MCPS Keeping Feral Cat Horde at Shady Grove Bus Depot. School Bus doors do not lock. Feral Cats can Enter Buses

Take a look at Google Earth at the MCPS Shady Grove Depot located 16651 Crabbs Branch Way in Rockville, Maryland.  Take a "drive" around the property and you will see that there are a number of work trailers.  They are the same type of classroom trailers that are used for students, but these trailers are used for MCPS staff.  

At one of the work trailers at the MCPS Shady Grove Depot, the Google Earth image shows a small door opened under one of the work trailers and a person with multiple bowls.  

The bowls are apparently to feed feral cats that are being kept under the trailers.  

How many feral cats are being kept at the Shady Grove Depot?

Keep in mind that MCPS school bus doors do not lock.  State law prohibited school bus doors from locking and so school buses are kept in gated depots.  

However, the locked gates do not keep animals, including dozens of feral cats, from entering the school buses at night.  

The next day, MCPS students use those same school buses.  

Montgomery Co. reports uptick in students arrested on school grounds

At least thirteen students were arrested on the grounds of Montgomery County Public Schools in the most recent school year — up from three during the academic year prior.

The data was shared by school officials in a presentation on student well-being and safety during a June 27 Board of Education meeting. Eight of the students arrested during the 2022-2023 school year were Black, and five were white, according to county data. The data doesn’t cite what the students were arrested for.

Some school board members expressed frustration that Hispanic students weren’t included in the data...

Montgomery Co. reports uptick in students arrested on school grounds - WTOP News

BOE Candidates with a Focus on the Health and Safety of Public School Students in MCPS

At Large:  Stephen Sugg

District 3:  Laura Simon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


There are only two Board of Education races on the Primary Ballot.


 The Washington Post profiles of Board of Education candidates. 

MYMCMEDIA Board of Education At Large

MYMCMEDIA Board of Education District 3

League of Women Voters' Guide
Primary Election Tuesday June 26, 2018
Polls Open 7 AM to 8 PM




Bethesda Beat Voters' Guide Board of Education At Large Race

Bethesda Beat Voters' Guide Board of Education Distrct 3


~Janis Sartucci

Einstein HS student choked, flung, punched, stomped during lunch break; classmate charged

KENSINGTON, Md. (WJLA) — An Albert Einstein High School student was choked, flung, punched and stomped on by three classmates, resulting in hospitalization for a broken eye socket, Montgomery County Police say.

According to a criminal charging affidavit obtained by ABC7, the teenage victim was walking down a hallway during lunch break on Friday, January 19, when fellow student Keampa Thompson-Smith, 17, of Rockville, Maryland, hugged him. Thompson-Smith brought the victim to two other male classmates. Together, the group of three began to remove the victim's jacket and backpack...

http://wjla.com/news/local/einstein-hs-student-choked-flung-punched-stomped-during-lunch-break-classmate-charged

Recent suicides of 2 Montgomery County students spark discussion of suicide prevention awareness

FOX5 EXCLUSIVE: Rockville High School student says she was beaten by another student inside school

ROCKVILLE, Md. - The family of a Rockville High School senior student said their daughter was attacked and beaten at the school earlier this month. The incident happened just nine days before an alleged rape was reported by a 14-year-old girl by two classmates – a case that has gained attention locally and nationally.
Now, the family of the senior student is questioning Montgomery County Public Schools and Rockville High School's commitment to student safety.

 http://www.fox5dc.com/news/local-news/244573623-story

88 PG public schools exceeded EPA allowable lead levels #lead

After the story of the Flint Michigan water crisis unfolded in the media last year, I read a news story reporting that lead had been found in the water at Ardmore Elementary School and that water fountains and sinks had been turned off. I became curious. Was the drinking water in our county schools safe?
So in January of 2016 I decided to write to PGCPS CEO Dr. Maxwell and began a long inquiry asking what tests had been done in Prince George’s County Schools to measure for lead. Here is what I learned:

The school system performed water tests from 2009 to 2012 and found that at least 88 schools exceeded EPA allowable lead levels. (Read the list of “Prince George’s County Public Schools Fixtures that are Valved Off” which was sent to me from PGCPS). The majority of  schools with lead contamination are elementary schools.
As of December 2016, the school system had not done anything to remediate this other than simply to turn off faucets in the majority of these schools.
At first, PGCPS told me that they were fixing the lead problem. I was sent a document titled “PGCPS Lead in Water Program” that explained a four-phase plan to fix the lead problem. This document said that a Request for Proposals (RFP) had been submitted “to remediate the remaining classroom water fountains and sinks throughout the system.” This was “Phase Four” of the plan.
You can imagine my surprise to learn that in fact the information PGCPS had sent me was not accurate. When I asked PGCPS to share the details of the “Phase Four” plan, they responded on October 7, 2016 with an email saying that they had made a mistake...

https://pgcabs.org/2017/03/10/what-i-learned-about-lead-in-the-water-in-prince-georges-county-schools/

Panel Presentation on Classroom Technology and Your Child: Health, Safety, and Privacy - May 12, 2016 at 7:00 pm

Calling all MCPS parents!!! Join us for a panel presentation Classroom Technology and Your Child: Health, Safety, and Privacy “                  

When: May 12, 2016, 7:00 pm Where:  Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD   Sponsor: MCCPTA Health and Safety Committee Details: Join us for a discussion of the opportunities and challenges as MCPS integrates technology into the classroom. Share your insights and concerns.The discussion will be followed by Q&As to understand the different aspects of  the use of electronic devices in the classroom. Feel free to share and invite others in the community. We need your input and look forward to seeing you there!

Fox5: Health Concerns over Wi-Fi Technology Exposure in MCPS

Part 2 - Whitman HS to take part in research study of concussions

If a picture says a thousand words - a video provides a million.

Here is the video from Fox 5 showing the concussion research device that may be tested at Whitman HS.







Did you catch the principal on the clip as saying he is concerned about concussions because fewer kids are coming out for football. Gee, Dr. G - I hoped that you would be more concerned about the health of your students.

Exclusive: Thousands of MCPS students exposed to high levels of radon

No retesting or remediation years later, in spite of EPA recommendations 

Radon test reports obtained last week by the Parents' Coalition reveal that radon levels in several schools have exceeded the "corrective action recommended" levels for years. Based on the date of the reports (November 3, 2015), it appears that MCPS has taken no action to correct the problems or has any long term testing underway.

Normal radon decay causes emission of ionizing radiation.  Scientists have long established that ionizing radiation is a significant cause of cancer.

Data from a few of the affected schools is below.   Although we asked for the entire test reports, MCPS provided only the summary data shown below, so we don't know which classrooms have the high levels.

The EPA recommends retesting and remediation when levels are above 4.0 pCi/L.

 

 

Parents and teachers should ask MCPS for the detailed reports and testing methodology for their schools.

The EPA recommends that testing be performed during normal classroom use because radon levels can vary depending on building ventilation and other factors.   The most accurate tests require long term sampling, typically lasting a few months.

Click here to go to the EPA Radon in Schools web site  

Click here to go to an NIH study about the relationship between radon and childhood leukemia

Montgomery County Grappling With Spike in MS-13 Gang Activity

Another MCPS Bus Fire #495 #WestlandMiddleSchool

Students evacuated to side of Beltway/495

Traffic advisory - OL I495 near Conn Av , 3 lanes get by to left, right side blocked, minor school bus fire is out pic.twitter.com/MfGikJLcvI

— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) October 14, 2015

If we told you once, we told you twice . . .

the Wootton Community does not want a cell tower.

This is the second time the Wootton community has told Dr. Doran that cell phone towers, cell phone compound, generators, and other accessories are not welcome.

Really, honestly, truly Dr. Doran, we don't want it.  How many times do we have to tell you?  We told you in 2004, and we are telling you again - NO.

Many of the parents in the audience tonight (remember, it was a COMMUNITY meeting) have young kids - in elementary and middle school, even preschool.  Some community members don't currently have ANY kids in Montgomery County Public Schools.  This was your chance to meet them, and you blew it.

