Are these guidelines from Promethean displayed alongside all MCPS Promethean Boards?
2012 Promethean Safety Guidelines
Saturday, September 8, 2012
MCPS Staff at Promethean Conventions
Reposting from the Parents' Coalition blog of Monday, March 2, 2009
Enter ActivWorld! MCPS sells Promethean - Video
On February 12 - 14, 2008 Sarasota/St Petersburg, Florida at U.S. Education Research Summit 2008. Promethean two day users' conference including ActivBoards demonstration by Mr. Sherwin Collette, MCPS Chief Technology Officer in video of presentation showcasing examples of how Promethean Boards are used in Montgomery County classrooms.
Mr. Collette's presentation, as shown in the February 2008 Promethean conference video, appears to have been made 5 months after MCPS ordered 6 Promethean Boards on September 26, 2007, and 4 months before MCPS ordered 2,600 Promethean Boards on June 12, 2008.
Mr. Collette's presentation, as shown in the February 2008 Promethean conference video, appears to have been made 5 months after MCPS ordered 6 Promethean Boards on September 26, 2007, and 4 months before MCPS ordered 2,600 Promethean Boards on June 12, 2008.
And, Parents' Coalition blog posts on MCPS staff presentations on Promethean boards at conferences in
Friday, September 7, 2012
eBeam: $4,000 less per classroom than Promethean
Shhhh...don't tell Superintendent Joshua Starr that there is a company that puts out a product that turns an ordinary white board, or even a flat surface, into an interactive white board for around $500. Here's what a teacher wrote about this product on her blog.
Superintendent Starr has his heart set on spending $4,474 per classroom for Promethean Board brand interactive white boards.
That is the beauty of no bid contracts. The public never has to even *think* that there might be a less expensive alternative to the name brand that is shown at all the cool education conventions. No RFP's or bidding wars for MCPS!
Superintendent Starr has his heart set on spending $4,474 per classroom for Promethean Board brand interactive white boards.
That is the beauty of no bid contracts. The public never has to even *think* that there might be a less expensive alternative to the name brand that is shown at all the cool education conventions. No RFP's or bidding wars for MCPS!
AYPF: Referrals to Mentoring for Youth Involved in the Juvenile Justice System
Friday, September 21, 2012
10:00AM – 11:30AM (Note special time)
10:00AM – 11:30AM (Note special time)
Location: CTIA Building, First Floor Conference Room, 1400 16th Street, NW, Washington, DCA new study funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), U.S. Department of Justice, identifies effective practices and strategies to improve the point of referral in six (6) juvenile justice settings for high-risk youth who are involved in the juvenile justice system. Researching the Referral Stage of Youth Mentoring in Six Juvenile Justice Settings: An Exploratory Analysis examines best practices for referring youth to mentoring when they are in six (6) juvenile justice system settings, including Juvenile Detention, Juvenile Corrections, Juvenile Probation, Delinquency Court, Teen Court/Youth Court Diversion Programs, and Dependency Court. As a delinquency prevention and intervention option that capitalizes on the resources of local communities and caring individuals, mentoring has emerged as a promising delinquency reduction strategy for high-risk youth. This quantitative and qualitative research study provides a deeper understanding of how youth are referred to mentoring services, challenges faced during the referral process, examples of effective strategies to face the challenges, and action steps. The research was conducted by a team that included Global Youth Justice, National Partnership for Juvenile Services, and MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership.For more information on the AYPF event, click here.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Starr abolishes homework at one school - DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG
Gaithersburg Elementary School abolishes homework - DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG
...So, Brant got permission from the school district to implement a radical experiment: the only homework assigned here is reading...
Read more: http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/19477877/gaithersburg-elementary-school-abolishes-homework#.UElONqeKIah.twitter#ixzz25kFkykkx
...So, Brant got permission from the school district to implement a radical experiment: the only homework assigned here is reading...
Read more: http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/19477877/gaithersburg-elementary-school-abolishes-homework#.UElONqeKIah.twitter#ixzz25kFkykkx
Flaws in MCPS Achievement Gap Report Noted
Did MCPS middle schools close the academic achievement gap?
SEPTEMBER 6, 2012
BY: KUMAR SINGAM
(...)
"The achievement gap is generally accepted as being the difference between the performance of African American or Hispanic students on an academic indicator, and their white and Asian counterparts. Indeed, that is how the author of the report, Dr. Elizabeth Cooper-Martin, seeks to define the achievement gap."(...)
"According to a table, included as Appendix A in the report, the gap closing was calculated by taking the difference in the average for all students and that of African Americans or Hispanics. It seemingly contradicts the very definition the author of the report espoused. Indeed, by seemingly including the scores of African Americans and Hispanics in the average of all students, one could argue that the author lowers the average for all students. Consequently, the difference the author calculates would be necessarily smaller. Unreliable measures and the gap calculated in a manner contrary to the very definition the report embraced, one can argue, does not make a convincing case for gap closure."(...) To read the whole article, CLICK HERE.
