Education Archives - Page 169 of 295

New Acting Principal Begins Today at Paint Branch High School

Published August 16, 2023 at 12:31PM

Pam Krawczel starts today as the acting principal of Paint Branch High School (14121 Old Columbia Pike) in Burtonsville. Dr. Joel Beidleman, who was promoted to the Paint Branch principal position in June, was placed on an extended leave earlier this month after a Washington Post article alleged that he was reported to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) 18 times in seven years for alleged sexual harassment, workplace bullying, and other inappropriate conduct at multiple schools. Krawczel was previously the assistant principal at Wheaton High School and recently completed a principal internship at Damascus High School, according to a report by Moco360.

Damascus High School sent the following community message the DHS community: “We would like to congratulate Ms. Pam Krawczel, who has been named the Acting Principal of Paint Branch High School. We are very happy for Ms. Krawczel and thank her for her work at Damascus High School. We will be interviewing for a new assistant principal and will update the community on that position as soon as we are able.”

Maryland Community College System Ranked 3rd in the Country, Per Report

By MCS Staff

Published August 15, 2023 at 2:18PM

University education is out of reach for many Americans, but thanks to community colleges, higher education is more accessible than ever. Compared with public four-year institutions, where tuition and fees cost almost three times as much on average, community colleges offer many savings for students. With Americans struggling financially due to high inflation and a year of community college nearly three times less expensive than a year at a public four-year college, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on state-by-state ranking of the Best & Worst Community-College Systems, with Maryland ranked as having the third best community college system in the country, ranked behind only New Mexico and Connecticut. A different report also released earlier today had Montgomery College ranked as the 10th best community college in the country.

To determine where students can receive the best education at the cheapest rates, WalletHub compared more than 650 community colleges across 19 key indicators of cost and quality. The data set ranges from the cost of in-state tuition and fees to student-faculty ratio to graduation rate. Despite the fact that community colleges can offer significant cost advantages, not every state offers schools of the same quality. Drawing on the findings of WalletHub of the best and worst individual community colleges in the U.S., the website presents a state-by-state ranking of community-college systems below:

Montgomery College Ranked 10th Best Community College in the Country, Per Report

By MCS Staff

Published August 15, 2023 at 11:28AM

With Americans struggling financially due to high inflation and a year of community college nearly three times less expensive than a year at a public four-year college, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best & Worst Community Colleges, with Montgomery College coming in #10 in the country out of over 650 schools included. Last year, Montgomery College was ranked 7th in the country.

Montgomery College was officially founded in 1946 as Montgomery Junior College. The earliest start date that can be contributed to Montgomery College is October 15, 1893, when the Bliss Electrical School began. Bliss was absorbed by the current college in 1950 and became the electrical program for the school. The college has three campuses; Germantown, Rockville (largest campus), and Takoma Park/Silver Spring.

MCPS Retains Law Firm to Conduct Independent Investigation Into Harassment and Bullying Accusations

By Patrick Herron

Published August 15, 2023 at 9:39AM | Updated August 15, 2023 at 5:30PM

On Monday, the Washington Post reported that Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) had retained the Jackson Lewis law firm to investigate the alleged misconduct of Principal Joel Beidleman. We reached out to MCPS spokesperson Christopher Cram, who provided the following statement:

“The Washington Post investigation published Friday, August 11, revealed significant allegations of harassment and bullying involving one of our principals, and we thank them for that work. We immediately began an aggressive response, starting the immediate placement of Principal Joel Beidleman on Administrative leave, which removed him from further impact on students and staff. We also instigated an external, independent investigation with the law firm of Jackson Lewis and robust communication with county partners, including the county executive, county council members, state senators and delegates representing Montgomery County and, of course, the MCPS Board of Education.

MCPS Superintendent, Dr. Monifa McKnight, Writes Letter to Farquhar Middle School Community Regarding Allegations Made Against The School’s Former Principal

By MCS Staff

Published August 14, 2023 at 9:17PM

On Friday, August 11, the Washington Post released an article alleging that Paint Branch High School principal (previously Farquhar Middle School principal) Dr. Joel Beidleman had been reported to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) 18 times in seven years and detailed alleged sexual harassment, workplace bullying, and other inappropriate conduct at multiple schools, spanning over a decade. The article states that Beidleman was placed on leave by MCPS and that the school system will launch an “independent, external investigation.” Earlier today, MCPS Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight sent a letter to the Farquhar Middle School community. The letter can be seen in full below:

Dear Farquhar Middle School Staff, Students and Families,

MCEA President Responds to Allegations Made Against MCPS Principal

By MCS Staff

Published August 14, 2023 at 6:29PM

The Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) President, Jennifer Martin, has released a statement in response to the allegations made against an MCPS principal. The full statement by the head of the teacher’s union can be seen below:

“The recent exposure of allegations against a principal in MCPS shines a light on the school system’s failure to fulfill its fundamental duty of protecting staff, students, and the school community from bullying and harassment. When members raised their concerns to us, I met with them, and provided guidance and assistance from union staff to again bring their complaints to MCPS management’s attention.

