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Showing posts with label Transition team. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Transition team. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
xMINDS: Major Cuts to MCPS Autism Services - Autism Unit Reduced by half
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Next Transition Team meeting: Nov 29
The next County Executive Transition Team meeting will be on Nov 29th, with the likely intent of ranking the education strategy recommendations. We hear the focus will be on strategies that are low to no additional cost and that are 'innovative.' We'll see. The discussion will be finalized by County Executive-Elect Elrich's team after that. The second meeting was held and that discussion included the topics of lowering the achievement gap and increasing pre-K participation.
The transition team discussed a new strategy for pre-K, to supplement MCPS efforts, including grants to non-profits, religious organizations like churches, and even for-profit providers, to meet the needs of at-risk families closer to where they live.
One achievement gap strategy that was discussed would require MCPS to submit a strategy-based outcome budget, with cost and outcomes for individual literacy and math strategies delineated.
The meeting will likely be held at the East County Regional Center, but we're not sure of that, or when the meeting will be held. If anyone has additional information please post here!
The transition team discussed a new strategy for pre-K, to supplement MCPS efforts, including grants to non-profits, religious organizations like churches, and even for-profit providers, to meet the needs of at-risk families closer to where they live.
One achievement gap strategy that was discussed would require MCPS to submit a strategy-based outcome budget, with cost and outcomes for individual literacy and math strategies delineated.
The meeting will likely be held at the East County Regional Center, but we're not sure of that, or when the meeting will be held. If anyone has additional information please post here!
Friday, November 16, 2018
BREAKING Transition Team Doings...
County Executive-Elect Marc Elrich has assembled a Transition Team of over 180 people. The list of the entire team is here, as reported by Josh Kurtz in Maryland Matters on Nov. 14th. The group met this past week (still don't know where, or when) and broke into smaller groups. These groups will be determining the future of the county and the incoming administration priorities. Yet we still have no idea what went on at the meeting, or who was involved in which discussions. There are no minutes, no notes, no report out, or who was involved. We do know, though, that paid county employees were at the meeting working as facilitators and moderators.
So much for transparency and #opengov hopes for this new administration.
Parents' Coalition has obtained the names of the team members and verified that the group that will be overseeing education is the, 'Thriving Youth and Families Outcome Team.' Discussions at the first meeting included focus on pre-K strategies and more oversight of MCPS and gaps.
Next meeting: Monday. We still don't know when or where. Shhh.
The members of the team (some affiliations listed, not all are included here. You can add your own!)
Jud Ashman (Mayor of Gaithersburg)
Mark Bergel (Founder, A Wider Circle)
Marielsa Bernard (Judge, Sixth Circuit Court Montgomery County)
Shruti Bhatnagar (Candidate, Montgomery County Council At-Large)
Gordon Brenne (Vice President, Montgomery County Taxpayers League)
Sharon Friedman
Maria Gomez (Mary's Center)
Ron Halber
Brigid Howe
Omege Jawonezi
Evelyn Kelly
Cara Lesser
Diane Lill
Ann Mazur
Lori Melman (Family Learning Solutions)
Sonia Mora (Latino Health Initiative, Montgomery County Dep't. of Health and Human Services)
Marice Morales (Delegate, D19)
Aryani Ong
Jill Ortman-Fouse (outgoing MCPS Board Member)
Grace Rivera
Brian Roberts
Neel Saxena
Laurie Anne Sayles (City Councilmember, City of Gaithersburg)
Maritza Solano (CASA, Director of Education)
Laura Stewart
Ananya Tadikonda
Crystal Townsend (President, Healthcare Initiative Foundation non-profit)
Chris Wilhelm
Art Williams
Maya Zegarra
Friday, July 6, 2018
Joshua Starr on Transition Team for New Haven Schools Superintendent
...Joshua Starr, CEO of PDK International — which lists growing and connecting education leaders as its mission on its website — said he has been a mentor to Birks for about 12 years when he was Stamford superintendent of schools and she was in a program at the University of Connecticut.
“For 12 years we’ve been working on making sure she gets the right job,” he said. “We’ll be supporting her behind the scenes.”
