How can quality programs be replicated under proposed MCPS regional model?

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) plans to make sweeping changes to the academic programs available to students. Part of this is the wholesale elimination of the Downcounty Consortium (DCC) and the Northeast Consortium (NEC) model in favor of a six-region model. The dissolution of the consortia will have a direct impact on countywide magnet programs and in particular the MCPS Visual Art Center (VAC) at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington. MCPS is among the nation’s best public school systems in part because it offers such exceptional programs. The county will lose one of its crown jewels if the MCPS academic programs committee implements this plan. Last year MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor celebrated the VAC’s 50 years of excellence. Today he wants to eliminate it.

The VAC, a criteria-based program, draws applications from students attending all schools in Montgomery County and admits between 30-35 students per class year. With two dedicated instructors, a purpose-built studio, and a double period schedule, the small class-based curriculum consistently produces artist-scholars recognized at the local, state, and national level. For example, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards from 2025 alone included an American Visionary nominee, seven gold portfolios winners, along with winners of 58 gold keys, 84 silver keys, and 132 honorable mentions. These artist-scholars are high achievers on AP exams, consistently outperforming the national average.

Beyond the numbers, the VAC presents opportunities for teen artists to express their creativity and their voices beyond the typical high school experience. VAC instructors mentor students to enter competitions as part of the curriculum. Last spring, VAC students exhibited work at the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival on the National Mall and at American University’s Katzen Arts Center. In the current small learning community model, students receive the instruction and mentorship of two dedicated visual arts educators, resulting in diverse candidates for scholarships, college application support, and career-ready portfolio development...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/11/20/letter-to-editor-how-can-quality-programs-be-replicated-mcps-regional-model/

Question of the Day: Is it time for your principal to retire?

Answer:  Yes.  Especially if you are James Fernandez, principal of Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, Maryland.  Ask any art student at the school.

At today's Board of Education meeting, numerous parents and students came out to testify in favor of the Visual Arts Program at Einstein High.  Once again, this program is on the list of potential cuts from the Montgomery County Board of Education.

Read the testimony and if you have time, watch the video replay.  Students and parents spoke from their hearts about the impact of this program on their MCPS experience.

The written statement of Maya Cartland really caught me by surprise. She writes:

The VAC is more than just an art class; it’s a community of artists and scholars. In a school as large as Einstein, it’s important for students to be in an environment where they feel safe to express themselves and their creative talents. Ms. Walsh and Ms. Harris hold their students to high expectations and give us the support to go beyond what we think we can initially do.

Maya continues: 

This is in stark contrast to our principal, Mr. Fernandez, a known opponent of the arts. Every year he speaks to students before Career Day and says, “if you major in the arts, be sure to memorize my McDonald’s order: Big Mac with no pickles.” Ask any art student at Einstein and they will be able to recite Mr. Fernandez’ order for you.

Did Mr. Fernandez really tell  kids to memorize his McDonald's order?  

Maya and her classmates get it - even if Mr. Fernandez doesn't.   

He, like so many, believe that art doesn’t matter, but what he fails to understand is that we are more than just art students; we are also honor students, AP, IB scholars, and athletes. The senior class has gotten into 32 top art and liberal art schools and won over $1.2 million in scholarships alone. 

Mr. Fernandez owes Maya and her classmates an apology.  And as for the rest of the taxpaying citizens of Montgomery County?

I suggest that Mr. Fernandez turn in his resignation now.  If he doesn't value the students, their diverse learning styles, or their unique interests, then he should not be in education. Its time to move on, and let someone who enjoys leading a Montgomery County High School, with its many talented kids of all shapes, sizes, and interests, toward finding their true passions.

Dr. Einstein left us with many memorable quotes - so it seems fitting that I end this piece with the words of the man that gave the high school his name. [See image]

Good luck to the current students at VAC as you pursue your dreams, and lets hope that MCPS keeps a program that works!

"A crippling blow to the only countywide high school art magnet program..."

Letter to MCPS Board of Education from supporters of the Einstein High School Visual Art Center program:


Dear Montgomery County Board of Education,

We appreciate how difficult this budget cycle has been, and we appreciate your careful attention to our testimony, in person and through emails, on the subject of the 50% cut to the Visual Art Center teaching staff at Einstein High School.

