NAACP to MCEA: "MCEA advocates for budget increases while its members reportedly feel unsupported." @NAACP @JMartinMCEA @mceanea

NAACP letter to MCEA by Parents' Coalition of Montg...

**TONIGHT Jan. 19th** Monifa McKnight Speaks at NAACP meeting - 6:30 PM on Zoom with opportunity to hear from community.

 

https://naacppc-md.org/

Topic

Conversation with Dr. Monifa McKnight co-sponsored by NAACP-MC Parents' Council and Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence

Description

Participate in a direct discussion with MCPS Interim Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight on topics important to Black and Brown communities, including Recovery from Learning Disruption, School Safety, Covid-19 Surge Responses, Anti-Racism Initiatives, and more.
January 19 at 6:30pm.

Conversación con la Dra. Monifa McKnight copatrocinada por el Consejo de Padres de NAACP-MC y la Coalición Negra y Marrón para la Equidad y la Excelencia Educativa

Participe en una discusión directa con la Dra. Monifa McKnight, superintendente interina de MCPS, sobre temas importantes para las comunidades negras y marrones, incluida la recuperación de la interrupción del aprendizaje, la seguridad escolar, las respuestas a la oleada de Covid-19, las iniciativas contra el racismo y más.
19 de enero a las 6: 30pm.

NAACP Supports Hidden Predator Act SB134: Pass this bill out of Committee. Institutions perpetuate the Cover Up, Obstruction of Justice, Intimidation of Witnesses. We have to Give Vulnerable Tools to Stop those that have Victimized Them.

February 2, 2021: NAACP's Rev. Kobi Little speaks in support of Maryland Senate Bill 134. Rev. Little asks that the bill be voted out of the Judicial Proceedings Committee so that it can be voted on by the full Maryland Senate.

$2,000 to MD House Speaker Campaign from Milestone (VA Cell Tower Company - 3 cell towers per public school playground)

The Maryland Association of Boards of Education "partner" Milestone took a sudden liking to Maryland campaigns at the end of October contributing $5,000 to PG County Executive Rushern Bakers' referendum proposal, $2,000 to PG Delegate Michael Vaughn's campaign, and $2,000 to Maryland House of Delegates Speaker Michael Busch's campaign.

Isn't that super the way a corporation based in Virginia suddenly took a interest in Prince George's and Maryland campaigns!  
This couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that Milestone Communications wants to put 3 cell towers on every public school playground in Prince George's County, could it?


Maryland House of Delegates
House Speaker
Delegate Michael Busch

WPost: Prince George’s board members charge thousands in local restaurant meals

...The district also paid for overnight stays for some board members during its retreat at the Westin at National Harbor, which is less than 20 miles from district headquarters.
“It just doesn’t sit well, especially when you also hear that teachers don’t have access to printers,” said Juanita Miller, head of the education committee for the Prince George’s County branch of the NAACP. “Teachers are standing in line to make copies. The school system cut the budget for those types of things.”
Miller said the problem is not that the board members have credit cards but how they are using them.
David Cahn, an education activist who regularly attends board meetings, said the school system needs to impose limits on meals, similar to the federal government. The federal per diem for meals is $71, which does not include guests’ bills.
“I do not think school board members should have to pay out of their own pocket for legitimate expenses, but a lot of them don’t sound legitimate,” Cahn said...

 http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/prince-georges-board-members-charge-thousands-in-local-restaurant-meals/2014/10/09/dabcf092-4fe6-11e4-babe-e91da079cb8a_story.html?wpmk=MK0000200

Support for Cell Towers on MCPS Playgrounds: Henry Hailstock, Mark Uncapher, Robin Uncapher, Cynthia Rubenstein and Casey Aiken

Montgomery Community Media: This episode of “21 This Week” with host Casey Aiken (commercial real estate attorney) and his panel includes a discussion of ... whether cell phone towers should be located on public school grounds ...

The show’s panel of political observers includes Henry Hailstock (Past NAACP-MC President), Mark Uncapher (Former Chair of Mont. Co. Republican Central Committee and Director, Regulatory and Government Affairs Telecommunications Industry Association), Robin Uncapher (Republican Activist) and Cynthia Rubenstein (Education Activist and MCPS Partner/County Funding).

Go to minute 12:55 of the video for the discussion of cell towers on MCPS playgrounds.

NAACP-PG is Speaking Out for Children. Support their Oct 19th Fundraiser.

Annual Hester V. King Freedom Fund Gala

 

Keynote Speaker:

 

Honorable Laura D. Blackburne

NYS Supreme Court Justice, Retired

 

The Prince George's County NAACP, Branch stands on the front lines of the struggle to educate, enlighten, and preserve the rights of all people. The Hester V. King Freedom Fund Gala supports the major programs of this Branch.

 

With your support

 

Dine on the Delicious Cuisine Created by the World Renown, Wolf Gang Puck

at the Beautiful National Harbor Sunset Room.