Starr said PDK International will oversee the transition period...
Thursday, May 3, 2018
Breaking: Starr Payments to One Transition Team Member = $3,000 Fee and $299 a night Hotel ($343 with tax)
An investigative reporter in New Rochelle, NY has uncovered what Montgomery County parents and citizens never were told. Former Superintendent Joshua Starr used MCPS Operating Budget funds to pay for his "transition team." Starr's transition team was created, hired and paid behind closed doors. The budget for this team was never disclosed to the public or approved at a public Board of Education meeting.
We now know that just one of these team members cost children and classrooms $4,163. That's money that should have gone to classrooms, supplies and teacher salaries but instead was secretly diverted to a "team" created by Starr.
A New York investigative reporter has exposed the payments made from the MCPS Operating Budget to team member Brian Osborne, now the superintendent in New Rochelle, NY. The documents showing the MCPS payments to Osborne are at the link at the bottom of this post.
There were 15 members of Joshua Starr's transition team and a report was generated. How much of the MCPS Operating Budget did Joshua Starr spend on his transition team and their report?
...The first is a letter of recommendation from Dr. Starr. He says that the first person he called to help him when he was hired as Superintendent of Montgomery County Schools was Brian Osborne. Starr, in fact, put Osborne on the payroll of the Montgomery County School District. Records obtained by Talk of the Sound under a Maryland Public Information Act request show that Osborne was paid fees totaling $3,000 plus reimbursement of expenses for travel and entertainment totaling $1,163.00 for 20 hours of work, primarily two days of “transition team” meetings in Maryland, one on June 16, 2011 and another on August 23, 2011...
http://www.newrochelletalk.com/content/tangled-web-between-montgomery-county-maryland-public-schools-and-new-rochelle-city-school
Osborne Consulting Payments from Montgomery County Public Schools [PDF]
We now know that just one of these team members cost children and classrooms $4,163. That's money that should have gone to classrooms, supplies and teacher salaries but instead was secretly diverted to a "team" created by Starr.
A New York investigative reporter has exposed the payments made from the MCPS Operating Budget to team member Brian Osborne, now the superintendent in New Rochelle, NY. The documents showing the MCPS payments to Osborne are at the link at the bottom of this post.
There were 15 members of Joshua Starr's transition team and a report was generated. How much of the MCPS Operating Budget did Joshua Starr spend on his transition team and their report?
http://www.newrochelletalk.com/content/tangled-web-between-montgomery-county-maryland-public-schools-and-new-rochelle-city-school
Osborne Consulting Payments from Montgomery County Public Schools [PDF]
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Breaking News: Starr Hires Pal, No BOE Vote?
But, when did the Board of Education vote on this appointment? Maybe, Board votes aren't really that important and Starr has decided to just skip that step?
UPDATE: The MCPS website has now been edited since the screen shot from this morning that is shown above in this blog posting.
When you click on the MCPS link to the Office of Shared Accountability, we have no idea what will be shown.
Our screen shot shows the page the way it existed this morning. MCPS may continue to edit the page as the day progresses.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Board Cancels Meeting, Scrubs Transition Report Update
The Board of Education has cancelled their Monday, October 24, 2011 regularly scheduled meeting.
What was on the Agenda? Two hours and fifteen minutes of the Monday evening meeting was to have been devoted to the Superintendent's Transition Report.
The rest of the agenda items are shown on the original agenda below.
Agenda
What was on the Agenda? Two hours and fifteen minutes of the Monday evening meeting was to have been devoted to the Superintendent's Transition Report.
The rest of the agenda items are shown on the original agenda below.
Agenda
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Gazette Exposes Starr's "Transition team"
In today's Montgomery Gazette the public learns about Superintendent Starr's "transition team." Thanks to Gazette reporter Andrew Ujifusa the public now knows who is on this "team." Why didn't Superintendent Starr tell the public that this team was formed and who was on it? From out of state news sources we know that the "team" has been in existence since before Superintendent Starr's July 1st start date.
