Interim Superintendent Dr. Monifa B. McKnight released an update today on the Antiracist Audit for Montgomery County Public Schools. According to MCPS, the Antiracist Audit is:

• a comprehensive and district-wide review of our practices and policies.
• about fact-finding. Action will be determined based on the results of the audit and
• Is not about pointing fingers. The district will not condone the blaming or shaming of anyone, or any group, for the actions of others.

You can read more about the Antiracist Audit at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/antiracist/

Full letter for Dr. McKnight below:

Dear MCPS Community,

We are writing to provide an update on our district’s ongoing work and commitment to address racial barriers in MCPS.

The truth is, talking about race is hard. School districts around the country have been struggling to engage in these conversations as community members pick sides and point fingers. Yet, we cannot avoid talking about race in MCPS because our data, recent experiences, and the disparities of how COVID-19 affected the community won’t allow us.

With this need in mind, last year we began a review of our district policies and practices called the Antiracist System Audit. Over the past few months, we have met with students, families, staff, and community members to get input on the audit and to hear concerns and questions. Some of you said that the audit goes beyond the scope of what a school district should be doing. Others told us that we are not going far enough. Gaining trust will take time, so we want to explain what we believe the audit is and is not.

Click to View Full PDF

• The audit IS a comprehensive and district-wide review of our practices and policies. Click here to read about the different areas of the audit.
• The audit IS about fact-finding. Action will be determined based on the results of the audit.
• The audit IS NOT about pointing fingers. We will not condone the blaming or shaming of anyone, or any group, for the actions of others.

The next phase of the audit is to hear from all our stakeholders through surveys and focus groups. Please see the graphic to the right for information about student, staff, and family surveys as well as upcoming community conversations. Please be on the lookout for additional communication with more details. Findings from the audit will be shared with the entire community by June 2022 and all MCPS schools and offices will create action plans this summer. Action updates will be publicized on this webpage.

It is not lost on us that we write this letter from the MCPS’ headquarters in the Carver Educational Services Center building. This historical place used to be the school where every Black high school student from across Montgomery County needed to attend regardless of where they lived. This fact reminds us that racism was built into our core structures. However, we are sitting in this building as leaders of a district that is now one of the most diverse and successful in the country. We are hopeful that we can use this audit to re-envision a school district where all students, families, and staff feel safe, valued, seen, heard, and successful.

Sincerely,
Dr. Monifa B. McKnight
Interim Superintendent
Montgomery County Public Schools

MCPS has sent out a message to the community highlighting ten things you need to know for Thursday, January 27th. The full message can be seen below.

Per MCPS:

Dear MCPS Community,

Here are ten things you need to know for Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022. They include next steps following the gun violence at Magruder High School, information about KN-95 masks, a list of schools entering 10-day virtual learning, the expansion of in-school PCR testing, information about the 2022-2023 school calendar and more.

1. Safety and security remain our top priority.
   On Friday, Jan. 21, there was an incident of gun violence at Magruder High School. We are grateful for the support of the Montgomery County Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue for their quick response and commitment to keep our communities safe.In the months ahead, MCPS leadership will collaborate with school-based staff, students, parents, county officials, community partners, and others to:
   • conduct a comprehensive review of all school safety and security practices;
   • address ongoing concerns regarding police presence on school campuses;
   • provide social-emotional support for students and staff;
   • review the staffing of school-based security personnel and emergency response procedures and training;
   • implement updated safety and security training for staff;
   • and communicate clearly about our ongoing efforts.

   MCPS is grateful for the community wide support of students, staff, community members and many key stakeholders who have provided time, talent and critical supports following the incident at Magruder High School.

