How PGCPS Executives transferred Corruption And got Caught

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – An exclusive NewsChannel 5 investigation has discovered that Metro Schools Director Shawn Joseph put unlicensed educators in positions of power inside the district.
Now the state has ordered the district to remove any unlicensed principals — and it’s taking a hard look at other top district leaders.
When Joseph took the helm back in July, he brought with him a large group of people with whom he had worked in other states.
But our investigation discovered that, for months, many were not actually licensed to work in Tennessee — and some still aren’t...

https://pgcpsmess.wordpress.com/2017/01/12/how-pgcps-executives-transferred-corruption-and-got-caught/

This model of wealthy suburban living is starting to fray

...Then came the recession, with unprecedented, multimillion-dollar shortfalls in a budget that had grown to more than $3 billion a year. Since 2008, the county has eliminated 700 jobs. Libraries operate on shorter schedules and with fewer books, class sizes have swelled past 32 students in some schools and so many educators have left for better-paid positions elsewhere that the system was short 200 teachers last fall.
County agencies are stretching out vehicle maintenance — including for school buses and fire engines — and officials say aging athletic courts and deteriorating playgrounds await nearly $20 million in repairs...

...“There is a tipping point, and I think we’re reaching it,” said Jane K. Strauss (Dranesville), a school board member since the early 1990s who chairs the panel’s budget committee. “You don’t collapse overnight. It’s a little cut here, a little here, a little here, and, then, people start to walk away.”...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-news/this-model-of-wealthy-suburban-living-is-starting-to-fray/2016/04/02/e9ad0ace-f107-11e5-a61f-e9c95c06edca_story.html?hpid=hp_no-name_frayingfairfax-935pm_1%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

O'Neill Tells Parents to Demand Raise in Taxes

At last night's Board of Education Operating Budget hearing, board member Patricia O'Neill ended the evening by telling parents that they should tell the Montgomery County Council to raise their taxes.

Apple Ballot Keeps Historically Black, Low-Income Community Isolated By Cutting Bus Service

The citizens of Montgomery County continually vote into office the teachers' union Apple Ballot endorsed candidates.  Montgomery County citizens support teachers and think that teachers will do right by our citizens and chose candidates that value and respect all citizens.

But, the reality is very, very different.  

Here is an example of how the Apple Ballot candidates behave once they are in office.  

Tobytown is a historically Black, low-income community off of River Road on the western edge of Montgomery County.  Tobytown has never had access to public transportation.  A proposal to finally add RideOn bus service to this community in the FY16 Montgomery County budget has just been cut.

The cost of the RideOn bus service to this isolated community?  Just $200,000.

The Board of Education spent $2.4 MILLION yesterday alone on NO BID purchases, including $250,000 for no bid Promethean boards.  

Let's add up the cost of all of the MCPS take home cars for administrators and see how that cost equates to the needs of this community.  Alternatively, lets look at the $100,000+ expense account of the Board of Education.  

MCPS wastes $200,000 without a thought, while this community remains cut off and isolated.

Are the Apple Ballot social justice warriors interested in closing the achievement gap?  Only if it involves a cocktail party with campaign donations, photo opportunities they can post on Facebook, or trendy topics that will get media attention. 

Next election day, remember that this is the real face of the Apple Ballot endorsed candidates. 

Tobytown:  A Community Ignored

Without equal access to public transportation, Tobytown residents will never receive adequate access to gainful employment, healthcare, and education.  The 140-year poverty cycle continues...unless you help us stop it!

https://www.scribd.com/doc/289254879/MCEA-Recommended-Candidates-September-2014

"some teams in the county are paying as much as $3,500 a year to rent classroom space" in MCPS school buildings

High School Robotics Teams Pushing for More Recognition From Montgomery County Public Schools

...“If you can support all the other sports in the county, then you should be able to support this as well,” said Sunil Tohan, a 16-year-old junior at Richard Montgomery and a member of one of the school’s two robotics teams. “The teamwork, problem-solving, cooperation and the competition are the same things you learn from being on a sports team. It’s the varsity sport for the mind.”...

...“[The school board members] didn’t realize the scope of what we’re doing. The idea is mainly to start conversations. It’s not going to happen overnight, but if Montgomery County does want to make STEM a big part of its future, we think this is one of the ways they can do it,” Biel-Goebel said...

 http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2015/High-School-Robotics-Teams-Pushing-for-More-Recognition-From-Montgomery-County-Public-Schools/

Video: Dr. Lennart Hardell versus MCPS Administrator

MCPS: Please Get The Facts on Wi-Fi From Dr. Lennart Hardell  

Local superintendents demand impressive perks | WJLA.com

WASHINGTON (WJLA) -- Public servants with personal drivers, security details and quarter million dollar salaries - we're not talking governors or U.S. senators. These compensation packages are going to area school superintendents.

Continue reading

The 7 On Your Side I-Team obtained the employment contracts of 29 local school superintendents - what they make and what they get. We read them all and found some eye-opening compensation packages.

