9:25am Update by Principal Renay Johnson: Police have given us the all-clear. Staff and students can re-enter the building. Report to period 3. Thank you!
8:49am update by principal Renay Johnson: We have a large campus and 19 outside classrooms. Our police partners are checking all areas. If students need to be dismissed, parent / guardians reunification area is at the firehouse next to our school. Classes will resume once we receive the all- clear from police.
Let us know in the comments for any missing scores.
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will be emphasizing the importance of school bus safety and saying thank you to all who transport MCPS students during National Bus Safety week from Oct.16–21.
National School Bus Safety Week is a public program designed to educate the public about the importance of school bus safety. Each year schools organize events to bring attention to school bus safety and to recognize the critical role school bus employees play in providing safe transportation to our students.
Today, MCPS Superintendent Dr. Monifa B. McKnight delivered the following remarks during the Board of Education business meeting, providing an update on the comprehensive corrective action plan she has been charged with developing:
“I want to thank the Board for committing to releasing a redacted version of the Jackson Lewis report, which many in our community have asked for and is indeed an important step for restoring trust with our staff and community.
MCPS has sent a message to the community recognizing information concerning online threats to safety by a former leader of Hamas calling for a “day of rage” on Friday, October 13th. The full message can be seen below:
“Dear MCPS Families and Staff,
“I applaud the Board of Education for taking this important step forward in accountability and transparency for the families, students and staff within the school system. It has been two months since the allegations of employee misconduct by an MCPS principal were revealed through the press. At the EC Committee session held on Sept. 28, I called for the full release of a redacted report and my colleagues echoed that sentiment. It is only through transparency that we are able to have effective accountability and facilitate improvement in processes that protect our school community.
The release of the redacted report does not impact the ongoing investigations. The investigation through the Montgomery County Office of Inspector General (OIG) continues. Once the OIG releases its investigation findings, I will work with my colleagues to schedule a public meeting to discuss the findings and any recommended actions.”
The Montgomery County Board of Education (BOE) released a statement regarding the release of the redacted Jackson-Lewis Investigation Report. In a Thursday afternoon tweet, the Board of Education stated that the redacted report can be found on the Board’s website. As of press time at 3:30pm, we have been unable to find it on the website, but it can be accessed at this link. The (BOE) statement can be seen below:
“We believe that restoring trust with our staff and community is of utmost importance and it is our hope that by releasing this report, which is redacted to protect the right of our employees, will be a step toward a renewed belief in the integrity of our public-school system.
Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight sent a message to MCPS staff on Wednesday, October 11, announcing that deputy superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy was no longer employed by the district. The message, provided to us by MCPS Communications Director Chris Cram, also states that two members of the MCPS Office of School Support and Well-Being (OSSWB), Dr. Donna Redmond Jones and Dr. Eugenia (Jeanie) Dawson are currently on leave.
Dr. Patrick Murphy was appointed as the MCPS deputy superintendent in 2022, a position previously held by Dr. McKnight. He was recently superintendent of Berkeley County Schools in West Virginia until 2022 and previously superintendent of Arlington Public Schools and in various instructional leadership positions in Fairfax County Public Schools. The message sent to staff can be seen below (note: We have been told by several MCPS staff members that they have not received this message):
Let us know in the comments for any missing scores.
The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Washington and Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Washington D.C. released a joint statement on Wednesday afternoon, recognizing Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) for the acknowledgement of the attack on Israel and expressing anger and disappointment towards Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) for its response. The full statement can be seen below:
“Over the last 72 hours, JCRC and ADL DC staff have worked tirelessly to communicate to local school systems the importance of acknowledging the horrific attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists and the profound trauma being experienced by Jewish students, parents, and employees. We thank the several school districts that have released some public statement. We wish to especially recognize Dr. Michelle Reid, Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools, the largest school system in our region, for speaking with JCRC staff several times and for responding personally to parents as she can.
Community message sent to MCPS families by Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight:
“Dear Families, Students and Staff,