Dumais, Feldman, King, Fraser-Hidalgo, and Qi Push Law that will take about $308,700 annually from Mont. Co. revenue. And the rich get richer!

(Note the Glenstone Museum was able to route a Ride On bus through their property without any public discussion.  That change in the Tobytown Ride On bus line requires riders to ride through the Glenstone property everytime they use the Ride On to get to and from Tobytown and Rockville.  The Ride On bus enters the locked Glenstone gates to pick up at the private Glenstone Ride On bus stop.  Who else in Montgomery County has a Ride On bus stop on private property behind locked gates and inaccessible to the public?)

...The bill would allow Glenstone to seek property tax exemption for all parts of the land that are used for museum purposes so long as Glenstone remains open to the public and doesn’t charge admission.

Montgomery’s county council and county executive submitted testimony opposing the bill, citing lost revenue.

Right now, state law allows Glenstone to exempt up to 100 acres. If the bill passes, the whole property could eventually be eligible and there are plans to use the entire acreage for artistic purposes. The county’s revenue loss would be about $308,700 annually if the whole property is exempted.

“The cost of this exemption would force the County to either absorb the revenue loss or shift the tax burden to its other taxpayers,” the county Office of Intergovernmental Relations wrote in a letter to the Ways and Means Committee.

The state’s property tax loss would be an estimated $34,800...

https://www.marylandmatters.org/blog/some-montgomery-lawmakers-balk-as-house-passes-museum-tax-break/

Contractor Sues Glenstone Museum Foundation for $24 Million

From the New York Times by reporter Colin Moynihan. Full story here.

A month before the much anticipated unveiling of the revamped Glenstone Museum in Potomac, Md., a contracting firm that oversaw the ambitious expansion there has sued the foundation that runs the institution, seeking at least $24 million in damages. ...

The company, Hitt Contracting of Falls Church, Va., filed the suit at the end of August in Federal District Court in Maryland, accusing the foundation of breach of contract and mismanagement, adding that a “torrent of changes” the foundation had demanded repeatedly disrupted and delayed work.

Hitt listed millions of dollars in unpaid fees it says Glenstone owes and stated that those outstanding debts had left the company “exposed” to $14 million in claims by subcontractors.

Rales said “together, we’re going to drive a stake through the heart of the achievement gap.”

Montgomery County Wants to Address ‘Summer Slide’ With New Education Program

 

Starr's Favorite Sewer Project Back in the News

Remember when Superintendent Josnua Starr suddenly decided to be a supporter of private sewer construction? Here's more on the Mitchell Rales (Glenstone Museum) connection.

...Leggett, for example, received $12,000 from billionaire businessman and art collector Mitchell Rales and members of his family. Rales successfully sought a controversial sewer connection from the county for his Potomac gallery in 2012...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/maryland-news/2014/01/26/de4228ba-847e-11e3-8099-9181471f7aaf_story.html?wprss=rss_local-montgomery-social&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Instant Equity - and Dr. Doran's Wallet

That was fast.

Within hours of Dr. Starr's State of the Schools presentation here in Montgomery County, accompanied by his call for equity in the school system, we have a prime example of equity in action.

Wootton High School is getting an artificial turf field.

No ongoing construction at the school to bundle the new field.  

According to the memo from the school system,  as a result of a competitive award, a private company agreed to pay $900,000 for the field in return for guaranteed use of the field. 

The Wootton Booster Club agreed to fundraise to the tune of $200,000.  Just for artificial turf.  Even though the field isn't used by all the sports teams, such as swimming, tennis, basketball, etc. 

Wootton parents must be fairly wealthy.  Do they know they committed to this amount?

According to MCPS, but of course. 

At a meeting held last month at the school, attended by 40 parents, almost all favored the field.

Wootton is such a great school.  Imagine 40 parents at your school committing your high school's booster club to raise that amount of money.

I am amazed that the Wootton Booster Club can raise this amount of money.  At my kids schools, our PTSA and booster club budgets were much more modest.

What's in your wallet?  Dr. Doran wants to know.

Here is the memo:

5.2.12 Thomas S Wootton HS Rqst Fund Turf

Hot News from the State of the Schools 2012

This blogger just returned from the State of the Schools presentation at Strathmore with Josh Starr and a cast of MCPS staff and students.

Did you miss the breakfast?  The event was taped and you can catch the video from the comfort of your home.

The big news is on the arts front.  While Strathmore Hall is the premier venue for music and entertainment, Mitch Rales announced that its his intention for Glenstone to be the county's premier visual arts venue.  Glenstone plans to break ground shortly on a new building.

In the interim - everyone is invited to come out and see what Glenstone has to offer.  The public is invited Wednesday through Saturdays.  He didn't mention whether reservations are required, or whether he still has a no blogger policy. 

