Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor joined MCPS teacher and food reviewer “Mr. 8 That” at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Germantown this week for a first taste of a new catfish sandwich being introduced as an upcoming MCPS menu item.
The sandwich features catfish sourced from the Chesapeake Bay region as part of an initiative connecting school meals with local agriculture, sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Representatives from MCPS’ Department of Food & Nutrition Services, Reel Good Fish and the Maryland Department of Agriculture participated in Wednesday’s event, which also celebrated MLK Middle School’s recent recognition as one of America’s Healthiest Schools.
Mr. 8 That, an MCPS teacher who reviews food on social media, sat down with Taylor to review the new sandwich. Both gave it an 8.8 out of 10. Under Mr. 8 That’s rating system, anything scoring above an 8 has officially “8 That,” meaning the sandwich received a passing score from both reviewers.
“My school recently got recognized by @healthiergeneration as being one of America’s Healthiest Schools,” Mr. 8 That shared. “We got selected to try a brand new, sustainable menu item coming to the MCPS menu!”
MLK Middle School was one of just two MCPS schools to earn All-Star recognition on the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s 2026 list of America’s Healthiest Schools. MLK and Burtonsville Elementary School met the criteria in all nine topic areas evaluated by the organization.
Six MCPS schools were recognized overall. In addition to MLK and Burtonsville, Sargent Shriver Elementary School and Twinbrook Elementary School were recognized in seven topic areas, while Hallie Wells Middle School and Redland Middle School were each recognized in one.
According to information provided to MLK staff ahead of Wednesday’s event, the catfish initiative is intended to connect students and the school community with “local agriculture, healthy school meals, and environmental stewardship.” The event provided students and school officials with an early look at the catfish sandwich ahead of its addition to the MCPS menu.
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