Maryland Public Information Act Compliance Board Annual Meeting on Tuesday, August 20, 2024

 The PIA Compliance Board will hold its annual meeting by videoconference on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. The meeting will be held virtually by Microsoft Teams. The public is invited to attend.

Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
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If you have trouble joining by video or phone on the day of the meeting, please call (410) 576-6560, or email piaopengov@oag.state.md.us.

The meeting agenda is available on the Board’s website. To request a copy of the agenda or for additional information about this open meeting of the Board, please contact S. Spencer Dove, Administrative Officer, at piaopengov@oag.state.md.us, or call (410) 576-6560.

The PIA requires the Board to “recommend any improvements to [the PIA]” as part of its annual report. If you have a recommendation that you would like the Board to consider, please provide your recommendation to piaopengov@oag.state.md.us by the close-of-business August 14, 2024.

As time allows, the Chair will read public comments and questions. Please submit any public comments or questions to piaopengov@oag.state.md.us by the close of business on August 14, 2024

The Open Meetings Act Compliance Board (OMCB) will hold its Annual Meeting at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4, 2024.

The Open Meetings Act Compliance Board (OMCB) will hold its Annual Meeting at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4, 2024. The meeting will be a virtual Microsoft Teams call. The public is invited to attend.

 

Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 227 213 925 600

Passcode: enRjW5
Download Teams | Join on the web

 

Join by phone (audio only)

+1 443-529-0364,,284914648# United States, Baltimore (one-click dial)

Call-in Number: 443-259-0364

Phone conference ID: 284 914 648#

 

If you encounter any issues when trying to join the meeting, please contact opengov@oag.state.md.us for assistance or call 410-576-6560.

 

The meeting agenda is available at https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/Pages/OpenGov/openmeetings/meetingMinutes.aspx

 

As time allows, the Chair will read public comments and questions. If you wish to submit a written comment or question for consideration, please send your comment or question by email to S. Spencer Dove at opengov@oag.state.md.us by the close of business on Friday, August 30.  To receive email notifications about future meetings of the OMCB, please contact S. Spencer Dove at opengov@oag.state.md.us.

STATE OF MARYLAND

OPEN MEETINGS COMPLIANCE BOARD

AGENDA

Open Meetings Compliance Board

Annual Meeting

4 p.m. Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Via Microsoft Teams Virtual Platform*

1. Call to order; welcome; introductions (Lynn M. Marshall, Esq., Chair)

2. Comments on the past year’s work (Chair, Board)

3. Issues to study or recommend for legislative action (Chair, Board)

4. Review of draft annual report and instructions to staff for content (Chair, Board)

5. Reading of public comments/questions (by advance registration and as time allows*)

6. Closing remarks; adjournment (Chair)

(Posted July 18, 2024)

Elrich on MCPS Legal Settlement: ‘They Had Warning Signs For Years’

The Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) paid $300,000 to an unnamed teacher who claimed she was harassed by former Paint Branch High School Principal Joel Beidleman.

Beidleman no longer works at MCPS. He was accused of bullying and sexual harassment by multiple MCPS employees prior to being promoted from principal at Farquhar Middle School to Paint Branch High School. This was first reported in the Washington Post.

Besides the $300,000 settlement, MCPS paid $78,462.32 in legal fees to Karpinski, Cornbrooks and Karp of Baltimore and $68,369.64 in legal fees to Miller, Miller and Canby of Rockville. Another $1,188.80 was spent for transcripts of court recordings...

Elrich on MCPS Legal Settlement: 'They Had Warning Signs For Years' - Montgomery Community Media (mymcmedia.org)

Florida warned schools about a teacher’s fraud. Baltimore County missed the red flags.

Florida tried to warn other school systems about Dazhon Darien back in 2016.

Thanks to a national clearinghouse for screening teachers, hundreds of school districts would have known to ask more questions before hiring Darien, the high school athletic director who was arrested in April and accused of framing a Pikesville principal using artificial intelligence. Florida’s education department flagged the clearinghouse eight years ago that Darien was denied a teaching certificate based on “test or document fraud.”

Baltimore County Public Schools didn’t get the memo.