The next question is who is PAYING for this team? Anyone want to take a guess since Superintendent Starr hasn't been interested in being transparent about this? Did the Board of Education trade after-school sports for this entourage?
And the final question is, why didn't the Board of Education hire someone who could come in and start to work immediately without outside consultants?
Montgomery’s schools chief turns to New England brainpower on advisory teamTwo-thirds work or worked with county school systemby Andrew Ujifusa, Staff Writer
The transition team for Montgomery County schools’ new superintendent includes the former director of a Harvard graduate school program, the executive director of a corporate foundation dedicated to schools and a former top official with the school system...
...Larry Leverett
Since 2006, Leverett has been executive director of the Panasonic Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Secaucaus, N.J. The organization’s mission, as stated on its website, is “to break the links between race, poverty, and educational outcomes,” echoing the key themes of Peterkin’s Urban Superintendents Program.
Like Starr, Marks and Peterkin, Leverett has education leadership experience in the Northeast, having worked as superintendent of Plainfield, N.J., and Greenwich, Conn., public schools prior to joining the Panasonic Foundation, a Grantmakers for Education biography states. Starr has worked in public schools in Connecticut and New Jersey, as well as New York City.
Leverett has his own connection to another member of the transition team. He also has served on the advisory committee to Peterkin’s Urban Superintendents Program...
-----------------------------
Wednesday August 10, 2011
The transition team for Montgomery County schools’ new
superintendent includes the former director of a Harvard graduate school
program, the executive director of a corporate foundation dedicated to
schools and a former top official with the school system. A group of 15
people is helping Superintendent of Schools Joshua P. Starr take over
the reins of Montgomery County Public Schools. Ten of them work or
formerly worked in the school system, including long-time Weast deputies
Larry Bowers, chief operating officer, and Frieda K. Lacey, deputy
superintendent. A focus on educational equity is a major theme among the
non-school system team members, one highlighted during former
superintendent Jerry D. Weast’s tenure. There also are several links to
the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Several of the members also
have backgrounds in education leadership in the Northeast.
Those employed or formerly employed by the school system include Kathy Gemberling, former deputy superintendent; Vera Gaines, co-lead consulting teacher; Susan Marks, superintendent of schools in Norwalk, Conn. and a former community superintendent in Montgomery County; Ruth Musicante, a professional growth consultant with the school system; Frank Stetson, chief school performance officer; LaVerne Kimball, community superintendent; Scott Murphy, principal; and Brian Edwards, chief of staff.
Rebecca Thessin Thessin has strong ties to Starr, having worked for him as director of school performance and professional development when he was Stamford Public Schools superintendent. She authored an article earlier this year with him about the development of Professional Learning Communities at Stamford. Thessin is an assistant professor at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She specializes in preparing students to be school principals and other leaders in educational settings. She is an academic adviser in the university’s master of arts in Education and Human Development program. She holds an educational doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Urban Superintendents Program. Thessin previously worked as an aide to a deputy superintendent in Boston Public Schools, and has classroom teaching experience.
Robert Peterkin From 1991 until last year, Robert Peterkin was director of the Urban Superintendents Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where Starr was one of his students. The program focuses on producing school leaders who strive for educational equity across racial and socioeconomic lines. Peterkin previously served as superintendent in Cambridge, Mass., and Milwaukee public schools.In an April 2010 interview with the graduate school’s magazine, Peterkin described what makes a good superintendent. “First, someone has to commit to a vision of equitable education for all. And I mean a real commitment, like, ‘I’m willing to get fired over this.’ The second is theory of change. It’s not enough to talk a good game and inspire a community. You have to have the wherewithal to get it done.”He added that both of these qualities required courage to work. Starr specifically thanked Peterkin for his help during his first Board of Education meeting last month.
