Friday, April 10, 2015
Thursday, April 9, 2015
@MCPS Releases Transition Work Group Report - Fallout from #RockTerrace Financial Mismanagement
There were, of course, many problems with this "explanation." First and foremost, the students at Rock Terrace School are smarter than both MCPS and their counsel give them credit for. These students are able to understand the "work-pay connection" without too much explanation. What is harder for MCPS to explain is just exactly how they were teaching the "work-pay connection" when (a) the students never actually saw the money, (b) never actually received any bank statements, and (c) the money that they did earn was stolen from them!
In light of what happened with the money the Rock Terrace students earned, MCPS convened a workgroup to evaluate the teaching of the "work-pay connection." Unsurprisingly, the recommendation is to disband the program where students earn money through work experiences and instead use those funds to help in school start-up businesses, like coffee shops, etc.
To date, the Board of Education has not discussed the memo (below) nor its recommendations. Why not? Perhaps because the State's Attorney for Montgomery County is still investigating whether anyone bears criminal liability for what happened at Rock Terrace. An announcement of the results of the State's Attorney's investigation is expected shortly.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Court reinstates verdict against Board of Education. Bd of Ed Breached Duty of Care in Placement of Bus Stop
http://thedailyrecord.com/2015/04/06/court-reinstates-verdict-sans-90m-award-in-teens-death/?utm_source=WhatCounts+Publicaster+Edition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TDR+Insider+4%2f7%2f15&utm_content=Court+reinstates+verdict%2c+sans+%2490M+award%2c+in+teen%27s+deathANNAPOLIS — A Maryland appeals court has reinstated a jury’s verdict — but not its $90.3 million damages award — for the parents of a 13-year-old girl who was struck and killed by a car six years ago while crossing a four-lane street trying to reach her school-bus stop in Temple Hills.
The Court of Special Appeals said the trial judge was wrong to toss out the jury’s verdict against the Prince George’s County Board of Education based on his erroneous finding that it owed no duty of care to the girl and that her negligent crossing of the street contributed to her death. In its 3-0 decision, the intermediate court said the board owed a duty to the girl under a regulation governing bus-stop locations and that a jury reasonably concluded she was not contributorily negligent.
“It was a very important ruling by the court,” said the family’s attorney, John F. X. Costello. “Because that regulation was not complied with, this little girl was forced to cross the street.”
The Court of Special Appeals, however, said state law calls for the award to be reduced to the school board’s insurance policy limit, but not to less than $100,000. The board has the defense of sovereign immunity from damages for amounts greater, the court said in remanding the case to Prince George’s County Circuit Court to determine the award...
“Many of these governmental caps have not been adjusted in [many] years and are drawing the attention of the General Assembly,” said Maloney, of Joseph, Greenwald & Laake P.A. in Greenbelt.
...The Prince George’s County Circuit Court jury had found in April 2013 that the school board fatally breached its duty of care to Ashley Davis by not providing a school-bus stop on the same side of Brinkley Road as her home, thus requiring the freshman at Crossland High School in Temple Hills to cross the four-lane thoroughfare.
Ashley was killed while crossing Brinkley Road on Sept. 1, 2009. The driver admitted no liability in reaching a $20,000 settlement with the family.
The jury, in finding the school board liable, concluded that Ashely was not contributorily negligent...
...But the Court of Special Appeals reinstated the verdict, citing Maryland State Board of Education regulation 13A.06.07.13, which pertains to “Reporting and Operating Procedures.” Subsection C of the regulation states that “on four-lane highways, students shall be picked up and discharged on the side of the roadway where they reside.”
Subsection C is “designed to protect public-school students who ride county-provided buses to and from school from the risks associated with crossing a four-lane highway, including the risk of being hit by a car,” Judge Deborah S. Eyler wrote in the appellate court’s reported opinion filed Friday.
