Education

Parents and guardians of MCPS students are encouraged, by the school system, to sign up for a ParentVUE account at the beginning of the school year.  ParentVUE is the MCPS online parent portal that serves as the primary communication vehicle for schools to share information regarding grades, attendance, scheduling, access to myMCPS Classroom and more.

ParentVUE provides a way to view all school related information and data for all students. Register for athletics, special programs, communicate with teachers and verify your student information annually. Below are topics addressed in the ParentVUE quick guide, including how to register, activate and get support for ParentVUE. The guide is available in seven major languages.

Six MCPS students received medals at the national Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) competition in July. ACT-SO is a high school initiative sponsored by the NAACP to promote and encourage academic and artistic excellence. MCPS ACT-SO students received more than $50,000 in scholarships.

The 2022 medalists are:

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) have both sent emails to employees and members notifying them of an agreement reached on Special Education Incentives. Below is the message from MCPS:

“Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has been working to ensure that it is fully staffed for the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 29. One of the most significant hiring challenges has been for those who work in special education. Today, the district is announcing that it has reached an agreement with the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) on incentives for special education teachers. This agreement was ratified and signed by both parties on Wednesday, Aug. 24.

MCPS has released a community message welcoming parents, students, and community members to the 2022-2023 school year. The full message and video can be seen below:

“Dear Parents, Students, and Community Members,

On Friday Afternoon, MCPS sent an e-mail to teachers offering a $5,000 incentive for dual-certified teachers to transfer from their current assignment into an identified special education program. The e-mail states that the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) agreed to the incentive, “Through a collaborative negotiation with the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA), MCPS has agreed to provide a one-time $5,000 incentive to any dual-certificated teacher who volunteers to transfer from their current assignment into an identified special education program.  The incentive will be paid in two equal installments, in October and in February, to any teacher selected by MCPS to transfer.”

On Friday evening at 7:30pm, the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) sent a message to members in response to the e-mail offering the incentive. In the message, MCEA states that they have “been engaged in negotiations with MCPS throughout the summer over special education staffing concerns”, but that “when MCPS disseminated their communication MCEA had not ratified or signed any agreement related to incentives for current employees who are dual-certified educators.” The MCEA Board of Directors (BOD) held an emergency meeting on Friday afternoon, following the MCPS email, and voted to reject the tentative agreement because it lacks a binding commitment from MCPS for equitable treatment for current special educators. The BOD has instructed the MCEA negotiation team to go back to the bargaining table to achieve a tentative agreement that includes a complete package that honors the commitment of all special educators.

Per MCPS and Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight: The Montgomery County Board of Education and Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) are committed to providing students with a world-class education, while also addressing their social, emotional and academic needs. This commitment is shared by teachers, administrators, supporting services staff, parents and the community. This letter presents the 2022-2023 School Year Reopening Guide for Schools.

The health and safety of our students and staff remain a top priority. Although COVID-19 is still with us, MCPS intends to carry out its continued commitment to deliver in-person instruction, five days a week, for all of our students. Our new MCPS medical officer, Dr. Patricia Kapunan, will partner with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services to help implement COVID-19 guidance, with the goal of maintaining in-person learning while promoting the wellness of our entire school community.