Brenda Lewis left MCPS for North Dakota position as Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Ed. at salary of $159,000.

...Appointment of Assistant Superintendent of 

Elementary Education. Dr. Brenner explained 

the interview process and the administration’s 

recommendation to appoint Dr. Brenda Lewis as 

the assistant superintendent of elementary 

education.

It was moved by Carpenter and seconded by 

Hassett to appoint Dr. Brenda Lewis as the 

Assistant Superintendent of Elementary 

Education at a salary of $159,000 effective July 1, 

2021. Shabb explained that she could not 

support the replacement of this administrative 

position in light of the district’s current financial 

situation and the recent cut of the Artist in the 

Classroom program. Motion carried on roll call 

vote as follows: Aye: Carpenter, Douthit, Hassett, 

Lunn, Manley, Mikula, Palmiscno, and Flynn. Nay: 

Shabb

filedownload.ashx (gfschools.org)

State with lowest per-pupil spending has highest-paid state superintendent [Former MCPS Special Ed Director]

Former MCPS Director of Special Education Carey Wright in the news. 

JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi Superintendent of Education Carey Wright is the highest paid state schools chief in the country, according to an analysis by Education Week.

With a salary of $300,000, Wright, who was appointed in 2013, ranked first in the trade publication’s review of state superintendent salaries.

Education Week reported on average state superintendents are paid $174,000.

In a state with one of the nation’s lowest per-pupil spending rates, Wright’s salary stands out as somewhat of an outlier.

That might be partly because of an unofficial precedence set by a former state law mandating that the state education chief’s salary be 90% of what the state’s commissioner of higher education makes.

That law was phased out at the time of Wright’s appointment. And state Board of Education members haven't quite kept up with the trend. Commissioner Glenn Boyce makes $358,312.50, meaning Wright’s salary would have to be $322481.25 in order to align with the former statute...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/09/01/state-lowest-per-pupil-spending-has-highest-paid-state-superintendent/625369001/?fbclid=IwAR15Gxle45vq-wfiYv--YdboZSuweV2znD1Nyan_kH1iu32pY5bIm6w_ZCU

Friday: Sentencing of Cloverly ES Teacher on Sex Abuse of Minor and Third Degree Sex Offense Verdicts, Still on MCPS Payroll in March

For 4 days in June, a long time Montgomery County Public School teacher was on trial for sexual abuse of 6 elementary school students over a period of 16 years.  The trial was held before a packed courtroom with an overflow crowd standing in the hallway. A prayer circle was held in the hallway outside the courtroom.  

After midnight on the last day of the trial, the jury returned verdicts of guilty on:

COUNT 1: CHILD ABUSE SEXUAL- GUILTY. 

COUNT 2: SEX OFFENSE THIRD DEGREE- GUILTY. 

COUNT 3: SEX ABUSE MINOR- GUILTY. 

COUNT 4: SEX OFFENSE THIRD DEGREE- GUILTY.

COUNT 5: SEX OFFENSE THIRD DEGREE- GUILTY. 

COUNT 7 :SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR- GUILTY. 

COUNT 8 : SEX OFFENSE THIRD DEGREE- GUILTY. 

COUNT 9 : SEX OFFENSE THIRD DEGREE - GUILTY. 

COUNT 10: SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR - GUILTY. 

The testimony presented at the trial revealed that the teacher had two reprimands in his personnel file for having students sit on his lap. The reprimands were from 2008 and 2013. Students testified that he was their favorite teacher and popular in the school. The teacher testified that he loved his students and that if he had to stop hugging them and allowing them to sit on his lap he did not want to be a teacher. 

The Board of Education did not remove this teacher from the classroom, even though there were multiple complaints about his practice of permitting female students to "lap sit."  The Cloverly Elementary School principal testified that she had followed Board of Education protocol.

We know from recent MCPS salary information that this teacher was still on the MCPS payroll as of March 2017, almost a year after his first arrest on these charges. 

March 2017, MCPS Payroll 

The Parents' Coalition has been providing the public with notes from the trial as the the trial was not covered by any media. 

Sentencing is scheduled for August 4, 2017, at 1:30 PM in the Montgomery County Circuit Court.  The Defendant's Motion for New Trial will also be heard at that time.  The teacher could face 25 years in prison for each count of sex abuse of a minor and 10 years for each third degree sex offense.

Flashback: When BOE said Good-Bye to Jerry Weast

 July 18, 2010

BOE Schedules 4 More Hours of Closed Sessions

The Montgomery County Board of Education has scheduled two hour Closed Session for 10 AM on Tuesday, January 27, 2015, and another two hour Closed Session for 10 AM on Wednesday, January 28, 2015. 

Once again, the subject of these Closed Sessions is someone's employment contract. 

