Still No Oversight or Prosecution of Embezzlement, But: County Executive Recommends 10-Cent Increase in County’s Property Tax Rate to be Used Exclusively to Fully Fund MCPS Budget Request

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich today released his recommended Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Operating Budget of $6.8 billion, which is an increase of 7.7 percent from the FY23 approved all funds budget (County Government plus outside agencies.) The recommended FY24 budget reflects record level and significant investments for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), Montgomery College, affordable housing, economic development, public safety, and efforts to combat climate change.

To access the entire recommended FY24 budget, click here. To watch the County Executive’s FY24 recommended budget presentation, click here...

County Executive Recommends 10-Cent Increase in County’s Property Tax Rate to be Used Exclusively to Fully Fund MCPS Budget Request - The MoCo Show

School Investigating Teacher Calling for Marxism Lessons in Classes

 Mar 14, 2023

A teacher is under investigation for political opinions shared on social media after her posts were highlighted by Fox News.

The teacher, Rachel Rothstein, works at the North Bethesda Middle School in Central Maryland. On Monday, Fox News Digital published a report about numerous political opinions she had shared on her personal TikTok account, in which she, with a seemingly joking tone, discussed her strongly left-wing political beliefs, mentioned "indoctrinating" students, and said that "revolutions involve violence," among other things. The outlet claimed that Rothstein deleted her TikTok account after it reached out to her for comment.

The topic of education and the alleged "indoctrination" of children by teachers has, in the last year, become a significant talking point among conservative parents and politicians. This has been spurred by accusations, not always substantiated, that lessons about social justice history and gender identity are designed to "indoctrinate" left-wing beliefs into children...

School Investigating Teacher Calling for Marxism Lessons in Classes (newsweek.com)

Redacted report on archdiocese sexual abuse to be released soon

The Maryland Attorney General’s Office on Tuesday received a judge’s preliminary permission to release its redacted report into the history of child sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Prior to release, the office will have to eliminate specific reference to 60 individuals and redact the names of 37 others, Baltimore City Circuit Judge Robert Taylor Jr. stated in his four-page memorandum and order.

“We are pleased with the court’s order this afternoon authorizing release of a redacted version of our report on child sexual abuse by clergy in the Archdiocese of Baltimore,” Attorney General Anthony G. Brown said in a statement Tuesday. “We will work to complete the court-ordered redactions and release the report as expeditiously as possible.”

Taylor left open the possibility of the later release of an unredacted report. That would occur after the 37 people are notified and given a “suitable period” to respond. Taylor would then hold a hearing on the attorney general’s request that a final, unredacted version of the report be released.

The redacted report — based largely on grand jury testimony — identifies 158 Catholic priests accused of sexual abuse, including 43 that were never publicly named by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, as part of a four-year investigation into child sexual abuse by members of the clergy. The investigation also identified more than 600 victims of sexual abuse over the past 80 years...

Redacted report on Archdiocese of Baltimore sexual abuse may be released soon (thedailyrecord.com)

Montgomery County Council Seeks Applicants for Montgomery County Planning Board Chair and a Planning Board Member

 

Montgomery County Council Seeks Applicants for Montgomery County Planning Board Chair and a Planning Board Member

For Immediate Release: Monday, March 13, 2023

 

Deadline for applications is April 3, 2023 at 5 p.m.

The Montgomery County Council is seeking applicants to fill two full-term vacancies on the Montgomery County Planning Board, one of which will serve full-time as the Planning Board chair. Since both of these positions start new full terms on the Planning Board, applicants may be registered to vote in the County as a member of any political party or unaffiliated with any political party. Voter registration will be verified by the Montgomery County Board of Elections.

Applications must be received no later than Monday, April 3, 2023 at 5 p.m. The cover letter should indicate if you wish to be considered for the chair position. Acting Planning Board members are eligible to apply for these positions.

Members generally serve four-year terms and are limited to two full terms. No more than three members of the Planning Board may be from the same political party, and each member must be a resident and registered voter of Montgomery County when appointed.

Annual compensation for Planning Board members is currently $30,000, and the full-time chair currently earns $228,000.

The Planning Board serves as the Council’s principal adviser on land use planning and community planning. Planning Board members also serve as Commissioners of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. 