When the school district first hired Darien in spring 2023, it didn’t have access to the database run by the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education Certification, which has tracked all “adverse action” against licensed educators since 1985, according to Jimmy Adams, the group’s executive director...

...Maryland law requires school systems to review applicants’ employment history “by contacting the employers listed by the applicant” when the job involves direct contact with minors. School systems, though, can set up their own vetting procedures in addition to what’s required by law, according to the state education department...

Baltimore County schools missed red flags hiring man charged in racist AI scandal - The Baltimore Banner

Gaithersburg teen sentenced for 2023 murder at Wheaton Metro Station

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (DC News Now) — A 17-year-old boy was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for a deadly shooting that happened at the Wheaton Metro Station in 2023.

On May 18, 2023, Montgomery County Police, Metro Transit Police and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services all responded to the station for a shooting just before 6 p.m.

There, they found 18-year-old Tenneson Vaughn Leslie, Jr. unresponsive on the metro platform.

He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead a few hours later.

Investigators said that a fight broke out as a group of boys were going down an escalator. As Leslie and a few other were running from the escalator, the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office said that then-16-year-old Emmanuel Simmonds pulled out a gun and shot him in the back of the head.

Simmonds’s co-defendant, a 14-year-old boy, was seen on surveillance footage throwing the magazine with live ammo on the ground before boarding the train...

Gaithersburg teen sentenced for 2023 murder at Wheaton Metro Station | DC News Now

Wootton High School Editor-in-Chief Enters 4 MCPS High Schools During Lunch to Test Security

 

Common Sense Print Edition April 2024 (woottoncommonsense.com)

https://woottoncommonsense.com/

Dec. 2023: MCPS Put Out Request for Information on Continued Implementation of an Electric School Bus Fleet, But No Request for Proposals

 

Bid/RFP Number: RFI 4916.2
Solicitation Title	CLOSED NO AWARD - Continued Implementation of an Electric School Bus Fleet
Due Date & Time	02/06/2024   02:00 PM
Contract Type	RFP
Buyer E-mail	Angela_S_Mcintosh-davis@mcpsmd.org
Description	The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to solicit information from qualified, experienced and capable vendors to partner with the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Department of Transportation (DOT) to continue the implementation of a program that initiated two years ago. RFI 4916.2 Cover.pdf  12/14/2023 RFI Continued Implementation of an Electric School Bus Fleet FINAL.pdf  12/14/2023 RFP 4916.2 Erratum 1.pdf  01/03/2024 RFP 4916.2 Erratum 2.pdf  01/17/2024 RFI QA 4916.2 Final.pdf  01/09/2024 Procurement - Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD (montgomeryschoolsmd.org)

Superintendent Taylor: Instruction is Not Our #1 Priority @mcps @mocoboe

Montgomery County Public Schools 2022-2023 Arrest Data — 25 Schools had arrests. 27 inside schools, 28 on school grounds, 1 on bus

 

Maryland Public Schools Student Arrest Data School Year 2022 - 2023 Annual Report Division of Student Support, Academic Enrichment, and Educational Policy April 2024

Former county police chief to earn almost $250K as head of MCPS security

 

Marcus Jones’ pay is higher than his replacement’s salary

Marcus Jones will earn almost $250,000 a year as the chief of security and compliance for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), making less than he did as the chief of the county police department but more than his replacement will earn.  

Jones was appointed MCPS security chief by the county school board June 25 directly after retiring as the chief of the Montgomery County police department. Jones served as chief from 2019 to 2024 and worked for the department for almost 40 years. 

MCPS public information officer Liliana Lopez said Jones will earn $249,322 annually plus benefits—the same pay as other department chiefs, such as the MCPS chief of strategic initiatives and the chief academic officer. Last year, chief-level positions were paid $242,060. Lopez said benefits provided to Jones can’t be released because it is considered personnel information...

Former county police chief to earn almost $250K as head of MCPS security  | MoCo360

MCPS hires Consulting Firm to bring in teachers from Philippines for Special Education classrooms

The cohort of 42 educators, assigned to schools throughout the district, is part of a cultural exchange program that allows J-1 visa holders to teach in the U.S.

