Education Archives - Page 177 of 304

Councilmembers Call For “Truly Independent” Investigation Into MCPS Response to Allegations of Sexual Harassment, Bullying, and Retaliation

Published August 22, 2023 at 1:19PM

On Monday, Councilmember Dawn Luedtke and County Council President Evan Glass sent a letter to State Inspector General for Education Richard Henry and Montgomery County Inspector General Megan Limarzi asking that they conduct a “truly independent” investigation into Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) response to allegations of sexual harassment, bullying, and retaliation that were uncovered in a recent Washington Post article. MCPS announced last week that it had “instigated an external, independent investigation with the law firm of Jackson Lewis.”

Glass tweeted the following on Tuesday morning: “As the new school year is about to begin, our educators, staff, students and families need to know that a truly independent investigation is being conducted into the allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and retaliation by one of the school system’s middle school principals. and I believe that the Maryland Inspector General for Education and the Montgomery County Inspector General are best positioned to conduct this important investigation.” Full letter below:

Welcome Back Message From Montgomery County Public Schools

By Patrick Herron

Published August 21, 2023 at 9:24PM

At MCPS, our primary goal is to equip students with the necessary tools, skills and knowledge to thrive in their future college, career and community endeavors. We are excited for the opportunities this new school year presents for all students. As a system, we have identified priorities and key investments to fully support our educators, our schools and most importantly, our students. Our focus on student academic achievement and social-emotional and physical safety supports are foundational to an inspiring learning environment.

Supporting each student’s educational journey is the focus of our MCPS staff, no matter their role in this great district.

Mr. Wash Offering Free Car Washes to Teachers/School Staff Across the DMV Until August 31

By MCS Staff

Published August 20, 2023 at 9:34PM

Courtesy Mr. Wash

With MCPS teachers reporting back to school on Monday, August 21st for pre-service week, DMV car wash spot Mr. Car Wash is offering free car washes to teachers, school staff, and administrators at any of its 10 locations across the DMV until August 31st. Just mention your role at the school to any of the team members and you will receive your free wash. Mr. Wash has two Montgomery County locations, at 7996 Georgia Ave. in Silver Spring and at 3817 Dupont Ave. in Kensington. Participating locations also include:

MCEA President Releases Statement on MCPS Response to Sexual Harassment Allegations

By Patrick Herron

Published August 18, 2023 at 6:04PM

MCPS must fulfill its duty to protect its employees through a truly independent investigator, one with extensive experience in victim-focused sexual misconduct investigations and one that does not have a pre-existing relationship with the district. We encourage the public to join us in calling for a truly independent investigation, and for MCPS to work with us on reforming their policies so that this never happens again.

Given the scale and scope of allegations employees provided to MCPS, an investigation needs to focus on why MCPS management failed to protect staff and instead promoted the principal. MCPS has now chosen to conduct a second investigation of their complaints using a firm that specializes in protecting management from sexual harassment claims, not in ensuring safe working conditions for employees.

Montgomery County Public Schools to Announce Attendance Action Plan to Combat Student Absenteeism

By MCS Staff

Published August 18, 2023 at 4:22PM

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will be hosting a press conference to introduce a comprehensive Attendance Action Plan titled “ALL TOGETHER Now: In School Together, Learn Together, Achieve Together / Attendance Action Plan” This multifaceted initiative aims to address a significant problem faced by school systems across the country – student attendance in school.

During the press conference, MCPS Superintendent Dr. Monifa B. McKnight and MCPS Staff will unveil the Attendance Action Plan, which encompasses various strategies and interventions to promote consistent attendance and enhance student learning outcomes. The plan focuses on fostering a collaborative effort among students, parents, educators, and the wider community to ensure all students have equal opportunities to succeed academically. Chronic Absenteeism is defined as 18 or more days absent in a school year without permission (10%).

Two 2007 Students Voted “Most Likely to Teach at Good Counsel” Are Now Teaching at Good Counsel

By MCS Staff

Published August 17, 2023 at 9:10AM

From “best” to “worst,” and everything in between, there are a lot of superlatives high schools include in their yearbooks. In 2007 Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney named two students, Tom Kramer and Maureen Giusti, as “Most Likely to Teach at GC.” 16 years later, both of them are teaching at the school.

Tom Kramer has always wanted to be a teacher. He came from a family of teachers who instilled in him the idea of guiding and supporting students through their educational career as a trusted ally. As he enters his 11th year teaching, Kramer is the Director of Bands and Orchestras, and handles all instrumental music at Good Counsel. “We should definitely bring back the white polos, but maybe leave the hair back in ’07!” he said of the the old yearbook photo.

New Acting Principal Begins Today at Paint Branch High School

By Patrick Herron

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,