High school classes are invited to visit on Wednesdays.  Mitch and Emily are so generous, they will pay for the buses to take your favorite high schoolers.

But for kids under the age of 14?  No Glenstone for you.

I guess Glenstone needs to learn another lesson from Strathmore - you need to open your facility to kids of all ages and abilities if you want to be as successful as Strathmore.  The Rales's enterprise has a long way to go before it becomes a go to destination here in the county.

Oh, and if you feel that you missed out on breakfast, that too was a bit overrated - cold coffee and danish platters from a local supermarket chain.  Is this what our kids get for breakfast at school?

You are invited . . .

to breakfast with Mitch, Emily, and Josh.

Come hear Dr. Starr's first State of the Schools Address.  Share a cup of coffee with the folks from Glenstone, Mitch and Emily Rales, who also invite you if you are over the age of 12 and not a blogger, to their lovely mansion to view their art!

But - sorry teachers, you can't go.  Josh scheduled this for 7:30am on a school day, so no cookies and coffee for you, unless you can find a substitute and use one of your sick days. 

Thank goodness its a federal and state holiday - so federal and state workers who will be observing veterans day, can show up and eat. 

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

From the MCPS Web:

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/superintendent/stateoftheschools/

2012 State of the Schools

Superintendent Joshua P. Starr will deliver his first State of the Schools address at the Music Center at Strathmore on November 12, 2012. Please join Dr. Starr as he shares his vision for the future and we gather to celebrate the outstanding students of Montgomery County Public Schools. This event is free and open to the public.

Please Join Us on Monday, November 12, 2012

The Music Center at Strathmore
5301 Tuckerman Lane
North Bethesda, MD 20852

7:30 a.m.	Enjoy a light breakfast and student performances and artwork throughout the Music Center
8:30 a.m.	Dr. Starr presents his State of the Schools address Foreign language and sign language interpretation will be available. Event will conclude by 9:30 a.m. Free parking available in Grosvenor/Strathmore garage.

For more information about the event, please call 301-279-3424.

Sponsors
The 2012 State of the Schools event is supported, in part, by Strathmore and the Glenstone Foundation.

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

Do you feel left out?  Don't be.  You too can be a sponsor of this great event.  Philanthropies, other federal and state agencies, corporations, non-profits, and individuals - you are all invited, no minimum specified.  Just go to the Montgomery County Educational Foundation webpage and make a donation.   United Way and CFC donations also accepted.  MCPS has its hand out, and will take all donations.  What are the naming opportunities for other folks?  Guess you will just have to show up and find out.

Arts Curriculum Returns to MCPS

We are so excited.

Arts education in MCPS is making a comeback. Thanks to Mitchell and Emily Rales, who want a sewer so badly that they are lookiing into a partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools.

Want to visit Glenstone? Sorry, but if you are under the age of 12, no such luck. Glenstone cards those who visit, and only those age 12 years or older can visit. You can read the visitor information package right here. 2012 Glenstone Visitor Package




But wait - excluding those under the age of 12?  In a school system that is K-12, that means more than  half of the students in MCPS can't go on those lovely class trips.

Here is one solution.  Washington DC has an abundance of art museums, all free, with curricular material and many ready with lesson plans just waiting for an age appropriate group of school kids.  Try the National Gallery of Art, the National Portrait Gallery, or the Hirshhorn.

So elementary and middle school teachers in MoCo - start planning your trips to the Mall.  Now that art is back in the county, plan your trip and get those reservations in.  Art is back, just not at Glenstone. 

So - why is Dr. Starr advocating for a partnership with a private entity that still has to develop lesson plans and lacks adequate public bathrooms when your tax dollars already pay for facilities with lesson plans and sewer hookups? 

The Parents Coalition Annual List of School Fees for 2012

Did you think that our new Superintendent of Schools, Josh Starr, would shake things up here in MoCo?   Did you think he might chart his own course?

Wrong. Looks like its more of the same old same old. Our students are still not getting their constitutionally guaranteed free education again this year.

Here is the annual back to school fees list for high school students.
2012 Highschool Fees

And here is the back to school fee list for middle school students.
2012 Middle School Fees

Are the lists accurate? Readers will need to report back whether they were charged additional fees not on the list.


So - what is a parent to do, other than try to transfer their students into schools that charge less than others?

Ask for a waiver. Students are not supposed to be denied educational opportunities based on whether a fee is paid. If you do choose to pay a fee, consider it a donation.


Want to compare to last year's lists? Try here for high school and here for middle school.

Note to Emily and Mitch Rales - when you look over the lists, you will see that the majority of the fees are charged in the arts related classes. If you (or any other business person in MoCo) would like to help out students, perhaps you could adopt a school or a class on the list, and save Josh and his staff from having to beg for the payments.

