What? Or maybe let’s not look for malice in every action. There are a lot of great things and great people still working for MCPS. Our children go here. I want them to succeed so I am watching too. But this is a ridiculous argument. It’s a budget meeting stating facts. The program should be cut based on the source of funds so it sounds like they are trying to keep this resource where it is needed most. End of story. |
Jawando was asking what he was asking because he believes the cut in RJ resources is a mistake, which he literally says, "I just want to say that that is something that we shouldn't be doing. We should be trying to go in another direction." He specifically is doing so because he said the principal he spoke with said if there was one thing he could ask for, it'd be for his RJ Coach to be full-time and not stipended. Again, Jawando did his homework and knew why he was asking what he was asking and why he wanted Damon to say what he made him say on the record. I'm sure the Julius West Principal gave Jawando all the details he needed to press Damon the way he did. |
Whay you just described is exactly the way all of these things work, all the time. Again, yes Jawando has concerns about the substantive decision, which is why he raised it. Also, Monteleone was completely appropriate and normal in how he answered each of the questions asked. No evasion. |
I get that. But it’s not an appropriate use of funds. Julius west does not need a full time coach. How can you justify giving this person what would about to a quarter of the funds they have allocated? From 6k a year stipend to what? 80k+ for a full salary? Who cares what Jawando wants. He doesn’t have our schools best interests in mind with this. |
The land was supposedly the site of a cemetery, though the people who want the County to just hand the land over to them have yet to name for certain one person who is supposedly buried there. They have not offered to purchase the land. They want it given to them for free. What they also leave off is that the land was owned by a Black benevolent society, who sold it over 50 years ago. It's changed hands many times since then. The people raising their complaints should take it up with the original sellers, not the latest owner. |
Typical MCPS behavior. The BOE elections are weeks away -- ballots have already gone out to those who vote by mail. Time to make your voice heard.
Incumbents on the ballot are: Evans, Smondrowski, Harris. |
Obviously you are a troll. This is a city council meeting barb. Go back to bed. |
I think Jawando is a typical DC political striver who will say what it takes to get to the next step...BUT the guy grew up in Quebec Terrace. He knows much more about the lives of Black and brown kids in this district than 99% of the folks who post on this board. I just can't sign up for sniping at Black success - just because he "made good" does not mean he "cannot relate" to MCPS kids. |
Thanks for clarifying that. I have reasons to dislike his policies, but it doesn’t sound like this is one of them. |
Agree. Overall I don’t think the money was spent wisely to begin with. |
+1 RJ isn't working, at least not at the secondary school levels. Get rid of it, and use the funding for more teachers. Jawando is ridiculous. He has no clue what's going on in those HS. |
He has no clue what's going on today in the HS in MCPS. He should walk the halls, sit in the classrooms, and try to find an open bathroom in 3 minutes in between class with 1000+ kids in the halls. |
Here's a pretty even-handed account of the issues: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/08/12/moses-cemetery-lawsuit-montgomery-county-enslaved-bodies/ |
+1 |
I'm inclined to think that elementary is where RJ should be prioritized (we've had a lot of luck with it with issues with our second grader, but don't hear great stories from our friends with kids in middle and high school), but I agree that this just doesn't seem like evasion at all. |