Breaking News: Teachers Demand 2,000 Promethean Boards
On the September 11, 2012, Board of Education (BOE) Consent Agenda is a memorandum from Superintendent Joshua Starr requesting that the BOE commit to spending $14.5 million over the next 5 years on 2,000 Promethean Boards. Teachers don't want raises, COLA's, smaller class sizes, or money for classroom supplies. They want 2,000 more Promethean Board brand interactive white boards.
Teachers don't want the best price for interactive white boards either, they want only 1 brand. No bids, no contracts, no discussion on this purchase. Remember the first time Promethean Boards were purchased in violation of County and State procurement law? Why not do it again. This purchase will not be put out for competitive bids. This Agenda item is on the Consent Agenda. The BOE doesn't even want to discuss it, they will just approve it at the September 11, 2012 meeting.
When they vote on this "deal", the BOE will approve the spending of money that they do not have. These 2,000 Promethean Boards are going to be purchased on time. Taxpayers' will pay interest on this purchase. The purchase is based on a hope and a prayer that MCPS will receive rebates from the federal government over the next 5 years. If the federal government changes the rebate program, Montgomery County taxpayers will be on the hook for the remaining payments. Been there, done that. Let's do it again!
The money that the BOE will spend on this purchase has to be approved by the County Council. Why? Because some of these funds are County funds. The rebates that MCPS receives belong to Montgomery County, not to MCPS. For FY 2013 that is $2,042,000 in County funds that will be sent to MCPS to purchase no-bid Promethean Boards. Police, fire and libraries, you all aren't interested in these funds, right?
The Gazette reports here.
Below is the Superintendent Joshua Starr memorandum.
4.4.1 Approval Contracts FY 13 Supp Approp Request Tech Mod
Update September 8, 2012: Superintendent Joshua Starr issues "Revised" Memorandum.
Teachers don't want the best price for interactive white boards either, they want only 1 brand. No bids, no contracts, no discussion on this purchase. Remember the first time Promethean Boards were purchased in violation of County and State procurement law? Why not do it again. This purchase will not be put out for competitive bids. This Agenda item is on the Consent Agenda. The BOE doesn't even want to discuss it, they will just approve it at the September 11, 2012 meeting.
When they vote on this "deal", the BOE will approve the spending of money that they do not have. These 2,000 Promethean Boards are going to be purchased on time. Taxpayers' will pay interest on this purchase. The purchase is based on a hope and a prayer that MCPS will receive rebates from the federal government over the next 5 years. If the federal government changes the rebate program, Montgomery County taxpayers will be on the hook for the remaining payments. Been there, done that. Let's do it again!
The money that the BOE will spend on this purchase has to be approved by the County Council. Why? Because some of these funds are County funds. The rebates that MCPS receives belong to Montgomery County, not to MCPS. For FY 2013 that is $2,042,000 in County funds that will be sent to MCPS to purchase no-bid Promethean Boards. Police, fire and libraries, you all aren't interested in these funds, right?
The Gazette reports here.
Below is the Superintendent Joshua Starr memorandum.
4.4.1 Approval Contracts FY 13 Supp Approp Request Tech Mod
Update September 8, 2012: Superintendent Joshua Starr issues "Revised" Memorandum.
BOE Hid From Public Yesterday - Fooled You!
Why did the BOE hide? Because they don't want you to hear what they discuss.
So, they post last minute agendas and meet off camera.
Why in the world would they want the public to hear their important discussions? Do some people think this is a public school system?
The meeting yesterday was particularly special! It included a presentation by Superintendent Joshua Starr's mentor, Larry Leverett. Remember, Mr. Leverett was working the BOE off-camera meetings under Superintendent Weast. And, then, in an amazing coincidence, Joshua Starr was hired as the next superintendent. Small world.
If you look at the BOE meeting page today you will not see a September 5, 2012 meeting listed. (See screenshot.)
If you check the Agenda document properties, you will see that the time stamp on the document shows the Agenda was created September 5, 2012 at 9:52:01 AM.
Now, isn't 9:52 AM on September 5th just a little over 2 hours before the meeting actually started?
You bet.
That's how our Apple Ballot endorsed BOE keeps the public OUT of what should be public discussions.
Here's the Agenda of what you missed.
Surprise BOE Meeting! September 5, 2012
So, they post last minute agendas and meet off camera.
Why in the world would they want the public to hear their important discussions? Do some people think this is a public school system?
The meeting yesterday was particularly special! It included a presentation by Superintendent Joshua Starr's mentor, Larry Leverett. Remember, Mr. Leverett was working the BOE off-camera meetings under Superintendent Weast. And, then, in an amazing coincidence, Joshua Starr was hired as the next superintendent. Small world.