“As a public-school student living on a four-lane highway, in a school district in which the board had taken it upon itself to provide bus transportation to school, Ashley was within the specific class of people that [Subsection C] was designed to protect,” Eyler added. “And she suffered precisely the kind of injury that the regulation was intended to protect against. Accordingly, the board owed Ashley a legal duty of care to provide a bus stop on her side of Brinkley Road sufficient to support the duty element of a cause of action in negligence.”...
... Section 4-105 of the Maryland Education Article requires county school boards to have at least $100,000 in liability coverage. Section 5-518 of the Maryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, titled “Immunity – County boards of education” provides that the boards “may raise the defense of sovereign immunity to any amount claimed above the limit of its insurance policy….”
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
"It is unclear whether the students still attend Sherwood."
Two Montgomery County high school students have been charged as adults in a vicious gang-related beating of a 15-year-old boy outside a restaurant in Olney, according to documents filed in court Monday and last week.
The victim in the March 27 attack, which was caught on cellphone video, suffered cheekbone fractures, was knocked unconscious and was left with a severe concussion. “He’s doing better. He’s out of the hospital,” his father, a physician, said Monday, adding that it was unclear whether his son would suffer long-term effects from the concussion. “Who knows? We’re just crossing our fingers he gets better quickly.”...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/montgomery-teens-charged-as-adults-in-reported-gang-beating/2015/04/06/180ce16a-dc72-11e4-be40-566e2653afe5_story.html?wprss=rss_crime&tid=sm_tw_pl
Tonight - Public Forum: Countering the Heroin Challenge
Countering the Heroin Challenge
A Free Public Forum
When: 7:00 PM – Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Where: Bennigan’s - 23315 N Frederick Rd., Clarksburg
Who: You, a friend, neighbor, and teens at parents’ discretion
Speakers: Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy and Tara Handron, Caron Treatment Centers
An increasing number of teens and young adults are becoming addicted to opiates, often committing crime as they try to finance a habit that can run into the hundreds of dollars a day – sometimes leading to overdose resulting in brain damage or death. Gaithersburg, Germantown and upper Montgomery County are being especially hard hit.
Come hear the experts tell what’s being done to combat the heroin explosion in our communities … and what more needs to be done.
Sponsored by the Upper Montgomery County Republican Women’s Club and The Republican Party of Legislative District 15
This message is provided by Patty Winters, Coordinator, Brave and Bold Coalition braveandbold2011 AT
A Free Public Forum
When: 7:00 PM – Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Where: Bennigan’s - 23315 N Frederick Rd., Clarksburg
Who: You, a friend, neighbor, and teens at parents’ discretion
Speakers: Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy and Tara Handron, Caron Treatment Centers
An increasing number of teens and young adults are becoming addicted to opiates, often committing crime as they try to finance a habit that can run into the hundreds of dollars a day – sometimes leading to overdose resulting in brain damage or death. Gaithersburg, Germantown and upper Montgomery County are being especially hard hit.
Come hear the experts tell what’s being done to combat the heroin explosion in our communities … and what more needs to be done.
Sponsored by the Upper Montgomery County Republican Women’s Club and The Republican Party of Legislative District 15
This message is provided by Patty Winters, Coordinator, Brave and Bold Coalition braveandbold2011 AT
Crumb Rubber Still in Use at Richard Montgomery High School
Crumb rubber was added as needed to the Richard Montgomery High School artificial turf football field yesterday, despite the Montgomery County Council's vote to not use crumb rubber "going forward."
Contractor from NY servicing RMHS turf field. Didn't get pix of them blowing excess crumb rubber into the grass. pic.twitter.com/2A1IaRahRX
— Lyda Astrove (@LydaAstrove) April 7, 2015
Monday, April 6, 2015
3 Hour Contentious Planning Board Hearing Capped with Board Member Announcing Basketball Score #marchmadness #payingnoattention #bccmiddleschool
On March 26, 2015, the Montgomery County Planning Board held a hearing to decide if the Board of Education had satisfied the requirements of the Forest Conservation law for the site plan for the BCC Middle School #2 construction.
The hearing appears to go on for about 3 hours.
