'Unacceptable and immoral:' Petition criticizes UMD's hiring of former MCPS superintendent

WASHINGTON - A former superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools who resigned earlier this year will take a new role with the University of Maryland, officials confirmed this week.

Dr. Monifa McKnight will serve in the inaugural position of "Dean’s Fellow and Superintendent in Residence" with the University of Maryland’s College of Education. The role is expected to support the development of and implementation of special projects within the college and "strengthen partnerships between the college and PK-12 schools across the state," according to UMD.

McKnight stepped down as MCPS superintendent in February, agreeing to a $1.3 million separation deal amid scrutiny over the school system’s handling of sexual harassment and bullying allegations against now-former Farquhar Middle School principal Joel Beidleman. For this reason, an online petition with more than 500 signatures Friday is criticizing the university for its hire...

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/unacceptable-immoral-petition-criticizes-umds-hiring-former-mcps-superintendent.amp

Petition asks U.Md. to reverse its decision on hiring former Montgomery Co. Superintendent McKnight

Days after the University of Maryland hired a former Montgomery County superintendent, a new online petition is calling for university officials to “reverse course” on the decision.

The Change.org petition claims that the hiring of former Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Monifa McKnight to a leadership position at the University of Maryland is “unacceptable and immoral.”..

https://wtop.com/maryland/2024/07/petition-asks-u-md-to-reverse-its-decision-on-hiring-former-montgomery-co-superintendent-mcknight/

As U-Va. and U-Md. try to curb surge in coronavirus cases, neighboring communities brace themselves

One campus, in Maryland, temporarily canceled in-person classes after coronavirus infections surged past 60 cases two days in a row. The other, in Virginia, kept classrooms open even after it logged 229 cases in a single day.

The region’s flagship universities — the University of Maryland at College Park and the University of Virginia — have tracked an alarming uptick in the number of viral cases on campus. And each school has taken a different approach to curbing the spread, illustrating the tensions and uncertainty of trying to operate major research universities in the pandemic and preserve public health...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/uva-umd-covid-cases-colleges/2021/02/22/7890b542-754c-11eb-8115-9ad5e9c02117_story.html?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

Classes at UMD, College Park to go online for a week as coronavirus spreads on campus; ‘sequester-in-place’ ordered

 

BALTIMORE SUN |

FEB 20, 2021 AT 5:31 PM

The University of Maryland, College Park on Saturday suspended in-person classes for a week and instituted a “sequester-in-place” order as the coronavirus spreads on campus.

Classes at the state’s flagship university will be conducted online Monday through Feb. 27, according to an “urgent” announcement from Dr. Darryll J. Pines Jr., president of the university, and Dr. Spyridon S. Marinopoulos, director of the University Health Center.

The new mandate also requires students who live in campus residence halls or off-campus fraternity or sorority houses to isolate in place. It urges other off-campus students “stay at home as much as possible and limit your activities.”

It’s the second time this week the university has taken steps to curb the spread of COVID-19 following the detection on and off campus of coronavirus clusters, which they define as three or more cases in a certain area, and outbreaks, five or more cases in a defined space...

Students in Denton Hall advised to restrict activity, monitor symptoms for 14 days

...The restriction comes the same week the university launched its second major testing event. Since Monday, the university has reported 114 new cases — a combination of university-administered and self-reported tests. 

The email sent to residents instructs them to stay inside their dorm room as much as possible and limit the capacity of communal bathrooms and elevators to a maximum of three people. Students are not to attend in-person classes or visit public places including Stamp Student Union, gyms or other dorms, according to the university email. Residents may leave the dorm to “get fresh air,” but they are encouraged to wear face masks and continue social distancing. 

Each floor of the dorm will be assigned a case manager, according to the email, and the dining services department will be delivering meals to students in Denton Hall...

https://dbknews.com/2020/09/18/umd-coronavirus-denton-hall-quarantine-guidelines/

UMD President Loh's Letter