The Planning Board’s responsibilities include preparing and proposing amendments to the County General Plan, master plans and functional plans; proposing amendments to the subdivision regulations; and preparing and making recommendations on text amendments to the County Zoning Code. Additionally, the Planning Board implements area master plans and the subdivision process by reviewing and approving all preliminary plans, site plans and other plans for development; provides advice about the planning implications of capital facilities and programs; and provides guidance on the planning implications of capital facilities and other infrastructure. 

Moreover, the Planning Board comments, under its mandatory referral authority, about plans for public facilities of local state and federal agencies and proposes the work program and annual operating budget for the Planning Department and the Commission's bi-county offices. The Planning Director and Parks Director report directly to the Board.

The Planning Board manages the County's 37,000-acre park system. It is responsible for submitting the Parks Department’s proposed operating budget and Capital Improvements Program (CIP) to the Council. It deals with land acquisition and disposition matters, major development contracts for parks, development plans for individual park facilities, policies for park operations and park user fees.

The Planning Board meets all day every Thursday, including many Thursday evenings, and will schedule other meetings, as needed. The entire Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission meets the third Wednesday of every month. On average, a Planning Board member may spend two full days a week in scheduled and informal meetings. Additionally, substantial time is required for preparatory work and other activities related to Planning Board responsibilities. The Planning Board chair position is full-time.

Application Process and Deadline

Letters of application expressing interest (including interest in serving as the chair, if applicable), including a resume (no more than four pages) listing professional and civic experience, political party affiliation, telephone number, home mailing address, and an email address should be addressed to: Council President and emailed to council.clerk@montgomerycountymd.gov or mailed to County Council Office, Stella B. Werner Council Office Building, Attn: Clerk, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850. 

A list of applicants is made public as part of the appointment process and is available for public review. The interviews and appointment process are conducted in public and will be televised. Resumes of interviewees (with their personal contact information redacted) are made available in advance of the interviews.

Letters with resumes must be received no later than Monday, April 3, 2023 at 5 p.m. It is the Council’s policy not to consider applications received after the deadline. After the closing date, Councilmembers will review the letters of application and select applicants for interviews.

Other Requirements

A financial disclosure statement of assets, debts, income and family property interests will be required to be filed by each applicant with the State Ethics Commission. The financial disclosure form will be requested after we receive your letter of application. The disclosure statement is available to the public only through the State Ethics Commission.

In addition, an interview, under oath regarding potential conflicts of interest, will be conducted of applicants by the Office of the County Attorney under Section 15-104 of the Land Use Article of the Maryland Code. The transcript of the full interview of each appointee will be made public, as required by law. The individuals hired for these positions must provide proof of being fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (with limited religious or medical exceptions). A criminal background check will also be required.

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Release ID: 23-088
Media Contact: Sara Tenenbaum

‘They’re Not Going To Stop’: Mom Fears For Her Jewish Son As District Grapples With Wave Of Antisemitic Incidents

 Daily Caller from Feb. 23, 2023. Reporter Kate Anderson. Full story here. 

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Maryland has been gaining significant media attention from a rash of antisemitic incidents at its schools in the last week, but the mother of a student told the Daily Caller News Foundation the behavior has been going on for months.

In response to nine acts of antisemitism in just the last week, MCPS will be implementing new protocols and programs in an attempt to stop the incidents, according to a statement from the district to the DCNF. One mother of a fifth-grade Jewish student told the DNCF that the school’s response did not give her hope that the atmosphere would change when the incidents had been going on for much longer than just the past week and several had involved her son.

“A kid took his kippa, or yarmulke, off his head and proceeded to throw it around the playground,” the mother, who asked to remain anonymous due to potential retaliation, said. “He’s received death comments for being who he is. He’s 10, this shouldn’t be something that he has to live in fear of.”

The mom said in the last few weeks her son has taken to “hiding any outward displays that he’s Jewish” by wearing a baseball hat over his yarmulke cap to prevent bullying and has told his parents that he is worried for his younger brother having to face the same situations on his own next year.

And:

“He doesn’t walk around being obviously Jewish because he is scared that something is going to happen to him,” the student’s mother explained. “I think there has been, every day for the past two months, some kind of antisemitic incident in the public schools. I wish I could homeschool him, but I just can’t.”

‘I just found myself struggling to keep up’: Number of teachers quitting hits new high

The data is in: More teachers than usual exited the classroom after last school year, confirming longstanding fears that pandemic-era stresses would prompt an outflow of educators. That’s according to a Chalkbeat analysis of data from eight states – the most comprehensive accounting of recent teacher turnover to date. 

