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

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:From the MoCo 360 Education newsletter today, more arrogance from Lynne:

On Wednesday, Harris told me that her concern lies more with the possibility that there may be only a small pool of candidates to choose from rather than with problems with the district’s reputation.

“I don’t think there are people out there in the world that are not going to want to look at MCPS and say, ‘Oh, that's a train wreck. I don’t want to go there,’ ” Harris said. “I just think that is a false narrative. But I think the truth is we’re in a place where the timing is less than ideal.”

All I know is if I were a superintendent and show the mess that MCPS has been and how it has cycled through numerous superintendents over the last decade, I would be running in the other direction. But Lynne thinks everything is good.

Harris is correct that this is mostly a false narrative embraced by the hyper-privileged fringe. If you make the effort to look more closely, you'll see that test scores by similar SES brackets has remained the same or gone up. The difference is the county's demographic mix is different than 20 years ago.

Kids are being indoctrinated with left wing politics in MCPS now. So there's that.

They're being given crazy ideas like equality and kindness. It's so left wing!

DEI does nothing but promote systemic racism and as a result, merely upholds it rather than eliminate it. It's a great irony that most are unable to see. But this poster gets it.

MAGA is so funny. Go all in attacking DEI but don't touch farm subsidies! LOL

yeah, dang that Roosevelt

Yeah, supporting small-time family farms barely eeking out financial subsistence in order to ensure a reasonably stable national food supply in an era of scarcity definitely is the same as preserving profit margins for larger, independently stable farming concerns in an era of plenty.

I didn't realize that family farms even existed these days. Are you sure?

family farms account for 97% of all farms, and 90% of food production https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/farming-and-farm-income/

It's all big agro biz these days, but sure you can call ADM a family farm I guess.

What school system did you go to? I'm sorry no one ever taught you how to read charts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the MoCo 360 Education newsletter today, more arrogance from Lynne:

On Wednesday, Harris told me that her concern lies more with the possibility that there may be only a small pool of candidates to choose from rather than with problems with the district’s reputation.

“I don’t think there are people out there in the world that are not going to want to look at MCPS and say, ‘Oh, that's a train wreck. I don’t want to go there,’ ” Harris said. “I just think that is a false narrative. But I think the truth is we’re in a place where the timing is less than ideal.”

All I know is if I were a superintendent and show the mess that MCPS has been and how it has cycled through numerous superintendents over the last decade, I would be running in the other direction. But Lynne thinks everything is good.

Harris is correct that this is mostly a false narrative embraced by the hyper-privileged fringe. If you make the effort to look more closely, you'll see that test scores by similar SES brackets has remained the same or gone up. The difference is the county's demographic mix is different than 20 years ago.

Kids are being indoctrinated with left wing politics in MCPS now. So there's that.

They're being given crazy ideas like equality and kindness. It's so left wing!

DEI does nothing but promote systemic racism and as a result, merely upholds it rather than eliminate it. It's a great irony that most are unable to see. But this poster gets it.

MAGA is so funny. Go all in attacking DEI but don't touch farm subsidies! LOL

yeah, dang that Roosevelt

Yeah, supporting small-time family farms barely eeking out financial subsistence in order to ensure a reasonably stable national food supply in an era of scarcity definitely is the same as preserving profit margins for larger, independently stable farming concerns in an era of plenty.

I didn't realize that family farms even existed these days. Are you sure?

Spelling it out a bit.

Roosevelt -- Great Depression, food scarcity, no financial backstop for crop failure or economic effect of temporary individual crop oversupply, etc. = good time for the nation to provide subsidies.

Now -- Food production more than exceeds national need, financial and crop management advancements of the past 90 years provide independent stability with even smaller family farms fairly profitable on a risk-adjusted basis (and with many tax advantages, besides) = bad time for the nation to provide subsidies.

It's not like we shouldn't have a USDA providing safety regulation, research and support where needed (e.g., limited protections against crop failure, market management to reduce bullwhip, etc.), just that much of that legacy subsidy exist now, for the most part, to continue to line already wealthy pockets. Similar to NFIP unreasonably supporting multi-million builds (and rebuilds...and rebuilds) of risk-prone vacation homes -- far, far from the original intent and not in the national interest but preserved for the wealthy largely in legacy form (instead of modified to reflect present circumstance and reduce misuse vs. intent).

To be fair, this is not exclusive to programs benefitting the right.

[Anonymous]

Why is this discussion on the MCPS forum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is this discussion on the MCPS forum?

Harris = leftist comment led to

Supporting the underserved is such a terrible idea sarcastic comment, which led to

Progressive programs don't really result in equitable (as in "for everyone") results comment, which led to

"MAGA" hates those but loves farm subsidies comment, which led to

You mean farm subsidies started under Roosevelt (left)? comment, which led to

Huge difference between the need for farm subsidies then and now comment,

Which is how we got here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

This. We talk to family and friends all over the country. They are impressed at what my kids get to do compared to their local public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is this discussion on the MCPS forum?