Emily's Lessons for Writing Curriculum

Did you ever wonder what goes in to Montgomery County Public Schools decision to write curriculum?

Special ed parents, science families, parents with family members who are academically advanced - wouldn't you like the ability to write some of your child's lessons? Take note from Emily and Mitch Rales.

In addition to seeking MCPS assistance in getting a sewer line put in to their Potomac/Gaithersburg property, they write curricular matters too! What a resource. Invite Dr. Starr and the County Council to your house, and you can have a say as to what is in your child's classroom.

But you better hope that those with other types of political agendas get there first. Just think if the sex ed folks invited Josh and the Board of Education to tea. We might have an entirely different high school health class.

Get on the schedule early. Who knew that this was easier than trying to get testimony in public comments before the Board of Education?

Here's the documentation:

2012 Glen Stone 5

Lets do lunch - and please have your boss sign a letter supporting my sewer

To be fair, its not clear whether Linda Adams had lunch with Emily Rales or whether she just got her own private tour of the mansion posing as an art museum.

But - what is clear from reading the emails provided in a request under the Maryland Public Information Act, is this:

1. Linda Adams, the MCPS Supervisor for Arts visited Glenstone with Elizabeth Stuart, another MCPS staff member (see March 16 2012 email)

2. She was so excited that she shared this information with Brian Edwards (on March 19 email from Adams)

3. The Glenston-MCPS collaboration is exciting, but

4. Could Josh Starr please help out and write a letter (March 19 email from Emily Rales)

Note that the collaboration at this time simply involves a visit between Linda Adams and Emily Rales. No student visits, no teacher visits, nothing but a promise.   Unless you count the September party Mitch Rales held to welcome Josh to the County.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if any MCPS parent could get a simple request before Dr. Starr by simply inviting him or someone from MCPS over for a cup of coffee?

Lesson to MCPS parents and staff.  Next time you have a request, invite Josh or one of his staffers to your home for a visit, and you can ask for anything.
2012 Glen Stone 4

Throw me a party and I'll Sign Your Letter

A few weeks ago, this blog posted about a letter drafted by Dr. Starr concerning Mitchell Rales's request for a public sewer line to his estate in Potomac.

This looked sort of silly - after all, why would a Superintendent of Schools care about the state of the septic system at Glenstone?

More than we even knew. Apparently, all it takes is a few cookies to get Dr. Starr's attention.

When Dr. Starr was new in town, Mitch Rales thought he could do some partying with a purpose. His goal - "introduce him to arts-academic-business people who might not get to meet him otherwise." See August 12, 2012 email from his PR guru, Charlie (all references are to documents at the end of this post).

Funny - but looks as if Dr. Starr probably knew most of the folks who showed up.

-Three Board of Education members - Laura Berthiaume, Shirley Brandman, and Pat O'Neill
-Four County Council members (Andrews, Berliner, Ervin, and Riemer)
-At least two MCCPTA officers
(I thought you folks interviewed him for the job?)

-Six MCPS staff members
(Mr. Edwards - don't you and the rest of these folks see Dr. Starr at work?)

And the rest of the crowd?

Montgomery County Economic Development (two persons), MoCo Planning Board (three members), higher education reps in Montgomery Co (five), state representatives and delegates (two), and a few family members, staff, and friends (at least four by my count).

Can you locate the "business people who might not get to meet [Dr. Starr]?" I had trouble identifying them, perhaps someone else can help out.

I am sure everyone at the party had a great time.

Here is my question.  Is this a new way to conduct business by the Board of Ed, the County Council, and the Planning Board?   Looks to me like a way to make some deals, out of the public view.

Or is sharing a few cookies and drinks and then signing a letter to support the Rales's application for a sewer line no big deal, among friends?

After all, think of the great parties we can have after the Rales get their sewer line. But - if you go, remember, no blogging, because Mr. Rales prohibits bloggers from visiting his premises.
Glenstone

Starr attends party, writes letter for sewer.

The Washington Post:  Art collector Mitchell Rales’s grand design hangs up over sewer issue

...Several weeks ago, e-mails went out to those who had visited Glenstone, including guests at the party for Starr.
“Please help,” one of them began. “We are planning to further our mission by expanding our galleries and landscape, increase our hours, and offer more visitors the option of spending time with us — always free of charge. In order to facilitate this expansion, Glenstone is seeking to connect to public sewer.”
Within days, the County Council was flooded with letters of support — a three-inch stack in all, many of them using identical language. One was from Starr, the guest of honor at Rales’s September party...

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UPDATE:  The Parents' Coalition obtained a copy of Superintendent Starr's "I support the sewer" letter.