In Washington state, more teachers left the classroom after last school year than at any point in the last three decades. Maryland and Louisiana saw more teachers depart than any time in the last decade. And North Carolina saw a particularly alarming trend of more teachers leaving mid-school year...

More teachers are quitting than usual, driven by stress, politics, data shows (usatoday.com)

WJLA ABC 7 TV: Suspect in custody after 2 shot in Montgomery County; 5 schools remain in shelter-in-place

 MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — Several Gaithersburg-area schools are under shelter-in-place Tuesday afternoon after two people were found suffering from gunshot wounds, according to police.

Story at:

https://wjla.com/news/local/gaithersburg-shooting-montgomery-county-schools-shelter-in-place-people-men-teens-found-gunshot-wounds-injuries-suspect-search-id-arrest-custody-watkins-mill-whetstone-stedwick-maryland-education#

WUSA 9 story:
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/maryland/5-schools-shelter-in-placeshooting-montgomery-county/65-d732e3d8-c885-4fb6-a5bb-2fcf88c4adfb

Police dispatch audio at:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ksdamz3JDTpwJb5NuRAHfvGLyioY6R10

The above link consists of the first two hours of audio divided into four 30 minute segments.  For easier and faster listening, silent periods have been removed so the actual listening time for each segment is only about 5 to 10 minutes.

Audio is courtesy of broadcastify.com.

According to police dispatch audio, the suspect is a Watkins Mill High School student.

Victims are 15 and 18 years old.

Councilmember Jawando demonstrates what happens when English grammar classes are dumbed down

From a recent Facebook post by Councilmember Will Jawando, a graduate of the Colombus School of Law at Catholic University:

Councilmember Kristin Mink and I's legislation, the HOME Act, establishes . . . 

 

Fox 45 Baltimore: Project Baltimore goes straight to state school board after months of unanswered questions

 BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Maryland has a $10 billion public school system, but the people in charge, members of Maryland’s State Board of Education, have not publicly acknowledged recent Fox45 News findings, including test scores that sparked a national outcry.

After months of unanswered questions, Project Baltimore went straight to state leadership.

The Maryland State Board of Education meets once a month at the State Education Building in downtown Baltimore. The board’s 13 members plus one student representative, all appointed by the governor, attend the meetings. So does the state superintendent, who the board appoints.

[...]

Since December 9, Project Baltimore has sent 12 emails to MSDE and called numerous times with questions about serious issues, including enrollment irregularities, ghost students, and state test scores. But for nearly three months, we’ve never received a reply. No calls. No emails.

Full story and video at:
https://foxbaltimore.com/news/project-baltimore/project-baltimore-goes-straight-to-state-school-board-after-months-of-unanswered-questions-maryland-state-board-of-education-sylvia-lawson-mohammed-choudhury-mcap#

Fox 45 Baltimore: Former Maryland 529 employee says the embattled agency is "shortchanging" families

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — As a former Maryland 529 customer service representative who eventually rose to a managerial role, for 16 years Spencer Fells was the friendly voice on the phone assuring parents their investments were growing and their child’s college funds were secure.

But now, he's changing his tune completely.

"I just am wracked with guilt that I was even a part of this organization for so long," said Fells.

After watching families struggle to access funds for almost a full year, he's calling the agency’s new interest calculations corrupt.

Full story and video at:

https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/former-maryland-529-employee-says-the-embattled-agency-is-shortchanging-families#

Montgomery Co. Police: Over Two Thousand Fentanyl Pills Recovered Following Traffic Stop

 For Immediate Release: Friday, March 3, 2023

Gaithersburg, MD - On Monday, February 27, 2023, at approximately 3:15 p.m., Montgomery County Police 4th District officers conducted a traffic stop on a silver Mercedes sedan in the 12300 block of Georgia Avenue for a traffic infraction. 

 

Officers identified the driver of the vehicle as 20-year-old Markus Carter, of Silver Spring, and determined that Carter was driving the vehicle in violation of his learner’s permit.  There were two other occupants of the vehicle, a 20-year-old and an 18-year-old male. 

 

Through investigation, probable cause to search the vehicle was developed.  Inside the vehicle, officers located 250 suspected fentanyl pills and other items indicative of drug distribution.  On Carter’s person, officers located additional fentanyl pills, over $1100 in U.S. Currency, and a loaded .45 caliber handgun. 