By now the public gets that these meetings are about discussing whether or not Superintendent Joshua Starr's employment contract should be renewed.  
Why not just disclose the subject of these meetings?

February 1st is Decision Time: Is Starr Staying on for another Four Years?

EDUCATION  
DIVISION II.  ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION  
TITLE 4.  LOCAL SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION  
SUBTITLE 2.  COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
Md. EDUCATION Code Ann. § 4-201  (2014)
§ 4-201. Appointment; term; qualifications; vacancy; removal; suspension.


   (a) Baltimore City and Prince George's County exceptions. --

   (1) This section does not apply to Baltimore City.

   (2) Subsections (b), (c), (d), and (f) of this section do not apply in Prince George's County.

(b) Appointment and term. --

   (1) The term of a county superintendent is 4 years beginning on July 1. A county superintendent continues to serve until a successor is appointed and qualifies.

   (2) By February 1 of the year in which a term ends, the county superintendent shall notify the county board whether the superintendent is a candidate for reappointment.

   (3) In the year in which a term begins, the county board shall appoint a county superintendent between February 1 and June 30. However, if the county board decides to reappoint the incumbent superintendent, the county board shall take final action at a public meeting no later than March 1 of that year.

   (4) If a county board is unable to appoint a county superintendent by July 1 of a year in which a term begins, the provisions of subsection (d) of this section apply.

(c) Qualifications. --

   (1) An individual may not be appointed as county superintendent unless he:

      (i) Is eligible to be issued a certificate for the office by the State Superintendent;

      (ii) Has graduated from an accredited college or university; and

      (iii) Has completed 2 years of graduate work at an accredited college or university, including public school administration, supervision, and methods of teaching.

   (2) The appointment of a county superintendent is not valid unless approved in writing by the State Superintendent.

   (3) If the State Superintendent disapproves an appointment, he shall give his reasons for disapproval in writing to the county board.

(d) Vacancy. -- If a vacancy occurs in the office of county superintendent, the county board shall appoint an interim county superintendent who serves until July 1 after his appointment.

(e) Removal. --

   (1) The State Superintendent may remove a county superintendent for:

      (i) Immorality;

      (ii) Misconduct in office;

      (iii) Insubordination;

      (iv) Incompetency; or

      (v) Willful neglect of duty.

   (2) Before removing a county superintendent, the State Superintendent shall send the county superintendent a copy of the charges against the county superintendent and give the county superintendent an opportunity within 10 days to request a hearing.

   (3) If the county superintendent requests a hearing within the 10-day period:

      (i) The State Superintendent promptly shall hold a hearing, but a hearing may not be set within 10 days after the State Superintendent sends the county superintendent a notice of the hearing; and

      (ii) The county superintendent shall have an opportunity to be heard publicly before the State Superintendent in the county superintendent's own defense, in person or by counsel.

(f) Suspension without pay pending final disposition of charges. -- On notification of pending criminal charges against a county superintendent as provided under § 4-206 of this subtitle, the county board may suspend the county superintendent with pay until the final disposition of the criminal charges.

HISTORY: An. Code 1957, art. 77, § 57; 1978, ch. 22, § 2; ch. 285; 1980, ch. 464; 1981, ch. 2, § 3; 1987, ch. 385; 1988, ch. 6, § 1; 1999, ch. 464; 2002, ch. 289, § 3; 2003, ch. 21, § 1; ch. 75; 2007, ch. 418; 2013, ch. 147.

Can a BOE Renegotiate Superintendent's Contract in the middle of existing term?

Listed below are requests for opinions of the Maryland Attorney General. The AG will consider information and views of interested parties or other members of the public during the time period that the request is posted on this website. Should you wish to submit any information or views on any of these requests, please send your comments to: Chief Counsel, Opinions and Advice, Attorney General's Office, 200 Saint Paul Place, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 or e-mail: opinions@oag.state.md.us

 Whether the provisions of sec. 4-201 of the Education Article governing the appointment of a county superintendent of schools allow a local school board to renegotiate the contract of a sitting school superintendent in the middle of the existing contract term.

...

 http://www.oag.state.md.us/opinions/

Starr: "Best Job in America"

Balto. Co. schools' song and dance [Editorial]

If Baltimore County residents had any doubts about the wisdom of moving toward a hybrid appointed/elected school board rather than the all-appointed version we have now, they were likely erased last week when the board voted to hand Superintendent Dallas Dance what amounts to a $27,000 raise. Not only did the board employ what is at best linguistic sleight of hand to provide Mr. Dance a bigger raise than his contract would allow, but it also shut down any public discussion of whether the raise was warranted. Critics of the system have contended for years that the board's all-appointed structure makes it unresponsive to the public. Last week's meeting appeared designed to prove the point.

Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-dallas-dance-salary-20140819,0,5012930.story#ixzz3BnpaRt2N

Joshua Starr got a raise!

