Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Policy changes follow Penn State scandal

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Thu, 24 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

http://thedailyrecord.com/2012/05/20/policy-changes-follow-penn-state-scandal/

Montgomery council to monitor school system’s growing surplus

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:06:00 +0000

Gazette: School system has $32 million surplus

Chicago could have had Jerry Weast!

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Wed, 23 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

MCPS Superintendent Jerry Weast was on the short list for the job of Chicago's superintendent. But, instead of picking Weast, Mayor Rahm Emanuel picked Broad Superintendent Academy graduate J.C. Brizard.
Here's an update from Diane Ravitch on how that selection is working out. Wouldn't Jerry Weast have turned Chicago public schools around by now?

Chicago Supt Brizard Admits Failure

Gangs At Richard Montgomery HS?

noreply@blogger.com (Lyda Astrove) — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:18:00 +0000

Are there really GANGS at Richard Montgomery High School? According to today's Washington Post, it would seem so. In an article about the recent shooting at the Rockville Metro Station, the Post reported the following:

Nguyen was charged as an adult with attempted murder, along with 17-year-old Tavares Harris, who police say gave Nguyen the gun. Both boys attend Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, one of the top schools in the county, officials said. Both suspects, as well as the victim, are members of gangs, Feeney said in court. He did not say what, if any, role that played in the shooting.

Just a couple of questions for the MCPS $10 million dollar public relations department: 1. Was the gun used in the shooting ever on the RMHS campus? Has an investigation been done? 2. Exactly how many gangs are active at RMHS? 3. What efforts are being made at RMHS to address the issue of gangs? (or, as Montgomery County likes to call them, "criminally oriented youth subculture." The first priority, before everything, should be safety in schools.

MCPS down to 1 in Newsweek top 100 High Schools Ranking

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Tue, 22 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

2012: 1 MCPS high school in the top 100

2011: 2 MCPS high schools in top 100
Eight MCPS High Schools Ranked among Newsweek’s Top 500 High Schools

2010: 7 MCPS high schools in top 100
MCPS Has Seven Schools in Newsweek's Top 100 List

2009: 4 MCPS high schools in top 100
Newsweek Ranks Four MCPS High Schools in the Top 100 in the Nation

Board of Education Stakes Claim to School Land

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Mon, 21 May 2012 20:21:00 +0000

The sign shown was put up today on the Brickyard Middle School future school site.

The sign is a bit late, as the Board of Education has already turned this 20 acre future school site over to County Executive Ike Leggett. Leggett has already turned the land over to MSI Soccer for their private use.

"...erroneous rankings for the high schools on U.S. News & World Report's "Best High Schools" list...."

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Mon, 21 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

The National Center for Education Statistics plans to check data on about 5,000 high schools after faulty information from the federal agency led to erroneous rankings for three high schools on U.S. News & World Report’s yearly “Best High Schools” report......However, Jeff Horn, the principal at Green Valley High School in Henderson, Nev., noted that his school’s number 13 ranking was based on federal statistics that mistakenly said his school had 477 students, 111 teachers, and a 100 percent passing rate on Advanced Placement tests that school year. In actuality, the school has about 2,850 students, a student-teacher ratio that is closer to 24 to 1, and an AP pass rate of about 64 percent. Student-teacher ratios and AP pass rates are a part of the magazine’s ranking system...

Education Week: Statistics Agency to Review 'Best High Schools' Data

Andrews: ‘Are the actions of the county Board of Education affecting adults, or are they affecting children? … It is a choice.”

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Mon, 21 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

The Town Courier: A Talk With County Council Member Phil Andrews

Sine Die?

noreply@blogger.com (Paula Bienenfeld) — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:15:00 +0000

Hard to tell, folks. However we can tell you that in the special session which ended last week, the Maryland House of Delegates shifted pension costs to the counties; and passed legislation to increase state income taxes on people with incomes of over $100,000. They voted down increases in your gasoline tax.

Del. Kumar Barve voted in favor of the tax increase in part because, he said, "I am willing to pay that price" (an additional $4.88 per week for him and his wife), according to an article by reporter Len Lazarick, which you can read here. In contrast, Del. Kelly voted against that tax because, she said, "I believe this discriminates against two-income families." Read Mr. Lazarick's article on Del. Kelly here.

Opposing the tax increase from the Montgomery County Delegation were: Charles Barclay, Jim Gilchrist, Ana Sol Gutierrez, Ariana Kelly, Ben Kramer, Kirill Reznik.

The entire vote can be seen at the General Assembly website here.

