Bill...could cost the county as much as $57 million in funds for school construction and...

Affordable-housing incentive could cost Montgomery County $57 million | Washington Examiner

Poolesville HS Students Design Newspaper Packaging Device

Poolesville HS students design newspaper packaging device to help employees with disabilities become more efficient and independent with newspaper packaging!

Gazette: Rice Questions MCPS Black Male Graduation Rate

Gazette: Friday, January 20, 2011 by Andrew Ujifusa, Staff Writer

(...)

Montgomery County Council member Craig L. Rice wants answers from the school board about why black male students are still lagging behind their peers when it comes to academic performance.

At a lunch meeting Tuesday between the council and board, Rice, who is black, asked why more has not been done to address the problem.

Board Vice President Christopher S. Barclay (D-Dist. 4) of Takoma Park, who is also black, responded by saying that he is focused on the black male graduation rate, which in 2010 was 73.6 percent, according to state data, compared to the school system’s overall 86.2 percent graduation rate. White males, by contrast, graduated at a 92.7 percent rate, but Hispanic males fared worst among male students at 69.1 percent.

Rice (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown appeared to brush this off and reiterated his concern by saying, “We’re not doing anything.”

(...)

To read the complete article in the Gazette, CLICK HERE.

Video Exclusive: Council & Board Lunch Meeting

The is the only audio or video that is available to the public of the January 17, 2012 lunch meeting between the Montgomery County Council and the Montgomery County Board of Education.  The recording begins a few minutes into the meeting as the attendees finish the buffet of sandwiches, sodas and desserts.  


Topics include Superintendent Joshua Starr telling the Council what works in school reform, Councilmember  Nancy Floreen on school size, Councilmember Valerie Ervin on food for children, Councilmember Marc Elrich on education fads, Board of Ed member Judy Docca on being "slapped around" by "other administration", also Docca on how Maryland is #1 because of MCPS (don't tell the other counties), and Councilmember Craig Rice on the achievement gap (bet you thought the gap was closed didn't you).

Leggett plans cut in school construction funding | Washington Examiner

Leggett's $4.21 billion capital improvement program proposal offers $1.36 billion to Montgomery County Public Schools, a 3 percent cut from two years ago

and 9 percent less than the $1.49 billion that Superintendent Joshua Starr requested.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/education/2012/01/leggett-plans-cut-school-construction-funding/2106481#ixzz1jm6gjLl4

Berliner reveals that Leggett made behind closed door "commitment" for public school land

Brickyard Road Press Rel 1-17-12

Ethics Chat at Board meeting

It's only a Board of Education Committee meeting.
And the meeting is off-camera with very limited notes.


But if you can show up and sit in on this little chat, it is an Open Meeting with 4 Board members in attendance! Lots of interesting topics, including ethics!


Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 2:30 PM

Policy Jan 2012

Board and Council Lunch Tuesday!

Look what's on the Montgomery County Council Agenda again! Another one of those fun Montgomery County Council and Board of Education off-camera/no minutes joint lunches.


Odd, only the Council discloses these Open Meetings on their public Agenda.
No such transparency for the Board of Education.


Lunch is Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 12:15 PM at the Montgomery County Council office building on the 6th floor. 
Drop by for lunch! It's an Open Meeting of these two public bodies and you're buying! 

Update on Farquhar "Land Swap"

Parents Coalition has learned that the “swap’ property is still owned by Pulte, the land developer of the proposed subdivision.   While the property is owned by Pulte, the title change could occur as late as two years after the subdivision plan has been approved; or within a month or two from now.  Grading and site preparation for the new residential construction has already begun, however, no actual construction can occur until the plats are recorded.

Regarding the actual MCPS/M-NCPPC (Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission) swap, both parties are meeting now to work out the terms and conditions.  According to Parks staff, MCPS has agreed to pay for the demolition of the existing school building; M-NCPPC also expects MCPS to pay for demolition of the extra parking lot areas, which M-NCPPC will not want on the public park.  However, they now plan to retain the existing ball fields, which Parks would want in a public park.  The exchange would be ‘like for like’ including MCPS adding appropriate topsoil and seed mixture on the proposed swap property; and MCPS would be required to remove all of the demolished material.  That is, MCPS would not be allowed to demolish, leave the debris, and bulldoze over it to use as subsurface of the park property.  All the demolished material would be removed.

A stream buffer will be in place and of course MCPS cannot do anything within the stream buffer.

Once the terms and conditions are worked out, Parks staff will bring them to the Planning Board for discussion and approval or changes or denial.  The terms and conditions must also be approved by the entire M-NCPPC, not just our county Planning Board.

While the terms and conditions meetings are now taking place at the staff level, I am curious as to whether anyone in the neighborhood has been attending these meetings.  These meetings of course are open to anyone; anyone can attend.  Have you attended?  Comments here please!

Starr on Recess as Punishment: "We don't have a Policy"

Superintendent Joshua Starr confirming that MCPS does not have a recess policy, and thus when MCPS staff filled out the application for a $66,000 award from the US Department of Agriculture the answer to the question about recess should have been NO. 

Councilmember Reimer at Northeast Consortium Cluster Meeting

Agenda

Northeast Consortium Clusters Meeting

January 18, 2012

Cresthaven Elementary School

1234 Cresthaven Drive, Silver Spring, 20903

7:30 pm

Note: All members of the Northeast Consortium Community are welcome to attend!