The average school CEO salary is $193,432 - more than Virginia's Governor of $175,000.
"Who can justify a superintendent making more than the governor of the state of Virginia?” responded Republican Virginia State Senator Dick Black. “That's an outrage."
Prince George's county pays its CEO the most at $290,000, nearly twice Maryland's governor’s salary of $150,000 – even though his district has the state's second lowest graduation rate.
"The idea absolutely is to change that," said Segun Eubanks.
Eubanks is the chairman of the Prince George's County School Board. He took part in drafting that $290,000 salary.
"It's worth it and it's an impressive compensation package," he said. "Getting talented people around your kids is important."
Beyond salaries, most superintendents get a car allowance. But St. Mary's and Loudoun County taxpayers fund the largest at $12,000 a year. Meanwhile, the Loudoun County School Board has proposed charging parents to bus their kids.
Karen Garza of Fairfax County is the only super who gets a housing allowance; $24,000 a year - that's in addition to her $265,000 salary. She also gets up to $65,000 a year in retirement benefits, which alone is roughly equal to the average Fairfax teacher salary of $66,782 - a topic that has become an issue.
Dean Howarth is a physics teacher in Fairfax County. "The teachers who work at our school can't afford to live where they teach. And there's an exodus of talent."
When it comes to paid time off, again, Kevin Maxwell of Prince George's gets the most at 51 days - more than 10 weeks.
"It sets a bad example,” stated Senator Black. "There was a time when we used to talk about public service. It's not that way. They have surrounded themselves with opulence."
As the I-Team dug deeper in the stack of contracts, we found two superintendents, in Prince George's and Howard Counties get security.
"That's incredible. Are people trying to kill them?" asked Sue Perlin, a homeowner in Fairfax County...

Read more: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2015/05/local-superintendents-demand-impressive-perks-113942.html#ixzz3bXe6T7RK
Follow us: @ABC7News on Twitter | WJLATV on Facebook

Local superintendents demand impressive perks | WJLA.com

 

   Superintendents Perks by Sherell Williams

$2,310,000,000 +/- MCPS Operating Budget for FY16 Set for Council Approval

MCPS, unions may revise contracts amid budget shortfalls

...“Union and district officials have been “scrubbing the budget” to look for potential savings, Prouty said. He said he doesn’t know where the contracts might stand at the end of the process.”...

Flashback: When BOE said Good-Bye to Jerry Weast

 July 18, 2010

Tues @ 11:30 AM BOE Open Meeting on Superintendent's Contract

http://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=9TCMYL55B2F8

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?

MCPS: 22 Administrators with Car Allowances and 27 with Take Home Vehicles

Superintendent Joshua Starr in his Jeep Grand Cherokee

As of Fiscal Year 2012 there were 22 MCPS employees currently receiving a car allowance. 
The amount budgeted for car allowances in FY 2012 was $171,600. 
The amount budgeted in FY 2012 for both local travel and mileage reimbursement was $1,944,306. 

http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/budget/FY2012/budget-questions.aspx

As of Fiscal Year 2011 there were 27 MCPS Take Home Vehicles.

16 of those vehicles are parked outside of Montgomery County when the employees go home. 

http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/council/pdf/agenda/cm/2011/110919/20110919_TE2.pdf

Will MCPS Investigate County Vehicles Taken Out of State?

Another Complaint referred to the Montgomery County Office of Inspector General (OIG) as related in the OIG's October 1, 2012 Report. 

A Complainant reported seeing an alleged County vehicle (with an "LG" license plate) during morning commutes from West Virginia on two separate occasions. Through inquiry to the Department of General Services, the OIG determined the vehicle was assigned to MCPS. 

MCPS reported that its policy prohibits take-home vehicles to be driven to out of state residences and that it would investigate the allegation.

Do you want a Chevy Trailblazer with that order?

How do MCPS Operating Budget funds get spent?  

Here's a hint.  Documents that call for the signature of the Board of Education are not necessarily signed by the Board of Education President.  Some documents are signed by MCPS staff.   See the June 25, 2004 Master Lease document below.  On the lines for the signature of the Board of Education you will see the signatures of three different people, none of them the Board of Education President in 2004. 

This document is from a Master Lease that would appear to have been approved on June 21, 2004 by the Board of Education.  On that date, the Board of Education authorized the execution of a Master Lease with Carlyle Financial Services. The Board minutes show the master lease was for "the acquisition of such desktop computers, printers, and peripherals through lease/purchase arrangements".  

The document linked below is Exhibit A from the June 25, 2004 Master Lease with Carlyle Financial Services.  Listed on Exhibit A are the items that were purchased under the Master Lease; computer servers, desktops, routers, software, digital service units, computer furniture, laptops, and a Chevy Trailblazer. 

170-180

Who is getting a new car?

We don't know. 

But there is a car purchase on the next Board of Education agenda. Don't expect the Board to tell the public who is getting a new car paid for by taxpayers. This item is on the Consent Agenda. 


All the Agenda shows is a line item for $60,935 for Off the Lot - New Vehicles.

It could be another Ford Escape or Expedition or one of each! 

Here's our previous post on MCPS take home cars: 

27 Take Home Cars; No Audit; No Logs Kept; Most Parked Outside of County

27 Take Home Cars; No Audit; No Logs Kept; Most Parked Outside of County

On September 19, 2011, the Montgomery County Council's Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy & Environment Committee discussed Agency Take-home Vehicle Policies.

MCPS was included in this review.  See pages Circle 33 through 39 of the Committee Packet for the MCPS responses to the questions from the Council Committee.

Here is the redacted chart submitted by MCPS to the Council as part of this review showing the positions of the MCPS employees that have take home cars, along with make, model and purchase price of each car.
(This list does not show the 22 MCPS administrators who are given car allowances.)

20110919_TE2