During the hearing the Planning Board staff made a presentation, MCPS made a presentation, and numerous neighbors and interested parties gave impassioned public comment about the MCPS site plans for this new middle school.
The public comment concerns included the forest that would be destroyed, student safety concerns, visual impact of massive retaining walls, and the detriment to the neighborhood of this school construction plan. During the hearing, Planning Board members were quiet with only a few brief questions. Some Planning Board members never spoke during the hearing.
The hearing was contentious as MCPS staff and Planning Board staff have apparently been arguing about the requirements of the Forest Conservation law as it applies to this site for the last 9 months. At the end of the hearing, the Planning Board staff voted to throw the plans back to their staff with the guidance to work out the differences with MCPS and come up with a plan that will satisfy the Forest Conservation law.
Immediately after the Planning Board vote, Planning Board member Marye Wells-Harley announced, "My team is losing. 70 to 75..."
The hearing appears to go on for about 3 hours.During the hearing the Planning Board staff made a presentation, MCPS made a presentation, and numerous neighbors and interested parties gave impassioned public comment about the MCPS site plans for this new middle school.
The public comment concerns included the forest that would be destroyed, student safety concerns, visual impact of massive retaining walls, and the detriment to the neighborhood of this school construction plan. During the hearing, Planning Board members were quiet with only a few brief questions. Some Planning Board members never spoke during the hearing.
The hearing was contentious as MCPS staff and Planning Board staff have apparently been arguing about the requirements of the Forest Conservation law as it applies to this site for the last 9 months. At the end of the hearing, the Planning Board staff voted to throw the plans back to their staff with the guidance to work out the differences with MCPS and come up with a plan that will satisfy the Forest Conservation law.
Immediately after the Planning Board vote, Planning Board member Marye Wells-Harley announced, "My team is losing. 70 to 75..."
Friday, April 3, 2015
Save Blair Ewing
The Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) proposes demolishing the Blair G.
Ewing Center - formerly the Mark Twain School (on Avery Road in
Rockville) and redeveloping the site to
accommodate the Shady Grove Transportation Depot. The Alternative
Education Program (AEP) students would then be relocated to the former
English Manor Elementary School (currently housing the School for
Tomorrow), located at 4511 Bestor Drive in Aspen Hill. As usual, no local communities or neighborhoods were contacted about these plans.
We received this from SaveBlairEwing.org and are reprinting it here:
We received this from SaveBlairEwing.org and are reprinting it here:
|
Apparently, the Board of Education staff are
encouraging our callers to NOT leave phone messages and instead email a
central email for all Board members. As you know, the Board of Ed has refused to meet with us... and now they do not want to accept calls? Consider politely refusing to email the central email and ask to leave a message for one Board Member. Then, call back again (doesn't hurt to space out the calls a little) and leave a message for one more member.... We want to jam their phone lines. That's the point... We have less than a week to make sure English Manor is not chosen for a feasibility study for a potential Alternative Education Program (AEP) move. April 7: We will learn if English Manor is the MCPS proposed location for a feasibility study. April 14: Board of Ed will vote to approve a feasibility study. Tell the Board: 1) Do NOT do a feasibility study on English Manor for the AEP. 2) Make English Manor a community elementary school to ease area overcrowding. 3) Now that the County Council has given the Board more time to keep buses at Jeremiah Park, there is no need to rush AEP's move to build a bus depot at Blair Ewing. Please call each Board member: • Rebecca Smondrowski: 301-279-3617 click here if you called. • Judith Docca: 301-670-3234 click here if you called. • Jill Ortman-Fouse: 301-279-3617 click here if you called. • Michael Durso: 301-924-3169 click here if you called. • Patricia O'Neill: 301-320-7600 click here if you called. • Philip Kauffman: 301-924-3133 click here if you called. • Christopher Barclay: 301-279-3617 click here if you called. • Dahlia Huh: 301-279-3617 click here if you called. Please forward this email to friends and neighbors. We need to DOUBLE our calling and flood Board members with calls. |
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Atlanta Educators Convicted in School Cheating Scandal
ATLANTA
— In a dramatic conclusion to what has been described as the largest
cheating scandal in the nation’s history, a jury here on Wednesday
convicted 11 educators for their roles in a standardized test cheating
scandal that tarnished a major school district’s reputation and raised
broader questions about the role of high-stakes testing in American
schools.