An Eastern Shore legislator's view of Montgomery County

noreply@blogger.com (Louis Wilen) — Sun, 20 May 2012 16:40:00 +0000

From an article by Laura E. Price, a member of the Talbot County Council, in the Star Democrat in Talbot County.

The state should not be able to mandate how much a county must pay for education by some arbitrary formula, with no regard to the current economy and revenues. Unfortunately, a few big counties on the western shore have all the power and the teacher's union has an inordinate amount of influence.

"Particularly for sophomores & juniors who want to stop going to school as early in June as possible, APs are an easy excuse out. "

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Sat, 19 May 2012 21:51:00 +0000

Silver Chips Online: The Advanced Placement problem

Accessory Apartments in Your Neighborhood!

noreply@blogger.com (Paula Bienenfeld) — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:39:00 +0000

The Montgomery County Planning Board is working on a new zoning ordinance that will allow attached and separate apartment buildings in residential neighborhoods all across the county. Yes, that would mean in your neighborhood, too. Your neighbor -- or you! would be able to build an add-on or a separate apartment structure housing up to two new residential units. An apartment-in-a-box in your backyard! Just think of it. Currently these apartments require the builder to go through a public 'special exception' process with a public hearing at the Board of Appeals. However, your Planning Board (appointed by your county council members) want to change that: why bother with a public process? Instead, let's have these apartments built 'by right.' No discussion required. No discussion of the additional parking spaces needed; additional classroom space needed; additional stress on infrastructure. Naw, why bother with those pesky questions?

Because of those pesky questions, the Planning Board has scheduled two meetings on Monday May 21st, please attend. Originally these were to be 'Q&A' meetings. But again, why bother with those pesky questions? Instead the Board has suddenly changed the format to an "open house" format with "stations."

DATE: Monday May 21
TIMES: 3:00 - 4:30 PM and 7-9 PM
LOCATION: Montgomery County Planning Board, 1st Floor Auditorium, 8787 Georgia Ave,. Silver Spring. Metered parking in the rear.

Please attend -- make sure the Planning Board answers your questions. And please let the County Council know what you think of new apartments in your neighborhood. Email the council at county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov And, here is the email for the Planning Board: MCP-chairman@mncppc-mc.org.

MCPS Class Sizes and School Staffing for 2012-2013

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Below is the Class Size and School Staffing budget document for the 2012-2013 school year.
The yellow highlighting shows changes from the 2011-2012 budget document.
Read the 2011-2012 document at this link.

For example, in the box for Classroom Teacher under Elementary Guideline we see that the following sentence has been added to the 2012-2013 staffing guidelines:

"When numbers support it, positions are allocated for combination classes."

There are many other changes to the document that will reduce or change the number of staff at local schools next year. There are also more instances where staffing is at the discretion of the local principal, and a number of positions do not give the details of actual allocations.

Remember that this document is prepared at the secret budget table by MCPS administrative staff, the 3 Unions, and MCCPTA select officers. This document is not prepared at the public Board of Education table by the elected Board of Education.

FY 2013 K-12 Staffing Guildelines

MCPS K-12 Class Sizes for 2011-2012

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Recently, members of the County Council brought up the issue of overcrowded classes in MCPS. Superintendent Starr was not familiar with the issue of overcrowded classes.
For reference, below is the document in the MCPS budget that sets class sizes. This document is for the 2011-2012 school year. But, as with much of MCPS, principal discretion has the final say in class size.

Kindergarten 26 students (18 at Red Zone Schools)
Grades 1-3 27 students (19 in Grades 1-2 at Red Zone Schools)
Grades 4-5 29 students
Middle and High Schools are staffed by a formula as shown below.

FY 2012 K-12 Staffing Guidelines

"We will sleep in the classroom and eat breakfast."

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Tattler Extra: What Happens in AP Classes After Exams?

D.C. Counts Illegally Enrolled Students. Does MCPS?

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

The Washington Post: OSSE report: District pays at least $10 million to educate non-resident studentsBy Bill Turque

The District has been trying to save a few dollars by reducing the number of special education students in expensive private schools at public expense.
According to a new report, that includes 118 students whose families don’t even live in the city...

FYI: American Youth Policy Forum e-Bulletin

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:00:00 +0000

www.aypf.org
e-Bulletin
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: NEW WEBSITE!

We are happy to announce the launch of our new and improved website at www.aypf.org. You have come to rely on the American Youth Policy Forum as an unbiased source of information on policy, practice, and research that can improve the lives of young people. We hope that you’ll find our new website an even more powerful tool for accessing information to help you do your work.

