Scott Joftus appointed to District 3 seat

[Anonymous]

Why can’t all students have Science classes in their own school? Why can’t MCPS provide all students with science curriculum? How come only a few dozen students get bused to Bethesda for science from Joftus’ wife?
The number of MCPS students in poverty is high. They aren’t all being bused to Bethesda. Very few go.
Students from Ckarksburg? Do they ever get this Bethesda science from Joftus’ wife?

I think you should read the link from 2020 above. It actually sounds like a pretty cool program that is serving kids in 20 middle schools around the county. I don't know how many of those are in Clarksburg, but I don't think the number is zero.

[Anonymous]

Hi all: This is Scott Joftus. Interesting discussion. I’m happy to discuss any issue with you. Feel free to give me a call: 301-524-2603 any time before 10 pm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi all: This is Scott Joftus. Interesting discussion. I’m happy to discuss any issue with you. Feel free to give me a call: 301-524-2603 any time before 10 pm.

Ballsy!

[Anonymous]

Ha, love it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not clear on what we're supposed to be outraged about. MCPS is spending too much money on this? MCPS isn't spending enough money on this?

+1 I'm actually someone who cares a great deal about good governance, transparency, and ethics, but I'm perplexed about why I'm supposed to be mad here. It appears that MCPS extended an existing partnership with a vendor, before this guy was selected. Graft works the other way around - he gets on the board and then directs funding to a contact. There's no opportunity for impropriety here, because the relationship with the vendor pre-existed the position.

Did he, his wife, or KID museum donate to any of the current BOE board members during the election?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not clear on what we're supposed to be outraged about. MCPS is spending too much money on this? MCPS isn't spending enough money on this?

+1 I'm actually someone who cares a great deal about good governance, transparency, and ethics, but I'm perplexed about why I'm supposed to be mad here. It appears that MCPS extended an existing partnership with a vendor, before this guy was selected. Graft works the other way around - he gets on the board and then directs funding to a contact. There's no opportunity for impropriety here, because the relationship with the vendor pre-existed the position.

Did he, his wife, or KID museum donate to any of the current BOE board members during the election?

Why don’t you call him and ask him? He will be up for another 45 minutes 😀.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not clear on what we're supposed to be outraged about. MCPS is spending too much money on this? MCPS isn't spending enough money on this?

+1 I'm actually someone who cares a great deal about good governance, transparency, and ethics, but I'm perplexed about why I'm supposed to be mad here. It appears that MCPS extended an existing partnership with a vendor, before this guy was selected. Graft works the other way around - he gets on the board and then directs funding to a contact. There's no opportunity for impropriety here, because the relationship with the vendor pre-existed the position.

Did he, his wife, or KID museum donate to any of the current BOE board members during the election?

Yes

[Anonymous]

He did seem like a sensible choice. Janis needs to stand down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He did seem like a sensible choice. Janis needs to stand down.

Yes, if she targets Scott Joftus of all people, it's going to backfire on her. He's got tons of support in the community because of his character. So many people have either worked with him or known him from the neighborhood or school community and will attest that he's an ethical, smart and all around really good guy. I'm so sure of that that I think this one woman Janis must be responsible for all of the negative posts in this thread trying to create drama or some kind of suspicion about his intentions. People are going to have his back. And I say this as someone who is no fan of what's happening these days in MCPS and who hopes we get new leadership for the school system. I trust Scott to help steer us back in the right direction, whatever that requires.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not clear on what we're supposed to be outraged about. MCPS is spending too much money on this? MCPS isn't spending enough money on this?

+1 I'm actually someone who cares a great deal about good governance, transparency, and ethics, but I'm perplexed about why I'm supposed to be mad here. It appears that MCPS extended an existing partnership with a vendor, before this guy was selected. Graft works the other way around - he gets on the board and then directs funding to a contact. There's no opportunity for impropriety here, because the relationship with the vendor pre-existed the position.

Did he, his wife, or KID museum donate to any of the current BOE board members during the election?

