The Montgomery County Board of Education approved the following administrative appointments at its meeting on Tuesday, June 6th:
Ella Bradley, currently Coordinator, Human Capital Recruitment, Retention, and Talent Acquisition, Howard County Public School System, Md., as Director, Human Capital Management, Office of Human Resources and Development, Office of the Chief Operating Officer
The Montgomery County Board of Education has unanimously adopted a $3.165 billion operating budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, an increase of $245 million or 8.4 percent over the prior year. The adopted budget will allow Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to make investments to support enrollment growth and student academic needs, while providing staff wage increases to competitively hire and retain highly qualified teachers, administrators and support service workers.
The FY 2024 Operating Budget was developed to specifically target investments aligned to the three focus areas of the MCPS strategic plan: Academic Excellence, Well-Being and Family Engagement and Professional and Operational Excellence. The budget also includes focused investments by the Board of Education to improve math and literacy rates, build a safe and inclusive school culture and support two-way communication.
Stacker, a media website that creates “research-driven stories” created by “data-minded journalists”, has released its list of the “Most and Least Educated States in America” including Washington DC. According to […]
“Behind each and every one of us, there is a teacher who believed in us and pushed us to succeed,” said Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller. “And the impact of the teachers in this room has undoubtedly shaped the success of countless Marylanders. The Moore-Miller Administration thanks all of you for your work you do to shape Maryland’s future.”
Dewdney, who has taught Pre-K at The Commodore John Rodgers School in Baltimore City for ten years and is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, is using the latest studies in neuroscience to inform her professional technique. She plans to pursue a doctorate in education.
Larry Liao, a student at Cold Spring Elementary School in Potomac, advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee. To get there, Larry correctly spelled his first word, taedium vitae. He then correctly answered the question, “What is cybernetics?” with “the comparative study of communication and control in human and artificial intelligence.” To get to the quarterfinals, he correctly spelled conspiration. Unfortunately, in the quarterfinals, Larry was unable to spell the word precisian correctly. Larry made Montgomery County proud, earning 74th place in the National competition.
According to Larry’s bio, he was born on May 9th, 2012 and is now 11 years old. He participates in many extracurricular activities, but one of his favorites is tennis. The word he spelled correctly to make it to the National competition was flugelhorn, his favorite movie is Treasure Island, his favorite food is bacon, and his favorite subject is science.
MCPS celebrated excellence in autism services during the second annual Autism Unit Awards on May 24. Teachers, paraeducators, administrators, service providers, volunteers and substitutes were recognized. Awards included:
• Outstanding New Paraeducator: Given to paraeducators in their first two years with the autism program, who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in their roles.
Carolynn Walsleben, principal at Candlewood Elementary School in Redland/Rockville, is this year’s winner of the Mark Mann Excellence and Harmony Award. The Mark Mann award is presented annually to an MCPS administrator who has shown exceptional performance in promoting academic excellence, positive human relations and community outreach.
Walsleben has been principal at Candlewood since 2020. She began her teaching career in MCPS in 1999, as a first grade teacher at Bells Mill Elementary School. Colleagues, staff members and parents say Walsleben is a natural leader. She is a strong administrator who exemplifies what it means to be a caring, forward-thinking, data-driven leader. She sets high expectations, and believes in progress and celebrating along the way. As curriculum changes, she ensures that adequate tools and support are put in place so staff can efficiently meet student needs. She continually encourages staff to become social together and to build strong relationships, knowing that students will benefit from their strong bonds and positive energy. She helps teams build on one another’s strengths, and uses her skills to build the capacity of other leaders.
The third annual Montgomery County Children’s Business Fair will return in August after a three-year hiatus. Applications are being accepted for the fair, set for 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19. The fair, which will be held in Rockville Town Square, is open to youth aged 6-15.
The deadline to apply is Friday, June 2. Applications are available here. Open to the public, the fair will host 40 young entrepreneurs. Those selected will have an opportunity to present innovative ideas and make sales pitches to a panel of judges from the local business community and celebrity influencers.
Model United Nations (UN) students at Gaithersburg Middle School organized a Food Insecurity Day to bring awareness to people facing food insecurity in the world, across the country and in Montgomery County community. Gaithersburg offers a Model UN class as an elective. Video below:
Sam Dickey, a senior at Sherwood High School, was awarded the $180,000 Navy ROTC Scholarship (Marine option) on Thursday, May 25th. Rockville Marines announced yesterday, “Today, Sam is one of the hand selected few who have been awarded the $180,000 NROTC Scholarship (Marine Option)!! What an awesome way to represent your family and Sherwood High School! Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication!”
Per the NROTC: The purpose of the Navy ROTC Program is to educate and train qualified young men and women for service as commissioned officers in the Navy’s unrestricted line, the Navy Nurse Corps and the Marine Corps. As the largest single source of Navy and Marine Corps officers, the Navy ROTC Scholarship Program plays an important role in preparing mature young men and women for leadership and management positions in an increasingly technical Navy and Marine Corps.
Graduation Ceremonies Kick Off May 31: Nearly 12,000 MCPS students will begin receiving their diplomas during commencement ceremonies between Wednesday, May 31, and Thursday, June 15. Graduation ceremonies will take place on individual high school campuses, at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., and on the campuses of Mount St. Mary’s University and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
This year’s keynote speakers include Tony Award-winning actor Myles Frost, Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, husband-and-wife journalists Peter Baker of The New York Times and Susan Glasser of The New Yorker, former University of Maryland and NBA star Walt Williams, author and television producer George Pelecanos, and more. Full list of Graduation dates, times and locations. Read more.