Our new web interface will enable you to:
Perform a dynamic search of all of our resources for materials that fit your needs
Create a user log-in and password to update your profile and register for AYPF events ONLINE
Learn more about featured program areas, searchable by popularity and date of resource
Stream videos and recordings of past AYPF forums and webinars
Learn about our upcoming events
Read our latest e-bulletin and peruse our e-bulletin archives

We value your feedback on our new design, and encourage you to let us know how we can continue to improve on our new website. If you have suggestions, please contact us at aypf@aypf.org.

Please also help spread the word! We hope that you inform others about our new website via Facebook, Twitter, and relevant listservs. We’ll see you online!

UPCOMING AYPF EVENTS

Forum- Weighing Evidence: Conversation w/ Community College Presidents on Using Research Towards Student Success Outcomes, Friday, May 18th. 2012, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

This forum will highlight a portfolio of new research on several promising strategies to help underprepared students transition to college and ultimately advance to a degree. Broadly speaking, the experimental research suggests that short-term interventions can hasten students’ progress through developmental education and into college-level work, but the positive effects are often not large or long-term. These findings are to be released this summer in several reports by the National Center for Postsecondary Research (NCPR), a partnership between the Community College Research Center, MDRC, the University of Virginia, and faculty at Harvard University. Following an overview of the research, community college leaders will describe how they are applying the research to design more comprehensive programs and structured pathways which better support students at their colleges. Presenters will include Thomas Bailey, Director, National Center for Postsecondary Research; Evan Weissman, Operations Associate, MDRC; Regina S. Peruggi, President, Kingsborough Community College; and Richard Rhodes, President/CEO, Austin Community College. This forum will be held in Washington, DC. Location TBD. To register, click here.

Forum - Increasing College & Career Readiness through Dual Enrollment: Research, Policies, & Effective Practices, Friday, June 8th, 2012, 12:00-1:30p.m.

Policymakers and practitioners continue to seek ways to help more students graduate from high school ready to successfully transition into and complete postsecondary education prepared for careers. Acceleration mechanisms, such as Dual Enrollment and Early College High Schools, are one strategy that can address these challenges simultaneously and that are demonstrating positive impacts on youth, particularly at-risk student populations. This forum will provide information on different types of Dual Enrollment programs, what the research says about their effectiveness, and showcase a unique public-private sector Early College High School model, supported by DeVry University, that allows students to earn a high school diploma and an associate’s degree in four years in a field that leads directly into a career and employment. Presenters will also discuss the necessary policy supports at the state and local level to create programs that operate at the intersection of K-12 and higher education. Presenters will include Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle, State of Georgia; Irene Munn, Policy Director, Office of Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle; Melinda Mechur Karp, Senior Research Associate, Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University; andScarlett Howery, President, Columbus Metro, DeVry University. This forum will be held in Washington, DC. Location TBD. To register, click here.

Webinar - Dual Enrollment: Latest Research and Policy Development, Tuesday, June 12, 2012, 1:00-2:00p.m.

A Conversation with National Experts co-sponsored with the National Center on Postsecondary Research (NCPR)

Join AYPF and NCPR for an online conversation on the latest research and policy development on dual enrollment featuring Katherine Hughes, Community College Research Center and National Center for Postsecondary Research,Jennifer Dounay Zinth, Education Commission of the States, and Joel Vargas, Jobs for the Future. Presenters will discuss the growing body of research on dual enrollment, examine recent policy trends, and answer questions from the audience.

AYPF PUBLICATIONS AND RESOURCES
Please visit our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/amyouthpolicyforum for video clips of events, interviews and more!

Forum Brief - Building a Comprehensive System to Support All Students Getting to High School Graduation and Beyond

A brief is now available that summarizes AYPF’s April 27th forum focused on providing multiple pathways to high school graduation that prepare all youth for postsecondary education and careers. The event addressed how federal, state, and local policies can support efforts to prepare all learners for success. The forum highlighted New York City’s portfolio of options for students off-track to graduation as well as statewide efforts in Massachusetts to support young people graduating high school ready for college and careers. Presenters were: Kathryn Young, Director of National Education Policy, Jobs for the Future; Marissa Cole, Deputy Chief of Staff, Massachusetts Executive Office of Education; and Vanda Belusic-Vollor, Executive Director, New York City Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Readiness.