On July 16, 2013, the Board of Education had the following discussion in a CLOSED SESSION:

Discussed compensation for the superintendent of schools whose compensation is not covered by a salary schedule in any negotiated agreement, as permitted under Section 10-508(a)(1) of the State Government Article.

Looks like the Superintendent got a raise!  But, the discussion was in Closed Session so taxpayers will never know.  Well, that is, until we get the bill.

Here's Superintendent Joshua Starr's contract.  See Page 4, Section 4-B for the statement that it is "presumed the Board will grant an annual increase in the salary paid to the Superintendent..."

  Contract offered to Joshua Starr May 10, 2011 by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Guest Post: Please Oppose a Salary Increase for the Montgomery County Board of Education

On Thursday, February 7th, 2013 at 4:30 P.M, the Montgomery County
Senate Delegation will meet to vote on a bill increasing the salary of
the Montgomery County Board of Education (MCPS). The following
senators should ALL be called AND e-mailed in opposition to any salary
increase. Please contact them today, February 6th (preferably), or
tomorrow morning, February7th:

Senator Jamie Raskin; jamie.raskin@senate.state.md.us, 301-858-3634 /
410-841-3634 Senator Jennie Forehand 301-858-3134 /410-841-3134;
jennie.forehand@senate.state.md.us;  Senator Brian Frosh 301-858-3124
/ 410-841-3124; brian.frosh@senate.state.md.us; Senator Rob Garagiola
301-858-3169/410-841-3169;  rob.garagiola@senate.state.md.us; Senator
Nancy King 301-858-3686/410-841-3686;  nancy.king@senate.state.md.us;
Senator Richard Madaleno 301-858-3137 / 410-841-3137;
richard.madaleno@senate.state.md.us; Senator Roger Manno
301-858-3151/410-841-3151; roger.manno@senate.state.md.us; Senator
Karen Montgomery,  301-858-3625 / 410-841-3625;
karen.montgomery@senate.state.md.us;

Reasons why this is a terrible idea include the following:  In this
tanked economy with tight budgetary constraints, no elected officials
should receive an increase in salary or compensation of any kind.

No government entity with the tarnished track record the MCPS Board
has should be rewarded until there is a change in how the MCPS Board
conducts its business and priorities reflect the best interests of and
benefits to students and taxpayers.

Problems include numerous violations of the open meetings law,
back-door secret deals trading a wonderful organic farm for another
soccer field (surely the schools have more important uses for that
money), and spending an exorbitant amount of money to expose MCPS
students to a host of toxins in artificial turf versus a less
expensive and safe and natural/organic sod purchased locally.

The lack of leadership on the Board has also thwarted concerted
efforts of students (The Young Activists Club in Takoma Park) and
their parents to have a school garden and farm fresh food prepared
onsite in the school kitchen. As a direct result of the Board’s
ignorance, at least one high school principal has destroyed class
gardens four years in a row; and another principal resisted efforts
for almost two years to permit students to plant a rain garden the
school was not even paying for.

Shame on any Montgomery County legislator who thinks a salary increase
is economically defensible for any appointed or elected official in
this economy and for such an ethically challenged Board.

Alyce Ortuzar, District 14

Justify My...Salary

Tonight two union bosses – one MCPS, one county - will be at the Taxpayers' League meeting to answer questions.

One of the questions from the Taxpayers' League includes this information:

Q8. MCPS teachers have a system of 20-step increases within each salary grade, all of which are automatic. The current system of step increases has resulted in the highest pay going towards athletic instructors...

As a personal point of interest, do taxpayers - which includes parents - in general believe all teachers should be paid the same?

To open up the discussion on this question, data have been gathered from the two sources below. This is just a small sampling of Elementary School (ES) Physical Education (PE) teachers' salaries; no Middle School PE teachers or High School PE teachers have been included. And this does not include all the ES physical education teachers who make over $75K or even over $100K.

Comparison of 2006 and 2010 Salaries: MCPS Elementary School PE Teachers

Listed as: initials of PE teacher @ initials of elementary school # of tenured years (from 2010 Gazette source).