On
their eighth day of deliberations, the jurors convicted 11 of the 12
defendants of racketeering, a felony that carries up to 20 years in
prison. Many of the defendants — a mixture of Atlanta public school
teachers, testing coordinators and administrators — were also convicted
of other charges, such as making false statements, that could add years
to their sentences.
Judge
Jerry W. Baxter of Fulton County Superior Court ordered most of the
educators jailed immediately, and they were led from the courtroom in
handcuffs. Judge Baxter, who presided over a trial that began with
opening statements more than six months ago, will begin sentencing
hearings next week....
“The principal asked for the victim and the mother not to contact Child Protective Services or the police. He told them he did not want to make a big scandal or harm the reputation of the school,”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-principal-told-7th-grader-not-to-report-abuse-prosecutor-says/2015/04/01/7fd8e882-d882-11e4-8103-fa84725dbf9d_story.html...“The principal asked for the victim and the mother not to contact Child Protective Services or the police. He told them he did not want to make a big scandal or harm the reputation of the school,” Hagan said in court. “He told them he would take care of it, so that the defendant would not teach there again. And both mother and daughter believed, as a result of that meeting, that the defendant would not teach in Montgomery County public schools again. No report of this crime was made to law enforcement at that time.”...
...Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said after the hearing that Hagan’s statements were based on conversations that law enforcement officers had with the victim, her mother and the guidance counselor who was serving as a translator for the mother.
“We stand by the statements that were made in court,” McCarthy said...
Clemente Middle School: "A student found a bullet in school."
A message from ROBERTO CLEMENTE MIDDLE SCHOOL
April 1, 2015
Dear Parents: I want to share with you information about an event that affected our school today and how it was handled by our staff. A student found a bullet in school. The bullet was confiscated from the student by MCPS staff. Police were notified and the incident is under investigation. This is a very serious matter, and we ask that you to remind your children that weapons of any kind - even toy weapons-are not allowed on school property. If your child becomes aware that someone at the school has a weapon, remind them to tell a member of the staff immediately. If you have further questions, please call the school at 301-601-0344. We will make every effort to answer your questions as quickly as possible. KFB/ts Copy to: Dr. Williams, Community Superintendent |
Board of Education Members Refuse to Meet with Community on Bus Depot Issue
From the Save Blair Ewing community group:
We represent several communities. Our issues involves millions of dollars, serious environmental impacts, traffic and safety issues, student needs and widespread school overcrowding. We have been demanding more openness and transparency, and better decision-making.
We have been instrumental in pushing for a delay in the declaration of "no further need" for the CSP East/Jeremiah Park property, where MCPS currently parks over 400 school buses... because MCPS clearly still needs that depot on Crabbs Branch Way.
And we have been asking to meet with the Board of Education members to discuss these issues. Their response? See below:
We represent several communities. Our issues involves millions of dollars, serious environmental impacts, traffic and safety issues, student needs and widespread school overcrowding. We have been demanding more openness and transparency, and better decision-making.
We have been instrumental in pushing for a delay in the declaration of "no further need" for the CSP East/Jeremiah Park property, where MCPS currently parks over 400 school buses... because MCPS clearly still needs that depot on Crabbs Branch Way.
And we have been asking to meet with the Board of Education members to discuss these issues. Their response? See below:
"Dear Mr. Smilowitz,
You recently contacted the Board office requesting meetings with individual Board members to discuss issues with the use of the English Manor property and overcrowding. I regret to inform you that Board members’ tight schedules currently make it a huge challenge to arrange face-to-face meetings. I suggest that you send the Board your thoughts via email correspondence. If you send it to boe@mcpsmd.org, they will all receive your correspondence.
Again, I am sorry we cannot accommodate your request at this time.