Webinar Recording – Creating State Accountability Systems That Measure College and Career Readiness for All Students

A recording is now available from our April 25th webinar focused on how states’ education accountability systems can be refined to more accurately measure progress toward high school graduation and college and career readiness for all students, including those pursuing alternative pathways to graduation. We featured Colorado’s performance framework that holds schools and districts accountable for factors such as academic growth and postsecondary and workforce readiness. Colorado has also implemented an accountability system for its Alternative Education Campuses that holds students to the same high standards as in the traditional system, but also gives schools credit for student engagement and other factors important to moving non-traditional students to graduation. Recommendations for all states were also discussed. Presenters included Ryan Reyna, Program Director, National Governors Association Center for Best Practices;Somoh Supharukchinda, Principal Consultant, Accountability and Data Analysis Unit, Colorado Department of Education; and Kim Knous-Dolan, Associate Director, Donnell-Kay Foundation.

Briefs and trip reports are available online at http://www.aypf.org/events.

Publications are available online at http://www.aypf.org/publications

RECOMMENDED READING AND RESOURCES

Check these out – recommended reading from the AYPF staff

CompetencyWorks: Learning from the Cutting Edge International Association for K-12 Online Learning, American Youth Policy Forum, Jobs for the Future, the National Governor's Association, and MetisNet

CompetencyWorks, a new website highlighting innovations, promising practices, and solutions for tough issues that educators, administrators, and policymakers face when shifting from a time-based system towards competency-based education, launched today at http://competencyworks.org. Combining research, an active blog, an expanding wiki, and the voices of practitioners from across the country, CompetencyWorks is the online extension of a collaboration of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL), the American Youth Policy Forum, Jobs for the Future, the National Governor's Association, and MetisNet to support states, districts, and schools as they innovate beyond the traditionally time-based structure of the K-12 system. CompetencyWorks will showcase the best practices of bold policymakers and practitioners who have worked to explore and implement new ways to expand and enrich support to students, challenging the assumption that learning takes place within the classroom. Regardless of whether a student is more comfortable learning online, developing skills through an internship or in community service, requires a more personalized learning plan, or falls into the oft-neglected category of over-age, under-credited, competency-based approaches will allow them the flexibility to succeed where strictly defined, time-based policies have not. For more information about CompetencyWorks or to learn more about competency-based approaches to learning, please visithttp://competencyworks.org.

The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth: Findings from Four Longitudinal Studies National Endowment for the Arts

This report examines arts-related variables from four large datasets -- three maintained by the U.S. Department of Education and one by the U.S. Department of Labor -- to understand the relationship between arts engagement and positive academic and social outcomes in children and young adults of low socioeconomic status (SES). Conducted by James Catterall, University of California Los Angeles, et al., the analyses show that achievement gaps between high- and low-SES groups appear to be mitigated for children and young adults who have arts-rich backgrounds.

Education Reform for the Digital Era Thomas B. Fordham Institute

Will the digital-learning movement repeat the mistakes of the charter-school movement? How much more successful might today's charter universe look if yesterday's proponents had focused on the policies and practices needed to ensure its quality, freedom, and resources over the long term? Can we be smarter about taking high-quality online and blended schools to scale—and to educational success? Yes, says this volume, as it addresses such thorny policy issues as quality control, staffing, funding, and governance for the digital sector. In this book, the authors show how current arrangements need to change—often radically—if instructional technology is to realize its potential.

Replenishing Opportunity in America: The 2012 Midterm Report of Public Higher Education Systems in the Access to Success Initiative The Education Trust

To protect our democratic traditions, regain economic strength, and meet the demands of our nation's employers, we must improve outcomes for low-income students and students of color, according to The Education Trust. This midterm report on the Education Trust's Access to Success Initiative, "Replenishing Opportunity in America," shows how 22 state public higher education systems leaders are stepping up to this challenge.

Common Core Math Standards Implementation Can Lead to Improved Student Achievement Achieve, Chiefs for Change, and the Foundation for Excellence in Education

In this event co-sponsored by Achieve, Chiefs for Change, and the Foundation for Excellence in Education, Dr. William Schmidt presented a briefing on his work: Common Core State Standards Math: The Relationship Between High Standards, Systemic Implementation and Student Achievement. Schmidt's research reviewed all 50 states' previous math standards and compared them to the focus and coherence found in the CCSS for mathematics. Unlike previous research, Schmidt analyzed the link between states with standards that were similar to the CCSS and their NAEP math scores. He used cut scores aligned to NAEP as a proxy to determine if states were serious about high expectations and implementation of standards. The preliminary results showed states with standards in line with CCSS combined with higher cut scores also had higher NAEP scores.