 

Master of Ceremonies - Frank Ski 

Mistress of Ceremonies - Mo (Moraima) Ivory 

 

Event Info

October 19, 2014

 

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM  

 

Sunset Room at National Harbor,

by Wolf Gang Puck

137 National Plaza

Oxon Hill, MD  20745

 

http://www.naacppgc.org/#!freedom-fund/cez1

Breaking News: 1 BOE Candidate Does Not Support Cell Towers on School Property

In Pr. George’s County, momentum builds against cellphone towers at school sites

By Ovetta Wiggins September 3 at 11:38 AM

The president of the Prince George’s County chapter of the NAACP wants the county school system to halt the construction of cellphone towers on school property until school officials review information about the possible dangers that the towers could pose.

Bob Ross joined a chorus of residents who recently testified as part of an ongoing protest of the school system’s plans to allow 73 schools in the county to become sites for cellphone towers.

Nearly 1,100 people have signed an online petition calling for school leaders to stop the construction of the towers...

Full article at this link.

From Walter Johnson HS: NAACP Parent Council Breakfast with Starr

This Saturday, the NAACP Parent Council will meet with Dr. Joshua Starr, Superintendent of Montgomery County Schools and directly pose questions, concerns, just chat and eat breakfast! We have the chance to bring voice to our community's greatest concerns and "put a face" on the issues that affect our students today!  Let's build community and voice our issues. 

Any parent, student or community member is welcome to attend this meeting!  If you are not able to attend this Saturday's meeting, but would like a question or concern raised, please let me know...I'll carry your voice with me!

 

Date: Saturday, April 20th

Time: 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM

Place: 850 Hungerford Drive, Carver Educational Services Center (BOE Headquarters, across the street from Montgomery College at Rockville)

Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday!

NAACP Parents' Council MCPS To Do List

At the April 2012 NAACP Parents' Council meeting the attendees created a list titled, "What does MCPS need to do to improve African American achievement?"


The MCPS "To Do" list is shown in the image on this blog post. 

Md. right to adopt new regulations for gifted and talented programs

Baltimore Sun:  Our view: State board wisely rejected arguments that gifted and talented programs are elitist

New rules on school gifted and talented programs approved today by the state board of education have drawn fire from a coalition of groups that say such programs harm poor and minority students. The critics, which include Casa de Maryland and the Montgomery County NAACP, argue that the very act of labeling some students and not others as gifted creates winners and losers, and that the principal victims of such inequality are African-Americans, Hispanics and students from low-income families.
But surely the solution isn't to abolish gifted and talented programs entirely, as the critics propose. Rather, it should be to make sure as many minority and low-income children as possible participate in academically enriched programs. The state ought to be working closely with advocacy groups to identify and recruit such students and to monitor their progress. That's not "elitism," as critics charge, but an altogether worthwhile effort to draw out the best from the state's most exceptional students...continues at link.

NAACP vs Black Parents

Here's something you don't see everyday. Thousands of American blacks held a rally in Harlem last week to protest . . . the NAACP.

The New York state chapter of the civil rights organization and the United Federation of Teachers, the local teachers union, have filed a lawsuit to stop the city from closing 22 of Gotham's worst schools. The lawsuit also aims to block the city from giving charter schools space to operate in buildings occupied by traditional public schools.

Protesters at the rally, which included parents and charter school operators like Geoffrey Canada of the Harlem Children's Zone, urged the NAACP to withdraw from the suit. But Hazel Dukes, president of the state NAACP chapter, is unpersuaded. Using the kind of language more readily associated with past opponents of black civil rights, Ms. Dukes said that critics of the lawsuit "can march and have rallies all day long. . . . We will not respond."

Read more at: http://blackamericans.com/blogs/news/archive/2011/06/05/naacp-vs-black-parents.aspx

Update on New Superintendent Search

All,
Last week I spoke with Hank Gmitro, of Hazard, Young. Attea (HYA, the search firm the Board of Education [BOE] has hired for the superintendent search).  He told me that HYA both received applications; and reached out to potential applicants to compile resumes for the new Montgomery County Public Schools superintendent.  There were 25-30 resumes in all.  These resumes were reviewed by the Board of Education and the list was narrowed to a smaller group of ‘semi-finalists.’  I understand that the Board of Education will be interviewing ‘semi-finalist’ candidates this weekend.  


In addition, the Board has chosen a small group of 14-15 people to invite to a ‘community committee’ which will take place ~April 13^th -15^th, however, those invited have heard nothing further as of last Thursday.  They have signed confidentiality agreements, however, which include agreeing to not take notes at the meeting; and not reveal where the meeting will be held.  These individuals include members of: the unions; NAACP; Gifted and Talented Association (GTA); someone from the Special Education community; the Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education (MCBRE)*; the PTA; and local colleges.  More were invited however I do not have a complete list.  The only people that have come forward to say they have been invited are Fred Stichnoth, president of GTA; and Kristin Trible, president of MCCPTA.  Both have asked for input prior to the interview.  Thank you both.


If you have not heard from a representative of your group, contact the president to see if they have been invited and make sure your voice is heard.  The school system and the superintendent are paid for by your tax dollars, and, whether you have a child in this system or not, over one-half your tax dollars are going to support this system.  Make sure your voice is heard.


Thank you.
Paula Bienenfeld
Education Committee Chair, Montgomery County Civic Federation


*the MCBRE board is composed of for-profit business members including for example, Pearson, Wachovia Bank, Sodexo, Citigroup, Lockheed Martin, Dell, Hess Construction; representatives of various colleges, and the current superintendent.