2. Four MCPS schools will enter virtual learning beginning Jan. 29.
   After a review of multiple key factors and input from a multi-stakeholder group, four schools, as well as the autism program at Westover Elementary School, will move to virtual learning for 10 calendar days. In the interest of the overall school community’s health and safety, these schools will participate in a period of virtual learning from Jan. 31 through Feb. 9. They will return to in-person learning on Wednesday, Feb. 10.The schools are:
   • Harmony Hills ES
   • Loiederman MS
   • Pine Crest ES
   • Wheaton Woods ES
3. MCPS is planning for the possibility of virtual learning on days when schools are closed due to inclement weather.
   It is important that students experience as little learning disruption as possible, so we are asking for your input to inform our initial planning. Please complete this survey and share your thoughts. We will share more on this in the coming days.Survey: English /  español  /  中文  /  français / Português /  한국어 /  tiếng Việt /  አማርኛ
4. All staff and students will continue to be offered KN95 masks.
   KN95 masks for younger children began to arrive at elementary schools this week. MCPS will continue to procure and distribute these masks for the remainder of the school year. We strongly encourage students and staff to wear them when inside MCPS facilities, where masks are required.Masks distributed by MCPS meet KN95 standards for face coverings and are considered acceptable for this use. The masks being distributed by MCPS are constructed well with multiple layers of material, designed for good fit and comfort, and do not present safety/health hazards.
5. In-school PCR testing will expand.
   One critical mitigation tactic to fight COVID-19 is in-school random PCR testing. MCPS is beginning to use an additional testing vendor. Starting next week, 20/20 Gene Systems will begin testing in at least six of our schools, with plans for further expansion. Because this is a different vendor, parents will need to give consent separately from the permission that was already obtained for our initial vendor, CIAN. Schools using this new vendor will share information about how to consent for testing.Please continue to report all positive test results for students and staff that come from tests not provided by the school system. Any student who tests positive will be required to isolate for 10 days from the date of the positive test, or 10 days from the onset of symptoms, whichever is earlier.
6. On a case-by-case basis, we will be expanding the availability of quarantine instruction to students who are not in quarantine but have concerns about attending school due to COVID-19.
   Families interested in this option should contact their child’s school, and the absences will be excused. This option has been extended through Friday, February 11.
7. Spectators will be welcomed back for extracurricular activities in MCPS facilities at 25 percent capacity.
   Effective Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, spectators will be welcomed back to MCPS facilities, at 25 percent capacity, for athletic events and other extracurricular activities. All spectators must continue to wear masks at all times.
8. The Montgomery County Board of Education has approved school calendars for the 2022-2023 school year.
   For the traditional year calendar, the first day of school will be Monday, Aug. 29, 2022, and the last day of school will be Friday, June 16, 2023. The Traditional School Year Calendar has 182 instructional days.
   • 2022–2023 Traditional School Year Calendar

   For the innovative schools calendar, which Arcola and Roscoe R. Nix elementary schools follow, the first day of school will be Wednesday, July 6, 2022, and the last day of school will be Friday June 16, 2023. The Innovative School Year Calendar has 210 instructional days.

   • 2022–2023 Innovative School Year Calendar
9. The Board of Education is seeking comments on proposed amendments to a student discipline policy until Feb. 7.
   The Board of Education is seeking comments on proposed amendments to Board Policy JGA, Student Discipline, to provide a philosophy of behavior intervention that is rehabilitative, restorative, educational, and implemented fairly and equitably with clear, appropriate, and consistent expectations and consequences to address student behavior in violation of the Student Code of Conduct in MCPS.Learn more and provide your feedback.
10. All bus routes have been able to run so far this week.
    This week the MCPS Transportation Department has had no unstaffed bus routes. Staff in the MCPS Department of Transportation are continuing to recruit, hire and train bus drivers. Staffing challenges due to COVID-19 are generally on the decline throughout the district.

Montgomery County Public Schools

MCPS sent out a letter to the community announcing that 16 schools will begin virtual learning on Thursday, January 20th.

Earlier today, during a meeting with the Montgomery County Council, Interim Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight announced that additional schools would be going virtual and that the schools would be named in a message that would be sent out later in the day.

Below is the full message:

“Dear MCPS Community,

After review of multiple key factors, 16 schools will move to virtual learning for 10 calendar days. In the interest of the overall school community’s health and safety, these schools will begin a period of virtual learning from Jan. 20 through Jan. 29. They will return to in-person learning on Monday, Jan. 31.

