MCPS' Steve Simon: "We absolutely are in conformance with state law. We are adamant that we are providing a free public education."

The above quote is what former MCPS spokesman Steve Simon said to The Baltimore Sun on August 27, 2008. 

So why did MCPS then eliminate 70% of the fees that parents and guardians were paying to send their children to MCPS classes after that statement? 

Why? Because the fees are illegal. 

In fact, the Curricular Fees your child is still being charged to attend Montgomery County Public Schools are in violation of the Maryland Constitution. 

But the MCPS Superintendent and current Board of Education don't want you to know that your child is entitled to attend MCPS classes for free. 

They especially don't want the students at Edison High School in Silver Spring to know that classes are free this year. 

For the 2010-11 school year Edison High School students are getting billed to attend public school classes from $6 to $265 per class. 

But that's OK with the MCPS Public Relations Department, Superintendent Jerry Weast, the current and past Board of Education members - including Councilmember Valerie Ervin and Councilmember Nancy Navarro, and all the other elected officials in Montgomery County. 

Sure, over at Whitman High School in Bethesda science and math classes are FREE. 

But at Edison High School where the students are taking vocational classes? 

Pay up. 

The Baltimore Sun's InsideEd: Montgomery County parents fight school fees

August 27, 2008

...Well, a group of Montgomery County parents is on the war path to stop these expenditures -- at least some of them.

They are angry over the school system's requirement that they pay some fees for things like workbooks, calculators and lab fees for science and photography. They say the state guarantees each student a free public education and that principals should not be charging these fees.

They asked Elizabeth Kameen, the Assistant Attorney General for the Maryland State Department of Education, about whether the county and specifically Magruder High School should be charging fees.

She wrote back, quoting a 1987 opinion that said: "We cannot say whether Maryland courts would go as far as courts in some states in categorizing the activities that must be offered without charge. But whatever the outer limits of Maryland's 'free public schools' guarantee we are safe in saying that anything directly related to a school's curriculum must be available to all without charge."

 Montgomery County school spokesman Steve Simon said, "We absolutely are in conformance with state law. We are adamant that we are providing a free public education."

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: New MCPS Communications Director

From Georgia's Atlanta Journal-Constitution blog "Get Schooled."

Personal note: Wishing Dana Tofig well in his new job

DOE director of communications Dana Tofig is taking a new job in Montgomery County, Md., which will be closer to family...

...He’s moving to an exciting school district with an active parent watchdog group. I like to think we’ve prepared him for the scrutiny...

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UPDATE REMINDER: MCPS is still under a Teacher hiring freeze (See page 6 at link.) Classroom Teacher positions that are vacated this school year are not filled with certified teachers. Instead, under this Teacher hiring freeze any vacancies in a classroom will be filled with a per diem substitute. However, Superintendent Weast was able to fill this position that had been vacant since early summer.

Did Dr. Weast Really Say That . . .

At the April 14, 2009 BOE meeting, before the discussion on AP/IB programs (see agenda, item 3), Dr. Weast made a statement that really surprised many of us with kids enrolled at one of the numerous "special programs" around the county. The statement was twittered almost immediately, and incredulous folks are waiting for the Board to post the webcast on its site so they can hear for themselves what appears to be a strong statement on how our esteemed Superintendent views our children.

Yes, we know that the website contains a caution that past meetings may take up to one week to post. But - if you look at the time to post for most recent meetings, the past three meetings have been available by agenda item 2 days (Feb. 23 and Mar. 10) or 3 days (Mar. 23) after the meeting.

And yes, the tape should be available through the Maryland Public Information Act - but why play that game, especially now that the MCPS Public Information Office is waiting 30 days to release any information requests.

Is someone at Carver hoping that the tape will disappear?