Now that the total schools budget amount is clear, the VAC parents, students, alumni and supporters below are requesting that you vote on the specific cut to the Visual Art Center. A crippling blow to the only countywide high school art magnet program is a policy issue. This issue was sidelined during the extended negotiation over the total schools budget.

The cut is being described as “fair” by MCPS staff, but we disagree. It appears that the total schools budget is down 1% from last year. We disagree that this necessitates a 50% cut to a program with only two teachers. There is no other countywide high school art magnet program, while we have multiple magnet programs for sciences and humanities. We do not believe there is another countywide magnet program being run by one teacher. And we do not believe that any other countywide magnet has lost 50% of their teaching staff.

This program closes the achievement gap, yields 100% pass rate on program AP tests, brings important distinction to Einstein High School, and brings millions of dollars in scholarship money and multiple prestigious awards to MCPS each year. The community has very clearly spoken out against this cut: parents, students, alumni, and countywide arts leadership including Busy Graham, Mark Jaster and Jose Dominguez.

We await your response.

Thank you for your service in representing the community.

Friends of the VAC

1. Sue Katz Miller
2. Paul Miller
3. Aimee Miller, VAC ‘12
4. Bob Drogin
5. Frankie Drogin
6. Maggy Sterner
7. Casey Drogin, VAC ‘10
8. Ruth Ilan
9. Jim Kuhn
10. Aaron Kuhn, VAC ‘10
11. Busy Graham
12. Stew Hickman
13. Molly Hickman
14. Mark Jaster
15. Wyatt Jackson Jaster, VAC ‘09
16. Betsy Keeler
17. Harvey Meyerson
18. Maggie Munoz
19. Michelle Jimenez, VAC ‘12
20. Ruy Teixeira
21. Lauren Teixeira, VAC ‘10
22. Robin Allen
23. Ian Teixeira
24. Marianna Previti
25. John Previti
26. Rosetta Previti, VAC ‘14
27. Max Shevitz
28. Betty Shevitz
29. Michael Shevitz, VAC ‘03
30. Tonda Taylor Bean
31. Mary B. Stevens
32. Miriam C. Stevens, VAC ‘10
33. Katie Dell Kaufman
34. Nancy Martin
35. Benjamin M. Rosenthal
36. Bob Holmcrans
37. Karen Holmcrans
38. Mary Holmcrans, VAC ‘13
39. David Hammer
40. Lauren Hammer
41. Deirdre N. Parker
42. Rosanne Skirble
43. Daniel Klein
44. Martin Swift, VAC ‘08
45. Jeffrey A Toretsky
46. Elizabeth Toretsky
47. Brenda Smoak
48. Jenna Fanning, VAC ‘08
49. Jennifer Woronow
50. Phyllis Goldfarb
51. James Fellows
52. Aaron Fellows, VAC ‘12
53. Diane Wendt
54. Rachel Milner
55. Richard Nowitz
56. Varda Nowitz
57. Mark Inglis Sorden
58. Danielle Ceneta, VAC ‘09
59. Sunny Keene
60. JoAnne Pierson
61. Jamie Newell
62. Alejandro Newell
63. Viviana Azar
64. Ryan Hartley Smith, VAC ‘02
65. Judy K. Reul
66. Linda Nemec
67. Chris Bort
68. Theresa Bort, VAC ‘10
69. Samuel F. Baldwin
70. Emory Luce Baldwin
71. Keith Donohue
72. Melanie Donohue
73. Ann P. Riley
74. Janette Patterson
75. Sandra Moore
76. Chas G. Poor
77. Joan B. Duncan
78. Lauren A. Poor, VAC ‘10
79. Nicole L. Poor
80. Mr. Yung Son Pak
81. Mrs. Young Chin Pak
82. George Smith
83. Diane Smith
84. Sara Falconett
85. Jerry Falconett
86. Dr. Nancy Nolan Sorden
87. Anna Lukacs, VAC ‘08
88. Roy W. Deppa
89. Shelley Waters Deppa
90. Ellen Bloom
91. Nina Corin
92. Ka Lai Lou, VAC ‘07
93. Tor Opsahl
94. Anja Opsahl
95. Meredith Meer
96. Helen Rea
97. Robert Sugar
98. Rebecca Sugar
99. Steven Sugar, VAC ‘08
100. Lisa Goldring
101. Eileen F. Heiss
102. Joseph M. Heiss
103. Lynn Crawford Cook
104. Madeline Marie Cook, VAC ‘09
105. Shira Medoff
106. Carin Gottlieb
107. Ilene Lundy
108. Michelle Trout
109. Harry Trout
110. Jack Chen, VAC ‘11
111. Zhao Chun Chen
112. Wei Wang
113. Terri Lundy
114. Don Lundy
115. Charles Ritchie
116. Jenny Ritchie
117. Samantha Ritchie, VAC ‘12
118. Linda Sapin
119. Jim Swyers
120. Naomi Manzella
121. Nora Manzella
122. Tom Hamburger
123. Ellie Hamburger
124. Ben Hamburger, VAC ‘06
125. Carl Elefante
126. Adriana B. Elefante
127. Stephen B. Elefante, VAC ‘09
128. Caroline Miller
129. Peter Miller
130. Elizabeth Luu
131. Ali Vallespin
132. Lorraine Duffin
133. Ellen Hornstein
134. Denis Cioffi
135. Adelle Banks
136. Alison Rutsch, VAC ‘08
137. William Rutsch
138. Linda Rutsch
139. Mark Butler
140. Hayden Butler, VAC ‘12
141. Isla Norwood
142. Esther DeVries
143. Johanna Janssens
144. Jeff Bartholet
145. Wei (Vivian) Cheng
146. Sara Bluestone
147. Lewis Cuffy
148. Katie Chung
149. Cynthia Wang
150. Kelvin Childs
151. Richard Payne
152. Bettie Payne
153. Susan Wood
154. Tracey Goldman
155. Andrew Strongin
156. Emma Strongin, VAC ‘14
157. Marika Partridge
158. Larry Ravitz
159. Heidi Landecker
160. Abraham Murrell, VAC ‘09