The schools are: 

The decision to pause in-person instruction involves the examination of a number of key factors; these key factors are taken into consideration with each individual school’s unique characteristics that range from specific programs to operational readiness. Individual school communities will receive a letter announcing the change and some of the specifics that helped inform the decision for that individual school.

The key factors used in this decision include: 

• Student attendance rate (three-day average)
• Staff absences (three-day average)
• Number of bus routes unable to provide service in both morning and afternoon (three-day average)
• Unfilled substitute requests (three-day average)
• COVID-19 cases among students and staff in the past 10 days
• Feedback from a multistakeholder group from the school community

To prepare for this change in operations, teachers will have one day of preparation where students will participate in remote asynchronous learning. Full virtual, teacher-led instruction will then take place. Families will receive information, guidance and resources for what to expect in virtual learning. Childcare programs may continue as scheduled.

Montgomery County Public Schools”

Montgomery County Public Schools released the following message on Monday afternoon:

December 20, 2021

Press Release by Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations (MCCPTA):

Clear, Timely, and Transparent Communications
from MCPS are Urgently Required
December 16, 2021

The MCCPTA Executive Committee reiterates our firm belief that clear, timely, and transparent
communications are the foundation of a strong partn ership between families and MCPS. While we recognize the challenges faced by MCPS during the COVID response, communicating to parents and other stakeholders about COVID-19 must be MCPS immediate priority.

As COVID cases in crease across the country and within our community, understanding what
possible actions MCPS is planning is critical. Without clear communications, rumors abound and informal communication channels result in misunderstood or completely erroneous assumptions by families. What the families of MCPS need is clear, timely, and transparent communications from official MCPS sources.

MCPS Central Office needs to provide clarity to the conmmunity on:

• Is MCPS considering site closures? If so, what parameters will MCPS use to determine if closure of a school, cluster, area, or the whole district is warranted?

• When will infomation be shared so families can understand where we are in relation to those
triggers?

• If closure is required by the State, have protocols been developed to usher high incident schools into an alternate learning environment for a discrete period of time? If so, when will information be shared so families can begin to prepare for potential impacts. If not, when can we expect these protocols to be developed and communicated?

• With the surging cases and the holiday travel and gatherings expected over the next few weeks, wthat, if any, additional testing protocols are planned for the January return?

We urge MCPS to implement the folowing communications strategies as a matter of urgency:

• An urgent press conferencetown hall with Dr. McKnight and her senior leadership team
to respond to the questions above and any additional questions from the press or the community;

• A robust communication that addresses current case numbers and how “Test to Stay” is being deployed;

• A public document sharing the protocols and triggers for potential closures;

• A system-wide communication about the actions that will be taken based on the athletics outbreaks and routine testing since these are presumably all breakthrough cases;

• Being honest and transparent about how and when decisions are made, and who has the authority to make particular decisions, such as decisions around school closures and changes to quarantine policies;

• Continued and timely system-wide centralized communications about vaccine rates, locations of booster clinics, and locations of clinics for children 5-11.

Since before the start of the pandemic, MCCPTA leadership has consistently urged MCPS to place clear, transparent communication with families at the forefront of its priority list.

Unfortunately, we have not seen much improvement. We sincerely hope that MCPS leadership and the Board of Education will finally take on the challenge of transparent and timely communications.

For information about MCCPTA or this press release, please contact Cynthia Simonson,
President, MCCPTA, [email protected].

Prince George’s County Public Schools have announced that all students will be moving to virtual learning starting this Monday, December 20th and going until January 14th (resuming on Tuesday, January 18th after the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday) for secondary schools and until Monday, January 31st for K-6.