Harris = leftist comment led to

Supporting the underserved is such a terrible idea sarcastic comment, which led to

Progressive programs don't really result in equitable (as in "for everyone") results comment, which led to

"MAGA" hates those but loves farm subsidies comment, which led to

You mean farm subsidies started under Roosevelt (left)? comment, which led to

Huge difference between the need for farm subsidies then and now comment,

Which is how we got here.

To bring this full circle, Lynne was spot on. People just don't appreciate MCPS until they go elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

I came into mcps from outside of the district and I can tell you that when kids start a riot or fight many times it is just ignored and the teachers concern are ignored as well bc the majority of teachers are just glad admin isn't harrassing the teachers themselves. If you bring up your concern the admins target the teachers for having concerns or saying them out loud. It's so weird to see hundreds of teachers everyday pretend they did not see what they just saw and pay lipservice to higher-ups as if everything was a thriving utopia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I came into mcps from outside of the district and I can tell you that when kids start a riot or fight many times it is just ignored and the teachers concern are ignored as well bc the majority of teachers are just glad admin isn't harrassing the teachers themselves. If you bring up your concern the admins target the teachers for having concerns or saying them out loud. It's so weird to see hundreds of teachers everyday pretend they did not see what they just saw and pay lipservice to higher-ups as if everything was a thriving utopia.

So true!! (From a career switcher) admin are horrible as professionals with how they deal with these situations. I used to be a manager/supervisor in my old life and I have 100% been retaliated against because I speak up - both with admin and students. I don’t know how to navigate the MCPS environment well after being out in the real world.

[Anonymous]

Lynne Harris has a really nasty, condescending, dismissive attitude toward feedback and criticism about MCPS.

Here she is again, sarcastically mocking parents who tell her they're concerned that their kids aren't reading full novels or writing essays in fifth grade:

Starts at 54:19 where she says, "It's tough times in Montgomery County. Lots of people think they can criticize pretty much everything we do. And one of the things we've been hearing is 'We moved here for the great schools, our experience has been mediocre. For example, in fifth grade, my child wrote one essay the whole year.'"

She does not have the heart of a public servant. She is not humble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lynne Harris has a really nasty, condescending, dismissive attitude toward feedback and criticism about MCPS.

Here she is again, sarcastically mocking parents who tell her they're concerned that their kids aren't reading full novels or writing essays in fifth grade:

Starts at 54:19 where she says, "It's tough times in Montgomery County. Lots of people think they can criticize pretty much everything we do. And one of the things we've been hearing is 'We moved here for the great schools, our experience has been mediocre. For example, in fifth grade, my child wrote one essay the whole year.'"

She does not have the heart of a public servant. She is not humble.

What she's doing is following up about concerns she's heard, trying to get clarity from MCPS staff about what the English curriculum expectations are. This is exactly what members should be doing. Who are you campaigning for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lynne Harris has a really nasty, condescending, dismissive attitude toward feedback and criticism about MCPS.

Here she is again, sarcastically mocking parents who tell her they're concerned that their kids aren't reading full novels or writing essays in fifth grade:

Starts at 54:19 where she says, "It's tough times in Montgomery County. Lots of people think they can criticize pretty much everything we do. And one of the things we've been hearing is 'We moved here for the great schools, our experience has been mediocre. For example, in fifth grade, my child wrote one essay the whole year.'"

She does not have the heart of a public servant. She is not humble.

Have you been smoking pot? She is perfectly repesctful and engaged in understanding the new curriculum. This is her doing the work of a public servant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is this discussion on the MCPS forum?

Harris = leftist comment led to

Supporting the underserved is such a terrible idea sarcastic comment, which led to

Progressive programs don't really result in equitable (as in "for everyone") results comment, which led to

"MAGA" hates those but loves farm subsidies comment, which led to

You mean farm subsidies started under Roosevelt (left)? comment, which led to

Huge difference between the need for farm subsidies then and now comment,

Which is how we got here.

To bring this full circle, Lynne was spot on. People just don't appreciate MCPS until they go elsewhere.

I’m elsewhere. MCPS didn’t impress. But my kids had Starr and Smith, curriculum 2.0. Utter disaster. New place (DODEA) is incredible. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lynne Harris has a really nasty, condescending, dismissive attitude toward feedback and criticism about MCPS.

Here she is again, sarcastically mocking parents who tell her they're concerned that their kids aren't reading full novels or writing essays in fifth grade:

Starts at 54:19 where she says, "It's tough times in Montgomery County. Lots of people think they can criticize pretty much everything we do. And one of the things we've been hearing is 'We moved here for the great schools, our experience has been mediocre. For example, in fifth grade, my child wrote one essay the whole year.'"

She does not have the heart of a public servant. She is not humble.

Have you been smoking pot? She is perfectly repesctful and engaged in understanding the new curriculum. This is her doing the work of a public servant.

Yeah those are the kind of questions I want to see BOE members asking MCPS! Too often they don’t but I find Garris is willing to do so. Thanks for sharing PP.

[Anonymous]

Harris, not Garris lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

This. We talk to family and friends all over the country. They are impressed at what my kids get to do compared to their local public schools.

But are they doing it well? And it’s at the expense of what? MCPS can’t do all things for all people at maintain the quality of all of those programs. There have to be funds, space, and staffing for all of these things.