Lynne Harris: "People complain about Montgomery County Public Schools until they go somewhere else"

[Anonymous]

In case it doesn't start, she said this at 1 hour and 48 minutes in.

Does this sound like the words or sentiment of an incumbent board member who realizes the BOE has been off track, failed in its oversight responsibilities and owes the public better than what it has given to students, parents and staff? Or does it sound like someone who thinks MCPS is doing just fine and everyone who's upset is just being unrealistic with their expectations and ungrateful and unappreciative of how amazing MCPS is?

[Anonymous]

I don't live in the area, but she is making a good point overall. All ps systems are terrible. And they are doing their best with real humans and it's not like another system is going to be any better. It's true.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like someone with a realistic understanding of public school systems. I'm consistently impressed with the quality of the education my kid gets in MCPS, compared to what I got as a kid in another system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't live in the area, but she is making a good point overall. All ps systems are terrible. And they are doing their best with real humans and it's not like another system is going to be any better. It's true.

I'm not surprised there would be some who would agree with her that MCPS is just fine, since that contingent makes itself known in many threads on this forum.

Which is fine if that's Harris's POV. But she can't also ask for people to vote for her a change agent who'll the right the ship since she literally thinks it's going in the right direction and that we're lucky things aren't worse than they are.

Which further substantiates why the MCEA refused to endorse any incumbents. Despite eroding the trust of teachers, parents, admin and staff, the incumbent BOE candidates think they've done a fine job and that they don't owe the public contrition or a change of behavior or mentality. This is important information for everyone to have when making their choice at the ballot box in May for the primary election and November for the general.

[Anonymous]

I would need to listen to the rest of her comments, but this feels both true and a little bit tone deaf. It's like Elrich saying that crime in downtown Silver Spring is overstated. He may or may not be correct, but there's value in responding to the concerns of your constituents even if you think those constituents are being hyperbolic and particularly when there are real problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would need to listen to the rest of her comments, but this feels both true and a little bit tone deaf. It's like Elrich saying that crime in downtown Silver Spring is overstated. He may or may not be correct, but there's value in responding to the concerns of your constituents even if you think those constituents are being hyperbolic and particularly when there are real problems.

Correct. I felt like this was incredibly tone deaf.

Objectively, I understand that there are worse school districts than MCPS. Sure. But saying, "Hey! We could be as bad as Baltimore City Public Schools so just be grateful for what you're getting!" seems to skirt accountability for what has been objectively poor performance by the BOE and MCPS over the last year.

[Anonymous]

If you listen to it in context, she is merely thanking Seth Adams for presenting on the CIP budget to the Fiscal Management Committee. She is highlighting the amount of staff work that gets done behind the scenes. Hardly seems worthy of a DCUM controversy, but here we are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you listen to it in context, she is merely thanking Seth Adams for presenting on the CIP budget to the Fiscal Management Committee. She is highlighting the amount of staff work that gets done behind the scenes. Hardly seems worthy of a DCUM controversy, but here we are.

I just listened to it in context. Also for context, I attended her events when she first ran and supported her.

We need some people with REAL business experience on the School Board. I never sat in a business meeting about rising costs and was told by Management, “Well, that’s just what it is.” (I’m paraphrasing). There is no push to examine the proposals, to renegotiate…again, maybe I have missed that in separate meetings.

And as for people disliking MoCo until they go elsewhere - that comment is flippant and self-serving.

[Anonymous]

My understanding is that Harris dislikes the administrative obfuscation of MCPS but likes the social initiatives. I think most of the vocal opposition has been about the latter, and she may wish those to back off/get out, but that a number of other board members (Evans, particularly) have not been as supportive of open data interests, so she hasn't been able to make that the priority she initially ran on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you listen to it in context, she is merely thanking Seth Adams for presenting on the CIP budget to the Fiscal Management Committee. She is highlighting the amount of staff work that gets done behind the scenes. Hardly seems worthy of a DCUM controversy, but here we are.

Her comment was not limited to the work done for this meeting. She used that moment as a launching point for a soapbox moment to say, in general and overall, that people complain [about many things about] Montgomery County Public Schools, but that generally, it's a lot worse elsewhere. There's no mincing her words here.

You're trying to minimize it when her intention was to say people should stop complaining because things could be a lot worse, as they are in other school districts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that Harris dislikes the administrative obfuscation of MCPS but likes the social initiatives. I think most of the vocal opposition has been about the latter, and she may wish those to back off/get out, but that a number of other board members (Evans, particularly) have not been as supportive of open data interests, so she hasn't been able to make that the priority she initially ran on.

If she dislikes the administrative obfuscation then she should focus on tearing that down instead of slapping down valid criticism of a system that has objectively failed for at least the past year or two.

I mean, they just paid a massive settlement to fire the superintendent over the protest of the no-confidence vote of the MCEA. How can she defend the system with all of that mess still being fresh in our faces? It's an insane remark to make given what just happened and the scolding that she and the BOE got for poor oversight of the system by the County Executive and the County Council.

Where's the humility? Where's the accountability? Basically everyone else is the problem and MCPS and the BOE are just fine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that Harris dislikes the administrative obfuscation of MCPS but likes the social initiatives. I think most of the vocal opposition has been about the latter, and she may wish those to back off/get out, but that a number of other board members (Evans, particularly) have not been as supportive of open data interests, so she hasn't been able to make that the priority she initially ran on.

Harris's comment did come immediately after her expressing her gratitude that MCPS's CIP book contains so many helpful appendices, so yeah.

[Anonymous]

Weighing in from a Boston suburb: Yeah, no. Not even close.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you listen to it in context, she is merely thanking Seth Adams for presenting on the CIP budget to the Fiscal Management Committee. She is highlighting the amount of staff work that gets done behind the scenes. Hardly seems worthy of a DCUM controversy, but here we are.

Her comment was not limited to the work done for this meeting. She used that moment as a launching point for a soapbox moment to say, in general and overall, that people complain [about many things about] Montgomery County Public Schools, but that generally, it's a lot worse elsewhere. There's no mincing her words here.

You're trying to minimize it when her intention was to say people should stop complaining because things could be a lot worse, as they are in other school districts.

Seems like you are trying to twist her words to suit your own purposes.

[Anonymous]

Does Lynne Harris have kids? What schools do they attend in MCPS?