Education

Competitive Salaries and School Bus Tracking Software Among Investments in Superintendent’s Recommended $3.2 Billion Operating Budget

By MCS Staff

Per MCPS: Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Monifa B. McKnight presented her Recommended Operating Budget for fiscal year 2024 (FY 2024) to members of the MCPS Board of Education, the school community, and stakeholders on Dec. 19th 2022.

“Our investments are focused on helping our students own the future by being college, career, and community ready, aligned with the Maryland Blueprint and approached through an antiracist lens. We’re looking to invest in accelerating instruction, expanding innovative programs that work, and ensuring that inflation does not stand in the way of delivering the high-quality services that are a hallmark of MCPS ” Dr. McKnight said.

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MCPS: Students Lead a Panel and Activities to Address Gaslighting

By MCS Staff

Per MCPS: Students at Bethesda Chevy Chase High School (BCC) took the initiative to organize, over the period of two months, lectures, performances, and panel discussions to unwrap the effects of gaslighting in their school and their communities (video available here).

“It’s important for the school system to address gaslighting because their students, whether we like it or not, are facing gaslighting through parental figures, teachers, even their colleagues, and their peers,” BCC student Jeremy said.

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MCPS: Superintendent Recommends $3.2 Billion Operating Budget

By MCS Staff

Per MCPS: Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Superintendent Dr. Monifa B. McKnight has recommended a $3.15 billion Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2024. It continues the district’s focus on preparing all students to thrive in their futures. The funding provides a high-quality education for growing student enrollment, for continuing recovery from lost learning time due to the pandemic, for new research-based innovative approaches for teaching and learning, for competitive salaries for staff, and for increased costs of goods and services.

Released Monday, Dec. 19, Dr. McKnight’s budget recommendation represents a $235.4 millionincrease—8%—over the current budget (FY 2023) and $267 million above the minimum amount required by the maintenance of effort law. The recommended increase includes more than $40 million realized in savings.

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MCPS: Annual Warming Hearts and Hands Campaign Benefits Most Vulnerable Students

By MCS Staff

For the past 8 years, the Educational Systems Federal Credit Union (ESFCU) on behalf of their Support Education Foundation, Inc, hosts an annual Warming Hearts and Hands campaign. The foundation works to gather winter clothing items to be donated to the MCPS Homeless Liaison to give to our students in need.  On Dec. 14 the foundation dropped off hats, gloves, mittens, scarves and a many toiletry kits including a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap and deodorant.

Per MCPS: “MCPS is grateful to the Educational Systems Federal Credit Union and their Support Education Foundation, Inc. for their efforts each year to support the social and emotional well-being of our most vulnerable students.”

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MCPS: Superintendent’s Budget Presentation on December 19

By MCS Staff

MCPS Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight will deliver a presentation on the Recommended Operating Budget for Fiscal year 2024 at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19. The public will be able to watch live on the MCPS website, MCPS-TV YouTube channel and MCPS-TV channels in English and Spanish.

There will be opening comments from Scott Smith, principal at Northwest and Karla Silvestre, president of the Board of Education. The presentation from Dr. McKnight will outline the goals, priorities and investments planned for the FY 2024 school year.

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Multiple Walt Whitman Staff Members Receive Antisemitic Email

By MCS Staff

Just one day after Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda was vandalized with antisemitic graffiti, multiple Whitman staff members received an antisemitic email from a sender outside MCPS , according to a report from the Black & White Whitman student newspaper (tweet available below). According to The Black & White, administrators notified police and are working to block the sender.

Following the vandalism on Saturday mornings Whitman High School principal Robert Dodd wrote the following in a message to the Whitman community: “I want to share information with you regarding an incident that took place today and how it is being addressed. It was reported, this morning, that there was antisemitic graffiti; the words “Jews Not Welcome” written on our school sign. This behavior is abhorrent, extremely hurtful, and will not be tolerated at Walt Whitman High School. We immediately notified the Montgomery County Police. who are actively investigating the incident. In addition, if found to have been committed by an MCPS student, this incident will be addressed as a disciplinary matter in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding with county police and in alignment with the MCPS Student Code of Conduct.”

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Nearly 100 Former Peary High School Students Surprise Their Teacher At His Germantown Home

By MCS Staff

Nearly 100 Robert E. Peary High School alumni gathered for a surprise celebration to honor and thank their former teacher, Mr. Vincent Gibbs, for a lifetime of sharing his love for the performing arts, humanities and English education with his students. Mr. Gibbs, known as Mr. Christmas is in his Germantown community for the decorations and nativity scene that he puts up at his home each year, hasn’t been able to decorate due to his treatments for melanoma.

Debi Barbee, Class of 1983, drove attendees in a Montgomery County School bus from Fox Chapel Shopping Center to Mr. Gibbs’s nearby home in Germantown. The celebration began at 1:00 pm in the front yard of Mr. Gibbs’ home. Attendees held up posters, sang Christmas carols and the song “The Impossible Dream” (brief video below), and delivered a few short speeches to honor their former teacher.

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Deadline Coming Soon for Rales–O’Neill Scholarships Recognizing Academic Excellence

By MCS Staff

The deadline for a prestigious student scholarship is fast approaching! Do you know a high-achieving student who has taken rigorous courses and has a weighted GPA of 4.69? They may qualify for a $10,000 scholarship.

Applications are open for the Ruth and Norman Rales–Patricia Baier O’Neill Scholarship Recognizing Academic Excellence. These scholarships for graduating high school seniors were announced earlier this year by the Norman R. Rales and Ruth Rales Foundation to honor the lives and contributions of Ruth and Norman Rales and former Montgomery County Board of Education member Patricia O’Neill. The deadline for submissions is Friday, Jan. 20, 2023.

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Statement from Superintendent Dr. Monifa B. McKnight Concerning Antisemitic Graffiti at Walt Whitman High School

By MCS Staff

MCPS is deeply disturbed and saddened by the antisemitic graffiti found outside of Walt Whitman High School. MCPS’ mission is to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment that celebrates the diversity of our global community and all cultural backgrounds. This hurtful behavior, along with any acts of discrimination, have no place in our school community and will not be tolerated.

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Writing, Art Contests Now Open to Students

By MCS Staff

Three contests are now open for submissions—the Gaithersburg Book Festival’s poetry contest,  the Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE) essay contest, and Arc Maryland’s art contest.

The 2023 Gaithersburg Book Festival’s annual high school poetry contest is now open for submissions. This year’s theme is “Diversity or Inclusion.” To participate, students must be enrolled in grades 9-12. The deadline is midnight on Thursday, Feb. 23. First, second and third place winners will receive $250, $100 and $50 gift certificates, respectively.

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