Larry Leverett Since 2006, Leverett has been executive director of the Panasonic Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Secaucaus, N.J. The organization’s mission, as stated on its website, is “to break the links between race, poverty, and educational outcomes,” echoing the key themes of Peterkin’s Urban Superintendents Program.Like Starr, Marks and Peterkin, Leverett has education leadership experience in the Northeast, having worked as superintendent of Plainfield, N.J., and Greenwich, Conn., public schools prior to joining the Panasonic Foundation, a Grantmakers for Education biography states. Starr has worked in public schools in Connecticut and New Jersey, as well as New York City. Leverett has his own connection to another member of the transition team. He also has served on the advisory committee to Peterkin’s Urban Superintendents Program. The transition team also includes Brian Osborne, superintendent of schools, School District of South Orange and Maplewood, N.J.; and John Kim, chief executive officer, District Management Council.aujifusa@gazette.net
Wednesday August 10, 2011
Montgomery's schools chief turns to New England brainpower on advisory team
Those employed or formerly employed by the school system include Kathy Gemberling, former deputy superintendent; Vera Gaines, co-lead consulting teacher; Susan Marks, superintendent of schools in Norwalk, Conn. and a former community superintendent in Montgomery County; Ruth Musicante, a professional growth consultant with the school system; Frank Stetson, chief school performance officer; LaVerne Kimball, community superintendent; Scott Murphy, principal; and Brian Edwards, chief of staff.
Rebecca Thessin Thessin has strong ties to Starr, having worked for him as director of school performance and professional development when he was Stamford Public Schools superintendent. She authored an article earlier this year with him about the development of Professional Learning Communities at Stamford. Thessin is an assistant professor at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She specializes in preparing students to be school principals and other leaders in educational settings. She is an academic adviser in the university’s master of arts in Education and Human Development program. She holds an educational doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Urban Superintendents Program. Thessin previously worked as an aide to a deputy superintendent in Boston Public Schools, and has classroom teaching experience.
Robert Peterkin From 1991 until last year, Robert Peterkin was director of the Urban Superintendents Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where Starr was one of his students. The program focuses on producing school leaders who strive for educational equity across racial and socioeconomic lines. Peterkin previously served as superintendent in Cambridge, Mass., and Milwaukee public schools.In an April 2010 interview with the graduate school’s magazine, Peterkin described what makes a good superintendent. “First, someone has to commit to a vision of equitable education for all. And I mean a real commitment, like, ‘I’m willing to get fired over this.’ The second is theory of change. It’s not enough to talk a good game and inspire a community. You have to have the wherewithal to get it done.”He added that both of these qualities required courage to work. Starr specifically thanked Peterkin for his help during his first Board of Education meeting last month.
Larry Leverett Since 2006, Leverett has been executive director of the Panasonic Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Secaucaus, N.J. The organization’s mission, as stated on its website, is “to break the links between race, poverty, and educational outcomes,” echoing the key themes of Peterkin’s Urban Superintendents Program.Like Starr, Marks and Peterkin, Leverett has education leadership experience in the Northeast, having worked as superintendent of Plainfield, N.J., and Greenwich, Conn., public schools prior to joining the Panasonic Foundation, a Grantmakers for Education biography states. Starr has worked in public schools in Connecticut and New Jersey, as well as New York City. Leverett has his own connection to another member of the transition team. He also has served on the advisory committee to Peterkin’s Urban Superintendents Program. The transition team also includes Brian Osborne, superintendent of schools, School District of South Orange and Maplewood, N.J.; and John Kim, chief executive officer, District Management Council.aujifusa@gazette.net
Saturday, July 23, 2011
It's a secret!
Don't ask about Superintendent Starr's transition to Montgomery County. It's a secret.
Superintendent Starr's "transition" to MCPS will be discussed in a Closed Board of Education Session on July 25, 2011.
In fact, the whole Superintendent Starr Transition team is a secret. None of your business. Yes, you pay the bills. But please don't ask any questions or expect to know how your tax dollars are being spent!
Superintendent Starr's "transition" to MCPS will be discussed in a Closed Board of Education Session on July 25, 2011.
In fact, the whole Superintendent Starr Transition team is a secret. None of your business. Yes, you pay the bills. But please don't ask any questions or expect to know how your tax dollars are being spent!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Meet Dr. Starr's Mentor - Larry Leverett
With Dr. Starr coming to MoCo, its time to introduce an important member of his transition team, Larry Leverett.