Please see link to letter above for additional names. 

Program Cut in Half Yields Award Winner

If a student in the Visual Art Center program at Einstein High School wins an award next year they will only be able to credit one teacher. 


One of these teachers won't be back in the program next year and only half as many students will be able to experience this unique learning environment.


While half of the teachers in this program are being cut for next school year, Superintendent Weast has promoted 7 administrators this month.  And, as the Board of Education responds when an administrator is hired or given a raise; "Clap, clap, clap."

Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC) announces that AARON KUHN, a senior at Albert Einstein High School in Kensington, MD, is the 2010 recipient of the Ida F. Haimovicz Visual Arts Award. Mr. Kuhn will receive a $3,000 cash award on Tuesday, June 8 at 5:00 PM at the reception for his solo exhibition at the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center, Montgomery College Takoma Park-Silver Spring Campus.

Aaron Kuhn, who works primarily with paint, credits Einstein’s visual arts magnet teachers, Mr. Michael Piechocinski and Ms. Jane Walsh, for helping him to think conceptually about his work and causing him to act as his own critic...

Found some $$$! Don't Cut Visual Art Center! (or classroom teachers, for that matter)

Can we all agree that preserving actual Classroom Teacher positions in MCPS should be the highest priority? That the classroom teacher is where the actual learning begins, and that their positions should have priority over central office spending that has no direct, immediate contact with teaching actual students?

Here's a list of some contracts approved by the Board of Education recently. Let them know that you value classroom teachers over consultants.

April 26, 2010: Maryland Public Television, $178,574 (online professional development)
April 15, 2010: WT Cox Subscriptions, $304,000 (Magazine Subscription)
Feb, 17, 2010: Arroyo Research Services: $39,975 (Professional Development Evaluations)
January 12, 2010: Gompers, $125,000 (support for security activities)

Magazine subscriptions? Public Television? Consultants? When did the Board of Education prioritize these things over classroom teachers? The Board knew back in January that there isn't money to spare in this year's budget. Why did they keep voting to spend money on items that don't relate directly to classroom instruction?

Oh sure: the $10 million dollar MCPS Ministry of Truth (Minitrue) will come out with some statement as to why the above expenditures directly contribute to MCPS's success in closing the achievement gap. But do you believe it? Don't you think that money should be spent on teachers in a classroom instead?