Yes

Lets start to draw lines to connect the dots.
Kid museum or Joftus family donated to BOE Candidates who are sitting in the board room now,
Kid museum wants money from MCPS, and MCPS gave them $1.4M (I don't know if it needs board approval or not, or did any board member lobby for them to receive the grant or whatever you call it.).
A vacancy needs to be filled on the board. Suddenly
A few weeks later, a person, who has deep connection with both BOE and MCPS and who also received a lots of MONEY from MCPS, won the seat.
Please tell me you cannot smell anything fishy.
I am sure Mr. Joftus is a nice person, an ethical person, a person with a lots of knowledge and idea on educatio, as some posts said.
bUT,
If an applicant who is better qualified for the superintendent position shows up in the next few weeks, will Mr. Joftus vote for a better candidate or the one who gave his family business 1.4M?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He did seem like a sensible choice. Janis needs to stand down.

Yes, if she targets Scott Joftus of all people, it's going to backfire on her. He's got tons of support in the community because of his character. So many people have either worked with him or known him from the neighborhood or school community and will attest that he's an ethical, smart and all around really good guy. I'm so sure of that that I think this one woman Janis must be responsible for all of the negative posts in this thread trying to create drama or some kind of suspicion about his intentions. People are going to have his back. And I say this as someone who is no fan of what's happening these days in MCPS and who hopes we get new leadership for the school system. I trust Scott to help steer us back in the right direction, whatever that requires.

Backfire on her how? People will listen to her even less than they already don't listen to her? When you complain about everything, nobody pays any attention to you about anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not clear on what we're supposed to be outraged about. MCPS is spending too much money on this? MCPS isn't spending enough money on this?

+1 I'm actually someone who cares a great deal about good governance, transparency, and ethics, but I'm perplexed about why I'm supposed to be mad here. It appears that MCPS extended an existing partnership with a vendor, before this guy was selected. Graft works the other way around - he gets on the board and then directs funding to a contact. There's no opportunity for impropriety here, because the relationship with the vendor pre-existed the position.

Did he, his wife, or KID museum donate to any of the current BOE board members during the election?

Yes

Lets start to draw lines to connect the dots.
Kid museum or Joftus family donated to BOE Candidates who are sitting in the board room now,
Kid museum wants money from MCPS, and MCPS gave them $1.4M (I don't know if it needs board approval or not, or did any board member lobby for them to receive the grant or whatever you call it.).
A vacancy needs to be filled on the board. Suddenly
A few weeks later, a person, who has deep connection with both BOE and MCPS and who also received a lots of MONEY from MCPS, won the seat.
Please tell me you cannot smell anything fishy.
I am sure Mr. Joftus is a nice person, an ethical person, a person with a lots of knowledge and idea on educatio, as some posts said.
bUT,
If an applicant who is better qualified for the superintendent position shows up in the next few weeks, will Mr. Joftus vote for a better candidate or the one who gave his family business 1.4M?

Someone please tell us exactly where he used his “knowledge” to benefit Montgomery County students and how he’s doing ANYTHING to protect their safety in school. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

DP. Mr. Joftus - I'm not keen that you were appointed, not elected. My understanding is that the $1.6M to the Kids' Museum used covid funding? That should never have happened and covid funding should have funded temporary virtual to reduce its spread and impact. I understand that decision was made before you were elected, but I know my kids have never been to the Kids' Museum through MCPS, and don't see why they should? Perhaps those funds could have been put towards supplementing school lunch room cafeterias with more air filtration?

In the meantime, if I read the data properly, the covid data from MCPS reported that NINE PERCENT OF THE STUDENT POPULATION AND 2000 TEACHERS were reported as new covid infections to include at least 14 of the Central Office, IN THIS MONTH ALONE????

Rather than having a flexible policy to react as cases are reported at each school - the board's approach is static and unyielding.

I don't care if someone wants to send their kid into school in-person, however, I am concerned when a school reports 30 cases in a day and isn't virtual the next.

You want people to call you individually regarding these concerns, which is understandable. However, the optics remain tainted until these issues are publicly addressed.

[Anonymous]

Mr. Joftus - do you support voters being able to only vote for a BOE member for their own district?

[Anonymous]

In one Tweet Scott Joftus has disqualified himself.

- He has used the death of a student to promote his business, which is morally indefensible

- He has used his BOE position to promote his business, which is unethical.