If you look at the BOE meeting page today you will not see a September 5, 2012 meeting listed. (See screenshot.)
If you check the Agenda document properties, you will see that the time stamp on the document shows the Agenda was created September 5, 2012 at 9:52:01 AM.
Now, isn't 9:52 AM on September 5th just a little over 2 hours before the meeting actually started?
You bet.
That's how our Apple Ballot endorsed BOE keeps the public OUT of what should be public discussions.
Here's the Agenda of what you missed.
Surprise BOE Meeting! September 5, 2012
$89.1 million = 1 new high school
Gazette: New Paint Branch High School building opens in Burtonsville
...There is a greenhouse, a pharmacy and a state-of-the-art, fully-digitalized television production studio...
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Political Pulse: Evans and Smondrowski Debate
Fred Evans and Rebecca Smondrowski, candidates for the Montgomery County School Board District 2 race, will be on Political Pulse on:
Thursday, September 6th at 9:00 p.m.
and
Friday-Sunday, September 7th-9th at 6:00 p.m.
The District 2 School Board race is one of the best races in MoCo this fall. The debate will be available on-line after it airs (go to www.mmctv.org and click Videos tab, then click Political Pulse).
Political Pulse is on Channel 16 TV in Montgomery County, MD
Achievement Gap Report Pulled from MCPS Website
In August 2012, the MCPS Office of Shared Accountability issued an Evaluation Brief entitled, "Closing the Racial Achievement Gap in Montgomery County Public Schools: Characteristics of Middle Schools With Sustained Success."
The Evaluation Brief appeared on the MCPS Office of Shared Accountability website.
And then, it was removed.
[UPDATE 5 PM: The Evaluation Brief link has been returned to Office of Shared Accountability website after the Parents' Coalition brought attention to the removal of the link.]
We saved a copy of the Evaluation Brief as it first appeared, and have posted it to Scribd for your reference.
Brief Closing the Gap_Final
The Evaluation Brief appeared on the MCPS Office of Shared Accountability website.
And then, it was removed.
[UPDATE 5 PM: The Evaluation Brief link has been returned to Office of Shared Accountability website after the Parents' Coalition brought attention to the removal of the link.]
We saved a copy of the Evaluation Brief as it first appeared, and have posted it to Scribd for your reference.
Brief Closing the Gap_Final
Get One of Our Billionaires to Do That!
Rockville Patch: Blog: Get One of Our Billionaires to Do That!
by Joseph Hawkins
Recently, Montgomery County Public Schools held a back-to-school fair where it gave away free backpacks pre-loaded with school supply goodies.
Click here to read coverage of the fair in The Washington Post:
I like these kinds of giveaway events. The MCPS backpack giveaway, nonetheless, made me wonder about a few things.
First, did MCPS do any eligibility screening?...
Civic Fed Board of Education Candidates' Forum Oct 17th
DATE: Wednesday, October 17th
TIME: 7 pm - 9 pm
LOCATION: Rockville Memorial Library, 21 Maryland Ave, Rockville For directions go here.
All candidates will be participating. Please come and bring your questions, or email me with questions offline.
At-Large:
Phil Kauffman
Morris Panner
District 2:
Fred Evans
Rebecca Smondrowski
District 4:
Chris Barclay
Annita Seckinger
Thank you.
Paula Bienenfeld
Education Committee Chair, and First Vice President, Montgomery County Civic Federation
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Civic Fed Sept 10th Meeting: Moving Toward Reliable Electricity in Montgomery County
Hi all,
Please join the Civic Fed at our monthly meeting, September 10th, at 7:45 PM.
The meeting is at the Montgomery County Council Building, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville, 1st Floor Auditorium.
Thanks,
Paula Bienenfeld
Education Committee Chair and First Vice President, Montgomery County
Moving Toward Reliable Electricity in Montgomery County
September’s program focuses on concerns about reliability of electricity in the County and how we as residents can move forward. What are our options? How can we move towards renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power?
Speakers:
Robert Loube, Vice President, Rolka Loube Saltzer Associates. Mr. Loube is an economist who provides technical assistance to state and Federal government agencies in utility matters. He has also helped the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA); and held the position of Director of the Office of Economics of the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia
Puesh Kumar, Manager, Engineering and Operations Manager, American Public Power Association (APPA). In this role, he works on the technical aspects of regulatory and legislative issues affecting community-owned, not-for-profit utility companies across the nation. The APPA is the national service organization for the over 2,000 community and state-owned utility companies.
Art Fabel, Tikvat Israel
Seeing Stars: When a Bump On The Head May Be More Serious
New research on concussions has identified these ‘Fictions’ and ‘Facts.’ The following is provided by Chris Hummel, clinical associate professor in Ithaca College
FICTIONS:
A normal CT scan rules out a concussion.