SL @ BTES Bethesda 11.83 yrs
2006 - $ 91,195
2010 - $101,354
Increased $10,159 over 4 yr = 11.1%

DH @ LBES Clarksburg 13.83 yr
2006 - $88,960
2010 -$103,354
Increased $14,394 over 4 yr = 16.1%

KA @ RCVES Rockville 16.83 yrs
2006 - $78,665
2010 - $95,535
Increased $16,870 over 4 yr = 21.4%

RB @ DCDES Silver Spring 17.83 yrs
2006 - $81,411
2010 - $101,354
Increased $19,943 over 4 yr = 24.5%

DM @ CES Silver Spring 20.83 yrs
2006 - $92,462
2010 - $101,095
Increased $8,633 over 4 yr = 9.3%

DS @ DES Gaithersburg 21.83 yr
2006 - $88,960
2010 - $103,634
Increased $14,674 over 4 yr = 16.5%

CW @ RMES Germantown 28.83 yrs
2006 - $93,247
2010 - $105,134
Increased $11,887 over 4 yr = 12.7%

AB @ GES Brookville 30.42 yrs
2006 - $93,247
2010 - $103,634
Increased $10,387 over 4 yr = 11.1%

TP @ CCES Chevy Chase 31.83 yrs
2006 - $90,962
2010 - $101,095
Increased $10,133 over 4 yrs = 11.1%

The average MCPS teacher salary – the highest in the state – is $75,882

The median MCPS teacher salary is $75,167

This comparison of current salaries for elementary school physical education teachers and their salaries from 4 yr ago is food for thought - something that should be discussed during these tough fiscal times.

As the Black Eyed Peas sing, "Let's get it staaaarrr-ted..."

Sources:
for 2006 salaries - Examiner MCPS Partial Salary Database
for 2010 salaries - Gazette What They Earn [updated link 12/1/11]

Foose moves to Balt. Co and $214,000 salary

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that the salary for Baltimore County Public Schools' new deputy superintendent Renee Foose is $214,000. Foose left her position as associate superintendent of the Office of Shared Accountability in MCPS where her salary was $162,623, to move to the Baltimore County position. 

..."In these days of fiscal constraints, there are ways to be creative and spend dollars wisely," Boser said. In general, he said, when school systems make cuts in education, "we tend not to do it in particularly thoughtful ways."
Baltimore County principals have been ordered to cut 196 teaching positions by telling select teachers that they will be "excessed." ...
...The school system released Foose's salary Wednesday night, a month after The Baltimore Sun first requested it. Salaries for government employees in Maryland are public information under state law, and school officials in Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County and other area municipalities typically disclose them immediately over the phone. When asked for Foose's salary the week of Feb. 28, a spokeswoman for the Baltimore County school system said the agency has implemented a policy requiring formal, written requests under the Maryland Public Information Act before salary information is released...

MCPS: Highest Average Teacher Salary in State as of 2010

This chart and more information in the Analysis of Professional Salaries - Maryland Public Schools - June 2010 report from the Maryland State Department of Education.

MCPS Principals $146,123; Fairfax Principals $110,426

Washingtonian Magazine is reporting that the median salary for a High-school principal in Montgomery County is $146,123. 


According to the same article, the median salary for a high school principal in Fairfax County is $110,426.


The last time the Montgomery County public had any detailed information on MCPS salaries was in 2006 when The Examiner obtained MCPS salary information for all MCPS employees (consultants and  staff benefits excluded). 


In 2006, MCPS principals were shown as making between $112,670 and $127,000 in the information released by The Examiner. 


In March of 2010, Superintendent Weast refused to release detailed MCPS staff salary and consultant compensation information to the public unless $2,111 was paid for the information. 


Citizens that wish to cut a check for $2,111 for this public information can send their money to:


Superintendent Jerry Weast
Montgomery County Public Schools
850 Hungerford Drive
Rockville, MD 20850


The Parents' Coalition would make public any information you receive.

For the 1st time in 11 years...Jerry Weast's Contract

In other public school jurisdictions the Superintendent's contract is a public document that is brought before the Board of Education and available to the public when approved by the Board. But not here in Montgomery County, that is, until today. We filed a Maryland Public Information Act request for Superintendent Weast's contract and it finally arrived.


After 11 years, Superintendent Jerry Weast's contract is finally public.


For the first time ever in Montgomery County, we present Superintendent Jerry Weast's contract and its amendments:

Superintendent Jerry Weast's Contract

Superintendent Jerry Weast's Contract

We know that Superintendent Jerry Weast's contract is a hot topic. Almost weekly someone is looking for a copy of the document that lays out the employment agreement between the MCPS Board of Education and the MCPS Superintendent. But, the contract isn't public. Even after 11 years as Superintendent, Jerry Weast's contract still has not been made public. 

The contracts with the four employee unions are on the MCPS website. 

Even Weast's administrators are more transparent! In the last year, three MCPS administrators have moved to other jurisdictions and become Superintendents and their contracts were all immediately made public. 

You can see the Superintendent contracts for  Stacy Scott, Susan Marks and Heath Morrison by clicking on each name. 

Superintendent contracts from school systems around the D.C. area have also been made public. 

Therefore, in the interest of the public, the Parents' Coalition has filed a Maryland Public Information Act request with MCPS for Superintendent Jerry Weast's contract. As soon as we receive it, we will make it available to you! Stay tuned! 


Update: For the 1st time in 11 years...Jerry Weast's contract