In partnership with Foreign Cultural Exchange Consultants, Inc., these distinguished educators from the Philippines are provided with comprehensive support, including assistance in arranging housing accommodations and essential needs such as food, household goods, transportation, and security. This support is aimed at ensuring a stress-free transition, allowing them to focus on preparing to teach our students on the first day of school. Foreign Cultural Exchange Consultants, Inc. also offers financial and informational support to the exchange teachers, further ensuring a positive experience while living in the U.S.

Cultural exchange teachers are compensated using the same pay table as Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) teachers, based on education and years of experience. They also receive the same benefits afforded to MCPS teachers.

“Programs like these are vital because they open doors to new perspectives, fostering a more inclusive environment where everyone can thrive,” said Danillya Wilson, vice president of the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA). 

Special education vacancies were particularly challenging last year. With this new partnership, MCPS has been able to significantly reduce that number this year.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/news/mcps-news/2024/06/philippines-cultural-exchange-program-welcome/

2022-- CBS Report on Handcuffs in Hallways: Mother of handcuffed 5-year-old speaks as WJZ looks at child arrests in Maryland schools. [$275,000 Settlement]

The Montgomery County case recently settled and dates to January 2020. 

The release of body-camera video led to nationwide outrage. 

That video begins with officers encountering the child hiding by a car after teachers said he had a tantrum in the classroom and ran out of his elementary school in Silver Spring.

They placed him in the police cruiser and brought him back.

The video, more than 50 minutes long, shows an officer screaming at the crying child and another officer grabbing him and calling him names.

One officer said to "crate him" and he was acting "like a little beast."

Another officer said, "We need to have a conversation with his mom. This is like a little Chucky doll."..

..."We counted 19 times where one or both police officers threatened a beatIng in some manner of the child or suggested that he should be beaten. 19 times in front of him during the entire 51-minute video," Papirmeister said...

...You can access Maryland's student arrest data here...

"The Office of the County Attorney for Montgomery County, Maryland has announced the settlement of the lawsuit involving the Jan. 14, 2020 incident at East Silver Spring Elementary School. The parties settled all claims arising from the incident. The family received a total of $275,000 from the County's Self-Insurance Fund. Of that total, $220,000 was paid on behalf of Officers Dionne Holiday and Kevin Christmon and $55,000 was paid on behalf of the Board of Education for Montgomery County.  Pursuant to the "Release and Settlement of Claim" agreement, the parties released each other from all claims with no admission of liability with the lawsuit to be dismissed with prejudice.

Handcuffs in Hallways: Mother of handcuffed 5-year-old speaks as WJZ looks at child arrests in Maryland schools - CBS Baltimore (cbsnews.com)

Miami-Dade School Bus fleet will double thanks to a nearly $20 million grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

 MDCPS to double electric school buses thanks to MAST student | WLRN

As of July 27, the highest rate of covid in U.S. emergency rooms was found among children 11 and younger, narrowly surpassing the incidence in adults 75 and older.

Summer covid surge hits at least 84 countries and continues to climb

 https://wapo.st/4chjnN5

@mcps Countywide Charter School to Open Fall 2025 with 250 Students in Grades 6 & 7 after @mocoboe Denials Reversed Twice by Md State Board of Education

The Montgomery County Board of Education discussed the Charter School that will be opening next year at their June 11, 2024, Board of Education meeting.

In that meeting, the opening date for the MECCA Business Learning Institute Public Charter School was announced.  

https://mcpsmd.new.swagit.com/videos/307530?ts=13061

This Charter School is opening in Montgomery County after two successful appeals by this applicant to the Maryland State Board of Education.  

...Having found no reasonable, articulated basis for the denial of the charter, we reverse the local board’s decision.

MBEFCollege.Op.No.23-03.pdf (marylandpublicschools.org)

...For all these reasons, we reverse the local board’s decision denying the Appellant’s application to operate a charter school. Pursuant to Md. Code Ann., Educ § 9-104(d), we remand the matter to the local board and direct the board to grant contingent approval of the Appellant’s charter application and execute a contingent charter agreement consistent with our decision.