Ikhide Roland Ikheloa
Chief of Staff-Ombudsman
Montgomery County Board of Education
301-279-3617"
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Data Breach at Westland Middle School Releases Student Locker Combinations
“I’m not sure how this happened,” she said, adding that the locker file is kept on a password protected file on an office computer...
http://www.mymcmedia.org/data-breach-at-westland-middle-school-release-student-locker-combinations/
Plea deal for teacher charged with molesting students
ROCKVILLE, Md. – A former substitute teacher in the Montgomery County public schools system pleaded guilty on Wednesday to sexually abusing students.
Jose Pineda, 50, appeared in court and accepted a plea deal. His trial was set to begin Monday.
Pineda was charged with abusing four students. He pleaded guilty to sex abuse of a minor and third-degree sex offense.
Police arrested Pineda in October after he was accused of inappropriately touching a 12-year-old girl at Roberto Clemente Middle School.
Numerous students from other schools stepped forward in the subsequent weeks with similar allegations.
One alleged victim, now 23 years old, claims she was abused in 2004 when she was in seventh grade at Forest Oak Middle School. According to court records, she called police late last year after the allegations against Pineda went public...
http://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2015/04/plea-deal-for-teacher-charged-with-molesting-students/
Former #MCPS sub Jose Pineda has pleaded guilty to 2 of 10 cts of child sex abuse. Sentencing May 29th. @wusa9
Former #MCPS sub Jose Pineda has pleaded guilty to 2 of 10 cts of child sex abuse. Sentencing May 29th. @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/bVj4TdY57J
— Andrea McCarren (@AndreaMcCarren) April 1, 2015
MCPS Teacher Pleads Guilty to Sex Abuse of Students
A former substitute teacher accused of inappropriate contact with several students entered a guilty plea Wednesday.Prosecutors asked the judge to impose a five year prison sentence as a part of Jose Pineda's plea deal. If the deal is accepted, Pineda, who is not a U.S. citizen, could face deportation back to Honduras.Three 12-year-old girls came forward last year to say that they were touched multiple times by Pineda. One said she requested to go to the bathroom to get away from Pineda. The other said she assumed the first time was an accident until it continued to happen.Pineda also is accused of touching a 12-year-old girl at Forest Oak Middle School in 2004, police said. The victim told police she reported the sexual assault to her mother and that the principal was notified. A school district spokesperson said the principal has retired and it's unknown if he reported the allegations to police...
Montgomery council delays decision on bus depot land disposition until after December 31st
...Some council members said Monday that they wanted more concrete plans in place before voting to say the land is no longer needed.
Councilwoman Nancy Navarro wasn’t convinced the county should give up the land without knowing the next steps for the depot’s move. She said she understood there is a larger redevelopment plan at work.
“Nonetheless, I’m also very concerned about the fact we’re trying to pursue one particular goal while compromising another very important issue that also is a policy goal of ours, which is what we do with all these buses,” she said.
A possible short-term solution involves relocating buses to multiple properties. The school system would park buses at some high school lots, the district’s Carver Educational Services Center in Rockville and the county’s Equipment Maintenance and Transit Operations Center.
Staff also are exploring an idea to park about 130 buses on leased property. Greg Ossont, deputy director of the county’s Department of General Services, said Monday that recommendations for such sites are expected soon.
James Song, director of the school system’s Department of Facilities Management, said the district has narrowed its list of high schools that could be used for parking from 10 to nine, taking Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School out of consideration.
On Monday, Councilman Sidney Katz cautioned that figuring out only an interim plan and not a permanent plan “is not going to work.”
A few possible permanent solutions are under consideration, though council staff have said these sites need to be studied to determine if they could work.
The list includes a Montgomery Village-area site on Woodfield Road that the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission owns, the county-owned Oaks Landfill in Laytonsville, the site of the county’s old animal shelter, and the school system’s Blair G. Ewing Center...
http://www.gazette.net/article/20150401/NEWS/150409853/1261/montgomery-council-delays-decision-on-bus-depot-land-disposition&template=gazette
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