How School Districts Can Stretch the School Dollar Thomas B. Fordham Institute

This policy brief provides a tool for navigating the financial challenges of the current school-funding climate, complete with clear dos and don'ts for anyone involved in or concerned with local education budgets. Author Michael J. Petrilli argues that quick fixes won't solve the problem, nor will slashing teacher salaries. Instead, creative, thoughtful, and fundamental changes are needed to address our budget crisis without hurting children.

The American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF), a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional development organization based in Washington, DC, provides learning opportunities for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers working on youth and education issues at the national, state, and local levels.

AYPF events and publications are made possible by a consortium of philanthropic foundations: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, William T. Grant Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation,Carnegie Corporation of New York , State Farm Insurance, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and others.

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Starr not aware of large classes

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Thu, 17 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

...County lawmakers questioned whether decreasing classroom size in the coming year is the right choice. Class sizes vary depending on grade and type of class, but several council members cited reports of classrooms of 40 students or more......Superintendent Joshua Starr said he was not aware of any classrooms that large. Classroom size wasn't on the top of the school board's list of priorities, he said...

Examiner: MontCo lawmakers criticize schools for using surplus on pay, not classes

Harper: Restraint Guidelines Endanger Children : Roll Call Opinion

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Thu, 17 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Every day in schools across the United States, students are being subjected to barbaric and potentially deadly treatment in the form of seclusion and restraint.
According to leading education researchers and child trauma experts, as well as the Government Accountability Office, the use of these practices — which include forcibly pinning students to the ground, strapping them to chairs or locking them in closets — is dangerous and traumatic for everyone involved, including teachers, other school personnel and students. Their use has been linked to physical and emotional harm and even death. It is a practice that amounts to institutionalized child abuse, and it has no place in our schools.
That is why the American Association of School Administrators’ recent endorsement of the use of seclusion and restraint in our schools is so disheartening...

...Ultimately, the AASA’s position on seclusion and restraint is really a reflection of the group’s disregard for children with disabilities.The implication is that these vulnerable children are a burden to schools, rather than an equally important part of the student population. The underlying attitude is that these children are disrupting their efforts to educate the “good” students and that something must be done to keep disruptions to a minimum. What better way to accomplish this than by locking the disruptive child in a closet for the day?...

Read Opinion at this link: Harper: Restraint Guidelines Endanger Children : Roll Call Opinion

Comment on MCPS Surplus: Why not pay back County?

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:49:00 +0000

Cary LamariMay 16, 2012 11:36 AMIf the School System has a surplus and a carryover from last year, Why don't they transfer the funds to the General Fund. It would be nice if maybe they paid the County Back for the Promethian Boards they illegally purchased using Rebate funds? Just a thought.

Montgomery council questions school system surplus

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:18:00 +0000

Gazette: County council wants to know why, and how the money will be spent

Members of the Montgomery County Council will question the county school system this week on its plans for spending $33.3 million projected to be left over from its budget this year.
Montgomery County Public Schools is expected to end fiscal 2012 on June 30 without spending $21.4 million of its estimated $2.09 billion total budget, as well as $11.9 million it carried over from previous years, according to the school system’s May 8 monthly financial report...

Patch: Can a Curriculum Make Children Happy?

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:30:00 +0000

...And so being curious, I started poking through the MCPS public website and found this video of Superintendent Joshua Starr on 2.0.

What an interesting video. And what did I learn? Three things:

Before Curriculum 2.0, we didn’t allow children to think on their own.
Curriculum 2.0 is making children happier.
With Curriculum 2.0 our children are taking ownership of their learning...

Read Joe Hawkins' Patch article on curriculum at this link.

U.S. Department of Education Issues Resource Document that Discourages Restraint and Seclusion

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Today, the U.S. Department of Education issued a publication that outlines principles for educators, parents and other stakeholders to consider when developing or refining policies and procedures to support positive behavioral interventions and avoid the use of restraint and seclusion...

Edison High: A small change in the building design made late in the process is under dispute.

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:30:00 +0000

Patch: Edison High School Designs To Be Presented Tuesday

...In an email to the Board of Education that was posted on the Parents Coalition blog on Friday, Defino called attention to a design change made by MCPS to a corner of the school building. MCPS made this change to the architect’s original design in the last scheduled meeting on April 12, she told Patch, but the committee met again on April 22 for further discussion...

WED. MAY 16th - A Community Action Forum on Teen Drinking/Substance Abuse

noreply@blogger.com (Janis Sartucci) — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Dear Parent Coalition members.

We hope you’re able to join us Wednesday evening for this unique and informative forum (flyer attached). Please help us spread the word!

Many thanks,

Donna

Donna Pfeiffer

MCCPTA Safety & Health Committee Co-Chair

Teen Drinking Forum.pdf