposed to be introduced as new business with an opportunity for public comment? If you are going to take action, isn't the public entitled to review the document before your vote?
Second, you don't follow the Board's own policy for issuing new policies. Why have these fancy process maps on the website if you don't follow them? The Policy Committee is supposed to draft policies - what is up with an ad hoc committee anyway?
And, finally, you are going in to closed session to discuss the policy before you vote. Wrong again. How is the public supposed to comment if you don't provide an opportunity for comment?
Remember the principals of ethics from your long tenure in the government? Public service is a public trust. You've lost the confidence of the MoCo community. Hastily putting forth a policy that still needs work is not going to work.
The only policy that you can possibly vote on is one that has you and the rest of the Board of Education members tear up the cards, pack own lunch, and stay home.
As the saying goes, three strikes and you are out. Its time to go back to the bench.
Have you ever taken a look at the money Superintendent Jerry Weast spends on outside law firms? Well you aren't alone. The Board of Education doesn't review these charges either.
So once again on Tuesday, June 8, 2010, as 20 teachers are laid off and services are cut for students, the Board will approve a one month litigation bill of $98,235 to outside law firms without discussion. That brings the FY10 total legal fees to outside law firms up to $1,077,525.
Note that MCPS does already employ their own in house counsel and has the services of the County Attorney at their disposal.
Could this bill be reduced? Of course. MCPS could use their own in house attorneys and save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and keep teachers in classrooms. But that would require the Board of Education exerting oversight over the spending habits of the Superintendent, and that could be harmful to their political careers. That would be a "tough decision."
...Parents vocally expressed their opposition to this plan. Many pointed out that Superintendent Jerry Weast blatantly violated a Board of Education policy that new programs must be presented in time to be reviewed -- before showing up in a budget.
Today, the members of the Board of Education unanimously approved that budget.
Unanimously, they voted against a proven program that parents have relied on to give their children a chance to succeed.
Unanimously, they told parents of special-needs children that they do not value their opinions and experiences when making major changes to the services the county offers.
Unanimously, they told Dr. Weast that he can unilaterally create, change, or shut down any program he chooses -- and they will rubber stamp his decisions.
Unanimously, they threatened the future well-being of our county's youngest and most at-risk children.
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The Parents' Coalition learned that even before today's vote at least one teacher had been hired to teach in the new MCPS pre-school program and at least one child had already been assigned to the new pre-school program, even before it had been approved by the Board of Education.
It doesn't appear that the Board of Education vote today had any meaning whatsoever as the new MCPS pre-school program was already being set up and assigned students. The MPAC program's fate was sealed before today.
The Board of Education is not in charge of Montgomery County Public Schools.
"I want to go to school...Why me? Why are they trying so hard NOT to let me go to school?" asks child* in response to denial of Board of Education to enroll him in Montgomery County Public Schools.
The Examiner, Russia Today, WUSA9, USAToday, and Gazette(red indicates update to original blog article) have reported on the plight of a 14 year old Montgomery County resident unable to receive a free public education. That denial of a free public education has kept him out of school for the last two years.
Here are the facts:
The child is a U.S. citizen - born in California.
The child lives with his court appointed legal guardian.
The legal guardian is a resident of Montgomery County.
On August 25, 2008, Superintendent Weast wrote a memorandum to the Board of Education explaining his basis for denying this child a free public education.
On September 22, 2008, the Board of Education (President Nancy Navarro) in an unanimous decision voted to affirm the decision of the Superintendent.
Why is this U.S. citizen, living in Montgomery County with his legal guardian, being denied a free public education? In the words of Superintendent Weast:
"It is my belief that the documents forwarded, as best as I can read them, do not document a crisis that would prevent J- from living with his mother and attending school in Thailand. J- father's monthly salary of 4700 baht is about average in Bangkok, according to the Thai National Statistical Office."
Note that child's parents are divorced. 4700 baht's converts to $136 U.S. dollars. The full text of Superintendent Weast's decision is here. The MCPS Board of Education affirmed the decision of Superintendent Weast and "concluded that the matter could be decided without the conduct of an evidentiary hearing, referral to a hearing examiner, or oral argument." The Decision and Order are below.
Section 7-101 of Maryland's Education Article states that:
"...each child shall attend a public school in the county where the child is domiciled with the child’s parent, guardian, or relative providing informal kinship care..."
When contacted for a comment on this matter, District 16 Delegate Susan C. Lee and her colleagues Senator Brian E. Frosh, Delegate William A. Bronrott, and Delegate C. William Frick sent a letter dated May 13, 2009, to Superintendent Weast asking him to "please look into this matter and provide us with a complete report."
As of today, this is a Montgomery County child without a school.
UPDATE: Join the new Facebook Group - already over 700 members, to Support this child's right to a free public education!
UPDATE 6/18/09:Press Kit - relevant documents include child's US birth certificate, passport and documents detailing two year struggle to enroll in Montgomery County Public Schools.
...we reiterate that it is the educational policy in Maryland, consistent with the constitutional and statutory provisions for free public education, that all children within the borders of this State who are bona fide residents, are entitled to free public school privileges. Only such a policy will assure in this age of great mobility that all children, regardless of the income of their families, will be provided an uninterrupted opportunity for public education.
UPDATE 6/26/09: Governor Martin O'Malley's office inquires about this child's inability to enroll in Montgomery County Public School.
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