Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Forum gives community members a chance to weigh in on the MCPS budget and strategic plan.
Community members have a chance to help shape the future of Montgomery County Public Schools as the county school board holds a “Community Conversation” from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville. Attendees will engage in small group discussions about the values they think should guide the board as it updates the MCPS strategic plan and begins preparing its operating budget request for the 2013-2014 school year. Click here to register or call 301-279-3617. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The strategic plan, known as Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence, is the guiding document for the school system. “The strategic plan provides an accountability structure for measuring academic performance and operational …
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
See who prevailed in the tight race for the District 2 seat.
Update, 5:30 a.m., Wednesday Rebecca Smondrowski of Gaithersburg appears to have edged out Rockville resident Fred Evans in a close general election race for the District 2 seat on the county's Board of Education. Election night unofficial results from the Montgomery County Board of Elections showed Smondrowski with 117,294 votes (50.59 percent) and Evans, a former Montgomery County Public Schools principal, with 113,642 votes (49.02 percent). When combined with early voting numbers, this gave Smondrowski a total of 149,184 votes compared to Evans' 141,049--a lead of more than 8,000 votes. The unofficial results show board members Phil Kauffman and Christopher Barclay with enough votes to be reelected to their respective at-large and …
Thursday, September 27, 2012
A new policy by the Montgomery County Board of Education would authorize school nurses to use EpiPens on any student experiencing a life-threatening allergic reaction.
Nearly 100 Montgomery County students experienced life-threatening allergic reactions last school year, leading school officials to authorize school nurses to use EpiPens when necessary. According to Montgomery County Board of Education data, 27 of the 97 students who developed anaphylaxis were not known to be susceptible to serious allergies and even more did not have life-saving medicine on file with the school’s nurse. The Board voted last week to authorize nurses and other school administrators to give any student in anaphylaxis an injectable medication, even if that student doesn’t have the medication on file or isn’t known to have an associated allergy. Policy JPD, as the edict is named, is in response to a Senate law that requires…
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Schools Superintendent Joshua Starr announced Tuesday that Montgomery County Public Schools is considering a district-wide baseline testing program for student athletes.
With concussions on the rise among high school and collegiate athletes, Montgomery County Public Schools is investigating a program to try to do something about it. MCPS Superintendent Joshua Starr announced Tuesday that MCPS is considering a district-wide baseline testing program to assist in identifying student athletes who suffer concussions and to help in determining when they can safely return to the playing field, according to a news release. Starr told the Montgomery County Board of Education that MCPS will request proposals from outside providers that can administer and maintain the baseline testing program, according to the release. MCPS also will form a work group to determine what information should be included in the request. “…
Monday, July 23, 2012
Patch is excited to be joining with First Lady Michelle Obama for Olympic Fun Day.
There’s something about watching Olympic athletes that makes you want to get off the couch and go break a world record. Well, maybe not a world record. But at least run around outside. Which is why Patch is excited to be joining with First Lady Michelle Obama for Olympic Fun Day. The first lady is leading the U.S. Olympic delegation at the Summer Games opening ceremonies in London on Friday, July 27. Her fitness initiative—Let's Move—and Patch are teaming up to bring Olympic sports to life for you and your family in Montgomery County. Here's how: 1. If you (or anyone you know) are interested in trying an Olympic sport, check out Partnership for a Healthier America’s website, where you can track down professionals who offer instruction in…
Monday, July 16, 2012
John Mannes is the board's 35th student member.
John Mannes, a rising senior at Northwest High School, was sworn in as the 35th student member of the Montgomery County Board of Education last week. The swearing-in ceremony had been scheduled for Monday, July 2, but was canceled due to severe weather. He will serve a one-year term. Mannes received 62.9 percent of the vote in an April 25 election, in which more than 85 percent of eligible high school and middle school students cast ballots, according to information from Montgomery County Public Schools. Student board members can cast votes on all items, with the exception of boundary changes, capital and operating budgets, collective bargaining, negative personnel matters and school closings. Students receive a $5,000 college scholarship…
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Tuesday, June 19, 2012
The budget allows for raises for school employees and accounts for more than 2,400 additional students.
The $2.15 billion budget the Montgomery County Board of Education approved last week includes pay raises for administrators, teachers and staff — the first in three years. “MCPS has a national reputation for excellence and if we are going to sustain that excellence, we must reward and retain the employees who are doing such tremendous work," Superintendent Joshua P. Starr said in an emailed press release. The Board of Education approved the budget during its meeting June 14. The budget is an increase of about $73.2 million, or 3.5 percent, over last year’s, accounting for an estimated 2,400 additional students in the system. Roughly $27.2 million of the budget would be used to cover teacher pensions, which were previously billed to the …
Thursday, June 14, 2012
MCPS Spokesman: No immediate plans for Waring Station site, despite what the sign posted on the property says.
Months ago, Montgomery County Public Schools System officially took Waring Station off its list of places that could temporarily house Upcounty students during long-term construction projects, a move that assuaged conservationists trying to preserve the wooded site. So why did a new sign that says “School Site for Future Growth” recently pop up there? According to MCPS spokesman Dana Tofig, Montgomery County Board of Education members directed staff to post signs on at least 12 MCPS-owned properties throughout the county, including Waring Station, “to raise the awareness of citizens that such sites may be used for construction of a school sometime in the future,” Tofig said in an email to Patch. But that doesn’t mean a new school is …
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Del. Kaiser, co-sponsor of a bill that would allow student members to vote on collective bargaining, among other issues, said opponents' reasoning, "smacks of a poll tax."
Future student members of Montgomery County's Board of Education won't be voting on some of the more controversial measures--including collective bargaining--anytime soon. A bill that would amend the student member's rights to include a vote on collective bargaining, capital and operating budgets and school closings, openings and boundaries did not pass the state Senate Monday. "It didn’t pass because a few Montgomery County senators didn’t want it to pass and they used all the tools at their legislative disposal," said Del. Anne Kaiser (D-Dist 14), the bill's co-sponsor. After passing the House, the bill was put to a "special order," a measure that delays a vote, in the Senate. The Gazette reports that one of the proposal's opponents, …
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Eight-period day, IB program are part of Neelsville Middle School’s restructuring plan.
By next school year, Neelsville Middle School could replace nearly half its staff, shift to an eight-period day and offer the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme under restructuring plans proposed for the academically struggling school. Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Joshua P. Starr presented the plans for Neelsville during the Board of Education’s meeting March 26. School officials hope that by changing the learning environment — which means bringing in new teachers, offering more training and changing some of the educational programming — they’ll be able to improve the school’s performance. The middle school faces restructuring because it failed to meet academic benchmarks set by No Child Left Behind. …
Esther French
3:51 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Thanks for the clarification, Theresa! Yes, voters should vote countywide for the Board of Education races. more ›