Statement From Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass Regarding WaPo Article on MCPS Principal

By Patrick Herron

Published August 14, 2023 at 4:55PM | Updated August 14, 2023 at 6:26PM

On Friday, August 11, the Washington Post released an article alleging that Paint Branch High School Principal Dr. Joel Beidleman had been reported to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) 18 times in seven years and detailed alleged sexual harassment, workplace bullying, and other inappropriate conduct at multiple schools, spanning over a decade. The article states that Beidleman was placed on leave by MCPS and that the school system will launch an “independent, external investigation.”

Montgomery County Council President Evan Glass released the following statement on Monday, August 14: “I am deeply disturbed by the Washington Post’s detailed reporting alleging an MCPS principal created a hostile and unsafe workplace. The public needs to know who was aware of this information and why it was not promptly investigated. As we prepare for a new school year, we must ensure that students and teachers feel safe, welcome and respected in the classroom.”

Thousands Donated to Local Teachers Through the Adopt-A-Teacher Facebook Group

By MCS Staff

Published August 14, 2023 at 3:29PM

In 2022, after seeing a similar Facebook group in Frederick County reach over 3,000 members, MCPS teachers Jennifer Wilson and Kate Stone decided to create a Montgomery County version that allows community members to “adopt” an MCPS teacher and support them buy purchasing items for the teacher off of the teacher’s Amazon wishlist. “People have always want to donate to teachers, so we just wanted to make it easier for them to be able to do it.” Wilson told us. In less than three days, the Facebook group had over 1,000 members. The group is still going strong with almost 4,000 members and thousands of dollars in donations to local teachers.

Here’s how it works: Teachers create and share their public wishlist in a post, making sure to include the wishlist link in a post. Teachers are encouraged to include information about themselves and the school they teach at. Community members then have the option to purchase one or more items from any wishlist they choose to support. Community members are encouraged to let the teacher know they purchased something from the wishlist. If they choose to, multiple people can adopt one teacher and one person can adopt multiple teachers. Everyone is encouraged to be nice to each other.

Details on This Year’s MCPS Back-to-School Fair at Wheaton Mall

By Patrick Herron

Published August 14, 2023 at 1:38PM

Per Westfield: Westfield Wheaton will host the annual back-to-school fair in partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 26 (two days before students in Montgomery County are scheduled to report back to school on Monday, August 28). The event will take place in The Streetery, the center’s outdoor event and dining space situated between Macy’s and the food court on Parking Level 2. Shoppers and members of the community will have the opportunity to enjoy family-friendly activities while learning more about the school system, county programs and receiving free curriculum resources.

This year’s 2023 Back-to-School Fair promises to be an even more dynamic and informative event. “We are so excited and look forward to welcoming families to the new school year,” said MCPS Superintendent Dr. Monifa B. McKnight. “As we begin our new school year, we are reminded of the importance of our partnerships with families and community and we say, ‘All Together Now”; an excellent example is our continued partnership with Westfield Wheaton to bring these valuable resources and information to our community. We encourage all MCPS families to engage with the more than 100 offices, businesses and organizations at the fair as we prepare for an amazing school year at MCPS.”

Statement from the Montgomery County Board of Education Regarding Sexual Harassment Allegations

By Patrick Herron

Published August 13, 2023 at 9:50AM

On August 4th, an email was sent to the Paint Branch High School community informing them of the school’s principal, Dr. Joel Beidleman, going on extended leave. Beidleman was named principal at Paint Branch in June and was previously principal at William Farquhar Middle School in Olney. On August 11th, the Washington Post released an article alleging that Beidleman was reported to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) 18 times in seven years and details alleged sexual harassment, workplace bullying, and other inappropriate conduct at multiple schools, spanning over a decade. The article states that Beidleman was placed on leave by MCPS and that the school system will launch an “independent, external investigation.”

#Statement from @MCPS Board of Education regarding investigation into sexual harassment allegations against Paint Branch High principal. #FULL STORY: https://t.co/vApa0eSgtk pic.twitter.com/N8Gw9v5FDb

Watkins Mill Becomes First Maryland School to Earn Level 1 Status Within the NFHS School Honor Roll Program Three Years in a Row

By MCS Staff

Published August 12, 2023 at 1:19PM

Watkins Mill High School has become the first Maryland school to earn Level 1 Status within the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) Honor Roll Program for the third straight year after recently earning the award for the upcoming school year.

The NFHS writes playing rules for high school sports and provides guidance on a multitude of national issues. They offer online education courses for high school coaches, officials, students, parents, and speech and music leaders through the NFHS Learning Center, and showcase high school sports and performing arts online through the NFHS Network. “Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that all students have an opportunity to enjoy healthy participation, achievement and good sportsmanship in education-based activities.”