Dr. Leverett's biography is honorable in its own right. Here is his bio, courtesy of NJ After 3, an organization where he also is a member of the Board:
Yes. Here is why.
Not only is Dr. Leverett on Josh's MoCo Transition team, the two go back to being superintendents in neighboring districts in Connecticut.
And Dr. Leverett, spent eight years as superintendent of the Plainfield Public Schools in New Jersey before moving to the Greenwich Public Schools. Before working in New York City, Dr. Starr was the Director of Accountability for the Plainfield, NJ Public Schools. Dr. Leverett was Dr. Starr's mentor when Dr. Starr was at the Harvard Urban Superintendent's Program.
The two have authored chapters in the same book Every Child, Every Classroom, Every Day. Dr. Leverett wrote chapter 1, Dr. Starr contributed to chapter 6.
And more good news? Dr. Leverett is already an MCPS consultant. He's participated in several retreats for the Board of Education. Best of all, Dr. Leverett facilitated an MCPS BOE retreat in December 2009, and his organization facilitated another September 2010 worksession for the Board of Education.
Do you see a pattern? Are these two inseparable or is it just a coincidence? Six degrees of Keven Bacon comes to mind.
Here are my two questions for the day:
Who is running the June 21 closed BOE retreat/training/team building session?
The bigger question whether the Panasonic Foundation and Dr. Leverett influenced the recent superintendent search. Was the selection open, or did the BOE really have a lead candidate from the start.
Maybe the "P" in MCPS will soon stand for the Montgomery County Panasonic School System.
This may sound like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, but honestly, this song just kept popping into my head all day today, so I thought it was time to sing along:
Dr. Leverett's biography is honorable in its own right. Here is his bio, courtesy of NJ After 3, an organization where he also is a member of the Board:
Dr. Larry Leverett is the Executive Director of the Panasonic Foundation, a corporate foundation with a mission to help public school systems with high percentages of children in poverty to improve learning for all students so that they may use their minds well and become productive, responsible citizens. Leverett recently served as Superintendent of Schools in Greenwich, Connecticut.Wait a minute - doesn't this sound a little like our own Dr. Starr?
His career in education has included urban and suburban experiences as a classroom teacher, elementary principal, assistant superintendent, school board member, and Assistant State Commissioner of Education and 15 years as superintendent in 3 school districts, including Plainfield and Englewood in New Jersey. Leverett serves on advisory committees for the George Lucas Educational Foundation, Educators for Social Responsibility, and the Laura Bush Foundation for School Libraries. He is committed to social justice and ensuring that all children have access to a high quality educational experience in public schools.
Yes. Here is why.
Not only is Dr. Leverett on Josh's MoCo Transition team, the two go back to being superintendents in neighboring districts in Connecticut.
And Dr. Leverett, spent eight years as superintendent of the Plainfield Public Schools in New Jersey before moving to the Greenwich Public Schools. Before working in New York City, Dr. Starr was the Director of Accountability for the Plainfield, NJ Public Schools. Dr. Leverett was Dr. Starr's mentor when Dr. Starr was at the Harvard Urban Superintendent's Program.
The two have authored chapters in the same book Every Child, Every Classroom, Every Day. Dr. Leverett wrote chapter 1, Dr. Starr contributed to chapter 6.
And more good news? Dr. Leverett is already an MCPS consultant. He's participated in several retreats for the Board of Education. Best of all, Dr. Leverett facilitated an MCPS BOE retreat in December 2009, and his organization facilitated another September 2010 worksession for the Board of Education.
Do you see a pattern? Are these two inseparable or is it just a coincidence? Six degrees of Keven Bacon comes to mind.
Here are my two questions for the day:
Who is running the June 21 closed BOE retreat/training/team building session?
The bigger question whether the Panasonic Foundation and Dr. Leverett influenced the recent superintendent search. Was the selection open, or did the BOE really have a lead candidate from the start.
Maybe the "P" in MCPS will soon stand for the Montgomery County Panasonic School System.
This may sound like Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, but honestly, this song just kept popping into my head all day today, so I thought it was time to sing along:
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