 

Later in the evening, 4th District officers and Special Investigations Detectives executed a search warrant at Carter’s residence.  Officers located an additional 1800 suspected fentanyl pills in that location, in addition to more U.S. Currency and other items indicative of drug distribution.  The two other individuals were released without charges.

 

Carter was charged with a number of criminal offenses including illegal possession of a firearm, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute. He is being held without bond at the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit.

 

In announcing this arrest, Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus G. Jones stated, “This traffic stop is an example of excellent work by our 4th District officers. Last year, we lost over 80 members of our community to fatal drug overdoses. This year, we have already lost over 20.”   “The Drug Enforcement Administration frequently warns ‘one pill can kill,’ Jones continued. “Here, we have one arrest with over 2,000 pills seized.  We never will be able to truly quantify the number of lives that were saved as a direct result of this traffic stop, but without question, this stop saved lives in our community.  Fentanyl overdoses, not to mention the violence associated with drug sales and firearms, are a danger to our entire community, and I commend the work of our 4th District officers and Special Investigations Detectives on their work in this case.”

 

This investigation was an effort of the Montgomery County Department of Police under the Maryland Criminal Intelligence Network (MCIN).   MCIN was launched in 2017 and provides grant funding and strategic support through his office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services to MCIN member sites to identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal organizations through inter-agency collaboration and data sharing to make Maryland safer. The Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services funded this project under subaward number, MCIN-2023-0012. All points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of any Maryland State office or agency. 

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Release ID: 23-122
Media Contact: S.D. Goff 
Categories: arrest

Northwood High School closes all Outdoor Facilities to the Public due to Hate Speech and Antisemitic Comments

Today Principal Garrick sent out a letter to the Northwood High School community explaining that beginning this Saturday, March 4th, "all Northwood outdoor facilities will be closed to community members until further notice."

Letter from Principal Garrick:

Good afternoon Northwood community:

As you may be aware, Northwood High School has been targeted by an outside hate group through flyers containing hate speech and antisemitic comments being posted at the same locations on our athletic fields. As of March 1, 2023, there have been four separate incidents of this hate vandalism. It is a priority of the Northwood administration, Montgomery County Public Schools safety team, and our partners in Montgomery County police to identify the individual(s) committing this hate vandalism and to ensure our students, staff, and entire community feel safe in a welcoming and inclusive environment. 

As such, beginning Saturday, March 4, 2023, all Northwood outdoor facilities will be closed to  community members until further notice. This includes our athletic fields, track, tennis courts, and all other external areas of the building. Additionally, the Loxford Terrace access gate between our baseball and softball fields will remain closed. This closure does not include MCPS approved activities. 

We recognize and regret the inconvenience this causes for our surrounding community. However, the safety of our students, staff, and community must take precedence. It is our sincere hope that facilities will reopen as soon as a suspect(s) is apprehended or there is confidence the hate vandalism against our community has stopped. 

We are asking parents and guardians receiving this message to please share it with any community members without students attending Northwood who use our facilities so they are aware. This message will also be provided to feeder schools and local listservs. 

If any community members have any questions, comments, or any information regarding the recent incidents of hate vandalism, please contact school administration: 240-740-6950 or Jonathan_L_Garrick@mcpsmd.org.

MDSE kicks the can down the road to March 9, 2023 (or maybe later)

After promising for many months that the overdue "Maryland School Report Card" would be released by February 28, 2023, the Maryland State Department of Education is now saying that the data will be released by March 9, 2023.

https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/ReportCards/ReportCardSchool/1/E/1/15/XXXX/2019

A presentation about the upcoming release of the Report Card is available here.

MSDE misses their own deadline for releasing K-12 state report card

The Maryland State Department of Education has been saying for some time now that the School year 2021-2022 Report Card results will be available by the end of February 2023. 

https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/ReportCards/ReportCardSchool/1/E/1/15/XXXX/2019

As of 9:00 p.m. on February 28, 2023, the report card results have not been posted on the MSDE website.  The most recent data is from 2018-2019.

Child sex abuse victims fear delays in courts even if statute of limitations bill passes

Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023 would eliminate statute of limitations to bring civil case against abusers 

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —

Child sex abuse survivors are pushing a bill that would eliminate the statute of limitations to bring a civil case against an abuser, but they're concerned about potential delays in the courts if the bill is passed.