“A concussion results from a neuro-metabolic event brought on by the trauma,” Hummel said. “Simply put, there is an imbalance of the needed chemicals or fuel that helps the brain function when someone is concussed. That’s not a structural injury, so a CT scan won’t pick it up. CT scans can only view structural damage.”
An individual who has been knocked unconscious will suffer a worse concussion than someone who didn’t lose consciousness.
“A person doesn’t have to be knocked out to sustain a serious concussion,” Hummel said. “In some cases, people who are knocked out may suffer less severe trauma. In either case, the severity of the concussion might not be known for days or weeks.”
A grade-one concussion is less serious than one that’s a grade-three.
“We used to grade concussions during the initial diagnosis, but we no longer do that because we now know it’s difficult to accurately assess the severity of a concussion right away,” Hummel said. “We have to wait and see how the symptoms resolve over time before we can determine how significant the concussion is or is not.”
The harder someone is hit, the worse the concussion.
“It doesn’t always take a big impact to produce a concussion,” Hummel said. “Any contact to the head or body that causes rapid head movement can cause a concussion.”
A person can soldier through a concussion.
“No,” Hummel said. “Typically, it takes one to two weeks for concussion symptoms to resolve and for the brain to begin operating back at full capacity. Just because someone states his or her head has cleared is no indication that he or she should resume normal activities. That would not be safe.”
Helmets prevent concussions.
“Helmets for cyclists, snowboarders and construction workers are designed to prevent skull fractures, not concussions,” Hummel said. “If a helmet is fitted properly, it might reduce the risk or severity of concussions, but no one helmet is capable of preventing a concussion, yet!”
FACTS:
An individual who has had one concussion is more likely to have another than a person who hasn’t been concussed.
“Once someone has experienced one concussion, the threshold for sustaining another concussion can be diminished. Also, if a person sustains another blow before he or she is fully recovered, the resultant symptoms can be worsened and result in a prolonged recovery. There is also a rare phenomenon called Second Impact Syndrome that can cause impaired brain blood flow or even death if an individual suffers another trauma before fully recovering.”
Concussions should be treated and managed on an individual basis.
“The brain is an incredibly complex organ, and so are the neurochemical processes that govern it,” Hummel said. “No two concussions are exactly alike anymore than the brains of any two individuals are identical.”
If you suspect someone of having a concussion, assume it’s a concussion.
“If a person describes having a headache or dizziness, shows signs of balance problems, or difficulty remembering, assume that individual is concussed and have him or her evaluated by qualified medical person,” Hummel said.
Sports groups take extra measures to prevent possible sex abuse
Gazette: In wake of recent scandals, moves made to limit one-on-one time in coaching
...So, when in one of the first games of his inaugural season with the Bulldogs former four-year varsity player Ali Feldman, now an assistant coach, was yellow carded, Hakopian went to settle her down.
“She walked off the field and she was extremely upset. I put my arm around her to settle her down. We were talking for about two or three minutes. It was in front of the entire stands, probably 200 or 300 people. And I guess a teacher saw that and came in a day or two later and was like, ‘You should be careful because that could really easily be misinterpreted,’” Hakopian said...
...“We have all this training on concussions and heat related issues but there has never been anything on this. It’s been something more recent, probably the last 10 years or so that we’re really starting to notice it’s something that really needs to be paid attention to,” Hakopian said....
Monday, September 3, 2012
The MD DREAM Act at the MoCo Taxpayers' League
September 20, 2012 - 7:30 - 9:30 pm 6th Floor Conference Room, Council Office Building
100 Maryland Avenue , Rockville , MD 20854
Topic: "The Maryland Dream Act: Costs and Benefits to Taxpayers"
Speakers: Andrew Freund, President,Montgomery County
Speakers: Andrew Freund, President,
Jay Wilson, Dream Act Liaison, Montgomery County
Joan Fidler, Taxpayers League President, will send both speakers your questions in advance of the meeting. Please send your questions to her by September 7, 2012 .
Starr's Hire is a Broad Academy Graduate
The Montgomery County Board of Education Appointed Dr. Kimberly Statham as Deputy Superintendent on Superintendent Joshua Starr's recommendation. Ms. Statham is a graduate of the Broad Superintendent's Academy. MCPS has sent a number of administrators to the Broad Superintendent's Academy over the last few years.
Maryland's new State Superintendent is also a Broad Academy graduate.
Here's a guide for parents to acquaint them with the academy.
A Parent Guide to the Broad Foundation’s training programs and education policies
The question I ask is why should Eli Broad and Bill Gates have more of a say as to what goes on in my child’s classroom than I do? ...
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Happy Labor Day
Happy Labor Day to all from the Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County. And grateful thanks to all our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and all who worked so hard, put their lives in danger, and fought to pass the labor laws we and our children enjoy today.
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