You said this was an opportunity - what type of opportunity?  What is the community benefit?  Our cell service is fine.  Kids can't use cell phones in schools anyway - are we missing something?

For some reason, you mentioned the artificial turf field - that one you said you advocated for.  Great, another long term chemical hazard.  So - to a new parent or community member, your big accomplishments are that you advocate for an artificial turf field and see an opportunity in a cell tower?

Your job is education - not fundraising or making the cell phone companies richer.  The County Council just fully funded the MCPS budget - and you need more money to do what?

If you want to be a business person, go ahead.  But Wootton HS and its cluster schools need a principal who is an educational leader, not someone who looks for placing yet another chemical hazard in our neighborhood.

Here are some pictures from tonight's meeting.

WUSA 9: Restaurant Alert: Mice at Montgomery Co school cafeteria

Bethesda, Md. (WUSA9) The Montgomery County Health Department confirms to WUSA9 the authenticity of a Wood Acres Elementary School e-mail acknowledging a "temporary suspension of meal services" after "evidence of mice was observed in the cafeteria storeroom."

Md. officials weigh safety in community, classroom - wtop.com

Md. officials weigh safety in community, classroom - wtop.com

...In Montgomery County, a joint meeting of the County Council's Public Safety and Education Committees will hear from county school officials about safety issues in the schools, including when police should be notified about incidents.
The topic of bullying is also on the agenda.
A packet prepared for the committees shows a discrepancy between the number of bullying cases reported and school surveys where students and teachers say bullying is a problem at their own school...

Below is the packet for the County Council joint meeting on Tuesday, January 18, 2011. 
This meeting will be televised live on County Cable Montgomery. 
20110118_EDPS1

Patch: School Officials, Parents Concerned for Pedestrian Safety at Kingsview MS

Some parents and school officials of Kingsview Middle School said the lack of crosswalks and possible elimination of bus routes is feeding their concern for pedestrian safety.

Calvin Johnson fears for his 11-year-old son every day just walking to school.
To reach Kingsview Middle School, the boy has to cross at Father Hurley Boulevard and Dawson Farm Road, the intersection of two busy streets.
"I know the budget is tight but I think the county needs to prioritize protecting kids," Johnson said...

School Safety and Security Report Available Online

Gazette, Wednesday, December 8, 2010:

"Police were called to Watkins Mill High 27 times in the 2009-2010 school year for serious incidents such as assaults, drugs or weapons on campus, thefts and medical emergencies. At the two other high schools in the county police's 6th district, Gaithersburg and Quince Orchard, police were called 32 times and 14 times, respectively, according to a Montgomery County Public Schools Safety report."

CLICK HERE to read the 2009-2010 School Safety and Security report online.

Student struck by vehicle in Bethesda crosswalk prompts look at traffic concerns

Gazette: Westland Middle School in Bethesda has been asking for help for more than 10 years, principal says

...A decade after those first letters in the file, a 13-year-old girl was struck by a vehicle while she was in a crosswalk on Massachusetts and Westbard avenues around 5:30 p.m. Sept. 13, Montgomery County police spokeswoman Blanca Kling said.  The driver hit the girl when he went around a sport utility vehicle stopped at the crosswalk...

Valerie Ervin, "...we get the hammer..."

...because we are never supposed to ask a question..."

At the end of today's Montgomery County Council Joint Committee meeting to review the MCPS School Security and Safety at a Glance publication, Council Vice-President Valerie Ervin made the following statement to MCPS Acting Chief Performance Officer Frank Stetson (Superintendent Jerry Weast was not in attendance). 

Councilmember Ervin's statement came at the end of a Council committee meeting where Councilmembers had questioned the content of the MCPS School Security and Safety at a Glance publication. Specifically, Councilmembers questioned why incidents of bullying did not appear in the report.

Councilmember Ervin ends the meeting by explaining to Mr. Stetson and the public why she was asking questions of MCPS, even though she knows that the "hammer" might come down on her later.

How apropos during a discussion on bullying to mention how Councilmembers are "hammered" when they question MCPS administrators.