For the first time in years since similar legislation has been introduced, there is a political will in Annapolis to eliminate the statute of limitations and to repeal a provision giving the Catholic Church sweeping immunity from sex-abuse lawsuits...

Child sex abuse victims fear delays in courts even if bill passes (wbaltv.com)

Montgomery Co. sues consulting firm McKinsey for helping ‘turbocharge’ opioid sales

Montgomery County, Maryland, has filed a lawsuit against consulting firm McKinsey and Company for what it calls the company’s part in fueling the opioid epidemic by marketing drugs to the public and medical providers.

According to the lawsuit, the company’s employees served as marketing advisers to a number of opioid companies, helped to offset the “emotional messages” from families of overdose victims and encouraged Purdue to “turbocharge” opioid sales.

The county’s lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, was announced in a news release Thursday.

County Executive Marc Elrich called the actions of McKinsey “immoral, inhumane, and unconscionable” and said the company needs to be held “accountable.”..

Montgomery Co. sues consulting firm McKinsey for helping ‘turbocharge’ opioid sales - WTOP News

Baltimore judge orders release of redacted Catholic church sexual abuse report

A Baltimore judge has ordered the public release of a redacted version of the Maryland Attorney General’s Office report detailing the history of childhood sexual abuse in the Catholic church.

Circuit Judge Robert Taylor presided over secret proceedings Tuesday, with attorneys representing the attorney general’s office, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, an anonymous group of people named in the report, and two separate groups of abuse survivors.

Taylor issued his written ruling Friday, directing the attorney general’s office to prepare a heavily-redacted report for public release...

Baltimore judge orders release of redacted Catholic church sexual abuse report – Baltimore Sun

Wheaton Wrestling Saga Continues: Principal Plans to File 2nd Appeal

Wheaton High School’s wrestling season was suspended after it was revealed they were using an ineligible athlete on the team. Following this discovery, the Parents’ Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland sent out a statement regarding their concerns with the decision. The parents expressed their issues about the lack of due process in the investigation, the dismissal of the coaching staff and the overall treatment of their student-athletes.

Since the initial decision, there have been developments:

On Feb. 13, Principal Joshua Munsey submitted an appeal to the Maryland Public Secondary School Athletic Association (MPSSAA). it was denied after being filed by the MPSSAA which was confirmed to myMCM by Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Director of Public Information, Jessica Baxter. She says the appeal was reviewed in conjunction with the MPSSAA handbook...

Wheaton Wrestling Saga Continues: Principal Plans to File 2nd Appeal - Montgomery Community Media (mymcmedia.org)

Flushing away $349,393 is Fine with Board of Education @mocoboe. Watch Waste in Realtime.

The Montgomery County Board of Education was notified that the Resolution before them yesterday did not align with the terms of the $349,393 grant agreement that Superintendent Monifa McKnight and MCPS attorney Leslie Turner Percival signed with the Maryland Department of Environment.  

The $349,393 grant requires a very specific purchase of 1 electric school bus and 1 charging station.  McKnight and Percival signed a grant contract under those terms.  But McKnight's Resolution to the Board of Education says the grant funds will just be funneled to an outside company with no contractual arrangement with MCPS and there is no purchase of 1 electric school bus and 1 charging station. 

At yesterday's Board of Education meeting Board of Education member Rebecca Smondrowski discussed the McKnight resolution and pointed out to MCPS administration that if the use of the grant funds doesn't align with the terms of the agreement, MCPS won't receive the $349,393.  

And that was just fine with the Board of Education members.  The entire Board of Education unanimously voted on a Resolution that doesn't follow the terms of the grant contract.  That means that MCPS won't get the $349,393.  

The Board of Education members aren't concerned, they are happy to throw away $349,393.  

What a treat for 2nd grade! In-school field trip with @MadScienceGroup #sublimation #notmelting #dryice #smokeybubbles @MCPSCommunitySc @MCPS @MCPSEspanol

Surprise! KID Museum is not the only science program in Montgomery County.  Here's a company that actually takes the science directly to the classrooms, no field trip required. 

What a treat for 2nd grade! In-school field trip with @MadScienceGroup #sublimation #notmelting #dryice #smokeybubbles @MCPSCommunitySc @MCPS @MCPSEspanol pic.twitter.com/GeZV1Mu3U6

— Vicmarie Arocho (@HighlandES_CSL) February 16, 2023