The full letter to the community from the PGCPS chief executive office can be seen below:

COVID-19 Update: All students moving to virtual learning (Dec. 20-23; Jan. 3-14)

Dear Prince George’s County Public Schools Community,

In light of the stark rise in COVID-19 cases throughout our school system, all students will transition to virtual learning, effective Monday, December 20 through Thursday, December 23. Winter Break will proceed as scheduled, Friday, December 24 through Friday, December 31, and virtual learning will continue Monday, January 3 through Friday, January 14. In-person learning will resume Tuesday, January 18, following the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday; students in the K-6 virtual learning program will return Monday, January 31.

Over the past few days, I have remained in daily contact with the Prince George’s County Health Department regarding appropriate steps for maintaining safe environments across more than 200 school communities. Educators, administrators and support staff must be able to deliver in-person instruction and other activities in conditions that prioritize their own health, as well as the wellbeing of the school community. The increased positivity rates have significantly challenged the ability to do so, causing anxiety among many school communities and disruption to the school day.

Parents who need to pick up instructional items to ensure continuity of learning may do so on Monday, December 20. Your child’s school will provide more information about pickup times. Additionally, meal distributions next week will occur on Monday, December 20 and Wednesday, December 22 between 10 a.m. and noon. Information about meal distribution in January is forthcoming.

I strongly encourage all of you to take every precaution against COVID-19, follow social distancing protocols and get vaccinated.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Monica Goldson, Ed.D.
Chief Executive Officer

MCPS has posted an important message on the homepage of its website notifying the community that the school system and local police have been made aware of viral online threats that have been going on across the country.

In the message, which can be seen below, MCPS states that there is no indication that the threats have any credibility.

Full message can be seen below:

“Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and Montgomery County Police (MCPD) have been made aware of a number of viral online threats being made toward schools locally, in Maryland and in other parts of the country.

The social media threats are similar in style and content and mention either a school shooting or bomb threat that is meant occur on Friday, December 17.

There is no indication that these messages have any credibility; however, MCPS and MCPD will continue to monitor social media and will actively investigate any specific threat in our community. The community is encouraged not to share these.”

With Covid-19 cases on the rise in professional sports and across local schools, MCPS has continued to meet regularly with Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services to discuss Covid-19 health and safety protocols.

Dr. Earl Stoddard, Montgomery County’s Assistant Chief Administrative Officer, has told us that a team of himself, Dr. James Bridgers (Montgomery County Deputy Health Officer), Dr. Raymond Crowel (Director of Montgomery County Health and Human Services), Mr. James D’Andrea (MCPS Chief of Staff) and many others meet weekly, including earlier today.

“Our shared goal is to keep kids safe and keep them in school where they learn best.” said Dr. Stoddard.

“You can expect some additional updates via MCPS over the coming days, but there isn’t a recommendation to radically change in-person education at this time.”

At its Dec. 2 business meeting, the Montgomery County Board of Education approved a modified school calendar for the remainder of the 2021-2022 school year. 

MCPS recognizes that teacher planning time is critical for the preparation of meaningful and engaging lessons for students each day. To support this, three early release days have been added to this school year’s calendar to allow for important work time for staff. Wednesday, Jan. 12; Thursday, March 24; and Wednesday, May 18, 2022 are now early release days for both traditional and innovative calendar schools. MCPS is piloting a variety of out-of-school time opportunities with community partners to provide engaging activities for students during the afternoons on early release days. 

The district is also adding systemwide closures during winter break on Dec. 23 and Dec. 27 through Dec. 30, 2021, as well as during spring break on April 13 and April 14, 2022. MCPS facilities will be available for public use, such as childcare and other scheduled events, through the Montgomery County Office of Community Use of Public Facilities (CUPF).

In alignment with the federal and state holiday recognizing Juneteenth, MCPS will also add a systemwide closure on Monday, June 20, 2022.

These changes maintain 181 days of instruction and keep the last day of school on June 15, 2022. It is important to note that MCPS will still exceed the minimum number of hours of instruction required by the state. At the elementary school level, MCPS will exceed the minimum number of required hours by more than 60 hours. At the middle school level, MCPS will exceed the minimum number of required hours by more than 120 hours. At the high school level, MCPS will still exceed the minimum number of required hours by more than 30 hours.