July 19, 2024

Over recent weeks, there has been a ton of discussion about the closing of the Montgomery Virtual Academy (including a hybrid in person/online discussion with Dr. Taylor). According to advocates, the majority of testimony at the BOE meeting this week was for the need to reinstate MVA and the top hit under “continue doing” in the superintendent’s survey was MVA.

In that same survey, several top hits among the “stop doing” and “start doing” with a massive number of mentions was regarding cell phone policy. This issue got additional attention recently with Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin issuing “an executive order to limit or ban cell phone use for roughly 1.2 million public school students, in what he described as a response to mental health issues and academic underachievement among adolescents.”

Further, an article today that was posted to the MCPS Twitter account, new superintendent Dr. Taylor “emphasizes that physical and emotional safety are top priorities.”

Superintendent Dr. Taylor emphasizes that physical and emotional safety are top priorities.

Learn more in his interview with @WTOP, where he discusses school resource officers and other important topics. https://t.co/JgzCFh2NZK

— MCPS (@MCPS) July 19, 2024

Lastly, there are some upcoming boundary studies that should be starting this year that aren’t mentioned at all. In their February 2024 meeting, MCPS said that they would be approved a consultant in Summer 2024 for both major boundary studies which will cover the vast majority of High School clusters in the county and begin community engagement in the fall. They are limited in time given that both Crown HS and Woodward HS are on pace to open in fall 2027. We looked at recent planning school utilization documents (part 1 of a series) which begin to give a picture of what these boundary changes could look like.

BOE Update

So, now lets get into what was in the board of education’s end of week update. I will post the full text below but first some basic analysis.

First, it is surprising that none of these major issues that have been at the forefront in recent weeks were included in the email except for one line in next year’s priorities which is “Ensuring everyone experiences safe and inclusive learning environments.”

About 2/3 of the email was about how hard and how much the board members work, including over the summer. I have no doubt that some members work extremely hard, but this is a position that they ran to do in an election, knowing what the job entailed. It is a difficult job that should involve a lot more than part time level work especially if you are actually reading all of the emails coming in from constituents.

However, given the lack of accountability to emails written to the BOE about Joel Beidleman before he was accused by dozens teachers of sexual harassment which sparked a long struggle with lawsuits and now former MCPS superintendent Dr. McKnight resigning with a large settlement along with many others who feel their emails and testimonies have been ignored over the years, it seems that not everyone is fulfilling these obligations.

The MCPS BOE was also found to have approved a misuse of MCPS emergency funds to handle media attention related to the Beidleman scandal by the office of the inspector general. It was also just revealed today that MCPS spent $157,000 on 11 lawyers to prep BOE president Karla Silvestre for a congressional hearing on antisemitism in MCPS.

There has been discussion about making BOE members full time for a long time which picked up some steam earlier this year with the massive issues in MCPS coming to the forefront. Whether this should be considered is a complex question because we need to know if they will actually put in more effort and if it will bring in higher quality candidates – both questions that won’t be answered until after a change is made.

Either way, it would seem more appropriate for the current BOE to focus more on the actual issues in MCPS at hand rather than trying to convince people about the difficulty of their job.

Full Text of BOE Update

BOARD OF EDUCATION UPDATE: JULY 19, 2024

The Board is hard at work this summer planning for the year ahead. Continue reading to learn about Board members’ duties, planning for 2024-25, and the year in review. For those interested in public service, we invite applications to serve on the Ethics Panel. 

Year in Review Celebrates Student Achievements and Milestones

The Board celebrates the incredible achievements of MCPS students in the 2023-24 school year! A few highlights from the Year in Review presentation include:

• 268 2024 MCPS Graduates Also Earned Degrees at Montgomery College 
• 3,904 Student Service Learning Hours
• 17,926 students enrolled in CTE courses

Find out how many students participate in work-based learning, the athletic titles earned by MCPS student-athletes, and more by viewing the complete Year in Review presentation.

Inside the Role of MCPS Board Members: More than Part-Time Oversight

The responsibility of members of the Montgomery County Board of Education, to provide oversight and policy for the nation’s 15th largest school district, is a full-time commitment. 

Meetings are crucial to the Board’s operations. Throughout the 2023-24 school year, members attended 79 official meetings. They dedicate significant time to organizing, collecting and reviewing information, and collaborating with staff to get ready for each meeting.

Another key aspect of a Board member’s role is engaging with students, families, and employees. They make these important connections with the community through various methods, including emails, phone calls, and visits to schools.

As representatives and advocates of MCPS, Board members are actively engaged in the community. They are regulars at school and community events, serve with organizations throughout the county, and collaborate with county elected officials.

Get more details about the work that goes into being a Board member by reviewing the presentation shared on July 18.

Do You Know About the Board’s Summer Work?

When we think of summer, we think of vacations and a slower pace. That is not the case for Board of Education Members. Summer is a busy period of planning and preparation. 

Over the past several weeks members studied topics, read materials, and evaluated the needs of MCPS students, families, and employees to plan priorities for the 2024-25 school year.

As a united team, the Board has set the following priorities to focus their work during the 2024-25 school year:

• Improving student achievement in math and reading,
• Ensuring everyone experiences safe and inclusive learning environments,
• Improving the educator pipeline, 
• Advocate for graduation requirements and curriculum that are relevant and support student engagement. 

Board committees are also engaged in developing work plans for the year. The Board’s five committees will present their plans for approval in September. Committee members spend considerable time and energy determining how their area of focus supports the Board’s priorities and moves the district forward. 

Stay tuned in August and September for more details about the Board’s priorities and committee work plans.

The Board Invites Applications for Ethics Panel Vacancy

The Ethics Panel promotes the highest level of ethical conduct and ensures public trust and confidence in the Board. Members of the public are invited to express their interest in filling a vacancy on the Ethics Panel. Letters of interest and resumes are due August 2. Find out more about the role and the application process on our website.

Opportunities for Engagement

The public is encouraged to be engaged with the Board. Learn about the ways to participate on our website.

Join Board Members for the Back to School Fair Saturday, August 24, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., at Westfield Wheaton! 

Upcoming Meetings

• Tuesday, August 20 – Business Meeting

Visit our webpage to view agendas, meeting materials, and watch live or recordings.

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