7:30 Welcome, Introductions and NEC comments - Larry Edmonds, Paint Branch Cluster Coordinator

Update on Operating Budget Testimony

The Board of Education operating budget hearings were conducted on Wednesday, January 11 and Wednesday, January 18, 2012.  The Cluster Coordinators testified before the Board of Education regarding the operating budget needs of our schools. 

Nominees for Cluster Coordinators and Area Vice President for 2012-2013                                

7:45 Principal’s notes - Cresthaven ES Principal, Sherri Gorden

7:55 Curriculum 2.0 - Community Superintendent Beth Schiavino-Narvaez & Marty Creel Director, Enriched and Innovative Programs

8:30 Ask your County Councilmember - At-large Councilmember Hans Reimer

Adjourn no later than 9:00 pm

Next NEC meeting: March 21, 2012

Location to be announced

Also on the calendar:

Board of Education meeting with the Springbrook Cluster – February 9, 2012

Board of Education meeting with the Blake Cluster – March 8, 2012

New partnership will team San Rafael school and business leaders - Marin Independent Journal

New partnership will team San Rafael school and business leaders - Marin Independent Journal

""The results that have been attained in Montgomery County are nothing short of phenomenal," said Marin County Superintendent of Schools Mary Jane Burke. "Over a period of approximately 12 years, they were able to raise the bar for all of their kids while simultaneously closing the 'achievement gap.'""

****************
Phenomenal? Is the Achievement Gap in MCPS really closed?

I hope Superintendent Mary Jane Burke takes the time to read the "Report on Our Call To Action," and decides for herself.

You can lease a public school site

Just don't use it for a school!

Brickyard Soccer Fields Rfq Dp Version 1-5-12 With Attachments

50 ways to leave your lover, or 50 ways to bluff the Board

You know the Paul Simon song.  Well, here in Montgomery County we have our own version of the song.  It has to do with what the Board of Education is told at public Board meetings.

Here's today's example of how the Board of Education may not always be getting the most accurate information as they deliberate and vote.

The following is part of a Public Information Act response from the MCPS Public Information officer.

Yellow is added to highlight the important parts of this response from MCPS.  #1 is the question that the citizen asked, and the italicized response from MCPS is below. 

I [Dana Tofig, Director] am responding to your December 7, 2011, Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) request regarding the site selection process for the Bethesda Chevy Chase Middle School #2. I am responding on behalf of the superintendent of schools who, as official custodian of records for the school system, is responsible for replies under the Maryland Public Information Act, Maryland State Government Article §§10-611, et seq.

Responses to your specific requests are as follows:

1. At the Board of Education meeting on April 28th, 2011, Mr. James Song, director, Department of Facilities Management, stated that approximately 50 sites were originally considered for the site of-the Bethesda-Chevy Chase (B-CC) Middle School #2. I have requested that list of sites from Mr. Song but I have not yet received it.

Mr. Song’s reference to "approximately 50 sites" being considered for the site of the new B-CC Middle School #2 was an estimate meant to convey the thoroughness of the review of site options. MCPS staff used Geographic Information System technology to assist in a review of available land in the B-CC Cluster. Based on this review, 10 candidate sites were identified and were the only sites considered by the Site Selection Advisory Committee (SSAC). The 10 candidate sites reviewed in the first site selection process plus any additional candidate sites that are identified by members of the SSAC will be presented at the first meeting.

Gazette: Bethesda middle site selection faces old concerns

As school system looks for land for middle school, residents complain they’re still not being heard

Berliner knew school land was at risk, kept quiet

...Representatives of the Brickyard Coalition cited an e-mail between David Dise, director of the Montgomery County Department of General Services, and Kassa Seyoum, capital projects manager, dated Sept. 30, 2010, which states: "I [David Dise] met with Roger Berliner this afternoon who asked that we postpone the Brickyard Road component until he has time to prep residents ...."
Potomac residents were not made aware of the decision until March 2011 and voiced their frustrations at Wednesday’s meeting...

Patch:  WMCCA Meeting with Berliner Heats Up

There's always $$ for a new administrator!

Job opening posted on The Washington Post Jobs website January 11, 2012:

"MCPS seeks candidates with a commitment to academic excellence to apply for the Associate Superintendent for Professional Development and School Support position."

Breaking News: Brandman & Starr will pay farmer $10K to go away

Patch: Brickyard Settlement Details Released

...The Circuit Court case was to determine if the Montgomery County BOE violated the Open Meetings Act when it gave the Brickyard Road lease to Montgomery County...

Patch: Middle School Committee Whittles Down Options

Click link for full article:  At the first site-selection meeting, members eliminated 13 locations.

Post: "Thirty-seven states had a narrower gap" than Maryland

...On the reading test, 40 percent of eighth-grade students scored proficient or advanced on the 2011 test, giving the state a seventh place ranking. (Maryland and the nation still have a lot of room to improve).
But the so-called “poverty gap,” or the difference in scores between those eligible for free lunches and those not eligible, was much less favorable.
The 27-point difference in scores was about the national average. Thirty-seven states had a narrower gap.
Forty percent of eighth-grade students in Maryland also scored proficient or advanced on the math test, putting the state in 13th place.
But the 32-point “poverty gap” in scores was significantly higher than the 26-point national average. Maryland came in second-to-last.

Read the full Washington Post article at this link.  Note that former Superintendent Jerry Weast now sits on the Board of Trustees for Education Week, the organization that did the ranking.