 MBEFCollegeAndCareerAcademiesInc.Op.No.23-25.pdf (marylandpublicschools.org)

$20M a Year ADDITIONAL Cost from "Budget Neutral" @mcps @mocoboe Electric Bus Scheme

This blog post is just a guess because MCPS has no budget analysis to support their claim that the electric school bus scheme they entered into in 2021 is actually budget neutral.

For our analysis we assume that one electric school bus equals one diesel bus.  

We also eliminated all costs in the MCPS Department of Transportation budget on the assumption that all of those costs relate to diesel school buses.  

In place of all of the existing supply, material and equipment costs we substituted the annual lease payment that the Board of Education would be making to HET MCPS, LLC if the entire MCPS school bus fleet was converted to electric school buses at once.  

We used the FY 2021 MCPS Budget Request because that would be the last year that MCPS planned for an all diesel school bus fleet.  

In the recently released Montgomery County Inspector General Memorandum of Investigation the public learned that the annual lease payment for each electric school bus is $38,500.  

We multiplied the annual lease payment by the number of diesel school buses in the FY 2021 budget.  We then substituted that number for all of the MCPS Transportation department costs.  The annual lease payments for 1,378 electric school buses would be $53,053,000.  Adding that number to the cost of Salaries, Wages and Contractual services in the FY 2021 budget totals $137,609,362, which is a 17.2% increase over the funds budgeted in the FY 2021 budget for MCPS Transportation. 

If someone from MCPS or the Board of Education would like to finally explain how the MCPS "budget neutral" scheme is actually going to be budget neutral, we would appreciate hearing from them ASAP. 

Two teens charged for 2 armed carjackings in Silver Spring

 https://wjla.com/news/local/silver-spring-maryland-crime-carjackings-two-teens-charged-juvenile-justice-system-youth-crime-montgomery-county-thayer-avenue-cameron-street

B-CC High teacher’s lawsuit alleging false accusations of racism to continue

A Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School teacher’s lawsuit alleging he was falsely accused of racism is moving forward after a Montgomery County Circuit Court judge denied a motion to dismiss the case against B-CC Principal Shelton Mooney and the county school board.  

Now B-CC teacher Daniel Engler and his attorneys say they are seeking more information from Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) centered on a community letter Mooney sent that characterized an interaction between Engler and two students as a hate-bias incident...

  B-CC High teacher’s lawsuit alleging false accusations of racism to continue | MoCo360

"Despite the delays, Montgomery County Public Schools did not end its relationship with Highland Electric Fleets — or enforce penalties for the company’s lapses, the inspector general found"

 

Probe finds ‘wasteful spending’ in Montgomery electric school bus effort

An electric bus company that was supposed to deliver hundreds of vehicles to the Maryland’s largest school district repeatedly missed delivery deadlines and made late repairs to its vehicles, leading to “millions of dollars in wasteful spending,” according to a report from Montgomery County inspector general criticizing the district’s handling of the contract.

Despite the delays, Montgomery County Public Schools did not end its relationship with Highland Electric Fleets — or enforce penalties for the company’s lapses, the inspector general found. Now the district is spending more than $14 million to buy diesel buses as it faces a vehicle shortage...

https://wapo.st/3MvBTXE

Misconduct case against former Montgomery Co. principal is costing taxpayers $2.3 Million

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — There was hearty applause at a school board meeting in June of last year, as the Montgomery County Board of Education voted to appoint Dr. Joel Beidleman as principal of Paint Branch High School.

By August of that same year, a newspaper reported the promotion happened amid numerous sexual harassment and bullying complaints against Beidleman

Those developments and the fallout have cost Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) millions.

“It's very alarming,” said Esther Wells of the Montgomery County Taxpayers League, who is also an MCPS parent. “We know there are unmet needs in our school system directly linked to our children and our funds need to go there,” she said...

...MCPS also provided documents that show legal fees and court costs in the Beidleman case that amount to more than $148,000. In total, all of these items add up to more than 2.3 million dollars...

Misconduct case against former Montgomery Co. principal is costing taxpayers millions (wjla.com)